Purdue Rolls, Pacers Skid
Purdue delivered a dominant performance Monday night (Dec. 29), routing Kent State 101-60 at Mackey Arena as the No. 5 Boilermakers topped the century mark in nonconference play.
Purdue improved to 12-1 on the season while emptying the bench, with Mr. Indiana Basketball runner-up (2024) Jack Benter leading the way with 20 points. The Boilermakers return to Big Ten action against Wisconsin on Saturday (Jan. 3).
Elsewhere on the college hardwood Monday night (Dec. 29), Indiana State edged Belmont 81-80 in overtime in Terre Haute, while Ball State cruised past Earlham 93-30.
Notre Dame opens Atlantic Coast Conference play with a late road test at Stanford tonight (Dec. 30), marking the start of league action for both programs.
In the NBA, the Indiana Pacers dropped their ninth straight game Monday night (Dec. 29), falling at Houston 126-119. Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 23 points as the Pacers slipped to 6-27 on the season. Indiana returns home to host the Orlando Magic Wednesday night (Dec. 31), with coverage on 103.9 FM and the WRBI App.
Local Youth Basketball
Local teams were also in action Monday (Dec. 29) during holiday tournament play, with the St. Louis seventh-grade boys team finishing runner-up in its tournament.
The Cardinals opened the day with a 25-17 win over Rushville before falling to Connersville 57-18 in the championship game. Nathaniel Fuentes led St. Louis in scoring on the day with 15 points, followed by Nicholas Lieland with 12 and Carter Meyer with 10. Cooper Ulmer, Nolan Steinkamp, and Jacob Hillenbrand each added two points as the Cardinals moved to 7-4 on the season.
The St. Louis eighth-grade boys team also played host during the holiday tournament but came up short in both contests. The Cardinals fell to Rushville 30-23 in the opener, with Cam Walke scoring 11 points and Evan Jennings adding eight.
In the second game, St. Louis nearly completed a comeback against Connersville before a late putback sealed a 39-35 loss. Walke again led the way with 12 points, Jennings finished with eight, and Brock Scheibler added six. The eighth-grade Cardinals return to action with a road trip to Greendale on Saturday (Jan. 4).
In baseball, the Cincinnati Reds continued reshaping their roster for the 2026 season by adding outfield depth. Cincinnati signed free-agent outfielder JJ Bleday to a one-year, $1.4 million contract and acquired Dane Myers from the Miami Marlins in exchange for minor leaguer Ethan O’Donnell. To make room on the roster, the Reds designated pitchers Keegan Thompson and Lyon Richardson for assignment.
College football also took center stage, as Indiana arrived in California this week ahead of its Rose Bowl matchup with Alabama. The Hoosiers are listed as a seven-point favorite, with the winner advancing to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
And while South Ripley’s Centerville Holiday Tournament championship was mentioned on air Tuesday (Dec. 30), one moment from the weekend continues to draw attention: Claire Samples’ three-quarter-court shot at the buzzer to end the first quarter during tournament play.
Tonight on The Sports Voice, it’s girls’ basketball action — as North Decatur visits Jac-Cen-Del. Jackson Voss and Garry Sauley have the call, with pregame coverage starting around 6:45 on 103.9 FM and The WRBI App.
Watch the Shot
Here is the video of Claire Samples’ buzzer-beater from the Centerville Holiday Tournament:
