Sports
Fletcher Loyer goes for 29 as No. 12 Purdue scorches Maryland
Feb 1, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Purdue Boilermakers bench reacts after Purdue Boilermakers guard Fletcher Loyer (2) makes a three point basket during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images Fletcher Loyer broke out of a shooting slump in a big way, scoring 29 points to lead No. 12 Purdue to a 93-63 Big Ten win over Maryland on Sunday in College Park, Md.
Braden Smith supplied 19 points and six assists and Gicarri Harris added 12 points off the bench for the Boilermakers (18-4, 8-3 Big Ten), who never trailed on their way to snapping a three-game losing streak.
Trey Kaufman-Renn contributed seven points and 10 rebounds, which helped Purdue enjoy a 37-26 edge on the glass for the game and a 16-3 advantage on second-chance points in the first half.
Loyer, who hit 6 of 25 from the field and averaged 6.3 points during the Boilermakers’ three-game skid, was on target from the start Sunday as he made his first three shots from beyond the arc.
Loyer finished 7 of 10 from 3-point range as Purdue made 52.7% of its shots overall and 15 of 30 on 3-point attempts.
Purdue improved to 21-0 during Loyer’s four seasons when he makes four or more 3-pointers.
Andre Mills came off the bench to deliver 18 points and six rebounds for Maryland (8-13, 1-9), which was coming off a 43-point loss on Jan. 24 at Michigan State — its most decisive loss since 1944.
Darius Adams put up 17 points and Solomon Washington added 14 for the Terrapins, who have lost 10 of their last 12. They’re enduring their worst record through 21 games since the 1988-89 season.
Purdue took command early with a 13-point run triggered by a Loyer jumper. Smith added a pair of 3-pointers in the spree that gave the Boilermakers a 25-7 lead.
The run came during a 6:10 stretch in which Maryland had just one field goal attempt, missed both of its free-throw tries and committed five turnovers.
After Maryland sliced the deficit to 28-18 when Mills made back-to-back 3-pointers, Purdue answered with a 21-6 burst.
Smith ignited the surge with a triple and followed two minutes later with another. Loyer added a trio of 3-pointers in the spurt, which expanded the Boilermakers’ advantage to 49-24.
In the second half, Purdue stretched its lead to 32 points when Omar Cluff made two free throws with 5:49 left.
With a basket in the first half, Smith became the fifth player in NCAA history to reach 1,700 points and 950 assists. He joined a club populated by Duke’s Bobby Hurley, East Tennessee State’s Keith Jennings, UNLV’s Greg Anthony and Syracuse’s Sherman Douglas.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Sharpshooting Joel Embiid carries surging 76ers past Suns
Feb 7, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives around Philadelphia 76ers guard Vj Edgecombe (77) during the first half of an NBA game at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Joel Embiid scored 33 points and made a season-high four 3-pointers, Tyrese Maxey added 29 points and the Philadelphia 76ers built a 19-point lead and held off the host Phoenix Suns 109-103 on Saturday.
Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 18 points and added three 3-pointers for the 76ers, who have won six of seven games and improved to 3-1 on a five-game road trip that concludes Monday in Portland.
Dillon Brooks scored 28 points, Devin Booker had 21 points and nine assists in his return from a seven-game absence, and Royce O’Neale had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, who have lost three of four and three straight home games.
The 76ers built a 66-47 lead on Embiid’s three-point play early in the third quarter and led 87-71 three minutes into the fourth before the Suns came back.
Brooks’ three-point play brought the Suns with six at 101-95 with 1:31 left and Booker made two free throws to cut the deficit to 101-97.
Booker countered a Maxey 3-pointer with three free throws to keep the Sixers’ lead at four, 104-100, before Maxey made all three free throws for a 107-100 lead with 17.6 left.
Booker made three free throws of his own to make it 107-103 but Maxey made two for a 109-103 lead with 11.8 seconds left before the Suns turned the ball over on an inbounds play.
Embiid was 4 of 7 from 3-point range and made 11 of 13 free throws.
The Suns made 11 of 46 3-pointers, including one of their first 19. Brooks and Collin Gillespie were each 2 of 10 from distance.
Embiid had nine rebounds and the 76ers had a 50-40 rebounding edge, the fourth straight game in which the Suns have been out-rebounded.
Mark Williams added 11 points and 11 rebounds in the loss.
Philadelphia gained a split of the season series and is 15-9 on the road. Only Oklahoma City has fewer road losses, seven.
Embiid and Maxey had eight points and two 3-pointers apiece when the 76ers took a 24-22 lead after the first quarter. Maxey scored six points and Oubre and Quentin Grimes had five apiece on a 17-2 run for a 44-28 lead.
Embiid’s third 3-pointer of the first half helped the 76ers’ to a 58-47 halftime lead. The Suns closed to 81-71 after three quarters.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Colorado holds off Arizona State behind Barrington Hargress' 23 points
Feb 7, 2026; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils forward Andrija Grbovic (14) tips the ball away from Colorado Buffaloes center Elijah Malone (50) in the first half at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images Barrington Hargress scored 23 points and Sebastian Rancik had 17 as Colorado defeated Arizona State 78-70 in a Big 12 game Saturday in Boulder, Col.
The Buffaloes (14-10, 4-7 Big 12) shot 50.8% from the field (31 of 61) as they outscored the Sun Devils (12-12, 3-8) 42-26 in the paint.
Isaiah Johnson also had 16 for Colorado.
Arizona State was led by Maurice Odum with 23 points and Massamba Diop’s 19 and team-high seven rebounds.
After squandering its seven-point halftime lead and battling back and forth, the Buffaloes reclaimed control with a 7-0 run that gave them a 64-56 lead with 8:48 left.
The Sun Devils were able to cut the deficit to two with a 6-0 run over the ensuing two minutes with Diop finishing a pair of dunks.
Bangot Dak, however, hit a short jumper and Rancik nailed a 3-pointer to give Colorado a seven-point lead with 5:28 left which was never cut to less than three the rest of the way.
The Buffaloes built a 12-point first-half lead by shooting 46.9% from the floor (15 of 32), while the Sun Devils struggled from the floor hitting only 32.3% (10 of 31) of their shots in the first 20 minutes.
The Buffaloes led by 10 midway through the first half after the Sun Devils went over five minutes with a made basket.
Rancik had five points during the stretch with two free throws and a 3-pointer.
Dak finished the run with a rousing dunk down the lane with 7:27 left in the half to make it 26-16 Colorado.
Colorado took a 32-21 lead on back-to-back layups by Dak and Hargress with 5:23 left in the half.
Anthony Johnson scored two of the Sun Devils’ 18 second-chance points on a tip-in with 3:30 left to make it 34-27.
Hargress responded with a jumper and Rancik hit a 3-pointer to give Colorado a 39-27 lead with 1:57 to go.
The Sun Devils were able to get back within single digits in the final two minutes when Odum hit two free throws and Johnson scored on a layup with 33 seconds left to make it 39-31 at the break.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Why the Anthony Davis Trade to Washington Wizards Feels Like a Dead End
According to reports, former Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis wasn’t thrilled about being traded to the Washington Wizards.
Davis claims these reports were “overblown,” which comes off as not being completely false, but maybe a bit exaggerated. Regardless, what’s left of the 32-year-old will be forced to report to the Wizards, one of the worst NBA teams over the last decade.
Already, reports are surfacing that the Wizards will plan on shutting down Davis for the remainder of the season. During his one year in Dallas, Davis only played 29 total games. He’s dealing with a hand injury and a groin injury and hasn’t suited up since early January.
The Mavericks severed ties with Davis after just one year following the catastrophic failure that was the Luka Doncic trade. Moving on from the injury-prone center allows the Mavericks to build around No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg, who has looked the part during his rookie season.
Superstar point guard Kyrie Irving has yet to make his season debut for the Mavericks after tearing his ACL in late March of last season.
But Davis was the real loser of this trade.
His agent, Rich Paul, publicly and privately demanded that the Mavericks would find a new home for him prior to Thursday’s NBA trade deadline.
In a blockbuster deal, Davis wound up on the Wizards, who still have not won 15 games this season and currently find themselves as the No. 13 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Washington’s first-round draft pick is protected as long as they find themselves within the top eight selections. By sidelining Davis, the Wizards could continue to let their tank roll on, improving their probability of drafting one of college basketball’s biggest stars this offseason.
After this season, Davis is owed two very large sums of money on his deal with the Wizards that should keep him in Washington over the next two seasons. By shutting down Davis, the Wizards are planning for the long term, where they’ll hope he can get healthy and contribute on a young roster next season.
The Wizards are awful, but they do have a little bit of young talent.
They’ve invested draft picks into Alex Sarr, who could pair nicely with Davis in Washington’s front court next season. Bub Carrington and Bilal Coulibaly are one of the worst backcourt duos in the league, but individually, they are decent role players. Kyshawn George and Shariffe Cooper are both capable of surprises, also.
Washington will need to keep their fingers crossed that their ping pong ball strikes gold in the NBA Draft Lottery. Adding Darryn Peterson or AJ Dybantsa to the young core will help the Wizards grow quickly.
The Wizards will also keep their fingers crossed that Davis can give them any production. In the last decade, David played in over 60 games just once, appearing in 76 games with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023. If the Wizards can get that All-Star version of Davis, this trade looks like a steal.
But even with Davis healthy, how will the Wizards be much better unless they land Peterson or Dybantsa?
Davis should be thanking LeBron James for that championship they won together in the NBA bubble. Now on the most irrelevant team in the NBA, Davis will spend the rest of the regular season in the shadows instead of contending for more titles.
Sharpshooting Joel Embiid carries surging 76ers past Suns
Colorado holds off Arizona State behind Barrington Hargress' 23 points
