Sports
No. 9 Illinois visits No. 5 Nebraska for high-stakes rematch
Dec 13, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini guard Andrej Stojakovic (2) drives the ball around Nebraska Cornhuskers forward Pryce Sandfort (21) during the first half at State Farm Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn Images When Nebraska visited Illinois on Dec. 13, Jamarques Lawrence swished a game-winning 3-pointer as time expired to give the Cornhuskers their most prestigious win of the season.
While the memory of that knockout punch still stings for No. 9 Illinois (18-3, 9-1 Big Ten) as it visits No. 5 Nebraska (20-1, 9-1) for a Big Ten first-place showdown Sunday in Lincoln, Neb., the Fighting Illini also haven’t forgotten all the body blows administered by Pryce Sandfort that set it up.
Sandfort scored 26 of his career-high 32 points in the first half as Nebraska sped to a 14-point first-half lead. While the Illini caught up by halftime, Sandfort’s early blitz made the Illini uncomfortable throughout as they led for just 16 seconds on their home floor.
And for that, the Illini are grateful.
Since that 83-80 loss to Nebraska, Illinois has won 10 in a row to climb to No. 7 in the NET rankings.
“I think that was an eye-opening moment,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said. “I didn’t think we were very focused on what it took to win. And they whipped us. … Our mental mistakes in that game were very high.”
“The Nebraska loss started it all,” added Illini freshman forward David Mirkovic, who averages 12.5 points and a team-high 8.2 rebounds. “We changed our mentality after that. Coach was, I mean, we deserved that he got to be mad after that loss. We changed our mentality. We started living for each other, playing harder defense, communicating more.
“When we give our best and try to play as hard as possible, points find us and we win.”
Illinois boasts the nation’s most efficient offense per KenPom.com with 130.3 points per 100 possessions.
Freshman guard Keaton Wagler (17.7 points, 4.2 assists), the reigning Big Ten and national player of the week, has received the lion’s share of praise recently, but the Illini feature five players in double figures.
“I think they play to a certain standard that they hold themselves accountable to,” Underwood said. “I appreciate that. I think that players buying into all their roles, and players being willing to sacrifice for the great of the team and commit to that, that’s all a part of it.”
Underwood could also have been describing the vibe at Nebraska, where the Huskers have earned their highest Associated Press ranking in school history by finding a way regardless of who’s on the court.
Yes, their 20-0 start came to an end Tuesday at No. 3 Michigan, but the Huskers led for 36:18 despite playing without two of their top three scorers in Rienk Mast (flu) and Braden Frager (ankle).
The only difference between Nebraska’s trips to Illinois and to Michigan? Lawrence’s last-second 3-point attempt, which would have tied the game, went off the rim against the Wolverines instead of swishing through.
“I give our guys all the credit in the world for the fight that they showed in that game from start to finish,” said Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg. “Listen, that team is projected by a lot of people to win a national championship. You got no Braden, you got no Rienk, you got no Ugie (Ugnius Jarusevicius), you got no Connor (Essegian) — and you fight ’em all the way to the finish and you lose by a basket.
“I mean, that shows the character of our team. And it also shows we can compete with anybody in the country… For our guys, it should be a confidence-builder.”
Mast (14.6 points, 6.0 rebounds) should be good to go against Illinois, but Frager (12.2 points) figures to need more time. Illini guard Kylan Boswell (14.3 points, 3.4 assists) will miss his fourth straight game with a broken right hand.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cody Bellinger hits 2 of Yanks' 4 HRs in rout of Royals
Apr 18, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Cody Bellinger (35) hits a two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Cody Bellinger homered twice and collected five RBIs as the New York Yankees easily recorded a 13-4 victory over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Saturday afternoon.
The Yankees notched their most lopsided win this season after their previous five victories were decided in the final at-bat.
Amed Rosario hit a two-run homer and Ben Rice hit a solo shot during a five-run third off Kansas City left-hander Noah Cameron (1-1).
Rosario started the scoring with his two-run blast to left after a three-base error by Kansas City center fielder Kyle Isbel.
J.C. Escarra hit a fly ball to the warning track in center field, and the ball was not caught when Isbel and right fielder Jac Caglianone converged. Isbel knocked the ball out of Caglianone’s glove and was charged with a three-base error.
After Rosario’s homer, Aaron Judge walked, then Bellinger sent a first-pitch slider into the second deck in right. Rice homered two batters later when he hit a fastball into the right field seats for his third straight game with a homer.
Bellinger homered again in the sixth off Mitch Spence for a 10-0 lead. It was Bellinger’s 20th career multi-homer game and his eighth game with at least five RBIs.
Bellinger also had an RBI single in between homers. Rosario added a run-scoring single in the sixth and Escarra contributed an RBI double in the fourth.
Escarra also drove in two with his first career triple in the seventh as the Yankees collected 11 hits. Randal Grichuk added a sacrifice fly in the eighth for his first RBI with New York.
New York’s Will Warren (2-0) allowed two runs on five hits in seven innings. The right-hander matched a career-high with 11 strikeouts and walked none.
The Royals dropped their sixth straight. Kansas City was blanked until Carter Jensen hit a two-run homer in the seventh and got a two-run double from Michael Massey in the ninth.
Cameron was shelled for a career-worst seven runs (five earned) on seven hits in four innings.
Kansas City manager Matt Quatraro was tossed by second base umpire Nestor Ceja before Cameron threw a pitch after the Royals batted in the first.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NHL roundup: Flyers win Game 1 of in-state playoff series vs. Penguins
Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim (6) celebrates his goal with the Flyers bench against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Porter Martone scored a timely goal late for the Philadelphia Flyers, who skated away with a 3-2 road victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins to take a 1-0 lead in their best-of-seven, first-round playoff series on Saturday night.
Martone, a 19-year-old playing in his 10th NHL game, scored an insurance goal to make it 3-1 with 2:37 left in the Battle of Pennsylvania rivalry series. That proved crucial when the Penguins’ Bryan Rust found the net with 1:01 left.
Travis Sanheim and Jamie Drysdale also scored for Philadelphia in the franchise’s first playoff game in six years. The Flyers got 15 saves from Dan Vladar in his playoff debut, including one on a point-blank shot from Anthony Mantha in the closing seconds.
Evgeni Malkin scored his 68th postseason goal for the Penguins and assisted on Rust’s goal. Stuart Skinner made 17 saves. Game 2 is Monday in Pittsburgh.
Wild 6, Stars 1
Matt Boldy had two goals and an assist for visiting Minnesota in a win against Dallas in Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series.
Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice, Ryan Hartman had a goal and an assist and Mats Zuccarello had three assists for the Wild, who are trying to win their first playoff series since 2015 after getting eliminated in the opening round eight times since then. Rookie Jesper Wallstedt got the start and made 27 saves.
Jason Robertson scored and Jake Oettinger made 23 saves for Dallas, which lost Game 1 of its first-round series 5-1 against the Colorado Avalanche last season before rebounding and eventually reaching the Western Conference finals. Game 2 is Monday in Dallas.
Hurricanes 2, Senators 0
Frederik Andersen made 22 saves and Logan Stankoven had a goal and an assist as Carolina overcame a slow start to defeat Ottawa in the opener of the first-round series in Raleigh, N.C.
Andersen recorded his sixth career playoff shutout after not having any in 35 regular-season starts this season. Taylor Hall also scored and Jackson Blake had two assists for the Hurricanes.
Linus Ullmark made 27 saves for the Senators, who saw 13 of their 22 shots on goal come in the third period but were unable to get on the board, even with a late power-play opportunity. Game 2 is Monday in Raleigh.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Padres halt Angels' scorching offense, even series
Apr 18, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (23) runs after hitting a RBI single during the ninth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images Fernando Tatis Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Mason Miller struck out two en route to his seventh save to lead the San Diego Padres to a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Angels on Saturday night in Anaheim.
Ramon Laureano also drove in two runs, Jake Cronenworth scored a run and reached base four times with a single, two walks and a hit by a pitch and Freddy Fermin scored twice for San Diego, which won for the 12th time in its last 14 games.
Adrian Morejon (2-0) delivered 1 1/3 innings of hitless relief while Miller pitched around a leadoff single by Yoan Moncada and a walk to Vaughn Grissom in the ninth to extend his scoreless streak to 31 2/3 innings dating back to Aug. 6, 2025.
Zach Neto and Mike Trout each doubled and Nolan Schanuel had an RBI single for Los Angeles, which finished with just six hits. Ryan Zeferjahn (1-1) allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in one inning immediately after Yusei Kikuchi wrapped his scoreless six-inning start for Los Angeles.
Kikuchi allowed four hits, a walk and a hit-by-pitch, striking out eight.
The Angels, who entered the contest having hit 16 home runs while scoring 49 runs in their previous six games, managed just two hits over 5 2/3 innings against San Diego starter German Marquez.
However, they nearly took a 1-0 lead in the second. Moncada led off the inning with a deep drive to right-center that Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill made a highlight-reel grab on, reaching above the fence to deny Moncada of a home run. It was the third time this season that Merrill robbed a batter of a home run.
The Padres took a 2-0 lead in the eighth inning against Zeferjahn, who walked Fermin and Cronenworth on eight straight balls to open the inning. Laureano then grounded a single to center to drive in Fermin, and Tatis followed with a slow roller into shallow right to drive in Cronenworth.
Los Angeles cut the lead to 2-1 in the eighth on Schanuel’s single, driving in Logan O’Hoppe who had singled and advanced to second on a single by Adam Frazier.
San Diego then added a pair of insurance runs in the ninth on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly by Laureano followed by an RBI single from Tatis.
–Field Level Media
Cody Bellinger hits 2 of Yanks' 4 HRs in rout of Royals
NHL roundup: Flyers win Game 1 of in-state playoff series vs. Penguins
