Sports
No. 19 Saint Louis faces La Salle ready to absorb more blows
Feb 3, 2026; Davidson, North Carolina, USA; Saint Louis Billikens forward Ishan Sharma (9) handles the ball defended by Davidson Wildcats guard Parker Friedrichsen (5) during the second half at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images No. 19 Saint Louis will be in search of a bit more edge as it tries to continue its Atlantic 10 Conference dominance at home against La Salle on Saturday.
Saint Louis (22-1, 10-0 Atlantic 10) will face struggling La Salle (7-16, 3-7) after it dodged defeat at Davidson on Tuesday night. The Billikens rallied from 13 points down in the first half to earn a 91-82 victory.
“We’ve certainly taken punches, and we know we’re going to take more,” Billikens head coach Josh Schertz said. “You can’t have a glass jaw and be a championship team. You know you’re going to get stood up, you’re going to get knocked down, but you build the muscle of getting back up. We’re building a muscle of resilience.”
The Billikens enjoyed a NET ranking of 15 this week. While any regular-season loss may diminish that ranking and cost them a place in the Associated Press Top 25, their real chance at making the NCAA Tournament will likely come in the conference tournament.
The Atlantic 10 sent just one team to the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons, although that doesn’t lessen the importance of the regular season.
Schertz runs a nine-player rotation with six averaging double-figure points. The Billikens have multiple long-range shooters, giving the team plenty of scoring threats while creating a defensive nightmare.
Ishan Sharma poured in 29 points in a 35-point victory at St. Bonaventure two weeks ago. Trey Green scored 23 in victories over George Washington and Dayton at home last week. It was Brady Dunlap’s turn at Davidson, where he scored 22.
“It’s incredible,” Schertz said. “They really pull for each other. They want to be great themselves, but they’re not so small that their success would take the shine away from the other one. That doesn’t threaten them.
“When Ish did what he did against Dayton (18 points) and Brady wasn’t great (no shot attempts), Brady was incredibly happy. He was frustrated in his own situation, but he was incredibly happy for Ish.”
La Salle has struggled with injuries this season as 11 players have combined to miss 98 games. Forwards Jerome Brewer Jr. and Josiah Harris did not play at Loyola on Tuesday during a 71-61 loss.
Stepping up in their absence, Explorers guard Jaden Johnson played 37 minutes against the Ramblers and produced season highs with 16 points and eight assists.
Brewer and Harris combined for 34 points when La Salle lost to Saint Louis 84-72 at home on Jan. 10. The Billikens shot 10-of-23 (43%) from 3-point range.
La Salle coach Darris Nichols was frustrated with his team’s 3-point defense during the Explorers’ subsequent 67-58 loss to Saint Joseph’s at home on Jan. 31.
“The whole game plan was not to let them get 3s off,” Norris said. “They got 32 off. They made 10-for-20 at halftime. We didn’t execute the game plan.”
The Explorers allowed Loyola to launch 30 shots from 3-point range Tuesday and 10 were successful.
Defending the perimeter will be vital against the Billikens, who are shooting 40.7% from beyond the arc. That ranked fourth in Division I through Thursday’s games.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Prosecutors withdraw felony assault charge against Gavin McKenna
Jan 31, 2026; State College, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Gavin McKenna (72) looks to shoot the puck during the first period against the Michigan State Spartans at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images Pennsylvania prosecutors on Friday withdrew a felony aggravated assault charge against Penn State freshman forward Gavin McKenna, a consensus top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft.
The 18-year-old Canadian still faces charges of misdemeanor assault and summary harassment and disorderly conduct for allegedly breaking a man’s jaw with two punches last Saturday.
Prosecutors and local police determined video evidence “does not support a conclusion that Gavin McKenna acted with the intent to cause serious bodily injury or with reckless indifference to the value of human life,” the Centre County, Pa., district attorney’s office said in a statement.
Police allege McKenna punched the man outside a State College, Pa., bar during an altercation that followed Penn State’s 5-4 overtime loss to visiting Michigan State in an outdoor game at Beaver Stadium.
The complainant’s jaw was fractured in two places and he is recovering from surgery, the prosecutors’ statement said. They clarified he is not missing a tooth, contradicting the initial criminal complaint against McKenna.
McKenna has 11 goals and 32 points in 26 games for the Nittany Lions, including a goal and two assists in the outdoor defeat to Michigan State. Penn State’s next games come at Michigan on Feb. 13-14.
Last season, McKenna scored 41 goals and 129 points in 56 games for the Western Hockey League champion Medicine Hat Tigers.
He was among the first Canadian major junior players to take advantage of a 2024 ruling that allowed them to leave for college hockey. According to an ESPN report, McKenna is making an estimated $700,000 in NIL money.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Dodgers designate LHP Anthony Banda, claim C Ben Rortvedt
Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Anthony Banda (43) pitches against the Toronto Blue Jays in the seventh inning during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Los Angeles Dodgers designated left-handed reliever Anthony Banda for assignment on Friday as they moved to bring back backup catcher Ben Rortvedt on a waiver claim.
Banda, 32, played a key role in the Dodgers’ bullpen during two consecutive championship seasons, but he struggled in the last World Series with an 18.00 ERA in four appearances against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Banda was the victim of a roster crunch. The Dodgers were looking at six left-handed reliever options before he was designated.
Banda was 8-3 with a 3.14 ERA over 119 appearances (three starts) over the last two seasons in Los Angeles. In nine major league seasons, he is 15-9 with a 4.44 ERA in 209 appearances (nine starts).
Rortvedt, 28, was a late-season acquisition for the Dodgers last September when Will Smith went down with a broken hand. He was on the roster throughout the playoffs and started the first four games of the championship run.
The Dodgers signed Rortvedt to a guaranteed $1.25 million contract for the 2026 season before he was placed on waivers and claimed by the Cincinnati Reds. He was designated for assignment by the Reds earlier this week when Cincinnati signed Eugenio Suarez.
Rortvedt hit 3-for-7 with one RBI in the playoffs for Los Angeles. In 138 career games over four seasons with four different teams, he is a career .190 hitter with nine home runs and 52 RBIs.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Michigan State G Divine Ugochukwu (foot) out for season
Michigan State’s Divine Ugochukwu passes the ball against Northwestern during the first half on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. Michigan State guard Divine Ugochukwu will miss the remainder of the season due to a left foot injury, head coach Tom Izzo announced Friday.
Per Izzo, Ugochukwu will undergo surgery next week after sustaining the injury during the first half of the 10th-ranked Spartans 76-73 loss to Minnesota on Wednesday.
The setback was the second in a row for Michigan State (19-4, 9-3 Big Ten), which hosts No. 5 Illinois (20-3, 11-1) on Saturday in East Lansing, Mich. The Fighting Illini have won 12 in a row.
Ugochukwu averaged 5.1 points, 1.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 22 games (12 starts) this season with the Spartans. He transferred from Miami during this past offseason.
The loss of Ugochukwu leaves Michigan State with Jeremy Fears, Kur Teng, Trey Fort and Harvard transfer Denham Wojcik at the guard position.
–Field Level Media
Prosecutors withdraw felony assault charge against Gavin McKenna
Dodgers designate LHP Anthony Banda, claim C Ben Rortvedt
