FRIDAY SPORTS, FEBRUARY 6, 2026
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Mitchell Kernels Wrestling lost a pair of duals on Thursday night at Pierre with the boys falling 64-11 and the girls 64-15. The Kernel girls will compete at the Yankton Invite on Friday at 4 pm, while the Kernel boys will compete at the Yankton Invite on Saturday starting at 9 am.
— Mitchell Kernels girls basketball will be at Sturgis on Friday at 7 pm CST. The Kernels have won nine games in a row after a 60-55 win on Tuesday night vs. SF Jefferson.
— Mitchell Kernels boys basketball will be at Sturgis on Friday at 8:45 pm CST. The Kernels have lost four games in a row and fell to 5-7 on the season after a 67-61 win at SF Jefferson on Tuesday night.
— Mitchell Kernels Gymnastics will compete in a last-chance state qualifier on Saturday in Watertown, then return home to host the Class AA State Gymnastics Meet on February 13th and 14th at Mitchell High School.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Dakota Wesleyan softball starts its season with four games in Sioux Center, Iowa, starting with York (Neb.) at Noon, followed by Culver-Stockton (Mo.) at 4 pm. The Tigers face Mt. Mercy on Saturday at 9 am and Mayville State at 11 am.
— Dakota Wesleyan baseball starts its season at home at Drake field on Saturday with a doubleheader vs. Valley City State at 1 pm. The Tigers have two more games scheduled at home vs. Valley City State on Sunday starting at Noon.
— No. 9 Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball, 19-4 overall and 15-2 in the GPAC, will be at Doane on Sunday at Noon.
— Dakota Wesleyan men’s basketball, 12-11 overall and 7-8 in the GPAC, will be at Doane on Sunday at 1:45 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— The Jackrabbit Athletic Scholarship Auction is set for May 2 at Sanford-Jackrabbit Athletic Complex. The event begins at 4 p.m., with dinner at 6:30 and the live auction following a program at 7:30. A silent auction opens online April 24. Last year’s auction raised a record $2.5 million.
— South Dakota State men’s basketball host USD on Saturday at 5 pm. The Jacks lost at home on Wednesday night, falling to St. Thomas 77-62.
— South Dakota State women’s basketball host North Dakota on Thursday, February 12 at 7 pm. Last time out, the Jacks was at St. Thomas 84-51 on Wednesday to improves to 18-6 on the season and 8-2 in the Summit League.
— South Dakota State softball begins its season this week at the East Texas A&M Leadoff in Commerce, Texas. The Jacks will face Texas Southern on Friday at 9 am, followed by Stephen F. Austin at 1:30 pm. SDSU takes on Bucknell and East Texas A&M on Saturday, followed by a final game vs. Stephen F. Austin on Sunday.
— No. 15 South Dakota State wrestling will host No. 14 Northern Iowa on Sunday at 1 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— USD women’s basketball held Denver to just 13 second half points on Thursday night in a 53-42 win over the Pioneers. Angelina Robles led the Coyotes vs. her former team with 14 points. USD improves to 18-6 on the season and 8-2 in the Summit League. The Coyotes will be at Oral Roberts on Saturday at 2 pm.
— USD men’s basketball will be at SDSU on Saturday at 5 pm. The Coyotes are coming off an 82-75 overtime win at Kansas City on Wednesday.
— USD softball begins its season this week at the Bearkat Classic in Huntsville, Texas. The Coyotes face Central Arkansas on Friday at 11 am, followed by Sam Houston at 4 pm. USD will take on Central Arkansas and Sam Houston again on Saturday, followed by a single game vs. Creighton on Sunday at 10 am.
MLB
— Tarik Skubal has won his salary arbitration hearing with the Detroit Tigers as the two-time Cy Young Award winner will be paid a record $32 million this year instead of the team’s $19 million offer. Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had held the record for the highest salary in an arbitration case decided by a panel at $19.9 million in 2024.
NFL
— Matthew Stafford edged Drake Maye for the NFL Most Valuable Player award on Thursday night in the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003. Rams QB Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes while Patriots QB Maye got 23. New England’s Mike Vrabel beat out Jacksonville’s Liam Coen for the NFL Coach of the Year award, becoming the seventh coach to win it with two different teams. He received 19 first-place votes to Coen’s 16. Cleveland’s Myles Garrett was a unanimous choice for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award after setting a season record for sacks with 23. San Francisco Christian McCaffrey became the first running back to win the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 24 years. Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan ran away with the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
— The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced its 2026 class Thursday night, with five players, including quarterback Drew Brees and wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, selected for enshrinement later this year. Brees and Fitzgerald received the nod in their first year of eligibility. They’ll be joined by kicker Adam Vinatieri and linebacker Luke Kuechly, who were in their second year of eligibility. And rounding out the class is running back Roger Craig, who was a senior finalist.
NBA
— Giannis Antetokounmpo remains with the Milwaukee Bucks as the NBA trade deadline passes. Despite rumors, the Bucks kept the two-time MVP. The deadline saw 28 trades in a week, a 20-year record, with 18 finalized on Thursday. Antetokounmpo, who hasn’t played since January due to injury, has expressed his commitment to Milwaukee but wants a competitive team. The Bucks are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference.
— Austin Reaves scored 35 points in just 25 minutes as the Los Angeles Lakers overcame Luka Doncic’s departure with a left leg injury for a 119-115 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. LeBron James had 17 points and 10 assists for the Lakers, who snapped Philadelphia’s five-game winning streak. Joel Embiid had 35 points and Tyrese Maxey added 26 points and 13 assists for the 76ers, who blew a 14-point lead. Doncic limped to the locker room with 3:03 left in the first half after apparently hurting his leg on the far end of the court moments earlier. He didn’t return for the second half due to what the Lakers called left leg soreness.
— Victor Wembanyama had 29 points and 11 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs overcame rookie No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg’s fourth consecutive 30-point game in a 135-123 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Flagg scored 32 points to extend his NBA record for consecutive games with at least 30 points by a teenager. Dallas has lost all four games and is on a six-game losing streak, its longest of the season.
— Rookie Kon Knueppel had 24 points to help the Charlotte Hornets roll to a 109-99 victory over the Houston Rockets and extend their winning streak to eight games. Charlotte’s streak is the franchise’s longest since winning nine in a row in 1999.
— Golden State’s Pat Spencer scored a career-high 20 points as the shorthanded Warriors erased a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to beat the Phoenix Suns 101-97.
— Brandon Ingram scored 33 points as the Toronto Raptors beat the Chicago Bulls 123-107. Toronto has 31 wins in its first 53rd games, eclipsing last season’s win total.
— Jalen Suggs had 15 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists for his first career triple-double to lead the Orlando Magic to a 118-98 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
— Nickeil Alexander-Walker broke a tie on a short jumper with 1.3 seconds left and had 23 points in the Atlanta Hawks’ 121-119 victory over the Utah Jazz. Newly acquired Jock Landale had a season-high 29 points and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 45 seconds. Jalen Johnson had his third straight triple-double with 22 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists.
— The Washington Wizards upset the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons 126-117. Cade Cunningham had 30 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Pistons.
HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS BASKETBALL – THURSDAY
No. 2 Parkston 57, No. 7 Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 47 – Keeara Oakley had 28 points and 10 rebounds for Parkston, while Berkley Ziebart added 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Parkston trailed by six points in the second half.
No. 4 Wagner 57, Andes Central/Dakota Christian 12 – Ashlyn Koupal had 29 points on 13-for-22 shooting, plus six steals and five rebounds.
Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 45, Hanson 36
Tripp-Delmont/Armour 45, Wessington Springs 42 – Kinley Spaans had 18 points and 10 rebounds.
McCook Central/Montrose 47, Garretson 24
Scotland/Menno 32, Platte-Geddes 21
Freeman 53, Alcester-Hudson 34 – Rylee Peters eclipsed 1,000 career points with 20 points and six rebounds.
Avon 52, Bon Homme 25
Yankton 62, SF Roosevelt 41
Brookings 55, SF Lincoln 16
No. 3 SF Washington 61, Watertown 35
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL – THURSDAY
No. 4 Freeman 65, Alcester-Hudson 41 – – David Walter eclipsed 1,000 career points with 23 points and eight rebounds.
No. 7 Parkston 33, Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 30 – Brycen Bruening had 13 points.
No. 8 Wessington Springs 71, Tripp-Delmont/Armour 34
Mount Vernon/Plankinton 62, Hanson 60
Oldham-Ramona-Rutland 60, Mitchell Christian 57
Wagner 72, Andes Central/Dakota Christian 46
Centerville 47, Bridgewater-Emery 46 – Holden Wollmann and Ben Weber each had 17 points in the loss.
Platte-Geddes 66, Scotland/Menno 49 – Isaac Leader had 23 points and seven rebounds.
Avon 83, Bon Homme 62 – Al’Shamon Gunter with 24 points and 18 rebounds.
No. 2 SF Roosevelt 64, Yankton 52
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL – FRIDAY
Ethan vs. Kimball/White Lake (DH)
No. 7 Parkston vs. Gregory (DH)
Mt. Vernon/Plankinton vs. Chamberlain (DH)
Irene-Wakonda vs. Scotland/Menno (DH)
Sioux Falls Lutheran vs. Canistota (DH)
Garretson vs. McCook Central/Montrose (boys)
Oldham-Ramona-Rutland vs. Bridgewater-Emery (girls)
AA GIRLS BASKETBALL – FRIDAY
Rapid City Central vs. No. 1 Brandon Valley
No. 4 Rapid City Stevens vs. No. 2 O’Gorman
Harrisburg vs. No. 5 Aberdeen Central
Spearfish vs. Huron
AA BOYS BASKETBALL – FRIDAY
Brookings vs. No. 1 SF Lincoln
SF Washington vs. No. 3 Watertown
Aberdeen Central vs. No. 4 Harrisburg
Spearfish vs. No. 5 Huron
Tea Area vs. SF Jefferson
Rapid City Stevens vs. O’Gorman
Rapid City Central vs. Brandon Valley
TOP 25 MEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL – SATURDAY
Rutgers vs. No. 9 Nebraska – 11 am on Big Ten Network
No. 12 Purdue vs. Oregon – Noon on CBS
No. 7 Iowa State vs. Baylor – 1 pm on ESPN
No. 11 Kansas vs. Utah – 1:30 pm on FOX
No. 1 Arizona (22-0) vs. Oklahoma State – 3 pm on ESPN
No. 14 North Carolina vs. No. 4 Duke – 5:30 pm on ESPN
No. 10 Michigan State vs. No. 5 Illinois – 7 pm on FOX
No. 16 BYU vs. No. 8 Houston – 9:30 pm on ESPN