Sports
No. 24 Miami (Ohio) hopes for less drama against NIU
The Miami bench goes wild as the RedHawks take over during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Kent State Golden Flashes in the semifinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament at Rocket Arena on Friday, March 14, 2025, in Cleveland, Ohio. After three straight nailbiters, No. 24 Miami (Ohio) looks to continue its historic undefeated run Saturday afternoon when they host Northern Illinois in a Mid-American Conference game in Oxford, Ohio.
Miami (21-0, 9-0 MAC) comes off an 86-84 home win over Massachusetts on Tuesday before 9,223, the 10th-largest crowd at Millett Hall. Saturday’s game already has been declared a sellout at the 57-year-old facility.
Northern Illinois (7-13, 3-6) enters as a big underdog, though the Huskies defeated Massachusetts by the same two-point margin when they hosted the Minutemen on Jan. 17.
Miami’s victory over UMass marked its first home game while ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. The RedHawks enter Saturday’s game as one of two undefeated Division I teams. The other is No. 1 Arizona (21-0).
At the same time, Miami’s last three games have been a three-point overtime win against Buffalo at home, a six-point overtime win at Kent State and the two-point win over UMass. In both overtime wins, the RedHawks needed a basket in the final seconds of regulation to force the extra five minutes.
“I can probably care less about the streak, more just about trajectory,” Miami coach Travis Steele said. “Can we be at our best in March? But I also understand how special this is for our university, for our men’s basketball program and our players. It’s all about our players. We’ve got great players.”
Steele recalled after Tuesday’s win that he could count the fans in attendance for his first Miami home game on Nov. 7, 2022, against Evansville. Now, Steele embraces the newfound enthusiasm for Miami basketball and he believes his team feeds off it, too.
“I knew it was going to be a rebuild from a talent perspective, from a culture perspective, once I got here, kind of figured that out as well,” Steele said. “From just fan attendance, student interaction, it wasn’t there. There was a disconnect for somehow, some way, but the Miami students love athletics. Our guys have earned this right to have this crowd.”
Steele hopes to have point guard Luke Skaljac (8.9 ppg, 4.7 apg) back from illness for Saturday’s game. With just seven players seeing action Tuesday, Eian Elmer picked up the slack with a career-high 30 points while Peter Suder and freshman Justin Kirby had 13 points apiece.
The Huskies are led by freshman guard Dylan Ducommun, who scored a team-high 21 in Tuesday’s 85-65 win over Western Michigan. Makhai Valentine and Taj Walters each scored 16 points while Gianni Cobb added 10 points and eight assists. Valentine leads NIU with 13.8 points per game while Ducommun averages 12.4 points.
NIU shot 50% (32 of 64) from the field, including 50% (15 of 30) from three-point range, as the Huskies snapped a two-game skid while earning their largest MAC victory margin since Feb. 11, 2023.
“(It) was a complete effort,” said NIU head coach Rashon Burno. “We came out of Ball State and Ohio disappointed with our offensive execution. Our defense all year has kept us in games. Ohio (was a) three-point game, Ball State (a) five-point game; we just had some hard luck scoring consistently.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Romain Grosjean returning to IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing
Romain Grosjean ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Romain Grosjean has signed with Dale Coyne Racing for the 2026 IndyCar season, marking a return to the team with which he made his series debut in 2021.
The announcement was made on Friday, with the former Formula 1 driver stepping into the No. 18 Honda for DCR. He will team with rookie Dennis Hauger for the team, which parted ways with Rinus VeeKay after last season.
“Pairing an exceptional rookie in Dennis with a proven veteran like Romain gives us a strong competitive foundation,” team owner Dale Coyne said. “Bringing back key pieces of our history while building new global partnerships positions us well for 2026.”
Grosjean was out of IndyCar in 2025 after racing with Juncos Hollinger Racing. He competed in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, but in August he expressed optimism about returning to the IndyCar grid.
The 39-year-old Swiss-born Frenchman started 179 F1 races from 2009-20. He has made six podiums and won three poles in 64 IndyCar races.
The 2026 IndyCar season begins with the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on March 1.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Darren Clarke posts 2 eagles, shares Chubb Classic lead with Michael Wright
Darren Clarke tees off on 1 to start the final round of The Galleri Classic at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., Sunday, March 30, 2025. Darren Clarke of Northern Ireland made two eagles over his final four holes to grab a share of the first-round lead at the Chubb Classic on Friday in Naples, Fla.
Clarke and Australian Michael Wright posted 7-under-par 65 at Tiburon Golf Club’s Black Course with two rounds to go. Tied for third one stroke behind are defending champion Justin Leonard, Scott Parel, Rob Labritz and Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez.
Clarke already had a busy round when he reached the par-5 15th hole, with five birdies and two bogeys on his card. He reached the green in two on that hole, and again at the par-5 18th, sinking eagle putts both times.
“The one on 15, I hit driver, 3-iron from 237 (yards) to 12 feet and holed it for eagle,” said Clarke, 57. “Then the last one I hit driver, 3-wood. The 3-wood was from 241 or something straight into the wind. Hit it to 15 feet behind the hole. So they were both pretty good. Take those any day.”
Wright, 51, is newer to the tour and is well-positioned to go for his first win.
He sank nine birdies, including four of his last five holes, helping absorb a double bogey at the par-4 13th. He said his son Charlie carried his bag and read most of his putts for him Friday.
“This is his first Champions event and his first event ever was three weeks ago in Australia,” Michael Wright said. “He’s doing a great job. I love having him on the bag.”
Leonard posted four birdies on each nine. After a bogey at No. 17, he bounced back at No. 18 when he stuck his approach shot a few feet from the hole to set up birdie.
“I hit a lot of greens today,” Leonard said. “I think I may have only missed one or two greens. Did make a couple bogeys, but I played well on the par-5s and got off to a good start. I kind of did all the things you need to do around here.”
Leonard won by four shots here in 2025.
Two shots off the pace at 5-under 67 are Bo Van Pelt, David Toms, Germany’s Alex Cejka and South Korea’s K.J. Choi.
–Field Level Media
Sports
William Byron to use backup car in pursuit of Daytona 500 three-peat
Feb 13, 2026; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver William Byron (24) during NASCAR Cup Series practice at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images William Byron will need to rely on a backup car on Sunday when he tries to become the first driver to win the Daytona 500 in three consecutive years.
Byron’s preferred No. 24 Chevrolet took enough damage during qualifying Thursday to relegate him to a backup car for the Great American Race.
The bright side for Byron? He drove a backup car in 2024 when he won the first of his two Daytona titles.
“We’ve won this race with a backup car, so I’m not super worried on that aspect,” Byron said. “But it does suck that you put a lot of work into the primary and you don’t get to race it.”
The Hendrick Motorsports driver is attempting to achieve a three-peat that Richard Petty, Cale Yarborough, Sterling Marlin and Denny Hamlin had chances at over the years before each fell short in Year 3.
Byron, 28, will start 39th in the 41-car pack.
–Field Level Media
Romain Grosjean returning to IndyCar with Dale Coyne Racing
Darren Clarke posts 2 eagles, shares Chubb Classic lead with Michael Wright
