Sports
Top 25 roundup: No. 1 Auburn tops No. 2 Alabama, leads SEC
Feb 15, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Johni Broome (4) and Alabama Crimson Tide center Clifford Omoruyi (11) struggle over a rebound during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images Johni Broome bundled 19 points with 14 rebounds and six assists as Auburn outdueled rival Alabama 94-85 on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala., in the first-ever Southeastern Conference matchup between the Associated Press’ top two teams.
Denver Jones added 16 points for the top-ranked Tigers (23-2, 11-1 SEC), who withstood a second-half rally by the No. 2 Crimson Tide (21-4, 10-2) to seize sole possession of first place in the conference.
Mark Sears netted 18 points and Grant Nelson paired 12 points with 12 boards to lead Alabama, which went from trailing 59-45 with 13:43 left in the game to tying it twice with less than eight minutes to play.
But after Chris Youngblood’s trey leveled the game at 68, the Tigers scored the next seven points and never looked back.
No. 3 Florida 88, South Carolina 67
Denzel Aberdeen scored 13 of his career-high 22 points after halftime in Gainesville, Fla., as the Gators pulled away for a victory over the Gamecocks, who remain winless in Southeastern Conference play.
After matching his career high of 20 at No. 22 Mississippi State on Tuesday, when he started in place of Alijah Martin, Aberdeen made 8 of 12 shots to help Florida (22-3, 9-3 SEC) earn its fourth straight win. Martin returned Saturday after missing two games due to a hip pointer and Aberdeen finished with his third career 20-point game.
South Carolina (10-15, 0-12) faded after a quick start. The Gamecocks made 12 of their first 17 shots and shot 44 percent (22 of 50) for the game. Jacobi Wright led South Carolina with 13 points, while Nick Pringle and Collin Murray-Boyles added 12 apiece.
No. 3 Duke 106, Stanford 70
Tyrese Proctor scored 23 points and the Blue Devils ran away from the visiting Cardinal in Durham, N.C., for their second straight win after their 16-game winning streak was snapped.
Cooper Flagg chipped in with 19 points and six assists and Khaman Maluach racked up 17 points on 8-for-9 shooting for Duke (22-3, 14-1 Atlantic Coast Conference), which matched the most points scored under third-year coach Jon Scheyer.
Maxime Raynaud poured in 18 of his 19 points in the first half for Stanford (16-10, 8-7). Oziyah Sellers had 11 points and Donavin Young notched 10.
No. 5 Tennessee 81, Vanderbilt 76
Zakai Zeigler scored 22 points, all in the second half, to help the Volunteers rally from 16 down and avoid a season sweep at the hands of the Commodores in Knoxville, Tenn.
Zeigler shot 7 of 9 overall in the second half after missing both of his attempts in the first half. He added eight assists for the Volunteers (21-5, 8-5 Southeastern Conference), who avenged a 76-75 loss to the Commodores on Jan. 18.
Jason Edwards paced Vanderbilt (17-8, 5-7) with 24 points and shot 6 of 10 from beyond the arc. Devin McGlockton (11.2 points per game) was held scoreless, playing just 18 minutes after getting into early foul trouble.
No. 6 Houston 62, No. 13 Arizona 58
Milos Uzan scored a season-high 19 points to help the Cougars rally for a win over the host Wildcats in Big 12 play. The victory gave first-place Houston (21-4, 13-1) a two-game lead over Arizona (17-8, 11-3) in the conference race.
The Cougars connected on 43.1 percent from the field and were 5-of-17 (29.4 percent) from behind the arc while winning for the 17th time in the past 18 games. L.J. Cryer added 15 points for Houston in the first meeting between the national powers since both programs joined the Big 12. Houston owns the nation’s longest active road winning streak at 11 games.
Caleb Love recorded 17 points and seven assists and KJ Lewis added 13 points for the Wildcats, who lost their second straight game after winning 13 of its previous 14 games. The Wildcats dropped to 11-2 at home this season.
No. 16 Wisconsin 94, No. 7 Purdue 84
John Tonje scored 21 of his 32 points in the second half to lift the Badgers over the Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind. Tonje made 10 of 15 shots from the floor — including 4 of 9 from 3-point range — to offset a 30-point performance by Purdue’s Trey Kaufman-Renn, who sank 12 of 16 shots and had five assists and four rebounds.
Max Klesmit scored 17 points and Nolan Winter added 12 for Wisconsin (20-5, 10-4 Big Ten), who erupted for 58 points in the second half en route to recording its fourth straight victory. The Badgers shot a robust 61.5 percent from the floor. Jack Janicki, who entered the game averaging 1.7 points, sank three of four shots from 3-point range and finished with 11 points off the bench. He received additional playing time following the ejection of Kamari McGee in the first half.
Fletcher Loyer scored 15 points and C.J. Cox had 13 for the Boilermakers (19-7, 11-4), who have lost two straight following an 11-1 stretch.
No. 8 Texas A&M 69, Arkansas 61
Wade Taylor IV scored 18 points and keyed a late surge as the eighth-ranked Aggies pulled away over the final eight minutes to win a Southeastern Conference clash in College Station, Texas.
Texas A&M never trailed after the 12:30 mark of the first half. The game was tied at 50 with just over eight minutes to play until the Aggies (20-5, 9-3 SEC) reeled off a 9-0 run culminated by a putback layup by Henry Coleman III with 5:08 remaining. Arkansas never got closer than seven points the rest of the way as the Aggies won their fifth straight game. Zhuric Phelps added 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds for A&M while Garcia had 11 points.
Karter Knox led the Razorbacks (15-10, 4-8 SEC) with 17 points while Zvonimir Ivisic added 13 and Adou Thiero had 10 points before he fouled out with 2:45 to play. Arkansas has dropped two of its past three games.
No. 10 Iowa State 81, Cincinnati 70
Curtis Jones scored 22 points and made all 12 of his free-throw attempts as the Cyclones topped the Bearcats in their Big 12 Conference matchup in Ames, Iowa.
Joshua Jefferson added 13 points and seven rebounds for Iowa State (20-5, 10-4 Big 12), which won its third straight game after losing the previous three in a row. Milan Momcilovic scored 12 and Tamin Lipsey finished with 11. Iowa State posted a 37-19 advantage on the glass, including a 12-5 edge in offensive rebounds. The Cyclones outscored Cincinnati 17-2 in second-chance points.
Jizzle James scored 25 points on 9-of-16 shooting to lead the Bearcats (15-10, 5-9), whose three-game winning streak ended. Day Day Thomas chipped in 13 points.
No. 11 Michigan State 79, Illinois 65
Jaxon Kohler scored a career-high 23 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the Spartans gave coach Tom Izzo his record-setting 354th Big Ten win with a victory over the Fighting Illini in Champaign, Ill.
The Spartans (20-5, 11-3 Big Ten) trailed by 16 points in the first half but closed the game on a 15-0 run to enable Izzo, in his 30th season, to surpass Bob Knight as the league’s winningest coach. Tre Holloman posted 14 points, Jase Richardson contributed 11 and Coen Carr added 10.
Kasparas Jakucionis and Morez Johnson Jr. led Illinois (17-9, 9-7) with 17 points apiece while Will Riley added 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists off the bench. The Fighting Illini missed their last 19 shots of the contest and didn’t score for the final 8:28.
No. 12 Texas Tech 93, Oklahoma State 55
JT Toppin poured in 32 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Red Raiders rolled to an easy win over the reeling Cowboys in Stillwater, Okla.
The Red Raiders (20-5, 11-3 Big 12) led by 19 points after a dominating first half and never let up, opening the second half with an 8-0 run, eventually stretching the lead to 36.
Toppin has scored a combined 94 points in Tech’s past three games. Marchelus Avery’s 13 points led the Cowboys (12-13, 4-10) in the loss, their second straight and third in their past four games.
Texas 82, No. 15 Kentucky 78
Tre Johnson poured in a career-high 32 points, eight of them in the final 3 1/2 minutes, as the Longhorns roared back to upset the 15th-ranked Wildcats in a key Southeastern Conference game in Austin, Texas.
Texas (16-10, 5-8 SEC) trailed by five with 3:51 to play but leapfrogged to the front for good via a 14-1 run. Johnson, the Longhorns’ freshman phenon, also grabbed a team-high nine rebounds and Tramon Mark scored 26 as the Longhorns snapped a three-game losing streak. Texas played without Arthur Kaluma, its second-leading scorer and top rebounder.
Otega Oweh led Kentucky with 20 points while Amari Williams added 18 and 12 rebounds and Ansley Almonor had 11 points. The Wildcats (17-8, 6-6), who were missing second-leading scorer Jaxson Robinson and Lamont Butler due to injuries, had a two-game winning streak snapped.
Utah 74, No. 17 Kansas State 67
Gabe Madsen scored 24 points to help the Utes defeat the Jayhawks in Salt Lake City, marking the team’s first victory over a ranked foe this season.
The Utes lost their first three games against teams in the top 25, but they never trailed against the Jayhawks (17-8, 8-6 Big 12). Kansas has alternated wins and losses over its past eight games overall.
Utah (14-11, 6-8) also got 12 points from Ezra Ausar and 10 points and 12 rebounds from Jake Wahlin. Kansas was led by Zeke Mayo, who finished with 15 points. Dajuan Harris Jr. added 14 and Hunter Dickinson chipped in 12 to go along with seven boards.
No. 22 Mississippi State 81, No. 19 Ole Miss 71
RJ Melendez scored 17 points to lead a balanced scoring effort and the Bulldogs defeated the Rebels in Oxford, Miss., to sweep the season series from their in-state rivals.
Josh Hubbard added 14 points and Riley Kugel scored 11 for the Bulldogs (18-7, 6-6 Southeastern Conference), who had lost three of their last four.
Jaylen Murray scored 14, Sean Pedulla had 13 and Jaemyn Brakefield added 10 for the Rebels (19-7, 8-5), who had won three in a row but got outscored 54-40 during the final 23 1/2 minutes.
No. 21 Missouri 87, Georgia 74
Anthony Robinson II collected 15 points, seven assists, five rebounds and four steals, helping the Tigers earn a win over the Bulldogs in Southeastern Conference play in Athens, Ga.
Caleb Grill added 15 points and four steals, while Mark Mitchell had 14 for Missouri (19-6, 8-4 SEC), which won its second straight game. Tamar Bates chipped in 13 points for the Tigers, who outscored Georgia 49-33 in the second half.
Asa Newell led Georgia (16-10, 4-9) with 23 points and 10 rebounds. Silas Demary Jr. scored 16 and Blue Cain had 14 as the Bulldogs dropped their third in a row.
No. 23 Clemson 72, Florida State 46
Dillon Hunter netted a career-high 17 points as the surging Tigers breezed to a 72-46 Atlantic Coast Conference rout of the Seminoles in Tallahassee, Fla.
The sixth-leading scorer for Clemson (21-5, 13-2 ACC) at 5.6 points per game, Hunter made 7 of 11 shots, including 3 of 6 from 3-point range, for his fifth double-digit performance this season. Ian Schieffelin produced 14 points and 12 rebounds to notch his 10th double-double for the Tigers, who won for the ninth time in the past 10 contests and moved to 6-1 on the road in ACC play. Clemson’s top scorer, Chase Hunter (17.6 ppg), tallied just three points but had four of the team’s 10 steals.
Jamir Watkins had 14 points and matched Taylor Bol Bowen’s team-leading seven rebounds for Florida State (15-10, 6-8). DaQuan Davis added nine points and Malique Ewin paired six points with six boards.
–Field Level Media
Sports
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Oct 1, 2024; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Las Vegas Aces center A’ja Wilson (22) and New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart (30) during game two of the 2024 WNBA Semi-finals at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images LAS VEGAS — Entering her eighth season in the WNBA, Las Vegas Aces superstar A’ja Wilson is poised to build on what was arguably the most dominant individual campaign in league history.
Wilson joined Cynthia Cooper (1997) as the second player in league history to win a unanimous MVP award and joined an exclusive club as the fourth player to win the award three times. She averaged 26.9 points and 11.9 rebounds per game last season and set the all-time single-season mark for points (1,021) and rebounds (451).
Unfortunately for Las Vegas, injuries and fatigue from their two previous championship runs mounted and resulted in the team’s worst regular-season record (27-13) since 2019. The Aces’ three-peat hopes ended with a 76-62 home loss to the New York Liberty to drop their semifinal series 3-1.
It’s that loss on her home floor that served as Wilson’s motivation this offseason.
“Losing sucks, especially on your home court,” Wilson said “It still kind of burns a little bit, but I’ve used that as fuel to help my teammates understand how hard it is to win in this league. Yes, we can celebrate the two championships. They were great. But for us to move forward, we have to understand how hard this league is and value the basketball and the little things. I think that’s what we lacked last season, so we’re going to make sure that we can show up better than we did.”
While the Aces appeared to be on top of the world heading into their potential three-peat campaign in 2024, the reality inside the locker room was that both the internal and external pressure to win another championship had become suffocating. A common theme across media day was the fact that the team feels less pressure entering the 2025 season, a sentiment Wilson shared as the unquestioned leader of the team.
“(Three-peat talks) obviously impacted us, because it’s like, y’all think we don’t want to win? We’re trying as well,” Wilson said.
“I would definitely say it’s refreshing this year. I feel like this is one of my only years where it feels like there’s no weight. There’s a lot of weight to be defending champs. It’s a lot of weight to be trying to win one. We don’t have that. We actually have a clean slate to really dial into getting back to who we are culturally, like, in our system and everything.”
Leading the Aces back to the top of the mountain for a third time in four years is one of a few historically significant achievements Wilson can collect this upcoming season. Wilson could also become the first four-time MVP in league history, though the meaning of that is something she hasn’t quite allowed herself to ponder yet.
“I haven’t given it much thought, but it would be a blessing to have my name in that conversation,” Wilson said. “Every year, I try to be better than I was the year before just to give myself a chance in this league. Because the league is getting better. We’re growing. At this point, you just want to maintain your stamina. You want to maintain your mental, all of that, because the season gets hard. I can’t think too much about that just yet, but I’m definitely going to try to be better than I was last year.”
As Aces coach Becky Hammon put it, fans can expect to see an even better version of Wilson this season.
“What I see is, she went and got better,” Hammon said. “Which is hard to do when you’re already the best, but it speaks to her work ethic, her desire and her mindset this whole offseason. We talked a lot this offseason. She’s a busy lady, but I can tell you what she always does is her workouts. She’s always getting her workouts in. That comes first and foremost, she never gets her priorities jumbled up.”
When Hammon was asked what a player like Wilson would possibly need to improve after last season’s campaign, the coach did not feel like revealing too much.
“There was (something for Wilson to improve), and she did,” Hammon said. “I’m not going to tell you what it was. Actually, there were two things.”
–Will Despart, Field Level Media
Sports
Jacob Wilson joins Aaron Judge in spotlight for Yankees-A's series
May 5, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Athletics shortstop Jacob Wilson (5) throws to first for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images The top two hitters in the majors square off Friday night when the New York Yankees face the Athletics in the opener of a three-game series in Sacramento, Calif.
It’s no surprise to see Yankees star Aaron Judge off to a superb start after winning American League MVP honors last season. He has a major league-best .400 batting average and entered Thursday’s play tied for the big-league lead with 12 homers and 34 RBIs.
But who had Athletics rookie Jacob Wilson ranking second in the majors at .357 as the season nears the quarter pole? Wilson has played in just 64 career games and quickly has solidified himself as a future All-Star, perhaps even this season.
Sharing the marquee board with Judge seems quite surreal for the 23-year-old shortstop who was the No. 6 overall pick of the 2023 draft.
“It’s a great feeling, for sure,” Wilson said of his name being mentioned with Judge. “Obviously, everybody has seen what he is doing. It’s pretty incredible watching him do his thing on a daily basis. To be up there with him is pretty cool for me.
“I’m excited to play against him this week and see what it looks like in person.”
Wilson had his first career four-hit game during Wednesday’s 6-5 home loss against the Seattle Mariners and has six multi-hit outings in the past eight games. He went 8-for-14 with one game-winning hit in the three-game series against the Mariners and is 16-for-34 (.471) with four walks during the eight-game stretch.
The hot hitting led to Athletics manager Mark Kotsay moving Wilson to the leadoff spot on Wednesday. Kotsay indicated Wilson may be sticking at the top of the lineup.
“I think you’ll see Jacob up there now,” Kotsay said. “Jacob’s earned it. … Jacob has shown enough over the last week. He’s walking and taking pitches, and, obviously, swinging the bat really well.”
Judge arrives in Sacramento in the midst of a four-game funk in which he is 2-for-15.
The two-time MVP just went 1-for-10 in a three-game home series against the San Diego Padres, but the one hit was a homer.
Judge grew up 50 miles south of Sacramento in Linden and starred for Linden High but wasn’t highly sought by major league teams. The then-Oakland Athletics selected him in the 31st round in 2010.
Judge instead went the college route and starred for Fresno State. He was chosen in the first round (32nd overall) by the Yankees in the 2013 draft.
Trent Grisham was one of the heroes of Wednesday’s 4-3, 10-inning win over the Padres. He hit a tying two-run pinch-hit homer in the eighth inning.
Grisham had two homers and five RBIs in the series against the Padres — one of his former teams — and already has 10 long balls in just 89 at-bats. He hit just nine last season in 179 at-bats.
“I’m having fun with the guys, I would say that more than anything,” Grisham said. “The clubhouse is really good in here, led by Cap (Judge). So, I would say the guys have been the most enjoyable part.”
New York is starting right-hander Will Warren (1-2, 5.65 ERA) in Friday’s series opener. Right-hander Osvaldo Bido (2-2, 4.71) will be on the mound for the Athletics.
Warren, 25, struck out a career-high eight in 4 2/3 innings while losing to the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday. He gave up five runs (three earned) and seven hits. Warren hasn’t previously faced the Athletics.
Bido, 29, received a no-decision against the Miami Marlins last Saturday when he gave up four runs on three hits over five innings. He is winless (0-1) over his last three starts. Bido hasn’t faced the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao coming out of retirement
Aug 21, 2021; Las Vegas, Nevada; Manny Pacquiao (right) fights Yordenis Ugas in a world welterweight championship bout at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao plans to end his retirement and return to the ring on July 19 against Mario Barrios in Las Vegas, ESPN reported Thursday.
Pacquiao, 46, will be fighting for the first time since losing a unanimous decision to Yordenis Ugas in 2021.
The fight will be for Barrios’ WBC welterweight championship belt. Barrios turns 30 on May 18.
Pacquiao is an eight-division champion who is slated to be inducted into the boxing Hall of Fame in June. He reportedly will formally announce his return to boxing next week. The report stated that Pacquiao has been cleared to compete by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
In recent years, Pacquiao has been focusing on his political career in the Philippines.
The boxer nicknamed “PacMan” has a 62-8-2 record with 39 knockouts during his career. He won his first major title — the WBC flyweight crown — at age 19 in 1998.
Pacquiao was 54-3-2 prior to turning 33 and 8-5 afterward. One of those losses was to Floyd Mayweather Jr. via unanimous decision in 2015, a bout that reportedly drew nearly $400 million in pay-per-view sales.
Barrios (29-2-1, 18 knockouts) fought to a 12-round, split-decision draw against Abel Ramos last November. This will be his third defense since winning the title by beating Ugas in 2023.
–Field Level Media
A'ja Wilson has no shortage of motivation after Aces' early exit in '24
Best Mothers Day gifts: Show mom some love
