Sports
Victory critical for Iowa, Northwestern in race for Big Ten tourney berths
Feb 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Northwestern Wildcats forward Nick Martinelli (2) celebrates his team’s win against the Minnesota Golden Gophers after the game at Williams Arena. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images Fifteen of the 18 schools in the Big Ten qualify for next month’s conference tournament in Indianapolis.
Neither Iowa (15-13, 6-11 Big Ten) nor Northwestern (15-13, 6-11) have guaranteed a berth, which adds urgency to Friday’s game between the Hawkeyes and host Wildcats in Evanston, Ill.
For Iowa, loser of six of eight after Tuesday’s 20-point defeat at Illinois, a stronger start remains the objective. The Illinois game marked the program’s sixth double-digit loss among the Hawkeyes’ eight true road games (1-7).
“I feel like we’re not aggressive enough coming out,” said Hawkeyes guard Brock Harding, who paced the team with 16 points Tuesday. “Because we know that we don’t want to quick-shoot the ball. But at some time, you have to come out and attack guys. Maybe get a foul call early. Get some free throws early in the game. Just kind of get some momentum on your side.”
Northwestern returns home on the heels of successive road victories against Ohio State and Minnesota that erased the pain of a three-game losing streak.
Conference leading scorer Nick Martinelli (20.1 points per game) credited the surge to a resilient locker room that’s still processing season-ending injuries to standout guards Brooks Barnhizer and Jalen Leach. Martinelli contributed a conference career-best 29 points to spark Tuesday’s 75-63 win at Minnesota. Ty Berry was next with nine.
“I think it’s just the culture that’s been built in the last couple of years,” Martinelli said. “Things might go wrong on the court, guys going down, but it’s the culture that stands. All the new guys that have come in have embraced that culture, and that’s why we’ve gotten it done these last two nights.”
Iowa, Northwestern, Minnesota and Southern California each have six conference victories, with Penn State (five) and Washington (four) still in the hunt for the top 15 cut.
The Hawkeyes hope to sweep the season series with the Wildcats to clinch a potentially necessary tiebreaker. Iowa edged visiting Northwestern 80-79 on Dec. 3 as Josh Dix drilled a long, game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Iowa leads the all-time series 126-61 and has won 11 of the past 12 meetings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
ATP roundup: Ben Shelton shows love of clay, wins BMW title
Ben Shelton connects with the ball during his second-round match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Friday, March 6, 2026. Ben Shelton rolled to his second title of the year, winning the BMW Open with a 6-2, 7-5 victory over Italy’s Flavio Cobolli at Munich, Germany.
Shelton won 85% of his first-serve points on the clay surface and saved all six break points he faced to win his fifth career title and first since Dallas earlier this year. Shelton showed his form early when he broke Cobolli’s serve twice in the first three games of the match.
With the second set tied 5-5, Shelton broke Cobolli again and won on serve on his first match point. Shelton became the first American man since 2009 to win three ATP 500 titles.
“I have big ambitions for the clay courts,” Shelton said in his post-match interview. “It is a surface I want to get better on each year. It is slowly becoming one of my favorite surfaces to play on.”
Barcelona Open
Arthur Fils of France held off a late charge from Russia’s Andrey Rublev to record a 6-2, 7-6 (2) victory in the final of the tournament.
Fils won his first title since returning in February after missing eight months because of a back injury.
Fils was well on his way to victory after cruising in the first set and leading 5-2 in the second before Rublev dug in his heels. Rublev broke Fils’ serve to pull within 5-4 in the second set, then staved off one match point to make it 5-5.
Rublev broke serve again to lead 6-5 in the second set before Fils finally regained control and finished off the match in a tiebreak.
“The end of the second set was just about the mental (pressure),” Fils said. “The whole match was a bit tough because I was a bit tight. I played well for a set and a half, but when I had to close, I started to think a little. But I’m very happy with the way I played the tiebreak.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
WTA roundup: Elena Rybakina wins at Stuttgart for second time
Aug 31, 2025; Flushing, NY, USA; Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in action against Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic in the fourth round of the women’s singles at the US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Frey-Imagn Images Second-seeded Elena Rybakina won 25 of her 32 first-serve points (78.1%) and needed just 78 minutes on Sunday to post a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Karolina Muchova to win the championship match of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.
Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, had three aces while winning her 13th career title and second in Stuttgart. She also won the event in 2024. This victory marks the first time she has won multiple titles at a tournament.
The Czech Republic’s Muchova, the No. 7 seed, was much less efficient on her first serves, winning just 52.3% (23 of 44). She saved four of eight break points.
Muchova trailed 5-2 in the first set before winning three straight games to knot the match. But Rybakina won the final two games and then sailed through the second set to win her fifth clay court title.
Rouen Metropolitan Open
Top-seeded Marta Kostyuk hit 34 winners against 23 unforced errors while claiming a 6-3, 6-4 victory over Veronika Podrez in the first all-Ukrainian WTA final at Rouen, France.
Kostyuk converted 6 of 9 break points against the 19-year-old Podrez to win her second singles title. Podrez, a qualifier, was playing in her first final.
“This match today was not just a match,” Kostyuk said during the trophy presentation. “It was a historical moment for Ukrainian tennis. First time two Ukrainians playing in the final. I know how much work, sacrifice, tears and sweat goes into this sport and to be able to be on this stage. So I’m incredibly proud of Ukrainian tennis right now.”
Podrez had just one ace while committing seven double faults.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Former Georgia WR Zachariah Branch arrested
Georgia wide receiver Zachariah Branch (1) takes questions from the press during the Sugar Bowl and College Football Playoff quarterfinals Media Day at Sheraton New Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, La., on Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2025. Players and coaches from Ole Miss and Georgia took questions from the press. Wide receiver Zachariah Branch, a Georgia standout who was expected to be selected in the NFL Draft later this week, was arrested early Sunday in Athens, Ga., according to Athens-Clarke County jail records.
Branch, 22, was charged with obstructing public sidewalks/streets and obstruction of a law enforcement officer, both misdemeanors. He was booked at 1:26 a.m. and released on bond at 3:44 a.m.
Widely projected as a Day 2 NFL draft pick, estimates show Branch going as high as the second round on Friday.
In his first season at Georgia, following a transfer from Southern California, Branch led the Bulldogs with 81 receptions for 811 yards and six touchdowns last season. Georgia went 12-2 and lost 39-34 to Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl.
In three college seasons, the first two at USC, Branch had 159 receptions for 1,634 yards and nine touchdowns in 37 games.
–Field Level Media
ATP roundup: Ben Shelton shows love of clay, wins BMW title
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