Sports
No. 16 UNC works to continue winning ways in clash vs. struggling Ga. Tech
Jan 21, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Caleb Wilson (8) with the ball in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images No. 16 North Carolina appears to be back on track after a good week. Now, with a week between games, the key will be making sure there’s no drop-off.
The Tar Heels will visit Georgia Tech for Saturday afternoon’s game in Atlanta.
“We’re consistently practicing well and stacking days in practice,” North Carolina coach Hubert Davis said. “Each week has its own life. … In order to be a good team, you have to sustain that.”
North Carolina (16-4, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) is looking to extend its winning streak to three games. The Tar Heels most recently played in last Saturday’s 85-80 comeback victory at then-No. 14 Virginia.
Georgia Tech (11-10, 2-6) has lost back-to-back games to Clemson and Virginia Tech. The Yellow Jackets’ only victory in their last six games came in a 78-74 upset at North Carolina State on Jan. 17.
Good stretches haven’t been rewarded for the Yellow Jackets.
“They’re not getting payback for it,” Georgia Tech coach Damon Stoudamire said of his players. “I wish we would get some wins to get their chins up and make them feel better about themselves, but we’ve just got to keep grinding.”
Now North Carolina will have to navigate the sold-out McCamish Pavilion. The Tar Heels will try for more strong outings from guard Derek Dixon, who has double-digit points in each of his last three outings.
“Derek is a very confident player, very fundamentally sound,” Davis said. “With the extended minutes (90 over his past three games), I feel like he has done a really nice job. He has become more vocal throughout the year.”
Freshman forward Caleb Wilson has led the Tar Heels in scoring in four consecutive games, marking his longest such streak of the season. His 14 games with 20 or more points have tied Tyler Hansbrough for North Carolina’s freshman record for 20-point outings.
“I don’t think anybody can see the ceiling; it’s so high for him,” Davis said of Wilson’s potential.
Luka Bogavac has come off the bench for most of January for North Carolina, yet he leads the team with 29 baskets from 3-point range this season.
“It has always been a non-factor for me as a player and a coach,” Davis said of whether a player is a starter or a reserve. “He has been really good for us lately.”
Stoudamire said he’s willing to try different strategies to find the right formula for Georgia Tech on Saturday.
“We’ve got to figure it out,” he said. “It’s still a lot of fun to try to figure it out on the run. We’ve just got to keep fighting.”
Stoudamire said untimely turnovers have been devastating at times.
“You just can’t do it,” he said. “It has to hurt.”
In Tuesday’s 71-65 loss at Virginia Tech, Jaeden Mustaf with 16 points and 11 rebounds was Georgia Tech’s leading scorer and rebounder for the first time this season. Mustaf has a double-figure point total in four of eight ACC games.
There also was a boost from Kam Craft’s 11 points. He returned to the starting lineup, accounting for all three of the Yellow Jackets’ 3-point baskets.
“He hasn’t played 30 minutes (in a game) since the beginning of the season,” Stoudamire said. “It’s good to see him see some shots go in. Hopefully, it will have some carryover going into Saturday.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
US storms back, cruises to 6-3 win over Denmark
Feb 12, 2026; Milan, Italy; Auston Matthews of United States celebrates scoring their fifth goal with Matthew Tkachuk of United States against Latvia in men’s ice hockey group C play during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist for the United State in a 6-3 victory against Denmark in their second preliminary-round game at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Thursday.
The U.S. beat Latvia 5-1 in their tournament opener on Thursday.
Matt Boldy, Brady Tkachuk, Noah Hanifin, Jake Guentzel, and Jack Hughes also scored, and Jeremy Swayman made 18 saves for the U.S., which will play Germany in its final preliminary round game on Sunday at 3:10 p.m. ET.
Nick Olesen, Nicholas B. Jensen and Phillip Brugisser scored, and Mads Sogaard had 32 saves for Denmark before leaving midway through the third period with an apparent injury.
Frederik Dichow came in and made seven saves.
Olesen was credited with the first goal of the game after his rebound went off the skate of U.S. defenseman Zach Werenski and through Swayman’s pads to give Denmark a 1-0 lead at 1:40 of the first period.
The U.S. tied it 1-1 at 3:35 of the first when Boldy scored on a wraparound.
Swayman surrendered a goal on a long shot by Jensen from just inside the red line to move Denmark ahead 2-1 at 11:16.
Tkachuk and Eichel each scored off face-off wins in the Denmark zone 57 seconds apart to move the U.S. ahead 3-2 at 10:23 of the second.
Hanifin slipped a shot through Sogaard’s pass off the rush to stretch the lead to 4-2 at 17:23 of the second, but Denmark cut it to 4-3 with three seconds left on another long shot from the point, this one by Brugisser.
The U.S. re-established a two-goal lead when Guentzel scored with a one-timer from the inside edge of the right circle to make it 5-3 at 7:24 of the third period.
Hughes drove to the net and banked the puck off Dichow from below the goal line to make it 6-3 at 14:27.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Women's Top 25 roundup: No. 1 UConn rolls past Marquette
Marquette Golden Eagles guard Jordan Meulemans (20) and guard Bridget Utberg (7) fights for position against UConn Huskies forward Sarah Strong (21) and guard Ashlynn Shade (12) during the fourth quarter of the game on Saturday February 14, 2026 at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Azzi Fudd scored 25 points and Sarah Strong had 22 as No. 1 UConn continued its undefeated season with a 71-56 win at Marquette on Saturday afternoon in Milwaukee, Wis.
Fudd knocked down five 3-pointers, while Strong had three steals and three blocks to lead the Huskies (27-0, 16-0 Big East). KK Arnold added 10 points, six rebounds and a career-best nine assists.
Lee Volker scored 15 points and Skylar Forbes chipped in 14 to pace the Golden Eagles (16-10, 10-7). Marquette jumped out to briefly lead by five, but the Huskies outscored the Golden Eagles 36-19 for the remainder of the first half and held their double-digit advantage through the final buzzer.
Strong was held to one rebound, the lowest the sophomore has grabbed in a single game in her career.
Oklahoma State 75, No. 16 Texas Tech 65
Jadyn Wooten scored 16 points off the bench to guide the Cowgirls to an upset victory over the Red Raiders at home in Stillwater, Okla.
Wooten also had seven assists and was one of five players to score in double figures for Oklahoma State (20-7, 9-5 Big 12). Amari Whiting collected 13 points and 11 rebounds, Achol Akot also scored 13 points and Stailee Heard and Haleigh Timmer each had 12 apiece.
Bailey Maupin scored 19 points for Texas Tech (23-4, 10-4) and Snudda Collins added 18.
After trailing by a point at the end of the first quarter, the Cowgirls outscored the Red Raiders 22-9 in the second frame and led for the rest of the game. Oklahoma State — which led by 17 at one point — won the rebounding battle by 10 and shot 8 of 16 from 3-point land.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Suns agree to deal with F Haywood Highsmith
Apr 28, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Haywood Highsmith (24) reaches for the basketball to prevent it from going out of bounds against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second quarter during game four for the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images The Phoenix Suns agreed to a multi-year deal with forward Haywood Highsmith, per ESPN.
Highsmith was an integral rotation player for the Miami Heat for four seasons (2021-25). During that span, he started 80 games. Overall, he averaged 5.5 points and 3.2 rebounds across 20.3 minutes per game, while shooting 37.5% from 3-point range with the Heat.
In August 2025, he tore his meniscus while working out. Soon after, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets.
He did not play a game for the Nets. They waived him at the trade deadline.
–Field Level Media
US storms back, cruises to 6-3 win over Denmark
Women's Top 25 roundup: No. 1 UConn rolls past Marquette
