Posts

Posted on

Hammond, Lawal combine for 24 made FTs to help Virginia Tech sink Syracuse 76-74

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) — Ben Hammond scored 24 points and reserve Tobi Lawal recorded a double-double and Virginia Tech beat Syracuse 76-74 on Wednesday night.

Hammond made 12 of 13 foul shots, and Lawal scored 16 points, shot 10 of 14 from the stripe — including 4 of 4 in the final 32 seconds — and grabbed 11 rebounds.

The duo combined to make 22 of Virginia Tech's 26 foul shots.

Neoklis Avdalis and Amani Hansberry each scored 10 points for the Hokies (15-5, 4-3 ACC), who have won three of four.

J.J. Starling scored 12 points, Nate Kingz and reserve Sadiq White Jr. each scored 11 and Donnie Freeman and William Kyle III 10 apiece for Syracuse.

The Orange led 37-30 at halftime before Virginia Tech erased the deficit outscoring Syracuse 16-8 in the first nine minutes of the second half to claim a 46-45 lead when Hammond made 1 of 2 foul shots.

Lawal made 1 of 2 foul shots, Hammond made a short floater and a three-point play and the Hokies led 59-53 with 5:50 left and never trailed again.

The Orange have dropped consecutive games following a three-game win streak.

Up Next

Virginia Tech: The Hokies play Saturday at 23rd-ranked Louisville.

Syracuse: The Orange host Miami on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Posted on

Penguins/Flames Recap: Malkin’s line stands out, Pittsburgh defeats Calgary 4-1

Pregame

Kris Letang can’t go in this game due to an upper-body injury so go ahead and just don’t look at this blueline group tonight.

First period

Pittsburgh gets the first power play, Ryan Shea is out there with all the big guns. He looks nervous and loses the puck over his stick twice for no reason. They do get a few chances down to the net a little after that.

Shea looks a lot more comfortable at 5v5, feathering a shot in that Evgeni Malkin can deflect. Dustin Wolf overplayed the angle and gets caught leaning a little while the puck trickles on in to the far side. 1-0 Pens thanks to Malkin’s 11th goal of the season, 7:49 in.

Rest of the period scoots on along. Calgary is a nothin’ happenin’ team to start things off, generating only five shots on goal. Pittsburgh gets 11 and carries a 1-0 lead

Second period

Connor Dewar comes close to scoring a couple of times but can’t keep his hot hand going.

The second line comes through again, Malkin enters the zone and passes across the middle for Tommy Novak. Novak touches a pass over for Egor Chinakhov who pulls the puck back to change the angle catches Wolf with a hard shot, even though his body momentum is falling back from the net he still gets a lot of velocity on his seventh goal of the season. Pittsburgh pushes their lead to 2-0.

The Flames find a way to get a goal back juuust before the final buzzer. Zach Whitecloud takes a point shot that doesn’t look like much trouble until Yegor Sharangovich makes his way to the middle of the ice and puts a deflection on it. Ends up in the net with 2.7 seconds on the clock.

It was almost all systems under control, right up until the very last bit. Calgary gives themselves more of a chance and something to believe in heading into the third. Shots in the second were 9-8 in favor of CGY but Skinner was making it looks easy right up until a shock out of no where beat the buzzer.

Third period

Pittsburgh comes out the gates strong and responds to Calgary’s late-period goal. Bryan Rust gets down low and throws the puck to the net. Sidney Crosby is right out in front and hacks at a puck that leaks through Wolf and to the back of the net. 3-1 game 50 seconds into the third.

Dewar trips a Flame on the following shift to allow the first Calgary power play of the night, his teammates take care of business and keep the PK going strong.

Calgary has a great chance a little later when Pittsburgh’s defensive structure breaks down a little and an unmarked player in the middle of the ice takes a big shot. Skinner makes a great save with the glove that he can’t control but that ends up working out just as well. Jack St. Ivany plays the puck up for Novak and the Pens have a 2-on-1. The defender completely ignores Novak to take away the pass, so Novak skates the puck all the way in makes a slick backhand deke and casually flips the puck top shelf on Wolf. Pretty stuff for Novak’s ninth goal of the season and extend the lead to 4-1.

That capped off most of the notable moments. Calgary beat Skinner but glanced a shot off the post and from there it was just about riding the game out until the clock reached 0:00.

Some thoughts

  • The Malkin line with Chinakhov and Novak are a super-fun watch. There’s obviously the production element on a night like tonight where each member of the line scored a goal. Even beyond those contributions they are playing exciting hockey, working off one another very well and growing in chemistry in the offensive zone as they get more time together. All have some speed on the puck all can handle the puck and are unafraid to carry it in and through opponents when they drive up the ice.
  • Sidney Crosby took a Bryan Rust centering pass to what looked like the side of the leg above the knee on the first shift of the game. Looks like the worst was avoided save for a moment of pain that had the captain instantly doubled over and smarting for a bit. That’s all the Pens needed at this point when key players have been dropping like flies lately.
  • Our key to the game for the Pens from the preview was out-scoring the expectations to improve over where they stumbled against Calgary two weeks ago in a 2-1 loss. Chinakhov’s second period goal (to make the score 2-0) on 1.04 total expected goals from Moneypuck. It was looking good at that point and continued from there. Crosby’s early third period goal extended that race to 3 actual goals vs 1.52 expected. In the end it shook out to be four goals on just over two expected, which is precisely what was needed. In the last Pens/Flames matchup the Pens weren’t getting the finishes. They had it tonight, leading to a fairly drama-free game of being out in front for most of the contest. That’s a good way to live.
  • The developing story of the day for the Pens was breaking the goalie rotation to play Skinner again. Turned out to work very well, Skinner only saw 19 shots but did more than his part in allowing only one goal on 1.77 expected from the Flames.
  • Another angle was that bare bones blueline for the evening. Gotta factor in quality of opponent (low!), also gotta tip a cap to those guys for a great effort. It was shades of the 2017 playoff run with an undermanned crew stepping up and doing what it takes to get the job done. Wotherspoon was breaking up plays all over the ice. Connor Clifton, as always, made his presence known with some big hits. Shea pitched in as he could on the one power play of the night. Even Ryan Graves blocked three shots. Forwards, especially centers like Ben Kindel and Blake Lizotte, were drifting way back defensively and appearing mindful to make themselves available as options for quick bail outs.
  • One of the few times the Pens got trapped in their defensive zone for a long shift happened during the second period. Wotherspoon was almost 2:30 into his shift and still had enough vinegar in the tank to put Morgan Frost on his wallet twice. I don’t know if you want to call Wotherspoon the most improved player or maybe just the one who has had the opportunity to emerge this season and show his stuff, but my goodness he’s impressed at every turn. What a solid player he is.
  • Speaking of that blueline, Kris Letang was only briefly on the ice for the morning skate, taking basically a quick lap around the rink and then leaving. That doesn’t sound like it bodes well for his chances to play tomorrow night against Edmonton. Erik Karlsson has been on the ice much more in recent days, though he couldn’t go today he did make a comment yesterday about not being a “mascot” for this road trip. Wouldn’t expect him to rush into a return three weeks prior to the start Olympics yet it would be a massive benefit if Karlsson can answer the bell tomorrow or at least on Sunday in Vancouver.

So that’s that, another impressive win in the books. Now the Pens move on quickly to Edmonton and get ready to take on an Oiler team that has been quite the boogeymen for them in recent years.

Posted on

Freddy Peralta trade grades: Who won Mets-Brewers deal?

The Milwaukee Brewers have traded pitcher Freddy Peralta to the New York Mets for a pair of top prospects.

The addition of Peralta adds an ace to the Mets' pitching rotation and the move is expected to help keep New York competitive in the National League East, after finishing 13 games behind the Philadelphia Phillies for the top spot in the division in 2025.

The Mets' pitching staff showed early signs of dominance in 2025, leading the league with a 2.32 ERA ... before the team collapsed in the second half and missed the postseason with an 83-79 record.

The team finished out the final 92 games with a 38-54 record. Kodai Senga dealt with injuries, which limited his availability. Clay Holmes made the transition to a starter after spending time coming out of the bullpen.

Here's grades for the Freddy Peralta deal:

Freddy Peralta trade grades:

Mets

The trade provides not only another big name to the roster − Peralta was a 2025 All-Star and is held in high regard for his fastball and his strikeout ability. The 29-year-old Dominican pitcher has reached over 200 strikeouts and over 30 starts in three consecutive seasons.

The Mets also received pitcher Tobias Myers in the deal.

Grade: A

Brewers

The Brewers added two of the Mets’ top prospects to their system. 

Jett Williams was the 14th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, having spent the past four seasons playing at various levels of the minor leagues. He has not yet played at the major league level. Williams, who was ranked as the Mets' No. 3 prospect by MLB.com, has shown the ability to play multiple positions, including shortstop, second base and outfield.

Brandon Sproat obviously doesn't have the level of experience that was lost by sending Peralta away, but he's a highly-regarded pitching prospect (ranked as the Mets' No. 5 prospect, per MLB.com). Sproat has played in four major league games for the Mets. He has an 0-2 record.

Grade: B-

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Freddy Peralta trade grades for Mets-Brewers deal

Posted on

Sherrone Moore is returning to court in case related to his firing as Michigan football coach

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Former University of Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore is returning to court for the first time since being charged with vengeful acts against a woman shortly after he was fired for having a relationship with her.

Moore, 39, faces three charges, including felony home invasion and stalking. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and must wear a tracking device while free on bond.

A judge in the Ann Arbor area set a hearing for Thursday to get an update on the case, six weeks after Moore was fired and arrested. The next step would be to schedule another hearing to determine if there's enough evidence to order a trial on the felony charge.

Moore went inside the woman's apartment on Dec. 10 and blamed her for losing his job that day, even grabbing butter knives and kitchen scissors and threatening to kill himself, according to authorities.

“My blood is on your hands," Washtenaw County assistant prosecutor Kati Rezmierski has quoted Moore as telling the woman, who was a football staff member.

Rezmierski said the woman had told school officials about their relationship. Moore was fired for the relationship and lying during the university's investigation. Kyle Whittingham, who coached Utah for two decades, is the new Michigan coach.

Moore coached the Wolverines for two seasons as the successor to Jim Harbaugh, who won a national championship before quitting to become coach of the NFL's Los Angeles Chargers.

Posted on

Braves News: Andruw Jones, offseason options dwindling, more

Well options are beginning to dwindle for the Braves to add another impact player this offseason. They have a stated desire to add to their starting rotation and Framber Valdez is still out there on the market (though would cost a draft pick to sign), but the market has been moving for the last couple weeks and Spring Training is rapidly approaching. There are still options on the trade market and that has perhaps felt like the area that Anthopoulos would make his move. Freddy Peralta is no longer available, as he was sent to the Mets, but there are a number of other options of varying qualities that could be had on the trade market.

Braves News

We heard from Andruw Jones after he reached the voting threshold to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

MLB News

The Mets traded two top 100 prospects for one year of Freddy Peralta from the Brewers. While this should meaningfully help the Mets this year, that’s a pretty wild package for one year of a good but not elite pitcher, even on an incredibly cheap contract.

The Yankees re-signed Cody Bellinger to a large 5 year deal with opt-outs.

The Angels re-signed Yoan Moncada to a 1 year, $4 million deal.

The MLB owners will reportedly make a very strong push for a salary cap this upcoming CBA negotiation, but there is substantial skepticism that they will get it or that games will be missed.

Posted on

Yankees news: Keeping Cody Bellinger

FanGraphs | Ben Clemens: By now I’m sure you know that Cody Bellinger is staying in the Bronx, with a cool five-year, $162.5 million deal. The reunion with the Yankees felt near-inevitable with, with such a glaring hole in the club’s construction and Bellinger unable to get someone to stretch his deal out to six or seven years. The Yankees retain a strong floor for 2026, even if the ceiling of the team is up for debate.

New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: For more details on the Bellinger deal, look no further. It’s far from a standard MLB deal, with a pair of opt outs and a $20 million signing bonus that works as essentially an insurance policy should we see baseball games lost to 2027 labor strife. Bellinger’s now the third-highest paid Yankee, and the appropriate pressure will no doubt be felt. For the team, the estimated total payroll for 2026 is now $317 million, the third-highest in baseball after the Dodgers and Mets (whose payroll rose again at least a bit after trading for Freddy Peralta), or about $10 million more adjusted for inflation than the 2009 championship team’s player expenses.

New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: In other news, Andy Pettitte saw his Hall of Fame vote share jump significantly this time around, his eighth time on the ballot. The longtime Yankee lefty received votes on 48.5 percent of submissions, the fourth-highest vote total behind inductees Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, as well as Chase Utley. This represents a 20-point jump over Andy’s 2024 vote count, and with two more years of eligibility remaining, there’s still a real chance the five-time World Series champion sees himself in Cooperstown.

Baseball America: BA is out with their top 100 prospect list, considered by many to be the most reliable compendium of future MLB stars. Four Yankees find themselves in the rankings, with George Lombard Jr. atop the team’s table at No. 46 overall. Elmer Rodriguez, who we will likely see with the big league club at some point in 2026, is ranked 59th, with 2025 first-rounder Dax Kilby at 61st, and right-hander Carlos Lagrange just making the cut at 96.

Posted on

Knicks end losing streak with 120-66 win over Nets

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks broke a four-game losing streak without breaking a sweat, crushing the Brooklyn Nets 120-66 on Wednesday night in the most lopsided victory in franchise history.

Jalen Brunson scored 20 points and Landry Shamet was 6 for 6 on 3-pointers and added 18 for the Knicks, who led by as much as 59 points before the 54-point victory that surpassed the previous largest victory margin of 48 points.

The Knicks had lost nine of their last 11 games so this was a good time to play Brooklyn, because they never lose to the Nets these days. New York won its 13th straight meeting in the local rivalry.

The Knicks were already on track to win this one easily before outscoring the Nets 16-0 to open the fourth quarter, extending a 32-point lead to 104-56.

Michael Porter Jr. shot 4 for 14 and was limited to 12 points, but was still the leading scorer for a Nets team that has lost eight of nine.

Two days after the Knicks were booed frequently while trailing by 30 points in the first half of their 114-97 loss to Dallas, the scoreboard was crooked in their favor.

A 14-0 run gave the Knicks an 18-6 lead midway through the first quarter, and they closed the period with a 14-3 spurt to open a 38-20 lead after Shamet finished the period with consecutive 3-pointers.

The Knicks led 60-38 at the break. They then outscored the Nets 60-28 in the second half.

CAVALIERS 94, HORNETS 87

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 24 points, Evan Mobley added 14 points and 14 rebounds and Cleveland jumped out to 21-point first-quarter lead and held on to beat Charlotte for its fifth road win in the last six games.

Jaylon Tyson scored 14 points and Jarod Allen added 13 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers, who held the Hornets to 32 points in the first half on 26% shooting.

Brandon Miller finished with 24 points and Kon Knueppel had 21 points and 11 rebounds to lead Charlotte, which made just 8 of 46 3-point attempts and was outrebounded 60-47.

The Cavs bolted to a big lead in the first quarter after making 11 of 15 shots from the field to open the game.

Cleveland’s stifling on-ball pressure defense repeatedly forced Charlotte into uncharacteristic turnovers and hurried shots.

Mitchell set the tone for the Cavaliers with 14 points in the first half, and Cleveland’s defense never allowed Charlotte to get into any rhythm in the first two quarters. The Hornets tied a season low with 12 points in the second quarter and trailed 56-32 lead at the break.

CELTICS 119, PACERS 104

BOSTON (AP) — Jaylen Brown had 30 points and 10 rebounds and Boston opened a 23-point first-half lead before coasting to a victory over Indiana.

Sam Hauser hit five 3-pointers, scoring 17 points for Boston, and Neemias Queta had 17 points and nine rebounds. The Celtics bounced back from Monday night’s one-point loss at Eastern Conference-leading Detroit.

Pascal Siakam had 32 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who had won four of seven games since losing 13 in a row in December and January. Jarace Walker scored 19 points off the bench for Indiana.

Hauser hit his first three attempts from 3-point range — two of them in the game’s first 68 seconds. The Celtics led 57-34 with 3:22 left in the second quarter, but Indiana cut the deficit to nine in the third before Anfernee Simons hit a 3-pointer.

The Pacers never got back within single digits.

HAWKS 124, GRIZZLIES 122

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jalen Johnson had 32 points and 15 rebounds and a key basket in the closing minute as Atlanta used a fourth-quarter burst and held on to defeat Memphis.

Luke Kennard and Onyeka Okongwu added 18 each for the Hawks, who snapped a four-game losing streak.

Ja Morant led Memphis with 23 points and 12 assists. His 3-point attempt at the horn was off the mark. Jaylen Wells finished with 18 points, while Jaren Jackson Jr. and Cedric Coward scored 17 points apiece.

Memphis held a 110-108 lead with 5:39 left, but the Hawks scored eight straight points, capped by a pair of free throws from Johnson. Memphis never overtook the Hawks the rest of the way, but were within 122-121 on a Coward 3-pointer with 1:09 left.

Johnson’s basket from the lane with 40 seconds left kept the Grizzlies at bay.

There were 21 lead changes and 14 ties in the game.

PISTONS 112, PELICANS 104

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Jalen Duran scored 20 points and grabbed 15 rebounds, Daniss Jenkins added 17 points and Detroit never trailed while cruising to its fourth straight victory, beating New Orleans.

Duncan Robinson had 15 points while shooting 4 of 9 from 3-point range for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who have won seven of their last eight.

Saddiq Bey scored 20 points to lead the Western Conference-worst Pelicans, who have lost 14 of their last 16.

Zion Williamson, who started after being listed as questionable with an illness, went to the locker room early in the third quarter and didn’t return. He had 4 points and four rebounds in 15 minutes.

Trey Murphy III shot just 6 of 19 from the floor and finished with 17 points, ending his streak of eight straight games with at least 20 points. Micah Peavy also had 17 points and added seven rebounds and four steals for New Orleans.

THUNDER 122, BUCKS 102

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 40 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds and NBA-leading Oklahoma City withstood multiple injury-related absences to trounce Milwaukee.

The Thunder won for the seventh time in eight games despite playing without Jalen Williams (strained right hamstring), Isaiah Hartenstein (strained right soleus), Alex Caruso (strained right adductor), Aaron Wiggins (sore right groin) and Jaylin Williams (bruised left glute).

Gilgeous-Alexander picked up the slack, as the reigning MVP shot 16 of 19 from the floor.

Oklahoma City’s Ajay Mitchell scored 18 points in the first half and ended up playing 25 minutes before leaving with a hip bruise. Kenrich Williams also scored 18 points for the Thunder, who shot 54.4% from the floor.

Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo had 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists.

RAPTORS 122, KINGS 109

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Scottie Barnes scored 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter and Toronto beat Sacramento.

Barnes shot 8 of 17 and had eight rebounds, seven assists and four steals while posting his season-high fifth consecutive game with 22 or more points.

Brandon Ingram also had 23 points for the Raptors, who outscored the Kings 43-21 in the third quarter and won in Sacramento for the first time since Jan. 25, 2023. Sandro Mamukelashvili added 22 points and nine rebounds. Immanuel Quickley scored 18 points.

One day after shooting 59% overall while tying its season high with 21 3-pointers in an 18-point win over the Golden State Warriors, Toronto’s offense had sporadic success against Sacramento,

The Raptors blew a nine-point lead in the first quarter and trailed by nine at halftime before Barnes found his rhythm. He made five of six shots in the third quarter to help Toronto regain the lead and take control.

Russell Westbrook scored 23 points for the Kings. Zach LaVine had 19 points and five assists. Malik Monk scored 17.

Sacramento has lost three straight since its season-high four-game winning streak.

Posted on

Australian Open 2026: Novak Djokovic eases to clinical win over Francesco Maestrelli – as it happened

  • Ten-time winner beats Italian qualifier 6-3 6-2 6-2 in second round

  • Serbian could face Botic van de Zandschulp next at Melbourne Park

Djokovic to serve first…

Cries of “Nole!” as the living legend strides out onto a sunbathed Rod Laver Arena. He unpacks his bags in front of a knot of Serbian fans and pulls on a white crocodilian hat. Maestrelli is wearing his baseball cap backwards, like a Steve Buscemi meme.

Continue reading...
Posted on

Knicks looking for consistency to get season back on track after largest win in franchise history

The Knicks sure needed that one.

New York's 120-66 win over the Nets on Wednesday night not only snapped a four-game losing streak, but showed the MSG crowd -- and themselves -- that the team that was one of the best in the NBA is still there.

And there was a lot to like from Wednesday's performance. 

The offense, which entered ranked in the bottom five of the league for January, scored 120 points, their highest since a win in Portland back on Jan. 11 (six games). The defense, which was much-maligned all season, allowed an NBA season-low 66 points on 29 percent shooting. And the 54-point margin is the biggest in Knicks franchise history.

"Just seeing us play the way we’re capable of playing…the things that we did out on the floor, we talked about, we drilled, watch film on," coach Mike Brown said after the win. "And our guys are more than capable of. To go see them put it together for 48 minutes was a lot of fun."

Consistency, or the lack thereof, has been the key for the Knicks during this rough patch. Some nights they'll play inspired basketball on both ends of the floor, and others look like their loss to the lowly Mavericks this past Monday. 

“A win. It’s the most important thing. Find a way to break the ice and put one in the left column," Karl-Anthony Towns said. "Good game, good day for us to show what we’re capable of. Consistency is what makes champions. We've got to find that consistency of bringing this kind of intensity, energy and execution every single night."

Towns, unfairly or not, has been the face of the Knicks' struggles. Coach Brown has subtly called out Towns' need to "sacrifice" in his system, while the big man has acknowledged his struggles to adapt. 

On Wednesday, Towns did it all. He scored 14 points on 5 of 8 shooting (2-for-3 from three) while coming down with eight rebounds, dishing three assists and getting one steal. He was a plus-21 on the court in his 20 minutes and his energy level was up and consistent throughout the game.

He was asked how the team can build on this win, and the second-year Knick said, with a grin, “Try to get two wins in a row, so sure. Execute plays with this aggression and have this kind of determination every single night.”

Amidst the Knicks' 2-9 stretch, there was a report that captain Jalen Brunson called a players-only meeting. The All-Star starter had a team-high 20 points in 30 minutes and said on the MSG floor after the game that the Knicks did some "soul-searching" the last few days. 

"We just had to refocus and get back to who we are," Brunson said. "This is a good step for us, but we've got to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day."

Josh Hart, who had a near-double-double, downplayed the players-only meeting, saying the media "dragged" it and that the players just talked.

"We know what we have to do," Hart said. "We cleaned some up in film and practice and today in walkthrough. We know we haven’t been able to play up to our capabilities. We’re going to continue to build off this win."

"I think losing four in a row better get everyone on the same page. Glad tonight that everyone looked like they saw what was going on and what we needed to stop the bleeding," Towns said of the meeting. "I thought we did a good job of showing what we’re capable of tonight. Consistency is what’s going to make us great. And it’s going to make this season a successful season. We just go to build off of this."

New York's next game comes against the 76ers, a team they've lost twice to at home already this season. This time, they'll be in Philadelphia for a 3 p.m. tip on Saturday afternoon. 

Posted on

No. 7 Nebraska beats Washington 76-66 to extend its winning streak to 23 games

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Pryce Sandfort scored 23 points to lead No. 7 Nebraska past Washington 76-66 Wednesday night, extending the unbeaten Cornhuskers’ winning streak to 23 games.

The Huskers (19-0, 8-0), who earned their highest ranking in program history this week, were in control throughout against injury-plagued Washington and are alone in first place in the Big Ten. The Huskies (10-9, 2-6) lost for the fifth time in six games.

Sandfort had his third straight game with at least 20 points. Sam Hoiberg added 14 points, Rienk Mast had 12 and Jamarques Lawrence 11.

Hannes Steinbach had his 11th double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds for the Huskies, who were playing their fourth top-15 opponent in 15 days and have used nine different starting lineups because of a run of injuries. Zoom Diallo added 18 points and six assists.

NO. 1 ARIZONA 77, CINCINNATI 51

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Motiejus Krivas scored 17 points, Ivan Kharchenkov added 14 and the Arizona pulled away late to beat Cincinnati and remain one of three unbeaten teams in the country.

Cincinnati (10-9) tested Arizona with an early 14-1 run to take a 20-16 lead midway through a rugged first half, but Arizona responded for a 33-27 halftime advantage. The 7-foot-2 Krivas thrived in the physical environment with 8 points, five rebounds and a block before the break.

Krivas continued his good work in the paint during the second half, scoring a handful of tough, close-range buckets to keep the Wildcats ahead.

Arizona used a 20-4 run over a nearly 10-minute stretch of the second to methodically build a 58-44 lead. The Wildcats had a 48-14 advantage on points in the paint.

Cincinnati was coming off a 79-70 win over No. 2 Iowa State on Saturday. They were trying to become the first team to knock off the No. 2 and No. 1 teams in consecutive games during the regular season since Kansas did it during the 1989-90 season, beating LSU and UNLV.

The Bearcats were led Baba Miller’s 14 points. Cincinnati couldn’t overcome a tough shooting night, finishing just 17 of 56 (30.1%) from the floor.

NO. 8 GONZAGA 84, PEPPERDINE 60

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Davis Fogle scored 17 points and Gonzaga pounded Pepperdine, beating the Waves for the 51st consecutive time despite missing its top two scorers because of injuries.

Tyon Grant-Foster and Mario Saint-Supery each scored 12 points for Gonzaga (20-1, 8-0 West Coast Conference) which won its 13th straight game overall. This is also the 29th consecutive season the Bulldogs have won at least 20 games. They rank second to only Kansas, which has a streak of 37 20-win seasons.

Styles Phipps scored 13 points and Aaron Clark 10 for Pepperdine (6-15, 1-7 West Coast), which lost to Gonzaga by 40 points at home this season. The Waves have not won in Spokane since 1998. Their last victory in the series was in 2002 in Malibu, California.

NO. 11 ILLINOIS 89, MARYLAND 70

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) — Andrej Stojakovic had 30 points and nine rebounds to lead Illinois to a victory over Maryland.

David Mirkovic had 15 points and nine rebounds, Keaton Wagler scored 13 points and Jake Davis had 12 points for the Illini (16-3, 7-1 Big Ten), who won their eighth straight.

The Illini played without senior guard and second-leading scorer Kylan Boswell, who broke his right hand in practice on Monday, will have surgery Thursday and is expected to be sidelined until mid-February. Boswell is averaging 14.3 points per game.

He had played in all 124 games in his college career — 71 in two seasons at Arizona and 53 in two seasons at Illinois — before Wednesday.

Diggy Coit, who scored 43 points Sunday in Maryland’s win over Penn State, was held to 15 points and guarded primarily by Stojakovic.

Andre Mills had 16 points and Solomon Washington had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Terrapins (8-11, 1-7), who are in a stretch of four of five games on the road.

NO. 22 NORTH CAROLINA 91, NOTRE DAME 91

Caleb Wilson had 22 points while frontcourt mate Henri Veesaar added a double-double to help North Carolina beat Notre Dame.

The 7-foot Veesaar had 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Tar Heels (15-4, 3-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who had lost three of four amid an abrupt defensive downturn — notably against shots from behind the arc.

The Tar Heels didn’t have any trouble this time, with the Fighting Irish (10-9, 1-5) struggling since losing leading scorer Markus Burton to left-ankle surgery in early December. North Carolina got off to a fast start from outside and kept firing, making a season-high 13 3-pointers while shooting 50.8% overall to send the Irish to a fifth straight loss.

The Tar Heels led 42-33 at halftime, then rolled out of the break with 10 unanswered points to blow the game open — powered by Veesaar’s immediate jumper, a 3-pointer and a layup during the spurt.

Wilson was strong out of the gate while working more in the post, with the star freshman finishing 8 for 11 from the field to go with seven rebounds and five assists.

Sir Mohammed scored 14 points, while Jalen Haralson added 13 to lead Notre Dame, which shot 36%. The Fighting Irish did manage to shoot well from outside early, but Notre Dame went just 2 of 13 on 3s after halftime and finished the game at 8 for 25 (32%).

Posted on

Knicks get back on track with biggest win in their history, beating Brooklyn by 54 points

NEW YORK — The New York Knicks hadn’t won at all in more than a week. They had never won like this in 80 years.

The Knicks ended their four-game losing streak Wednesday night with the most lopsided victory in franchise history, beating the Brooklyn Nets 120-66.

Jalen Brunson and the starters were already done for the night after three quarters, with the Knicks ahead 88-56. But instead of coasting to the finish, the reserves poured it on, outscoring the Nets 16-0 to open the fourth as the lead ballooned to 104-56.

“We’ve been in the midst of a pretty rough stretch and it’s not about just one game right now. There’s got to be a continual pursuit for us getting better and growing,” swingman Landry Shamet said. “So, fourth-quarter blowout, cool, whatever. It’s an opportunity against a talented NBA team to build and grow on some of the things that we’re trying to grow on and get better at. So kudos to our guys continuing to carry the standard and finish out the right way.”

Brunson scored 20 points and Shamet had 18 in just 15 minutes, going 6 for 6 from 3-point range. The Knicks shot 57.5% from the field and led by as much as 59 points.

The Knicks had lost nine of their previous 11 games and were just two days removed from the low point of their season. They trailed by 30 points in the first half Monday at home against Dallas, booed repeatedly in their 114-97 loss.

The 54-point victory surpassed three 48-point wins that had stood as the previous franchise record. Karl-Anthony Towns, a target of some of the boos Monday, was asked what the Knicks needed Wednesday.

“A win. That was the most important thing, just finding a way to break the ice and get one in the left column,” Towns said. “So good game, good day for us to show what we’re capable of, but consistency is what makes champions and we’ve got to find that consistency and bring this kind of intensity and energy and execution every single night.”

They certainly do it against the Nets. They have won the last 13 meetings in a three-year winning streak and have handed Brooklyn its two worst losses of this season. The Knicks won 134-98 on Nov. 9 at Madison Square Garden.

“Tonight was even worse and I’m the one responsible for it,” Nets coach Jordi Fernandez said.

The Knicks limited the Nets to 29% shooting, outscored them 12-0 in second-chance points and 29-4 on the fast break.

But New York is a team built to compete for a championship and the Nets are headed for the lottery. The Knicks know a more realistic test comes Saturday when they visit the Philadelphia 76ers, who won both matchups this season in New York.

“This was a good step for us,” Brunson said, “but we’ve got to continue to press the issue of getting better every single day.”

Posted on

BCB After Dark: Are you interested in Chris Bassitt?

It’s Wednesday evening here at BCB After Dark: the coolest spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come on in out of the cold. There’s no cover charge this evening. We still have a few tables available. The hostess can lead you to your table. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you about infielder/left fielder Miguel Andujar, who was linked to the Cubs in at least one report. I was pretty skeptical about signing him (even though I think he’s a solid player) because I didn’t see the fit. The majority of you agreed, as 68 percent of you were against the idea.

Here’s the part with the music and the movies. The second round of the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic is coming to a close. But as always, you’re free to skip ahead to the baseball stuff at the end. We’re OK with that.

For those of you who like showtunes, tonight we have vocalist Jordan Fisher performing “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Emmet Cohen is on piano. Peter Martin plays keyboards, Tivon Pennicott is on tenor sax, Yasushi Nakamura is the bassist and Joe Farnsworth is on drums.

(Fun fact: My wife hates that movie. She hated it as a child and she hates it today. Her well-meaning sister gave her a blu-ray copy of it for Christmas one year and she had to pretend that she liked it.)

This is a brand new video released just yesterday.

You voted in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic and there are a lot of Star Trek fans among my readers. I guess there are a lot of Star Trek fans among people who write here as well. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan advanced over the number-one seed, Blade Runner. As I had written, Blade Runner is the one film that gets mentioned most often as the best science fiction film of all time if you don’t pick 2001: A Space Odyssey. But you like Kirk, Spock, McCoy and especially Ricardo Montalban as Khan.

Tonight we are going to the final quadrant of our tourney, the “modern” bracket, to finish out the second round. Number-two seed Brazil (1985) goes up against Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991).

2. Brazil. (1985) Directed by Terry Gilliam. Starring Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro and Katherine Helmond.

Here’s what I wrote last time about Brazil.

3. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991). Directed by James Cameron. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton and Robert Patrick.

Here’s what I wrote last time about Terminator 2: Judgment Day

Both films are terrifying in their own way. Brazil scares me with its portrait of a totalitarian world where the rich live lives of pointless conspicuous consumption. The rest of us live in a world desensitized to the capricious violence and cruelty of the state and that the only way to survive is to remain as anonymous as possible.

While I’m not worried about time-traveling killer robots, I sure as heck am worried about the artificial intelligence future that created the nightmare future of Terminator 2.

So now it’s time to vote.

You have until Monday to vote. Coming up on Monday is the final matchup of the second round, where The Matrix takes on Back to the Future.

Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.

Earlier this week I asked you if you thought the Cubs should improve their pitching depth by signing Zac Gallen. I suppose it’s not quite right to say that Gallen would “improve depth” because he’d probably be one of the better pitchers in the rotation. But it would mean that other pitchers would move down the pecking order and provide more depth.

One pitcher on the free agent market who would improve the Cubs’ depth but has gotten very little attention for some reason is right-hander Chris Bassitt. Bassitt has been as solid of a pitcher over the past five years that you could ask for. He just finished a three-year, $63 million deal with the Blue Jays where he made over 30 starts every year and pitched over 170 innings every year. He posted a Fangraphs WAR of between 2.3 and 2.6 in all three seasons with the Blue Jays. In fact, according to Fangraphs, Bassitt has had a WAR above two in every season since 2019, not counting the shortened 2020 season. But he pitched well in 2020 too.

I haven’t heard the Cubs connected to Bassitt at all, but I have heard people arguing that Bassitt is a better pitcher than Zac Gallen. He did indeed have a better 2025 season than Gallen, although we’ve been over that 2025 may be an outlier bad year for Gallen. Bassitt also is a more extreme ground ball pitcher, which plays in to the Cubs strong infield defense. He probably would also cost a lot less than Gallen.

I’ll add that Bassitt pitched very well in the postseason last year for the Blue Jays as well.

So why is Gallen so much more highly regarded that Bassitt? For one, age is a huge factor. Bassitt is heading into his age 37 season whereas Gallen is going into his age 30 season. As he ages, Bassitt’s fastball velocity is dropping. He only averaged 91.4 miles per hour on his fastball last season, which is down from 92.7 the year before and definitely down from the 94 mph or so he threw when he was young.

Bassitt also struggles with left-handed pitching a lot more than Gallen does. While their overall results are similar, Bassitt is the type of pitcher you might want to skip against a lefty-heavy lineup. However, since the Cubs have several good left-handers, that might not be as big of a problem for the Cubs.

Bassitt also has some experience pitching out of the pen, so if he’s not one of the top five or six starters on the Cubs, he could become a long man in the bullpen.

So basically, Bassitt would serve as an upgrade on Colin Rea, if you think he’s better than Colin Rea.

Bassitt’s age actually plays in well for the Cubs in that he’s probably not going to get more than a one-year deal at this point. I’m proposing a one-year, $17 million deal for Chris Bassitt? If you were running the Cubs, would you make that offer?

Thank you for stopping by tonight and all week. We really appreciate your patronage. Please get home safely. Stay warm out there. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.

Posted on

Agee's 23-point, 10-rebound double-double powers Texas A&M to 88-68 win over Mississippi State

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (AP) — Rashaun Agee had 23 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists as Texas A&M cruised by Mississippi State 88-68 on Wednesday night.

The Aggies (15-4, 5-1 Southeastern Conference) have won eight of their last nine, their only loss coming at the hands of then-No. 24 Tennessee 87-82 in double overtime.

Agee was 7 of 14 from the field and 9 for 9 from the free-throw line. His nine double-doubles this season are second most in the SEC behind Florida's Rueben Chinyelu (10).

Rylan Griffen added 15 points, and Jacari Lane and Pop Isaacs each scored 10 for Texas A&M. Lane led the Aggies with six assists.

Texas A&M led for over 32 minutes of game time, last trailing just before the midway point of the first half. Agee made a layup to put the Aggies ahead 19-18, and they did not trail again, holding a 44-33 lead at the break.

Brandon Walker scored 16 points in 19 minutes off the bench for the Bulldogs (10-9, 2-4). King Grace had 13 points, Josh Hubbard 12 points and Jayden Epps scored 11. Achor Achor grabbed 10 rebounds to go with six points.

Mississippi State has lost four straight games.

Up next

Texas A&M: The Aggies host South Carolina on Saturday.

Mississippi State: The Bulldogs host No. 15 Vanderbilt on Saturday.

___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball

Posted on

Padres Reacts Survey: Take your pick of three free agent starters

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The worst kept secret of the offseason is the San Diego Padres do not want to add significant money to their payroll. Reports surfaced after Nolan Arenado was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Arizona Diamondbacks the Padres were involved in the trade discussions for the third baseman, but they wanted the Cardinals to pay more of Arenado’s salary. The Diamondbacks will pay him $11 million for the next two seasons.

It was recently reported that San Diego president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller was considering additions to his roster but was not ready to make a move. At the time the thought was Preller was waiting for the asking prices of free agents to drop and/or he needed to trade away some of the money already on the roster to create financial flexibility. We may never know what he was waiting for, but we can speculate.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athleticreported earlier this week that some potential free agent pitchers the Padres might target are Lucas Giolito, Nick Martinez or Justin Verlander. An addition of one of those players is not going to send the Friar Faithful into a frenzy, but it may be all we have to look forward to.

Lucas Giolito

Giolito is a 6-6, 245-pound 31-year-old right-hander from Southern California. Maybe he wants to return home and pitch close to family and friends in San Diego. He spent the 2025 season with the Boston Red Sox and pitched in 26 games, finishing with a 10-4 record with a 3.41 ERA over 145.0 innings. Giolito spent the bulk of his major league career with the Chicago White Sox and holds a career 4.30 ERA. It should ne noted that Giolito did not pitch in 2024 because he had surgery to repair his right elbow ulnar collateral ligament in March of that year.

Nick Martinez

Padres fans are very familiar with Martinez, 35, and what he can bring to the rotation. He spent two years in San Diego in 2022 and 2023 before signing with the Cincinnati Reds as a free agent. He spent 2024 and 2025 with the Reds and threw 165.2 innings. He appeared in 40 games and 26 of those were starts. Martinez finished 11-14 with a 4.45 ERA. Preller does not typically bring former players back, unless it’s in a front office or coaching role as we have seen with manager Craig Stammen or developmental coach Wil Myers, but considering the need for pitching he might make an exception with Martinez.

Justin Verlander

Verlander and his career speaks for itself. He is a sure-fire Hall of Famer and despite being 42 years old, he still wants to pitch and keeps getting opportunities. Verlander spent 2025 with the San Francisco Giants and started 29 games. He finished with a 3.85 ERA over 152.0 innings, but his final record of 4-11 was not what you expect from a player of his stature. Of course, wins and losses are not solely on the pitcher, so perhaps a season in San Diego with a solid defense behind him would flip the record.

If we are to believe the reporting of Rosenthal, which I will admit is difficult to do due to his constant praise for the Los Angeles Dodgers and his unconfirmed disdain for the Padres, which one of Giolito, Martinez or Verlander would you, the readers of Gaslamp Ball, want San Diego to sign?

Results of the poll will be published later this week.

Posted on

Kapke's 3-pointer with 22 seconds left sends Boston College past Pitt 65-62

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. (AP) — Boden Kapke scored 19 points and his 3-pointer with 22 seconds left was the game-winning basket as Boston College left Pittsburgh in the ACC cellar with a 65-62 win on Wednesday night.

Fred Payne also scored 19 points and Donald Hand Jr. added 18 points as the Eagles (9-10, 2-4) shot 45% (25 of 55) from the field despite 32% (7 for 22) from 3-point range.

Roman Siulepa and Cameron Cohren each scored 13 points, Brandin Cummings 11 and Barry Dunning Jr. and reserve Nojus Indrusaitis 10 each for Pittsburgh. Cohren and Siulepa grabbed 12 and 11 rebounds, respectively.

Following Kapke's 3, Cummings missed a deep 3 attempt with nine seconds left. After a Pitt (8-11, 1-5) intentional foul, Siulepa stole the inbounds pass and fed Cummings who missed another attempt from 3 as time expired.

Pitt, Notre Dame and Florida State sit at the bottom of the conference at 1-5, a game behind California, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and BC.

Up Next

Pitt: The Panthers host North Carolina State on Saturday.

Boston College: The Eagles visit Notre Dame on Saturday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball