Sports
Nets score 80 in first half, outclass short-handed Wizards
Feb 7, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets forward Danny Wolf (2) drives to the basket against Washington Wizards guard Will Riley (27) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Michael Porter Jr. scored 20 of his 23 points before halftime as the Brooklyn Nets produced their biggest first half in a little over three years and beat the Washington Wizards 127-113 Saturday afternoon in New York.
Brooklyn scored 46 points in the opening quarter, its most since a 47-point first quarter against the host Detroit Pistons on April 5, 2023. The Nets also scored 80 in the first half, its most before halftime since getting 91 points in a 143-113 home win over the Golden State Warriors on Dec. 21, 2022.
Porter led seven in double figures as the Nets won for the fourth time in their past 22 games.
Day’Ron Sharpe added 19 and nine rebounds to lead a 56-point showing by Brooklyn’s bench. Noah Clowney contributed 18, rookies Danny Wolf and Nolan Traore finished with 16 and 15, respectively.
The Nets shot 54.9%, scored a season-best 66 points in the paint and led by as many as 34 in the first half.
Rookie Will Riley scored a career-high 27 points as Washington played with eight available players. Justin Champagnie added 21 while Tristan Vukcevic and Sharife Cooper contributed 14 apiece as the Wizards shot 46.8%.
Besides missing Jaden Hardy and D’Angelo Russell following their acquisitions from the Dallas Mavericks in the blockbuster Anthony Davis trade, Washington was without Bilal Coulibaly (sore back), Kyshawn George (right knee bruise), Alex Sarr (sore right ankle) and Tre Johnson (sprained left ankle)
The Nets ended the opening quarter on a 23-3 run and held a 46-20 lead after Wolf buried a 3-pointer with nine tenths of a second left following Washington’s eighth turnover. The Nets saw their lead reach 30 when Sharpe’s 3-point play made it 51-21 early in the second and held an 80-47 lead by halftime after Porter hit a stepback 3 with 7.3 seconds left.
The Wizards showed some life by opening the second half on a 21-5 run to get within 85-68 on a 3 by Riley with 6:44 left. Brooklyn regained a little control in the final minutes of the quarter and held a 101-82 cushion in the fourth.
Riley converted a four-point play and a layup on consecutive trips to cut the lead to 117-103 with 5:46 remaining and Cooper’s corner 3 made it 123-111 with 2:10 left before the Nets finished it off.
–Field Level Media
Sports
No. 24 Louisville hangs on against pesky Wake Forest team
Feb 7, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Louisville Cardinals guard J’vonne Hadley (1) drives to the basket against Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Myles Colvin (6) during the first half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images Sananda Fru scored 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting to lead No. 24 Louisville, which extended its winning streak to three Saturday by beating a pesky Wake Forest squad 88-80 in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The Cardinals (17-6, 7-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) never trailed as they feasted against one of the ACC’s poorer defensive teams, shooting 52.9% (27 of 51) against the Demon Deacons (11-12, 2-8). However, Wake Forest battled back from a 15-point deficit four minutes into the second half to tie it twice.
Juke Harris scored 16 of his 25 points in the second half to lead the Demon Deacons, who lost their fifth straight contest. The sophomore also pulled down 11 rebounds but missed his last five shots from the field.
Fru, a 6-foot-11 junior, was one of six Cardinals to score in double figures. J’Vonne Hadley finished with 15 points, and Khani Rooths added 13. Mikel Brown Jr. made six free throws in the final 5:06 as part of a 12-point, eight-assist game for the freshman point guard.
Louisville listed Hadley, who left Wednesday’s game against Notre Dame after just three minutes due to a back injury, as a game-time decision Saturday. The sixth-year guard started and scored Louisville’s first five points.
He also scored six points in 33 seconds to give the Cardinals a 54-39 lead, their biggest in the game, with 15:56 remaining.
Hadley made five of his seven shots.
Louisville also made 40% (10 of 25) of its 3-pointers. Isaac McKneely made three of his four, and Ryan Conwell hit two of his four. Both scored 11 points.
The Demon Deacons, however, shot 14 of 21 over an 11-minute stretch. A pair of Sebastian Akins free throws tied the game at 80 with 4:44 remaining. However, Wake Forest missed their last 11 shots, allowing Louisville to pull away by making 10 of its 12 free throws in the final 5:06.
Omaha Biliew added 14 points off the bench for the Demon Deacons, who also got 12 points from Akins and 10 from Myles Colvin.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lamar Wilkerson, Indiana outlast Wisconsin in OT
Feb 7, 2026; Bloomington, Indiana, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Lamar Wilkerson (3) celebrates after the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images Lamar Wilkerson hit two free throws with two seconds left in overtime, and Indiana outlasted Wisconsin for a 78-77 victory Saturday afternoon in Bloomington, Ind.
Wisconsin (16-7, 8-4 Big Ten) held a 77-74 lead when Nick Boyd split two free throws with 56 seconds left but committed a costly turnover with 15 seconds left. After struggling to get the ball up court, Boyd’s right arm hit Connor Enright near midcourt for an offensive foul.
Following a timeout, Wilkerson drove into the paint and was met by John Blackwell, who committed the foul. Wilkerson then put Indiana back ahead by easily sinking the free throws, and the game ended when Braeden Carrington’s 3-point heave from beyond halfcourt was long.
Wilkerson led the Hoosiers (16-8, 7-6) with 25 points, though he struggled from beyond the arc. He was 1-of-8 from 3 and 8-of-20 overall but made all eight free throws, including four in the final minute of regulation after Indiana lost a 13-point lead.
Sam Alexis added a season-high 19 points, seven rebounds, and five blocks, including a key block on Boyd with 2:44 left after Wisconsin took a two-point lead on a basket by Nolan Winter a little over a minute earlier.
Tucker DeVries contributed 16 and Enright chipped in 11 as Indiana shot 47.6 percent and survived missing 17 of 22 3-point tries in its fourth win in five games.
Winter led all scorers with a career-high 26 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Boyd added 20, and Blackwell scored 16 of his 18 after halftime before fouling out.
Wisconsin shot 38% and made 33.3% (12-of-36) from 3-point range.
Indiana made seven straight shots and opened a 26-12 lead with 8:26 left on a reverse layup by Enright that followed consecutive 3s by DeVries. Wilkerson hit a jumper by the foul line for a 30-19 lead with 5:55 remaining and Indiana held a 36-30 lead at halftime.
Indiana stretched its lead to 52-39 on a triple from the top of the key by DeVries with 13:01 left and held a 64-56 lead on a 3-point play by Alexis with 6:07 left.
Wisconsin ripped off 10 straight for a 72-68 lead with 57 seconds left when Winter hit an open 3. Wilkerson hit four free throws and the game headed to overtime when Blackwell missed an off-balance jumper near the baseline just before the buzzer.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jayden Stone, Missouri topple reeling South Carolina
Feb 7, 2026; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward Elijah Strong (31) attempts to drive around Missouri Tigers forward Trent Pierce (11) in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images Jayden Stone scored 22 points and Mark Mitchell added 20 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists as Missouri used strong starts at the beginning of each half in a 78-59 victory over South Carolina on Saturday in Columbia, S.C.
T.O. Barrett added 14 points and seven rebounds for the Tigers (16-7, 6-4 Southeastern Conference), who handed the Gamecocks (11-13, 2-9) their fifth straight loss.
The win improves Missouri’s chances of advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years. The team squarely is on the bubble right now.
Meechie Johnson, coming off a career-high 35 points against Texas on Tuesday, shot just 2-for-13 from the field, including 1-for-7 from beyond the arc. He made 8 of 10 free throw attempts and still led South Carolina with 13 points.
Kobe Knox and Elijah Strong had 12 points apiece and Eli Ellis came off the bench to contribute 11 points and six rebounds.
Mitchell had 10 points and eight rebounds in the game’s first seven minutes as the Tigers dominated the glass offensively en route to seizing a 21-8 lead. Missouri’s 12 offensive rebounds in the first half were the most it has had in a half this season.
Strong came off the bench to spark the Gamecocks, scoring eight points to get South Carolina within four points at 34-30 at the break.
Mike Sharavjamts scored on a layup to open the second half, but the Tigers went on a 17-5 run to again take control of the game. Stone scored 14 of his game-high 22 in the second half, including a series of high-flying dunks.
Missouri, the worst free-throw shooting team in the SEC, came into the game shooting 58% from the charity stripe on the road in conference play. The team made 70% (21 for 30) of its shots to help seal the win.
Trent Pierce added eight points and five rebounds for Missouri, which held a commanding 44-28 advantage on the boards.
Sharavjamts added nine points and five rebounds for the Gamecocks.
–Field Level Media
