DUVALL WHERE ARE EMOTIONAL TURKS Try- THEY NOW? ing times in Tremont after Former Manual, Illinois fatal crash. Basketball PORTS standout JERRY HESTER. notes, Page D6 S IN TOUCH EXECUTIVE SPORTS EDITOR KIRK WESSLER 686-3216 E-MAIL [email protected] SPORTS DESK 686-3214 Page D3 MONDAY, JANUARY 24, 2011 JournalStar QKTUBSDPN SECTION D DOWN NFC CHAMPIONSHIP: GREEN BAY PACKERS VS. CHICAGO BEARS THE LINE Bears sent packing IN THE NEWS Rivermen snap scoreless skid The Peoria River- men did twice in 81 seconds Sunday what they had been unable to do in the previous 173 min- utes, 42 seconds. Score. The Rivermen notched two goals in 81 seconds to rally in the third period, snap a goal-scoring drought and scratch out a split on their four-game road trip with a 3-1 victory over the Lake Erie Monsters before 4,614 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland. Anthony Nigro, Chris Porter and Nick Drazenovic all scored against former Rivermen goaltender Jason Bacashihua in Peoria’s victory. Details, Page D3 PURCHASE THIS PHOTO AT PJSTAR.COM RON JOHNSON/JOURNAL STAR INSIDE Bears quarterback Jay Cutler loses the ball after getting sacked by the Green Bay defense during the fi rst half of the NFC Championship game Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago. The Packers beat the Bears 21-14. Rodgers leads Green Bay to Packers defense Super Bowl with 21-14 win speaks the truth BY CHRIS JENKINS OF THE ASSOCIATED PRESS his will come as a shock, I know, but Philly fl ies high CHICAGO — There was one Monster of the the team with the better defense won Midway in the NFC Championship game and the ballyhooed Bears-Packers battle Jeff Carter had two his name was Aaron Rodgers. T for the NFC Championship on Sunday at goals and an assist, He wasn’t even at his best and, still, he was Soldier Field. and rookie Sergei better than the fi rst, second and third quar- “Defense wins championships,” Packers Bobrovsky made 29 terback used in vain by the Chicago Bears linebacker Clay Matthews against their bitter rivals. saves in the Philadel- said after Green Bay had Rodgers ran for a score and made a TD-sav- stopped Chicago, 21-14. He phia Flyers’ 4-1 win ing tackle in leading the Green Bay Packers looked around and saw eye- over the Blackhawks into the Super Bowl with a balls rolling with disdain. bone-jarring 21-14 victory Sun- in the only regular- PURCHASE THIS PHOTO AT PJSTAR.COM RON JOHNSON/JOURNAL STAR “It’s cliche to say,” he admit- season rematch of day over Chicago. ted, but he had to say it for “It’s an incredible feeling,” last year’s Stanley Green Bay QB Aaron Rodgers, right, and guard Josh Sitton one reason. Rodgers said. “I’m at a loss for celebrate the Packers’ 21-14 NFC Championship win over the “It’s true,” Matthews said. Cup Finals. words.” KIRK Chicago Bears on Sunday at Soldier Field in Chicago. Truth wore green and gold Defending Stanley Rodgers played well enough Sunday. WESSLER Cup champion Chi- to keep the Bears off balance The Packers’ offense CHICAGO cago lost in regula- all afternoon, Green Bay punter silenced the madhouse of SAM Tim Masthay kept Devin Hester INSIDE TITLE GAMES Bears fans in fi ve minutes. Silenced it with tion for the fi rst time SHIELDS under wraps and the Packers’ The Pittsburgh Steelers and QB an aerial attack for which the Bears offered since Jan. 5. superb defense took care of the no defense. NHL, Page D5 rest in knocking the Bears out Ben Roethlisberger, right, hold off the N.Y. Jets to win the AFC, 24-19. But then truth took over and kept the of the playoffs. noise level to a frustrated murmur. Truth Down & out It was the 182nd meeting in Bears QB Jay Cutler hurts after allowed the Bears into the red zone only Andy Roddick the league’s most historic feud, injury, loss in NFC Championship one time all day. Truth kept the Bears out of and the stakes had never been bigger. Super Bowl XLV a hair-raisin’ Robbie Gould range until three-point plays didn’t like Now the Packers (13-6) are headed to Dal- being the matchup with Polamalu, Matthews off his lethal right foot had been rendered las. And no matter what happens in the Super meaningless. Truth intercepted two long- fall guy. Bowl, the Packers and their fans hold ultimate STORIES AND NOTES, PAGE D4 distance touchdown attempts by the Bears The facts, bragging rights over their foes to the south. just steps from the goal line. Truth scored however, were Green Bay will play the Pittsburgh Steelers, the deciding touchdown for the Packers. who beat the New York Jets 24-19 in the AFC And truth landed the Packers in Super unmistakable: All the title game. The Packers opened as 2½-point SUPER BOWL XLV Americans were gone Bowl XLV, where they’ll play Pittsburgh in favorites for the game at Cowboys Stadium. ARLINGTON, TEXAS two weeks for the NFL championship tro- from the Australian “We made a play to win the game and that’s 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 6 phy named after Green Bay’s late legendary Open after his loss to all that matters,” Packers linebacker Clay coach, Vince Lombardi. Stanislas Wawrinka. Matthews said. “Keep playing defense the way TELEVISION: WYZZ 43 (FOX) Tennis, Page D6 Please see PACKERS, Page D2 Please see WESSLER, Page D2 Two minutes don’t outweigh 38 for Braves Young lineup cuts nine-point the third-longest overall losing streak Bradley sopho- in school history. Katie Yohn scores 20 to lead the BU women past Evansville, 65-58. more guard defi cit to one at Evansville, but “One of the positives I’ll take is with Dyricus Simms- Andrew (Warren), Dodie (Dunson) and ISU tops SIU for 1st Valley victory. Bradley still falls to 0-9 in Valley Will (Egolf) sitting on the bench, the INSIDE COLLEGE BASKETBALL, PAGE D3 Edwards shoots group out there had a lot of excuses to past Evansville BY DAVE REYNOLDS mail it in and they didn’t,” BU coach the basket, and on a drive by Simms- OF THE JOURNAL STAR defenders on Jim Les said. “They kept Edwards — for a 66-61 defi cit. Sunday during EVANSVILLE, IND. — Down by nine battling and executed Kenneth Harris made one of two points with 2:22 left and its three most well down the stretch free throws for Evansville at 1:23 be- the fi rst half of experienced players fouled out, the to give us a chance to fore the Braves scored twice more — their Missouri situation looked dire for the Bradley win. The ball just didn’t on an Eastman putback and a Lemon Valley Confer- men’s basketball team Sunday at Rob- bounce our way.” layup — to make it 67-65 at :38. ence matchup erts Stadium. When Egolf fouled out Kavon Lacey, who had missed two But the BU quintet of three sopho- at 2:22 with the Purple free throws at :56, made one of two at at Roberts mores and two freshmen kept slicing Aces ahead 66-57, Milos :21 for a 68-65 edge. Stadium in away at Evansville’s lead. Jordan JAKE Knezevic entered the Knezevic got an open look on the next Evansville, Ind. EASTMAN Prosser’s rebound basket cut it to one game for the fi rst time. Bradley series and missed a 3-pointer. The host Purple with nine seconds left. He joined fellow sophomores Dyricus But Prosser tipped it, grabbed his own It was as close as those young Simms-Edwards and Jake Eastman rebound, completed the layup and was Aces edged the Braves would get, as they fell 70-67 to and freshmen Jordan Prosser and Walt fouled to pull the Braves to 68-67. Braves 70-67. lose their ninth game in a row. Brad- Lemon Jr. on the fl oor. Prosser missed the free throw, ley’s 0-9 start in the Missouri Valley BU (6-14) scored on its next two pos- though, and on the rebound Knezevic MOLLY BARTELS COURIER & PRESS Conference broke the 0-8 IIAC launch sessions — on a Prosser layup on a fouled Pieter von Tongeren, who sank (EVANSVILLE, IND.) to the 1934-35 season. It also equaled pass from Simms-Edwards on a roll to Please see BRADLEY, Page D2 .