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No. 1 Tennessee returns from break to face Norfolk State

Syndication: The Knoxville News-SentinelTennessee guard Chaz Lanier (2) attempts a shot during a college basketball game between Tennessee and MTSU held at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center in Knoxville, Tenn., on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024.

Top-ranked Tennessee will attempt to remain unbeaten as it closes out its nonconference schedule against Norfolk State on Tuesday in Knoxville, Tenn.

The Volunteers (12-0) are coming off back-to-back 80-point outings, beating Western Carolina 84-36 on Dec. 17 and Middle Tennessee 82-64 on Dec. 23. Chaz Lanier led Tennessee in both games, scoring 19 and 23, respectively.

Lanier also leads Tennessee in scoring for the season, averaging 19.3 points per game on 47.4 percent 3-point shooting. Jordan Gainey (11.9), Zakai Zeigler (11.8) and Igor Milicic Jr. (11.2) are also scoring in double figures. Zeigler leads the team with 8.3 assists, while Milicic averages a team-high 8.1 rebounds per game.

The quartet carries the Volunteers’ offense, as no one else on the team averages more than 7.0 points per game. As a team, they average 81.2 points per game.

Tuesday will be Tennessee’s first game in eight days, its longest stretch between contests this season.

The Volunteers had some internal turmoil last week, as sophomore guard Cameron Carr left the team with the expectation of transferring after missing the last month to injury.

“It didn’t surprise me,” Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said about Carr’s departure. “I actually made that comment to the coaches. That’s all I can tell you.

“We’re around these guys all the time. We know when guys are locked in and when they’re not. We know these guys like the back of our hand. We know they talk. We talk. So if you ask me, I was not the least bit surprised.”

Norfolk State (9-6) has enjoyed a solid start to its season. The Spartans enter Tuesday’s contest on a three-game winning streak, punctuated by a nail-biting 77-74 road triumph over High Point on Sunday.

Brian Moore Jr. led the Spartans with a career-high 33 points in that win and also leads the team with 19.4 points per game. Moore has reached double figures in all 15 games this season and has scored at least 15 points in 12 of those games.

Norfolk State also receives significant contributions from Christian Ings, who averages 12.9 points and a team-high 3.7 assists per game. Jalen Meyers leads the team with 5.2 rebounds while chipping in 10.4 points per game.

High Point coach Alan Huss had some postgame insight into Norfolk State, led by 12th-year head coach Robert Jones.

“They run a set play almost every single time down,” Huss said of the Spartans. “They got us on some of those. Ings and Moore are going to drive the basketball with those right hands. Even though Ings is technically a lefty, he wants to get to his right. They’re tremendous on the offensive side of the ball and they execute their stuff at a high level.”

Tennessee and Norfolk State faced off for the first time last season, an 87-50 win for the then-No. 5 Volunteers. Zeigler led Tennessee with 17 points in that contest, outscoring teammate and 2024 first-round NBA draft pick Dalton Knecht by two points.

–Field Level Media

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Dramatic goalkeeper goal earns Toronto FC draw with Philadelphia

MLS: Austin FC at Toronto FCApr 18, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto FC goalkeeper Luka Gavran (1) looks on against Austin FC during the second half at BMO Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images

A header from goalkeeper Luka Gavran six minutes into second-half stoppage time gave Toronto FC a dramatic 3-3 draw with the visiting Philadelphia Union on Wednesday.

Gavran was downfield with the rest of his teammates during Daniel Salloi’s late free kick, bidding for an equalizer. Salloi’s initial shot was deflected back out to Alonso Coello, whose pass into the box found Gavran’s head for his first career goal.

The draw extended unbeaten streaks for both clubs. Philadelphia is 1-0-2 in its last three matches while Toronto FC are 3-0-4 in their last seven. Toronto is also 4-0-9 in its last 13 home matches dating back to last June.

Josh Sargent and Kobe Franklin scored for Toronto (3-2-4, 13 points) earlier in the second half as it recovered from a 2-0 deficit.

Milan Iloski, Danley Jean Jacques and Nathan Harriel scored for the Union (1-6-2, five points). Harriel was almost the late-game hero for Philadelphia after the defender converted a header off a corner kick in the 89th minute.

Frankie Westfield’s eighth-minute free kick off the goalpost highlighted a dominant opening 25 minutes for Philadelphia. Toronto then controlled the rest of the first half, but Union defenders Westfield, Harriel, and Japhet Sery all made impressive individual plays to disrupt scoring chances.

With the back line helping stifle Toronto FC’s attack, Iloski put Philadelphia ahead four minutes into first-half stoppage time. Jovan Lukic’s through-ball found Iloski moving between two Toronto FC defenders and Iloski buried the shot after entering the box.

It was Iloski’s second goal of the season, then Jean Jacques followed with his second goal in the 52nd minute. On something of a broken play for Toronto, Jean Jacques beat Zane Monlouis to a loose ball in the box and his one-touch strike sailed into the net.

Sargent and Franklin then recorded their second goals of the season, as Toronto FC roared back to quickly level the score.

Four minutes after Jean Jacques’ tally, Sargent took the ball in the box and made a canny move to find space before burying his second goal. Franklin then banked a shot off the post and into Philadelphia’s net for the 64th-minute equalizer.

–Field Level Media

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Cincinnati tallies twice in closing minutes, earns draw vs. NYCFC

MLS: FC Cincinnati at New York City FCApr 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC forward Agustín Ojeda (26) runs with the ball during the first half against FC Cincinnati at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images

Andrei Chirila scored in two minutes into second-half stoppage time and Evander converted a penalty kick three minutes later, helping FC Cincinnati rally to a 4-4 draw against host New York City FC on Wednesday.

Chirila, a 17-year-old homegrown defender, converted from outside the box for his first career MLS goal in his second match. NYCFC’s Kevin O’Toole subsequently was whistled for a foul in the penalty area, setting up Evander’s heroics.

FC Cincinnati’s Kevin Denkey scored two goals in his return from a suspension due to yellow-card accumulation.

Roman Celentano made five saves for FC Cincinnati (2-4-3, 9 points), who are 0-3-2 on the road this season.

NYCFC’s Nicolas Fernandez scored two goals in the first half to boost his team-leading goal total to eight in nine matches. Fernandez, who scored three goals in 11 matches last season, became the fourth player in franchise history to score at least 10 goals within his first 20 regular-season appearances.

Agustin Ojeda and Talles Magno tallied in the second half and Matthew Freese turned aside two shots for NYCFC (3-3-3, 12 points), who are winless in their past five matches in MLS play (0-3-2).

Fernandez gave NYCFC a 2-1 lead in the 35th minute after running into a through ball from Maxi Moralez and sending a shot past the extended right leg of Celentano.

Ojeda extended NYCFC’s advantage in the 53rd minute after chasing down a through ball from Aiden O’Neill before scoring from a sharp angle.

Denkey converted a loose ball following a free kick by Evander to trim NYCFC’s lead to 3-2 in the 65th minute, but Magno deftly curled a shot into the far corner of the net in the 79th minute.

In the 20th minute, Celentano was unable to cleanly field a twisting service, and Fernandez alertly deposited the loose ball into the net to open the scoring.

Denkey forged a 1-1 tie 12 minutes later, a converting a cross from Ender Echenique with a leaping left-footed finish at the doorstep.

–Field Level Media

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Behind Mark Vientos' clutch hit, Mets edge Twins, snap 12-game skid

MLB: Minnesota Twins at New York MetsApr 22, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) watches his RBI double against the Minnesota Twins during the fourth inning at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Mark Vientos redeemed himself for an earlier baserunning miscue by delivering the tiebreaking single in the eighth inning, and the host New York Mets snapped a 12-game losing streak with a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

The losing streak was the longest for the Mets since a 12-game skid from Aug. 10-23, 2002.

However, the much-needed victory may have been costly for New York, which lost shortstop Francisco Lindor due to left calf tightness after he scored from first on Francisco Alvarez’s double in the fourth inning.

Lindor, who was 2-for-2 with an RBI infield single in the first, was injured the same night Juan Soto returned from a 15-game absence caused by a strained right calf. The Mets won their first three games after Soto was injured on April 3 before beginning their losing streak.

Soto went 1-for-3 with a walk but was picked off for the second out of the eighth following his single. Brett Baty and Alvarez kept the inning afloat by drawing walks against Taylor Rogers (0-1) and Justin Topa, respectively, before Vientos’ bloop single to right scored Baty.

Vientos was thrown out at home by several feet for the final out of the sixth after running through third base coach Tim Leiper’s stop sign on Marcus Semien’s double.

Luke Weaver (2-0) threw the final 1 1/3 innings for the Mets. The right-hander, who also was the winning pitcher in New York’s previous victory on April 7, got Luke Keaschall to pop up with the bases loaded to end the top of the eighth. He allowed Brooks Lee’s two-out single in the ninth before striking out Byron Buxton to end the game.

Victor Caratini lofted a game-tying sacrifice fly in the fourth for the Twins, who have lost five of their past six. Buxton knotted the game again with a solo homer in the sixth.

Mets starter Clay Holmes gave up two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out three over seven innings. Twins starter Connor Prielipp allowed two runs on four hits and no walks while fanning six in his major league debut.

–Field Level Media

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