Sports
Strong start propels Arizona to easy UCF defeat in Big 12 tourney opener
Mar 12, 2026; Kansas City, MO, USA; Arizona Wildcats guard Brayden Burries (5) shoots the ball over UCF Knights forward Jordan Burks (99) during the first half at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images Brayden Burries scored 21 points and top-seeded Arizona never trailed while cruising to an 81-59 victory over eighth-seeded UCF on Thursday afternoon in Kansas City to reach the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament.
Tobe Awaka had 12 points and 12 rebounds in the quarterfinal matchup and Koa Peat also scored 12 points for the Wildcats (30-2). Ivan Kharchenkov added 10 points for Arizona.
Themus Fulks scored 14 points for the Knights (21-11), who are expected to receive an at-large berth into the NCAA Tournament. Jordan Burks and Chris Johnson added 10 points apiece for UCF.
Arizona will face fifth-seeded Iowa State in Friday night’s first semifinal.
UCF’s John Bol was helped off the court with an apparent chest injury with 11:07 remaining in the game, collapsing to the floor while touching his chest with a hand. He had six points and five rebounds.
Arizona shot 48.3% from the field, including 6 of 16 from 3-point range, while leading by as much as 27.
The Knights made 36.5% of their attempts and were just 3 of 21 from behind the arc.
UCF threatened to make it a game after cutting its 27-point first-half deficit to 54-42 on Johnson’s floater with 11:49 left in the game.
But Awaka converted a three-point play to get it back to 15. A short time later, Motiejus Krivas made two free throws to give the Wildcats a 61-44 advantage with 8:22 left in the contest.
The Knights made another attempt on baskets by Johnson and Burks to move within 13 with 7:24 to play.
The Wildcats pushed the lead back to 66-49 on a dunk by Peat with 5:31 left.
A trey by Fulks got UCF within 12 with 4:48 left before Burries went on a personal 7-0 burst to give Arizona a 73-54 lead with 3:32 to play.
Kharchenkov followed with a 3-point play to boost the lead to 22 with 2:53 left as the Wildcats closed it out.
Arizona exploded at the outset of the game with seven straight points and led 14-2 before the game was five minutes old.
Awaka scored consecutive baskets to make it 20-6 with 13:11 left in the half. Johnson scored next for UCF before the Wildcats ripped off 15 straight points.
Peat scored the last five of that run to give Arizona a 35-8 lead with 7:38 left in the half.
The Knights later scored 18 of the last 25 points in the half to trail 46-30 at the break.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Reports: Bengals signing DT Jonathan Allen to 2-year, $26M deal
Aug 17, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Washington Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen (93) warms up before a preseason game against the Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Cincinnati Bengals are set to sign defensive tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $26 million contract, according to multiple reports Thursday.
The deal could be worth up to $28 million with incentives for the two-time Pro Bowl selection, ESPN reported.
Allen, 31, started all 17 games for the Minnesota Vikings last season and had 68 tackles with 3.5 sacks, seven tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and one fumble recovery.
The Vikings released Allen on Wednesday, the first day of the new league year, for salary cap considerations. Last offseason, the former Washington Commanders standout signed a three-year, $51 million contract with $31 million guaranteed.
Allen joins new Bengals edge rusher Boye Mafe, who left the Seattle Seahawks as a free agent and signed a three-year contract in Cincinnati valued at a reported $60 million.
Allen has 469 career tackles with 45.5 sacks, 67 tackles for loss, 129 QB hits, one interception, three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries in 126 regular-season games (125 starts). He played his first eight seasons with the Commanders.
Washington selected Allen with the 17th overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He was a Pro Bowl selection in 2021 and 2022.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Trump advises Iran team to skip World Cup for 'their own life and safety'
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Dec 5, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; FIFA President Gianni Infantino and United States of America President Donald Trump arrive on the red carpet ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Final Draw at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Ernst-Reuters via Imagn Images President Donald Trump suggested Thursday that Iran’s national soccer team should withdraw from the upcoming FIFA World Cup as a personal safety measure.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns, that Iran is welcome to play this summer in the United States, “but I really don’t believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Each of Iran’s three group stage matches is scheduled to take place on American soil.
The Iranians open Group G play in Inglewood, Calif., against New Zealand on June 15 and Belgium on June 21. They are slated to face Egypt on June 26 in Seattle.
The U.S. and Israel initiated war with Iran on Feb. 28 with a series of airstrikes that killed the longtime Iranian supreme leader, Ali Khameini, and other officials.
Iran’s national sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, reportedly told state television this week that the country could not participate in the World Cup following Khameini’s death.
The White House did not immediately explain the reference to “safety” in Trump’s post, which seemed to conflict with what he said in a recent meeting with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
“President Trump reiterated that the Iranian team is, of course, welcome to compete in the tournament in the United States,” Infantino wrote in an Instagram post on Tuesday.
“We all need an event like the FIFA World Cup to bring people together now more than ever, and I sincerely thank the President of the United States for his support, as it shows once again that Football Unites the World.”
The 48-team World Cup, the largest in tournament history, runs from June 11 to July 19 in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Iran planned to train in Tucson, Ariz., before the group stage.
Ranked No. 20 in the world, the Iranians qualified for the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time last March as one of the top sides in the Asian Football Confederation. They were eliminated from the group stage in 2022 with a 1-0 loss to the U.S. in Doha, Qatar.
Iranian athletes and coaches are exempt from the travel ban Trump imposed against their country last June.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Round-up: Early HRs off Justin Verlander lead Yankees past Tigers
Mar 12, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander (35) throws during the first inning against the New York Yankees at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images Detroit Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander gave up back-to-back home runs to Jasson Dominguez and J.C. Escarra in the first inning and the New York Yankees came away with a 4-3 victory at Lakeland, Fla.
In his second start of the spring, Verlander allowed three solo home runs in 3 1/3 innings (61 pitches). The 43-year old, who has returned to Detroit after spending parts of nine seasons pitching for the Houston Astros, the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants since departing, had five strikeouts. He has allowed five runs with nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings this spring.
Yankees right-hander Will Warren continued his outstanding spring, allowing two runs on twi hits over six innings with no walks. He gave up a home run to the Tigers’ Zach McKinstry to shave the Yankees’ lead to 3-2 in the fifth inning.
Detroit tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on a Jude Warwick sacrifice fly, but a bases-loaded walk to Yankees minor leaguer Joshua Moylan pushed across the game-winning run in the top of the ninth.
Seth Brown also homered off Verlander with one out in the second inning.
Cardinals 3, Mets 1
Nelson Velazquez hit a two-run home run off New York starter Sean Manaea in the bottom of the first inning as St. Louis edged the Mets in Jupiter, Fla.
New Mets infielder Jorge Polanco greeted Cardinals starter Michael McGreevey by launching a solo home run as the second batter of the game. it was the only run allowed by McGreevey, who gave up four hits and one walk with three strikeouts in five innings.
St. Louis first baseman Alec Burleson added an RBI single in the second inning. Nolan Gorman doubled and tripled off Manaea, but was stranded on both occasions.
Phillies 8, Blue Jays 5, 8 innings
Philadelphia roughed up a pair of Toronto minor league pitchers, scoring eight runs over the first three innings for the victory in Clearwater, Fla.
Phillies’ All-Star shortstop Trea Turner contributed a two-run RBI double to right in the second inning and Alec Bohm blasted a 422-foot solo home run in a four-run third.
Philadelphia starter Jesus Luzardo, who just signed a five-year contract extension worth $135 million on Tuesday, gave up a first-inning home run to Blue Jays’ backup catcher Tyler Heineman and allowed three runs in 3 2/3 innings. Heineman reached base three times, with two hits and a walk and scored three runs.
Twins 8, Red Sox 5
Rayne Doncon hit a three-run triple with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning to snap a 5-5 tie as Minnesota prevailed over Boston in a battle of teams based in Fort Myers, Fla.
After Twins infielder Orlando Arcia hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 4-3 lead, the Red Sox pushed across a pair of runs in the top of the eighth to retake the lead. The lead changed hands four times over the final four innings.
Boston shortstop Trevor Story went 3-for-4, scored a run and increased his spring average to .400.
Twins’ starter Bailey Ober, who is trying to rebound from an injury-plagued 2025 season, continued his slow ramp-up to the regular season by throwing 2 1/3 innings and allowing one run on five hits. Ober had two strikeouts with one walk in 53 pitches during his second outing of the spring.
Ryan Jeffers was one of four Twins with two hits and drove in runs in the first and third innings.
–Field Level Media
Reports: Bengals signing DT Jonathan Allen to 2-year, $26M deal
Trump advises Iran team to skip World Cup for 'their own life and safety'
