Richie Saunders scored 20 points, freshman and top recruit AJ Dybantsa had 17 points and eight rebounds, and No. BYU never trailed in a 98-53 win over Holy Cross on Saturday night. Five BYU players scored in double figures, including Robert Wright III with 15 points as the Cougars (2-0) shot 62% from the field and committed only six turnovers.
College football winners and losers: Assessing the conference title races with 3 weeks to go
Some conference title races are more straightforward than others.
LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier benched in second half as Tigers lose at No. 4 Alabama
Alabama won 20-9 to move to 6-0 in SEC play.
Penguins Defenseman Scores In Second Game Back From WBS
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Graves was called up from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before Thursday's win against the Washington Capitals.
The Penguins liked how he started the season in WBS after he was waived following training camp, compiling one goal and seven points in 10 games. He came up in place of Owen Pickering, who was re-assigned to WBS in a corresponding move. The Penguins also recalled forward Danton Heinen and goaltender Sergei Murashov due to injuries.
Graves had a fine game against the Capitals on Thursday and made a nice keep at the blue line that eventually led to Anthony Mantha's goal that made it 3-0. The Penguins blew that lead in the second period before winning 5-3.
Graves played his second game of the season with the Penguins on Saturday against the New Jersey Devils and scored the game-tying goal in the second period. He ripped a shot from the point, and it went off Ondrej Palat and in. Yes, he got a lucky bounce, but it was still a big goal since it helped the Penguins get a point before they lost in the shootout.
GRAVES GOAL ‼️ pic.twitter.com/sfX2rclGqu
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) November 8, 2025
Graves is the 17th Penguins' player to score a goal this season. He was steady on the third pair, which hasn't been the case during most of his Penguins' tenure.
The Penguins will try and get back in the win column on Sunday when they host the Los Angeles Kings.
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Rangers shut out for fifth time, remain winless at home after 5-0 loss to Islanders
NEW YORK (AP) — Bo Horvat scored twice to move into a tie for the NHL lead and the New York Islanders kept the New York Rangers winless on home ice with a 5-0 victory of their biggest rival Saturday night.
Jonathan Drouin and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each added a goal and two assists for the Islanders and Anders Lee also scored.
Ilya Sorokin made 34 saves as the Islanders ended a five-game losing streak to the Rangers and won for the second time in the past 10 meetings with their biggest rival.
Horvat moved into a tie with Sidney Crosby and Cutter Gauthier for the league lead by scoring his 10th and 11th goals this season. Horvat had his third multi-goal game this season by finishing off a 2-on-1 with Emil Heineman with 9:31 left in the first period and scoring a power-play goal late in the second.
Drouin scored with 33 seconds left in the opening period when he finished off a 2-on-1 with Anthony Duclair. Drouin made a backhand pass from near the crease for the Islanders’ third goal when Horvat lifted a shot from the right circle over goalie Igor Shesterkin.
Sorokin posted his second shutout of the season. He entered the game 3-6-2 with a 3.46 goals-against average in 11 career games against the Rangers.
Sorokin posted his second career shutout against the Rangers and started it with an arm save on Artemi Panarin in the opening minute. He also denied Mika Zibanejad on two point-blank chances during a Rangers’ power play shortly before Horvat scored his second goal.
Up next
Islanders: Visit New Jersey on Monday.
Rangers: Host Nashville on Monday.
Injuries finally catch up to Lakers as win streak ends in blowout loss to open trip
With the Lakers down by 20 in the third quarter at Atlanta, the only sound coming from their bench was Nick Smith Jr.’s hollow claps of encouragement. The rest of the Lakers sat with slumped shoulders on the bench or loitered with blank faces in a semicircle waiting for their coaches to join.
There wasn’t much that could be said.
The Lakers’ five-game winning streak ended in a blowout as the Hawks dominated 122-102 on Saturday at State Farm Arena.
Playing a third consecutive game without Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic tried to keep the Lakers (7-3) in it with 22 points, 11 assists and five rebounds, but all his points came in the first half and he came out after only 27 minutes as the Hawks built a 25-point lead by the middle of the third quarter. Forward Jake LaRavia had 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Jarred Vanderbilt had 18 rebounds, one shy of his career high.
“This isn’t the identity of this team,” LaRavia said. “This game was an outlier of the first 10 games that we played. [We have to] just not let it break us and be ready to play the next game.”
The Lakers, who won their first four road games, started their five-game trip on a sour note and now need to bounce back when play Charlotte on Monday.
Read more:Bronny James shows his improvement for shorthanded Lakers
The Hawks (5-5) were playing the second game of a home back-to-back after losing to the Toronto Raptors on Friday. They had four of five starters sidelined, including Trae Young (knee), Kristaps Porzingis (rest) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (back).
The Lakers should know the dangers of a desperate, shorthanded team. Only five days ago they ended Portland’s three-game winning streak without Reaves, Doncic or LeBron James. Coach JJ Redick said he would reiterate the lesson before Saturday’s game to avoid a letdown.
Then the Lakers fell behind by 13 in the first quarter. Their deficit ballooned to 26 after three quarters. Redick began sitting his starters by the middle of the third.
“Just not a lot to like tonight,” Redick said matter-of-factly.
Facing a cross-country trip, the Lakers arrived in Atlanta on Thursday and scheduled a practice Friday with a team-bonding activity that night. They held a shootaround in the arena Saturday morning.
Yet even with the extra time to prepare, Redick could tell within the first two minutes that the team didn’t have the necessary energy to win. What did the coach see during that fateful stretch?
“Nothing,” Redick said.
It was the final word of his news conference, which lasted 100 seconds.
Doncic helped lead a quick third-quarter surge, assisting on three consecutive baskets in a 7-0 run that cut the lead to nine, but the Hawks responded by scoring seven unanswered points and forcing two turnovers. Center Deandre Ayton subbed out for the last time with 8:49 to go in the third.
“They played phenomenal,” said Ayton, who had 11 points on five-for-five shooting and five rebounds. “But us not even damn near competing in a sense, it looks bad on paper and it looks bad on film. This is one of them games where yeah, food's going to taste bad tonight.”
Doncic and Marcus Smart, another veteran leader, were not made available to reporters after the game.
Atlanta’s Mouhamed Gueye torched the Lakers for 21 points on eight-for-12 shooting and made four three-pointers. The Lakers, who had credited their connection and chemistry for carrying them through long stints without their stars, suddenly fell silent when faced with a large deficit in front of a rowdy crowd.
With most of Atlanta’s fans streaming toward the exits in the final two minutes, the Hawks' most dedicated fan group, the “404 Crew,” echoed through the mostly empty arena with a final chant: “Where is LeBron?”
The superstar has yet to play a single minute this season because of a bout with sciatica.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
MLS playoffs: Inter Miami trounces Nashville 4-0 behind braces from Lionel Messi, Tadeo Allende
For the first time in franchise history, Inter Miami is heading to the conference semifinal.
Coen Carr ready to be a star for Michigan State basketball after Arkansas victory
Lansing State Journal columnist Graham Couch gives his initial thoughts on the Spartans' performance in a win against Arkansas on Saturday night.
Bo Horvat Stays Hot, Islanders Shut Out Rangers 5-0 To Snap MSG Curse
NEW YORK, NY -- It had been three years to the date since the New York Islanders came away victorious at Madison Square Garden. But that came to an end on Saturday night, as they defeated their cross-town rival, the New York Rangers, 5-0 to snap a five-game losing streak (0-4-1) in this building.
The Rangers have now been shut out five times in seven games at home this season.
Bo Horvat was electric, notching his 10th and 11th goals of the season and now sits tied for the NHL lead in goals with Pittsburgh Penguins' Sidney Crosby, Anaheim Ducks' Cutter Gauthier, Montreal Canadiens' Cole Caufield, and Boston Bruins' Morgan Geekie.
The first of the two came when the Islanders were struggling mightily to establish anything in the first period. Off the rush, Emil Heineman hit Horvat on the tape to give the Islanders a 1-0 lead at 10:29 of the first.
The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) on XBo Horvat now sits tied for second in the NHL with goals (10), behind Sidney Crosby and Cutter Gauthier, who have each scored 11 goals this season.With that goal, Horvat extended his point streak to five games. With the assist, Heineman extended his point strak to three games (one goal, two assists).
Sandwhiched between Horvat' red lights, Jonathan Drouin finished off a nifty saucer pass from best friend Anthony Duclair to give the Islanders a 2-0 lead at 19:27 of the second period.
Pageau, Duclair & Drouin connect.
— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) November 9, 2025
The new French Connection line.
🇨🇦🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/2rYbQFBUpy
That was Drouin's second goal of the season.
Horvat's second of the game came off a gorgous feed from Drouin. With a chance to shoot from the top of the crease, he had the awarness to konw that Horvat was behind him, ready and waiting. Horvat rifled Drouin's drop pass top shelf to extend the Islanders' lead to 3-0 at 18:42 of the second.
Bo Horvat's 11th has him tied with Crosby, Gauthier & Caufield for the #NHL lead.
— The Elmonters (@TheElmonters) November 9, 2025
What a pass by Drouin 🍎 #Islespic.twitter.com/JPWExj4aZu
With 2:01 to go, Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored an empty-net goal.
Andeds Lee made it 5-0 with 29.9 seconds to play off the rush.
llya Sorokin was brilliant in goal despite facing a low volume of shots. He turned aside all 29 shots that came his way.
The Islanders play the second of their seven-game road trip in Newark on Monday with puck drop against the New Jersey Devils at 7 PM ET.
Mets reliever Adbert Alzolay expected to play in Venezuelan Winter League
The Mets took a chance on righty Adbert Alzolay last offseason, bringing him in on a two-year minor league deal.
Alzolay was coming off a frustrating injury-plagued campaign with the Chicago Cubs that ended with him having to undergo Tommy John surgery on his right elbow.
The 29-year-old spent all of this season continuing his rehab and recovery following the procedure.
He was throwing bullpen session towards the end of this season, and now appears ready to return to game action.
Alzolay is reportedly expected to play in the Venezuelan Winter League later this month.
That’s certainly encouraging news for the reliever as he looks to shake off the rust ahead of a big spring training.
The former Cubs closer will have to show he is healthy and productive again as he competes for a spot in Mets camp.
Alzolay pitched to a terrific 2.67 ERA while locking down 22 saves prior to his injury-filled 2024 season.
If he could regain that form it would be a nice boost as the Mets look to revamp their bullpen over the winter.
No. 22 Michigan State tops No. 14 Arkansas 69-66 in matchup of Tom Izzo, John Calipari
Freshman Cam Ward had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Coen Carr scored 15 points and had seven rebounds and No. 22 Michigan State beat No. 14 Arkansas 69-66 on Saturday night in a matchup of Hall of Fame coaches. The Spartans (2-0) grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and converted them into 18 points, a staple of Tom Izzo's program for 31 seasons.
Ex-Flyers Goalie Has Rough Night In Net
Former Philadelphia Flyers goalie Anthony Stolarz had a tough night between the pipes for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
During the Maple Leafs' Nov. 8 matchup against the Boston Bruins, Stolarz allowed four goals on just 19 shots, which equates to a .789 save percentage.
Due to his struggles against the Bruins, Stolarz was pulled by the Maple Leafs after David Pastrnak scored at the 4:41 mark of the second period to give Boston a 4-2 lead. It was the second goal Stolarz allowed early in the second period, too, as Mikey Eyssimont also scored on him at the 2:15 mark
Stolarz entered the Maple Leafs' contest against the Bruins with a 6-4-1 record, a .895 save percentage, and a 3.11 goals-against average in 11 games. Overall, the former Flyer has had a bit of an underwhelming start to the season for his standards with the Maple Leafs, and this start has only added to that.
However, when looking at Stolarz's recent seasons, there is clear reason to believe that he can bounce back for Toronto. The former Flyer had the best save percentage in the NHL both in 2023-24 (.925 SV%) and 2024-25 (.926 SV%), so it would not be surprising in the slightest if he heats back up as the campaign rolls on.
Stolarz was selected by the Flyers with the 45th overall pick of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. From there, he played two seasons with the Flyers, where he posted a 14-6-4 record, a .911 save percentage, and a 2.86 goals-against average.
Boozer twins score in double figures, combine for 39 points as No. 6 Duke coasts past Western Carolina
Cameron and Cayden Boozer combined to score or assist on Duke's first 15 points Saturday.
Takeaways: Mental lapses cost Nashville Predators another close result in loss to Dallas Stars
The Nashville Predators drop their sixth one-goal game of the season in a 5-4 result to the Dallas Stars on Saturday at Bridgestone Arena.
The Predators had a lead in the third period, but two defensive breakdowns allowed the Stars to tie the game and take the lead. The goals were 47 seconds apart.
"We talked about it at length with the mental fortitude and the mistakes at the wrong time," head coach Andrew Brunette said. "We fall asleep on the two goals. We were in a good spot. Stammer (Stamkos) had an unbelievable shot for a power play goal and it puts us in a good spot. Then we have two major, major breakdowns. It's hard to overcome."
Luke Evangelista jump-started the Predators' offense in the first period to tie the game 1-1. In the second period, Nicolas Hague scored his first goal as a Predator, tying the game at two. 27 seconds later, Filip Forsberg gave Nashville a 3-2 lead.
Giving away the lead again in the third period, Steven Stamkos scored on the power play with a one-timer to take the lead back. Dallas responded with two quick goals and closed out on defense for the win.
Here are three takeaways from the Predators loss to the Stars.
Nearly winning again
The Predators haven't been blown out too many times this season. They've lost by three goals or more just five times this season, meaning that the Predators have won or had a real chance to win in 12 of their games this season.
The loss was another example of a mental error costing Nashville points. Montreal had two late goals from Caufield and Jonathan Marchessault's blocked empty net shot. Vancouver and Utah, it was Nashville giving their opponent an inch and then taking a mile to score a game-winner in overtime.
Saturday, the defense broke down midway through the third period for less than two minutes.
Colin Blackwell is walking into the Predators' zone untouched and going behind the net before passing it out to a wide-open Adam Erne in the slot for the goal.
Nearly a minute later, Mikko Rantanen stretches passes to Wyatt Johnston entering the zone, and he quickly finds Sam Steel on the weak side for the goal. It's two situations in which the Predators were chasing the puck rather than following the play.
Stamkos pointed out that this was a game in which the offense was clicking and that it was a defensive lapse that proved costly. Throughout the early season, the Predators' defense has been the stable of the two.
"The games we play well defensively, we can seem to get that extra goal to put us over the hump and tonight we score four, give up five," Stamkos said. "It's obviously frustrating when you're in as many games as we are and you're losing those by slim margins of errors."
Unable to stay out of box
Over the last few years, Nashville has finished among the most penalized teams in the league, following that "Smashville" identity. However, given the current struggles, penalties are becoming a serious issue.
The Predators went to the box five times, three of which were in the first period. While the penalty unit was efficient once again, killing 4 of 5 penalties, the odd-man situations put the Predators on the back foot.
"We took a lot of penalties tonight, which taxes a lot of guys," Stamkos said. "They're a good team, have a good power play and that gave them a lot of momentum. We clawed back after a tough first period to make a game of it."
Instead of looking to score, the Predators are spending most of their time trying to prevent their opponent from finding the back of the net. Nashville was outshot 7-4 in the first period, but still managed to leave the first 20 minutes with a 1-1 tie.
Dallas' penalties started to pile up in the third period, seeing Stamkos convert on the one-timer opportunity for the lead. However, the unit is still struggling, even when it finds the back of the net.
Blackwell took a tripping penalty with four minutes left in the game, while the Predators were down a goal, and they could not score. On the night, Nashville's power play was 1-for-4. It's an improvement, but it's still not enough.
"We weren't good enough from the start. Too many costly mistakes," Hague said.
Annunen still winless on year
The Predators' backup goalie, Justus Annunen, is still winless in the early season, sitting at 0-3-1. He started in all four of the games.
Three of the four games were decided by a goal. A power-play goal decided a loss to the Stars on Oct. 26 in the third period. The overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild, 3-2, was on a controversial rebound goal with the net dislodged.
In the rematch against the Stars, it was two quick goals that prevented Annunen from picking up that coveted first win of the season.
He's faced 78 shots and made 68 saves for a goals-against average of 3.70 and a save percentage of .872. Annunen hasn't been tested as much as starter Juuse Saros, who leads the league in total saves and is second in total shots faced.
Up next: Nashville Predators at New York Rangers on Monday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m. CST
Bronny James shows his improvement for shorthanded Lakers
The play brought the entire Lakers bench to its feet. Austin Reaves’ sky-high lob pass and Bronny James’ two-handed dunk brought a roar from the crowd.
The emphatic dunk against Miami was James' first points of the season, but he saw them as just two more in what he hopes will be a long NBA journey.
“It was just a regular moment for me,” James said, not even having to conceal a smile after the Lakers’ shootaround Saturday, almost a week after the highlight. “... I want to continue to do that, but I just have to keep giving my all, keep playing hard, running in transition and getting stops on the defensive end for my team.”
James is trying to make his contributions, both big and small, regular occurrences for the shorthanded Lakers as they continue to dig into their bench.
Reaves will miss his third consecutive game Saturday as the Lakers begin a five-game road trip against the Atlanta Hawks. Imaging revealed a mild strain in Reaves’ right groin, coach JJ Redick said Saturday, but the guard’s pain is “really low,” and the team continues to hold him out as a precaution. Reaves is with the team on the road — and has a golf outing planned with James and Redick for an upcoming off day — and could return during the trip.
James has played in each of the last three games with Reaves out, including 19 and 20 minutes in wins over Miami and Portland, respectively. He was trusted in pressure fourth-quarter situations in both victories and finished with three steals against the Heat. He delivered six assists with no turnovers the following night against the Trail Blazers while also scoring five points as the Lakers won without Reaves, LeBron James or Luka Doncic.
Read more:How the Lakers use Japanese slideshow presentations to build chemistry
“Ready to take advantage of the times that I get when our guys are out,” James said. “I'm going to stay aggressive.”
Each appearance is a step as the 21-year-old fights to become a regular rotation player. To get there, Redick said the former USC guard needs to start by pushing himself physically, being a disruptive defender and developing as a confident spot-up shooter.
James said his main focus is on “going out until I’m dead tired.” He earned Redick’s approval for playing hard.
When James first joined the Lakers last year as their second-round pick, Redick recalled the rookie would receive a pass during pickup games, pause, dribble or attempt unnecessary moves. It was “the opposite of point-five mentality,” Redick said, referencing the idea that players should decide to shoot, dribble or pass within 0.5 seconds of receiving the ball.
“He's now developed where he's got a great point-five mentality,” Redick said before the Lakers played Portland Nov. 3. “He's catch-and-shoot ready at all times.”
James made a critical three in the fourth quarter against Portland to put the Lakers up by five. He credited his time with the South Bay Lakers and working with player development coach Ty Abbott for helping him get comfortable with split-second decisions.
With fellow point guard Nick Smith Jr. on a two-way contract, it’s likely that Smith will handle more on-ball responsibilities during G League assignments this season, Redick said, giving James chances to develop his off-ball game.
That’s only if James, who is on a standard contract, ever goes to South Bay. The injured Lakers might need him more on their bench.
Guard Gabe Vincent has missed seven games because of a sprained ankle, but is progressing during on-court work with assistant coach Lindsey Harding. Vincent has not worked through contact or one-on-one drills; he was projected to be out for two to four weeks, but Redick estimated he will be out for closer to three, which could put him on track to return after the five-game trip wraps in Milwaukee on Nov. 15.
LeBron James will be reevaluated in one to two weeks after progressing to contact activity, beginning with one-on-one work with coaches. The 40-year-old did not join the team on the road for the start of the trip that next winds through Charlotte, Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Milwuakee.
South Bay roster set
The Lakers' G League team set its roster Saturday for opening night, featuring two-way players Smith, who scored 25 points in the victory over the Trail Blazers last week, Christian Koloko and Chris Mañon. Also on the squad are Jace Carter, Jarron Cumberland, RJ Davis, Luke Goode, Tevian Jones, Arthur Kaluma, Augustas Marčiulionis, Drew Timme and Anton Watson.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.