Sports
Dain Dainja, No. 18 Memphis seek to exploit interior vs. Rice
Feb 16, 2025; Wichita, Kansas, USA; Memphis Tigers forward Dain Dainja (42) sets the play during the first half against the Wichita State Shockers at Charles Koch Arena. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images When Dain Dainja poses a danger to opponents on the interior, No. 18 Memphis might be as dangerous as any other team.
Dainja certainly was at his best Sunday during the Tigers’ 84-65 victory over Florida Atlantic, tying his career high with 22 points and finishing just one rebound off his season high with 11.
The effort was a far cry from his four points and one rebound during Memphis’ 84-79 overtime loss at Wichita State on Feb. 16 in the Tigers’ previous game.
Dainja and the Tigers will aim for another big game on Wednesday night when they try to stay atop the American Athletic Conference with a matchup against visiting Rice.
Averaging 12.8 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds per game, Dainja — an Illinois transfer — has enjoyed the best season of his college career. But his measly performance in the loss at the Shockers ate at him while Memphis (22-5, 12-2) sat idle for a week.
“I want to win,” he said. “I’m just leaving it out on the floor every game. I just want to make that my mentality.”
Tigers coach Penny Hardaway appreciated Dainja’s performance. He liked his response to his game against Wichita State even more. Instead of sulking about the lack of production, Dainja stepped up his level of work in the film room and during practice.
“It just shows me that he cares,” Hardaway said of the 6-foot-9 Dainja. “That’s the one thing about this team that I do understand, that the guys care. They want to come back and do better. I don’t really think it’s a lot of people that can guard him one-on-one.”
PJ Haggerty falls into that category, too. The player who contributes 21.3 ppg got his average against Florida Atlantic and ranks sixth in Division I in scoring. Tyrese Hunter adds 14.7 ppg.
While the Tigers look to secure a possible top-four seed for next month’s NCAA Tournament, the Owls (13-15, 4-11) are looking to stay out of the AAC basement. They took a step in that direction on Saturday, thumping Tulsa 71-50 to end a four-game losing streak.
Trae Broadnax led the way with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field, while Kellen Amos and Jimmy Oladokun came off the bench for 13 and 10, respectively. Amos added eight rebounds as Rice earned a 41-28 advantage on the glass.
What pleased coach Rob Lanier the most was that the Owls were so stingy on defense.
“The thing that stands out to me right away is the defensive field-goal percentage. They (Tulsa) shot 37 percent, reminiscent of the way we started the way,” Lanier said. “This group is getting tougher mentally, and the bond is getting stronger through these experiences.”
Rice’s record could easily be a few wins better. In a 2-5 February, the Owls’ losses have come by a total of 16 points, including 86-83 on Feb. 2 in its first clash with Memphis. Rice also took UAB, which is tied for second in the league, to the wire before losing 90-89 last Wednesday.
The Tigers own a 10-2 lead in the all-time series, including 4-1 in Memphis.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Marlins' Class A pitcher fails drug test, suspended 80 games
Sep 11, 2020; Miami, Florida, USA; A general view of a illuminated Miami Marlins logo in center field after the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies split a double header at Marlins Park. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images Miami Marlins minor league pitcher Eiver Mosquera has received an 80-game suspension for testing positive for Boldenone, a performance-enhancing substance.
This season with Class-A Jupiter and the rookie-level Florida Complex League Marlins in 12 games (nine starts), the 19-year-old was 3-3 with a 4.50 ERA, 30 strikeouts and 16 walks in 38 innings.
Mosquera joined the organization in 2024 as a $150,000 international signing out of Venezuela.
–Field Level Media
Sports
NYCFC focusing on Fire, not player's demand, fan reaction
Sep 20, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC midfielder a(7) brings the ball up the pitch against Charlotte FC during the second half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images Their leading goal scorer wants out of town and their goalkeeper is public enemy No. 1 after a costly gaffe during the World Cup played a key role in the United States losing to Belgium in the round of 16.
But New York City FC is still relying on Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Matt Freese for big contributions Saturday night when the Chicago Fire invade Yankee Stadium.
Fernandez Mercau scored his 11th goal on a penalty kick Wednesday night during a 2-1 win at Columbus that got NYCFC (6-6-4, 22 points) to .500. It came one day after reports that the club rejected an $18 million offer for his services, leading to his demand that the team transfer him.
“You see a player that is performing for and with his team with a lot of energy,” head coach Pascal Jansen said of Fernandez Mercau. “That’s what he’s supposed to do.”
Freese, whose whiffed clearing attempt led to a third goal for Belgium in a 4-1 win on July 6, was booed on every touch Wednesday. Despite the jeers, he made three saves in the team’s first fixture after the World Cup break.
Meanwhile, Chicago (8-5-2, 26 points) sits third in the East table despite a 3-2 loss Wednesday night at Inter Miami. The result snapped the Fire’s three-match winning streak.
Chicago opted not to stand pat during the summer transfer window, adding Robert Lewandowski from Barcelona on a two-year deal. The 37-year-old Lewandowski, the captain of Poland’s national team, started at Miami and played 63 minutes.
“After just two days with my new team, I didn’t expect everything to work perfectly in my first game,” Lewandowski said.
Lewandowski’s signing led to the departure of star striker Hugo Cuypers. The Fire sold him to LIGA MX’s Monterrey for a reported $7.5 million after he scored 40 goals in 75 league matches over the past 2 1/2 seasons. Cuypers scored 13 goals in 11 matches this season, tying Dallas’ Petar Musa for the league lead.
NYCFC is 3-0-2 in its last five matches against Chicago.
–Field Level Media
Sports
CF Montreal acquire Brayan Ceballos from Revs for up to $850K GAM
Mar 15, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Revolution forward Luca Langoni (41) congratulates defender Brayan Ceballos (3) after he scored his second goal during the first half against the FC Cincinnati at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images The New England Revolution traded defender Brayan Ceballos to CF Montreal on Friday in exchange for up to $850,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM).
The payments were divided into $500,000 in 2026 GAM, $250,000 in 2027 GAM and up to $100,000 in conditional GAM. The Revs also retained a percentage of Ceballos’ sell-on rights should he be transferred again.
“Brayan is a reliable and versatile defender who can play effectively in a variety of systems, making him an important addition to our roster,” Luca Saputo, Montreal’s managing director for recruitment and sporting methodology, said in a statement. “His strengths will complement those already present in our defensive unit. We are confident that he will contribute to our collective objectives as well as the team’s development.”
Ceballos, 25, came to the Revolution from Brazil’s Fortaleza EC in January 2025. He had three goals in 38 career games (37 starts) for the Revs, with two of those goals coming in one game this season, March 15 against Cincinnati.
“We are grateful to Brayan for all his contributions during his time in New England. We wish him all the best in Montreal,” Revolution general manager Chris Tierney said in a statement. “As we look to continue improving the first team, generating this significant amount of allocation money will allow us to continue investing in the roster in the future.”
–Field Level Media
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