Despite nearly a month off, Indiana picked up right where it left off the regular season with a dominant showing against Alabama in the Rose Bowl.
Madison Booker has 28 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 2 Texas past Missouri 89-71
Madison Booker matched her season high with 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Jordan Lee scored a career-best 23 points to help No. 2 Texas overcome a slow start to beat Missouri 89-71 on Thursday night. Ashton Judd added 12 points for Texas (16-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) in her first game in Columbia since playing for Missouri from 2022-25. Grace Slaughter scored 20 points, and Abbey Schreacke added 15 for Missouri (12-4, 0-1), which was playing without second-leading scorer Shannon Dowell for the third straight game as she nurses a lower body injury.
Venus Williams, 45, gets wild card to play first Australian Open in five years
Williams to return to Melbourne Park at age 45
Seven-time major champion earns wild-card entry
Set to become oldest woman in Open main draw
Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams has received a wild-card entry for the Australian Open beginning 18 January in Melbourne.
The tournament said Friday that the 45-year-old Williams would make a return to Melbourne Park 28 years after her first appearance. In 1998, she defeated her younger sister Serena in the second round before losing in the quarter-finals to fellow American Lindsay Davenport.
Continue reading...After Rose Bowl blowout win over Alabama, Indiana finally has nothing left to prove
"A lot of people still think that we're the same old Indiana ... I feel like this proves a lot."
Who is Ole Miss kicker? Lucas Carneiro breaks Sugar Bowl field goal record—twice
Here's what to know about Ole Miss kicker Lucas Carneiro, who broke the Sugar Bowl field goal record in the first half of the 2025-26 CFP quarterfinal.
Indiana looks like real deal in lopsided Rose Bowl beatdown of Alabama
If the Rose Bowl were someone's first college football game, they would think Indiana was the blue blood playing an upstart Alabama in the CFP.
Plaschke: College football needs to stop diminishing the national treasure that is the Rose Bowl
The Rose Bowl should be hosting college football's national championship game every year. It shouldn't be limited to just a quarterfinal game.
Nets lose to Rockets, 120-96, on New Year's Day
NEW YORK (AP) — Kevin Durant had 22 points and a season-high 11 assists, Amen Thompson scored 23 points and the Houston Rockets beat the Brooklyn Nets 120-96 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory.
Alperen Sengun had 20 points, six rebounds and six assists after a two-game absence for the Rockets, who started fast in both halves to win in Brooklyn for the first time in seven years. Tari Eason finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, and Jabari Smith Jr. and Reed Sheppard each scored 14 points.
Sengun was 8 for 12 from the floor after sitting out two games with a left calf injury.
Cam Thomas scored 21 points for the Nets, who dropped their second straight after winning three in a row for the only time this season. Ziaire Williams added 14.
Michael Porter Jr., who leads the Nets with a career-high 25.8 points per game, missed the game with an illness along with injured starting guards Egor Demin and Terance Mann. Without them, Brooklyn never led in its first home loss to Houston since Nov. 2, 2018, after winning the last six meetings.
The Nets went 7-4 in December and allowed an NBA-low 104.6 points per game, but the Rockets jumped on them immediately to start the new year. Houston made its first seven shots en route to a 16-5 lead, went up by 14 in the second quarter and took a 53-42 advantage to the break.
Houston then made its first five three-pointers and started 8 for 9 overall in the second half. Smith and Eason each hit two threes and Thompson made one in a 19-5 run that extended their 11-point lead to 74-49 when Smith hit back-to-back threes.
The Rockets played without centers Steven Adams (sprained right ankle) and Clint Capela (illness).
Up next
Rockets: Visit Dallas on Saturday.
Nets: Visit Washington on Friday.
Damien Martyn showing ‘positive signs’ after being placed in induced coma with meningitis
Adam Gilchrist gives update on friend and Australia teammate
Former cricketer remains in serious but stable condition in hospital
Former Australia Test cricketer Damien Martyn is showing “positive signs” while in an induced coma after being diagnosed with meningitis, according to friend and former teammate Adam Gilchrist.
Martyn was admitted to Gold Coast hospital after falling ill on Boxing Day, where he remains in a serious but stable condition. Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord.
Continue reading...Blackhawks Big Defender Should Be Popular Trade Target
The Chicago Blackhawks have been going through some major struggles as the season rolls on. After winning just two out of their last 10 games, the Blackhawks now have a 14-18-7 record and are seventh in the Central Division. The Winnipeg Jets are also the only team in the NHL that has fewer points than the Blackhawks at the time of this writing, so things are not going well for Chicago right now.
If the Blackhawks do not turn things around quickly and find themselves out of the playoff race near the deadline, they will likely be sellers. If this ends up coming to fruition, defenseman Connor Murphy should be a very popular trade target around the NHL.
Murphy is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA), so he will certainly be a player to keep an eye on near the deadline. This is especially so when noting that the Blackhawks have multiple promising young defensemen in their system. With this, the Blackhawks certainly could end up shopping Murphy.
With Murphy being a big right-shot defenseman who can play plenty of minutes and has a ton of experience, there should be several playoff clubs in the mix for his services near the deadline. He is the kind of steady stay-at-home defenseman that contenders love to add for the post-season.
In 39 games so far this season with the Blackhawks, Murphy has recorded five assists, 40 hits, and 55 blocks.
NHL Rumors: Sharks Linked To Canucks Top Trade Target
The San Jose Sharks have been one of the NHL's top surprises this season. After finishing with just 20 wins this past season, the Sharks have a 20-17-3 record in just 40 games so far this campaign. With this, they are currently fourth in the Pacific Division and have the top wild card spot in the Western Conference.
With the Sharks being in a good position with the new year here, it is fair to wonder if they could look to add to their roster at the 2026 NHL trade. According to a new report, the Sharks have their eye on one of the NHL's top trade candidates.
During a recent episode of The Fan Hockey Show for Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sharks are interested in Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood.
"I've actually kind of wondered a little bit about San Jose in the Western Conference," Friedman said. "They've gone from being nowhere at the beginning of the year to being very much in the race. They got a lot of UFAs. I think they've had some interest in Sherwood from Vancouver."
The Sharks reportedly having interest in Sherwood is understandable, as they certainly could use another top-nine winger who not only can score but also plays a heavy game. Sherwood would give the Sharks a player who is built for intense playoff hockey, which would have the potential to benefit a young team on the rise like the Sharks tremendously.
Sherwood has appeared in 39 games so far this season with the Canucks, where he has recorded 16 goals, four assists, 20 points, and 184 hits. With numbers like these, he undoubtedly would give the Sharks more scoring and bite if acquired.
With Sherwood in the middle of a strong year and having a bargain $1.5 million cap hit, there is no question that the Canucks want a good return for him in any potential trade. The Sharks have trading assets to work with, so it will be interesting to see if they end up being the club that lands Sherwood from here.
Edwards leads way with 25 as No. 3 South Carolina wins 24th straight game over Alabama
Garzon scored 17 points and had seven rebounds for the Terps, who were 1 for 12 from deep and committed 18 turnovers after scoring at least 80 points in 13 games of their first 14 games. Poffenbarger had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists and Oluchi Okananwa had 12 points for Maryland. NO.
Alabama makes QB change, switches to Austin Mack vs Indiana in Rose Bowl
Alabama has made a switch at quarterback to backup Austin Mack. What to know of the Crimson Tide signal-caller:
Alabama QB Ty Simpson removed from Rose Bowl vs. Indiana midway through third quarter
Simpson took a big hit late in the second half and didn't appear to be 100%.
Jalyn Brown scores 20 for No. 24 Michigan State women in 80-60 win over Indiana
The Spartans pulled away in the second half, including an 11-1 run late in the fourth quarter that lasted over five minutes.