The Ducks pulled out a close win in the Holiday Bowl.  Oregon defeated North Carolina 28-27 at Petco Park in San Diego.  Bo Nix threw a go-ahead six-yard touchdown pass to Chase Cota with under 20 seconds left and Camden Lewis just made the extra point kick.  The Ducks finished the year with a 10-and-3 record. 

The Bulldogs collected a sixth straight win.  11th-ranked Gonzaga crushed Eastern Oregon 120-42 in Spokane.  Drew Timme led the way with 18 points and seven rebounds as the Bulldogs improved to 11-and-3.  Washington hosts USC tomorrow night in Seattle.  Washington State also hits the court tomorrow night when it hosts eighth-ranked UCLA in Pullman.  Oregon is off until Saturday when it hosts Oregon State in Eugene.  Both teams are 7-and-6 on the season.  

The Seahawks are trying to keep their playoff hopes alive this weekend.  Seattle hosts the Jets on Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field.  The Seahawks come off a 24-10 loss to the Chiefs on Christmas Eve and have dropped five of their last six games.  Seattle is tied with multiple teams in the NFC with a 7-and-8 record.  On Wednesday, the Seahawks signed tight end Jacob Hollister to the practice squad.  In other team news, wide receiver Tyler Lockett "looked great" in Wednesday's walk-through and could play on Sunday.  

The Kraken suffered a second straight loss.  Seattle fell 3-2 to the Flames at Climate Pledge Arena.  Ryan Donato and Jamie Oleksiak each netted goals in the losing effort.  Donato found the back of the net for the eighth time this season.  Philipp Grubauer allowed three goals and made 41 saves in net for the Kraken, who dropped to 18-11-and-4.  Seattle is fourth in the Pacific Division with 40 points.  The Kraken host the Oilers tomorrow night.  
 

The Trail Blazers are nearing their return to the court.  Portland takes on the Warriors tomorrow night in San Francisco.  The Blazers come off a 124-113 win over the Hornets and snapped a three-game losing skid with the victory.  Jerami Grant led the way with 32 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Charlotte.  Justise Winslow remains sidelined as he deals with a grade 2 ankle sprain.  Portland comes in at 18-and-16.  
 

The college bowl season continues.  Oregon heads to Petco park to face North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl tonight in San Diego. Kickoff is at 5 and you can find coverage right here on 100.1 and 1110 KBND. Bowl action begins much earlier today though with the Military Bowl between UCF and Duke kicking off at 11 while Kansas battles Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl at 2:30. Tonight at 6 Texas Tech challenges Mississippi in the Texas Bowl. Washington faces a big test against Texas in the Alamo Bowl tomorrow night in San Antonio.

Summit is hosting the Les Schwab Oregon Holiday Hoopfest. Today the Storm play Springfield while Bend meets Liberty. Crook County challenges Crater. At the Sisters Holiday Shootout, the Outlaws welcome Klamath Union. Also in Sisters, Madras battles Banks. On the girl’s side, Caldera battles Catlin Gabel at the Newport Holiday Classic while Mountain View takes on La Salle Prep. Ridgeview plays Molalla.

The Oregon State Lady Beavers earned an 89-52 victory over North Carolina. OSU is off until Friday when it hosts USC. On the men’s side, the Bulldogs are looking for a sixth straight win.  11th-ranked Gonzaga returns this afternoon when it hosts Eastern Oregon in Spokane.  Oregon is off until Saturday when it hosts Oregon State in Eugene.  Both teams are 7-and-6 on the season.

The Kraken are hoping to bounce back on home ice.  Seattle hosts the Flames tonight at Climate Pledge Arena.  The Kraken come off a 6-5 shootout loss to the Canucks and had a two-game winning streak snapped with the setback.  Daniel Sprong lit the lamp twice in regulation for Seattle, which fell to 18-10-and-4.  The Kraken sit third in the Pacific Division with 40 points.  Andre Burakovsky leads the team with 28 points.  

The Trail Blazers are getting a few days off the court.  Portland takes on the Warriors on Friday night in San Francisco.  The Blazers come off a 124-113 win over the Hornets and snapped a three-game losing skid with the victory.  Jerami Grant led the way with 32 points and 10 rebounds in the win over Charlotte.  Justise Winslow remains sidelined as he deals with a grade 2 ankle sprain.  Portland comes in at 18-and-16.  

The Trail Blazers snapped a three-game losing skid.  Portland defeated the Hornets 124-113 at the Moda Center.  Jerami Grant led the way with 32 points and 10 rebounds.  Jusuf Nurkic also posted a double-double with 28 points and 15 rebounds and shot 5-of-7 from three-point range.  The Blazers improved to 18-and-16 and sit eighth in the Western Conference.  Portland returns on Friday night when it visits the Warriors.  

Oregon is off until Saturday when it hosts Oregon State in Eugene.  Both teams are 7-and-6 on the season.  Washington hosts USC on Friday in Seattle.  Washington State also hits the court on Friday when it hosts eighth-ranked UCLA in Pullman.  The Cougars come off an 82-73 loss to Utah State. The Bulldogs are looking for a sixth straight win.  11th-ranked Gonzaga returns tomorrow afternoon when it hosts Eastern Oregon in Spokane.

The college bowl season continues.  Oregon heads to Petco Park to face North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl tomorrow night in San Diego.  Washington faces a big test against Texas in the Alamo Bowl on Thursday in San Antonio.  Earlier this month, Oregon State crushed Florida 30-3 in the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium.  Washington State had less luck, losing to Fresno State 29-6 in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium.

 The Denver Broncos are firing their head coach.  The team announced Nathaniel Hackett was let go after a 51-14 loss to the Rams on Christmas Day.  A statement from owner and CEO Greg Penner said the ownership group decided "a new direction" was needed.  Hackett was in his first season as Denver's head coach, but the team has struggled mightily on offense despite acquiring Russell Wilson.  The Broncos named senior assistant Jerry Rosburg as interim head coach for the rest of the season. 

The Chargers' defense allowed just a field goal as they dominated the Colts 20-3 on Monday Night Football in Indianapolis.  Los Angeles sacked Nick Foles seven times and also picked off the Colts quarterback three times.  Austin Ekeler led the offense with 67 rushing yards and two touchdowns.  The Chargers improved to 9-and-6 and also clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2018.  Foles struggled in his first start of the season, completing 17-of-29 passes for 143 yards and three interceptions.  Indianapolis has lost five straight to fall to 4-10-and-1.

On the high school hardwood, yesterday Caldera fell to Henley 65-42 and Ridgeview lost to La Grande 57-50. Estacada beat Sisters 53-47. On the girl’s side, Redmond scorched Pendleton 65-38 and Sisters fell to Estacada 38-36. We’ve got more action tonight as the Ridgeview boys visit Pendleton and Redmond challenges La Grande.

 The Beavers pulled out a third straight win.  Oregon State defeated Denver 57-52 in Corvallis.  Glenn Taylor Jr. scored 12 points as the Beavers improved to 7-and-6.

The Trail Blazers weren't able to split the two-game set with the Thunder.  Portland lost to Oklahoma City 101-98 at the Paycom Center.  Jerami Grant scored a team-high 17 points and Damian Lillard added 16 points and eight assists.  The Blazers led by 10 after the first quarter, but were outscored in the final three periods.  Portland dropped to 17-and-15 and stays on the road to face the Nuggets tomorrow night in Denver. 

The Kraken are looking for a third straight win as they hit the road.  Seattle takes on the Canucks tonight in Vancouver.  The Kraken come off a 5-2 win over the Blues and have won two games in a row.  Ryan Donato and Carson Soucy were among those to score in the win over St. Louis.  Seattle improved to 18-10-and-3 and sits third in the Pacific Division with 39 points.  Andre Burakovsky leads the team with 28 points this season.

Alabama found itself in a familiar spot with the number-1 class in the nation at the end of National Signing Day, according to ESPN.  The Crimson Tide currently have four five-star commitments in this class.  Oregon also had a great day on the recruiting trail, flipping five-star safety Peyton Bowen from Notre Dame.  That move was just one that helped the Ducks move into the top 10 of the ESPN recruiting rankings. 

 Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald and Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander were the first two players to be elected to this year's Pro Bowl.  Donald has now been selected to compete in the Pro Bowl for nine straight seasons.  Alexander will be making his second trip to the NFL's all-star game.  The 2023 Pro Bowl Games will showcase various football-related challenges and non-football competitions among players.  There will be a flag football game between the AFC and NFC instead of the usual game.  Peyton Manning will coach the AFC while Eli Manning coaches the NFC.  The Pro Bowl Games take place on February 5th in Las Vegas.  The complete Pro Bowl rosters will be announced on Wednesday.

Damian Lillard is etching his name in the Trail Blazers' history books.  The star point guard passed Clyde Drexler to become Portland's all-time leading scorer in franchise history.  Drexler had held the record with 18,040 points in 867 games with the Blazers.  Lillard surpassed the mark in the third quarter and would finish with 28 points in the 123-121 loss to the Thunder in Oklahoma City.  Portland fell to 7-and-14 with the setback and takes on the Thunder again tomorrow night.  

The Ducks are seeking a fourth straight win.  Oregon hosts Utah Valley tonight in Eugene.  The Ducks are 7-and-5 after beating Portland 78-56 over the weekend.  12th-ranked Gonzaga hosts Montana tonight in Spokane. The Bulldogs are 9-and-3 and are undefeated at home this season.  Oregon State hosts Denver tomorrow night in Corvallis.  Washington welcomes 24th-ranked Auburn to Seattle tomorrow night.  Washington State heads to Hawaii to face George Washington on Thursday night in the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic.  

The college bowl season continues.  Oregon heads to Petco Park to face North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl on December 28th in San Diego.  In other program news, five-star quarterback prospect Dante Moore decommitted from the Ducks and will now be playing at UCLA.  Washington faces a big test against Texas in the Alamo Bowl on December 29th in San Antonio.  Earlier this month, Oregon State crushed Florida 30-3 in the Las Vegas Bowl at Allegiant Stadium.  Washington State had less luck, losing to Fresno State 29-6 in the LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. 
 

The Kraken are looking for another win at home.  Seattle hosts the St. Louis Blues tonight at Climate Pledge Arena.  The Kraken come off a 3-2 win over the Jets and have split their last four games.  Jordan Eberle, Ryan Donato and Jared McCann scored goals in the victory over Winnipeg.  Seattle improved to 17-10-and-3 and sit third in the Pacific Division with 37 points.  Andre Burakovsky leads the team with 28 points this season.  
 

The Oregon Ducks got back above .500 with a 71-65 win over UC-Riverside at Matthew Knight Arena.  Brennan Rigsby poured in 19 points in the victory, while N'Faly Dante had 14.  Oregon has won four of its last five games to improve to 6-and-5 overall and 1-and-1 in the Pac-12.  The Ducks host Portland this Saturday.
 

The Portland Trail Blazers are on a three-game winning streak following a 128-112 win over the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center.  Damian Lillard stayed hot, hitting seven three's and scoring 37 points.  Anfernee Simons chipped in with 23 as the Blazers led by as many as 19 points in the victory.  Portland is tied for fourth-place in the Western Conference with a 16-and-12 record.  The Trail Blazers visit the Mavericks tomorrow night.
 

The University of California Regents have voted to allow UCLA to move to the Big Ten Conference.  After six months of meetings, the UC Regents voted eleven-to-five during a session in Westwood.  The move allows the Bruins to join the new conference for the 2024-2025 season.  It comes with an exit-fee payment to the University of California of two-to-ten million dollars.

The Seattle Seahawks will try to stop the 49ers from clinching the NFC West when the two teams meet on Thursday Night Football at Lumen Field tonight.  The 7-and-6 Seahawks are two games back of San Francisco in the divisional race and one game out of the NFC's final Wild Card spot.  Seattle has lost three of its last four games, but the team is getting rookie standout running back Kenneth Walker-the-third back from injury.  Walker has scored nine touchdowns on the ground this season.  Five Seahawks players are listed as questionable for tonight's game.

Plans for a public memorial in honor of the late Mississippi State football coach Mike Leach have been announced.  According to University officials, the service will be held on Tuesday, December 20th on the school's campus.  Leach died Monday after suffering a massive heart attack.  He was 61.

BOYS

Mountain View defeated Thurston 53-39 while Crook County torched Caldera 69-47. Also, Ridgeview edged Marist 48-47. Elsewhere Sisters fell to Cottage Grove 73-56 and La Pine smothered Sutherlin 47-19.

GIRLS

Bend struggled against McNary, losing 48-18 and Summit thrashed South Eugene 70-20. Mountain View bested Thurston 48-31 and Crook County beat Caldera 53-35. Also, Sisters lost to Cottage Grove 39-30 

The Portland Trail Blazers begin their six-game road trip with a contest against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center tonight.  Portland crushed Minnesota 133-112 on Monday and has won four of its last five games.  Portland is in fifth-place in the Western Conference with a 15-and-12 record.

The San Francisco Giants are coming out on top of the Carlos Correa sweepstakes.  ESPN is reporting that the free agent shortstop agreed to a 13-year contract worth 350-million dollars with the club on Tuesday night.  The deal will be the largest in MLB history for a shortstop.  The two-time All-Star and 2015 Rookie of the Year hit .291 with 22 home runs and 64 RBI with the Minnesota Twins in 2022.

Former Washington State head football coach Mike Leach is dead at the age of 61.  Mississippi State University announced that he passed away late Monday night.  Leach died after suffering what reports said was a "massive" heart attack at his home in Starkville, Mississippi, about 130 miles northeast of Jackson.  Leach reportedly suffered from multiple seizures that may have caused brain damage.  The coach told ESPN he had battled pneumonia throughout the season.  Leach led the Cougars from 2012 until 2019, going 55-and-46 over his eight season tenure.
 

The Portland Timbers are locking down one of their defenders.  The club signed center back Zac McGraw to a three-year extension that includes a club option for the 2026 season.  McGraw played a bigger role than ever with Portland last season, starting 11 matches while appearing in 22.  He also scored his first career MLS goal.

The Beavers came up short on the road.  Oregon State lost to Texas A&M 72-54 in College Station.  Jordan Pope scored 15 points as the Beavers dropped to 4-and-6.  Number-18 Gonzaga hosts Northern Illinois tonight in Spokane.  The Bulldogs are 7-and-3.  Washington hosts Cal Poly tomorrow night in Seattle.  The Huskies sit at 7-and-3.  Oregon returns on Wednesday when it hosts UC Riverside in Eugene.

Now for a look at the prep basketball scoreboard from the weekend, on Friday the Redmond boys throttled Mazama 89-61. On Saturday Madras downed Corbett 86-44 while Sisters dashed Monroe 52-47. For the girl’s ticket, Redmond beat Mazama 53-36 while Madras stunned Bend 70-29. The Sisters girls fell to Monroe 36-28.

The Beavers are locking down their head coach for the coming years.  The university announced Sunday that coach Jonathan Smith has agreed to a six-year contract that runs through the 2028 season.  The deal has 4.85-million dollars guaranteed annually, with an increase of 100-thousand dollars per year.  Smith led Oregon State to a 9-and-3 record this season and a second straight bowl game appearance.  

The Trail Blazers are taking on Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves again.  Portland hosts Minnesota tonight at the Moda Center.  The teams met on Saturday with the Blazers pulling out a 124-118 win.  Portland has won three of its last four to improve to 14-and-12.  Gary Payton the Second remains out and head coach Chauncey Billups said the guard remains without a timeline for his return.  The T-Wolves come in at 13-and-13.  

The Portland Winterhawks earned a pair of weekend wins defeating Seattle 4-3 in a shootout. Then Portland beat Everett 4-2 last night. Portland remains in first place in the Western Conference at a 21-4-2 record. They have a few nights off before visiting Vancouver on Friday.

In high school basketball from the weekend, the Redmond boys defeated Crook County on Saturday 63-48 while Ridgeview fell to South Albany 57-49. Bend was edged by Woodburn 54-53. Also, La Pine fell to Lost River 48-36.

The college football bowl schedule is out.  Oregon heads to Petco Park to face North Carolina in the Holiday Bowl on December 28th in San Diego.  Oregon State is squaring off with Florida in the Las Vegas Bowl on December 17th at Allegiant Stadium.  Washington faces a big test against Texas in the Alamo Bowl on December 29th in San Antonio.  In other team news, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. announced he's returning for next season.  Washington State takes on Fresno State in the LA Bowl on December 17th at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.  

The Ducks took their first conference loss of the season.  Oregon fell to 21st-ranked UCLA 65-56 in Los Angeles.  The Ducks slipped to 4-and-5 overall.  Oregon State also came up short with a 63-62 loss to USC in Los Angeles.  The Beavers dropped to 4-and-5.  Washington had better luck with a 73-63 win over Colorado in Seattle.  The Huskies improved to 7-and-2.  Washington State suffered a 67-65 overtime loss to Utah in Pullman.  The Cougars fell to 3-and-4.  12th-ranked Gonzaga returns tonight as it hosts Kent State in Spokane.  The Bulldogs are 5-and-3 overall.

The Trail Blazers used a monster third quarter to cruise past the Pacers for a 116-110 win in Portland.  Jerami Grant dropped in 28 points and Anfernee Simons added 22 for the Blazers, who outscored Indiana 39-25 in the third to pull away.  Portland has won two straight on the heels of a three-game skid.  Damian Lillard added 21 points in the victory.  The 13-and-11 Blazers host the Nuggets on Thursday night.  

On the ice, the Portland Winterhawks split a pair of games over the weekend, defeating Victoria on Friday 3-1, but losing to Everett 4-3 in overtime on Saturday night. The Winterhawks will be back in action Wednesday when they host Prince George.
 

The high school basketball season began yesterday and on the boys side, Sisters fell to Burns 44-43. In the girl’s contest Burns beat Sisters 54-28. Yesterday the preseason coaches polls were released statewide for girls basketball and in the 5A class, Ridgeview ranked 6th with Mountain View at #10. Summit is receiving votes. Madras is ranked 2nd in the 4A with Trinity Lutheran at #9 in the 1A.

The Huskies are looking to extend their winning streak.  Washington returns to the court tonight when they visit the Beavers in Corvallis.  The Huskies are 6-and-1, while Oregon State is 3-and-4 on the season.  Oregon hosts Washington State tonight in Eugene.  The Ducks come in 3-and-4 and the Cougars are 3-and-2.  12th-ranked Gonzaga plays Number-10 Baylor tomorrow night in Sioux Falls.

The Trail Blazers suffered their third straight loss.  Portland fell to the Lakers 128-109 in Los Angeles.  The Blazers couldn't slow down LeBron James and Anthony Davis as the duo combined for 58 points.  Jerami Grant led Portland with 27 points in the losing effort.  Anfernee Simons scored 22, but shot 9-of-22 from the field.  The Trail Blazers dropped to 11-and-11 and visit the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.  

The College Football Playoff is expanding beyond its four-team format.  ESPN reports the Rose Bowl has agreed on terms to join the New Year's Six bowl rotation, after holding out as the final bowl game needed for an expansion.  That paves the way for the Playoff to expand to 12 teams starting in the 2024 season.  That's two years ahead of the scheduled expansion, which was announced by CFP officials in early September.  The Sugar, Orange, Fiesta, Peach and Cotton bowls will make up the rest of the new Playoff field. 

On the ice last night the Portland Winterhawks picked up their 3rd straight loss, this time to Seattle 3-1. Portland still holds a half-game lead of first place in the Conference and has a chance to return to winning way tomorrow night when they host Victoria.