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No. 15 Kentucky, Texas might be missing key pieces in clash

NCAA Basketball: Alabama at KentuckyJan 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats forward Ansley Almonor (15) celebrates with guard Otega Oweh (00) during the second half against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

No. 15 Kentucky looks for its third straight win and continued momentum for the stretch run when it squares off against struggling Texas on Saturday in a Southeastern Conference contest in Austin, Texas.

It’s just the third all-time meeting, with the Wildcats winning both, including a 63-51 home victory on Dec. 5, 2014, in the most recent matchup. This will be the first matchup in Austin.

The Wildcats (17-7, 6-5 SEC) head to the Texas capital with consecutive wins, the latest a 75-64 home decision over No. 5 Tennessee on Tuesday that gave Kentucky a season sweep. Ansley Almonor and Otega Oweh scored 13 points each and Koby Brea and Trent Noah had 11 apiece for the short-handed Wildcats.

The Wildcats surrendered the lead in the second half but finished on a 20-6 run.

Kentucky played without Jaxson Robinson, its second-leading scorer (13.3 ppg) who missed his first game of the season due to a wrist injury he suffered in practice on Feb. 7. The Wildcats also lost Lamont Butler to a shoulder injury late in the second half.

Robinson and Butler’s availability for the Texas game is to be determined.

“We’re still kind of going day by day,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope said Thursday of the players’ injury status. “We’re trying some different treatments. We’re going to piece it together. They’re both complicated situations.

“This is the part of the season where our young guys kind of have to become sophomores a little bit. Our roster issues are forcing them to do it, and they’re ready.”

The Longhorns (15-10, 4-8) return to their home court after a 103-80 loss to No. 2 Alabama on Tuesday. Freshman guard Tre Johnson, the leading scorer in the SEC (19.3 points per game), poured in 24 points and Jayson Kent added a season-high 19 for Texas, which shot just 42 percent from the floor and was outrebounded 41-25.

Texas has dropped three straight after producing a stretch of three league wins in four games and need a victory over Kentucky to bolster its flagging NCAA Tournament hopes. After playing the Wildcats, Texas will face just one more opponent currently ranked in the AP Top 25.

The Longhorns have been wildly inconsistent and coach Rodney Terry is on the proverbial hot seat after a 23-point loss at home, albeit to the No. 2 team in the nation.

“I’m all about trying to get my team better,” Terry said. “It’s about focusing on those guys and focusing on what we have to do as a program to continue to stay the course and keep working. I don’t get caught up in outside noise. If I’m worried about what people are saying, this or that, that’s not my job.”

Texas has played without energy provider Chendall Weaver for the past 10 games because of a hip injury and lost second-leading scorer Arthur Kaluma (12.9 ppg) to a left knee injury after just 11 minutes against Alabama. The status of both for the Kentucky game is to be determined.

–Field Level Media

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Ali Sanchez's first homer helps Yankees complete rally vs. White Sox

Jul 27, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones (78) hits an RBI-ground out against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn ImagesJul 27, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Spencer Jones (78) hits an RBI-ground out against the Chicago White Sox during the fourth inning at Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Jazz Chisholm Jr. had two hits and two RBIs and Ali Sanchez blasted his first major league homer in the eighth inning to break the game open as the visiting New York Yankees defeated the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Monday.

New York overcame an early three-run deficit for its fourth win in five games. The Yankees moved within 2 1/2 games of the idle Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the American League East.

AL Central-leading Chicago committed three errors as its lead over the second-place Cleveland Guardians fell to two games. The White Sox have lost three of their past four.

The Yankees scored a total of five runs in the seventh and eighth innings and navigated two errors in the ninth to hold on.

Ben Rice delivered a go-ahead single in the seventh, and New York maintained the lead in the bottom half when Colson Montgomery was erased at the plate while trying to score on a Chase Meidroth double.

Chisholm had a bunt single in the eighth that resulted in a run thanks to a throwing error. He scored when Sanchez connected against Sean Newcomb for a three-run shot three batters later. Sanchez was playing in his 75th major league game with six teams across five seasons.

Montgomery went 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

Jasson Dominguez and Rice contributed two hits each for New York.

Brent Headrick (6-1) delivered 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to earn the victory. David Bednar entered with runners on the corners and two outs in the ninth, and he fanned Meidroth to notch his 21st save.

Chicago reliever Bryan Hudson (3-4) allowed one run and two hits in the seventh.

The White Sox stormed to a 3-0 lead in the first inning against Yankees starter Max Fried. Colson Montgomery drove in the game’s first run with a single, and Meidroth added a sacrifice fly before Braden Montgomery punctuated the rally with an RBI triple.

White Sox rookie left-hander Noah Schultz retired the next six Yankees before control issues prompted an early exit. New York opened the fourth with two walks and a single to load the bases. Schultz departed after Anthony Volpe produced an RBI groundout but was charged with two more runs when Chisholm greeted reliever Chris Murphy with a double to right-center.

Chisholm scored the go-ahead run on a Spencer Jones groundout, but Chicago tied the game at 4-all in the fifth on an RBI single from Colson Montgomery.

Schultz permitted three runs and two hits in 3 1/3 innings with two walks and five strikeouts. Fried allowed three runs and five hits in three innings, walking two and striking out four.

–Field Level Media

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ATP roundup: Terence Atmane upsets Frances Tiafoe in Washington

Jul 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Terence Atmane (FRA) hits a backhand against Frances Tiafoe (USA) (not pictured) on day one of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesJul 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Terence Atmane (FRA) hits a backhand against Frances Tiafoe (USA) (not pictured) on day one of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

France’s Terence Atmane avenged a first-round Wimbledon loss to Frances Tiafoe, prevailing 4-6, 6-3, 6-4 on Monday in the first round of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington.

Tiafoe, a Washington-area native, was the tournament’s sixth seed.

Atmane got the decisive service break in the next-to-last game, then served out the match.

Earlier in the day, third-seeded Taylor Fritz swept his service games and rolled to a 6-3, 6-4 win over Belgium’s Zizou Bergs.

Fritz saved all four break points he faced while converting two of his four break opportunities. The California native was playing his first match since losing in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon to Germany’s Alexander Zverev.

Fourth-seeded Lorenzo Musetti won an all-Italian matchup when Matteo Arnaldi retired while trailing 6-0, 3-1. Musetti was returning from injury issues that kept him out since early May.

Also advancing to the second round were Australia’s Aleksandar Vukic, Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo.

Mifel Tennis Open

Australia’s Bernard Tomic was nearly perfect in the first round at Los Cabos, Mexico, powering to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Mexico’s Alex Hernandez.

Hernandez, a 27-year-old qualifier who is ranked No. 498 in the world, held serve while trailing 5-0 in the first set to avoid a double bagel. Tomic, a 33-year-old who is ranked 171st, made the main draw as a lucky loser from qualifying.

In other first-round action, U.S. qualifier Tristan Boyer downed Canada’s Gabriel Diallo 7-5, 6-2. The night slate included fifth-seeded Cameron Norrie of the United Kingdom facing Aleksandar Kovacevic, and Hong Kong’s Chak Lam Coleman Wong opposing Darwin Blanch.

–Field Level Media

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WTA roundup: Former DC champ Liudmila Samsonova wins opener

Jul 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Liudmila Samsonova celebrates after her match against Madison Keys (USA) (not pictured) on day one of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn ImagesJul 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Liudmila Samsonova celebrates after her match against Madison Keys (USA) (not pictured) on day one of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at Rock Creek Park Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Liudmila Samsonova, the 2022 Mubadala DC Open champion, enjoyed her return to Washington on Monday, beating sixth-seeded Madison Keys 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round.

The Russian withstood 10 aces from Keys by winning 80% of her first-serve points (35 of 44).

It was a less stressful day for other seeded players, as eighth-seeded Emma Navarro defeated Sofia Kenin 6-3, 7-5 and seventh-seeded Leylah Fernandez of Canada controlled Poland’s Magda Linette 6-1, 6-4.

Other winners on Monday were Ashlyn Krueger, Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto and Indonesia’s Janice Tjen.

Memphis Classic

Katie Volynets battled for a 7-5, 2-6, 7-6 (3) upset win against third-seeded Viktorija Golubic of Switzerland in first-round action at Memphis.

Volynets rallied after losing the first three games of the final set. Golubic was hurt by committing eight double faults without serving an ace in the match.

The only other seeded player in action, fifth-seeded Camila Osorio of Colombia, defeated Australian qualifier Storm Hunter 7-5, 7-5. Osorio prevailed on 76% (26 of 34) of her first-serve points.

Other Monday winners were Australia’s Maya Joint, Russia’s Anastasia Zakharova and Tatiana Prozorova, Germany’s Tatjana Maria and Belarus’ Iryna Shymanovich.

–Field Level Media

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