In Local Sports, yesterday right here on 1430 WCMY and 93.5 FM the Ottawa Pirates fell to Yorkville Christian 59-46. Cooper Knoll led with 14 and Payton Knoll chipped in with 12.The Marquette Crusaders lost to Seneca 46-43 in the championship of the Marquette Christmas Tournament. Paxton Giertz had 17 for Seneca. Logan Nelson scored 12 and Krew Bond added 10 for Marquette. Today on 1430 WCMY and 93.5 FM the Ottawa Pirates will take on the Streator Bulldogs on the final day of the Plano Christmas Classic. Tip is set for 1:45 with the broadcast beginning around 1:35. In other high school boys hoops action yesterday, Woodland defeated St.Bede 46-41, Reed-Custer pulled out a win over Serena 56-55. Camden Figgins led with 21 for Serena. Earlville beat Hall 42-41 and Streator lost to Northridge Prep 51-40. In local girls high school hoops, Amboy beat Serena 31-16. Jenna Setchell scored 8, Hall defeated Roanoke-Benson 46-39. Marquette went 0-2 yesterday losing 47-27 to Sandwich and 58-41 to Princeton. Lily Craig led the Cru in both games scoring 9 and then 15.
>>Illinois Basketball Crushes Bethune-Cookman
(Champaign, IL) — Number-22 Illinois finished non-conference action with an 85-52 rout of Bethune-Cookman at State Farm Center. The Fighting Illini raced out to a 47-19 halftime lead and were able to coast to the finish line. Illinois is 9-and-4 overall and 0-and-2 in the Big Ten. The Illini are at Northwestern next Wednesday.
>>Northwestern Takes Down Brown
(Evanston, IL) — The Northwestern Wildcats extended their winning streak to five games with a 63-58 win over Brown at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats were tied with Brown at halftime, but they went on a 15-3 run early in the second half to take control of the game. Northwestern improved to 10-and-2 overall and 1-and-0 in the Big Ten. The Wildcats host Ohio State on New Year’s Day.
>>College Basketball Round Up
(Undated) — Today, Notre Dame hosts number-16 Miami, Tomorrow, Bradley has a home game against UIC, and Illinois State is at home against Northern Iowa.
>>Bulls Host Pistons
(Chicago, IL) — The Bulls look to stay hot when they host the Detroit Pistons at United Center tonight. The Bulls are coming off a 119-113 overtime win over the Bucks on Wednesday, their fourth victory in five games. Chicago is in tenth-place in the Eastern Conference at 15-and-19. Tonight’s game tips off at 7:00PM.
>>Bears Visit Lions
(Detroit, MI) — The Bears will try spoil Detroit’s playoff chances when they visit the Lions at Ford Field on Sunday. The 3-and-12 Bears have lost their last eight games, and Chicago is currently in position to draft second-overall next year. The Bears still have a shot at the number-one pick, just a half-game behind the 2-12-and-1 Texans for the first selection. Chicago hasn’t lost to the Lions in Detroit since 2017. Three Bears players missed practice yesterday, and three others were limited participants.
>>Report: Warren Could Be Bears Next President
(Lake Forest, IL) — The Bears may be hiring their new team president soon. ESPN is reporting that Big Ten commissioner Kevin Warren is a strong candidate for the position. Warren has worked as an NFL executive with the Vikings, and he’s also been employed by the Rams and the Lions. Warren helped Minnesota secure a new stadium, and he added USC and UCLA to the Big Ten after becoming the conference commissioner in 2019. The Bears are trying to replace Ted Phillips, who announced his retirement in September.
>>Blackhawks Fall To Blues
(St. Louis, MO) — The Blackhawks weren’t able to do much against Jordan Binnington during a 3-1 loss to the Blues at Enterprise Center. Patrick Kane scored to tie the game at one in the first period, but Chicago surrendered the eventual game-winning goal to Calle Rosen in the second. The Blackhawks have lost 18 of their last 20 games, and they’re in last place in the Central Division with 20 points and an 8-22-and-4 record. Chicago visits Columbus tomorrow.
>>Notre Dame Plays In Gator Bowl
(Jacksonville, FL) — Number-21 Notre Dame wraps up its 2022 football season with a game against number-19 South Carolina in the Gator Bowl at TIAA Bank Field today. The Fighting Irish overcame a slow start to the season to finish with an 8-and-4 record. Notre Dame is 3-and-1 against the Gamecocks all-time, but the two teams haven’t met since 1984. Today’s game kicks off at 2:30PM Central time.
>>Illinois Poaches Transfer QB
(Champaign, IL) — The Illinois football team is adding a quarterback to next-year’s roster. Former Ole Miss quarterback Luke Altmyer announced yesterday that he is transferring to the Fighting Illini. Altmyer completed eight of his 17 pass attempts last season for 125 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.
>>Cubs Finalize Deal With Barnhart
(Chicago, IL) — Catcher Tucker Barnhart is officially a member of the Chicago Cubs. The club finalized their two-year contract with Barnhart yesterday. Barnhart agreed to the deal earlier this month. The two-time Gold Glover hit .221 in 94 games with the Tigers last season. In a corresponding move, the Cubs designated catcher PJ Higgins for assignment.
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