Sports
Big Ten seeds, NCAA dreams at stake for Hawkeyes, Buckeyes
Feb 17, 2026; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) drives to the basket as Wisconsin Badgers guard Braeden Carrington (0) defends during the second half at Value City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images A crucial Big Ten tournament seed will be at stake when Ohio State and Iowa meet Wednesday night in Iowa City.
With four games left, the Hawkeyes (19-8, 9-7 Big Ten) hold the eighth spot over Ohio State (17-10, 9-7) on a tiebreaker. The top eight receive a double bye in the conference tournament, which ought to help a team make a deeper run and increases its chances of making the NCAA Tournament.
However, Iowa coach Ben McCollum claims he’s not focused on league standings, NET rankings or any other metrics.
“If we win the next game and then the next game and the next game and the next game, it’s going to give us a better chance to make the NCAA Tournament,” McCollum said. “I don’t even know where we’re at in the NET. I did when some people would tell me. I think once the season’s over, I’ll probably pay attention more just from a scheduling perspective.”
The Hawkeyes are No. 28 in the NET with a 3-7 record against Quad 1 opponents. The Buckeyes sit 37th in the NET, but they’re 0-9 against Quad 1 foes – the only team in the top 45 without such a win. However, they can bag their first against the Hawkeyes.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 66-60 loss to No. 13 Michigan State when they played without No. 2 scorer John Mobley Jr. (hand) and No. 3 scorer Devin Royal (illness).
Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said Monday that Mobley remains out, but Royal will be available to relieve pressure on top scorer Bruce Thornton. The senior standout scored 32 points with four rebounds, two assists, two steals and no turnovers in 40 minutes against the Spartans to become the second all-time scorer in program history.
Thornton (2,037 points) isn’t too far behind Dennis Hopson, who piled up 2,096 points from 1983-87, so it seems just a matter of time before Thornton becomes No. 1.
“He’s such a great player,” Diebler said. “The way he approaches a game, his discipline, all of that stuff is elite.
“He’s just trying to win and that’s the best part about it. He’s playing at a really high level right now. That’s what great players do this time of year, they step up.”
Iowa has a talented guard as well in Bennett Stirtz, who had 23 points in an 84-71 loss to Wisconsin. He has scored 20-plus points in nine of the past 10 games.
Stirtz (20.6 ppg) ranks third among all Big Ten scorers, two spots ahead of Thornton (20.4 ppg).
“He’s kind of the engine of the team,” Diebler said of Stirtz. “It’s impressive what he’s doing.”
-Field Level Media
Sports
Hilary Knight calls President Trump's comment 'distasteful joke'
Feb 19, 2026; Milan, Italy; Hilary Knight (21) of the United States high fives the bench after scoring a goal against Canada in the women’s ice hockey gold medal game during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Hilary Knight, captain of the gold-medal-winning U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team, took exception to a comment President Donald Trump made in the wake of the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team winning its championship game.
Trump invited the men’s Olympic team to attend the State of the Union speech, adding, “I must tell you, we’re going to have to bring the women’s team, you do know that.”
He then said if he didn’t welcome the women’s team, too, “I do believe I probably would be impeached.”
Knight reacted while appearing Wednesday on ESPN: “I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke, and, unfortunately, that is overshadowing a lot of the success, the success of just women at the Olympics carrying for Team USA and having amazing gold-medal feats.
“We’re just focusing on celebrating the women in our room, the extraordinary efforts, and continue to celebrate three gold medals in program history, as well as the double gold for both men’s and women’s at the same time. And really not detract from that with a distasteful joke.”
While some members of the men’s team laughed at Trump’s comment, Knight wasn’t overly upset with them.
“I think there’s a genuine level of support there and respect,” she said regarding the men’s and women’s Olympic teams. “I think that’s being overshadowed by a quick lapse. I think the guys were in a tough spot, so I think it’s a shame this storyline and narrative has kind of blown up and overshadowing that connection and genuine interest in one another and cheering each other on.”
The majority of the men’s Olympic team players visited the White House on Tuesday and then went to the Capitol for the State of the Union. The players received bipartisan cheers when they entered the House of Representatives chamber after being introduced by Trump.
The U.S. women’s hockey team declined Trump’s invitation Monday, issuing a statement that read in part, “Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate. They were honored to be included and are grateful for the acknowledgment.”
Knight, 36, collected her U.S. Olympic-record 15th goal at 17:56 of the third period in the gold-medal game against Canada, leveling the score at 1-1. Megan Keller’s goal 4:07 into overtime was the winner.
Knight emerged with her second gold medal in her fifth Olympics. The Seattle Torrent forward owns a record 10 golds from the IIHF World Women’s Championship.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Wyatt Johnston tallies twice, Stars beat Kraken to run streak to 7
Feb 25, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston (53) skates against the Seattle Kraken during the second period at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images Wyatt Johnston scored twice and Thomas Harley added two assists as the Dallas Stars topped the visiting Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Wednesday night.
Matt Duchene and Sam Steel also scored, with Duchene adding an assist, as the Stars extended their winning streak to seven and won for the eighth time in nine games.
Casey DeSmith made 18 saves to improve to 3-0-0 against Seattle this season.
With the win, Dallas swept the three-game season series against the Kraken and improved to 13-1-1 all-time against Seattle.
Ryker Evans responded for the Kraken, who lost for just the third time in nine games. Joey Daccord stopped 28 shots.
The Stars outshot the Kraken 10-3 and led 1-0 after 20 minutes.
Dallas opened the scoring with 1:19 remaining in the first as Johnston tipped an Esa Lindell point shot past Daccord for his 30th goal of the season.
Duchene made it 2-0 at 1:43 of the middle period, redirecting a Harley shot from the blue line past Daccord for his 11th. With the goal, Duchene extended his point streak to seven games (seven goals, three assists).
Dallas scored twice in a 39-second span to double its lead.
The Stars took a 3-0 lead as Steel poked home the rebound off Mavrik Bourque’s shot at 5:35. Seattle unsuccessfully tried to challenge for goaltender interference on the play.
Johnston added his second of the game on a power play as Miro Heiskanen’s shot deflected off the Stars forward and in at 6:14.
Evans got Seattle on the board at 6:46 of the third, putting a slapshot past DeSmith for his sixth of the season.
Kraken defenseman Ryan Lindgren left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury, following a collision with Stars forward Colin Blackwell, and did not return.
–Field Level Media
Sports
No. 9 Gonzaga avenges loss to Portland, grabs share of WCC title
Feb 25, 2026; Spokane, Washington, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Noah Haaland (35) shoots the ball against Portland Pilots center Jermaine Ballisager Webb (1) in the first half at McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-Imagn Images Graham Ike scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds and snagged a career-high seven steals as No. 9 Gonzaga clinched the top seed in the West Coast Conference tournament as well as at least a share of the regular-season title with an 89-48 victory against Portland on Wednesday in Spokane, Wash.
Braeden Smith added 15 points on 6-for-6 shooting for the Bulldogs (28-2, 16-1 WCC), who also avenged their lone conference loss of the season. Tyon Grant-Foster and Mario Saint-Supery scored 12 apiece as Gonzaga won its sixth game in a row.
Joel Foxwell led the Pilots (12-18, 5-12) with 12 points. Portland has lost four consecutive games.
The Bulldogs were dominant on defense, forcing 22 turnovers while allowing just 17 field goals.
Gonzaga shot 52.4% from the field (33 of 63) while limiting the Pilots to 34.7% (17 of 49).
Ike scored 12 points in the first half as the Bulldogs took a 36-21 lead. He also had six steals by the intermission as Gonzaga forced 15 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.
Foxwell, who scored 27 in the Pilots’ 87-80 upset of Gonzaga on Feb. 4, had eight points, including a pair of 3-pointers, in the opening six minutes as Portland took a 15-12 lead.
The Bulldogs responded with a 16-0 run, sparked by an Ike 3-pointer and fastbreak layup off a steal, to take the lead for good. Smith also had five points during the run, also on a trey and a layup, and capped it with a steal and an alley-oop pass to Grant-Foster for a thunderous dunk.
The Pilots were scoreless for a stretch of 7:22 and held without a field goal for 8:59. They went 0-for-6 from the field with eight turnovers during that stretch.
A putback by James O’Donnell with 5:56 remaining and a jumper by Foxwell with 3:29 to go were the Pilots’ only field goals in the final 14 minutes of the half.
The Bulldogs closed the half with another alley-oop dunk by Grant-Foster with three seconds left off a feed from Saint-Supery.
–Field Level Media
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Hilary Knight calls President Trump's comment 'distasteful joke'
