NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night

Michigan 79, Penn State 69

Michigan 79, Penn State 69 – Michigan stays perfect in Big Ten beating Penn St. 79-69 

Hunter Dickinson scored 17 points shooting 6 for 10, Jett Howard scored 14 points and Michigan beat Penn State 79-69 to end the Nittany Lions’ five-game winning streak. Tarris Reed Jr. made 1 of 2 foul shots and Michigan extended its 42-34 halftime lead to 61-47 with 11:20 left. Penn State closed to 72-69 on Camren Wynter’s jump shot with 2:17 remaining. Howard missed a jumper on Michigan’s next possession but Penn State failed to tie it when Andrew Funk missed a 3-pointer. Penn State missed its final three-shot attempts following Wynter’s basket. Jalen Pickett scored 26 points for Penn State.

NCAAMBKB – Michigan’s Dickinson dissociates from Hitler-Izzo comment

Michigan center Hunter Dickinson said he was part of a decision to remove a published Barstool Sports podcast in which one of his co-hosts compared Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo to Adolf Hitler. Hunter said he doesn’t associate himself with the comment after the Wolverines beat Penn State 79-69 Wednesday night. Michigan plays the Spartans on the road Saturday. Dickinson is a regular on the podcast but said he couldn’t recall if he was on it when the comment was made. Michigan plays at Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night

Philadelphia 76ers 129, Indiana Pacers 126 – OT

Chicago Bulls 121, Brooklyn Nets 112

Detroit Pistons 122, Golden State Warriors 119

Bulls 121, Nets 112 – Durant scores 44, but Bulls snap Nets’ 12-game win streak 

DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams each scored 22 points, and the Chicago Bulls stopped Brooklyn’s 12-game win streak with a 121-112 victory over Kevin Durant and the Nets. Durant scored 44 points, but Chicago had six players score in double figures. Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Ayo Dosunmo finished with 17 points. The Bulls had dropped two in a row. Durant rested at the beginning of the fourth quarter and Chicago put together an 8-0 run. Dosunmu stole a pass at midcourt and went in for the jam for a 106-95 lead with 6:46 left.

Pistons 122, Warriors 119 – Bey beats buzzer with 3, Pistons beat Warriors 122-119 

Saddiq Bey hit a 3-pointer as time expired after Golden State’s Klay Thompson tied it with a 3 with 2.3 seconds left, sending the Detroit Pistons past the Warriors 122-119 on Wednesday night. Detrout ended the defending champions’ season-best winning streak at five. Reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry missed his 10th straight game with a partially dislocated left shoulder and is set to be re-examined Saturday at the two-week mark from his last evaluation. Bey made another key 3 late and wound up with 17 points, Bojan Bogdanovic hit his first five 3-pointers and one with 3:42 left on the way to 29 points to lead six Pistons in double figures. Thompson had 30 points.

Sixers 129, Pacers 126 – OT – Without Embiid, 76ers push past Pacers 129-126 in OT 

De’Anthony Melton hit a go-ahead 3-pointer late in overtime and James Harden scored 26 points to help a Philadelphia 76ers team playing without Joel Embiid beat the Indiana Pacers 129-126. Melton put the Sixers ahead 125-124 with 2:16 left in OT. He finished with 19 points. Montrezl Harrell followed with a rim-rattling dunk, and the Sixers held on for their 11th straight home win. Harrell also had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting. Embiid, who had been playing with a sore lower back, sat out with a sore left foot.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night

New Jersey Devils 5, Detroit Red Wings 1

Devils 5, Red Wings 1 – Vanecek makes 32 saves as Devils roll past Red Wings 5-1 

Vitek Vanecek made 32 saves and blanked Detroit for 58 minutes as the New Jersey Devils downed the Red Wings 5-1. Dougie Hamilton, Nico Hischier, Alexander Holtz and Jack Hughes each had a goal and an assist. Michael McLeod also scored for New Jersey. The Devils, who are 14-2-1 on the road, won the season series 2-1. Lucas Raymond scored on a late power play to prevent a shutout. Red Wings goalie Villo Husso stopped 21 shots.

NCAAWBKB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night

Toledo 71, Western Michigan 53

Central Michigan 79, Northern Illinois 62

Eastern Michigan 68, Miami (OH) 67

NFL – NFL rallies to support Hamlin as his condition improves

NFL players and coaches are rallying to support Damar Hamlin, two days after the Buffalo Bills safety’s heart stopped and he needed to be resuscitated during a game at Cincinnati. Colts safety Rodney Thomas made the two-hour drive from Indianapolis to Cincinnati to provide his sedated friend words of encouragement. Vikings defensive tackle and former Bills teammate Harrison Phillips arranged to have dinner delivered to the hospital. Hamlin’s marketing representative Jordan Rooney told The Associated Press the player’s recovery is moving in “a positive direction.” The Bills say Hamlin is still in critical condition but has shown signs of improvement.

NFL – Hamlin’s collapse spurs new wave of vaccine misinformation

Misinformation about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines has flared up once again, this time following the on-field collapse of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during a game Monday. Even before Hamlin was carried off the field, social media posts claimed without evidence that his medical emergency was caused by a COVID-19 inoculation. Prominent anti-vaccine groups and right-leaning figures like Tucker Carlson claimed Hamlin’s cardiac arrest is connected to a number of athletes who have died after receiving the shot. Physicians interviewed by the AP, however, said it’s wrong to blame vaccines for Hamlin’s injury and that there’s been no increase in cardiac arrests among vaccinated athletes.

NFL – NFL still considering scheduling options, Week 18 unchanged

The NFL is still considering various options following the suspension of the Bills-Bengals game, including possibly eliminating the bye week before the Super Bowl. The Bills-Patriots game set for Sunday and the rest of the Week 18 games remain on schedule. The pivotal Bills-Bengals game was suspended Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest while making a tackle in the first quarter. A marketing representative for his family says Hamlin’s recovery is moving in “a positive direction” two days after the 24-year-old player had to be resuscitated on the field. NFL executive Jeff Miller said there has been no decision on whether to resume the Bills-Bengals game at a later date. A decision will be made in the coming days.

NFL – Bears’ Fields to miss finale, ending shot at QB rushing mark

Justin Fields won’t get a chance to break the single-season rushing record for an NFL quarterback. Coach Matt Eberflus says Fields will miss the season finale against the Minnesota Vikings because of a strained hip and Nathan Peterman will start in his place. Fields finishes his second season with 1,143 yards rushing, 63 shy of the record of 1,206 set by Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson in 2019 during his MVP season. Eberflus said Fields reported a sore hip Monday morning, a day after the Bears got blown out at Detroit. An MRI confirmed the strain and the team’s medical staff ruled him out for the game against NFC North champion Minnesota on Sunday.

MLB – Benintendi just planning to be himself as he joins White Sox

Andrew Benintendi pulled on his new No. 23 Chicago White Sox jersey a day after finalizing a $75 million, five-year deal. It’s the richest contract in terms of total value in franchise history. The White Sox had long been interested in Benintendi, going back to when the outfielder was selected by Boston with the No. 7 pick in the 2015 amateur draft — one spot ahead of Chicago. Benintendi says it’s good to be with a team that wanted him from the get-go.

MLB – AP source: Cubs, 1B Hosmer agree to 1-year contract

Eric Hosmer has agreed to a $720,000, one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, giving the team another option at first base and designated hitter. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it was pending a successful physical. The 33-year-old Hosmer played for San Diego and Boston last season, batting .268 with eight homers and 44 RBIs in 104 games. He was traded to Boston in August, and then he was designated for assignment by the Red Sox last month.

USA Soccer – Reyna family flagged Berhalter incident; interim coach named

The U.S. Men’s soccer team has been plunged into public turmoil because the family of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna family says it was the one to notify the U.S. Soccer Federation of a decades-old incident involving Gregg Berhalter and his wife. The family says it took action in response to the coach’s disparagement of young star Gio Reyna, Claudio’s son. Berhalter said Tuesday that his 1991 behavior in which he kicked the woman who would become his wife was “shameful.” Anthony Hudson will coach the team for exhibitions against Serbia on Jan. 25 and Colombia 3 days later.

IIHF – Canada beats US 6-2 in world junior hockey semifinals

Adam Fantilli scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, Thomas Milic made 43 saves and Canada overcame an early deficit to beat the United States 6-2 on Wednesday night to advance to the world junior hockey championship game. Seeking its 20th title, Canada will face the Czech Republic on Thursday night. The Czechs, 5-2 winners over Canada in their tournament opener, rallied to beat Sweden 2-1 in overtime in the first semifinal. Joshua Roy had two goals, the second into the empty net, and two assists for Canada. Fantilli, Connor Bedard and Logan Stankoven each had a goal and an assist, and Brandt Clarke also scored. Logan Cooley and Kenny Connors scored in the first period as the Americans raced to a 2-0 lead.

AHL – American Hockey league
Last Night

Grand Rapids Griffins 3, Cleveland Monsters 1

NBAGL – NBA G-League
Last Night

Windy City Bulls 128, Fort Wayne Mad Ants 116

Tonight

Motor City Cruise at Maine Celtics, 7:00 p.m.

Fort Wayne Mad Ants at Grand Rapids Gold, 7:00 p.m.

MCCAA – Junior College Athletics
Last Night
Women’s Basketball

Muskegon Community College 61, Southwestern Michigan 44

Joliet Junior College 71, Lake Michigan College 50

Men’s Basketball

Southwestern Michigan 66, Muskegon Community College 56

Lake Michigan College 82, Joliet Junior College 80

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball

Grand Haven 53, Portage Central 47

Galesburg-Augusta 67, Saugatuck 45

Bangor Invitational

Wyoming Lee 37, South Haven 36

Bangor 46, Gobles 41

Girls Basketball

Saugatuck 51, Galesburg-Augusta 47

Wrestling

Lakeshore 39, Edwardsburg 24

South Haven, Galesburg-Augusta, Fennville at Parchment
South Haven 54, Galesburg-Augusta 21
South Haven 51, Parchment 12
Galesburg-Augusta 36, Fennville 30
Fennville 24, Parchment 21

Tonight
Boys Basketball

Battle Creek Academy at Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.

Girls Basketball
Bangor Invitational

Wyoming-Lee vs. New Buffalo, 5:30 p.m.

Parchment vs. Bangor, 7:00 p.m.

Bridgman at Fennville, 7:00 p.m.

Battle Creek Academy at Lawrence, 6:00 p.m.Michigan guard Dug McDaniel (0) and Penn State guard Camren Wynter (11) chase the loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)Chicago Bulls’ Zach LaVine (8) shoots over Brooklyn Nets’ Kevin Durant (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey shoots the game-winning 3-point basket against the Golden State Warriors in an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) stops a Detroit Red Wings’ Jonatan Bergen (52) shot in the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball 
Last Night 
Michigan 79, Penn State 69

Michigan 79, Penn State 69 – Michigan stays perfect in Big Ten beating Penn St. 79-69 
Hunter Dickinson scored 17 points shooting 6 for 10, Jett Howard scored 14 points and Michigan beat Penn State 79-69 to end the Nittany Lions’ five-game winning streak. Tarris Reed Jr. made 1 of 2 foul shots and Michigan extended its 42-34 halftime lead to 61-47 with 11:20 left. Penn State closed to 72-69 on Camren Wynter’s jump shot with 2:17 remaining. Howard missed a jumper on Michigan’s next possession but Penn State failed to tie it when Andrew Funk missed a 3-pointer. Penn State missed its final three-shot attempts following Wynter’s basket. Jalen Pickett scored 26 points for Penn State.
NCAAMBKB – Michigan&#8217;s Dickinson dissociates from Hitler-Izzo comment 
Michigan center Hunter Dickinson said he was part of a decision to remove a published Barstool Sports podcast in which one of his co-hosts compared Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo to Adolf Hitler. Hunter said he doesn&#8217;t associate himself with the comment after the Wolverines beat Penn State 79-69 Wednesday night. Michigan plays the Spartans on the road Saturday. Dickinson is a regular on the podcast but said he couldn’t recall if he was on it when the comment was made. Michigan plays at Michigan State on Saturday afternoon in East Lansing.
NBA – National Basketball Association 
Last Night 
Philadelphia 76ers 129, Indiana Pacers 126 – OT 
Chicago Bulls 121, Brooklyn Nets 112 
Detroit Pistons 122, Golden State Warriors 119

Bulls 121, Nets 112 – Durant scores 44, but Bulls snap Nets&#8217; 12-game win streak 
DeMar DeRozan and Patrick Williams each scored 22 points, and the Chicago Bulls stopped Brooklyn’s 12-game win streak with a 121-112 victory over Kevin Durant and the Nets. Durant scored 44 points, but Chicago had six players score in double figures. Nikola Vucevic had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Ayo Dosunmo finished with 17 points. The Bulls had dropped two in a row. Durant rested at the beginning of the fourth quarter and Chicago put together an 8-0 run. Dosunmu stole a pass at midcourt and went in for the jam for a 106-95 lead with 6:46 left.

Pistons 122, Warriors 119 – Bey beats buzzer with 3, Pistons beat Warriors 122-119 
Saddiq Bey hit a 3-pointer as time expired after Golden State’s Klay Thompson tied it with a 3 with 2.3 seconds left, sending the Detroit Pistons past the Warriors 122-119 on Wednesday night. Detrout ended the defending champions’ season-best winning streak at five. Reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry missed his 10th straight game with a partially dislocated left shoulder and is set to be re-examined Saturday at the two-week mark from his last evaluation. Bey made another key 3 late and wound up with 17 points, Bojan Bogdanovic hit his first five 3-pointers and one with 3:42 left on the way to 29 points to lead six Pistons in double figures. Thompson had 30 points.
Sixers 129, Pacers 126 – OT – Without Embiid, 76ers push past Pacers 129-126 in OT 
De’Anthony Melton hit a go-ahead 3-pointer late in overtime and James Harden scored 26 points to help a Philadelphia 76ers team playing without Joel Embiid beat the Indiana Pacers 129-126. Melton put the Sixers ahead 125-124 with 2:16 left in OT. He finished with 19 points. Montrezl Harrell followed with a rim-rattling dunk, and the Sixers held on for their 11th straight home win. Harrell also had 19 points on 8-for-9 shooting. Embiid, who had been playing with a sore lower back, sat out with a sore left foot.
NHL – National Hockey League 
Last Night 
New Jersey Devils 5, Detroit Red Wings 1

Devils 5, Red Wings 1 – Vanecek makes 32 saves as Devils roll past Red Wings 5-1 
Vitek Vanecek made 32 saves and blanked Detroit for 58 minutes as the New Jersey Devils downed the Red Wings 5-1. Dougie Hamilton, Nico Hischier, Alexander Holtz and Jack Hughes each had a goal and an assist. Michael McLeod also scored for New Jersey. The Devils, who are 14-2-1 on the road, won the season series 2-1. Lucas Raymond scored on a late power play to prevent a shutout. Red Wings goalie Villo Husso stopped 21 shots.
NCAAWBKB – Women’s College Basketball 
Last Night 
Toledo 71, Western Michigan 53 
Central Michigan 79, Northern Illinois 62 
Eastern Michigan 68, Miami (OH) 67
NFL – NFL rallies to support Hamlin as his condition improves 
NFL players and coaches are rallying to support Damar Hamlin, two days after the Buffalo Bills safety&#8217;s heart stopped and he needed to be resuscitated during a game at Cincinnati. Colts safety Rodney Thomas made the two-hour drive from Indianapolis to Cincinnati to provide his sedated friend words of encouragement. Vikings defensive tackle and former Bills teammate Harrison Phillips arranged to have dinner delivered to the hospital. Hamlin&#8217;s marketing representative Jordan Rooney told The Associated Press the player&#8217;s recovery is moving in “a positive direction.” The Bills say Hamlin is still in critical condition but has shown signs of improvement.
NFL – Hamlin&#8217;s collapse spurs new wave of vaccine misinformation 
Misinformation about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines has flared up once again, this time following the on-field collapse of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin during a game Monday. Even before Hamlin was carried off the field, social media posts claimed without evidence that his medical emergency was caused by a COVID-19 inoculation. Prominent anti-vaccine groups and right-leaning figures like Tucker Carlson claimed Hamlin&#8217;s cardiac arrest is connected to a number of athletes who have died after receiving the shot. Physicians interviewed by the AP, however, said it&#8217;s wrong to blame vaccines for Hamlin&#8217;s injury and that there&#8217;s been no increase in cardiac arrests among vaccinated athletes.
NFL – NFL still considering scheduling options, Week 18 unchanged 
The NFL is still considering various options following the suspension of the Bills-Bengals game, including possibly eliminating the bye week before the Super Bowl. The Bills-Patriots game set for Sunday and the rest of the Week 18 games remain on schedule. The pivotal Bills-Bengals game was suspended Monday night after Buffalo safety Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest while making a tackle in the first quarter. A marketing representative for his family says Hamlin’s recovery is moving in “a positive direction” two days after the 24-year-old player had to be resuscitated on the field. NFL executive Jeff Miller said there has been no decision on whether to resume the Bills-Bengals game at a later date. A decision will be made in the coming days.
NFL – Bears&#8217; Fields to miss finale, ending shot at QB rushing mark 
Justin Fields won’t get a chance to break the single-season rushing record for an NFL quarterback. Coach Matt Eberflus says Fields will miss the season finale against the Minnesota Vikings because of a strained hip and Nathan Peterman will start in his place. Fields finishes his second season with 1,143 yards rushing, 63 shy of the record of 1,206 set by Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson in 2019 during his MVP season. Eberflus said Fields reported a sore hip Monday morning, a day after the Bears got blown out at Detroit. An MRI confirmed the strain and the team’s medical staff ruled him out for the game against NFC North champion Minnesota on Sunday.
MLB – Benintendi just planning to be himself as he joins White Sox 
Andrew Benintendi pulled on his new No. 23 Chicago White Sox jersey a day after finalizing a $75 million, five-year deal. It’s the richest contract in terms of total value in franchise history. The White Sox had long been interested in Benintendi, going back to when the outfielder was selected by Boston with the No. 7 pick in the 2015 amateur draft — one spot ahead of Chicago. Benintendi says it&#8217;s good to be with a team that wanted him from the get-go.
MLB – AP source: Cubs, 1B Hosmer agree to 1-year contract 
Eric Hosmer has agreed to a $720,000, one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs, giving the team another option at first base and designated hitter. A person familiar with the negotiations confirmed the deal to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it was pending a successful physical. The 33-year-old Hosmer played for San Diego and Boston last season, batting .268 with eight homers and 44 RBIs in 104 games. He was traded to Boston in August, and then he was designated for assignment by the Red Sox last month.
USA Soccer – Reyna family flagged Berhalter incident; interim coach named 
The U.S. Men’s soccer team has been plunged into public turmoil because the family of former U.S. captain Claudio Reyna family says it was the one to notify the U.S. Soccer Federation of a decades-old incident involving Gregg Berhalter and his wife. The family says it took action in response to the coach’s disparagement of young star Gio Reyna, Claudio&#8217;s son. Berhalter said Tuesday that his 1991 behavior in which he kicked the woman who would become his wife was “shameful.” Anthony Hudson will coach the team for exhibitions against Serbia on Jan. 25 and Colombia 3 days later.
IIHF – Canada beats US 6-2 in world junior hockey semifinals 
Adam Fantilli scored the go-ahead goal in the second period, Thomas Milic made 43 saves and Canada overcame an early deficit to beat the United States 6-2 on Wednesday night to advance to the world junior hockey championship game. Seeking its 20th title, Canada will face the Czech Republic on Thursday night. The Czechs, 5-2 winners over Canada in their tournament opener, rallied to beat Sweden 2-1 in overtime in the first semifinal. Joshua Roy had two goals, the second into the empty net, and two assists for Canada. Fantilli, Connor Bedard and Logan Stankoven each had a goal and an assist, and Brandt Clarke also scored. Logan Cooley and Kenny Connors scored in the first period as the Americans raced to a 2-0 lead.
AHL – American Hockey league 
Last Night 
Grand Rapids Griffins 3, Cleveland Monsters 1
NBAGL – NBA G-League 
Last Night 
Windy City Bulls 128, Fort Wayne Mad Ants 116
Tonight 
Motor City Cruise at Maine Celtics, 7:00 p.m. 
Fort Wayne Mad Ants at Grand Rapids Gold, 7:00 p.m.
MCCAA – Junior College Athletics 
Last Night 
Women’s Basketball 
Muskegon Community College 61, Southwestern Michigan 44 
Joliet Junior College 71, Lake Michigan College 50
Men’s Basketball 
Southwestern Michigan 66, Muskegon Community College 56 
Lake Michigan College 82, Joliet Junior College 80
MHSAA – High School Sports 
Last Night 
Boys Basketball 
Grand Haven 53, Portage Central 47 
Galesburg-Augusta 67, Saugatuck 45
Bangor Invitational 
Wyoming Lee 37, South Haven 36 
Bangor 46, Gobles 41
Girls Basketball 
Saugatuck 51, Galesburg-Augusta 47
Wrestling 
Lakeshore 39, Edwardsburg 24 
South Haven, Galesburg-Augusta, Fennville at Parchment
<ul>
<li>South Haven 54, Galesburg-Augusta 21</li>
<li>South Haven 51, Parchment 12</li>
<li>Galesburg-Augusta 36, Fennville 30</li>
<li>Fennville 24, Parchment 21</li>
</ul>
Tonight 
Boys Basketball 
Battle Creek Academy at Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.
Girls Basketball 
Bangor Invitational 
Wyoming-Lee vs. New Buffalo, 5:30 p.m. 
Parchment vs. Bangor, 7:00 p.m.
Bridgman at Fennville, 7:00 p.m. 
Battle Creek Academy at Lawrence, 6:00 p.m.Michigan guard Dug McDaniel (0) and Penn State guard Camren Wynter (11) chase the loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Ann Arbor, Mich. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)Chicago Bulls&#8217; Zach LaVine (8) shoots over Brooklyn Nets&#8217; Kevin Durant (7) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)Detroit Pistons forward Saddiq Bey shoots the game-winning 3-point basket against the Golden State Warriors in an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)New Jersey Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek (41) stops a Detroit Red Wings&#8217; Jonatan Bergen (52) shot in the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Southwest Michigan's Sports Leader

WSJM Sports

NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball Last Night Michigan 79, Penn State 69 Michigan 79, Penn State 69 – Michigan stays perfect in Big Ten beating Penn St. 79-69 Hunter Dickinson scored 17 points shooting 6 for 10,