MONDAY SPORTS, DECMEBER 29, 2025
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Mitchell Kernels girls basketball faces Lyman on Monday at 4 pm as part of the Hoop City Classic. Mitchell, 1-2 on the season, are coming off a pair of home losses vs. Rapid City Steven and Rapid City Central on Dec. 19-20.
— Mitchell Kernels boys basketball takes on Jonesboro (Ga.) on Tuesday at 7 pm as part of the Hoop City Classic.
— Mitchell Marlins boys hockey team won their first game of the season on Saturday, a 5-1 decision over Sioux Center, Iowa. Caden Schuldt led the offense with two goals, assisted by Tate Goldammer, while Everett Morrison added a pair of third-period goals. Goalie Gavin Polreis made 28 saves as Mitchell outshot Sioux Center 53 to 29. On Sunday, Mitchell would lose to Watertown 7-2. The Marlins boys will return to the ice on Friday when they host Brandon Valley.
— The Mitchell Marlins girls shutout Watertown on Sunday 5-0. Taylor Sorben led Mitchell with two first-period goals. MaKenna Tronnes and Hailey Bottolfson also scored goals, while goalie Kaylie O’Connor finished with 25 saves. The Marlins girls will host Watertown again on January 9th.
— Mitchell Kernels gymnastics will host the four Sioux Falls public schools and Watertown for a meet on Jan. 3 at 11:30 am.
— Mitchell Kernels wrestling hosts Aberdeen Central for a dual on Tuesday, Dec. 30 with the girls competing at 1:30 pm, followed by the boys at 2:30 pm.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Dakota Wesleyan men’s basketball, 6-8 on the season, will be at Bismarck State on Monday at 6 pm.
— No. 10 Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball, 9-4 on the season, hosts Northwestern on Tuesday at 5 pm at the Corn Palace as part of the Hoop City Classic.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State men’s basketball heads south to face No. 1 ranked Arizona on Monday night in Tucson. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. Central with the Jackrabbit pregame show set for 7:30 pm on KORN News Radio. It’s the non-conference finale for both teams and the first time in school history the Jackrabbits will play a No. 1-ranked opponent. Arizona enters 12-0 on the season.
— South Dakota State women’s basketball, 10-4 on the season, starts Summit League play vs. St. Thomas on Thursday, Jan. 1 at 2 pm.
— No. 8 South Dakota State wrestling faces Arizona State on Friday, Jan. 2 at 6 pm at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— USD men’s basketball wrapped up their non-conference schedule on Sunday with an 85-61 win over Mount Marty. Isaac Bruns led the way with 23 points and three 3-pointers, while Jordan Crawford added 17 points and eight rebounds. The Coyotes shot 51% from the floor, their second-best shooting performance of the season, and held Mt. Marty to just 37% shooting. USD improves to 8-7 on the season and opens Summit League play on Wednesday at North Dakota State at 4 pm.
— USD women’s basketball hosts the College of St. Mary (Neb.) on Tuesday at 2 pm before starting Summit League play on Jan. 3 at Kansas City.
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
— The 2025 Hoop City Classic tips off Monday at the Corn Palace with 20 games over three days, featuring top teams and talent from across South Dakota and beyond. Highlights include two ranked in-state matchups: Freeman vs. Lyman and Huron vs. Sioux Falls Christian. The event hosts 28 high school programs, including 12 returning all-state boys players and the top-25 national recruit Toni Bryant from Florida’s Zephyrhills Christian Academy. Out-of-state teams also include Jonesboro, Georgia, and Minnesota’s Totino-Grace. The Classic also includes a women’s college game featuring Dakota Wesleyan against Northwestern (Iowa).
NFL
— Brock Purdy threw a 38-yard touchdown pass to Jauan Jennings with 2:15 to play, as the San Francisco 49ers forced an incomplete pass on the final play from the 2-yard line to beat the Chicago Bears 42-38. Caleb Williams drove the Bears down the field in the closing seconds and had one last shot for the win. But San Francisco’s Bryce Huff forced him out of the pocket and his throw short-hopped Jahdae Walker in the end zone to seal a sixth straight victory for the 49ers. San Francisco can secure the top seed by beating Seattle on Saturday night.
— The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Buffalo Bills 13-12 as Josh Allen’s 2-point conversion pass missed an open Khalil Shakir with five seconds left. Dallas Goedert’s early touchdown and two Jake Elliott field goals sealed the win for the Eagles. The Bills, despite Allen’s 262 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns, came up short on the comeback attempt and dropped to the No. 7 seed in the AFC.
— Drake Maye threw a career-high five touchdown passes as the New England Patriots dominated the Jets 42-10, clinching the AFC East division title. Maye completed 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards before resting in the third quarter. The Patriots finished the regular season undefeated on the road for just the third time in franchise history, while the Jets fell to 3-13 with their fourth straight loss.
— The Pittsburgh Steelers dropped a crucial 13-6 game at Cleveland, leaving their playoff fate up to next week’s season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. Aaron Rodgers was held to 168 yards passing as the Steelers failed to reach the end zone for the first time since 2009. The winner of the Week 18 game between Pittsburgh and Baltimore will clinch the AFC North and the final AFC playoff spot.
— The Seattle Seahawks edged closer to the NFC’s top seed with a 27-10 win over the Carolina Panthers. Zach Charbonnet rushed for 110 yards and two touchdowns, while the Seahawks capitalized on two third-quarter turnovers to pull away. Seattle now controls its destiny to secure the NFC West title and a No. 1 playoff seed with a Week 18 win vs. the 49ers.
— Trevor Lawrence ran for two touchdowns and passed for 263 yards as the Jacksonville Jaguars beat the Indianapolis Colts 23-17, moving within one win of the AFC South title. Cam Little’s 42-yard field goal was the game-winner, while the Jaguars extended their winning streak to seven. The Colts dropped to 8-8, ending their playoff hopes.
— Ja’Marr Chase caught two touchdowns as Joe Burrow threw for 305 yards, leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a 37-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Chase set an NFL record with five straight seasons of 80+ receptions, 1,000+ yards, and seven TDs. Arizona’s Trey McBride broke the single-season tight end reception record with 119 catches.
— Rookie QB Quinn Ewers threw two touchdowns, including a 63-yard score, to lead the Miami Dolphins past the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20-17. The loss forces a Week 18 NFC South matchups between the Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers for the division title.
— The Raiders fell 34-10 to the Giants, extending their losing streak to 10 games and putting them in prime position for the first pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Quarterback Geno Smith left with an ankle injury and is unlikely to play next week against the Chiefs. The Giants snapped a nine-game skid behind.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL BOWL GAMES – SATURDAY
No. 12 BYU 25, No. 22 Georgia Tech 21 – Pop-Tarts Bowl
No. 19 Virginia 13, Missouri 7 – Gator Bowl
No. 21 Houston 38, LSU 35, Texas Bowl
No. 25 North Texas 49, San Diego State 47 – New Mexico Bowl
Penn State 22, Clemson 10 – Pinstripe Bowl
East Carolina 23, Pittsburgh 17 – Military Bowl
Army 41, UConn 16 – Fenway Bowl
Fresno State 18, Miami (Ohio) 3 – Arizona Bowl
Georgia Southern vs. Appalachian State – Birmingham Bowl, Monday at 1 pm on ESPN
NBA
— Kawhi Leonard scored a career-high 55 points, while James Harden added 28 as the Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 112-99 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Leonard went 17 of 26 from the floor, including 5 for 10 from 3-point range, and made 16 of 17 free throws, with his only blemish of the game a missed free throw in the third quarter that ended his run of 64 straight from the line. Leonard scored 26 of his points in the third quarter.
— Scottie Barnes scored 23 points, matched a Raptors franchise record with a career-high 25 rebounds and added 10 assists for his seventh career triple-double as Toronto beat the Golden State Warriors 141-127 in overtime. Steph Curry scored 14 of his 39 points in the third quarter but didn’t score in overtime for Golden State.
— Luka Doncic scored 34 points as the Los Angeles Lakers snapped their three-game losing streak with a 125-101 win over the Sacramento Kings.
— Chet Holmgren had 29 points and nine rebounds as the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled away in the second half for a 129-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 27 points for OKC, which was coming off consecutive losses to the San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder shot 57% from the field.
— Shaedon Sharpe scored 26 points including 5 of 8 from 3-point range as the Portland Trail Blazers snapped a three-game losing streak with a 114-108 win over the Boston Celtics. The Celtics were led by Jaylen Brown with 37 points on 14 of 23 shooting. It was Brown’s ninth game in a row with 30 or more points, tying Larry Bird for the franchise record of consecutive 30-plus point games.
— Alex Sarr scored 20 points and blocked a career-best six shots to help the Washington Wizards to a 116-112 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.
HOOP CITY CLASSIC – CORN PALACE, MONDAY, DEC. 29
10 am: Mt. Vernon-Plankinton vs. Lower Brule
11:30 am: McCook Central/Montrose vs. White River
1 pm: Ethan vs. Timber Lake
2:30 pm: Parkston vs. Dupree
4 pm: Mitchell vs. Lyman (Girls) – KORN NEWS RADIO
5:30 pm: No. 3 Viborg-Hurley vs. Pine Ridge
7 pm: Jonesboro (Georgia) vs. Zephyrillis Christian Academy (Florida)
8:30 pm: No. 8 Freeman vs. No. 10 Lyman
HOOP CITY CLASSIC – CORN PALACE, TUESDAY, DEC. 30
9:30 am: Gregory vs. White River
11 am: Brandon Valley vs. Zephyrillis Christian Academy (Florida)
12:30 pm: Bridgewater-Emery vs. Timber Lake
2 pm: West Central vs. Pine Ridge
3:30 pm: No. 1A Sioux Falls Christian vs. No. 2AA Huron
5 pm: No. 10 Dakota Wesleyan vs. Northwestern (Women)
7 pm: No. 4 Mitchell vs. Jonesboro (Georgia) – KORN NEWS RADIO
8:30 pm: Totino Grace (Minnesota) vs. Zephyrillis Christian Academy (Florida)
HOOP CITY CLASSIC – CORN PALACE, WEDNESDAY, DEC. 31
9 am: No. 5 Lennox vs. Jonesboro (Georgia)
10:30 am: Harrisburg vs. Aberdeen Central
Noon: Mitchell vs. Sisseton (Girls) – KORN NEWS RADIO
1:30 pm: No. 4 Mitchell vs. Totino Grace (Minnesota) – KORN NEWS RADIO
2025 PARKSTON CLASSIC – TUESDAY, DEC. 30
11 a.m.: Platte-Geddes vs. Viborg-Hurley (girls)
12:30 p.m.: Platte-Geddes vs. Dakota Valley (boys)
2 p.m.: McCook Central/Montrose vs. Dakota Valley (girls)
3:30 p.m.: Winner vs. Parker/Marion (boys)
5 p.m.: Parkston vs. Sisseton (boys)
6:30 p.m.: No. 4 Parkston vs. No. 9 Corsica-Stickney (girls) – KORN COUNTRY 92.1
HURON HOLIDAY CLASSIC – GIRLS, MONDAY, DEC. 29
10:30 a.m.: James Valley Christian vs. Kimball/White Lake
Noon: Lower Brule vs. Howard
1:30 p.m.: Burke vs. Chamberlain
3 p.m.: Faulkton Area vs. Jones County
4:30 p.m.: Wessington Springs vs. Colman-Egan
6 p.m.: Clark/Willow Lake vs. Kadoka Area
7:30 p.m.: De Smet vs. Miller
HURON HOLIDAY CLASSIC – BOYS, TUESDAY, DEC. 30
10:30 a.m.: Faulkton Area vs. Mitchell Christian
Noon: Burke vs. James Valley Christian
1:30 p.m.: Langford Area vs. Jones County
3 p.m.: Howard vs. Lower Brule
4:30 p.m.: Viborg-Hurley vs. Leola/Frederick Area
6 p.m.: Sanborn Central/Woonsocket vs. Chamberlain
7:30 p.m.: Clark/Willow Lake vs. No. 6 Wessington Springs