TUESDAY SPORTS, DECMEBER 2, 2025
MITCHELL KERNELS
— Mitchell Kernels gymnastics starts its season on Tuesday with a triangular in Yankton at 5:30 pm. Mitchell takes on Parkston/Ethan/Hanson/Mt. Vernon and Yankton. Seniors Olivia Prunty and Kyanna Gropper lead the way after finishing in the top-six in the all-around at state last season. Mitchell will host the state meet in its new high school gym on February 13th and 14th.
— Mitchell Marlins girls hockey won its first game of the season on Sunday with a 2-0 win at Aberdeen. Mitchell (1-2) will be at Watertown on Friday, followed by a home game vs. Brookings on Saturday at Noon.
— Mitchell Marlins boys hockey played to a tie vs. Huron on Friday, 3-3, before losing to Yankton on Saturday 9-2. Mitchell (0-3-1) plays at Huron on Friday, followed by a home game vs. Brookings on Saturday at 8 pm.
— Mitchell Kernels wrestling takes on Tea Area and Chamberlain in its first competition of the season. The triangular in Tea starts on Friday at 5 pm.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— No. 14 Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball will be at No. 4 Dakota State on Tuesday at 5 pm. The Tigers are 5-2 on the season and 3-1 in the GPAC.
— Dakota Wesleyan men’s basketball will be at Dakota State on Tuesday at 7 pm. The Tigers are 5-4 on the season and 2-2 in the GPAC.
— Dakota Wesleyan volleyball will face Concordia (Neb.) on Wednesday at 7:30 pm, followed by The Master’s University on Thursday at 7:30 pm in pool play at the NAIA National Volleyball Tournament in Sioux City.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— Ten South Dakota State players earned All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors, led by four first-team selections. Offensive standouts included lineman Quinten Christensen and tight end Greyton Gannon. On defense, lineman Kobe Clayborne made first team, along with punter Max Pelham. Second-team honors went to linebacker Cullen McShane and safety Jalen Lee. Four more players, including leading receiver Alex Bullock and linebacker Joe Ollman, earned honorable mentions.
— South Dakota State women’s basketball returns home to face Weber State on Wednesday night at 7 pm.
— South Dakota State men’s basketball will be at Northern Arizona on Wednesday at 7 pm.
— South Dakota State volleyball will face Arizona on Friday night at 6:30 pm in Stanford, California, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
— South Dakota State football heads west to face third-seeded Montana on Saturday in Missoula. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. Central in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— Nine USD Coyotes earned All-Missouri Valley Football Conference honors led by Running back L.J. Phillips Jr. and cornerback Mikey Munn named to the First Team. Phillips Jr. led the conference in rushing yards with 1,556, while Munn tied for second in interceptions and led the team in pass break-ups. Five players earned Second Team honors, including wide receiver Larenzo Fenner. Three Coyotes received honorable mention including quarterback Aidan Bouman.
— USD men’s basketball hosts Portland State on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
— USD women’s basketball will be at Portland State on Wednesday at 9 pm CST.
— USD football hits the road to face No. 6–seeded Mercer on Saturday at 11 a.m. Centra in the second round of the FCS playoffs.
HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL
— Four area athletes were recognized among the state’s best, being named to the South Dakota Volleyball Coaches Association 2025 all-state teams. Mitchell senior Addie Siemsen capped her high school career with a Class AA second-team selection. The 5-foot-8 setter was one of the state’s most balanced and productive all-around players, finishing with 623 assists, 198 kills, 263 digs, 76 blocks and 54 aces. Siemsen led Mitchell to a 13 win turnaround from 2024 and its first state tournament appearance since 2018.
Wagner junior Ravyn Medricky earned a spot on the Class A second team. Medricky dominated both offensively and defensively, closing the year with 336 kills, 64 blocks, and 381 digs. Medricky led Wagner to the state tournament after knocking off No. 5 seed Winner in the Class A SoDak 16.
Parkston junior Keeara Oakley earned Class B second-team honors. Oakley led the Trojans with 635 kills, while also adding 45 aces, 377 digs and 63 blocks.
Bridgewater-Emery junior Oakley Weber earned Class B honorable-mention recognition after thriving in a unique setter-outside hitter hybrid role. Weber showcased her all-around skill set with 298 kills, 383 assists, 324 digs and 54 aces.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
— Michigan rises to No. 3 in the AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll after dominating performances in the Players Era Championship, including big wins over San Diego State, Auburn, and Gonzaga. Michigan State jumped four spots to No. 7, and Iowa State moved up five places to No. 10. Purdue and Arizona remain No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Vanderbilt moved up seven spots to No. 17 after winning the Battle 4 Atlantis, Kansas returned to the rankings at No. 21 and USC reentered the poll at No. 24 after winning the Maui Invitational. St. John’s fell nine spots to No. 23.
— Texas rose to No. 2 in the AP Top 25 women’s basketball poll behind No. 1 UConn after beating No. 2 South Carolina and No. 3 UCLA in a Thanksgiving tournament. South Carolina and UCLA fell to third and fourth, respectively. LSU remained fifth after setting an NCAA record with eight straight 100-point games. The Big Ten and SEC each have eight teams ranked.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
— At a press conference on Monday head football coach Lane Kiffin called his six years at Ole Miss the best of his life but said he couldn’t turn down LSU’s coaching job, citing its history, passion, and Tiger Stadium atmosphere. After tough negotiations with Ole Miss, Kiffin accepted a seven-year, $13 million-per-year deal with LSU, becoming college football’s second-highest-paid coach. Despite facing some fan hostility leaving Ole Miss, he expressed gratitude for his time there and excitement for the new challenge, calling LSU “the best place in America.”
NFL
— The Minnesota Vikings waived veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen on Monday, ending his second and final stint with his hometown team. The 35-year-old Thielen had decided beforehand that 2025 would be his last season and expressed hope to continue playing elsewhere. Thielen ranks third in Vikings history in touchdown catches (55), fourth in receptions (542), and fifth in receiving yards (6,751). This season, Thielen caught 8 passes for 69 yards in 11 games.
— Drake Maye passed for two touchdowns as the New England Patriots became the first NFL team to reach 11 wins this season with a 33-15 victory over the New York Giants on Monday night. It was the 10th straight win for the AFC-leading Patriots, the franchise’s longest streak since winning 10 consecutive games in 2015. Coach Mike Vrabel also became the third coach since 1970 to have a win streak of 10 or more games in his first season with a team. Maye completed 24 of 31 passes for 282 yards with no interceptions. The 2-11 Giants lost their seventh straight game.
WNBA
— The WNBA has proposed a new collective bargaining agreement that would raise the maximum player salary base to $1 million in 2026, with total earnings for top player expected to exceed $1.2 million. The average salary would surpass $500,000, and the minimum salary would rise above $225,000. The salary cap would increase to $5 million in 2026 and be directly tied to revenue growth each year. Negotiations are ongoing, with both sides agreeing to extend the current CBA through January 9, 2026, aiming to finalize a new deal by then.
GYMNASTICS
— Two gymnasts filed lawsuits against USA Gymnastics, SafeSport, and Chow’s Gymnastics in Iowa, alleging these organizations failed to stop coach Sean Gardner from sexually abusing young athletes despite multiple complaints starting in 2017. The lawsuits claim that USA Gymnastics and SafeSport were informed of Gardner’s “grooming behaviors” and inappropriate conduct — including hugging, kissing, and other abuse — but did not properly investigate, revoke his credentials, or report him to law enforcement. This inaction allegedly allowed Gardner to continue coaching at Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL – TUESDAY
No. 7 Michigan State (7-0) vs. Iowa (7-0), 6 pm on Peacock
No. 4 Duke vs. No. 15 Florida, 6:30 pm on ESPN
No. 21 Kansas vs. No. 5 UConn, 8 pm on ESPN2
No. 18 Kentucky vs. No. 16 North Carolina, 8:30 pm on ESPN
MLB
— Free agent reliever Devin Williams has agreed to a 3-year deal worth $51 million with the New York Mets. Williams spent last season across town with the New York Yankees, going 4-6 with a career-worst 4.79 ERA and 18 saves in 22 chances. He lost the closer’s job, regained it and then lost it again before finishing the year with four scoreless outings during the American League playoffs. The 31-year-old right-hander is a two-time All-Star who twice won the NL Reliever of the Year Award with the Milwaukee Brewers.
SPORTS BETTING
— Missouri has become the latest state to launch sports betting. The state began allowing bets Monday with some limitations, including that people won’t be allowed to make prop bets for games involving Missouri college players. The restriction highlights concerns over prop bets following recent scandals involving both professional and collegiate athletes. The restriction was included in a constitutional amendment authorizing sports betting that voters narrowly approved last year.
NASCAR
— Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports are taking NASCAR to federal court this week over antitrust allegations. The lawsuit claims NASCAR holds a monopoly over the sport, with 23XI and Front Row refusing to sign charter renewals. Charters guarantee race spots and payouts, but the teams argue the terms are unfavorable. NASCAR defends its practices, citing increased payouts and open team options. If 23XI and Front Row win, it could lead to major changes in NASCAR’s structure. A settlement could still occur at any time.
NBA
— Cade Cunningham scored eight of his 18 points in the final 3:21, and the Detroit Pistons rallied to beat the Atlanta Hawks 99-98. Jalen Duren had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who won for the 15th time in 17 games. Jalen Johnson had 29 points and 13 rebounds for Atlanta.
— Dillon Brooks scored 33 points as the Phoenix Suns snapped the Los Angeles Lakers’ seven-game winning streak with a 125-108 victory. LeBron James finished with 10 points, barely keeping alive his streak of scoring in double digits in 1,297 consecutive regular-season games.
— Norman Powell scored 30 points against his former team and Bam Adebayo had 27 points and 14 rebounds as the Miami Heat defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 140-123. The Heat, who trailed by two early in the second quarter, went on a 30-2 run. Miami also hit 24 3-pointers, tying a franchise record.
— Donovan Mitchell scored 43 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 135-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Mitchell, who made 16 of 27 shots from the field, also had nine rebounds and six assists.
— Lauri Markkanen scored 29 points and Keyonte George added 28 as the Utah Jazz defeated the Houston Rockets 133-125. Kevin Durant scored 16 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter for Houston.
— Anthony Davis scored a season-high 32 points in his second game back from injury as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Nuggets 131-121. Denver’s Nikola Jokic finished with 29 points, a season-high 20 rebounds and 13 assists, his 11th triple-double of the season.
— Desmond Bane scored 18 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, helping the Orlando Magic beat the Chicago Bulls 125-120. Josh Giddey had 22 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Chicago in its fourth consecutive loss.