AP Sports Summary for January 12th, 2025:
Jackson and Henry lead the way as the Ravens run over the rival Steelers 28-14 in the AFC playoffs
BALTIMORE (AP) — Lamar Jackson threw for two touchdowns in a flawless first half, Derrick Henry scored twice while leading Baltimore's devastating running game, and the Ravens beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-14 to advance to the second round of the AFC playoffs. The Ravens move on to face either Buffalo or Houston after jumping out to a 21-0 halftime lead and holding on against their AFC North rivals. Baltimore had a 19-2 advantage in first downs in the first half, when the Ravens produced touchdown drives of 95, 85 and 90 yards, Henry ran for 186 yards, and Baltimore outrushed the Steelers 299-29. It was the most yards rushing allowed by Pittsburgh in a playoff game.
Texans intercept Herbert a career-high 4 times in a 32-12 win over Chargers in wild-card playoff
HOUSTON (AP) — Eric Murray returned one of Justin Herbert's career-high four interceptions for a touchdown, C.J. Stroud threw a TD pass and the Houston Texans rolled past the Los Angeles Chargers 32-12 in a wild-card playoff game. It's the second straight year Stroud and the Texans (11-7) won in the first round after they beat Cleveland last season. Herbert threw just three interceptions in the regular season and had never thrown more than two in a game before facing a Texans secondary led by AP All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley, who grabbed two Saturday.
Texans get 2 points on blocked extra point return vs. Chargers, 1st in NFL playoff history
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston's D'Angelo Ross returned a blocked extra point for two points in the fourth quarter of the Texans wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers. It was the first such play in NFL postseason history. The play came after Ladd McConkey scored on an 86-yard reception early in the fourth quarter. Cameron Dicker's extra point attempt was blocked by Denico Autry. Dicker tried to knock the ball down, but it bounced off his hands and Ross grabbed it and returned it for the score that pushed Houston's lead to 25-12. The NFL began awarding two points for an extra point returned to the end zone in 2015.
Clear skies and clear minds: Rams regroup in Arizona to prepare for playoff game vs. Vikings
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Everything seemed pretty normal for the Los Angeles Rams during practice at their temporary home on a beautiful afternoon in suburban Phoenix. The music was blaring Saturday, coaches shouting, footballs flying and even some palm trees swaying in the background to give it a Southern California vibe. Running back Kyren Williams said the Rams also had clear minds. The Rams are preparing for Monday's NFL playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at the practice facility of their division rival Arizona Cardinals. They made their way to the desert Friday nights, escaping from days of devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
Ohio State, Notre Dame to meet for title, long after upset losses
Two upset losses stood out among the rest in college football this season. Notre Dame suffered one of them. Ohio State the other. In years past, that might have been enough to knock both teams out of the hunt for a national title. This year, with the debut of the 12-team playoff, those two teams will play for it. The Buckeyes defeated Texas 28-14 on Friday night to set up a Jan. 20 meeting against the Fighting Irish. Ohio State hasn't lost since it fell 13-10 to Michigan in November. Notre Dame hasn't lost since it fell 16-14 to Northern Illinois way back in September.
Another bitter loss in 'The Game' didn't keep Ohio State from getting a national title shot
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Ohio State this time gets the chance to play for the national title after another bitter loss to its biggest rival. The Buckeyes are coming off a win over Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl that came six weeks after ending the regular season with a home loss to Michigan. Now they play Notre Dame on January 20 in Atlanta. The Cotton Bowl wasn't a semifinal game last season when Ohio State lost while still feeling the sting of a loss in the regular-season finale to the Wolverines that ended its hopes for Big Ten and national titles after being undefeated until that point.
Zheng wins indoors as Day 1 of the Australian Open is disrupted by rain
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen made the most of the indoor conditions under a roof at Rod Laver Arena to advance to the second round of the Australian Open in straight sets while it poured with rain outside. In her first match on Melbourne Park's main court since her loss in last year's final to Aryna Sabalekna, Zheng advanced 7-6 (3), 6-1 over 20-year-old qualifier Anca Todoni. They had just finished the pre-match formalities when play was delayed by a few minutes so that the roof could be closed. It was one of three matches that continued under cover. Tournament organizers suspended play on all outside courts until later in the afternoon.
Novak Djokovic stands alone at the Australian Open now that Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer retired
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — There is just one member of the Big Three left in men's tennis. Novak Djokovic stands alone from a golden generation now that Rafael Nadal has joined Roger Federer in retirement. Djokovic is scheduled to begin his bid for a record 25th Grand Slam title at the Australian Open on Monday when he plays 19-year-old American Nishesh Basavareddy, who recently announced he was leaving Stanford University to turn pro. The Australian Open is the first Grand Slam tournament of 2025 — and the first major championship to be held since Nadal played his final match in November. Federer retired in 2022.
Steelers and coach Mike Tomlin end season on 5-game skid and make another early playoff exit
BALTIMORE (AP) — Unable to reverse the negative momentum of a late-season fade, the Pittsburgh Steelers disappeared from the playoffs with a humbling loss to their fiercest rival. Pittsburgh was eliminated by the Baltimore Ravens, who rolled to a 28-14 victory on Saturday night. It was the Steelers' fifth straight loss, including a four-game skid to end the regular season. Pittsburgh's strength this season was its defense. The unit was consistently effective in shutting down the run and notched 33 takeaways, tied for the NFL lead. In this game, however, the Steelers were trampled by star running back Derrick Henry and quarterback Lamar Jackson.
J.J. Spaun takes the lead at Sony Open with a wide-open chase in the wind of Waialae
HONOLULU (AP) — J.J. Spaun finished with a birdie for a 65 and has a one-shot lead going into the final round of the Sony Open. As usual, it should be a sprint to the finish at windy Waialae. Stephen Jaeger had the low round of the tournament with a 62. That took him from a tie for 42nd to one shot out of the lead and a part of the final group. Also one shot behind were Eric Cole and Patrick Fishburn. Fourteen players were within three shots of the lead. Fishburn had a chance to pull away until a few bogeys.
AP-Scorecard
TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE
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NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Houston at Atlanta 3 p.m. (Postponed)
Charlotte at L.A. Clippers 10:30 p.m. (Postponed)
San Antonio at L.A. Lakers 10:30 p.m. (Postponed)
Final Phoenix 114 Utah 106
Final Detroit 123 Toronto 114
Final Memphis 127 Minnesota 125
Final Miami 119 Portland 98
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NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final OT Boston 4 Florida 3
Final Ottawa 5 Pittsburgh 0
Final Seattle 6 Buffalo 2
Final Columbus 2 St. Louis 1
Final Winnipeg 3 Colorado 0
Final Vancouver 3 Toronto 0
Final OT New Jersey 3 Tampa Bay 2
Final Edmonton 4 Chicago 3
Final Philadelphia 6 Anaheim 0
Final SO Dallas 2 Montreal 1
Final Washington 4 Nashville 1
Final N-Y Islanders 2 Utah 1
Final Minnesota 3 San Jose 1
Final N-Y Rangers 2 Vegas 1
Final Calgary 2 Los Angeles 1
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TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Tennessee 74 Texas 70
Final (2)Auburn 66 South Carolina 63
Final (3)Iowa St. 85 Texas Tech 84
Final (4)Duke 86 Notre Dame 78
Final (5)Alabama 94 (10)Texas A&M 88
Final (6)Kentucky 95 (14)Mississippi St. 90
Final (8)Florida 71 Arkansas 63
Final (9)UConn 68 Georgetown 60
Final (11)Kansas 54 Cincinnati 40
Final (12)Houston 87 Kansas St. 57
Final Southern Cal 82 (13)Illinois 72
Final Georgia 72 (17)Oklahoma 62
Final (18)Gonzaga 88 Washington St. 75
Final (19)Memphis 74 East Carolina 70
Final (23)Mississippi 77 LSU 65
Final (25)Utah St. 81 Boise St. 79
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