BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WV News) – Elkins’ Maddie Belan now has something else to add to her accomplishments this season – a buzzer-beating jumper. With 2.7 seconds remaining and the game tied at 34, Elkins’ Karah Bennett inbounded the ball from underneath the basket to Belan in the right corner near the arc. Belan dribbled around a Bridgeport defender and hit a jumper as the buzzer sounded to give Elkins a 36-34 victory over Bridgeport on Monday at Bridgeport. The leading scorer of not only her team but in the game, Belan scored 18 points with six rebounds, two steals and an assist. “We were in man-(to-man defense) and we were switching everything,” Bridgeport coach Josh Ashby said. “We knew were going to get the ball to Belan there. We just didn’t cover, plain and simple.” The Indians appeared to be in prime position in the game's final minute. With the game tied at 29, Bridgeport’s Reese Pierce hit a layup and, in a later possession, drew a foul, putting the Indians in the double bonus. She hit 1 of 2 free throws, giving the Indians a 32-29 lead. A layup from Belan brought the Tigers as close as 32-31, and although the Tigers forced a turnover, they weren’t able to convert on their next possession. Pierce was eventually fouled again and hit both free throws, but Bridgeport’s 34-31 lead quickly disappeared. That’s because on Elkins’ ensuing possession, Emma Gilbert received a pass on the right wing and buried a 3-pointer, tying the game at 34. Bridgeport got one more chance, but an Elkins steal ended the Indians’ final opportunity. “That’s on me. I’ll take full responsibility,” Ashby said. “I was trying to take a timeout but I got there too late, so I take full responsibility for those turnovers at the end. I have to get timeout in there quicker.” Bridgeport was led by Kloey Martinez, who nearly had a double-double as she scored 10 points with nine rebounds. Haylee Pryor added nine points with three rebounds and one steal. Pierce not only scored five points but also tallied four assists, three steals and two rebounds. Bridgeport hit 15 of 38 shots but only 1 of 8 from behind the arc. Bridgeport was 3 of 10 from the free-throw line. Elkins connected on 15 of 45 shots from the field, including 3 of 14 3-point attempts. The Tigers went 3 of 7 from the charity stripe. Bridgeport outrebounded Elkins 19-8 in the opening half, which was evidenced early when Bridgeport took a 4-3 lead on a put back by Martinez. The Indians also limited many of Elkins’ offensive possessions to one and done. “That’s her typical,” Ashby said of Martinez. “She scores for us; she gets 10-12 rebounds every single game. It’s what we’ve come to expect from her.” After Pryor’s 3-pointer from the left wing gave the Indians a 7-5 advantage, they closed the first quarter on a 10-4 run, with six of those points – all layups – coming from Martinez. In a low-scoring second quarter, Elkins only managed two field goals against Bridgeport’s zone defense. But the Tigers got their first one early on Madi Zirkle’s layup, which trimmed the Elkins deficit to 17-11. Bridgeport also forced several turnovers in the first half and turned them into points in transition, including Pryor’s fast break layup that put the Indians ahead 19-11. Likewise, the Indians only managed two baskets in the second quarter but took a 21-13 lead into the halftime break on a put back from Audrey Kerr. Elkins only hit three 3-pointers on the night, but two of them came from Gilbert. Her first one, which was setup by an assist, came from the left corner and cut the Tigers’ deficit to 23-20. Bridgeport led throughout the third quarter, taking leads of 25-22 Ellie McCall (mid-range jumper), 27-23 (McCall floater) and 29-25 (Kerr baseline jumper). Unlike in the first half, Elkins forced more turnovers in the second half that limited Bridgeport’s scoring chances. Elkins, in its man-to-man defense, finished the night having forced 18 turnovers. Belan scored 8 of her 18 points in the final quarter, starting it with a jumper from the free-throw line and later tying the game at 29 with a layup. Bridgeport hosts Hampshire at 2 p.m. Friday.Defense fund established by supporters of suspected CEO killer Luigi Mangione nears $200K
Non-bailable arrest warrant for PML-N’s SanaullahCOLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — With the largest number of newly elected members at least since World War II, Republican South Carolina Senate leaders are thinking about tackling some issues like tax reform that have long been too tough to handle. The 13 new senators — nine Republicans and four Democrats — came to the Statehouse on Wednesday to meet, give five-minute introductory speeches, get their committee assignments and pick their seats. The session doesn't start for 40 more days. When it does begin, Republican Majority Leader Shane Massey wants to debate a bill to allow parents to spend public money on private schools, tweaking a law that was found unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court earlier this year. Massey wants the Senate — which now had a 34-12 Republican supermajority — to look into a broad bill rewriting South Carolina's energy policy to ensure the rapidly growing state has enough power. There are criminal justice issues like fighting fentanyl and major retail theft and what many senators think is the growing problem with insurance rate spikes because the state's liability laws don't differentiate between levels of responsibility, Massey said. But all those new members could mean senators can go after items that have long met resistance like reforming the state's entire tax system or retirement system or the civil lawsuit system. “I think there will be some dynamic changes,” Massey said of all the new senators. “The personalities are different.” But issues can wait until the session starts on Jan. 14. Wednesday was for housekeeping matters and introductions, with family watching their loved ones being sworn in There was one major rule change passed. The Senate President and Majority Leader now can sponsor a resolution to remove a chairman from a committee that will go before the Rules Committee and the entire Senate. There have been rumblings over the past few years about how some chairpersons, who are determined by seniority, handle their committees and the pace of legislation passed out of them. The rule sends a message to them about how they operate. Massey said he doesn't expect the rule to ever be used, but it's there as a safeguard. “We just want to make sure the committees are doing the work that they are tasked with doing and the majority is able to move legislation,” Massey said. Jeffrey Collins, The Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans police arrested on Friday a man accused of killing two people during a large parade where two separate shootings within an hour left two dead and at least 10 wounded. Curtis Gray, 19, faces two counts of second-degree murder tied to the Nov. 17 shootings along a crowded parade route, according to a news release from the New Orleans Police Department. Gray allegedly fatally shot Rasean Carter, 21, and Malachi Jackson, 19, at the Almonaster Avenue Bridge, authorities say. Carter, an aspiring photographer who lived in Marrero just across the Mississippi River from New Orleans, had planned to document the Nine Times Social Aid & Pleasure Club's annual outing and was accompanied by Jackson, his friend and uncle, Nola.com reported. The parade was part of New Orleans' long-running tradition of “second-lines” where revelers follow brass bands marching through the streets and has deep ties to the city's Black culture. The deaths of Carter and Jackson were among a series of recent lethal shootings in New Orleans. While most violence has been on the decline in the city since mid-2023 , there were three people killed and eight wounded in six shootings over the past weekend according to Nola.com . On Thursday, New Orleans police arrested two men, Darrell Fairley Jr., 18, and Cornelius G. Tillman, 19, in connection with a Nov. 30 double homicide in New Orleans East.
But on Wednesday, Tagovailoa shouldered a share of the blame for what he called a surprising 5-7 start, saying his month-long stint on injured reserve with a concussion played a huge part in the way this season has unfolded. “I don’t think that (record) shows the character of who we are as a team,” Tagovailoa said. "It doesn’t show the work that we’ve put in this offseason together. “Nobody else will say it but me, and I feel like this has a lot to do with myself, obviously putting myself in harm’s way in the second game, going down and basically leaving my guys out to dry ... I do take heart to that as well and don’t want to do that to my guys again.” The Dolphins looked like they were returning to last season's form during a recent three-game winning streak, but questions about Miami's toughness resurfaced after a poor performance at frigid Lambeau Field last Thursday, when the temperature at kickoff was around 27 degrees. Miami missed 20 tackles, per Next Gen Stats, and allowed 114 yards on the ground while only rushing for 39 yards. Tagovailoa was sacked five times. The Dolphins have lost their past 12 regular-season or postseason games in which the temperature at kickoff was 40 degrees or lower, with more potential cold weather games coming up at Houston, Cleveland and the New York Jets later this season. Miami was 4-10 in games played in December or later in the past two seasons. “Collectively you’ve got to all have that same mindset,” Tagovailoa said of Miami's toughness. “That’s why we have team football, that’s why you’re in team sports. I think you’ve got to look at it as, are you mentally tough and are you physically tough? They have to go hand in hand. If one of those things has a kink in it, it could go one way or the other.” A few weeks after former Dolphins safety DeShon Elliott said the Dolphins were “soft” when he played there, linebacker Jordyn Brooks criticized his team's toughness after losing to Green Bay. “I feel like we let the elements control the way we played,” Brooks said after the 30-17 loss. “As a group, I thought we were soft. Simple as that.” Coach Mike McDaniel said he expects all kinds of criticisms to come when the team fails to reach expectations, but added that he uses the game tape to measure toughness. “If I have an example of weak-mindedness or situations where a guy is turning something down or how he’s loafing because of a result, those are things I can coach,” McDaniel said. McDaniel added he didn't see anything on the tape to suggest players weren't giving full effort, but he did see many instances of missed tackles because of straining and poor technique — not bringing their feet through the tackle — which got worse as the game went on. He also said players would have insisted he bench teammates if they were “loafing” or turning down assignments, which he indicated didn't happen. “I'm very aware that the narrative exists," McDaniel said, "and with absolute certainty, I know that the narrative will exist unless it changes. There’s one way to change it. And that’s winning a game against the New York Jets. "And you know what? People still might not call you tough. Cool. I take it very serious as a head coach to be responsible for things that can help to be accountable and to bring forth information that’s actually helpful, not finger pointing." Some Dolphins players disagreed with the notion the team isn't tough enough. “I guess we’ve got to prove it wrong," said defensive tackle Zach Sieler. “If people think that, we’ve got to go out there and beat it. I don’t think that’s the case. I think we play physically up front. I think we play physically all around. I think we’ve got to make sure we’re showing that on Sunday.” Miami placed backup cornerback Cam Smith on injured reserve after he dislocated his shoulder against Green Bay. The Dolphins also signed tackle Jackson Carman off the practice squad and signed cornerback Jason Maitre to the practice squad. ... Edge rushers Bradley Chubb and Cameron Goode practiced Wednesday for the first time this season, and McDaniel didn't rule out the possibility of one or both of them playing on Sunday. Chubb tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in Week 17 last season, and Goode ruptured a patella tendon in the season finale. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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Patriots coach Jerod Mayo believes narrow loss to Bills shows potential of his young team Several times following New England’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wanted to review the game film before making a final assessment of his team’s performance. Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press Dec 23, 2024 3:27 PM Dec 23, 2024 3:35 PM Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo talks with quarterback Drake Maye (10) during the fourth quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Orchard Park, N.Y.. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar) Several times following New England’s 24-21 loss to the Buffalo Bills, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wanted to review the game film before making a final assessment of his team’s performance. He did, and on Monday he said the overarching feeling he was left with was one of pride. Going toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in the NFL is commendable. Mayo also remains confident this group has even more room for growth over its final two games this season. “To be frank, I don’t believe in good losses,” Mayo said. “I think there’s a lot to learn from the game. Look, we’re headed in the right direction, but it’s all about consistency, and we have to do that on a down-after-down, a game-after-game basis to be successful in this league.” What is also clear is that despite their 3-12 record, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye wants people to know that he and his teammates believe in their coach. No matter what conversations might be going on outside the Patriots locker room regarding shortcomings by the coaching staff, or Mayo’s job status. “We’ve got his back, and he’s coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We’re all frustrated,” Maye said. “We’re just plays away, and it’s basically me turning the ball over. I think it’s just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we’re not going to make the playoffs; we’re out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don’t score. ... So, I think we’re building something good, building something that feels right here, and I’m proud to be a Patriot.” What’s working The Patriots entered the week scoring only 7.5 points per game in the first half this season, which ranked 29th in the NFL. The offense woke up with 14 points in the first half on Sunday, notching multiple offensive touchdowns in the first half for the first time in 2024. What needs help Stopping the run has been an issue for New England’s defense for most of the season and it was on display against the Bills. With Buffalo trailing 14-0 in the second quarter, running back James Cook sliced through the interior of the Patriots defense and broke free for a 46-yard TD run. It was a big chunk of Buffalo’s 172 yards on the ground for the game. Stock up CB Jonathan Jones. He was tasked with being the primary defender on Buffalo’s top receiver Khalil Shakir for most of the game. The veteran held his own, helping limit the Bills’ leader in catches and receiving yards to only two catches for 22 yards on six targets. Jones also forced a fumble by Shakir in the fourth quarter, though Shakir was able to recover it. Stock down Marte Mapu. The linebacker started at safety with Jabrill Peppers sidelined with a hamstring injury. Mapu was strong for most of the game and had a chance to set up the Patriots offense in the second quarter when he snagged his second career interception, picking off Josh Allen’s pass in the end zone. But Mapu decided to run the ball out of the end zone and was tackled on the New England 1-yard line. The poor starting field position eventually led to a punt and the Patriots couldn’t add to their 14-7 lead. Injuries The Patriots didn’t announce any injuries during the game. But along with Peppers, cornerback Marcus Jones also sat out with a hip injury. Key number 2-6 — The Patriots’ record in one-score games this season. Four of those have been by three or fewer points. Next steps The Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers on Saturday. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press See a typo/mistake? Have a story/tip? This has been shared 0 times 0 Shares Share by Email Share on Facebook Share on X Share on LinkedIn Print Share via Text Message Get your daily Victoria news briefing Email Sign Up More Football (NFL) Aiming for top seed, Lions play 49ers on road before closing regular season at home against Vikings Dec 23, 2024 4:03 PM Nothing's guaranteed, but Bucs need to win out to give themselves best shot to make the playoffs Dec 23, 2024 3:55 PM NFL Inactive Report Dec 23, 2024 3:54 PM
Jahmyr Gibbs roasts himself for what he did to stay warm in Lions win vs. Bears | Sporting News