Sports
Nuggets surge past Bulls with strong 4th quarter
Feb 7, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) makes a three point basket over Chicago Bulls center Nick Richards (13) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images Jamal Murray scored 28 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. added 23 and Nikola Jokic posted his second consecutive triple-double to lift the visiting Denver Nuggets to a 136-120 victory against the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.
Denver opened the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run and outscored Chicago 39-16 over the final 12 minutes.
Murray scored 21 points after halftime but left the game in the closing minutes with an apparent groin injury.
Julian Strawther scored 19 points for Denver, Cameron Johnson followed with 14 and Christian Braun, Jonas Valanciunas and Bruce Brown chipped in 10 apiece. Murray dished 11 assists for a double-double.
Seven Chicago players finished in double figures. Matas Buzelis led the way with 21 points while Colllin Sexton (17) followed. Anfernee Simons and Nick Richards both had 15 points, Isaac Okoro added 13, and Guerschon Yabusele (12) and Jaden Ivey (10) rounded out the attack.
Buzelis grabbed a team-high eight rebounds.
The new-look Bulls, who dealt eight players before Thursday’s trade deadline, showed energy and competitiveness for the first three quarters before fading down the stretch.
Brown’s runner put the Nuggets ahead 95-88 with 3:30 left in the third, but the Bulls responded by closing the quarter on a 16-2 run. The spurt started with a Richards alley-oop dunk off a feed from Rob Dillingham and ended with four treys in the final 2:24, including a pair from Yabusele.
Denver hardly panicked, though. Jokic — who had 22 points 17 assists, and 14 rebounds to pass Oscar Robertson for second all-time with his 182nd career triple-double — helped the Nuggets close things out.
Johnson swished a 3-pointer on Denver’s first possession of the game in his first action since Dec. 23, when he sustained a right knee bone bruise and hyperextension.
A Hardaway trey stretched the Nuggets’ advantage to 11 points with 3:51 left in the opening quarter before Chicago responded with a 13-4 run.
Sparked by 13 points from Simons and 10 from Buzelis, Chicago led 65-59 at halftime. Hardaway Jr. led all scorers with 18 points at the break. Jokic contributed 11 rebounds, nine points and seven assists.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Amaka Agugua-Hamilton no longer coach at Virginia
Feb 22, 2026; Louisville, Kentucky, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton calls out instructions during the second half against the Louisville Cardinals at KFC Yum! Center. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images Virginia parted ways with Amaka Agugua-Hamilton as its head women’s basketball coach after four seasons.
The university announced the news Saturday about Agugua-Hamilton, who helped the Cavaliers become the initial First Four team to advance to the Sweet 16 of the Women’s NCAA Tournament after defeating seventh-seeded Georgia 82-73 in overtime in the first round, then upsetting second-seeded Iowa 83-75 in double overtime in the second round.
Virginia’s season came to an end after dropping a 79-69 decision to third-seeded TCU on March 28.
The Cavaliers, who finished 20-12 this season, posted a 70-58 record with a 29-42 mark in ACC play under Agugua-Hamilton.
The university issued a brief statement on Saturday, saying only that she will not return to the role and that a national search will begin immediately.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kelly Morrone named women's basketball coach at Albany
Dec 10, 2022; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Merrimack Warriors head coach Kelly Morrone at the end of the first quarter against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Purcell Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images Albany announced the hiring of Kelly Morrone as the next women’s basketball head coach.
Morrone spent the past six seasons as the head coach at Merrimack, a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. She was named 2026 MAAC Coach of the Year after the Warriors finished 19-13 (15-5 MAAC) and was selected to the women’s NIT. Merrimack lost to NJIT in the first round.
“I am incredibly honored and excited to accept the position of head women’s basketball coach at the University at Albany,” she said Saturday in a statement. “I’ve long admired the tradition and pride of the Great Danes, and I am deeply grateful to be entrusted with this important opportunity. It is a privilege to lead a program with such strong institutional support and a clear commitment to excellence.”
Her record at Merrimack was 74-92. During her tenure, Merrimack made the transition from Division II to Division I.
She also won 117 games at John Carroll, a Division III program in University Heights, Ohio.
Morrone played at South Carolina and was a three-year captain, her career ending with a second-round loss in the Women’s NCAA Tournament in 2003. She began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Buffalo (2005-08), followed by stops at Davidson (2008-10), Rhode Island (2010-12) and William & Mary (2012-13) before John Carroll.
At Albany, she replaces Colleen Mullen, who recently accepted the same job at Rhode Island. Mullen led the Great Danes to one NCAA Tournament berth in eight seasons, but before her arrival, Albany was a consistent winner in the America East.
The Great Danes appeared in the NCAA Tournament six consecutive seasons between 2012-17.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cubs place RHP Cade Horton (forearm) on 15-day IL
Mar 28, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pitcher Cade Horton (22) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images The Chicago Cubs placed right-handed starter Cade Horton on the 15-day injured list Sunday with a right forearm strain.
The move is retroactive to Saturday for Horton, who exited Friday’s start against the host Cleveland Guardians after one-plus inning and 17 pitches.
Horton retired the side in order in the first inning before walking Kyle Manzardo on five pitches to open the second. He left the game with the Cubs’ head trainer. The Guardians went on to win 4-1.
“I had some tightness in my wrist and as the game went on, it went into my forearm,” Horton said on Friday. “I wanted to err on the cautious side and not hurt anything else. I just wanted to be smart about it and make a smart decision.”
Horton lowered his ERA to 2.45 on Friday after he yielded two runs in 6 1/3 innings in the Cubs’ 10-2 win over the Washington Nationals on March 28. It is the 24-year-old’s second season in the major leagues.
He was 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA in his rookie season.
Also on Sunday, the Cubs recalled left-hander Riley Martin from Triple-A Iowa and tabbed right-hander Ethan Roberts as the 27th man for Sunday’s doubleheader against the Guardians.
Martin, 28, has yet to pitch in a major league game. He is 24-13 with a 3.76 ERA in 174 career appearances (three starts) in the minors.
–Field Level Media
Amaka Agugua-Hamilton no longer coach at Virginia
Kelly Morrone named women's basketball coach at Albany
