Sports
Differing styles in spotlight when No. 4 Arizona clashes with No. 2 Houston
Feb 14, 2026; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Tommy Lloyd yells out to players during the first half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at McKale Memorial Center. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images When No. 4 Arizona plays at No. 2 Houston on Saturday afternoon, the game will pit the top two teams in the Big 12 standings and will feature contrasting styles.
Arizona’s high-scoring transition offense will go against Houston’s suffocating defense.
As of Wednesday’s games, the Wildcats (24-2, 11-2) ranked 13th nationally in scoring offense at an average of 88.2 points a game, while the Cougars (23-3, 11-2) were No. 2 in scoring defense at 61.6 points allowed per game.
“You don’t get to go up against Houston, especially if it gets a set defense, and pick and choose your shot you want right away,” Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. “They’re obviously a great defensive team, and you just have to have a little more wherewithal on offense.”
Arizona is coming off a 75-68 win Wednesday at home against No. 23 BYU, ending the Wildcats’ two-game skid after achieving a program-record 23-0 start.
Arizona played without starting freshman forward Koa Peat, who will miss Saturday’s game because of a lower-leg injury. Peat, who picked Arizona over Houston and other teams during the recruiting process, also did not play in the second half of last Saturday’s 78-75 overtime loss at home against then-No. 16 Texas Tech.
Dwayne Aristode, a freshman reserve guard with Arizona, has missed the past two games because of an undisclosed illness. His status for Saturday’s game is undetermined.
Brayden Burries, who had 11 points in the win over BYU, played through an illness. He received an IV treatment after the game.
Reserve guard Anthony Dell’Orso scored 22 points, the most in his two-season Arizona career after transferring from Campbell.
“Obviously, we’re going through injuries right now, and it’s just that point of the season where sometimes you hit a little struggle,” Lloyd said. “If you don’t embrace it, you’re not built for it. Our guys have done a good job embracing it, and I thought there was good wherewithal and just finding a way (against BYU).”
Houston, meanwhile, had its six-game winning streak snapped with Monday’s 70-67 loss at No. 6 Iowa State.
Freshman guard Kingston Flemings, a projected NBA lottery pick by some draft analysts, scored 22 points in the defeat and is averaging 16.6 points, 5.3 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season.
Emanuel Sharp (16.5 ppg) and Milos Uzan (11.2) provide veteran leadership on the perimeter, and Chris Cenac Jr. and Joseph Tugler combine to average 13 rebounds per game.
Arizona will counter with the perimeter trio of Jaden Bradley (13.3 points and 4.7 assists per game), Burries (leading scorer at 15.5 ppg) and Ivan Kharchenkov (10 ppg), along with the inside strength of Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka (combined 18.3 rebounds a game).
Houston coach Kelvin Sampson gained an appreciation of Arizona’s program from his days coaching Washington State from 1987-94, when the schools were part of the Pac-10 Conference.
“I’ve just always respected Arizona because they were the top program when I started out coaching,” Sampson said. “They were our Duke. They were our North Carolina. They were our Kentucky. … UCLA had the name, but Arizona had the program.”
Sampson also has lauded Lloyd’s performance in his first five seasons leading Arizona’s program.
“Coaches that don’t understand how to build a culture usually don’t last long in this business,” Sampson said. “Tommy’s always been a great recruiter, but he knows how to coach, knows how to build.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami rally past NYCFC
Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC midfielder Keaton Parks (55) and New York City FC midfielder Maximiliano Moralez (10) fight for the ball challenged by Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images Micael Dos Santos’ go-ahead goal in the 74th minute lifted Inter Miami to a 3-2 comeback victory over host New York City FC on Sunday afternoon.
Dos Santos headed home a beautiful ball from fellow defender Noah Allen, which found its way past NYCFC keeper Matt Freese and gave Inter Miami (3-1-1, 10 points) its first MLS win since March 7.
Lionel Messi scored his 901st career goal and Gonzalo Lujan scored his first career MLS goal for Inter Miami, which bounced back after being eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday after a pair of draws against Nashville and that side advancing on the away goals tiebreaker.
NYCFC (3-1-1, 10 points) suffered its first defeat of the season and snapped a three-game winning streak despite goals from Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Agustin Ojeda.
Maxi Moralez delivered his own stellar assist to Ojeda in the 59th minute to put NYCFC briefly ahead 2-1.
Moralez sent a great ball through traffic down the middle of the field to Ojeda, who was uncontested, and flipped the ball past Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
But two minutes later, Inter Miami earned a free kick and Messi delivered. His shot deflected off NYCFC’s Hannes Wolf and redirected past Freese (five saves) to tie the game at 2.
Messi nearly had a multi-goal match as he came close on several chances. He hit the post in the 31st minute and the crossbar in the 42nd minute. He also had a late opportunity to pad Miami’s lead but missed wide.
German Berterame appeared to extend Miami’s lead in the 79th minute, but what would have been his first goal with his new club was nullified after he was ruled offside.
After Lujan scored in the fourth minute, NYCFC leveled the match on a fantastic free kick goal by Fernandez Mercau, who lifted a high shot that bounced just under the crossbar and in, freezing St. Clair in place in the 17th minute.
NYCFC used Moralez as a decoy, having him approach as if he would take the shot and then Fernandez Mercau ran up and booted it.
St. Clair (three saves) made a huge save late in stoppage time to preserve Inter Miami’s win.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Women's NCAA roundup: North Carolina, Michigan advance to Sweet 16
Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elina Aarnisalo (17) shoots against the Louisville Cardinals in the second quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Elina Aarnisalo poured in 21 points — one shy of her career high — and Lanie Grant had 20 points as North Carolina pulled out a 74-66 victory against Maryland in the Fort Worth Region 1 second-round game Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Fourth-seeded North Carolina (28-7) goes to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. The Tar Heels will take on Monday’s Syracuse-Connecticut winner later in the week in Fort Worth, Texas.
Nyla Harris had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Tar Heels while Indya Nivar shrugged off foul trouble to finish with 11 points.
Oluchi Okananwa racked up 21 points for fifth-seeded Maryland (24-9), but she was just 3-for-11 on free throws. Addi Mack had 13 points, Mir McLean supplied 12 points and 14 rebounds and Kyndal Walker notched 10 points.
The Terrapins shot 3-for-23 from 3-point range and 17 of 31 at the line, so even collecting 21 offensive rebounds wasn’t enough.
North Carolina led 42-33 at halftime, but Maryland scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to claim a 52-50 lead.
No. 2 Michigan 92, No. 7 NC State 63
Olivia Olson had 27 points and Syla Swords pumped in 26 points as the second-seeded Wolverines benefited from a huge second half to pull away in the Fort Worth Region 3 second-round game at Ann Arbor, Mich.
Mila Holloway contributed 13 points and nine rebounds for Michigan (27-6), which faces the winner of Monday’s Alabama-Louisville game later in the week.
Zamareya Jones recorded 16 points, nine assists and four blocks for NC State (21-11), which she also committed seven of the Wolfpack’s 22 turnovers that Michigan turned into 35 points. Khamil Pierre added 15 points for NC State and Devyn Quigley notched 11 points.
NC State played without All-Atlantic Coast Conference guard Zoe Brooks, who was out with a lower-body injury. The Wolfpack were denied a third consecutive spot in the Sweet 16.
Michigan led 28-25 at halftime before cranking out 32 points in both the third and fourth quarters.
Swords finished with four of Michigan’s 10 baskets from 3-point range. The Wolverines committed only six turnovers.
Michigan won for the 16th time in 17 home games this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Avalanche beat Capitals in OT to clinch playoff spot
Mar 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) battles for the puck with Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) in front of Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) during the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Brock Nelson scored the game-winning goal at 1:22 of overtime as the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 victory against the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Nelson won the game for the Avalanche (46-13-10, 102) when Martin Necas set him up for a slap shot past Logan Thompson.
Gabriel Landeskog and Nicolas Roy also found the back of the net for Colorado, which is the first team to secure a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Necas had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 saves.
The win was the second straight for the Avalanche after a stretch in which they won just one of five games.
Alex Ovechkin and Justin Sourdif scored, and Thompson made 21 saves for the Capitals (35-28-8, 78), who had previously won two straight games and three of their last four.
Sourdif put Washington ahead 1-0 at 11:53 of the first period. The 23-year-old center caught the bouncing puck on a breakaway and beat Blackwood with a snap shot.
Landeskog tied it 1-1 at 1:05 of the third period. Thompson was caught out of position when Necas set Landeskog up from behind the net for an uncontested snap shot.
Colorado went ahead 2-1 at 6:03 when Roy collected his own rebound and scored shortside on Thompson.
Ovechkin tied the game back up 2-2 at 14:17 with a slap shot on the power play.
The Avalanche are part of the playoff field for the ninth straight season. They were Stanley Cup champions in 2021-22.
Washington is on the outside of the Eastern Conference wild-card race.
–Field Level Media
Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami rally past NYCFC
Women's NCAA roundup: North Carolina, Michigan advance to Sweet 16
