Sports
Road-weary Jets aim to keep division lead vs. resilient Stars
Nov 29, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Winnipeg Jets center Cole Perfetti (91) looks to make a pass in front of Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin (15) during the first period at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images For the first time since the season opener, the Winnipeg Jets’ place atop the Central Division standings is in jeopardy.
Winnipeg will aim to shed its recent struggles and maintain its lead in the Central when it visits the division rival Dallas Stars on Sunday.
The Jets enter Saturday clinging to a two-point lead over second-place Minnesota, which hosts Nashville later that night. Winnipeg has gone just 3-5-0 since starting the season historically hot.
During their record-breaking 15-1-0 start, the Jets averaged 4.56 goals per game while allowing just 2.13. However, that script has flipped, with Winnipeg now scoring only 2.5 goals per game and allowing 3.25.
November’s grueling schedule, which wrapped up in Las Vegas on Friday with a mistake-filled 4-3 loss to the Golden Knights, has taken a toll. Heading into Dallas, the Jets have played just one home game in their last nine, but the team knows they have to battle through it.
“It’s been such a grind. Just coming off the four (games) in six (days),” Jets head coach Scott Arniel said after the defeat in Las Vegas. “We’re going into Dallas. We’re going against a team in our division … we have to make sure that we want to finish this road trip off on a good note.”
On this six-game road trip, the Jets are 2-3.
“We know what Dallas is. Their building is not easy to play in,” said Jets forward Cole Perfetti, who snapped an 11-game goal drought with two on Friday. “They’re a tough team. It’s a huge division game. The bare minimum we want to go home is .500. … We have a chance to do it, so we have to make sure that we’re ready come Sunday afternoon. I think we will be. I think we know how much that game is going to mean and carry the momentum coming home.”
While the Jets have struggled, Dallas has been bouncing back.
After a deflating 6-2 loss to last-place Chicago on Wednesday, the Stars responded by holding off a third-period comeback attempt by Colorado to win 5-3 on Friday in Dallas.
“It’s a great group for responding to adversity,” Stars coach Pete DeBoer said. “When we have a bad night, or a couple bad nights, you always know you’re going to get their best … I thought we had good detail in our game, did a good job bottling up the neutral zone … we had a lot of contributions.”
Defenseman Miro Heiskanen tallied two assists in Friday’s win and extended his point streak to four games.
“We knew that we didn’t play great in Chicago. We wanted to bounce back right away and not let too many games slip from us,” Heiskanen said. “It’s work ethic and trying to get back to what we’re good at. It’s been good for a couple years and hopefully we can keep doing that.”
Dallas forward Logan Stankoven will miss his second straight game due to a lower-body injury.
Winnipeg might be without Nikolaj Ehlers, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury after leaving Friday’s game following an awkward fall into the boards.
The Jets won the first meeting between these teams this season, a 4-1 result in Winnipeg on Nov. 9.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kentucky adds Furman transfer Alex Wilkins
Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Furman Paladins guard Alex Wilkins (10) dribbles the ball against the UConn Huskies in the second half during a first round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Former Furman guard has Alex Wilkins transferred to Kentucky.
His transfer was announced on Saturday.
Wilkins excelled in his freshman season with the Paladins, averaging 17.8 points, 4.7 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 35 games (all starts).
Listed at 6-foot-5, Wilkins showed his skills to a national audience in Furman’s lone game of the NCAA Tournament. He made four 3-pointers and scored 21 points in the Paladins’ 82-71 loss to eventual national championship runner-up UConn in the first round.
–Field Level Media
Sports
New Bengals DT Dexter Lawrence signs 1-year, $28M extension
Nov 16, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) scrambles away from New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence II (97) during the first quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images Three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence passed his physical and signed a one-year contract extension with the Cincinnati Bengals through the 2028 season on Sunday morning.
Financial terms were communicated through Win Sports Group, which informed multiple media outlets that the extension was worth $28 million.
Lawrence was acquired by Cincinnati from the New York Giants on Saturday in exchange for the No. 10 pick overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“We are excited to add Dexter to our team,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “He has been a dominant player in the league since he was drafted, and he will be a tremendous presence on the field and in our locker room.”
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 three of the top 37 picks in the 2026 draft. That includes their original first-round pick — No. 5 — and Cincinnati’s selection, No. 10.
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.
Lawrence 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 Seattle Seahawks edge rusher Boye Mafe to a three-year, $60 million contract and former Minnesota Vikings tackle Jonathan Allen to a two-year, $25 million deal.
“The opportunity to add a player of Dexter’s ability was too good to pass up,” Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin said. “… Dexter fits the vision we have on our defense and will also elevate others around him. We are confident in Dexter and can’t wait to see the positive effects he and the other players we have acquired this offseason have on our football team. We are excited to turn to the draft and our remaining picks to further enhance our team.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
St. Bonaventure sees influx of transfers added to basketball roster
Feb 28, 2026; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions forward Mason Blackwood (1) drives the ball to the basket during the first half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Bryce Jordan Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images Former Penn State forward Mason Blackwood became the latest transfer to commit to St. Bonaventure and to new head coach Mike MacDonald.
ESPN broke that news Sunday morning, and Blackwood’s transfer caps an eventful week for the Bonnies.
Per the 247 transfer portal and multiple reports, St. Bonaventure, located in Olean, N.Y., has added to its roster this week, along with Blackwood:
–Akbar Waheed III, a 6-foot-6 guard who redshirted at Boston College last season.
–Zach Philipkoski, a 6-4 guard, and 6-10 center Benjamin Bill, both of whom played for MacDonald at Division II Daemen.
–Taj Au-Duke, a 6-3 point guard who started his college career at Pepperdine but transferred to Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, where he became a first-team JUCO All-American.
–Ryan Kalambay, a 6-9 forward from Detroit Mercy.
Returning to the Bonnies from the 2005-06 roster are Ilia Ermakov, a 6-6 guard from Russia; John Ikpotokin, a 6-7 center from Ireland; Jack DeRose, a 6-foot guard and local product from Olean High School; Achille Lonati, a 6-5 Italian guard; and Joe Grahovac, a 6-10 forward from Santa Ana, Calif.
With Kalambay and Au-Duke from Canada, the Bonnies will have an international flair.
The Bonnies are losing four seniors and seven players to the transfer portal. According to 247Sports’ portal tracker, none of them have selected a new school.
Adding two players with experience in a power-conference program is a boost for St. Bonaventure.
Blackwood, from nearby Rochester, N.Y., appeared in 26 games as a freshman (one start) and averaged 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds over 12.2 minutes. The 6-7 forward is expected to be a building block for the revamped Bonnies.
Waheed didn’t appear in any games at Boston College as a freshman. He will have four years of eligibility remaining.
St. Bonaventure finished 17-17 in the 2025-26 season and 4-14 in Atlantic 10 play.
MacDonald was hired as head coach on March 31 to replace Mark Schmidt, who retired after 19 seasons on the job. A 1988 St. Bonaventure alum, he led Daemen to a 265-86 record over 12 seasons. He led the Wildcats to NCAA Division II East Regional championships in 2026 and 2021.
He is the only coach to win 100 games with programs at the Division I (Canisius), II (Daemen) and III (Medaille) levels.
–Field Level Media
Kentucky adds Furman transfer Alex Wilkins
New Bengals DT Dexter Lawrence signs 1-year, $28M extension
