Sports
Top 25 roundup: No. 7 Alabama stuns No. 1 Auburn at OT buzzer
Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) makes the game winning shot as Auburn Tigers take on Alabama Crimson Tide at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, March 8, 2025. Alabama Crimson Tide defeated Auburn Tigers 93-91. Mark Sears connected on a 15-foot floater as time expired in overtime to give No. 7 Alabama a dramatic 93-91 victory over top-ranked Auburn in Southeastern Conference play on Saturday afternoon.
Sears had a quiet game with nine points but hit the big shot to give the Crimson Tide (24-7, 13-5 SEC) a regular-season split with the Tigers. Grant Nelson led Alabama with 23 points and eight rebounds, Clifford Omoruyi had a 15-point, eight-rebound effort and Labaron Philon also added 15 points in the upset.
Johni Broome notched a career-high 34 points and added eight rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals for Auburn (27-4, 15-3). Tahaad Pettiford had 19 points and six assists while Miles Kelly added 13 points for the Tigers.
After a Nelson layup put Alabama on top 79-77 with two minutes remaining, the Tigers evened things up with Broome’s lay-in with under a minute to go. Both teams missed potential game-winners before the contest went to overtime. In the extra session, Broome hit a 3-pointer to tie the game 91-91 with 15 seconds left, but Sears sealed the win for the Crimson Tide with his shot at the buzzer.
No. 2 Duke 82, North Carolina 69
After trailing by seven points in the second half, the Blue Devils rallied to clinch the outright regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference championship with a win over the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Kon Knueppel had 17 points to pace Duke (28-3, 19-1 ACC), while Tyrese Proctor and Sion James each added 16.
RJ Davis paced North Carolina (20-12, 13-7) with 20 points, while Ven-Allen Lubin chipped in with 11. UNC led 59-53 in the second half before Duke ripped off a 22-5 run to go in front 75-64 with under five minutes to play.
No. 3 Houston 65, Baylor 61
L.J. Cryer tied his season high of six 3-pointers and scored 23 points to help the Cougars notch a victory over the Bears in Big 12 play at Waco, Texas.
Milos Uzan added 12 points as the Cougars (27-4, 19-1 Big 12) won their 10th consecutive game. Houston also improved to 10-0 on the road this season and won its 14th straight overall, the longest active streak in the nation. J’Wan Roberts contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds and Emanuel Sharp also scored 11 points for the Cougars, who will be the No. 1 seed in next week’s Big 12 tournament. Baylor will be the No. 7 seed.
V.J. Edgecombe recorded 23 points and three steals for the Bears (18-13, 10-10), who lost for the fourth time in six games. Norchad Omier had 13 points and 16 rebounds for his 19th double-double of the season and Langston Love had 10 points.
No. 4 Tennessee 75, South Carolina 65
The Volunteers closed out Southeastern Conference play with a win over the Gamecocks behind Chaz Laniers’ 23 points in Knoxville, Tenn.
Cade Phillips had a career-high 15 points for Tennessee (25-6, 12-6 SEC), which earned a double-bye in the SEC tournament, and Igor Milicic Jr. added 13.
South Carolina (12-19, 2-16) was led by Jamarii Thomas’ 20 points. Nick Pringle contributed 16 points and 14 rebounds for the Gamecocks, who lost for the 12th time in 14 games against the Volunteers.
No. 5 Florida 90, Ole Miss 71
With Walter Clayton Jr. scoring 23 points and handing out eight assists, the Gators earned the No. 2 seed in the Southeastern Conference with the win over the Rebels in Gainesville, Fla.
Alex Condon finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds for Florida (27-4, 14-4 SEC), while Alijah Martin added 13 points.
Sean Pedulla led Ole Miss (21-10, 10-8) with 22 points, and Jaylen Murray scored 12. But the Rebels allowed 19 second-chance points in the loss.
No. 6 St. John’s 86, No. 20 Marquette 84 (OT)
Zuby Ejiofor buried a buzzer-beating floater in overtime to lift the Red Storm to a Big East win against the Golden Eagles in Milwaukee, Wisc.
Ejiofor also at 12 rebounds for the Red Storm (27-4, 18-2 Big East), and RJ Luis Jr. led the way with 28 points. With 10 points, 11 assists and 12 boards, Kadary Richmond recorded the first St. John’s triple-double since Ron Artest in 1999.
Kam Jones paced Marquette (22-9, 13-7) with 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. David Joplin added 21 points for the Golden Eagles.
No. 9 Texas Tech 85, Arizona State 57
JT Toppin had 25 points and 11 rebounds for his 14th double-double of the season as the Red Raiders posted a Big 12 Conference win over the Sun Devils in Tempe, Ariz.
Christian Anderson had 21 points off the bench for Texas Tech (24-7, 15-5 Big 12), and Kerwin Walton finished with 11 points.
Basheer Jihad had 22 points and six rebounds to lead Arizona State (13-18, 4-16), Joson Sanon added 16 points, and Alston Mason scored 14.
No. 10 Iowa State 73, Kansas State 57
Curtis Jones had 24 points, Joshua Jefferson contributed 14, and the Cyclones never trailed as they picked up a Big 12 Conference win over the Wildcats in Manhattan Kan.
David N’Guessan put up 19 points to pace Kansas State (15-16, 9-11 Big 12), Dug McDaniel added 14, but the Wildcats missed seven of their first eight shots to fall into a 17-6 deficit out of the gate.
Iowa State (23-8, 13-7) put together an 11-0 run to extend its lead to 51-34 midway through the second half and never had its lead tip to single digits the rest of the way.
No. 11 Clemson 65, Virginia Tech 47
The Tigers picked up the wire-to-wire win thanks in part to Viktor Lakhin’s 16 points and seven rebounds in the Atlantic Coast Conference victory over the visiting Hokies.
Jaeden Zackery had 12 points for Clemson (26-5, 18-2 ACC), which won its eighth straight and matched the program record for single-season wins.
Brandon Rechsteiner posted 11 points and Jaydon Young had 10 for the Hokes (13-18, 8-12), who were outscored 25-11 in points off turnovers.
Penn State 86, No. 12 Wisconsin 75
D’Marco Dunn had a career-high 25 points as the Nittany Lions concluded Big Ten play with a Big Ten upset over the Badgers in Madison, Wis.
Yanic Konan Niederhauser registered 15 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for Penn State (16-14, 6-14 Big Ten), which snapped a 23-game losing streak on the road against Wisconsin. Zach Hicks added 14 points and seven boards for the Nittany Lions, who did not qualify for the conference tournament next week.
Steven Crowl and John Blackwell both scored 19 points for the Badgers (23-8, 13-7), who lost despite leading by as much as 13 points. Jon Tonje had 13 points and seven rebounds for Wisconsin, and Kamari McGee chipped in with 11.
No. 13 Maryland 74, Northwestern 61
Julian Reese had 19 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Terrapins to a Big Ten Conference regular season-ending win over the Wildcats in College Park, Md.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 17 points and Derik Queen totaled 10 points and 10 boards for Maryland (24-7, 14-6 Big Ten), which won for the seventh time in eight games.
Nick Martinelli had 28 points and seven rebounds to pace Northwestern (16-15, 7-13), and Ty Berry had 10 points.
No. 14 Louisville 68, Stanford 48
Chucky Hepburn and Terrence Edwards Jr. each scored 16 points and the Cardinals closed the regular season with their ninth straight Atlantic Coast Conference victory thanks to a win over the visiting Cardinal.
J’Vonne Hadley added 11 points to go with nine rebounds for Louisville (25-6, 18-2 ACC).
Maxime Raynaud paced Stanford (19-12, 11-9) with 17 points and 11 rebounds for his nation-leading 23rd double-double of the season.
No. 19 Kentucky 91, No. 15 Missouri 83
Otega Oweh had 22 points, Koby Brea chipped in with 17 and the Wildcats picked up a Southeastern Conference win over the Tigers in Columbia, Mo.
Andrew Carr posted 16 points and 12 rebounds for Kentucky (21-10, 10-8 SEC) and Amari Williams added 14 points and eight boards for Kentucky.
Mark Mitchell paced the Tigers (21-10, 10-8) with 22 points and Marques Warrick has 17. Jacob Crews contributed 12 points for Missouri, which lost at home for just the second time in 20 games.
No. 22 Texas A&M 66, LSU 52
The Aggies opened the second half on a 23-5 run as they cruised to a regular season-ending Southeastern Conference win over the Tigers in Baton Rouge, La.
Wade Taylor IV had 17 points to pace Texas A&M (22-9, 11-7 SEC) and Henry Coleman added 11 points and 10 rebounds as the Aggies picked up their second straight win.
Jordan Sears led LSU (14-17, 3-15) with 21 points, including 16 in the first half. The Tigers, though, were outrebounded 42-27 and outscored in second-chance points 17-9.
No. 23 BYU 85, Utah 74
Five players scored in double figures to help the Cougars avenge a January loss to Utah with a victory in Provo, giving the Cougars an eight-game winning streak heading into next week’s Big 12 Conference tournament.
At 23-8 overall and 14-6 in the conference, the Cougars will be no worse than the fourth seed at the Big 12 tourney. Dawson Baker came off the bench to score a team-high 15 points for BYU, while Richie Saunders added 14 despite foul trouble.
Miro Little hit 6 of 8 3-pointers and scored a game-high 21 points off the bench for the Utes (16-15, 8-12), who fell to 1-3 under interim coach Josh Eilert. Leading scorer Gabe Madsen made just 3 of 13 3-pointers and tallied just nine points.
Kansas 83, No. 24 Arizona 76
Hunter Dickinson exploded for 33 points and 10 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks to the Big 12 Conference win over the Wildcats in Lawrence, Kan.
Zeke Mayo finished with 20 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range for Kansas (20-11, 11-9 Big 12), while KJ Adams totaled 12 points and eight boards.
Jaden Bradley posted 21 points to lead Arizona (20-11, 14-6), while Caleb Love contributed 16. Kansas, however, ended the game on a 17-8 run to secure the victory.
Arkansas 93, No. 25 Mississippi State 92
Jonas Aidoo hit a free throw with 11 seconds left, and the Razorbacks escaped with a 93-92 Southeastern Conference upset win in Fayetteville, Ark., as Riley Kugel missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer for Mississippi State.
DJ Wagner had 24 points for Arkansas (19-12, 8-10 SEC), while Aidoo added 10 rebounds. Johnell Davis had 15 points for Arkansas.
Claudell Harris Jr. had 18 points for Mississippi State (20-11, 8-10), Josh Hubbard finished with 17, and both Cameron Matthews and KeShawn Murphy added 13.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
