Sports
Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duran record double-doubles as Pistons top Thunder
Feb 25, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham (2) dribbles on Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) in the first half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images Cade Cunningham had 29 points and 13 assists and Jalen Duren had 29 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 124-116 home win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in a battle of the top teams from each conference.
The Pistons have won six of their last seven, while the Thunder had its three-game winning streak snapped.
Detroit led by 17 in the third quarter and as many as 14 in the fourth before the Thunder cut the deficit to three with a 13-2 run that included eight points from Aaron Wiggins.
After Oklahoma City made it 108-105 with 5:06 remaining, the Pistons grabbed four consecutive offensive rebounds before Javonte Green drained a 3-pointer with the shot clock dwindling to break the skid.
The Thunder cut the deficit to four in the final minute, but Cunningham found Duren for a dunk in the last 30 seconds to help the Pistons hold off Oklahoma City.
Playing on the second night of a back-to-back, the Thunder were already short-handed and wound up even more short-handed throughout the course of the game.
Late in the first quarter, Branden Carlson left with lower back soreness and did not return, while Isaiah Joe suffered a left glute contusion late in the second quarter and didn’t return.
Oklahoma City was not only without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, who have all been out since before the All-Star break, but also Isaiah Hartenstein, Chet Holmgren and Alex Caruso.
Detroit’s Isaiah Stewart served the fifth contest of a seven-game suspension.
Even without all but one of its normal starters against the Eastern Conference’s top team, Oklahoma City jumped out to a big lead early behind its defense.
The Thunder closed the first quarter on a 15-2 run to take a 12-point lead. Seven of those points off turnovers came in the final four minutes of the quarter.
But Detroit quickly got back in the game in the second, cutting the deficit to one with a 9-0 run, kick-started by back-to-back rebounds and putbacks from Ronald Holland II early in the second.
The Pistons then pulled ahead with a 19-10 run over the final four minutes of the second quarter to take the lead for good.
Without Holmgren and Hartenstein in the middle for Oklahoma City, Detroit dominated in the paint, outscoring the Thunder 70-32.
Jaylin Williams led the Thunder with a career-high 30 points and 11 rebounds. Williams’ previous career high was 24. Cason Wallace added 23.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Acaden Lewis leads the charge to help Villanova surge past Butler
Feb 25, 2026; Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Acaden Lewis (55) drives for a shot against Butler Bulldogs forward Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor (4) during the first half at William B. Finneran Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Acaden Lewis recorded 20 points and Devin Askew scored all 16 of his points in the second half as Villanova topped visiting Butler 82-73 on Wednesday.
Bryce Lindsay contributed 19 points to help Villanova (22-6, 13-4 Big East) bounce back from a 10-point loss to No. 5 UConn over the weekend. The Wildcats, who still have not lost back-to-back games this season, also received 11 points and three steals from Tyler Perkins.
Michael Ajayi registered 17 points and nine rebounds, and Yohan Traore chipped in with 15 points for Butler (15-14, 6-12), which had won its previous two games. The Bulldogs have lost five straight matchups with the Wildcats, including both this season.
Butler trailed by 14 points at intermission before halving its deficit with a quick 7-0 run to begin the second half. Villanova rebuilt a double-digit advantage, but the Bulldogs eventually got within 55-54 with nine minutes left.
Shortly thereafter, the Wildcats used an 8-0 push to turn a 59-57 lead into a 10-point cushion. Askew accounted for all the offense during that surge with two 3-pointers, bookended around a driving layup.
Finley Bizjack’s layup with 2:27 left brought the visitors within 71-65. However, Askew drained a 3-pointer on the other end to halt the Bulldogs’ momentum.
Villanova led 27-24 late in the first half before closing the session on a 15-4 run over the final 3 1/2 minutes.
Lewis began the key push with a jumper before Perkins made one of his own. After a turnover by Butler, Lewis scored another bucket to make it 33-24.
Traore responded with a putback, but the Wildcats countered with six straight points — all by Lindsay. The sophomore guard converted a three-point play to give the hosts their first double-digit lead before knocking down a 3-pointer on the next trip to make it 39-26.
Perkins’ 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer sent the Wildcats into the locker room with a 14-point cushion.
Lewis led all scorers with 14 points in the first half.
–Field Level Media
Sports
No. 6 UConn dismantles No. 15 St. John's in battle of Big East's best
Feb 25, 2026; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) drives the ball to the basket against the St. John’s Red Storm in the first half at PeoplesBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images Tarris Reed Jr. totaled 20 points and 11 rebounds as No. 6 UConn used a pair of big runs in both halves and rolled to a dominating 72-40 win over 15th-ranked St. John’s Wednesday night Hartford, Conn. in a possible preview of the Big East tournament championship game.
After being listed as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA’s first bracket reveal over the weekend, UConn (26-3, 16-2 Big East) moved a game ahead of St. John’s for the conference lead.
The Huskies won their 27th straight in Hartford, led by as many as 36 in the second half and earned their largest margin of victory over St. John’s, eclipsing a 29-point win in Feb. 1998.
Reed made 9 of 14 shots and contributed a dunk to the 18-0 run in the first half along with a layup in the 16-0 run in the second half. He finished two shy of his season high and posted his seventh double-double this season.
Alex Karaban added 14 by hitting a 3-pointer and converting a dunk during the first half run and a pair of baskets in the second half outburst.
Solo Ball contributed a 3 during the second half and finished with 11. Braylon Mullins scored all nine of his points by hitting 3 3-pointers in the two runs.
Silas DeMary Jr contributed seven points, eight rebounds and five of UConn’s 20 assists.
St. John’s (22-6, 15-2) saw a 13-game winning streak stopped and had a 11-game Big East road winning streak halted. The Red Storm played their worst game under coach Rick Pitino and were held under 45 points for the first time since scoring 40 at Notre Dame on March 5, 2013.
The Red Storm missed their final 24 shots, shot 2-of-28 (7.1%) in the second half and 19.6% overall. It was their lowest field goal percentage in any game since 1938-1939.
Joson Sanon (10 points) was the lone double-figure scorer for the Red Storm, who also shot 5-of-20 from 3. Bryce Hopkins shot 3-of-14 while Zuby Ejiofor was held to six points, including the Red Storm’s last basket with 17:28 left in the second half.
UConn took a 31-11 lead on a 3 by Mullins with 6:37 lead and led 41-26 at halftime as St. John’s missed 16 straight shots at one point in the opening 20 minutes.
UConn continued dominating and officially put things away by scoring 16 straight points for a 61-31 lead on Ball’s corner 3 with 10:10 left. The lead reached 33 on two free throws by DeMary with 5:11 left and a few minutes later, UConn pulled its starters.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Alex Condon, Boogie Fland carry No. 7 Florida past Texas
Feb 25, 2026; Austin, Texas, USA; Florida Gators forward Alex Condon (21) makes a lay up during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images Alex Condon poured in 23 points on 10-of-12 shooting and Boogie Fland added 22 points as No. 7 Florida pulled away late for an 84-71 win over Texas on Wednesday in a Southeastern Conference clash in Austin, Texas.
Texas was ahead by three points at halftime and by 64-61 with 7:27 to play after a 9-0 surge. The Gators responded, fashioning a 14-1 run capped by Fland’s 3-pointer with 4:16 remaining to jump to a 10-point advantage.
After the Longhorns closed to within 75-67, Xaivian Lee hit a 3-pointer, Fland canned a jumper and Isaiah Brown leaped over the Texas defense for a resounding dunk that stoked Florida’s lead to 82-67 with 2:33 remaining. From there, the Gators (22-6, 13-2 SEC) cruised to the finish line to win their eighth straight game and 13th in their past 14 contests.
Lee added 12 points and six assists for Florida, which tied a program record with its seventh consecutive conference road win. It was the Gators’ seventh double-digit victory during its current streak.
Dailyn Swain led Texas (17-11, 8-7 SEC) with 21 points. Tramon Mark added 15 points, Jordan Pope scored 14 and Matas Vokietaitis hit for 12 but the Longhorns went the final 7:27 without a field goal and dropped their second straight outing.
The game was tied at the 13:11 mark of the first half before the Longhorns scored eight straight points, with Mark’s dunk with 11:10 to play putting Texas up 20-12. Florida swung back, retaking the lead at 28-27 on an alley-oop dunk by Condon with 5:53 until halftime.
The Longhorns rebuilt their lead to 36-31 on a three-point play by Nic Codie with 3:33 to go. Fland rallied Florida into a tie at 36 with a jumper and then a 3-pointer on the break, the latter with 1:21 to play in the half.
Swain’s layup with 44 seconds left and a free throw by Vokietaitis allowed Texas to carry a 39-36 lead to the break.
Mark led all scorers before halftime with 13 points while Condon led the Gators with 11.
The Gators opened the second half with a 7-1 run that netted them a 43-40 lead that they eventually turned into a six-point advantage after a 3-pointer by Urban Klavzar with 9:53 to play. Texas responded with nine consecutive points to retake the lead at 64-61 with 7:27 left, setting the stage for the furious finish.
–Field Level Media
Acaden Lewis leads the charge to help Villanova surge past Butler
No. 6 UConn dismantles No. 15 St. John's in battle of Big East's best
