A Japanese home run king officially entered the posting system Friday, opening up a 45-day negotiating window for MLB teams to court him. Munetaka Murakami, a 25-year-old slugger who plays both first and third base, is expected to headline a deep class of Asian talent looking to come to North America this winter.

Could he be a fit for the Mets? Well, yes, but also no. Maybe.

A left-handed power hitter, Murakami set the single-season home run record for a Japanese player in Nippon Professional Baseball when he hit 56 for the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in 2022. It broke Sadaharu Oh’s record of 55, which was set in 1964. Over eight seasons in Japan, Murakami has crushed 246 homers, hitting .270 with a .951 OPS.

In August, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns took a trip to Japan to scout him. However, before you go trying to connect any dots, Stearns is not the only MLB executive that went overseas to see his power in person. Though the power is an obvious draw, a Mets pursuit would probably mean that Pete Alonso’s days in Queens are done.

Alonso is a free agent for the second year in a row after opting out of the final year of his contract last week. While he has been vocal about his desire to return to the team that drafted him out of the University of Florida in 2016, he made a pretty good case for a long-term contract and a big pay day with his 2025 production.

The 30-year-old Alonso hit .272 with an .871 OPS, 38 home runs and a league-leading 41 doubles. The first baseman played in all 162 games for the second year in a row, was named an All-Star for the fourth straight season and for the fifth time in his career, and became the Mets’ all-time home run leader in August when he broke Darryl Strawberry’s record of 252. The Polar Bear stands alone at the top with 264.

This came after two down seasons for Alonso, showing that he’s got plenty left in the tank in his 30s. The 2019 Rookie of the Year faced questions about regression after 2023 and 2024, though he assuaged some of those concerns with a monster postseason last fall. A fan favorite, he values the community like few others who have come through Flushing.

But Stearns has never been Alonso’s biggest fan. Last winter, it was owner Steve Cohen who made the decisive call to bring Alonso back on a bridge deal. Cohen also has a strong relationship with Alonso’s agent, Scott Boras. The super agent also represents Juan Soto, Brandon Nimmo and Sean Manaea.

The two players have plenty of differences, but they essentially play the same role as a power bat either high up or toward the middle of the order. Both would offer protection behind Soto, but they both strike out a lot as well. Neither one provides Gold Glove-worthy defense.

The tend to strike out at high rates. Prolific power hitters tend to strike out at high clips, so the line of thinking is generally, you can live with them as long as you get the power production. However, you don’t want too many high-strikeout hitters in one lineup. Alonso cut down on his chase rates in 2024, though they went back up a bit in 2025. Murakami, on the other hand, swings and misses on pitches in the zone and out of it.

Murakami would be a great candidate for the Mets if they lose out on Alonso, but the timing complicates the matter. His negotiation window opens Saturday at 8 a.m. ET, and will expire at 5 p.m. on Dec. 22. That leaves only a short window for the Mets to figure out whether they can retain Alonso as well. It’s also not clear whether or not Murakami would want to play first base full time. If the Mets do sign Murakami, they could move Mark Vientos to first base and use Murakami at third or as a DH, but they might have to trade away either Brett Baty or Ronny Mauricio to ensure that everyone has playing time.

Run prevention and fundamental defense will be priorities for the Mets next season. Murakami might only complicate an already-complicated third base situation.

Still, he’s an enticing player for a team who had a wildly inconsistent offense last season. Plus, we know money isn’t a concern with Cohen, and Murakami won’t come cheap. Signing players through posting requires teams to pay a fee to the Asian teams they transferred from. The fees start at 20% for the first $25 million, 17.5% for the next $25 million and an additional 15% on every dollar above $50 million.

Murakami could receive a nine-figure contract with a posting fee of at least $16.9 million.

Alonso is reportedly seeking a seven-year contract. Last year, he sought a multi-year pact for $150 million. He didn’t get it, and it’s unclear if a team is willing to pay that much for a right-handed first baseman who will be 31 next season.

The answer is complicated. The Mets can make Murakami fit, and they can also make Alonso fit. But it’s unlikely they end up with both.

Nov. 7—It's win or go home time for the Glacier Wolfpack.

Glacier opens its playoff run Friday at Legends Stadium at 6 p.m., welcoming in the Bozeman Hawks in a rematch from Week 2.

The Wolfpack cruised to a 62-21 victory in the first meeting, but coach Grady Bennett expects the Hawks to come out with a new game plan.

"We got after them the first time so clearly they aren't going to come in and do the same thing," Bennett said. "The key for us is to determine the changes that they made."

The Wolfpack had a bye last week after securing the top seed in Western AA. Bozeman dispatched Missoula Hellgate 38-7 in their first-round matchup as the No. 4 seed in the East.

"A good stretch to heal up and get healthy," Bennett said. "We have been healthy, but you still have these pain in the butt, nagging things."

Despite the high stakes, the Wolfpack are in a business-as-usual mindset.

"I think all year, this group has been so good at understanding their goals; it really wasn't us (the coaches)," Bennett said. "It was them setting their sights for where they want to be. We never had to consider things like trap games; every week the hunger was there for the guys. This is just week No. 10 in their journey."

It might be a tall task for the Wolfpack to shut down Bozeman quarterback Van Shockley, Class AA's leader in passing yards at 2,204. The junior has 20 touchdowns in 10 games. He also has 14 touchdowns on the ground.

Glacier held him to 14 of 26 passing and 199 yards the first time they played, though he did add two late scores in the running game.

Senior Evan Hughen and junior Walker Roodell are Shockley's favorite targets.

Hughen is averaging 66.5 yards per game, while Roodell is at 64.7. Both have five touchdown grabs.

Glacier counters with the backfield pairing of Jackson Presley and Asher Knopik.

Knopik tops AA with 1,119 rushing yards in nine games. He has found the end zone 15 times.

Presley is fourth in AA in passing yards at 1,754, but his 23 touchdowns top AA. His one interception also leads the state among quarterbacks with more than 50 attempts.

Bennett reminds fans to be at Legends Stadium for an earlier kickoff time at 6 p.m.

The winner Friday faces the winner of Missoula Sentinel at Gallatin in the semifinals on Nov. 14.

The state championship game is set for Nov. 21.

Nov. 7—HELENA — Helena's Ella McCarthy and Brooklyn Smith had eight kills each and the Bengals downed Flathead in straight sets Thursday in a State AA volleyball play-in match.

Lauryn Lieberg and Sammy Knutson added seven kills each for the Bengals (12-14), who won 25-16, 25-20, 25-10.

They advanced to the State AA tournament as the West's No. 3 seed. Helena will face Bozeman in the first round next Wednesday at Breeden Field House on the MSU campus.

Flathead ended up 5-21, though the Bravettes had an excellent start to the second set, taking leads of 14-6 and 18-10 before Helena rallied.

Makenna Aldrich had an ace to go with five kills to lead Flathead.

Helena def. Flathead 25-16, 25-20, 25-10

Kills — Flathead 15 (Makenna Aldrich 5), Helena 34 (Ella McCarthy 8, Brooklyn Smith 8). Assists — Flathead 14 (Cheyenne Heino 14), Helena 31 (Avery Peterson 29). Digs — Flathead 35 (Emy O'Dell 12), Helena 47 (Lauryn Leiberg 17). Blocks — Flathead 6 (Bristol Lenz 4), Helena 7 (Sammy Knutson 4). Aces — Flathead 3 (3 with 1), Helena 8 (3 with 2).

Nov. 7—Fresh off a bye, Columbia Falls is ready to extend its season as the Wildcats battle East Helena in the Class A football quarterfinals Friday at 7 p.m.

It will be a tall ask: The Vigilantes come to the Flathead Valley 8-2 with a 40-8 victory over the Wildcats earlier this year, in a lightning delayed matchup on Sept. 12.

Since that matchup Columbia Falls is unbeaten, running the table in Northwest A play to take a 5-3 record into the playoffs.

"Hopefully we can win one more to get one more," second-year Wildcats coach Kelly Houle said. "In the playoffs, it's the second season and your 0-0."

Banyan Johnston leads the Wildcats offense, throwing for 1,611 yards and 16 touchdowns and only two interceptions, with one coming in the first matchup with East Helena. He has thrown three touchdowns in each of the last five games.

Out wide, Easton Brooks and Jory Hill headline the receiving corps for Columbia Falls. Hill averages 56 yards per game with Brooks right behind at 53 with six touchdowns.

"We are taking one practice at a time, one day at a time," Brooks said. "We had a bye week gratefully last week, so each day coaches make the point to 'win the day.' "

Trip Ross guides the running game with 84.6 yards per game and seven rushing scores.

On defense, Daniel Contreras has six sacks for the Wildcats.

East Helena defeated Glendive in the first round 54-22 to secure its spot in Friday's game.

East Helena's Bearek Shuman is fourth among all quarterbacks with 2,169 passing yards. He has 24 touchdowns, including three against Columbia Falls in September.

Leo Longcake provides a rushing spark for the Vigilantes with 1,164 yards on the ground — good enough for second in Class A behind Laurel's Curtis Fox — and 20 touchdowns.

Nov. 7—E. Washington at No. 2/2 Montana

When: Saturday, 1 p.m.; TV — MTN (KPAX, KRTV). Web — ESPN+; Radio — Grizzly Radio Network. Where: Washington-Grizzly Stadium (25,217 FieldTurf) . Records: EWU is 4-5, 3-2 in the Big Sky. Montana is 9-0, 5-0.

When the Eagles have the ball: Sophomore Nate Bell left last week's 35-13 loss to Sac State with his throwing arm in a sling. Jared Taylor, recently moved from QB to running back, is also injured. Freshman Jake Schakel, who threw for 201 yards against the Hornets, is next up. The Eagles are also banged up at RB: junior Marceese Yetts is listed as starter and has a team-high 21 receptions. Nolan Ulm is a top target and fellow receiver Noah Cronquist is a factor in the return game.

When the Grizzlies have the ball: Within a very balanced offense, QB Keali'i Ah Yat has an FCS-leading 2,534 passing yards, with 19 touchdowns. He has another 4 TDs rushing. Eli Gillman is averaging 6.3 yards a carry and has 1,012 yards and 13 TDs rushing. Michael Wortham, a fan favorite in his years at EWU, has 49 catches for 698 yards and 6 TDs. Brooks Davis is next: 33-480-3. Four more Grizzlies have two TD receptions, including Glacier product Drew Deck (15 catches, 211 yards).

Notable: Montana alum Chad Germer, the Grizzlies' O-line three times for a total of 13 seasons is in his first year coaching EWU's O-line. ... HC Aaron Best is 56-45 in his ninth season at EWU. ... Sac State threw just 6 passes, completing 4 for 15 yards, against EWU while the Eagle put it up a season-high 53 times. ... The Eagles have blocked 5 kicks this season. ... Bobby Hauck is 147-41 at UM and one victory away from Jerome Sauers Big Sky record of 85 league wins. ... Forecast is 44 and dry Saturday.

Pick: Griz, 38-17.

Weber St. at No. 3/3 Montana St.

When: Saturday, 1 p.m.; TV — Scripps. Web — ESPN+; Radio — Bobcat Radio Network. Where: Bobcat Stadium (17,777, FieldTurf). Records: Weber State 3-6 overall, 1-4 in the Big Sky. MSU is 7-2 and 5-0.

When the Wildcats have the ball: Junior Dijon Jennings and freshman Kingston Tisdell split time at QB with Jackson Gilkey out last week in a 38-17 loss to Montana and could again Saturday. Weber lost RBs Davion Goldey and Chauncey Silvester for the season; seniors Colter May and Zach Hrbacek (181 yards, 1 TD) are 1-2 on the depth chart. Jayleen Record (30 catches, 353 yards) is healthy, has caught 3 of the Wildcats' 8 TD passes and coming off a 107-yard day against the Griz.

When the Bobcats have the ball: Justin Lamson is having a year at QB, completing 72 percent of his passes for 1,909 yards and 16 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. He has also run for 381 and 6 scores. Julius Davis has 595 yards and four TDs on 86 carries (6.9 average). Adam Jones has 8 TDs and 551 yards rushing. Add in Colson Coon and others and the Bobcats as a team average 5.6 yards a carry. Taco Dowler's 49 catches, 617 yards and 5 TDs lead the receivers; Dane Steel checks in at 24 for 278 and 1 touchdown. Rocky Lecioni, a freshman tight end, has 4 TD catches.

Notable: MSU leads the series 34-23-1 and has won four straight and 19 of the last 24 meetings. ... Mickey Mental is 13-20 in third season coaching WSU. ... Brent Vigen is 54-12 in his fifth season at MSU. ... The Cats lead the Big Sky and rank seventh in the FCS in rushing defense (94.6 yards per game). ... MSU allows 16.3 points per game, seventh in the FCS, despite allowing 59 to Oregon.

Pick: Cats, 49-0.

ORLANDO, Fla. — The question floating around Gainesville right now isn’t whether Lane Kiffin is the best candidate for the University of Florida’s head coaching job.

It’s whether the Gators are actually willing to spend $150 million — fully guaranteed, over 10 years — to hire him.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for the Gators hiring Lane Kiffin, but — wince! — at what price?

That will likely be the price tag for Kiffin, according to Mike Ginnitti of Spotrac.com, one of the few places on Earth where sports business math is explained without requiring a stiff drink. And like it or not, Kiffin is the name every big-time program is likely circling. Not just Florida, but LSU, perhaps Penn State and maybe even a couple of NFL teams (hello, Miami Dolphins) might want him, too.

Who are you betting on if the Gators and the Dolphins (when they fire Mike McDaniel) get into a bidding war for Kiffin?

I think I’ll take the Gators for one simple reason.

Because no one — NO ONE! — throws money around quite like college football programs hunting for their next savior.

Remember when Florida Athletic Director Scott Stricklin was asked recently about how to curb these ridiculous coaching buyouts and contracts? His answer: “We could sit here and talk high and mighty about how we’re going to draw the line, and it would probably impact the pool of candidates you have depending how strict you draw that line. We’re going to try to be as smart as we can with our resources and make the best possible decision. But we’re also going to be very competitive.”

Translation: We’re going to keep spending money like a trust-fund kid with Dad’s AmEx platinum card.

Translation of the translation: If Kiffin wants $150 million, we’re probably going to hand him $151 million just to be safe.

And that’s just Lane’s price tag. He’s going to demand elite assistants, analysts, support staffers and probably a small army of quality-control coaches who hold clipboards like sacred artifacts. Add it up, and the total cost of the Lane Train becomes the Lane Plane — a $200 million aviation-grade financial commitment.

Meanwhile, let’s not forget UF just paid Billy Napier $21 million to go away. Before him, Dan Mullen flamed out early. Before him, Jim McElwain. Before him, Will Muschamp. Four consecutive head coaches — none made it longer than four years.

Which leads to the most terrifying math equation in the SEC.

If Florida gives Kiffin a 10-year, $150 million fully guaranteed contract and he flames out like his predecessors, what would it cost to fire him after Year 4?

Answer: $90 million.

Ninety. Million. Dollars.

That’s not a buyout. That’s a ransom note written in gold ink.

And don’t kid yourself, it would somehow be justified with these seven magical words: “You can’t put a price on winning.” As we know all too well after the recent explosion of contract buyouts, universities have shown zero interest in fiscal responsibility. Schools cry poor and beg their boosters when it’s time to pay players, then torch the GDP of a small nation on fired coaches.

And now Florida is staring down the barrel of the next phase of the arms race: the nine-figure coaching contract.

Would Lane Kiffin win big at Florida? Maybe. Possibly. Hopefully. But the bigger question is this:

Are the Gators ready to risk $150 million on a coach in a sport where four years is considered long-term stability?

Don’t kid yourself, if this happens and then Kiffin leaves UF with anything less than championships, the Gators won’t just be rebuilding a roster.

They’ll be rebuilding their entire financial ecosystem.

Nov. 6—BEMIDJI — The second NCAA D-II women's soccer regional rankings were announced Wednesday afternoon, and the Bemidji State women's soccer team came in at fifth in the latest Central Region ranking ahead of the regular-season finale.

The Beavers hold a 13-2-3 record against Division-II opponents this season, trailing just Minnesota State (15) and Pittsburg State (13) for most D-II wins in the region. The No. 2 Mavericks lead the Central Region rankings, with Washburn, Pittsburg State and Central Missouri above the Beavers. BSU is one of fivw teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference in the rankings.

The NSIC, the Mid-America Athletic Association and the Great American Conference make up the 36-team NCAA Central Region. The top eight teams in the region will advance to the NCAA region tournament. The two top-seeded teams in each region shall be offered the opportunity to host, provided minimum site selection criteria are met and a bid has been submitted. Automatic bids are granted to the winners of the MIAA, GAC and NSIC postseason tournaments, with the remaining five spots awarded on an at-large basis.

The NCAA Women's Soccer selection show will be streamed online at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 17, at NCAA.com.

The month of October saw great success for the program, going 7-0-2 during the month and averaging 2.22 goals per game while holding opponents to just 0.56 goals per game. Senior Katrina Barthelt led the Beavers during the month with 15 points and scored seven goals. She scored a goal in five of nine matches in October, including two multi-goal efforts.

Graduate goalkeeper Sonia Alfieri was nearly flawless during the month with an unbeaten 7-0-1 record between the posts for the Beavers. She allowed just four goals in October, totaled four shutouts, made 23 saves and boasted a 0.52 goals against average and .852 save percentage.

On the season, Bemidji State averages two goals per game while averaging just 0.59 goals allowed per game to rank second in the NSIC with a 1.41 scoring margin. The Beavers' 34 goals scored are the third most in the NSIC, while their 10 goals against are tied for the third least in the conference. BSU has scored first in 13 of 17 matches this season, tied for second most in the NSIC.

The Beavers have clinched home-field advantage for the first round of the NSIC Tournament and play at Chet Anderson Stadium on Monday, Nov. 10.

No. 2 Minnesota State secured its eighth NSIC regular-season championship this past weekend and clinched the No. 1 seed and home-field advantage in the tournament.

Nov. 6—Like most of his Eastern Washington teammates, defensive end Tariq May has never played at Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula. So, Saturday's game there will be his first.

But he has fond memories of a different time the Eagles played the Grizzlies: in 2021 in Cheney, when EWU held off Montana's final drive for a 34-28 victory in a nationally televised game between two nationally ranked teams. On that night, May, then a high school senior, stood on the sidelines of Roos Field on an official recruiting visit.

"That was a perfect night," May said this week. "That game alone sold me."

Eastern Washington will not have any of its recruits patrolling the sidelines on Saturday. But it could certainly use a program-selling performance like the one that drew May to Eastern.

Such a performance would also be a reversal of recent history, because it has been a while since Eastern Washington ventured two states to the east and came back with a victory — or even anything close to one.

"This game will be remembered by everybody in that locker room forever and ever," EWU head coach Aaron Best said during media availability on Tuesday. "So will Bozeman. So will Boise. Some are just more memorable than others."

The trouble for the Eagles has been that at least recently, those memories have not been fond ones.

Since earning back-to-back road wins over the Montana schools in 2017 (a 48-41 victory over the Grizzlies in Missoula) and in 2018 (a 34-17 victory over the Bobcats in Bozeman), the Eagles have lost five straight games in the state of Montana, and none have been particularly close.

In fact, they have gotten progressively worse.

In 2019, the Eagles went to Missoula, took a 14-3 lead, and then allowed the Grizzlies to score 31 of the final 34 points and secure a 34-17 victory.

Unlike the Eagles, neither Montana program fully participated during the shortened spring 2021 season. But the following fall, two months after that victory May found so thrilling, the Eagles played a second-round playoff game in Missoula and were beaten 57-41, ending Eastern's most recent winning season with a 10-3 record.

The Eagles returned to Missoula in 2022 and lost an early November game 63-7. About a year later they went to Bozeman and were blitzed by the Bobcats, 57-14. And, after a year hosting (and losing much more closely to) both Montana schools in Cheney in 2024, the Eagles returned to Bozeman earlier this season and were beaten 57-3.

All told, the Eagles lost those five games by a combined score of 268-82, and half of Eastern's points scored came in the playoff loss of 2021.

"There's got to be a toughness level. There's got to be a competitiveness level," Best said of what Eastern needs to do this weekend. "There's got to be a swing-first mentality and then, ideally, a swing-last."

The stakes in Saturday's game are, from a single-season standpoint, much different for the two teams. Montana, 9-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big Sky, is ranked No. 2 in this week's FCS Stats Perform Top 25 but is, crucially, a spot lower in Division I Football Championship Committee's rankings released on Wednesday.

The committee rankings — not the polls — are meant to be predictive of what the playoff seeding would look like should the playoffs begin now. A top-two seed in the playoffs guarantees that a team would host all the way through the national semifinals. Montana State (7-2, 5-0) is ranked second, behind No. 1 North Dakota State (9-0).

The Eagles (4-5, 3-2) are a longshot to make the playoffs, and any hopes of doing so hinge upon them beating the Grizzlies, then the Northern Colorado Bears and finally the Cal Poly Mustangs over the season's final three weeks. And even in that scenario, there is no guarantee the Eagles would be included in the 24-team field.

During his weekly news conference on Monday, Montana coach Bobby Hauck expressed his respect for the Eagles and the job Best has done in his nine years as EWU's head coach.

"They're a team that's been on a roll. They've won three of their last four, four of their last six," Hauck said. "I know that they think they probably should have won two of their first three. ... They view this as a rivalry game, so we have to anticipate that again this week."

May didn't travel to Missoula the last time the Eagles played there, in 2022. But he watched it, and he said "it wasn't a fun game to watch."

"It felt like it was explosive (play) after explosive (play)," May said. "The vibe when that team came back wasn't great."

But, May pointed out, there are not many players still on the team — just seven — who participated in that game.

"It's a newer team, a younger one," May said. "We're going there with something to prove."

May said the team has been pumping in extra noise at practice to simulate the crowd. And redshirt junior linebacker Myles Mayovsky, another 2022 high school graduate who was on the team but didn't make the trip to Washington-Grizzly Stadium that season, said he was excited for the energy, for the noise, that is sure to greet the Eagles when the game starts.

"That'll just be more energy for us to go out there and beat these guys," Mayovsky said. "We're all really excited. We believe in ourselves. We believe in our team. We've just got to go do it on Saturday."

RALEIGH, N.C. – After a promising start in a tough environment, the Carolina Hurricanes found an answer for everything the Minnesota Wild could throw at them.

Matt Boldy had a pair of goals to snap out of a notable drought, and Minnesota’s special teams continued a strong stretch, only to see the Hurricanes rally for a 4-3 win. Brock Faber got his second goal of the season.

Looking for a third consecutive win, the Wild twice held one-goal leads and also came back to forge a 3-all tie in the second period. But the Hurricanes stormed back at every turn.

Filip Gustavsson, making his 12th start in goal for the Wild, had a shaky start. Carolina scored four times on its first eight shots. After that, the goalie settled in and finished with 23 saves in the loss

Minnesota fell to 5-7-3 with the loss, and are now 0-6-1 when trailing after the first period.

The Wild got the game’s first power play but could not muster a shot on goal. But with the teams back to even strength a short time later, Kirill Kaprizov got loose in the middle of the offensive zone and made a rush to the net that was thwarted. Boldy was able to punch the loose puck in before Carolina goalie Frederik Andersen could cover it.

Boldly had scored just once in the Wild’s previous 10 games.

After the Wild killed their first penalty of the game, fourth line winger Tyler Pitlick leveled Carolina defenseman Jalen Chatfield with an open-ice check. After a brief fight, Chatfield was helped off the ice and Pitlick was ejected from the game for the illegal hit to the head.

Chatfield did not return to the game, officially listed as dealing with an upper body injury.

With the teams skating four-on-four, Carolina’s Jackson Blake made a coast-to-coast rush with the puck and snapped a low shot past Gustavsson to tie the game. But the Wild answered 31 seconds later, reclaiming the lead at 2-1 via a Brock Faber wrist shot after a set up pass from Kaprizov.

The lead was brief, as Andrei Svechnikov fooled Gustavsson with a low shot on the next shift. The trio of goals in 52 seconds was the fastest three-goal span in the NHL this season.

The Wild killed the rest of the extended penalty only to see Carolina take the lead on a long shot through a crowd in front of the Minnesota net five seconds after the teams were back to full strength.

Minnesota had three shots in the first period, and Andersen stopped one of them.

Opening the middle frame on a power play, the Wild needed 37 seconds to tie the game as Vladimir Tarasenko fed Boldy for a tap-in goal. The tie was again brief, as Carolina scored on the ensuing faceoff, nine seconds later, to lead 4-3.

With just over eight minutes left in regulation, Kaprizov looked to have an open net for the tying goal, only to have Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker disrupt the play. Minnesota made a furious final push with Gustavsson on the bench but could not get the equalizer.

Andersen finished with 19 saves for the Hurricanes, who make their only visit to St. Paul this season on Nov. 19.

The Wild’s current two-game Eastern road swing concludes on Friday night when they visit the New York Islanders for the only time this season. Their game at UBS Arena on Long Island faces off at 6 p.m. CT.

Briefly

The Hurricanes lineup featured three veterans of Minnesota prep hockey: K’Andre Miller (Minnetonka), Mike Reilly (Holy Angels) and Blake (Eden Prairie). But the Wild lineup featured the only player from the Carolinas. Ryan Hartman was raised in suburban Chicago, but he was born in 1994 in Hilton Head Island, S.C. and was the first NHL player born in South Carolina.

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Nov. 6—Gonzaga has its first real challenge in its six-week, nonconference stretch against Oklahoma on Saturday, followed by No. 23 Creighton on Tuesday.

It's not the first time GU has had back-to-back contests against the Sooners and Bluejays. The last time the Zags faced OU, the Sooners featured creative scoring guard Austin Reaves, who later went undrafted but has become a major contributor for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Reaves scored 27 points in that 2021 NCAA Tournament second-round game, but the Zags cruised to an 87-71 win behind Drew Timme's 30 points. Gonzaga handled Creighton 83-65 in the next round and eventually advanced to the championship game before falling to Baylor.

GU, which also faces Arizona State, Alabama, Maryland, likely another marquee opponent in its final game at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas, Kentucky, UCLA and Oregon before Christmas break, is focused on Oklahoma, picked 12th in the SEC preseason poll.

The Sooners lost their top seven scorers from last season but reloaded, as many college basketball teams do these days, via the transfer portal. They added guards Nijel Pack (Miami) and Xzayvier Brown (St. Joseph's) and forwards Tae Davis (Notre Dame) and Derrion Reid (Alabama).

The 5-foot-10 Pack helped Miami reach the 2023 Final Four. Brown, a 6-2 guard, earned first-team All-Atlantic 10 honors last year. Davis, a 6-9 senior forward, posted 15.1 points and 5.3 boards last year for the Fighting Irish. The 6-8 Reid averaged seven points and three boards as a freshman at Alabama.

We turned to Colton Sulley, who covers Oklahoma sports for the Oklahoman newspaper, for a closer look at the Sooners.

Q: Pack, Brown and Davis combined to average 45 points last season with Pack and Brown posting strong 3-point shooting numbers. Reid didn't make a huge impact at Alabama but the former McDonald's All-American has considerable potential.

Q: Which one (or two) of the four will have the biggest influence on Oklahoma's season?

Sulley: Give me Brown and Davis. We all know the 3-point weapon Pack can be when he really gets going and the promise Reid shows, but the Sooners will go as far as Brown and Davis take them.

Brown offers OU a long, veteran point guard who will make smart decisions and set up the offense. Sooners coach Porter Moser said during the preseason that Davis has the potential to compete for National Defensive Player of the Year.

Q: What do you anticipate will be Oklahoma's biggest strength and biggest concern this season?

Sulley: This is the deepest team Moser has had during his Oklahoma tenure. The Sooners might not have a quality star player like past OU standouts Otega Oweh or Jeremiah Fears, but the ability to go deep into the bench will be a strength.

The biggest concern is not having a consistent bucket-getter, someone who can score 20 on any given night or you can rely on in late-game situations. We'll see if Pack can get back to his preinjury Final Four Miami ways.

Q: Interesting season opener for the Sooners, who trailed 49-45 early in the second half before blowing out St. Francis 102-66. What were your takeaways from the first game?

Sulley: Kuol Atak dropping 18 in his first collegiate game. Didn't see this coming from the (6-9) redshirt freshman, who was filling in for the injured Kai Rogers, off the bench. If he can keep it up, he and (6-10) Mo Wague could form a dangerous paint duo.

Q: What are the biggest keys for Oklahoma in Saturday's showdown vs. Gonzaga?

Sulley: The Sooners will need to defend the high level of talent the Bulldogs possess. Davis should help slow down Tyon Grant-Foster. I also think OU will need to shoot well from 3 to have a chance.

Nov. 6—Fourth-year Gonzaga assistant Stephen Gentry made just one game-winning shot during his competitive basketball career. In 2001, Gentry, who attended Fort Scott High School in rural southeast Kansas, was playing a rivalry game against F.L. Schlagle High School, located roughly 95 miles north in Kansas City. The ball found Fort Scott's senior guard on the final possession and Gentry pumped in the shot that sealed a narrow victory.

F.L. Schlagle also happens to be the alma mater of Tyon Grant-Foster, the 25-year-old Gonzaga forward and Kansas City native who transferred to Mark Few's program after stops at Iowa's Indian Hills Community College, Kansas, DePaul and Grand Canyon.

"I was kidding with Tyon that he was on that (F.L. Schlagle) team back in 2001," Gentry said.

The collective age of Gonzaga's 2025-26 roster could be a punchline for numerous jokes throughout the year, but from a practical standpoint it should also be a major asset for the 21st-ranked team in the country. The Zags may give up certain offensive or defensive advantages depending on the night but seldom, if ever, will they enter a game with less cumulative playing experience than the opponent.

The average age of Gonzaga's roster, featuring 12 scholarship players and four walk-ons, is 21.2 years old. The 11 players that could reasonably figure into the team's rotation are 21.5 and that number will rise to 22 by the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Brooklyn Nets, by comparison, are the NBA's youngest team at 23.3 years old.

Gonzaga's roster includes a 25-year-old set to turn 26 before the WCC Tournament (Grant-Foster), a 24-year-old nearing the tail end of his unique college basketball journey (Steele Venters), two 23-year-olds (Graham Ike and Adam Miller), two 22-year-olds (Jalen Warley and Braden Huff) and a pair of 21-year-olds (Braeden Smith and Emmanuel Innocenti).

Without combing through 365 Division I rosters — an exercise we admittedly did not conduct in researching this story — it's impossible to know exactly where Gonzaga ranks in terms of sheer age, but other metrics could be indicative of how Few's team stacks up against others that also lean older in their roster makeup.

The Zags are No. 10 nationally in KenPom's "experience" statistic, which measures average number of full DI seasons played, weighted by minutes played. Currently, Gonzaga is only scheduled to encounter one other team, UCLA (No. 3), that ranks higher. The Oklahoma team traveling to Spokane for Saturday's 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2) showdown at the Arena ranks No. 28 in experience while no one else on GU's 2025-26 slate is inside the top 60.

"Top to bottom, this group is mature. You see a focus with it," assistant Brian Michaelson said. "They're really tight-knit and I think that comes with age and them wanting to finish off their college careers winning. So I think they're all pulling the rope the right direction and then again, I think that experience leads to them knowing what it really takes to win at this level and buying into that."

There are three former conference players of the year on this year's roster in Smith (Patriot League), Grant-Foster (Western Athletic Conference) and Venters (Big Sky), along with a preseason Mountain West POY in Ike. The West Coast Conference doesn't name a preseason Player of the Year, but Ike, at least in early November, would probably be the favorite to win postseason WCC MVP honors.

Ike and Miller have each appeared in more than 115 college games and six other players are on track to clear the 100-game mark by the end of the season. The Zags have 23 combined games of NCAA Tournament experience between Ike (6), Huff (5), Grant-Foster (5), Smith (2), Miller (2), Innocenti (2) and Ismaila Diagne (1), as well as four 1,000-point scorers in Ike (1,972), Miller (1,219), Grant-Foster (1,162) and Venters (1,136).

Smith and Huff could realistically achieve the milestone before the season's end, with 845 and 727 points respectively.

"I think these guys just come with a lot of battles under their belt and have been in a lot of college practices and a lot of big-time environments," Gentry said. "Been part of winning programs as well. You can't quantify just the value of the experience. I think there's a level of maturity, basketball maturity that comes with that well."

The roster features three sixth-year seniors, multiple fourth-year juniors and two underclassmen who've played at the highest level of professional basketball outside of the NBA. Freshman guard Mario Saint-Supery was on Spain's roster this summer at EuroBasket, playing key minutes in an elimination game against Greece and Giannis Antetekounmpo.

Sophomore center Ismaila Diagne and Saint-Supery both have experience playing in Spain's Liga ACB. During his time with Real Madrid, Diagne played reserve minutes in a preseason exhibition against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

Four-star wing Davis Fogle, the other freshman who could factor into the rotation, comes to GU from Arizona Compass Prep, one of the top high school programs in the country. The 19-year-old Fogle had to grow up in a hurry last season, living by himself in a single-bedroom home in the Phoenix area.

"Some of these guys have just done and seen it all and obviously it's different systems and different teams and leagues, but I think it's just basketball maturity that comes with it and I think allows for us as a coaching staff to hopefully blend the pieces together better than maybe some of these older programs that have full resets and a bunch of young transfers and young pieces," Gentry said. "We feel it's a strength of our group."

Ike's been on six teams during stints at Wyoming and Gonzaga. The preseason All-American started his career in 2020-21 playing on a Wyoming team that had 10 underclassmen and zero seniors. He'll close his career on a Gonzaga team that has eight upperclassmen and four underclassmen.

That's been noticeable in practice, where Ike said players are able to offer constructive criticism to one another without the fear of someone taking it personal.

"I think that's what ties into the age deal, is just the approach we have every single day and the maturity we have every single day, it's unlike no other team I've been on," Ike said. "Not saying the other teams were bad, it's just heightened every single day and it's consistent. That's really what I appreciate about this group is the maturity that comes with the age, or the way the game's played."

It's created healthy banter in the locker room, too, usually from younger players ribbing older, more-seasoned teammates. Freshman center Parker Jefferson has been a main culprit, frequently referring to GU's veteran players as "unc," a colloquial term (short for "uncle") used by the younger generation.

"We're a bit on the older side, so we're not throwing out the team 'unc' too much," Huff said, "but I've heard the freshmen throw it out here or there to the older guys."

ELKHART — Bill Stose will not be returning as the head volleyball coach at Jimtown High School.

Jimmies athletic director Scott Hamstra confirmed the news on Wednesday.

“Just time’ he told me,” said Hamstra on why Stose is stepping down. “He has a lot of commitments and he couldn’t commit to volleyball like he wanted to.”

Stose had two stints as the head volleyball coach at Jimtown. The first stint went from 2014-2019 and the second stint took place over the last four years.

Stose had a career record of 148-167 at Jimtown, with two sectional championships, one regional championship and two conference championships.

The sectional championships and regional championship took place over the last two seasons.

This past year, Jimtown finished 14-19 and lost to Lakeland, 25-13, 25-20, 25-7, in a Class 2A regional final.

The Jimmies avenged two regular season losses to Bremen and rallied past the Lions, 25-23, 17-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-13, in a sectional championship match.

“He brought Jimtown volleyball to places like sectional and regional championships that have been unthinkable before he arrived,” Hamstra said about Stose.

Nov. 6—The PCM football team is back in a familiar position this season.

The Class 2A No. 2 Mustangs are one win away from their second straight state semifinal and standing in the way is Wilton, which comes into the contest 8-2 and on a six-game win streak.

On paper it's hard to know just how good the Beavers are, but PCM head coach Greg Bonnett knows his Mustangs have a tough challenge.

"I think Wilton is a very good team," Bonnett said. "I'm very impressed with several of their players and their fullback will be the best we have seen all year. These guys are coming off a great year last year and they just kept it rolling."

Alex Wendt

Wilton did have its best season in about 17 years last season when they finished 10-2 and lost in the 1A state semifinals.

Their two losses in 2025 were a 42-20 setback against 1A No. 3 Iowa City Regina (10-0) and a 21-20 defeat against 2A No. 4 Mid-Prairie (9-1). Both of those teams are playing in this week's quarterfinals.

But Wilton also defeated 5-5 Sigourney/Keota, 19-14, and downed 3-6 West Liberty, 38-23. PCM defeated those two programs 47-18 and 42-8 respectively.

Wilton is led offensively by junior Gunner Edwards, who has thrown for 1,487 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He's also rushed for 394 yards and five touchdowns.

Junior Noah Gray also has 809 rushing yards and nine TDs, senior Hayden Hill has 532 yards and 14 touchdowns and four different players have at least 28 catches.

"Being physical up front and striking blocks is going to be critical when dealing with their run game," Bonnett said. "Their offensive line is physical, quick and tenacious. They have a couple backs that keep their feet moving and their quarterback can pull it and do some damage as well.

"If we totally load up for the run they will be able to pass for sure. They have a combination of big receivers and quick ones so they like to throw short to get you coming up and then throw one deep."

The Beavers rely on a lot of two-way players. Senior Gatlin Rogers, who has 29 catches for 328 yards and three touchdowns on offense, leads the defense with 60.5 tackles, 21.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two fumble recoveries.

Lewis Daye Jr.

Hill has totaled 61.5 tackles, junior Bryer Putman has eight receiving TDs and five interceptions with one pick 6 and senior Gabe Brisker has a team-high 30 catches and also has snagged six picks.

Wilton's defense has accounted for 59 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and four fumble recoveries. The Beavers rank tied for second in 2A with 19 interceptions, too.

"They stay in position really well on the back end," Bonnett said. "Their defensive backs are athletic and physical and they get pressure up front, which makes it tough on later throws. They certainly capitalize on mistakes made in the passing game."

PCM has one of the best special teams units in 2A. Senior kicker Dominic Witt leads the class with 62 touchbacks and is 4-of-4 in field goals and 50-of-51 in PATs.

Senior Gavin Steenhoek also has returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, while Wilton has not returned a kickoff or a punt for touchdown.

The Beavers also have not kicked a field goal, have only three touchbacks and are 3-of-6 in PATs. But Wilton ranks second in two-point conversions with 21.

"Special teams become more and more important the deeper you go in the playoffs," Bonnett said. "It's something we are emphasizing this week. We feel like we have some stuff to clean up after last week's game."

Chase Wagaman

Fans of the Ada High School football team will have to pull double duty in Week 10.

Not only do the fifth-ranked Cougars hope to have a strong following at No. 7 Sallisaw for a Top 10 District 4A-4 showdown Friday night, but Ada faithful must also become temporary fans of the Poteau Pirates.

Poteau hosts No. 4 Broken Bow in another key district matchup, and the Pirates could help Ada claim the district title if they can upset the Savages.

Ada would capture the district championship with a win over the Black Diamonds and a Poteau victory. In any other scenario, the Cougars would settle for second or third place in the 4A-4 standings.

The top two teams in the district are guaranteed at least one home playoff game.

“This game will change a lot of things in the district. You can go up or you can go down. It’s absolutely a big, big game for our district and our program,” Boyles told The Ada News.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Perry F. Lattimore Stadium.

Sallisaw enters Week 10 at 7-2 overall and is tied with Ada and Broken Bow at 5-1 in district play. The Black Diamonds opened the season with a 45-22 loss to Class 5A No. 4 Pryor, and Poteau edged them 28-13 in Week 8. Sallisaw has an unblemished 5-0 record at home this season.

The Cougars are 8-1 overall.

“They’re really good. They’re well-disciplined and execute well on both sides of the ball,” Boyles said.

Ada leads the series 5-1 since 1994 and has won the previous three meetings. The Cougars rolled past Sallisaw 40-14 last year and edged the Black Diamonds 7-0 in 2023.

Scouting Sallisaw

Sallisaw has been lighting up the scoreboard lately, scoring at least 35 points in each of its last six victories.

“They do a lot of different things offensively,” Boyles said. “They’re primarily a rushing team, but they can throw it too.”

Junior quarterback Kase Adams makes the offense tick. He has completed 101 of 154 passes for 1,105 yards and eight touchdowns, while also rushing for 809 yards and 11 scores.

“Their quarterback is a good football player. He makes them go,” Boyles said. “They’re more of a run-heavy team, but they’re really good on offense.”

Senior running back Jackson Harris has rushed for 820 yards and 18 touchdowns. Kenyan Hill has added 187 yards on 44 carries..

Sallisaw’s leading receivers are Brodi Nickell and Caden Blount. Nickell has 30 receptions for 307 yards and four touchdowns, while Blount has 20 catches for 286 yards and two scores.

Boyles said the Black Diamonds are also fundamentally sound on defense.

“Defensively, there’s no drop-off either. They give you some different looks and are very sound. They just do everything right and try to make you snap it over and over again and try to make you drive the ball down the field to beat them,” He said.

Linebacker Noah Briley has been a disruptive force with a team-high 74 tackles. Blount is next with 65 stops and three interceptions, while defensive end Hunter Smith has recorded 39 tackles and eight quarterback sacks.

Air revival

Boyles and offensive coordinator Joe Foster hope to get the Ada passing game back on track after back-to-back subpar performances. Quarterback Brock Boyles has completed a combined 12-of-40 passes in games against Broken Bow and Glenpool.

Wade Boyles expects Sallisaw to force the Ada offense into passing mode after running back Caron Richardson has erupted for 446 yards during his last two outings — including a school-record 347 yards in Ada’s 42-6 win over Glenpool last week.

“We just have to take advantage of some of the things they give us, especially in the passing game. We expect them to stack the box and make them beat us throwing the ball because we’ve been running the ball so efficiently the last couple of games,” Boyles said.

The Ada coach said the Cougars’ aerial attack has looked much sharper in practice this week.

“The last couple of weeks, we’ve kind of sputtered, throwing and catching the ball. It’s either getting to them and we’re dropping it or we’re not putting it on them like we should,” he said.

“Our kids know they have the ability to make big plays at any point in time. We’ve worked on that this week, and they’ve caught a lot of balls during practice,” Boyles added. “We’re certainly not afraid to throw the football — that’s for sure. But our running game has been really good, so hopefully we can establish that and keep it rolling as well.”

———o———

DISTRICT 4A-4 SCENARIOS

Key Games: Poteau at Broken Bow, Ada at Sallisaw, Hilldale at Tulsa McLain

Broken Bow: First with a win and Sallisaw loss. Second with a win and Sallisaw win. Can finish second or third based on district points with a loss and Sallisaw win. Fourth with a loss and Sallisaw loss.

Ada: First with a win and Broken Bow loss. Second with a win and Broken Bow win. Third with a loss and Broken Bow win. Can finish second or third based on district points with a loss and Broken Bow loss.

Sallisaw: First with a win. Third with a loss and Broken Bow win. Can finish second or third based on district points with a loss and Broken Bow loss.

Poteau: Second with a win and Ada win. Fourth with a win and Sallisaw win. Fourth with a loss and Hilldale loss. Fifth and out with a loss and Hilldale win.

Hilldale: Fourth with a win and Poteau loss. Fifth and out in any other scenario.

Nov. 5—PULLMAN — Washington State is adding another running back to its class of 2026.

The Cougars' latest commitment comes from New Orleans native Tre Garrison, who announced his decision Wednesday morning, becoming the 21st member of WSU's class of 2026.

Listed at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, Garrison was previously committed to FCS Nicholls, a school local to New Orleans. But in mid-October, Garrison received an offer from WSU, and he visited Pullman last weekend. A few days later, he's a Cougar.

A senior at Edna Karr High in New Orleans, Garrison also turned down offers from FCS Alcorn State and NAIA Graceland to join WSU's class of 2026, which now has three running backs: Junior college transfer Daniel Swinney and Houston-area native CJ Toney, both of whom announced their decisions in October.

In a win last weekend, Garrison totaled 19 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns.

Garrison adds another member to the Cougs' class of 2026, which has now had seven players decommit from the class. The latest was three-star offensive lineman Beckett Schreiber, who announced Monday night he's flipping his commitment to Minnesota.

In October, five players decommitted, including running back Gabriel Wilson, safety Kaden Olson, wide receivers Maurice Purify II and Hudson Lewis (flipped to Utah), and linebacker Josh Faraimo — all three-star prospects. Three-star running back John Hebert, a Houston native, flipped his commitment from WSU to Houston earlier this summer.

WSU has about a month until college football's early signing period, which runs from Dec. 3-5.

The Cougars' updated class of 2026:

—RB Tre Garrison (Edna Karr, New Orleans, La.)

—3-star CB Willie Breland (Mississippi Gulf Coast, Perkinston, Miss.)

—3-star S Jarvse Dickerson (Brazos, Wallis, Texas).

—CB Bryce Heckard (City College of San Francisco, San Francisco, Calif).

—RB CJ Toney (Atascocita, Humble, Texas)

—RB Daniel Swinney (Iowa Western CC, Council Bluffs, Iowa).

—DL Andy Burburija (Iowa Western CC, Council Bluffs, Iowa).

—Three-star OL Ashton Mozone (Iowa Western CC, Council Bluffs, Iowa).

—Three-star QB Hudson Kurland (Lake Oswego, Lake Oswego, Oregon).

—Three-star edge JaVon Joseph (Oak Ridge, El Dorado Hills, California).

—Three-star S Matthew McClain (Prestonwood Christian, Plano, Texas).

—Three-star TE Luke Galer (Del Oro, Loomis, California).

—Three-star TE Drew Byrd (Rocky Mountain, Meridian, Idaho).

—Three-star CB Kameron Hurst (Lift For Life, St. Louis).

—Three-star edge Jacob Lopez-Veasey (San Antonio).

—Three-star edge Tyler Burnstein (Liberty, Peoria, Arizona).

—Three-star S Bradley Esser (Harrisburg, Harrisburg, South Dakota).

—Three-star OL Kingston Fotualii (O'Dea, Seattle).

—Three-star OL Cooper Daines (Spokane).

—Three-star DL Jake Jones (Campo Verde, Gilbert, Arizona).

—Three-star ATH Landon Kalsbeck (Dakota Ridge, Littleton, Colorado).

And there it is. The Nets are no longer winless.

Brooklyn finally broke through Wednesday night inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. It wasn’t always pretty, things got tight late and they lost their leading scorer along the way, but Jordi Fernández’s group outlasted the Indiana Pacers for a 112-103 victory, their first of the 2025-26 season.

It was hardly flawless, but it marked the first time all season the Nets maintained defensive discipline and poise when it mattered most. Every player had a hand in it on both ends.

Brooklyn entered the night without four of its five rookies, but its veterans were healthy aside from Haywood Highsmith, and a new starting lineup of Terance Mann, Cam Thomas, Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney and Nic Claxton set the tone early, holding the severely shorthanded Pacers to 29.6% shooting in the first quarter — the Nets’ best defensive period of the season.

Back from a one-game absence, Porter started hot, going 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from beyond the arc as the Nets built a 15-6 lead. Indiana answered with a 7-0 run while Brooklyn missed its next seven shots, but the Nets regrouped to take a 25-18 lead at the end of the first quarter, their first time holding an advantage after one this season.

However, while the opening quarter brought a few small wins for Brooklyn, it also delivered a potentially costly blow. Moments after missing a midrange jumper, Thomas limped off the court with 6:25 left and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. The Nets later diagnosed it as left hamstring tightness. The 24-year-old missed 59 games last season because of injuries to the same hamstring.

To make matters worse, the Pacers opened the second quarter on an 8-0 run to reclaim the lead. The period turned into a back-and-forth battle, but Indiana closed strong with an 11-4 burst over the final 3:33 to take a 59-54 advantage into halftime. The Pacers shot a scorching 64% in the quarter, led by 10 points from Ben Sheppard and eight from Jay Huff, while Mann kept Brooklyn close with 11 points. Porter had already poured in 20 of his game-high 32 points by the break.

The second half opened with a bit of chaos. Porter forced a turnover in the backcourt, and after officials awarded Brooklyn possession, he buried another 3-pointer. The sequence sent Pacers coach Rick Carlisle into a fury that led to his ejection.

Brooklyn briefly pulled ahead in the third quarter, but any momentum it built was undone by Huff and Pascal Siakam, who combined for 15 points in the period. Clowney went 4-for-5 from the field, yet the Nets still entered the fourth trailing by three.

A 32-20 fourth-quarter run sealed Brooklyn’s first win of the season, with Claxton, Tyrese Martin and Jalen Wilson leading the charge. The Nets clamped down defensively, holding Indiana to 33.3% shooting and forcing four turnovers, converting 18 total giveaways into 23 points.

Clowney added 17 points and four rebounds in his second straight start, while Claxton posted his team-leading third double-double of the season with 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. Porter notched his third 30-point outing in seven games as a Net.

Siakam led the Pacers with 23 points, six rebounds and nine assists.

Next up for Brooklyn is a Friday home matchup against the Detroit Pistons at Barclays Center.

The Pinkerton Academy volleyball team advanced to Saturday's Div. I championship match with a 3-1 win over Nashua North Tuesday night.

The top-seeded Astros (19-1) will face No. 6 Dover in the the championship on Saturday at noon at Pinkerton Academy. Dover advanced with a 3-2 win over No. 2 Londonderry on Tuesday.

Against North, Pinkerton fell in the opening set, 25-22, but rallied for three-straight wins (25-9, 25-20 and 25-15) to advance.

The Astros were led by Aaliyah Gooden (15 kills, eight blocks), Maddie Andrade (12 kills, 15 service points, two aces, 21 digs), Mollie Jones (11 kills), Liv Townsend (three blocks), Lucy Denu (13 service points, 15 assists), Taylor Nastasi (two aces, 24 assists) and Ella Piascik (17 digs).

Blue Mountain will travel to Southern Lehigh for a District 11 4A semifinal matchup Thursday evening to kick off the second weekend of playoff football in the coal region.

The Eagles (7-4; 6-3) are returning from a 42-7 playoff-opening win over Lehighton while Southern Lehigh (10-1; 7-1) opened the playoffs with a 56-0 shutout win over Bangor.

When Blue Mountain and Southern Lehigh matched up in week two, the Spartans emerged with a 28-0 shutout win. The Eagles were slowed up for just 123 total yards of offense.

“My number one goal coming in this season was to compete every week,” said Blue Mountain head coach Chuck Kutz. “Coach Gallagher did a good job leading the program and now we want to take it to the point where we’re competing for district championships and anything past that.”

It’s a welcoming sign for Blue Mountain football fans after the Eagles dropped a district playoff opener at home to Lehighton in collapsing fashion at the end of last season, 29-28.

This year’s senior Eagles making their final playoff run are Brady Strause, Carter Smith, Josh Hoover, William Shaner, Preston Whalen, Reese Miller, David Renninger, Tyler Pritchett, Kaiden Simms and Ryan Tranovich.

“We all were in sync to start the season as a senior class after spending most of the summer together,” said Strause. “He (Kutz) brings a lot of knowledge to the table and we all trust him.”

Southern Lehigh won last year’s District 11 4A Championship over Juniata, 45-7, and also won it in 2019 when the Spartans dismantled Oil City, 41-0. The last time a Schuylkill League football team won the District 11 4A Championship was Pottsville in 2019 when they wrangled Allentown Central Catholic, 34-7, to advance to the PIAA state playoffs.

“It’s tough when you mix the Schuylkill League smashmouth football teams with the Lehigh Valley schools that are tough but can also spread it out,” said Kutz. “It’s a tough run and you have to be able to stop everything.”

Southern Lehigh has made a case this season for back-to-back District 11 4A Champions after they went 9-0 through the regular season before dropping their final game to Northwestern Lehigh, 36-28.

The Spartans earned shutout wins over Blue Mountain and Bangor and outscored their opponents during the regular season, 381-154.

Blue Mountain goes into the District 11 4A quarterfinal matchup with Southern Lehigh on a three-game winning streak going back to a 49-14 win over Pottsville in week nine and have won six of their last seven.

Sophomore Brody Foose has a team-high 11 touchdowns, including nine rushing touchdowns, for Blue Mountain’s offense while sophomore quarterback Cohen Kirby has thrown 18 touchdown passes and 1,588 yards through the air.

Senior Eagle Carter Smith has rushed for a team-high 889 yards this season while Chase Guers has brought in six touchdown catches and 493 receiving yards this season.

Defensively, the Eagles are led by Reese Miller’s 83 total tackles and 7.5 tackles per game while Shaner has gone for a team-best seven tackles for loss and seven sacks.

“I knew this was going to be a strong group going in with the seniors we have on the team,” said Miller. “The mindset defensively is to get on defense and force three and outs every series.”

Southern Lehigh has been led offensively this season by junior quarterback Colton Sams as well as senior wide receivers Luke Kawczenski and Sean Steckert. Senior running backs Silas Adasavage and Eilan Gonzalez have also been key returners during this playoff run.

Blue Mountain and Southern Lehigh will meet for the District 11 4A semifinals Thursday at 6:30 p.m. from Southern Lehigh High School Stadium.

The winner of this matchup will line up against the winner of Allentown Central Catholic vs Bethlehem Catholic for a District 11 4A Championship matchup next weekend.

EUGENE, Ore. — It was an ending that made the Hawaii basketball team want to “Shout ” in frustration.

Against a heralded Big Ten opponent and a rowdy student section that danced and sang to “Shout ”—the rally song lifted from the toga-party scene in the movie “Animal House ”—the Rainbow Warriors fell a shot short in a 60-59 loss to Oregon at Matthew Knight Arena.

A crowd of 5, 627 saw Oregon guard Takai Simpkins deposit a driving bank shot with 4.2 seconds left in the season opener for both teams. Five Ducks crashed the boards to secure four offensive rebounds in the last 45 seconds to set up Simpkins’ go-ahead shot.

UH guard Hunter Erickson’s shot attempt at the final horn did not fall.

“They did a good job cutting me off and putting me back in the middle, ” said Erickson, who caught a pass near midcourt. “With so little time, it’s hard to make a decision. I tried to get as close to the hoop as I could and put one up. Sadly, it wasn’t good enough. At the end of the day. we have to put ourselves in a better position.”

The’Bows entered without starting point guard Tanner Cuff, who suffered a leg injury during a practice last week. Cuff did not make the trip and his status is still being evaluated by UH’s medical staff.

On their opening possession, the game and shot clocks malfunctioned three times. The’Bows were called for exceeding the 30-second limit, an infraction they would be assessed two more times in the first half.

The’Bows had to navigate a defensive web of traps and presses that were set after the Ducks’ made baskets. The’Bows struggled to hit deep shots against the lengthy Ducks—and also on several open looks. The’Bows missed 22 of 27 3-point attempts, as well as misfiring on five of their first nine free throws. With 11 :50 to go, three UH posts—Gytist Nemeiksa, Harry Rouhliadeff and Isaac “Big Fish ” Johnson—each had four fouls.

“We played some guys with four because, what are we saving them for ?” UH coach Eran Ganot said. Nemeiksa and Johnson eventually fouled out.

UH associate head coach Brad Davidson said : “The bigs were in foul trouble and we had three guys cramping. … With a new team, you feel you’ve gotten your rotation down, and that made it more interesting for us (as to ) who were going to put in.”

UH had closed to 36-35 when Oregon scored 14 of the next 15 points to take a 50-36 lead with 11 :02 to play.

“With other teams when that happens, they run out of the gym, ” Ganot said. “But we defended well in the half court, helped our bigs in the post, did a great job against the press.”

Then Nemeiksa hit a 3 and Johnson grabbed Erickson’s missed layup and dunked. On UH’s next possession, Dre Bullock, whose vertical jump was measured at 44 1 /2 inches during team testing, got the ball on the wing. Bullock soared to dunk over Nate Bittle, Oregon’s 7-foot pro prospect.

On the takeoff, Bullock recalled thinking, “Just dunk it. We needed some energy. I was trying to do anything to get our crowd going, our bench going. There was definitely momentum from there.”

The jam was part of the’Bows’ 18-2 run that gave them a 54-52 lead.

“That sparked the fire, ” Rouliadeff said.

UH led 59-58 with 1 :32 left. But with 23.4 seconds to go, there was a battle for the ball, which eventually landed out of bounds. The officials ruled it was touched by the’Bows—a ruling that Ganot challenged.

After a video review, the call was upheld.

The Ducks worked the ball to Drew Carter, whose jumper from the left wing would not fall. The ball was batted around, then secured by Simpkins on the right side. The Elon transfer drove the right side of the lane and hit the go-ahead shot with 4.2 seconds remaining.

“It was crazy, ” Ganot said. “We were watching it from our angle and there were some long rebounds, like it wasn’t really under the rim. Give them credit. They’re one of the best rebounding teams in the country. If we’re an immature team, we’ll talk about the last play. If we’re a mature team, we’ll talk about the last play and the other things during the course of the game that could have been better. If we address it and attack it we’ll be better for it. That’s what good teams do.”

After a timeout, the’Bows fed Erickson near midcourt. Erickson drove the lane, but his shot was off the mark, ending the’Bows’ upset bid.

“I’m really proud of our team, ” Ganot said. “Are you kidding me ? We had to navigate some things going into the game and during the game. What a great atmosphere. I was so pumped to coach in the game.”

OREGON 60, HAWAII 59 RAINBOW WARRIORS ( 0-1 )

NO. PLAYER MIN FG-A 3PT FT-A O-DREB TREB PF A TO BLK STL PTS 20 Johnson 12 4-9 1-3 4-4 5-3 8 5 0 1 1 3 13 14 Rouhliadeff 20 3-7 0-4 2-2 2-1 3 4 1 0 2 1 8 04 Bullock, 30 3-10 1-6 0-0 0-7 7 0 0 3 1 5 7 00 Erickson 36 2-11 0-3 2-2 1-2 3 0 3 3 0 0 6 30 Hunkin-Claytor 25 2-6 0-1 0-0 0-1 1 0 3 3 0 1 4 06 Finlinson 28 3-7 1-3 2-5 1-2 3 3 1 2 0 1 9 05 Nemeikaa 19 3-7 2-4 0-0 2-2 4 5 0 2 1 0 8 10 Toumi 20 1-5 0-0 2-4 2-4 6 1 0 1 0 1 4 09 Myers 7 0-2 0-2 0-0 0-1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 07 Kerr 3 0-1 0-1 0-2 0-0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TEAM 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-3 5 0 0 3 0 0 0 Totals 200 21-65 5-27 12-19 15-26 41 19 8 18 5 12 59 Percentages 32.3 18.5 63.2 DUCKS (1-0 )

NO. PLAYER MIN FG-A 3PT FT-A O-DREB TREB PF A TO BLK STL PTS 05 Simpkins, 36 7-12 1-6 3-6 1-2 3 1 0 1 0 2 18 32 Bittle 31 3-8 0-1 6-6 3-11 14 2 1 2 4 0 12 22 Pryor 30 3-5 0-0 3-6 4-1 5 2 2 2 0 0 9 10 Evans Jr. 17 3-6 1-3 0-2 1-2 3 0 3 3 2 2 7 23 Lin 17 0-7 0-4 2-2 1-2 3 1 1 4 0 0 2 13 Stewart 21 3-8 0-0 2-4 3-4 7 3 1 1 0 1 8 04 Lindsay 15 1-6 0-0 0-0 0-3 3 3 0 3 1 0 2 16 Demir 6 1-2 0-0 0-0 2-2 4 2 0 4 0 3 2 12 Carter 20 0-4 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 06 Kobzystyi 7 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-2 2 1 0 1 0 0 0 TEAM 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 2-1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 Totals 200 21-58 2-16 16-26 17-30 47 16 9 21 7 8 60 Percentages 36.2 12.5 61.5 Halftime—Oregon 33, Hawaii 26.

Technical fouls—None. Officials—Steve McJunkins, Michael Reed, Keith Kimble. A—5, 627.

ELKHART — After watching his team force 31 turnovers with an aggressive, in-your-face defense, Elkhart coach Ken Hunt had one thought.

"There should have been more.''

But those 31 forced turnovers was a big part of the Lions' 41-31 victory over Fairfield on Tuesday, in the season-opener for both teams.

"I have 10 girls I have confidence in, so we will push the pace and I will play everyone,'' Hunt said. "I love the way we played defense tonight and I thought we caused a lot of problems for them. I just wish we'd have hit a few more shots.''

Hunt has a point, as the Lions were just four-of-28 from 3-point range on the night and 16-49 total from the field.

The two middle quarters would doom Fairfield, as coach Kyle Hartman's team scored just six points in the 16 minutes, hitting just three-of-15 from the field, while missing four straight free throws, before Madison Jones canned two in in the third quarter.

"We won't see that kind of defensive pressure for quite awhile,'' Hartman said. "We'll see teams that will pressure us, but it won't be as chaotic as what we saw tonight.

"Believe me, that's nothing against Elkhart. They forced 31 turnovers and we just weren't able to handle their defensive pressure.''

After trailing 12-9 after one quarter, the Lions would open a 30-18 lead heading into the final stanza.

But despite all their offensive woes on the night, the Falcons had one more run left in them.

Senior Eva Herbert, who was scoreless up to that point, buried a 3-pointer to cut the lead to nine. Layups by Paige Park and Macy Worthman made it 30-25 with 5:15 left and brought the Fairfield crowd back into the game.

But Elkhart senior Trenyce Harris then hit the game's biggest shot, nailing an open 3-pointer to stop the Falcons' run and push the lead back to eight.

Senior Shaniyah Stout then went to work, hitting two free throws and a tough layup in traffic and the Lions' lead was back to 12.

Fairfield would get to single digits only one more time, when Jones scored with 22 seconds to play to make it 39-31. But two more free throws from Stout would close it out just five seconds later.

"If we had just been able to hit some of those 3-pointers in the first half, we might have been able to put them away a little earlier,'' Hunt said. "But hey, it's the first game and I'm sure there were a lot of nerves.''

Stout led a balanced Elkhart offense with 10 points, while starting guards Aaniyah Bonner and Jordynn Johnson each added eight.

Jones scored 13 points to lead the Falcons, while Park chipped in six and Herbert five.

"I don't think the girls were in as good of shape as I thought we were,'' Hartman said. "We made the run in the fourth quarter, but I thought we were wore out after that. We only have seven kids right now and with some foul trouble tonight, it was even tougher.''

------------

ELKHART 41, FAIRFIELD 31

FAIRFIELD: Eva Herbert 2-5 0-0 5, Madison Jones 5-16 3-6 13, Paige Park 2-7 2-7 6, Jenna Fought 1-2 0-0 3, Macy Worthman 1-2 0-0 2, Maddi Treat 1-2 0-0 2, Delaney Garrett, 0-0 0-0 0. Totals: 12-34 5-13 31.

ELKHART: Anniyah Bonner 4-6 0-2 8, Shaniyah Stout 3-12 4-4 10, Jordynn Johnson 3-7 0-0 8, Sueann Watt 1-6 1-2 3, Taylor Higgins 1-4 0-0 3, Brendayah Dale 0-2 0-0 0, Isis Robbins 1-3 0-0 2, Aaliyah Martinez 0-2 0-0 0, Trenyce Harris 3-7 0-0 7, Nashae Joiner 0-0 0-2 0. Totals: 16-49 5-10 41.

Scoring by Quarter

Fairfield;12;2;4;13;—;31

Elkhart;9;11;10;11;—;41

3-point goals: Fairfield (2-6) — Herbert 1-2, Fought 1-2; Elkhart (4-28) — Johnson 2-6, Higgins 1-4, Harris 1-5. Turnovers: Fairfield 31, Elkhart 16. Total fouls: Fairfield 17, Elkhart 13. Fouled out: Bonner, Treat. J.V. score: Elkhart 28, Fairfield 22. Varsity records: Elkhart 1-0, Fairfield 0-1.

Nov. 5—In the latest edition of the "Elliss Bowl," Christian Elliss' New England Patriots edged out Kaden Elliss' Atlanta Falcons 24-23 and the Los Angeles Chargers' Daiyan Henley had a huge game just days after family tragedy to highlight area connections in Week 9 of the NFL.

The two Elliss brothers, both former Idaho Vandals, each had five tackles in the game, but Christian left the Sunday contest with a hip injury designation.

In another game, former Washington State star Henley bested his former Cougar quarterback Cam Ward when his Los Angeles Chargers beat the Tennessee Titans 27-20.

Henley's big nine-tackle, one-sack day came the day after he received some tragic news. Henley's brother, Jabari Henley, was shot and killed Friday night.

Daiyan Henley chose to play Sunday in honor of his brother.

After Henley sacked the Titans' Ward in the second quarter, he dropped to his knees and prayed.

"I just wanted to talk to my brother one more time," Henley said. "It was just an emotional moment for me just to be able to make a play on a day like this, just losing him so soon.

"Like I said, it's been a long year for me, so I had to just send a prayer up and hopefully he heard it."

Here's how all the former Vandals, Cougars and one Moscow Bear fared in NFL Week 9:

Idaho

LB, Christian Elliss, New England Patriots: The former undrafted free agent compiled five tackles (one solo) and a quarterback hit in a 24-23 win over the Falcons and brother Kaden Elliss. Christian Elliss recorded those stats before leaving the game with a hip injury.

LB, Kaden Elliss, Atlanta Falcons: The veteran racked up five tackles (four solo) and a quarterback hit in a 24-23 loss to the Patriots and brother Christian Elliss.

LS, Hogan Hatten, Detroit Lions: Hatten snapped for two field goals (1-for-2), three extra points (3-for-3) and five punts (47.6 average, two inside the 20) during a 27-24 loss to the Vikings.

CB, Marcus Harris (Cal), Tennessee Titans: The rookie tallied one solo tackle and a pass defensed in a 27-20 loss to the Chargers.

WSU

S, Jaden Hicks, Kansas City Chiefs: The hard-hitting, second-year safety recorded two solo tackles in a 28-21 loss to the Bills.

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CB, Jaylen Watson, Kansas City Chiefs: The veteran defensive back had five tackles (four solo) in the 28-21 loss to the Bills.

QB, Gardner Minshew, Kansas City Chiefs: The backup QB did not play in the loss to the Bills.

N, Chau Smith-Wade, Carolina Panthers: Smith-Wade had one solo tackle in a 16-13 victory over the Packers.

DT, Daniel Ekuale, Pittsburgh Steelers: He did not play in a 27-20 win over the Colts.

LB, Frankie Luvu, Washington Commanders: Luvu accumulated seven tackles (four solo), one forced fumble and one pass defensed in a 38-14 loss to the Seahawks.

LB, Brennan Jackson, Las Vegas Raiders: On the injured reserve, he did not play in a 30-29 overtime loss to the Jaguars.

S, Jalen Thompson, Arizona Cardinals: Thompson tallied five tackles (three solo) in a 27-17 win against the Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

LB, Daiyan Henley, Los Angeles Chargers: The team captain compiled a team-high nine tackles (four solo), one sack, one tackle for loss, one pass defensed and one QB hit in a 27-20 victory over the Titans.

OL, Abraham Lucas, Seattle Seahawks: The starting tackle helped his team accumulate 418 yards of offense in a 38-14 victory over the Commanders on Sunday Night Football.

WR, Kyle Williams, New England Patriots: The rookie was targeted once but failed to record a catch in a 24-23 win against the Falcons.

CB, Cam Lampkin, Los Angeles Rams: On the practice squad, he did not play in a 34-10 win over the Saints.

OL, Esa Pole, Kansas City Chiefs: On the practice squad, he did not play in a 28-21 loss to the Bills. Pole's addition makes it four former Cougs on the Chiefs' roster.

QB, Cam Ward (Miami), Tennessee Titans: Ward went 12-of-21 passing for 145 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions in a 27-20 loss to the Chargers.

Moscow High School

LB, Jonah Elliss, Denver Broncos: The youngest Elliss brother had one solo tackle in an 18-15 win over the Texans.

Wiebe may be contacted at (208) 848-2260, swiebe@lmtribune.com or on X @StephanSports.