Sports
Ducks' goal: strong start against Flames
Feb 27, 2026; Anaheim, California, USA; Anaheim Ducks defenseman Jackson LaCombe (2) fights for the puck against Winnipeg Jets left wing Cole Koepke (45) during the second period at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images The Anaheim Ducks are rolling, even when they start slowly. As they prepare to host the Calgary Flames on Sunday, the Ducks would like to continue the first part of that statement, but would prefer to not require the second.
Heading into the clash, the Ducks are riding a four-game winning streak and have won 11 of 13 outings to jump into the second spot in the Pacific Division.
Anaheim is coming off a 5-4 overtime victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, in which it erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 before scoring a trio of third-period goals and then the extra-time winner.
“We just have that belief in ourselves that we’re never out of it,” forward Beckett Sennecke said. “That’s kind of the biggest thing in these comeback wins is we never think we’re out of it, and we know we can score goals.”
Anaheim has racked up 19 goals in the four-game streak, all victories in the first four affairs of a nine-game home stand that began prior to the Olympic break.
The Ducks also erased a multi-goal deficit to beat the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, the first outing following the break.
As much as the Ducks can take pride in having claimed a league-best nine wins after trailing by two or more goals, they are well aware that is not a long-term recipe for success. They have also surrendered the game’s first goal on the first shot in the past two games.
“We’ve got to get better starts because we can’t play every game down like that,” defenseman Jackson LaCombe said. “It’s just not going to work.”
The Flames arrive on the heels of a 2-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Although it was a one-goal game before the Kings tallied into an empty net in the final minute, that is small consolation for the Flames, who were blanked for the fifth time this season and have mustered only three victories in their last 10 games.
“We were fine, but when you’re in close games, you’ve got to find another level,” coach Ryan Huska said. “That’s, to me, what it looked like from the bench. You have a chance to grab a game when it’s close, and we weren’t able to do that. Whether that’s scoring a goal or making a better decision with the puck that led to their goal 5-on-5, those are the little things that I think were the difference.”
The clash with Los Angeles is the first time this season a game was played without any penalties called, but the shortage of power plays was not what the Flames were lamenting. It was the lack of opportunities generated.
“I don’t think we played our best game,” captain Mikael Backlund said. “At times we did, but too up and down throughout the game, a little too inconsistent. We had a little push at the end but not the way we want to play. We know we can play better.”
Moving forward, though, the Flames will look to rebound against the Ducks in the final outing of a three-game road swing through California, which opened with a victory over the San Jose Sharks.
“Hey, it’s one of the easier back-to-backs, I would say, in the league,” Huska said. “It’s a short, little bus ride. It’s not a late night for us at all, so the guys will be ready.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lone’er Kavanagh spoils Brandon Moreno’s homecoming in Mexico City
Mar 21, 2025; London, United Kingdom; UFC flyweight Lone’er Kavanagh during official weigh ins for UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-Imagn Images Lone’er Kavanagh left former two-time UFC flyweight champion Brandon Moreno bloodied and bruised for an upset victory in the main event of UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Mexico City.
England’s Kavanagh downed Mexico’s Moreno via unanimous decision in the non-title bout, securing the judges’ scorecards 49-46, 48-47, 48-47. Kavanagh was a late replacement for Asu Almabayev (23-3 MMA), who withdrew due to a hand injury, per a social media post on Feb. 3.
Kavanagh (10-1 MMA) dictated the fight early on, buckling Moreno (23-10-2 MMA) with a flurry of punches and kicks in Round 2. The pace slowed dramatically as the championship rounds (rounds 4 and 5 in traditional title fights and non-title main events) approached.
Kavanagh, 26, tipped his cap to Moreno, 32, calling him a “legend.”
“I said before the fight, I live for legendary moments,” Kavanagh said afterward. “This is a legendary moment. Brandon is a legend, a former two-time world champion.”
With only four UFC fights to his name, Kavanagh welcomes all challengers.
“Anyone can come and get it,” Kavanagh said.
Moreno has now lost back-to-back fights and three of his last five outings. He entered the fight ranked No. 6 in the flyweight division, a ranking he has hovered around since losing the title again in July 2023.
But for Kavanagh, a new era at 125 pounds may have just emerged.
A bantamweight co-main event featured Mexico’s David Martinez against a former UFC bantamweight title challenger in Marlon Vera.
Martinez (14-1 MMA) handed Vera (23-12-1 MMA) his fifth loss in his last six fights due in large part to a balanced attack of crisp striking, effortless wrestling and preserving energy when Vera pushed forward.
The unanimous decision win, all by 29-28 scores, extended Vera’s skid to four and could launch Martinez on the verge of stardom in the 135-pound division. Martinez has won 10 straight matches overall and is 3-0 in the UFC.
“I’ll be ready,” Martinez said after the fight, not hinting at future opponents.
An unexpected thriller saw King Green (formerly Bobby Green) secure a brutal TKO stoppage (strikes) against Mexico’s Daniel Zellhuber at lightweight.
Green (34-17, 1 NC MMA) used all but the last 5 seconds of the second round to send Zellhuber (15-3 MMA) to his third consecutive loss. Green, 39, said he would be open to fighting former “Ultimate Fighter” 5 winner Nate Diaz should Diaz return to the UFC in an intense post-fight talk from Green.
Diaz (21-13 MMA) has not fought for the promotion since September 2022, opting instead to box the likes of Jake Paul and former UFC welterweight title challenger and ex-“BMF” champion Jorge Masvidal (35-17 MMA).
More flyweight action took center stage as the main card moved along. In a split decision, Mexico’s Edgar Chairez edged Felipe Bunes in an all-action affair 29-28, 28-29, 29-28 in a fight that primarily stayed standing.
Chairez (13-6, 1 NC MMA), who has two straight and three of his last four bouts, is still chasing aspirations of winning a title in the near future. Bunes (14-9 MMA) has lost three of his last four fights.
Flyweights Imanol Rodriguez, in his UFC debut, and Kevin Borjas brought the Arena CMDX crowd to its feet as Borjas nearly won by first-round TKO.
The bout lasted to the second round and turned when an overhand right gave Rodriguez (7-0 MMA) his first win at MMA’s highest level and sixth overall KO/TKO finish at 4:21 of the round.
Borjas (10-5 MMA) has now lost four of his five UFC appearances, including a Nov. 2023 unanimous decision loss to current UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van (16-2 MMA) at UFC 295.
Bantamweight Santiago Luna used a mix of combinations to earn a unanimous decision against American Angel Pacheco, all by scores of 30-27, to begin the UFC Fight Night six-fight main card.
Luna (8-0 MMA) earned his second UFC win, while a resilient Pacheco (7-4 MMA) has not sniffed the win column since Aug. 2022 and has yet to find his footing in the promotion.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Commanding stretch gets No. 2 Arizona past No. 14 Kansas
Feb 28, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) dunks the ball during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images Jaden Bradley scored six of his 10 points in a 16-0 scoring run as No. 2 Arizona took charge to deliver an 84-61 victory over No. 14 Kansas on Saturday at Tucson, Ariz.
The Wildcats (27-2, 14-2 Big 12) avenged their loss at Kansas on Feb. 9, which was their first of the season after a program-record 23-0 start. The victory also clinched at least a tie for the regular-season Big 12 title for Arizona.
Brayden Burries led Arizona with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Koa Peat, who missed the Wildcats’ last three games with a lower-leg muscle strain, had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Motiejus Krivas finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Arizona and Ivan Kharchenkov had 11 points and six rebounds. The Wildcats outrebounded Kansas 48-26 and outscored the Jayhawks 30-20 in the paint and 16-8 in second-chance points.
Darryn Peterson, out with flu-like symptoms when Kansas beat Arizona in the previous meeting, finished with 24 points for the Jayhawks (21-8, 11-5). Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. each had 13 points for the Jayhawks.
After Arizona took a 47-35 lead with 14:45 remaining, Kansas went on a 12-2 run. Council, who made a 3-pointer early in the run, culminated it with a jumper to cut the Jayhawks’ deficit to 49-47 with 12:07 remaining.
Arizona responded with a commanding 16-0 run to go ahead 65-47 with 8:52 left. Kansas missed seven consecutive shots from the field in the stretch after making five straight.
The Wildcats’ string of seven straight made field goals pushed the lead to 76-56 with 4:42 left.
Arizona went on a 21-2 run to build a 21-5 lead with 13:35 left in the half. During that run, Kansas missed nine consecutive shots from the field.
Arizona scored six unanswered points to take its biggest lead of the first half, 37-19, with 3:52 remaining until halftime. The Wildcats failed to make a shot from the field thereafter in the half, missing five attempts, and Kansas closed with a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 39-28.
Flory Bidunga, who had 23 points and 10 rebounds in the previous matchup with Arizona, did not score and had two rebounds in the first half. He finished with two points and four rebounds.
Arizona outscored Kansas by 20 points at the free-throw line. The Wildcats were 30 of 34 at the line while Kansas was 10 of 11.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Top 25 roundup: No. 2 Arizona avenges 1st loss, beats No. 14 Kansas
Feb 28, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats forward Koa Peat (10) celebrates during the first half of the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images Jaden Bradley scored six of his 10 points in a 16-0 scoring run as No. 2 Arizona took charge to deliver an 84-61 victory over No. 14 Kansas on Saturday at Tucson, Ariz.
The Wildcats (27-2, 14-2 Big 12) avenged their loss at Kansas on Feb. 9, which was their first of the season after a program-record 23-0 start. The victory also clinched at least a tie for the regular-season Big 12 title for Arizona.
Brayden Burries led Arizona with 20 points, 12 rebounds and five assists. Koa Peat, who missed the Wildcats’ last three games with a lower-leg muscle strain, had 12 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
Darryn Peterson, out with flu-like symptoms in the previous meeting, finished with 24 points for the Jayhawks (21-8, 11-5). Tre White and Melvin Council Jr. each added 13 points.
No. 1 Duke 77, No. 11 Virginia 51
Isaiah Evans had a hot start on the way to 19 points, and the Blue Devils contained the Cavaliers for much of Saturday afternoon’s showdown in Durham, N.C.
Cameron Boozer racked up most of his 18 points on free throws for Duke (27-2, 15-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which built its lead as large as 28 points in the second half. Boozer also had a team-high nine rebounds, while Patrick Ngongba II added 11 points.
Thijs De Ridder had 16 points for Virginia (25-4, 13-3), which was bidding to pull even atop the ACC standings. Instead, the Cavaliers’ nine-game winning streak was halted as they were held to a season-low point total.
No. 16 Texas Tech 82, No. 4 Iowa State 73
Donovan Atwell scored 18 points, hitting six 3-pointers, as the Red Raiders handed the Cyclones their first home loss of the season in Ames, Iowa.
Luke Bamgboye delivered his best game since stepping in as a starter for the injured J.T. Toppin with 13 points and Christian Anderson scored 12 points and dished out seven assists as Texas Tech (22-7, 12-4 Big 12) moved into a tie for second place in the conference with Houston.
Iowa State (24-5, 11-5) got 22 points from Joshua Jefferson and 20 from Milan Momcilovic, but couldn’t quite dig out of a hole that grew as deep as 45-25 late in the first half.
No. 5 Houston 102, Colorado 62
Milos Uzan poured in 26 points while hitting on five of his seven 3-point shots as the host Cougars snapped their three-game skid with a beatdown of the Buffaloes.
Houston (24-5, 12-4 Big 12) shrugged off a ragged start to build a 26-point lead at halftime and was ahead by 21-plus for the entire second half. Joseph Tugler added 14 points for the Cougars, who shot 59.6% from the floor and 58.8% from 3-point range.
Isaiah Johnson led Colorado with 19 points. Bangot Dak added 15 and Sebastian Rancik had 11 for the Buffaloes (16-13, 6-10), who had a two-game winning streak snapped.
No. 6 UConn 71, Seton Hall 67
Alex Karaban made 5 of 6 3-point attempts and scored a game-high 23 points, lifting the Huskies to a victory over the Pirates in Storrs, Conn.
Solo Ball added 14 points for UConn (27-3, 17-2 Big East), which trailed by eight points midway through the second half before responding with a 10-0 run,
Seton Hall (19-10, 9-9) received 20 points from A.J. Staton-McCray and 12 from Elijah Fisher. Adam Clark, who entered the game averaging a team-high 12.5 points per game, was held to four points on 2-of-10 shooting.
No. 7 Florida 111, No. 20 Arkansas 77
Thomas Haugh scored 22 points, Rueben Chinyelu had 12 points and 16 rebounds for his 17th double-double, and the Gators clinched at least a share of the Southeastern Conference regular-season title with a rout of the Razorbacks in Gainesville, Fla.
Florida (23-6, 14-2 SEC) placed seven players in double figures in its highest scoring game of the season and has won nine straight games, eight of them by 13-plus points. The Gators shot 56.5% from the field and had a 51-31 rebounding advantage.
Billy Richmond scored 22 points and Darius Acuff Jr. added 17 for Arkansas (21-8, 11-5), which had won five of six. The 34-point margin of defeat was tied for the biggest of John Calipari’s coaching career.
Saint Mary’s 70, No. 9 Gonzaga 59
Mikey Lewis established career highs of 31 points and seven 3-pointers and the Gaels clinched a share of the West Coast Conference regular-season title with a home win over the Bulldogs at Moraga, Calif.
Joshua Dent added 14 points and made four 3-pointers for Saint Mary’s (27-4, 16-2 WCC), which has won or shared the title in each of the past four seasons. Saint Mary’s shared the regular-season crown with Gonzaga in 2023 and won the league outright each of the past two seasons. Mantas Juzenas had 12 points on four treys and the Gaels outscored the Zags 41-23 in the second half.
Graham Ike scored 17 points before fouling out with 3:44 remaining for the Bulldogs (28-3, 16-2), who previously clinched a share of the crown and will be the No. 1 seed in the upcoming WCC postseason tournament. Saint Mary’s will be the No. 2 seed. Adam Miller scored 14 points and Tyon Grant-Foster added 13 points and three blocked shots.
No. 12 Nebraska 82, Southern California 67
Pryce Sandfort scored 32-plus points for a second time in the last week to help the Cornhuskers rally from a second-half deficit in Los Angeles to hand the Trojans their fifth consecutive loss.
Nebraska (25-4, 14-4 Big Ten) exploded out of the intermission, taking the lead with a 12-2 surge and establishing full control with a 15-0 run. Braden Frager joined Sandfort in double-figures with 17 points to go along with eight rebounds off the bench.
Chad Baker-Mazara scored 14 first-half points for USC (18-11, 7-11) before leaving with an injury early in the second half after a hard fall. Alijah Arenas also tallied 14.
No. 15 St. John’s 89, Villanova 57
Zuby Ejiofor totaled 16 points, 12 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists for his first career triple-double as the Red Storm relentlessly defended and overwhelmed the Wildcats in New York.
St. John’s (23-6, 16-2 Big East) bounced back impressively from Wednesday’s 72-40 loss at No. 6 UConn. Ejiofor made 6 of 12 shots after being held to six points Wednesday. Ian Jackson came off the bench and contributed 19 and a career-high five steals, and Oziyah Sellers contributed 14 as St. John’s won for the 14th time in 15 games.
Duke Brennan led Villanova (22-7, 13-5) with 12 points while Bryce Lindsay and Devin Askew added 10 apiece. Standout freshman Acaden Lewis was held to eight points and committed five of the Wildcats’ 16 turnovers.
No. 17 Alabama 71, No. 22 Tennessee 69
Labaron Philon Jr. gave the Crimson Tide their lone lead by sinking a jumper with 22.8 seconds remaining as the visitors recovered from a 13-point second-half deficit to post a victory over the Volunteers in SEC play at Knoxville, Tenn.
Philon scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half as Alabama (22-7, 12-4 SEC) extended its winning streak to eight games. Latrell Wrightsell Jr. scored 14 of his team-high 25 points in the second half for the Crimson Tide.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie had 26 points, seven assists and matched his own school record of eight steals for the Volunteers (20-9, 10-6), who lost their second straight game. J.P. Estrella added 12 points and Jaylen Carey contributed 10 points and nine rebounds.
No. 18 North Carolina 89, Virginia Tech 82
Henri Veesaar matched his career high with 26 points as the Tar Heels pulled away from the Hokies in the second half for a victory in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Seth Trimble put up 20 points as the Tar Heels (23-6, 11-5 ACC) won for the fourth time in their last five games without top scorer and rebounder Caleb Wilson, a star freshman who is out with a broken left hand.
Neo Avdalas supplied 19 points and five assists for Virginia Tech (18-11, 7-9), which came up short of gaining its third Quad 1 victory in its pursuit of a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
West Virginia 79, No. 19 BYU 71
Honor Huff scored 19 points and dished out six assists to lead the Mountaineers to an upset of the Cougars in Morgantown, W. Va.
Brenen Lorient racked up 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds and DJ Thomas scored 13 points off the bench for West Virginia (17-12, 8-8 Big 12), which snapped a three-game losing streak.
Robert Wright III led BYU (20-9, 8-8) with 23 points. AJ Dybantsa scored 20 points, with 16 coming in the second half, while Aleksej Kostic added 12 for the Cougars, who have dropped seven of their last 10 games.
No. 23 Saint Louis 91, Duquesne 76
Robbie Avila had 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to help the Billikens stave off the visiting Dukes for a victory in Atlantic 10 Conference play.
Quentin Jones added 17 points and Trey Green scored 14 for Saint Louis (26-3, 14-2 A-10), which had dropped two of its previous three games. The Billikens, who trailed by 12 points early in the first half, made 16 of their 28 3-point attempts (57.1%). Paul Otieno scored 13 points off the bench.
Tarence Guinyard led Duquesne (16-13, 8-8) with 27 points, followed by Jimmie Williams’ 16 and David Dixon’s 12.
Clemson 80, No. 24 Louisville 75
Powered by Jestin Porter’s 16 points, the Tigers came away with a win over the visiting Cardinals to snap their four-game losing streak.
Porter scored all of his points after halftime and made four three-pointers. RJ Godfrey scored 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds for Clemson (21-8, 11-5 ACC), which secured its second ranked win of the season.
Ryan Conwell extended his double-digit scoring streak to 22 games as he scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting for Louisville (20-9, 9-7). Leading scorer Mikel Brown Jr. scored a season-low five points on 2-of-10 shooting, coming off the bench due to a back injury.
Kentucky 91, No. 25 Vanderbilt 77
Colin Chandler scored a career-high 23 points and made six shots from 3-point range as the Wildcats exacted some revenge with a victory over the Commodores at Lexington, Ky.
Otega Oweh also scored 23 points, Denzel Aberdeen had 15 and Malachi Moreno added 11 as the Wildcats (19-10, 10-6 SEC) delivered some payback after an ugly 80-55 loss to the Commodores earlier this season.
Tyler Taner scored 19 points and Jalen Washington added 16 for Vanderbilt (22-7, 9-7), which has dropped three of its past five games in conference play. Tyler Nickel scored 13 points, AK Okereke added 12 and Duke Miles had 11 points for the Commodores.
–Field Level Media
Lone’er Kavanagh spoils Brandon Moreno’s homecoming in Mexico City
Commanding stretch gets No. 2 Arizona past No. 14 Kansas
