The Eastern Illinois women’s basketball team fell to Lindenwood yesterday afternoon, 87-55. Tiny Lewis and Clara Glad both scored in double figures for EIU. The Lions shot 63 percent from the field in route to the victory. The Panthers fell to 1-and-12 overall, 0-2 in the OVC.
Drake Maye and the New England Patriots clinched a playoff berth with a comeback 28-24 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday Night Football at M&T Bank Stadium. The Patriots scored 15 points in the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter to clinch a playoff spot for the first time since 2021. Maye completed 31-of-44 passes for 380 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Stefon Diggs had nine receptions for 138 yards while Hunter Henry, Rhamondre Stevenson and Kyle Williams scored TDs. The Pats have won 11 of their last 12 games to sit at 12-and-3. Lamar Jackson passed for 101 yards before departing with a back injury in the second quarter. Derrick Henry rushed for 128 yards and two scores. The Ravens are currently out of the playoffs after dropping to 7-and-8.
The Bills beat the Browns 23-20, the Chargers topped Dallas 34-17, Tennessee over Kansas City 26-9, Cincinnati rolled Miami 45-21, the Saints over the Jets 29-6. Other winners included the Giants, Panthers, Jaguars, Falcons, Steelers, and Texans.
The first round of the College Football Playoffs is in the rearview. A pair of under-seeded teams advanced, as number nine seed Alabama beat eighth-seeded Oklahoma 34-24 and number 10 seed Miami topped Texas A&M 10-7. The other two games were not nearly as close, as number five seed Oregon beat 12th-seeded James Madison 51-34 and sixth-seeded Ole Miss took down number 11 seed Tulane 41-10. The action will continue on New Year’s Eve , when number two seed Ohio State faces off with Miami in the Cotton Bowl. The other three games will take place the next day with top-seeded Indiana facing Alabama in the Rose Bowl, number three seed Georgia battling Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl and fourth-seeded Texas Tech matching up with Oregon in the Orange Bowl.
The Bears increased their NFC North lead after rallying to beat the Packers 22-16 in overtime at Soldier Field. Caleb Williams threw a 46-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore in OT to lift the Bears to their seventh win in the last eight games. Williams threw for 250 yards and two TD’s for the Bears, who rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit. Chicago sits atop the division at 11-and-4, and the Bears clinched a playoff spot with Detroit’s loss to Pittsburgh yesterday. They visit the 49ers next Sunday.
Matas Buzelis dropped in 28 points as the Bulls beat the Hawks 152-150 in Atlanta. It’s the highest-scoring game in the NBA so far this season. Coby White added 21 points for Chicago, which won its third straight. Jalen Johnson poured in 36 points and Trae Young had 35 for the Hawks, who have lost three in-a-row and seven of their last nine.
The St. Louis Cardinals are moving on from one of their best hitters. The team sent first baseman Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox in a trade yesterday. The Cardinals are acquiring right-handed pitcher Hunter Dobbins and pitching prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita to complete the deal. Contreras spent the last three seasons with St. Louis.
Robert Thomas put together a dominant performance as the St. Louis Blues beat the Florida Panthers 6-2 at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday. Thomas has two goals and an assist in the victory, while Jake Neighbours also scored a pair of goals.
Week 16 of the NFL regular season wraps up from Indy. The Colts square off against the 49ers on Monday Night Football. Indianapolis is trying to keep its playoff hopes alive as a loss would drop their chances considerably at securing an AFC Wild Card spot. Meanwhile, San Francisco already clinched an NFC postseason berth following Sunday’s results.
A key player on the Steelers could be dealing with disciplinary action. DK Metcalf was seen throwing a punch at a Lions fan during the team’s 29-24 win from Detroit. The incident happened in the second quarter when the star receiver had an exchange with the fan sitting in the front row. No flag was thrown on the field. Metcalf will likely face just a fine.
