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Graham Ike pursues school record as No. 11 Gonzaga hosts Pacific

NCAA Basketball: Gonzaga at Santa ClaraFeb 14, 2026; Santa Clara, California, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) celebrates with guard Adam Miller (right) after defeating the Santa Clara Broncos at Leavey Center. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Gonzaga coach Mark Few isn’t known for uttering superlatives.

So his response when looking at the stat sheet from Wednesday night’s 80-59 victory at San Francisco came as a bit of a surprise.

“It was good — it was very, very good and spread out,” Few said.

High acclaim, indeed.

Graham Ike scored 22 points to lead the No. 11 Bulldogs. It was his eighth consecutive game with 20 or more points, tying the school record set by Adam Morrison and Derek Raivio in 2006.

The Bulldogs (26-2, 14-1 West Coast Conference), who are in the driver’s seat for another conference regular-season title, will return home Saturday night to face Pacific (17-12, 8-8) in Spokane, Wash.

It wasn’t Ike alone against the Dons, although he leads the WCC in scoring (19.9 points per game) and field-goal percentage (58.0) and is second in rebounding (8.6). He was named as one of 30 players still in the running for the Naismith Trophy men’s college player of the year late-season team, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced.

Freshman Mario Saint-Supery moved back into the starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 21 and had 14 points and six assists. Emmanuel Innocenti added 12 points and eight rebounds, and Jalen Warley scored 11.

Adam Miller contributed nine points, and freshman Davis Fogle added eight points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench.

Meanwhile, Pacific trimmed a double-digit deficit in the second half to one point Wednesday at Washington State before losing 87-70.

The Tigers were led by Elias Ralph’s 16 points. Jaden Clayton added 14 points and four assists, TJ Wainwright totaled 11 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Isaac Jack had 10 points and five rebounds.

Ralph, a senior from Okotoks, Alberta, leads Pacific with averages of 16.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.

“He’s turned out to be better than I thought,” said Tigers coach Dave Smart, who was hired in March 2024 after being an assistant at Texas Tech following a legendary career in the Canadian collegiate ranks. “I recruited him to come in and be our eighth man last year and was disappointed and excited that he was our best player.”

Pacific’s loss to Washington State followed a 72-61 home setback Saturday to Saint Mary’s.

However, the Tigers, picked to finish 10th of 12 teams in the WCC’s preseason coaches’ poll, already have surpassed their overall win total by eight games and conference total by four games from last season under Smart.

But Gonzaga is 24-1 all-time against the Tigers, with 22 straight victories. Pacific’s lone win in the series was a 70-60 decision in 1976.

“Gonzaga is not just a Power 4, they’re an elite program, a Top-10 program,” Smart said. “And Saint Mary’s … I don’t know why anyone would want to play those guys in non-conference. It’s crazy. They’re just so methodical. I don’t think people realize how good those two teams are.”

–Field Level Media

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Jets end skid by beating Rangers in OT

NHL: Winnipeg Jets at New York RangersMar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Winnipeg Jets left wing Kyle Connor (81) passes the puck while defended by New York Rangers defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov (44) during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images

Kyle Connor and Gabriel Villardi scored in the first two rounds of the shootout and the visiting Winnipeg Jets ended a three-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the host New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon.

Connor scored when he got a shot to trickle under rookie Dylan Garand’s pads and his shootout goal occurred after he had 11 shot attempts in regulation and overtime. Vilardi scored when he cut to the right and flicked a wrist shot by Garand.

Backup goalie Eric Comrie stopped Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller in the shootout after making three saves during an interference penalty on Mark Scheifele in overtime.

The Jets (29-29-12, 70 points) snapped their skid after blowing a pair of one-goal leads. Winnipeg began Sunday five points behind the Nashville Predators for the final wild-card spot.

Adam Lowry and Vilardi scored in regulation for the Jets, who could not score during a late power play in overtime. Comrie made 27 saves and prevented the Jets from another loss.

Tye Kartye and Mika Zibanejad scored tying goals in the second period as the Rangers (28-33-9, 65 points) lost their fourth straight. Garand made 35 saves in a solid NHL debut after being called up to replace backup goalie Jonathan Quick (upper-body injury).

Lowry opened the scoring with 6:54 left in the first period when he got a step on New York defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and buried a tap-in after getting to the front of the net. Kartye tied it 41 seconds into the second period after Miller pried the puck away from Vilardi.

Vilardi gave the Jets the lead again with 13:17 left when he finished off a one-timer in between the circle after being left open by Braden Schneider and Kartye. Zibanejad tied when he took a pass from Adam Fox and blasted a one-timer from the right circle past Comrie with 5:57 remaining.

–Field Level Media

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Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami rally past NYCFC

MLS: Inter Miami CF at New York City FCMar 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

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Women's NCAA roundup: North Carolina, Michigan advance to Sweet 16

NCAA Womens Basketball: ACC Conference Tournament Semifinal - North Carolina vs LouisvilleMar 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

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