Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

Digital Sports Desk

Xavier, Marquette Win at Home

by

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Xavier rallied in the second half to beat Creighton and Marquette slipped past Seton Hall in a back-and-forth affair in Saturday afternoon BIG EAST action.

Embed from Getty Images

The 17th-ranked Musketeers (13-3, 3-2 BIG EAST) recovered from a 34-29 halftime deficit to beat the Bluejays (10-5, 2-2 BE) 80-73. The usual balanced Xavier scoring attack had six players reach double figures. Colby Jones scored a team-high 16 points and pulled down nine rebounds. Alex O’Connell was tops for the Bluejays with 22 points, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range. Ryan Hawkins contributed 13 points and 13 rebounds.

A free throw by Greg Elliott with 1.8 seconds left gave Marquette a 73-72 win against No. 20 Seton Hall in a game where neither team led by more than five points in the second half. Darryl Morsell scored a career-high 26 points for the Golden Eagles (12-6, 4-3 BE). Justin Lewis added 18 points. Bryce Aiken scored 28 points for the Pirates (11-5, 2-4 BE). Alexis Yetna posted 15 points and a game-high 16 rebounds. Ike Obiagu grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked seven shots.

Sunday’s slate shows two games. At noon ET on FS1, No. 14 Villanova hosts Butler at Wells Fargo Center. The first-place Wildcats (12-4, 5-1) are on a five-game winning streak. They will be playing only their sixth home game of the season. The Bulldogs (9-6, 2-2 BE), who are coming off Thursday’s 72-58 win at Georgetown, are the only team to have five wins against Villanova since the beginning of the 2016-17 season.

Today, St. John’s hosts Georgetown at Madison Square Garden at 4:30 p.m. on FOX. The Johnnies (9-5, 1-2 BE) lead the BIG EAST in scoring with an 82.1 average. The Hoyas are averaging 74.5. Both teams are giving up 74.4. St. John’s Julian Champagnie leads the league with a 21.2 scoring mark. Georgetown’s Aminu Mohammed is the BIG EAST’s top freshman scorer (13.8) and rebounder (8.3).

Marquette Stays Hot in Big East

by

MILWAUKEE – In the BIG EAST’s All-Access Game on FOX Sports, Marquette defeated DePaul 87-76 at Fiserv Forum on Tuesday. The game featured DePaul head coach Tony Stubblefield and Marquette head coach Shaka Smart wearing live microphones throughout the commercial-free telecast.

Embed from Getty Images

The Golden Eagles (11-6, 3-3 BIG EAST) pulled away midway in the second half from the Blue Demons (9-6, 0-5 BE).  Marquette’s Greg Elliott came off the bench to score a career-high 25 points. Darryl Morsell added 16 points. Both players shot 7-of-11 from the field.

DePaul’s Javon Freeman-Liberty, the BIG EAST’s top scorer with a 21.7 average, had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Yor Anei contributed 16 points and 11 boards. Seton Hall is the next opponent for both teams. DePaul hosts the Pirates on Thursday and Marquette plays the Pirates at home on Saturday.

Wednesday’s two games are an FS1 doubleheader. At 6:30 p.m. ET, Villanova plays at Xavier. It will be the fourth contest this season between ranked BIG EAST teams. The Wildcats (11-4, 4-1 BE) are ranked 14th by AP and the Musketeers (12-2, 2-1 BE) are 17th. The two teams met on Dec. 21 at Villanova with the Wildcats recovering from an eight-point halftime deficit to win 71-58.

At 8:30 p.m., UConn hosts St. John’s at Gampel Pavilion. The Johnnies (9-4, 1-1 BE) beat the Huskies (10-4, 1-2 BE) in last season’s only meeting, also at Gampel, 70-64. St. John’s Julian Champagnie ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring with a 20.7 average and Posh Alexander is first in steals with a 2.4 mark. The Huskies will be playing its first game at Gampel since Dec. 4. R.J. Cole leads the team in scoring and ranks fifth in the BIG EAST with a 16.2 average. The game also will be carried on Westwood One radio.

Bruins Sign Tuukka Rask to 1-Year Deal

by

BOSTON – The Boston Bruins signed goaltender Tuukka Rask to a one-year contract with an NHL cap hit of $1 million. Bruins GM Don Sweeney made the announcement late Tuesday afternoon. Rask was playing for the Bruins’ minor league team in Providence this week.

Embed from Getty Images

Rask, 34, played in 24 games with Boston in 2020-21, compiling a 15-5-2 record with three shutouts, a 2.28 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. In 11 playoff games, Rask recorded a 6-4-0 record with a 2.36 goals against average and a .919 save percentage.

In 2020, Rask was nominated for the Vezina Trophy, given annually to the NHL’s beast goaltender as voted on by NHL general managers. The Savonlinna, Finland native posted a 26-8-6 record with five shutouts, a 2.12 goals against average and .929 save percentage. He led the NHL in both goals against average and save percentage (minimum 30 starts) and was tied for second in shutouts.

Rask previously won the Vezina Trophy in 2014, a season in which he compiled a 36-15-6 record with seven shutouts, a 2.04 goals against average and .930 save percentage.

Rask is also the only goaltender in Bruins history to have reached 500 career NHL games, a milestone he hit on October 23, 2019. The 6-foot-3, 176-pound goaltender also sits atop the Bruins all-time leaderboard in wins (306), save percentage (.921), playoff games played (104) and playoff wins (57).

Over his 14-year NHL career with Boston, Rask has appeared in 560 regular season games, compiling a 306-163-66 record with a 2.27 goals against average, .921 save percentage and 52 shutouts.

Rask was originally selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round (21st overall) of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.

Big East Weekly Honors | Jan 10

by

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – Villanova guard Justin Moore has been named BIG EAST Player of the Week and Marquette guard Kam Jones has been chosen BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. Both players helped their respective teams to 2-0 weeks.

BIG EAST Player of the Week

Justin Moore, Villanova, G, Jr. – Moore averaged 21.5 points in victories against Creighton and at DePaul. In a 75-41 win over the Bluejays, Moore had prime defensive responsibilities in helping to hold Creighton to the lowest scoring total in a league game in seven seasons. He also scored a game-high 22 points. In a 79-64 victory at DePaul, the junior guard posted a team-high 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He ranks seventh in the BIG EAST in scoring with a 15.7 average.

BIG EAST Freshman of the Week

Kam Jones, Marquette, G, Fr. – Jones helped the Golden Eagles in an 88-56 win over Providence with a collegiate-high 14 points. In a 2-0 week, which included a 92-64 triumph at Georgetown, the freshman shot 52.8 percent from the field and 54.5 percent from 3-point range.

BIG EAST Honor Roll

Justin Lewis, Marquette, F, So. – Averaged 16.5 points and 8.0 rebounds in a 2-0 week. Had a career-high 23 points and 11 rebounds in a win over Providence (88-56).

Nate Watson, Providence, C, Gr. – Had 22 points and 11 boards in a win over St. John’s (83-73) and averaged 15.0 points and 9.5 rebounds in a 1-1 week.

Julian Champagnie, St. John’s, F, Jr. – Averaged 22.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in a 1-1 week. Posted 34 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots in a win over DePaul (89-84).

Bryce Aiken, Seton Hall, G, Gr. – Averaged 17.0 points and 7.0 assists in a 2-0 week. Posted 22 points, including seven points in overtime, in a win over UConn (90-87). Had 12 points and seven assists in a victory at Butler (71-56).

Adam Kunkel, Xavier G, Sr. – Came off the bench to score a game-high 25 points in a win at Butler (87-72). Shot 8-of-12 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range.

Cooley Earns 300th Win for Friars

by

PROVIDENCE – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – On a three-game Saturday, Seton Hall won a fierce battle in overtime against Connecticut. Providence gave coach Ed Cooley his 300th career victory with a win against St. John’s. Villanova used a strong second half to win at DePaul.

Embed from Getty Images

At Prudential Center, Seton Hall (11-3, 2-2 BE) and UConn (10-4, 1-2 BE) battled for 45 minutes before the Pirates prevailed 90-87. Pirate guard Kadary Richmond, who had a 6.9 scoring average, tallied a game-high 27 points. He scored 17 straight points in the second half and made the deciding basket with 31 seconds left in the extra stanza. Fellow guard Bryce Aiken had seven of his 22 points in overtime. UConn’s Adama Sanogo was a force with 18 points, 16 rebounds and three blocked shots.

Providence (14-2, 4-1 BE) trailed St. John’s (9-4, 1-1 BE) by seven points early in the second half before recovering to post an 83-73 victory at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Nate Watson led the Friar surge by scoring 18 of his game-high 22 points after the break. Jared Bynum added 18 points. Justin Minaya had 14 points and helped limit St. John’s Julian Champagnie to 11 points. St. John’s Dylan Addae-Wusu posted his second straight career scoring high with 20 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists. PC is 10-0 at home this season.

DePaul put together a 37-32 lead by halftime against Villanova before the Wildcats rebounded with a 79-64 victory at Wintrust Arena. Villanova (11-4, 4-1 BE) opened the second half with a 15-2 run to take control of the game. Collin Gillespie led the winners with 28 points. Justin Moore supported the effort with 21 points and seven rebounds. Javon Freeman-Liberty poured in a career-high 34 points for the Blue Demons (9-5, 0-4 BE). David Jones added 12 points.

BIG EAST action picks up again on Tuesday with DePaul at Marquette at 7 p.m. ET followed by Providence at Creighton at 9 p.m. Both games will be televised by FS1. The DePaul-Marquette game will be an All-Access Game with head coaches Tony Stubblefield and Shaka Smart wearing a live microphone throughout the telecast.

Marquette’s Second Straight Big “W”

by

WASHINGTON DC – (Staff report from Official News Release) – Marquette pulled away to win at Georgetown and Xavier did the same at Butler in Friday night BIG EAST play. After winning 88-56 against Providence on Tuesday, Marquette beat Georgetown 92-64. No. 22 Xavier, playing its first game in 17 days, defeated Butler 87-72.

The Golden Eagles (10-6, 2-3 BIG EAST) used a 17-0 run early in the second half to break the game open against the Hoyas (6-6, 0-1 BE). Olivier-Maxence Prosper, whose previous career scoring high was 13 points, netted 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the field. Tyler Kolek, the BIG EAST’s assist leader, had 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and seven assists. Marquette outshot Georgetown from the field 59.1 percent to 29.9 percent. Collin Holloway was the Hoya scoring leader with 17 points.

The Musketeers (12-2, 2-1 BE) established a 42-31 halftime lead at Hinkle Fieldhouse, then repelled Bulldog comeback attempts. Xavier’s Adam Kunkel came off the bench to score a game-high 25 points, one short of his career high. He shot 8-of-12 from the floor, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range. Paul Scruggs contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Xavier had a season-low six turnovers. Butler (8-6, 1-2 BE) was led by Aaron Thompson’s 20 points and Bryce Golden’s 19. Thompson went over the 500-assist mark for his career.

Saturday’s league schedule is all in the afternoon. Two games tip at noon ET. St. John’s plays at Providence on FS1. No. 24 Seton Hall hosts Connecticut at noon on FOX. The No. 19 Villanova at DePaul game has moved from FS1 to FOX at 2 p.m.

Big East, ‘Nova’s Jay Wright, Johnnies’ Lou Carnesecca Celebrate Milestones

by

JAMAICA ESTATES, NY – (Staff report from Official News Release) – Villanova turned the tables on Creighton and gave coach Jay Wright a milestone victory, while St. John’s celebrated Lou Carnesecca’s 97th birthday with a win over DePaul.

Wright notched his 500th victory at Villanova when his team rolled past Creighton 75-41 in Finneran Paviliion. The Wildcats (10-4, 3-1 BIG EAST) had lost to the Bluejays (10-4, 2-1 BE) 79-59 on December 17. This time, Villanova held Creighton to 35.6 percent shooting from the field and allowed only 21 points in the final 27 minutes of the game. Justin Moore led the Wildcats with 22 points. Alex O’Connell had 13 points for Creighton.

On the night when legendary coach Lou Carnesecca turned 97, Julian Champagnie put on a sparkling performance to lead St. John’s (9-3, 1-0 BE) past DePaul 89-84. Champagnie scored a career-high 34 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked three shots. Dylan Addae-Wusu added a career-high 17 points, including a clutch 3-pointer in the final minute. Javon Freeman-Liberty had 24 points and seven boards for DePaul (9-4, 0-3 BE).

BIG EAST play resumes on Friday with two games between teams that met in the first round of last year’s BIG EAST Tournament. Marquette (9-6, 1-3 BE) plays at Georgetown (6-5, 0-0 BE) at 6:30 p.m. ET followed by No. 22 Xavier (11-2, 1-1 BE) at Butler (8-5, 1-1 BE) at 8:30 p.m. FS1 will carry both contests.

Last year, Marquette took the lone regular-season matchup against Georgetown before the Hoyas won 68-49 at the Big East tournament. Xavier won both regular-regular season games against Butler before the Bulldogs won 70-69 in overtime at Madison Square Garden.

Rose to NBA G-League Ops

by

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – NBA Vice President, Basketball Operations and two-time NBA champion Malik Rose was named Head of Basketball Operations for the NBA G League, said G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. Rose replaces Brad Walker, who was named Commissioner of the America East Conference in August.

In his new role, Rose will lead the NBA G League’s efforts at expanding its talent pipeline and advancing integration of basketball operations between the G League and the NBA while focusing on basketball innovation and competition. He will also oversee NBA G League Ignite.

“We are thrilled to have Malik join the NBA G League as Head of Basketball Operations,” said Abdur-Rahim. “With his success as a player at the highest levels of the game and extensive background as an executive in both the NBA and G League, Malik has the experience, vision and expertise to help accelerate our progress and further deepen the connection between the two leagues.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to transition from NBA basketball operations to this position alongside Shareef and a talented staff with the NBA G League,” said Rose. “As someone who benefited greatly from his experience in the NBA G League, I know firsthand its importance to the NBA’s business and see enormous potential for continued growth.”

Rose joins the NBA G League after working since June 2020 in the NBA Basketball Operations department where he interfaced directly with teams and players regarding league programs, rules, new initiatives and competitive elements. Before joining the league office, Rose served as Assistant General Manager of the Detroit Pistons and General Manager of the Erie BayHawks, the NBA G League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks now known as the College Park Skyhawks. He was named the 2017-18 NBA G League Basketball Executive of the Year.

Rose played 13 seasons in the NBA after being selected by the Hornets with the 44th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. He won NBA championships in 1999 and 2003 as a member of the San Antonio Spurs. In addition to the Hornets and Spurs, Rose played for the New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder.

A Philadelphia native, Rose received his bachelor’s degree with a dual concentration in computer information systems and education from Drexel University, where he played four years of college basketball. He also holds a master’s degree in sports management from Drexel.

Big East and Big Tuesday Wins

by

NEW YORK – (Staff Report from Official News Release) – In Tuesday’s BIG EAST action, Marquette and Seton Hall earned their first league victories. The stories of the game, however, were hardly alike.

Marquette set a school record for the largest margin of victory against a ranked team with its 88-56 win against 16th-ranked Providence. Seton Hall, after an 0-2 league start against ranked opponents, pulled away in the second half to win 71-56 at Butler.

The Marquette Golden Eagles (9-6, 1-3 BIG EAST) raced to a 20-6 lead, then used a 20-0 run to build a 42-22 lead by halftime. Justin Lewis finished with a career-high 23 points and pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds. Oso Ighodaro continued his strong play off the bench with 16 points and six rebounds in 19 minutes. Al Durham scored a team-high 16 points for the Friars (13-2, 3-1 BE), who had their eight-game winning streak end.

The Seton Hall Pirates (10-3, 1-2 BE) welcomed back center Ike Obiagu, who missed the last three games. He had eight points, two rebounds and two blocked shots in 28 minutes. Jared Rhoden scored a team-high 17 points. The Hall held the edge in bench points (16-0), rebounds (36-25) and made 18-of-19 free throws. The Pirates’ bench has not been outscored this season. Bryce Golden led four Bulldogs (8-5, 1-1 BE) in double figures with 19 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.

Wednesday’s schedule also shows two games. FS1 will telecast DePaul at St. John’s at 6:30 p.m. ET followed by Creighton at Villanova at 8:30 p.m.

The first game features a matchup of DePaul’s Javon Freeman-Liberty and St. John’s Julian Champagnie, who are both averaging a league-leading 20.3 points per game. Creighton and No. 19 Villanova already are meeting for the second time this season. The Bluejays beat the Wildcats 79-59 in Omaha on Dec. 17.

Boston Celtics, NBA Mourn Passing of Hall-of-Famer Sam Jones, 88

by

BOSTON – (Staff report from Multiple News Releases/Statements) – The basketball industry, including the Boston Celtics, the NBA and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame mourned the passing of legendary Boston Celtics legend Sam Jones. Enshrined as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984, Jones passed away at the age of 88. He was an honored member of the NBA’s All-time 25th anniversary, 50th anniversary and recently celebrated 75th anniversary teams.

“Sam Jones will be remembered as one of the most prolific champions in all of professional sports. His selfless style, clutch performances and signature bank shot were hallmarks of an incredible career that featured 10 NBA championships in 12 seasons with the Boston Celtics,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in a statement. “An HBCU (Historically Black Colleges/Universities) legend at North Carolina Central University and a member of the NBA’s 25th, 50th and 75th Anniversary Teams, Sam was a beloved teammate and respected competitor who played the game with dignity and class. We mourn the passing of a basketball giant and send our deepest condolences to Sam’s family and the Celtics organization.”

The Celtics organization issued a statement that read: “Sam Jones was one of the most talented, versatile, and clutch shooters for the most successful and dominant teams in NBA history. His scoring ability was so prolific, and his form so pure, that he earned the simple nickname, “The Shooter.” He was also known as “Mr. Clutch.” One of the many testaments to his clutch performances is the fact that his playoff scoring average (18.9) exceeded his regular season output (17.7). His number 24 was retired in 1969, the final year of his Celtics career, which of course resulted in an NBA Championship – his tenth. Only Bill Russell won more championships in his NBA career. The Jones family is in our thoughts as we mourn his loss and fondly remember the life and career of one of the greatest champions in American sports.”

“Sam Jones was as much of a one-of-a-kind athlete as he was an individual,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Basketball Hall of Fame. “As one of the greatest champions in American sports history, Sam embodied what it means to be a winner both on and off the court. He was a natural scorer and will forever be one the most clutch performers the game has ever seen. He will be tremendously missed by the entire Hall of Fame family.”

At 6-foot-4, Sam Jones was the prototype of the two-way, big guard. He could run the floor, bang the boards, and his rangy offensive game caused fits in his opponents. As a collegian, Jones was an offensive firehouse scoring 1,770 points while playing for Hall of Fame coach John McLendon at all-black North Carolina Central College. His senior season saw the fiery guard average a double-double in points and rebounds. His scoring aptitude continued and in the NBA he averaged over 17 points a game for his career. Always steady, always on top of his game, Sam Jones was a winner. One half of the “Jones Boys” of Boston, Sam teamed with K.C. Jones in the Celtics backcourt to create havoc in NBA arenas around the country. Jones favored an unorthodox but highly effective bank shot that became the muscle behind his and Boston’s ten NBA championships, including eight in a row from 1959 to 1966.

He received several accolades throughout his storied career, including being the first African American inducted into the North Carolina Hall of Fame in 1969.  His jersey No. 24 was retired by the Celtics in 1969.

“I just got off the phone with Satch (Sanders),” former teammate Bob Cousy said to Boston sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy from his Worcester home Friday morning. “I told him not to look over his shoulder.

“Now we’re down to just three. Satch [Tom Sanders], Russ [Bill Russell], and I are holding up the float, I guess. The last thing I said to Satch was that I’m going to have my lonely New Year’s Eve drink tonight at 6 o’clock and I’m going to hoist it to Sam. I told Satch he should do the same and he said, ‘I won’t have mine till 10,’ and I said, ‘By 10, I will have been asleep for an hour.’ ”