The St. Thomas men’s basketball team improved to 3-0 in the Summit Conference with an 82-71 defeat of Oral Roberts at the Mabee Center in Tulsa, Okla. Saturday evening.

After leading 43-40 at the half, the Tommies opened up a double-digit lead with a 10-2 run over a five-minute span late in the second half to take the 11-point win.

Nick Janowski shared game-high scoring honors with Connor Dow of the Golden Eagles, with both players scoring 23 points. Janowski also led all players with 12 rebounds. Isaiah Johnson-Arigu contributed 17 points in a reserve role for UST, while Carter Bjerke and Ben Oosterbaan chipped in 11 and 10 points, respectively. Connor Dow led the Golden Eagles led all scorers

St. Thomas, which now sits at 14-4 overall, remains one of just two Summit teams unbeaten in conference play. North Dakota State, 14-5 overall, is 4-0 against Summit teams after topping Omaha 78-76 Saturday afternoon. The Tommies travel to Fargo to face the Bison at 1 p.m. next Saturday. But first, St. Thomas heads even further up Interstate 29 to face North Dakota in Grand Forks with a 7 p.m. tip-off on Thursday.

The Tommies return home to the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena on Thursday, Jan. 22 against South Dakota State.

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The St. Thomas men’s hockey team moved into a tie for first place in the CCHA with a 4-2 win at Minnesota State Saturday night.

After a scoreless first period, the Tommies explored for four goals in the middle frame. Lucas Wahlin got the visitors on the board just 20 seconds into the second for a 1-0 lead. Attila Lippai and Quinton Pepper scored just 17 seconds apart at 6:35 and 6:52 before Ryan O’Neill pumped home one more goal at 7:33. In less than one minute, St. Thomas turned a close game into a rout. O’Neil, Alex Gaffney, Bauer Berry, Lucas Van Vliet, Nick Williams, Caige Sterzer and Mason Poolman all earned assists amidst the four-goal outburst.

The Mavericks got on the board with a pair of goals the third period, but it wasn’t enough to do anything more than ruin UST goaltender Aaron Trotter’s bid for a shutout. Trotter made 18 saves on the night.

With the victory, the Tommies (12-7-3 overall, 9-3-2 CCHA) earned their 30th point in conference play to move into a tie with Augustana atop the circuit standings. Minnesota State (12-6-5, 8-4-4), which entered the night in second place in the CCHA, one point ahead of St. Thomas, dropped into third place with 28 points.

The Tommies host Bemidji State (9-10-3, 7-4-3) in a two-game series at the Lee & Penny Anderson Arena in St. Paul next Friday and Saturday. Puck drop for both games is at 7 p.m. Both games will be televised on CCHATV.

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The Minnesota men’s hockey team concluded a seven-week stretch away from home Saturday night with a 5-2 loss at Penn State.

It was a loss that gave the Nittany Lions a two-game sweep of the second and final regular-season series to be played between the teams. Minnesota returns home to 3M Arena at Mariucci next weekend to take on Michigan. The last time the Gophers competed on their home ice was a 2-1 loss to Penn State back on Nov. 22.

Since then, Minnesota has played six straight road games that were scattered out over the holiday period. The road trip started well with wins at Denver and Ohio State, but the Gophers limp home with an 0-3-1 record since those back-to-back victories.

Minnesota opened Saturday’s game in fine form, taking a 1-0 lead at 3:27 of the opening period on an unassisted goal by Brodie Ziemer. However, the hosts replied with three consecutive scores to seize the lead for good by the end of the first frame.

Javon Moore opened the second period with a goal assisted by Teddy Townsend and Mason Roe, but Penn State recorded two more scores (including an empty netter) to win by three at the final horn. Goaltenders Nathan Airey and Luca Di Pasquo split time in net, making 11 and 27 saves, respectively.

With the loss, Minnesota fell to 8-12-1 overall and 4-6-0 in Big Ten play. Penn State improved to 14-6-0 overall and 6-4 in the Big Ten with the pair of weekend wins.

The Gophers host Michigan next weekend, with a 7 p.m. puck drop on Friday and 6 p.m. on Saturday. Both games will be televised on KMSP Ch. 9 and BTN+, with the radio call on 103.5 FM and 1130 AM.

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Matthew Stafford threw a 19-yard go-ahead touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds to lift the Los Angeles Rams to a dramatic 34-31 wild-card round win over the Carolina Panthers in the opening game of the NFL playoffs on Saturday.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 10: Colby Parkinson #84 of the Los Angeles Rams catches a 19 yard touchdown pass against Tre’von Moehrig #7 of the Carolina Panthers during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Bank of America Stadium on January 10, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Stafford finished 24 of 42 for 304 yards with three touchdown passes, while Puka Nacua had 10 receptions for 111 yards and two total touchdowns as the Rams (13-5), who were 10 1/2-point favorites, advanced to the divisional playoffs.

Bryce Young threw for 264 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score for Carolina (8-10), which finished the season losing four of its final five games. Jalen Coker had career highs with nine receptions for 134 yards with a touchdown and Chuba Hubbard ran for 46 yards and two touchdowns.

The Panthers fell behind 14-0 early, but stormed back to take a 24-20 lead on Hubbard’s second touchdown of the run game early in the fourth quarter.

Stafford, who was selected as an All-Pro earlier in the day, led the Rams back down on the field and found Kyren Williams for a 13-yard touchdown strike over the middle for a 27-24 lead.

Los Angeles appeared to be in charge after getting a stop on defense giving Stafford the ball back.

But a holding penalty put the Rams behind the sticks and forced a punt, which Isaiah Simmons blocked to set the Panthers up the Rams 30.

Four plays later, Young found Coker in the left corner of the end zone for a 7-yard scoring strike to give Carolina a 31-27 lead 2:39 left, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 10: Jalen Coker #18 of the Carolina Panthers catches a 7 yard touchdown pass against Kam Curl #3 of the Los Angeles Rams during the fourth quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoff game at Bank of America Stadium on January 10, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

But Stafford quickly moved the Rams 71 yards in seven plays with Panthers two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn on the sideline with a concussion, finishing it off with a perfectly placed pass to Parkinson near the right side of the goal line. Parkinson, who had two TDs last week, forced his way into the end zone for the score.

It was nearly the second time this season the Rams lost to the Panthers as a 10 1/2-point underdog. Carolina won 31-28 on Nov. 30.

Carolina’s last attempt to move into field-goal range ended when Jimmy Horn dropped a fourth down pass from Young.

Carolina was hoping the return of former quarterback Cam Newton to Bank of America Stadium to hit the “Keep Pounding” drum before the game would give the Panthers a little extra mojo early, but things didn’t start well.

After the Rams defense came up with a stop on fourth down at midfield on Carolina’s opening drive, Stafford quickly moved the offense downfield and found Nacua for a 14-yard touchdown pass over the middle for a 7-0 lead.

Nacua made it 14-0 on a 5-yard run following Young’s interception.

Carolina cut the lead 17-14 at halftime after a 1-yard touchdown run by Hubbard and a 16-yard scramble by Young, the second-longest TD run of his career.

The Rams had a chance to build on the lead, but Nacau dropped a potential third TD on a pass down the right sideline from Stafford just before halftime.

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