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Oklahoma State, Utah look inward for more respectable defense

NCAA Basketball: Utah at Brigham YoungJan 24, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Utah Utes head coach Alex Jensen speaks to Utah Utes guard Obomate Abbey (21) forward Keanu Dawes (8) during the first half against the BYU Cougars at Marriott Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

Both Oklahoma State and Utah have had a full week to consider what they need to improve to save their seasons.

The answer, in both cases, ought to come down to defense.

The two most porous scoring defenses in the Big 12 Conference will try to plug their holes when the Cowboys visit the Utes on Saturday night in Salt Lake City.

Utah (9-11, 1-6 Big 12) is third-to-last in the conference standings and dead last in scoring defense at 81.5 points per game allowed. Oklahoma State (14-6, 2-5) ranks second-to-last in the category at 80.4 ppg allowed.

The Utes were sent packing by No. 13 BYU as their rivals won 91-78 last Saturday to sweep the season series. Star freshman AJ Dybantsa dropped 43 points on Utah by making 15 of 24 shots overall and 4 of 5 from the arc.

It was Utah’s third time allowing a team to score at least 90 points this season, which offset the offense’s season-best 13 3-pointers on 21 attempts.

“We shoot 60 percent from 3 and we still get beat pretty good,” Utah coach Alex Jensen said. “The problem is, I think as individuals in a group, you got to take pride in guarding the guy you have; regardless of what scheme we are in, you have to take pride in defense.”

The Cowboys also had to deal with a highly ranked opponent in their last game. No. 9 Iowa State ran roughshod over Oklahoma State to take a 51-21 lead into halftime in Stillwater last weekend. The Cowboys made the final margin a more respectable 84-71, marking their fourth loss in five games.

“The team showed in the second half what we can be,” Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz said. “But it’s a 40-minute game. You’ve got to be able to do that from the opening tip.

“… If you can do that to the No. 9 team in the country, why can’t you do that consistently throughout?”

Oklahoma State’s leading scorer, Anthony Roy (17 ppg), was held to seven by Iowa State on 2-of-10 shooting. Kanye Clary and Jaylen Curry each had 19 points.

For Utah, Keanu Dawes scored 23 points and Terrence Brown supplied 22 in the loss at BYU. Brown ranks third in the Big 12 at 22.2 points per game. Dawes averages 12.4 points and 8.9 rebounds, the latter fifth among Big 12 players.

–Field Level Media

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George Kirby the answer to Mariners beating Rangers this season

MLB: Texas Rangers at Seattle MarinersApr 18, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Mariners starting pitcher George Kirby (68) is greeted by teammates in the dugout after being pulled from a game in the sixth inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images

George Kirby continued his mastery of the Texas Rangers, allowing one run over 5 2/3 innings, as the host Seattle Mariners posted a 7-3 victory Saturday against their American League West rivals.

Luke Raley homered for the Mariners, who snapped a four-game losing streak and beat Texas for the first time in five tries this season.

Seattle closer Andres Munoz entered with two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth and struck out Brandon Nimmo for the right-hander’s second save of the season.

Josh Jung went deep for the Rangers, who had won their previous two games.

Trailing 7-1, the Rangers scored twice in the ninth off Cole Wilcox, with singles by Wyatt Langford and Josh Smith and a walk to Jung loading the bases. Evan Carter hit a sacrifice fly down the right field line caught in foul territory by second baseman Cole Young. Ezequiel Duran’s run-scoring double into the left field corner made it 7-3 and a walk to Kyle Higashioka forced the Mariners to use Munoz.

Kirby (3-2) improved to 9-1 in 12 career starts against Texas. The right-hander gave up seven hits, walked two and struck out five. The only run he allowed came on Jung’s homer to straightaway center field with one out in the sixth that trimmed Seattle’s lead to 3-1.

An out later, Duran grounded a single to right, ending Kirby’s outing. Reliever Matt Brash got Higashioka to ground out to short to end the threat.

Raley led off the bottom of the inning with a towering shot to right off Nathan Eovaldi (2-3) to restore Seattle’s three-run lead.

The Mariners scored three more runs off Cal Quantrill in the eighth. Raley drew a one-out walk and took third on Dominic Canzone’s double off the wall in left. Young grounded a two-run single to center against a drawn-in infield to make it 6-1. Young stole second, took third on catcher Higashioka’s throwing error and scored on Leo Rivas’ sacrifice fly.

Eovaldi gave up four runs (two earned) on eight hits in five-plus innings. The righty walked one and struck out three.

The Mariners opened the scoring in the first. J.P. Crawford, batting leadoff with Brendan Donovan out with a hip injury, doubled to right and advanced as Cal Raleigh grounded out to first. With the infield drawn in, Julio Rodriguez grounded an RBI single into right.

Seattle extended its lead with a pair of unearned runs in the fourth. With one out, Randy Arozarena hit a bloop single down the right field line. Raley grounded to second, with Duran’s throw in a bid to start a double play sailing into left field, putting the runners at second and third. With the infield again drawn in, Canzone hit a hard grounder up the middle to make it 3-0.

Nimmo got his 1,000th career hit with an eighth-inning single.

–Field Level Media

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Corbin Carroll grand slam extends D-Backs' win streak, Blue Jays' skid

MLB: Toronto Blue Jays at Arizona DiamondbacksApr 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll (7) steals secondbase under the tag by Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andrés Giménez (0) in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images

Corbin Carroll broke a tie with an opposite-field grand slam in the eighth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks extended their winning streak to four games with a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Phoenix on Saturday.

Ildemaro Vargas singled off Jeff Hoffman (1-2) to open the eighth, extending his season-opening hitting streak to a franchise-record 14 games.

Alek Thomas singled and Ketel Marte walked to bring up Carroll, who hit his fourth career grand slam on a 3-1 fastball.

The D-backs, who have won eight of 10, lead the majors with 10 comeback victories.

Geraldo Perdomo had three singles and an RBI and Thomas had two hits for the Diamondbacks, who had eight hits.

Nathan Lukes had three hits, Kazuma Okamoto had two hits and an RBI, and Ernie Clement and Eloy Jimenez had two hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who have lost six of seven and 12 of 15.

Juan Morillo (1-1) struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a 100 mph fastball with a runner on first to end the seventh and keep the game tied at 2. He allowed one hit and struck out two over 1 1/3 innings of relief.

Toronto starter Max Scherzer gave up two runs on five hits in six innings, with one strikeout and one walk.

Arizona starter Zac Gallen permitted two runs and nine hits, leaving after Okamato’s single tied the game at 2 with two outs in the sixth. He struck out three with no walks.

Lukes, Guerrero and Jesus Sanchez singled in the top of the first, with Sanchez’s one-out single driving in Lukes for a 1-0 lead. Guerrero has a nine-game hitting streak.

The D-Backs tied it in their half of the first when Carroll walked, stole second and scored on Perdomo’s single. Thomas grounded a two-out double inside the bag at first to drive in Jose Fernandez, who had singled, to give Arizona a 2-1 lead in the fifth.

Toronto tied it in the sixth after an apparent double play was changed after a review. Jimenez singled with one out, and Gallen appeared to get out of the inning when Andres Gimenez grounded to Fernandez to start what originally was called an inning-ending double play.

Perdomo was ruled to have missed the bag on the play, leaving Jimenez at second, and he scored on Okamoto’s single to tie the game.

–Field Level Media

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Reports: Giants sending DT Dexter Lawrence to Bengals for No. 10 overall pick

Syndication: The RecordNew York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence (97) gestures during a Thursday Night Football game between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford on Oct. 9, 2025.

The New York Giants have traded three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 pick overall in Thursday’s draft, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.

Lawrence, 28, requested a trade last week and did not report to the Giants’ offseason program, with reports that discussions over a contract extension had reached an impasse.

The Giants have their original first-round pick at No. 5 and now No. 10.

NFL Network reported on Saturday that the Bengals will be giving Lawrence a contract extension. He is set to earn a base salary of $18.5 million in 2026 and is under contract through 2027 but with no guaranteed money remaining.

A 2019 first-round pick (17th overall) out of Clemson, Lawrence has recorded 341 tackles, 30.5 sacks and 103 quarterback hits in 109 games (102 starts) over seven seasons in New York.

He was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2022 through 2024, but not last season when he started 17 games and had 31 tackles, 0.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, eight quarterback hits and one interception.

Cincinnati already added to its defensive line with offseason signings of former Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million contract and former Vikings tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $25 million deal.

–Field Level Media

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