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Guard play will be key for Vanderbilt, Arkansas in SEC final

Syndication: The TennesseanVanderbilt guard Duke Miles (2) starts a fast break against Florida during their semifinal game of the 2026 SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday, March 14, 2026.

NASHVILLE — No. 22 Vanderbilt will try to win its first Southeastern Conference tournament championship since 2012 when it meets 17th-ranked Arkansas on Sunday.

The Commodores (26-7), playing two miles from their campus, routed fourth-ranked Florida (the tournament’s top seed) by a 91-74 score on Saturday, snapping the Gators’ 12-game winning streak.

“Proud of the guys,” Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington said afterward. “Not really much celebrating. It’s on to Sunday, and that’s what we started this tournament for, is to play for a trophy on Sunday, and that’s what we have a chance to do tomorrow.”

Vanderbilt enters on a four-game winning streak, none of those wins coming on its campus.

Arkansas (25-8) has also won four straight, surviving in a 93-90 overtime win over Ole Miss to get here.

It’ll be the third game in three days for both teams, and Arkansas coach John Calipari was particularly perturbed about tournament scheduling on Friday evening.

After beating Oklahoma in a game that ended around 11:30 p.m. Central on Friday, Calipari lamented a Sunday tip-off that comes less than 19 hours after Arkansas finished off the Rebels.

Vanderbilt knows something about overcoming difficult circumstances lately.

The Commodores struggle against teams with size and rebounding, but in their last three games have knocked off the nation’s top offensive rebounding team in Tennessee (twice) and then clocked the Gators, who rank second.

Vanderbilt was beaten on the glass by Tennessee by counts of 40-31 and 46-34, and then 38-23 by Florida.

But neither team could come close to matching Vanderbilt’s guard play of Tyler Tanner (19.2 ppg, 5.2 apg, 2.4 spg) and Duke Miles (16.5 ppg, 4.2 apg, 2.6 spg).

The two have been a wrecking crew most of the season through their quickness and play-making ability. Tanner was a first-team All-SEC pick and Miles scored 30 in the win Friday over Tennessee.

Arkansas also has elite guards, led by SEC Player of the Year Darius Acuff Jr. (22.7 ppg, 6.5 apg) and Meleek Thomas (15.6 ppg). Acuff scored 24 and dished out seven assists on Saturday and Thomas added 29 and five.

Thomas played all 45 minutes on Saturday, just as he did in an 88-84 win over Missouri when Acuff was out with injury.

“There is no one that would say to Meleek anything that would believe him to believe he’s not as good as good as any player in the country,” Calipari said after Saturday. “He has otherworldly — otherworldly, now — confidence. Like, he could run for president one day. … I’ve gotta let him do some crazy stuff. I get on him but he’ll look at me like, ‘You’re nuts. You don’t have any idea how good I am.’ And I love that.”

The Razorbacks handed Vanderbilt its most lopsided loss of the season with a 93-68 walloping in Fayetteville on Jan. 20.

Arkansas is best in the country at avoiding turnovers (12.2%), per KenPom.

The 6-foot-3 Acuff and 6-5 Thomas also have the height advantage, respectively, on Tanner (6-0) and Miles (6-2), who had just 11 and five points, respectively, in the first game.

–Chris Lee, Field Level Media

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DeMar DeRozan, Kings continue recent surge with win over Clippers

NBA: Sacramento Kings at Los Angeles ClippersMar 14, 2026; Inglewood, California, USA; Sacramento Kings guard Russell Westbrook (18) attempts to steal the ball from LA Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard (2) during the second quarter at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

DeMar DeRozan scored 27 points and Precious Achiuwa added 25 with 13 rebounds as the Sacramento Kings turned a brief stop on the road into a 118-109 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday at Inglewood, Calif.

Maxime Raynaud scored 23 points and Russell Westbrook added 12 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists against his former team as the Kings won for the third time in their past four games to continue emerging from their 2-20 downturn.

Sacramento’s front line of DeRozan, Achiuwa and Raynaud combined to go 32-of-40 (80%) from the floor. The Kings were playing on the road for the only time in a stretch of 10 games and are now 3-3 during the run.

Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points for the Clippers to set the franchise record with his 45th consecutive game of at least 20 points. Leonard went to the locker room in the first half with a cut over his left eye and departed for good with 9:27 remaining in the game when he rolled his left ankle.

Daruis Garland scored 25 points after missing the front end of a back-to-back Friday with injury management on a sore toe. Bennedict Mathurin scored 24 points for Los Angeles, which lost for just the second time in its last nine games.

The Clippers struggled on defense from the start, trailing 33-31 after one quarter and falling behind 68-54 at halftime. The Kings shot 66.7% from the floor in the first half, outrebounding the Clippers 24-15.

Los Angeles was held to 21 points in the third quarter as Sacramento entered the fourth with a 92-75 advantage.

The Clippers used a 20-4 run to pull within 101-98 with 5:24 left after three-point play from Mathurin. Leonard departed during the stretch with his ankle injury.

Daeqwon Plowden (15 points) and Nique Clifford (11 points) hit consecutive 3-pointers as Sacramento took a 112-102 lead with 2:37 left. DeRozan sealed the victory on three free throws for a 115-106 lead with 1:25 remaining.

The Kings finished 58.5% from the floor, while the Clippers shot 46.4%.

–Field Level Media

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Texas Tech star G Christian Anderson available for NCAA Tournament

NCAA Basketball: Texas Tech at Brigham YoungMar 7, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Texas Tech Red Raiders guard Christian Anderson (4) reacts to a made three point shot during the second half against the BYU Cougars at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

Texas Tech star guard Christian Anderson, injured during the team’s loss Thursday in the Big 12 tournament, will be available for the NCAA Tournament, the school announced late Saturday.

The sophomore is an All-Big 12 first-team selection who leads the conference and is fourth nationally with 7.6 assists per game. He also averages 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 31 games. Projected to be a first-round NBA draft pick, Anderson has eight double-doubles and set a program mark with 236 assists in a single season.

The Red Raiders (22-10, 12-6 Big 12) will find out their NCAA Tournament seed and opponent when the brackets are announced on Sunday.

Anderson slipped and injured his groin during the second half of the team’s 75-53 quarterfinal loss to Iowa State on Thursday.

“I’m feeling good,” Anderson said afterward. “Obviously the floor is a bit slippery, so I think I just kind of misstepped or did a movement that caused me to slip and kind of ended up in a little unnatural position. That’s what it was.”

Concerns about slipping prompted the Big 12 to swap out its innovative LED glass court for traditional hardwood for the remainder of the conference tournament on Friday and Saturday in Kansas City, Mo. Arizona beat Houston on Saturday for the title.

The LED court displayed various graphics in real time and featured other innovations such as lighting up the 3-point line on shot attempts from behind the arc.

However, several players during the first three days of the tournament — and during the previous week’s Big 12 women’s tourney — slipped and struggled with grip issues on the surface.

–Field Level Media

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NHL roundup: Anze Kopitar makes Kings history in loss to Devils

NHL: Los Angeles Kings at New York IslandersMar 13, 2026; Elmont, New York, USA; Los Angeles Kings center Anze Kopitar (11) celebrates his goal with Los Angeles Kings left wing Artemi Panarin (10) and Los Angeles Kings center Alex Turcotte (15) against the New York Islanders during the first period at UBS Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images

Anze Kopitar scored twice to become the all-time points leader in Los Angeles Kings history, but Jack Hughes scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period that sparked the New Jersey Devils to a wild 6-4 victory Saturday in Newark, N.J.

Nico Hischier scored twice in a four-point performance, Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier both collected one goal and one assist and Cody Glass added a single for the Devils, who snapped a two-game skid. New Jersey goaltender Jake Allen made 27 saves.

Kopitar, who announced this will be his final NHL season — all 20 with Los Angeles — netted his 1,308th career point to move ahead of Marcel Dionne’s total for the Kings. In 1,505 games, Kopitar has 450 goals and 858 assists.

Artemi Panarin scored once in a three-point game, Taylor Ward tallied once and Brandt Clarke collected three assists for the Kings, who are battling for the Western Conference’s final wild-card spot. Goalie Anton Forsberg stopped 22 shots.

Jets 3, Avalanche 1

Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves as Winnipeg defeated visiting Colorado.

Kyle Connor picked up a goal and an assist, while Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti also scored for Winnipeg. Mark Scheifele added two assists as the Jets moved within five points of the second and final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Martin Necas got Colorado’s lone goal. Mackenzie Blackwood made 15 stops for Colorado, which holds the best record in the NHL.

Stars 3, Red Wings 2 (OT)

Defenseman Thomas Harley scored 2:06 into overtime to give host Dallas a win over Detroit.

Harley delivered on a shot from the left circle off the rush. Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist and Michael Bunting also scored for the Stars, who tied a franchise record by extending their point streak to 15 (14-0-1). Jake Oettinger made 22 saves.

Defenseman Simon Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond scored the goals for the Red Wings, who have lost three straight (0-2-1). John Gibson stopped 21 shots.

Golden Knights 4, Blackhawks 0

Pavel Dorofeyev scored two goals and had an assist and Adin Hill made 21 saves for his first shutout of the season as Vegas moved into first place in the Pacific Division by shutting out Chicago in Las Vegas.

It was the second straight game of two goals and three points for Dorofeyev. Mark Stone and Mitch Marner each had two assists and Rasmus Andersson and Keegan Kolesar also scored goals for Vegas, which leapfrogged Anaheim into the top spot in the division.

It was the 12th career shutout for Hill as the Golden Knights improved to 10-2-1 all-time against Chicago at T-Mobile Arena. Spencer Knight finished with 28 saves for the Blackhawks, who had a four-game road point streak (2-0-2) snapped.

Bruins 3, Capitals 2 (SO)

Fraser Minten scored in the ninth round for the lone goal of the shootout, allowing Boston to snap a seven-game road winless skid with a victory over Washington.

Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy scored a pair of goals to extend his point streak to six games (four goals, four assists). He has totaled 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in his past 16 games for the Bruins, who got 25 saves from Jeremy Swayman.

Rasmus Sandin collected a goal and an assist and fellow defenseman Matt Roy also tallied for the Capitals, who have lost five of their last seven (2-4-1).

Penguins 4, Mammoth 3

Noel Acciari scored with just under 12 minutes left in regulation for Pittsburgh, which rallied from an early two-goal deficit to beat Utah in Salt Lake City.

Anthony Mantha recorded a goal and an assist for the Penguins, and Bryan Rust and Tommy Novak also lit the lamp for Pittsburgh. Stuart Skinner made 26 saves for his first win since Jan. 31, ending an 0-1-4 stretch.

Dylan Guenther scored twice in the first period and defenseman Ian Cole ended a 38-game dry spell for the Mammoth, who have lost four straight (0-2-2).

Sharks 4, Canadiens 2

Macklin Celebrini had two goals and an assist as San Jose held on to beat host Montreal for the Sharks’ second straight win.

Mario Ferraro scored, Colin Graf had a goal and two assists, and John Klingberg had two assists for the Sharks, while Alex Nedeljkovic made 25 saves for his third win in four starts.

Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki scored and Noah Dobson had two assists for the Canadiens, who had won three straight games. Sharks forward Igor Chernyshov exited the game after the first shift of the first period with an apparent upper-body injury. He did not return. After the game, the Sharks said their prospect will travel with the team to Ottawa for its game against the Senators on Sunday.

Sabres 3, Maple Leafs 2 (SO)

Alex Tuch scored the decisive goal in the shootout of Buffalo’s win over visiting Toronto.

The Sabres made two of their three shots in the shootout. Owen Power and Jack Quinn scored for the Sabres in regulation. Quinn also scored in the shootout for the Sabres, who have won nine of 10. Alex Lyon stopped 16 shots.

Dakota Joshua and Max Domi scored for the Maple Leafs, who misfired on both attempts in the shootout and have lost nine of 10 (1-6-3). Joseph Woll made 31 saves and was the prime reason the game went to overtime.

Hurricanes 4, Lightning 2

Jordan Martinook scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period, and Eastern Conference-leading Carolina won over host Tampa Bay.

Logan Stankoven’s empty-net goal with 91 seconds remaining gave Carolina a 9-3-0 record in the past 12 games. Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist apiece. Rod Brind’Amour coached his 600th NHL game behind the Carolina bench and won for the 367th time.

Tampa Bay’s Yanni Gourde and Charle-Edouard D’Astous tallied, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves as the Lightning fell to 2-7-0 over their last nine games.

Senators 2, Ducks 0

Linus Ullmark made 23 saves for Ottawa in a win against visiting Anaheim.

It’s the second shutout of the season for Ullmark and the 14th of his 11-year NHL career. Michael Amadio and Thomas Chabot scored for the Senators — who have won four of their past five games — and Shane Pinto had two assists.

Ville Husso made 27 saves for the Ducks, who have lost three of four and were shut out for the second time in four games.

Rangers 4, Wild 2

Vladislav Gavrikov scored a goal and dished two assists and New York held on to beat Minnesota in Saint Paul, Minn.

Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar and Vincent Trocheck also scored for New York, which won its fourth game in a row. Adam Fox picked up a pair of assists. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin tied his career high with 46 saves to earn the victory. He made six saves in the first period, 20 saves in the second and 20 more in the third.

Matt Boldy and Danila Yurov scored one goal apiece for Minnesota, which saw its point streak end at five games (3-0-2). The Wild lost in regulation for the first time since March 1. Filip Gustavsson gave up four goals on 18 shots.

Islanders 3, Flames 2

Simon Holmstrom scored consecutive goals late in the first period to cap New York’s three-goal flurry as the Islanders ensured they would maintain their position in the Eastern Conference playoff race by edging Calgary in Elmont, N.Y.

Casey Cizikas opened the scoring for the Islanders, who entered the day tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division. David Rittich made 30 saves as New York improved to 6-3-0 since returning from the Olympic break.

Mikael Backlund and Blake Coleman scored in the third for the Flames, who have lost seven of 10 (3-6-1) since resuming play following the Olympics. Dustin Wolf stopped all 17 shots he faced in relief of Devin Cooley, who gave up the three first-period goals on 10 shots.

Blue Jackets 2, Flyers 1 (SO)

Kirill Marchenko scored his 100th career goal and also tallied in the shootout to lift visiting Columbus past Philadelphia.

After the first five shootout attempts were unsuccessful, Marchenko made a late move to his backhand and lifted the puck past Dan Vladar. Marchenko is 10 for 15 in his career on shootouts, among the best marks in NHL history.

Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves made 18 saves in regulation and overtime before denying Matvei Michkov, Trevor Zegras and Travis Konecny in the shootout. Columbus has recorded a point in nine straight games (5-0-4). Vladar finished with 27 saves for Philadelphia, which had won six of its last eight contests. Alex Bump scored the lone goal for the Flyers.

Kraken 5, Canucks 2

Bobby McMann scored twice and had an assist in his debut for his new team as Seattle snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over host Vancouver.

Matty Beniers had a goal and two assists and Jordan Eberle added three assists with McMann on the No. 1 line. Jared McCann and Jamie Oleksiak also scored and Brandon Montour had two assists for the Kraken, who remained a point behind San Jose in the chase for the Western Conference’s second and final wild-card playoff berth. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer made 32 saves.

Evander Kane and Marco Rossi scored for the league-worst Canucks, who dropped to 7-21-5 at home this season. Nikita Tolopilo stopped 28 of 33 shots.

–Field Level Media

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