Sports
No. 8 Houston cruises past UCF as Kingston Flemings scores 18
Feb 4, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Kingston Flemings (4) dribbles against the UCF Knights in the first half at Fertitta Center. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images Kingston Flemings scored 18 points as No. 8 Houston cruised to a 79-55 home win over UCF in a Big 12 Conference tilt Wednesday.
Chris Cenac Jr. tallied a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Milos Uzan added 12 points for Houston (20-2, 8-1 Big 12), which won its third straight game.
Riley Kugel led UCF (14-5, 6-4) with nine points. Themus Fulks, John Bol, Jamicheal Stillwell and Jordan Burks all added eight points for UCF, which had its three-game winning streak snapped.
A Flemings layup initiated a 12-0, first-half Houston run that broke open a closely contested game. The Cougars’ lead swelled to 27-13 on a jumper from Cenac. Houston’s stifling defense held the Knights to just six points over the last 8:16 of the first half. Fulks snapped the rally with a jumper at the 2:37 mark.
UCF shot 28% in the first half (7 of 25) and only hit 1-of-6 3-point attempts. The Cougars shot 44% in the first half and didn’t make a three in the opening 20 minutes but held a 20-6 edge on points in the paint, had six steals and forced seven UCF turnovers while maintaining a 23-15 rebounding advantage.
The Cougars only had three turnovers and took a 33-19 halftime lead.
In the early going, Houston reeled off a 6-0 run and took a 15-8 lead on Uzan’s alley-oop pass to Kalifa Sakho for a dunk. The Knights answered with a three by Kugel and a Bol dunk as UCF closed within 15-13 at the 8:16 mark.
In the second half, Burks hit a three to cut the Cougars’ lead to 37-27, the closest the Knights would get the rest of the way. Houston was red-hot in the second half as the team shot 66% from the field (20 of 30) and took control of the game with a 12-4 scoring spree as Uzan’s jumper led to a 51-31 lead with 13:27 to play.
For the game, UCF inched up to 30% shooting from the field and 28% (6 of 21) from distance. The Cougars shot 54% for the game, which made up for them only connecting on 3 of their 19 3-point attempts.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: 76ers trade veteran G Eric Gordon to Grizzlies
Feb 5, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Eric Gordon (23) controls the ball against the Miami Heat in the fourth quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images The Philadelphia 76ers traded veteran guard Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday for a 2032 second-round draft pick swap in 2032, multiple outlets reported.
The Sixers also land the rights to Justinian Jessup, according to NBC Sports Philadelphia. Jessup, who is playing for Bayern Munich in Germany, was a second-round draft pick by the Golden State Warriors in 2020, with his rights traded to the Grizzlies in July 2025.
Gordon, 37, was scoring 5.5 points in six games off the bench for the Sixers this season. In 18 career NBA seasons, including seven with the Houston Rockets, Gordon has averaged 15.2 points with 2.7 assists in 931 games (665 starts).
–Field Level Media
Sports
After near-upset last month, No. 2 Michigan locked on Penn State
Jan 6, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Michigan Wolverines forward Yaxel Lendeborg (23) drives the ball to the basket during the second half against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images No. 2 Michigan rightfully has been basking in the glow of a terrific week.
The Wolverines beat a pair of Top 10 teams last week – recording a 3-point home win over then-No. 5 Nebraska on Jan. 27 before going to archrival Michigan State’s floor and claiming a 12-point win over the then-No. 7 Spartans last Friday. The latter victory made Michigan head coach Dusty May an even more popular figure among Michigan faithful.
It also propelled Michigan (20-1, 10-1 Big Ten) to the top of the league standings with Illinois, a position it will attempt to maintain on Thursday when the Wolverines host Penn State in Ann Arbor, Mich.
While the game appears to be a mismatch on paper, so did the teams’ first meeting on Jan. 6 in State College, Pa. Yet the Nittany Lions rallied from an eight-point deficit with just over three minutes remaining to make it a one-point game in the final minute before Michigan prevailed 74-72.
“We’ve got a Penn State team that gave us everything and then some,” May said. “We’re focused on that game.”
While May is locked on Penn State, the Michigan fanbase gets to enjoy the big-picture excitement enhanced by Friday’s win over Michigan State.
With fewer than six weeks to go until Selection Sunday, Michigan finds itself on everyone’s short list of national championship contenders thanks largely to the four NBA prospects who transferred in during the offseason: Yaxel Lendeborg (team-leading 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game), Morez Johnson Jr. (13.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg), Aday Mara (10.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.6 blocks per game) and Elliot Cadeau (10.4 ppg, 5.3 assists per game).
“I love our guys last year, but we just didn’t have enough dog,” May said. “So we were able to solve that issue in recruiting. We were close. We just didn’t have enough. I think our staff did a great job of being intentional about fixing the things that needed to be fixed instead of just hoping that things change or go away.”
Penn State also comes in feeling good about itself, having snapped an eight-game losing streak on Sunday with a 77-75 home win over Minnesota.
The Nittany Lions (10-12, 1-10) will be at a size disadvantage against Michigan’s massive frontline but will try and give the Wolverines problems with the smaller, quicker lineup that trapped and pressed Minnesota effectively.
“If we play on our heels, we’re going to lose,” Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades said. “If we’re going to play little and don’t be aggressive and hawk the ball, we’re probably going to lose. It’s not rolling the dice. It’s how I always want to play anyway.”
Penn State has three players averaging double figures: Kayden Mingo (14.1 ppg, 4.7 apg), Freddie Dilione V (13.9 ppg) and Josh Reed (10.0 ppg). Mingo, who leads the Big Ten with 2.1 steals per game, did not play in the teams’ first meeting.
Penn State has lost the last three games it has played in Ann Arbor. The last time Penn State won at Michigan was a 72-63 triumph on Jan. 22, 2020.
The only road game Penn State has won this year came on Nov. 8 at New Haven, which is in the Northeast Conference.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Eagles OL coach Jeff Stoutland to vacate role on staff
Feb 9, 2025; New Orleans, LA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland against the Kansas City Chiefs during Super Bowl LIX at Ceasars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach and run game coordinator Jeff Stoutland announced Wednesday that he will vacate his longtime role as new offensive coordinator Sean Mannion arrives.
“Philadelphia, I’ve decided my time coaching with the Eagles has come to an end,” Stoutland posted to X. “When I arrived here in 2013, I did not know what I was signing up for. I quickly learned what this city demands. But more importantly, what it gives back.
“The past 13 years have been the great privilege of my coaching career. I didn’t just work here, I became one of you. Stout out.”
Stoutland, 63, was exclusively a college coach before joining the Eagles’ staff in 2013 after serving as the offensive line coach at Alabama. Philadelphia went to the playoffs eight times during his run with the team and won two Super Bowls.
According to NFL Network, Stoutland will not completely sever ties with the organization, although no future role was specified.
–Field Level Media
Substack confirms data breach affects users’ email addresses and phone numbers
Fundamental raises $255M Series A with a new take on big data analysis
