Every offseason here at Amazin’ Avenue, our overlords editors set up a spreadsheet for season reviews and send out a for us writers to claim them. There’s an initialrush for the best players – Francisco Lindor, Juan Soto, Nolan McLean – though most folks usually show a modicum of discipline and don’t claim too many of the elite guys. Personal favorites get snapped up next, followed by the large group of guys in the middle. Your useful contributors, like Tyrone Taylor and Luis Torrens and Max Kranick.
Then there’s a Mexican standoff as most of us look at the remaining spots on the sheet. Did that guy really play for the Mets last season? Did his presence matter in any way other than for comprehensive record keeping? Do we really need to write about him? These are the folks that you and most everyone else will forget on the annual Sporcle quizzes, leaving you frustrated as you sit at 55/63 and can’t progress any further. Slowly, but inevitably, those guys get claimed, and we eventually finish out the list.
It is in this spirit that we now discuss Chris Devenski, who did indeed actually pitch for the Mets in 2025. He appeared in 13 games, starting once (as an opener) and tossing 16.2 innings of 2.16 ERA ball with a 3.50 FIP. It was a disjointed tenure in Queens; Devenski had a single outing in April, another in May, got two outings in the middle of June, actually stuck around for a bit in July with 7 appearances, and then finished the season with single appearances in each of August and September. In between, he spent his time posting a broadly similar performance for Triple-A Syracuse. If anything, the most impressive part of this performance was his willingness to put up with the Triple-A / MLB shuttle as a 34-year-old veteran.
Was any of this particularly memorable? No, not really. Even though Devenski was broadly decent as an up-and-down guy, this is the sort of performance that gets lost in the wash of a 162-game season. Don’t feel guilty about not remembering though because it doesn’t seem anyone else around the league noticed either; Devenski signed a minor-league deal with the Pirates in early January. So it goes for the late-career middle reliever. Just do your best to remember him on your next Sporcle quiz.
Pakistan 198-5; Australia 108 (15.4 overs) | Pakistan win by 90 runs
Australia lose series with 11 days to go before T20 World Cup begins
World Cup-bound Australia have been given a hiding in Lahore, bamboozled by Pakistan’s spinners as they crumbled to a 90-run defeat and a T20I series capitulation.
Just hours after their squad for the World Cup in India and Sri Lanka was announced, Mitch Marsh’s side, featuring nine World Cup players and looking desperately in need of their absent big guns, simply could not cope with the hosts’ five-pronged spin attack on Saturday.
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier led a pair of touchdown drives, including a keeper for a score, as the American team beat the National team 17-9 on Saturday in the Senior Bowl.
Nussmeier led a 12-play, 68-yard opening drive that ended with his 3-yard rush on a read-option play.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia led the National team to start. After an opening 18-yard completion to NC State tight end Justin Joly, Kentucky running back Seth McGowan fumbled. Mizzouri's Zion Young recovered the ball, handed it to Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton, who had it punched out by Pavia. The American defense recovered it.
After three runs for 41 yards from Virginia's J'Mari Taylor, Oklahoma's Jayden Ott punched in a 5-yard score. Nussmeier found Notre Dame receiver Malachi Fields for a successful two-point conversion.
Nussmeier was 5 of 8 for 57 yards with an interception that went through the hands of Wyoming tight end John Michael Gyllenborg and into those of Nebraska's Deshon Singleton.
Baylor quarterback Sawyer Robertson was intercepted similarly later in the quarter. His pass went off the hands of Louisville receiver Caullin Lacy, and Northwestern's Fred Davis II intercepted it for the American team.
BYU's Will Ferrin added a 40-yard field goal with 3:02 left to make it 17-0 at the break for the American team.
Pavia re-entered the game with 6:35 to go in the third and continued into the fourth, using a 29-yard run from McGowan to set up a 52-yard field goal from Iowa's Drew Stevens. Pavia finished 10 of 13 for 78 yards.
Michigan receiver Donaven McCulley, who accepted a late invite to the Senior Bowl on the National team, led all receivers with four catches for 50 yards. He had a 14-yard reception on the National team's final drive to set up a 1-yard score for FAU's Kejon Owens.
The Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, left, talks to reporters during DodgerFest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts answered one key question heading into spring training.
Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic in March, Roberts told reporters during Saturday's annual DodgerFest at Dodger Stadium. The manager added it was Ohtani's decision and the Dodgers would have allowed him to do so if he had wanted to.
Ohtani said in November he would participate in the WBC but did not signal at the time whether he would pitch. When Team Japan's roster was announced Monday, manager Hirokazu Ibata did not say if Ohtani would pitch, only saying they would get a better sense in spring training.
And on Saturday, Ohtani — who spoke to reporters before Roberts did — said he was still unsure if he would pitch in the WBC and it would depend on how he feels as he began ramping up to pitch over the next few weeks. The expectation going into the season, he told reporters, had been he would be able to pitch without restrictions from the start for the Dodgers.
In the 2023 WBC, Ohtani won tournament most valuable player with a .435 batting average and 1.86 ERA, helping Japan to the title. He punctuated the event with his memorable strikeout of his then-Angels teammate Mike Trout for the final out in the championship game. But five months later, Ohtani was pulled from a home start against the Cincinnati Reds for what ultimately was revealed to be a torn UCL.
Ohtani had his second career Tommy John surgery in September and did not return to pitching until last June with the Dodgers.
MLB players like Ohtani and teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto are expected to join Team Japan for exhibition games on March 2. Japan will open WBC play on March 6 against Taiwan.
Missing Fred VanVleet has been a problem all season, but if they’ve unlocked Kevin Durant, those flaws suddenly become more manageable. Leaning on Durant against the Dallas Mavericks makes a lot of sense.
My Mavericks vs. Rockets predictions and NBA pickswill do just that tonight.
Tip-off set for 8:30 p.m. ET from the Toyota Center in Houston, with the game airing on ABC.
Mavericks vs Rockets prediction
Mavericks vs Rockets best bet: Kevin Durant Over 25.5 points (-112)
The Houston Rockets have leaned on Kevin Durant more in the past couple of weeks, with the veteran averaging 20.6 shots per game over his last five outings compared to 17.8 over his previous 39 games.
That has directly led to Durant clearing this prop in four of those five games, averaging 31.2 points per game in this stretch.
For that matter, Durant has scored at least 31 points in four of those games, the exception being a mere 24 points against the Spurs.
San Antonio has the best defender in the league for Durant. That exception can prove this new rule.
Houston is trusting Durant in a way it probably always should have. His increased workload makes the value of this prop clear ahead of tonight's matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.
Mavericks vs Rockets same-game parlay
Durant has cleared this 3-pointers prop in four of his last five games, taking eight attempts per outing. Over his previous 39 games, he averaged 5.5 attempts from beyond the arc.
This aligns with an Under play more than you might expect, given how deliberate Durant’s possessions can be. Houston has also come up short of the total in each of its last four contests.
Mavericks vs Rockets SGP
Kevin Durant Over 25.5 points
Kevin Durant Over 2.5 threes
Under 223
Our "from downtown" SGP: The Need to Reed
Dallas’s backcourt is ripe to be exposed. Klay Thompson is not a defensive presence at this point in his career.
A couple of open looks for Reed Sheppard should keep the Mavs’ defense honest, thus leaving more space open for Durant.
Houston’s last four games have all cashed their Unders, and by an average of 16.25 points. Find more NBA betting trends for Mavericks vs. Rockets.
How to watch Mavericks vs Rockets
Location
Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Date
Saturday, January 31, 2026
Tip-off
8:30 p.m. ET
TV
ABC
Mavericks vs Rockets latest injuries
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Shohei Ohtani said on Saturday that he remained uncertain whether he would be a two-way player for Japan in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts was more definitive: He won’t be.
“He’s not going to pitch in the WBC,” Roberts said.
Shohei Ohtani of Team Japan reacts after the final out in the top of the 9th inning to defeat Team USA 3-2 during World Baseball Classic Championship at loanDepot park on March 21, 2023 in Miami, Florida. Getty Images
Focusing on hitting in the tournament was “absolutely” Ohtani’s call, according to the manager, who revealed the decision was made about a month ago.
If Ohtani had wanted to pitch in the WBC, would the Dodgers have given him their blessing?
“Absolutely,” Roberts said.
Playing in the 2023 WBC as a two-way player, Ohtani made two pitching starts and was Japan’s closer in its victory over the United States in the championship game. Ohtani registered the final out of the game by striking out Mike Trout in what became the signature moment of his career.
What might be welcome development for the other countries in the tournament could be bad news for other major league teams.
If the legacy-conscious Ohtani is willing to sacrifice potential glory on the international stage, what does that say about what he has in mind for the regular season?
He must have something big in mind – like a season in which he wins his fifth MVP award and becomes the first Japanese pitcher to ever win a Cy Young?
On stage at DodgerFest alongside right-hander Roki Sasaki, Ohtani shared his goals with the fans in attendance.
“It would be best if I can mix it up,” Ohtani said in Japanese to the Dodger Stadium crowd. “Stealing bases, hitting home runs, getting strikeouts – I think doing it all would be great.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) delivers a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during first inning Game 7 World Series playoff MLB baseball action in Toronto on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP) AP
Relayed Ohtani’s words, Roberts became visibly animated. Roberts recently told the California Post that he expected Ohtani to compete for the National League Cy Young Award with teammate Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Roberts’ prediction was made in reaction to Ohtani’s interview with NHK that aired in Japan last month. In the interview in question, Ohtani acknowledged he was disappointed by how he was charged with three runs in only 2 ⅓ innings in his start against the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series last year.
“There’s always something that Shohei needs to fuel him,” Roberts said.
Roberts never concealed his preference that Ohtani not pitch in the WBC, and he said he expected Ohtani to ultimately reach the decision he did.
“I wasn’t surprised, so I can’t even say I was relieved,” Roberts said. “Understanding what he did last year, what he had to go through to then how best to prepare himself for ‘26 to do both (pitch and hit), it just seemed like the right decision.”
In the season that followed the last WBC, Ohtani was a two-way player for the Angels and damaged the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow. The injury forced him to undergo his second Tommy John operation.
Still recovering from surgery, Ohtani couldn’t pitch in 2024, his first year with the Dodgers. He made his mound return in June of last season. He went on to pitch in 14 regular-season games, posting a 3.14 earned-run average. He pitched in four postseason games, including a win over the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 4 of the NL Championship Series in which he struck out 10 batters over six scoreless innings and whacked three homers as a hitter.
With Ohtani only hitting in the WBC this year, the Dodgers won’t have to take any extreme measures to protect his arm early in the season, which means he should be able to make enough starts to merit consideration for the Cy Young Award. While Ohtani might receive extended breaks between some pitching appearances, Roberts said he would otherwise be “used as a normal pitcher.”
“It’s not going to be a two-inning, three-inning governor” per start, Roberts said.
Roberts said Ohtani would be “ramping up” his arm in spring training to prepare for the regular season, and Ohtani said he has already thrown “three or four” bullpen sessions. Addressing reporters before Roberts did, Ohtani made it sound as if his pitching status for the WBC was still undetermined.
“I think it will come down to the end, depending on how I’m adjusting, depending on the condition of my body,” Ohtani said in Japanese.
There’s no reason to question Roberts. Unless something was lost in translation, Ohtani isn’t pitching in the WBC. Assuming that’s the case, what that means doesn’t require any translation: Ohtani is preparing for another history-making season with the Dodgers.
Ibrahima Konate scored on his return after the death of his father to complete a fine Liverpool win inspired by Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike
The race for the golden boot
It feels very strange to scan this page and not see the letters S-A-L-A-H. For a variety of reasons he’s scored only four league goals in 2025-26; his lowest total at in a full season at Liverpool is 18.
The Seattle Kraken will take on the Vegas Golden Knights on the road as they begin a road trip.
The Kraken have three games before the Olympic break, all of which are on the road.
The Kraken enter tonight’s game as winners of three straight, defeating the New Jersey Devils, Washington Capitals, and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tonight, they’ll put their 11-10-4 road record to the test against a Golden Knights team with a 12-7-7 home record.
The Golden Knights enter tonight’s game as losers of three straight, suffering a 7-1 defeat to the Ottawa Senators, before an overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens, and a 5-4 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars.
The Golden Knights currently hold the lead in the Pacific Division based on points percentage, as they are tied with the Edmonton Oilers at 64 points. The Kraken own third place in the Division based on points percentage, tied with the Anaheim Ducks and Los Angeles Kings with 59 points and one point ahead of the San Jose Sharks.
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Saturday night’s matchup between the Ottawa Senators and the visiting New Jersey Devils is a game that neither team can afford to lose.
New Jersey enters the game nine points back of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, while the Senators sit 10 points out. It’s not where either club expected to be on the final day of January, and Saturday's loser will almost lose sight of the playoff leaders completely.
Ottawa comes in riding momentum after two of its most complete performances of the season, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche by a combined score of 12–3.
Steve Warne discusses the fine recent play of pending UFA Nick Cousins and whether the Sens should re-sign him.
Linus Ullmark was the backup goalie, so he wasn't a direct factor in either win. But the team was pleased to see him return from his month-long personal leave of absence. Six days after returning to the lineup, Ullmark is expected to play his first game since December 27, when he was pulled during a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Senators will also welcome back forward Stephen Halliday after he missed Wednesday’s win over Colorado with an upper-body injury. Halliday was in the midst of his strongest NHL performance to date last Sunday against Vegas, recording two goals and an assist, before suffering the injury. To make room for Halliday’s return, Ottawa has reassigned Xavier Bourgault to the AHL’s Belleville Senators.
Ridly Greig, who missed Friday’s practice, is expected to be available for Saturday’s game.
Senators projected lineup (Subject to change)
Drake Batherson — Tim Stützle — Claude Giroux
Brady Tkachuk — Dylan Cozens — Ridly Greig
Nick Cousins — Shane Pinto — Michael Amadio
Stephen Halliday — Lars Eller — Fabian Zetterlund
Jake Sanderson — Artem Zub
Thomas Chabot — Jordan Spence
Tyler Kleven — Nick Jensen
Linus Ullmark
James Reimer
Scratched: Kurtis MacDermid, Nikolas Matinpalo
Injured: David Perron (sports hernia)
Status report
While the Senators are close to full health, the Devils may be without at least one, and possibly both, of their top two centres. Jack Hughes will miss the game with a lower-body injury, though head coach Sheldon Keefe described the issue as “not serious.”
Fellow centre Nico Hischier is under the weather and will be a game-time decision. Forward Cody Glass is expected to return after missing Thursday’s game against Nashville.
Devils projected lineup (Subject to change)
Timo Meier — Dawson Mercer — Jesper Bratt
Lenni Hämeenaho — Cody Glass — Arseny Gritsyuk
Evgenii Dadonov — Paul Cotter — Conor Brown
Maxim Tsyplakov — Luke Glendening — Juho Lammikko
Brett Pesce — Dougie Hamilton
Brenden Dillon — Simon Nemec onas Siegenthaler — Jonathan Kovacevic
Jake Allen Jacob Markstrom
Scratched: Colton White
Injured: Luke Hughes (shoulder), Zack MacEwen (ACL), Stefan Noesen (knee), Jack Hughes (lower body), Nico Hischier (illness)
Earlier today, via the Kraken’s PR on X, the team announced that he will miss the final three games with what has been deemed an upper-body injury. The Kraken have not clarified whether the injury he sustained was to the head or neck.
Either way, Catton won’t see game action until at least Feb. 25 when the Kraken return from the break to take on the Dallas Stars.
The former 2024 eighth overall pick has notched five goals and 11 points in 40 games this season.
The Kraken have three vital games before the Olympics begin. The Kraken will be on the road for all three games, taking on the Vegas Golden Knights tonight before important playoff seeding battles against the Anaheim Ducks and the Los Angeles Kings.
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NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Dailyn Swain scored 18 points to go 10 rebounds and six assists, and Texas overcame a 14-point deficit in the first half to beat Oklahoma 79-69 on Saturday.
Texas trailed 23-9 with 9:38 to play before the break but closed on a 10-2 surge to tie it 30-all. Xzayvier Brown made a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to give the Sooners a 33-30 halftime advantage.
Oklahoma pushed its lead to 61-55 on another Brown 3-pointer with 8:37 left in the game. About three minutes later, Simeon Wilcher hit a 3 and Jordan Pope made two more from distance in a 9-3 surge that gave Texas a 73-67 lead with 3:25 remaining.
Nijel Pack then missed a 3 on each of the Sooners' next two possessions. Swain's jumper with 1:32 left made it 75-67 and the Longhorns sealed it at the free-throw line.
Texas (13-9, 4-5 Southeastern Conference) has won nine of the last 10 games in the series including seven straight in Norman.
Matas Vokietaitis scored 14 points and Camden Heide added 13 for the Longhorns. Pope chipped in with 12 points and Wilcher finished with 10.
Pack made three 3-pointers and scored 23 points on 9-of-22 shooting to lead Oklahoma (11-11, 1-8). Brown and Derrion Reid each added 15 points.
After an ugly loss to the Sabres, the Kings (23-17-13) bounced back with a hard-fought road performance with a 3-2 overtime victory over the Philadelphia Flyers (24-20-10) on Saturday, with a clutch winner from Quinton Byfield.
The Kings came out flying, establishing offensive pressure early and capitlzing on the Flyers early mistakes. Adrian Kempe opened the scoring midway through the first period, finishing off the nice feed from Alex Laferriere and Corey Perry, giving LA the early 1-0 lead.
Just over three minutes later, Kempe struck again, this time off a setup from Perry, burying the quick-release shot from the slot. The Kings dominated possession in the early frame, outshooting the Flyers and keeping Philadelphia from generating offensive pressure.
Darcy Kuemper was sharp in the early frame, turning aside several shots as the Kings took a 2-0 lead into the second period.
Philadelphia came out with urgency in the second and cut the deficit just 39 seconds into the frame. Trevor Zegras finished off a crisp passing sequence, beating off Kuemper to make it 2-1 and swing momentum toward the home side.
The Flyers controlled long stretches of the period, generating pressure off the forecheck and forcing the Kings into extended defensive zone shifts.
Despite scoring early in the period, the Flyers had only one goal in the second, and Los Angeles entered the third ahead by one, but the momentum had clearly shifted.
Flyers tie it
Early in the third, Philadelphia capitalized on a Los Angeles turnover and tied the game 2-2. Travis Konecny snapped a shot past Kuemper just 25 seconds into the period, bringing the Wells Fargo Center crowd to life and setting the stage for a tense finish.
From then on, both teams traded chances in a fast, physical third period, generating quality looks, but the Flyers' goaltender, Dan Vladar, anchored down in the crease, and neither team could score.
Byfield Delivers in Overtime
Overtime featured end-to-end action, with both teams looking to steal this game. Philadelphia nearly ended it when Konecny rang a shot off the post, but the Kings survived and countered.
Byfield finished with the overtime winner, skating on the right side off the ice to beat off the Flyers' goaltender and score the dagger to escape with a much-needed win to get Los Angeles back in the win column.
"I was thinking shot all the way."
Good mindset from QB in that situation as he buried the game-winner.
Jim Hiller pointed to seeing that mentality more of late & the quality in his shot when he rips it.
"Just really good shots. Nice finish, nice goal. Shoot the puck, kid!" https://t.co/0Ka3i0HruG
Adrian Kempe led the way with two goals and three points, continuing his strong stretch and extending his point streak to six games. Byfield finished with the overtime winner, while Perry chipped in two assists ina strong playmaking performance.
Kuemper had a solid game, stopping 19 of 21 shots to earn the win. Despite giving up those two goals very early in the second and third periods, he still came up big in the clutch.
Kopitar returned today for the first time since Jan. 5, when he exited the game against the Minnesota Wild with an upper-body injury. In the 11 games, Kopitar missed, Los Angeles went 4-3-3 without him, clearly missing him, and tonight, though, despite coming back and playing 16 minutes on ice, he wasn't much of a factor.
It was definitely some rust shown for Kopitar, finishing with just one shot on goal, and was a -1 on ice, so hopefully he gets back to his regular self at the end of the Kings road trip.
The Kings will look to build on this overtime victory as they are now 3-1 on their six-game road trip and will continue it tomorrow afternoon against the Carolina Hurricanes at 12 P.M. PT.
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The Detroit Red Wings discussed the importance of coming out strong against the high-flying Colorado Avalanche, who have been the NHL's best team thus far this season.
Instead, the Avalanche broke out of a mini-funk by taking it to the Red Wings on the scoreboard.
The Avalanche defeated the Red Wings by a 5-0 score, tallying twice in each of the first two periods before adding another in the final frame.
The Red Wings have now dropped three straight games after having picked up five of six points during their recent three-game road swing.
As time ticked away in regulation, only a few thousand fans hadn't already gotten a head start on the traffic after watching a downer of a contest, and they let their frustrations be known with some noticeable booing.
Detroit had a chance to take an early 1-0 lead when leading goal-scorer Alex DeBrincat broke in on a two-on-one opportunity, but sailed a shot over the net.
Just minutes later, Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns, who is the oldest player in the NHL, rushed down the right wing and roofed a shot past the glove of John Gibson, breaking the ice.
Colorado soon increased their lead at the midway point of the frame after superstar forward Nathan MacKinnon beat Gibson on a screened shot from the slot.
Not long after the second period began, a missed defensive assignment left Ross Colton all alone in front of Gibson, and he scored a slam-dunk–style goal off a feed from behind the net by Brock Nelson, extending Colorado’s lead to 3–0.
MacKinnon scored again later in the period following a turnover in front of Gibson. Left alone at the side of the net, he took a feed from Artturi Lehkonen and had a wide-open goal to fire at, and he made no mistake.
After making 13 saves, Gibson was replaced for the third period by Cam Talbot, who allowed Parker Kelly to bang home his own rebound for Colorado’s fifth goal.
Colorado's MacKenzie Blackwood made 28 saves for his third shutout of the season.
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MADISON. Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin's high-scoring backcourt of Nick Boyd and John Blackwell combined for 43 points, Austin Rapp hit five first-half 3-pointers, and Wisconsin beat Ohio State 92-82 on Saturday.
Blackwell and Boyd, who have combined for over 38 points per game, finished with 22 and 21, respectively, the sixth time they have both been over 20 points. The 6-foot-10 Rapp, the West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year at Portland last season, scored all 19 of his points off the bench in the first half. Nolan Winter finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Aleksas Bieliauskas added 10 points for Wisconsin (16-6, 7-3 Big Ten).
Ohio State's own dynamic duo, Bruce Thornton and John Mobley Jr., averaging over 35 ppg, finished with 18 and nine, respectively. Amare Bynum scored 18 points for the Buckeyes (14-7, 6-5), while Devin Royal added 17 and Taison Chatman 14.
Wisconsin made only two of its first 11 attempts while falling behind 15-4, but Rapp hit three consecutive 3s in bringing back the Badgers to their first lead, 24-23, with eight minutes in the first half. Rapp added two more 3s, and a late run put Wisconsin up 49-43 at the break.
The Buckeyes led throughout the second half with Boyd and Blackwell scoring 11 points apiece. Boyd's bucket with 2:41 to go gave Wisconsin its largest lead at 16.
Wisconsin shot 52%, made 19 of 21 at the line and outscored Ohio State 42-30 in the paint.
