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AP PhotoFlorida and Oklahoma vie for the BCS championship trophy tonight.

After weeks trying to draw a distinction between this 34-bowl extravaganza and any work-a-day weekend of intersectional college football contests, the ultimate separation might be how many people manage to stay awake for the last game.

Finally, we have reached Jan. 8, that hallowed day on the college gridiron when students can't attend games because campus beckons, the last turkey-salad-mashwich was choked down more than a week ago, Dick Clark is mummified for another year, and the only holiday lights still blinking are from people who never remove them.

HOLLAND -- Its 40-game regular-season winning streak ended last weekend, but the Hope College women's basketball team kept two other streaks alive Wednesday night with a 103-44 victory against Kalamazoo College.

Hope defeated the Hornets for the 37th consecutive time, dating to 1993. Plus, the Flying Dutch have not lost two in a row since the end of the 1999 season and have not lost two consecutive regular-season games since '97.

Jesse Reimink scored 28 points as visiting Hope topped Olivet 79-70 on Wednesday in the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association opener for both teams.

Peter Bunn had 15 points for the Flying Dutchmen (8-4), who led 48-39 at halftime.

Justin Abdelkader

The Mona Shores and Michigan State graduate and current Grand Rapids Griffins rookie center offers his insight.

I hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday.

It was joyful for my Griffins teammates and me as we moved into first place in the North Division. We have a long way to go, but everything seems to be clicking. Our defense and goaltending have been spectacular, and we're getting many offensive contributions.

Paul Sigourney gave himself a late Christmas present.

On Dec. 26, subbing in the Builders Exchange League at Fairlanes in Grandville, Sigourney rolled his fourth 800 series.

Grand Rapids Griffins/Mark NewmanGrand Rapids' Justin Abdelkader, right, works against Rockford's Jordan Hendry on Wednesday night.

GRAND RAPIDS -- It wasn't pretty, but the Grand Rapids Griffins will take the win.

The Griffins built a 5-2 first-period lead, then watched as the Rockford IceHogs rallied to force overtime before Grand Rapids could emerge with a 6-5 shootout victory at Van Andel Arena on Wednesday night.

Grand Rapids' Ville Leino came up big in the shootout with two goals, including the game-winner in the sixth round.

Grand Rapids Griffins defenseman Jakub Kindl and goaltender Daniel Larsson were named to the PlanetUSA roster for the American Hockey League All-Star Game, the league announced Wednesday afternoon.

It will be the first All-Star appearances for both players.

ADA TOWNSHIP -- Grand Rapids golf fans will get to see a national United States Golf Association championship for the first time, and maybe a future Tiger Woods or two.

Egypt Valley Country Club will host the 2010 U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, the USGA announced Wednesday.

EAST LANSING -- Good guards can carry a team 40 minutes in January, with Big Ten stakes. Doing so six consecutive games in March and April, for the biggest stakes, is another tale.

Shrouded in the relative dullness of a Big Ten home opener played with no Izzone and decided before halftime was Michigan State getting smacked in the mouth by another big man Tuesday night.

GRAND RAPIDS -- Participants of this year's Fifth Third River Bank Run should expect an earlier-than-usual wake-up call.

Race officials announced at Wednesday's kickoff news conference changes in starting times for USA Track & Field's 25-kilometer championship race, the 10K and 5K runs and the 5K walk.

The changes were made to help alleviate congestion caused last year by the addition and popularity of the 10K.

Last week, all four road teams were favored when the Vegas lines opened. But this divisional week, the NFL playoffs have a more traditional bent with each home team expected by the oddsmakers to prevail.

In this expanded playoff edition of football by the numbers, we'll use the computer's analysis of all the data in our key stat power rankings to forecast the games. Then we'll crunch the numbers to project how specific units and/or individual performers will fare in Week 19.

When Tom Dwan, left, and Phil Ivey square off, it will be a showdown of two of the most successful poker players around.

For Tom "durrr" Dwan, maybe it's a case of be careful what you wish for.

Dwan, an internet phenom, issued a challenge to anyone who'd accept (except for his friend Phil Galfond) that recently had the online poker community abuzz: He'll play heads up against someone for 50,000 hands at no-limit hold'em or pot-limit Omaha at minimum stakes of $200/$400 and at a minimum of four tables at once online.

If Dwan's opponent is ahead overall at the end of 50,000 hands -- even by just $1 -- Dwan will pay him $1.5 million. If Dwan is ahead, his opponent owes him $500,000. (And, the winning player keeps his profit from the marathon session.)

Press Photo/T.J. HamiltonCatholic Central's Thomas Drew reaches for a rebound against South Christian.

GRAND RAPIDS -- TJ Carnegie, a former star at Catholic Central who now coaches the Cougars, watched his team and visiting South Christian warm up for an O-K Gold Conference game Tuesday and made a bold statement.

"This is going to turn out to be a really good rivalry," he said.

Carnegie was not kidding.

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