1/22/24 Hometown Broadcasting Sports Monday
22 January 2024 Sports
From Wayne Mausser
Christian McCaffrey scored his second touchdown on a 6-yard run with 1:07 to play, and the San Francisco 49ers mounted their first second-half comeback of the season to beat the Green Bay Packers 24-21 in a divisional-round playoff game on Saturday night.
After spending all regular season as front-runners, the Niners (13-5) needed to come from behind for a change, and Brock Purdy and McCaffrey did just enough on the last drive to send San Francisco to its third straight NFC championship game. The Niners will host the winner of Sunday’s game between Tampa Bay and Detroit next weekend for a spot in the Super Bowl.
Purdy went 6 for 7 for 47 yards on the decisive drive, converting a third down to Brandon Aiyuk and then a 17-yarder to Chris Conley.
McCaffrey finished it off with his run on third-and-short and the 49ers’ defense held on from there, with Dre Greenlaw intercepting Jordan Love for the second time to seal San Francisco’s fifth straight playoff win over Green Bay (10-9).
That last throw across his body was one of the few mistakes by Love, who had given the Packers the lead with two TD passes in the third quarter. But his first full season as the starter in place of Aaron Rodgers had a disappointing ending.
Love had put the Niners in the unusual spot of playing from behind. Green Bay converted a third-and-15 when Ambry Thomas was called for a 41-yard pass interference call against Bo Melton. Love and Melton then connected on the next play for a wide-open 19-yard touchdown aided by Tashaun Gipson slipping on the wet turf in coverage.
After McCaffrey put San Francisco back in the lead with a 39-yard TD run, Green Bay struck quickly thanks to a 73-yard kick return by All-Pro Keisean Nixon that he fumbled, only to have teammate Eric Wilson recover.
Four plays later, Love threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Kraft and the Packers extended the lead to 21-14 on a 2-point conversion pass to Aaron Jones.
The Niners were the first team to make the playoffs in 13 seasons without overcoming a second-half deficit to win a game.
They got a 52-yard field goal from Jake Moody on the first play of the fourth quarter to make it a four-point game and it stayed there when rookie Anders Carlson missed a 41-yarder for Green Bay.
The Packers moved the ball easily in the first half, getting into the red zone on three straight drives to open the game. But they couldn’t finishing any of them off, setting for two field goals and getting stopped on a fourth-and-1 sneak. They became the first team in 20 years to reach the red zone on their first three drives of a playoff game without getting a TD.
The Niners made them pay for that with Purdy hitting George Kittle on a 32-yard pass on the run for a TD that gave San Francisco the lead.
But San Francisco squandered another chance late in the half when coach Kyle Shanahan wasted time before settling for a 48-yard field goal attempt by Moody that was blocked by Colby Wooden to send the Niners into the half with a 7-6 lead.
On the injury front, Packers: RT Zach Tom left in the third quarter to get checked for a head injury and didn’t return. 49erWR Deebo Samuel injured his shoulder on the opening drive and missed most of the game.
In the AFC, number one seed Baltmore cruised to a 34-10 victory over visiting Houston. The game was tied at 3-3 at the end of the first quarter and 10-10 at half. The Ravens led 17-10 at the end of the third quarter before scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter for the final margin.
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson was 16-22 for 152 yards and two touchdowns and also led in rushng with 11 carries for 100 yards and two more scores. The Texans C.J. Stroud was 19-33 for 175 yards. Houston gained just 38 yards on the ground. The Texans ended their season 10-7.
In the NFC Divisional playoff Sunday Detroit advanced to the championship game as they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-23. The Lions have more playoff victories in the 2023 season (two) than they have since their last NFL Championship in 1957 (one playoff win from 1958 to 2022)..
Jared Goff finished 30-43 for 287 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions for the Lions. Baker Mayfield was was 26-41for 349 yards, three touchdowns and two intercetpions.
The Lions will face the 49ers on the road next Sunday in the NFC Championship game.
In the AFC divisional game Kansas City won at Buffalo over the Bills 27-24. Bufffalo missed a last second field goal that would have seen the game that would have tied it. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 17 of 23 passes for 215 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Buffalo’s Josh Allen was 26 for 39 for 186 yards and a touchd0own. The Chiefs will visit Baltimore Sunday in the AFC Championship game.
Damian Lillard had 45 points and 11 assists to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a 141-135 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday.
Giannis Antetokounmpo added 31 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, but missed 11 of his 22 free throw attempts. Brook Lopez had 19 points for the Bucks, who have won four of five.
Alec Burks (33) and Ausur Thompson (career-high 22) combined for 55 points for Detroit’s second unit, but Bojan Bogdanovic (19) and Jaden Ivey (18) were the only starters to reach double figures in the opener of a two-game series.
The Pistons are 2-37 in their last 39 games, including a record-tying 28-game losing streak. They host Milwaukee again Monday.
Antetokounmpo had five points in a 9-0 run that gave the Bucks a 126-121 lead with 4:40 to play, but he missed his 10th free throw seconds later.
Lillard, though, scored five straight points to push Milwaukee’s lead back to 134-126 with 2:11 left.
Oso Ighodaro scored 17 points, Kolek had 15 points and 11 assists, and the 17th ranked Marquette Golden Eagles held off a furious St. John’s rally for a 73-72 victory at Madison Square Garden
After trailing by 13 with six minutes left, the Red Storm forced a string of turnovers and took advantage of four missed free throws by Marquette to give themselves a chance for a stirring comeback win.
Tyler Kolek, a 94% free-throw shooter (46 for 49) entering the game, missed three in the final 2:05 and Marquette went the last 2:50 without scoring.
Daniss Jenkins, however, missed a foul shot that would have tied it for St. John’s with 38.9 seconds remaining, and Chris Ledlum was off target on an open 3-pointer with 10 seconds to go.
Jenkins had one last opportunity to win it, but his 3 at the buzzer bounced off the rim.
David Joplin had 13 points and Stevie Mitchell scored 12 for the Golden Eagles (13-5, 4-3 Big East), who missed their first 11 attempts from 3-point range and trailed by 10 late in the first half. Ighodaro shot 8 for 10 and grabbed five rebounds.
Marquette will play Wednesday night at last-place DePaul, the second game in a stretch featuring four of five on the road.
Max Klesmit scored 20 consecutive Wisconsin points during a second-half stretch of just over 4 1/2 minutes, and the 11th-ranked Badgers continued their home dominance of Indiana, winning 91-79 on Friday night.
Wisconsin (14-4, 6-1 Big Ten) has won its last 20 home games against Indiana and hasn’t lost to the Hoosiers in Madison since 1998, the Kohl Center’s inaugural season. It’s the longest road skid for Indiana against any opponent; Purdue won 19 consecutive home games over Indiana from 1901-22.
Klesmit scored 23 of his 26 points in the second half and went 5 of 7 on 3-point attempts. He is 15 of 22 from beyond the arc over his last five games, including 12 of 16 in his last three.
Indiana (12-7, 4-4) was missing 7-footer Kel’el Ware — its top rebounder and second-leading scorer — due to a lower-leg injury. The Hoosiers’ depth took another hit when reserve guard CJ Gunn was ejected for elbowing Klesmit in the side of the face with 12:42 remaining.
Wisconsin extended its Big Ten lead to a full game over No. 2 Purdue, which visits Iowa on Saturday.
AJ Storr added 15 points and Steven Crowl had 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Badgers. Chucky Hepburn also scored 12 points.
Grinnell College beat Riipon College 95-92. Connor Speilvogel has 20 points to pace five Ripon players in double figures. The Red Hawks fall to 5-13 overall and 3-6 in conference play.
UW-Oshkosh 72, UW-Stevnes Point 67. The Titans improve to 8-9 overall and 1-5 in the conference.
Women’s College Basketball (Sat.)
Ripon College 74, Grinnell College 57. Ella Ten Plas led Ripon with 17 points as the Red Hawks improve to 12-6 overall and 9-0 in the conference.
UW-Oshkosh 67, UW-Stevens Point 37. The Titans improve to 14-3 overall and 5-1 in the conference.
Boys and Girls Basketball Schedule 1/22/2024
Boys:
Plymouth at West De Pere
Westby at Wisconsin Dells
Mauston at Richland Center
Fall River at Westfield
Nekoosa at Amherst
Saint Lawrence Seminary at Dodgeland
Palmyra-Eagle at Cambria-Friesland
Randolph at Poynette
Madison Country Day at Montello
Girls:
Ripon at Campbellsport
Berlin at Lomira
Manawa at Green Bay East
Menasha at Kewaunee
Omro at Lourdes Academy
Mayville at Oakfield
Mayville at Oakfield
Appleton East at Appleton North
Oshkosh West at Neenah
Luxemburg-Casco at Clintonville
Marinette at Waupaca
Freedom at Denmark
Little Chute at Wrightstown
Fox Valley Lutheran at Oconto Falls
Palmyra-Eagle at Cambria-Friesland
Waterloo at Markesan
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