Sports
Mark Sears, No. 6 Alabama take aim at No. 24 Miss. State
Feb 22, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama guard Mark Sears (1) drives to the basket at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama defeated Kentucky 96-83. Sears scored 30 points for Alabama. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News Alabama guard Mark Sears has endured a topsy-turvy season in which he twice was held scoreless and was benched for the entire second half in the more recent blanking.
But lately he has played like someone in his fifth college season. Sears will look for his third straight 30-point outing when the No. 6 Crimson Tide battle No. 24 Mississippi State in Southeastern Conference play on Tuesday night at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Sears scored a season-best 35 points in a 110-98 loss to then-No. 15 Missouri last Wednesday before following up with 30 points during Saturday’s 96-83 victory over then-No. 17 Kentucky.
The outing against the Wildcats helped the Crimson Tide (22-5, 11-3 SEC) halt a two-game losing streak.
“My teammates found me in the right places and I was able to put the ball into the basket,” Sears said of his performance.
Sears averaged a career-best 21.5 points and had stellar career-high shooting marks of 50.8 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from 3-point range last season. His numbers this season sit at 18.9 points, 41.2 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from behind the arc.
After being benched on Jan. 25 during an 80-73 victory over LSU, Sears was heavily criticized for his lackadaisical defense by Alabama coach Nate Oats.
Sears received the message loud and clear and picked up his defensive effort. And how he has put together the first back-to-back 30-point efforts of his career, which began with two seasons at Ohio before three with the Crimson Tide.
“Sears is playing the best basketball I’ve seen him play since he’s been here, on both sides of the ball,” Oats said after the Kentucky game. “I think he just wants to win. He came back to try to win a national championship.
“… He’s trying to play the right way. He’s as coachable as he’s ever been and his effort on defense has been through the roof really the last three or four weeks.”
Aden Holloway added 19 points against Kentucky as the Crimson Tide prevailed despite allowing 80 points for the eighth time in the past 10 games.
Mississippi State (19-8, 7-7) is coming off a 93-87 road loss to Oklahoma and has won just five of its last 12 games.
The Bulldogs saw their defense evaporate in the second half by giving up 59 points to the Sooners, who shot a scorching 68 percent (17 of 25) after halftime.
“We couldn’t guard them in the second half,” Mississippi State coach Chris Jans said. “We switched coverages multiple times to try to screw them up, and they did a good job of attacking us. They had a plan, and we tried to disrupt that plan and do different coverages, but unfortunately it didn’t work out. That’s the bottom line. That’s the story.”
Josh Hubbard, who averages 17.9 points per game, scored 19 points for the Bulldogs and he knocked down four 3-pointers. He also set a school record by knocking down at least one 3-pointer in his 40th consecutive game. Darryl Wilson, who played at Mississippi State from 1993-96, held the old mark of 39.
Hubbard was spectacular with a career-best 38 points while making six 3-pointers when Mississippi State dropped an 88-84 home decision against Alabama on Jan. 29. Chris Youngblood established a season best of 23 points and made a career-high seven treys for the Crimson Tide.
Now Jans will try to get his team refocused after the rough loss at Oklahoma.
“I thought maybe we were on our way to being a great team and having this great momentum,” Jans said. “We definitely took a step backward.”
The Bulldogs are 0-6 against Alabama during Jans’ three seasons as coach. Overall, Mississippi State has lost the last seven meetings.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lionel Messi (rest) officially ruled out of MLS All-Star Game
May 17, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) reacts against the Portland Timbers during the second half at Nu Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi was one of four players officially ruled out of Wednesday’s MLS All-Star Game at Charlotte, N.C., as the Argentina star continues to recover from a run to the World Cup Final.
Also on Saturday, Hugo Cuypers, Rodrigo De Paul, Mbekezeli Mbokazi were ruled out of the All-Star Game, which will match the best of MLS against the top players from Mexico’s LIGA MX.
Cuypers earned his All-Star spot with his play for the Chicago Fire, but he was transferred to Mexico’s CF Monterrey on Thursday. De Paul, an Inter Miami midfielder, will follow Messi’s lead and bow out of Wednesday’s festivities after playing for Argentina in the World Cup.
Mbokazi, a defender from the Chicago Fire, was ruled out with a lower body injury. The South Africa native also appeared in this summer’s World Cup.
To replace the foursome, Inter Miami midfielder Yannick Bright, Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Andres Cubas, Houston Dynamo forward Guilherme and Fire forward Philip Zinckernagel all were named All-Stars on Saturday.
Bright has guided Inter Miami to a 9-2-1 record in his 12 starts this season, while Cubas has three assists in 12 matches for the Whitecaps. Guilherme has eight goals and five assists in his first season with the Dynamo, while Zinckernagel has five goals and seven assists for the Fire.
–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
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Lionel Messi (rest) officially ruled out of MLS All-Star Game
