Sports
Top 25 roundup: Ole Miss pulls off late upset of No. 4 Tennessee
Mar 5, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels guard Matthew Murrell (11) reacts against the Tennessee Volunteers during the second half at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Wesley Hale-Imagn Images Jaemyn Brakefield’s tiebreaking putback with 7.5 seconds left capped a massive second-half performance as Ole Miss stunned No. 4 Tennessee 78-76 on Wednesday in Oxford, Miss.
After Tennessee’s Igor Milicic Jr. converted a four-point play with 40 seconds left to knot it at 76-all, Brakefield, a senior who scored all 19 of his points in the second half, grabbed an offensive rebound and put in the game-winner. Milicic missed a short shot in the lane at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.
The Rebels (21-9, 10-7 Southeastern Conference) got 13 points and 10 rebounds from Dre Davis, plus 13 points from Malik Dia. Matthew Murrell scored 12 as Ole Miss broke a four-game head-to-head losing streak against Tennessee. Ole Miss won its second game in a row after a three-game skid.
The Volunteers (24-6, 11-6) got 17 points from Jordan Gainey and 15 from Chaz Lanier. Felix Okpara had 13 points and seven boards, while Zakai Zeigler totaled eight points and 15 assists.
No. 5 Florida 99, No. 7 Alabama 94
Alex Condon scored a career-best 27 points and collected 10 rebounds and the Gators clinched the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Southeastern Conference tournament with a solid victory over the Crimson Tide at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Walter Clayton Jr. recorded 22 points, eight assists and five rebounds for the Gators (26-4, 13-4 SEC), who won for the 11th time in the past 13 games. Thomas Haugh added 12 points and Alijah Martin had 10 for Florida.
Mark Sears amassed 30 points, six rebounds and five assists in his final home game for the Crimson Tide (23-7, 12-5), who have dropped four of their past six games. Labaron Philon scored 19 points and Clifford Omoruyi added 11 points and seven rebounds for Alabama. Grant Nelson and Aiden Sherrell each had 10 points.
No. 9 Texas Tech 91, Colorado 75
JT Toppin had 30 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Red Raiders over the Buffaloes in Lubbock, Texas.
Chance McMillian added 15 points for Texas Tech (23-7, 14-5 Big 12), which remains in a second-place tie with No. 24 Arizona in the conference. The Red Raiders have won two straight and five of their past seven games.
Sebastian Rancik and Bangot Dak each scored 12 points to lead Colorado (11-19, 2-17), which has lost three consecutive games and four of the past five.
No. 11 Clemson 78, Boston College 69
Jaeden Zackery scored a game-high 21 points and Chase Hunter finished with 18 points to lead the Tigers to a victory over the Eagles in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Zackery, who spent three seasons at Boston College before he transferred to Clemson, shot 7 of 12 from the field. Viktor Lakhin added 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Tigers (25-5, 17-2 ACC), who extended their winning streak to seven games and have won eight straight ACC road games.
Boston College freshman Jayden Hastings made each of his eight field-goal attempts and scored a season-high 18. The Eagles (12-18, 4-15) received 15 points from Elijah Strong and 14 from Dion Brown.
No. 12 Wisconsin 74, Minnesota 67
John Blackwell scored 25 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Badgers held on for a victory over the Golden Gophers in Minneapolis.
John Tonje added 18 points and pulled down seven rebounds for Wisconsin (23-7, 13-6 Big Ten), which bounced back from a loss against No. 8 Michigan State in its previous game.
Brennan Rigsby scored 18 points on 6-for-10 shooting to lead Minnesota (15-15, 7-12). Lu’Cye Patterson contributed 15 points.
No. 13 Maryland 71, No. 17 Michigan 65
Rodney Rice scored 19 points to lead the Terrapins to a Big Ten win over the Wolverines in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Derik Queen had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Selton Miguel added 17 points for Maryland (23-7, 13-6 Big Ten), which won its fifth road game of the season and stayed in the hunt for a double-bye in next week’s Big Ten tournament.
Vladislav Goldin had 20 points and 15 rebounds and Danny Wolf scored 20 points with eight rebounds for Michigan (22-8, 14-5), which dropped its second straight home game. The Wolverines finish the regular season Sunday at Michigan State.
No. 14 Louisville 85, Cal 68
Terrence Edwards Jr. hit seven 3-pointers and scored a game-high 35 points as the host Cardinals stretched their winning streak to eight games by defeating the Golden Bears.
Edwards made 11 of 19 shots from the field as the Cardinals (24-6, 17-2 ACC) kept pace with Clemson in a tie for second place in the conference, one game behind Duke. Chucky Hepburn and J’Vonne Hadley added 16 points apiece.
Jovan Blacksher Jr. scored 22 points for the Golden Bears (13-17, 6-13), who shot 29.6 percent from the floor.
Oklahoma 96, No. 15 Missouri 84
Jeremiah Fears scored a career-high 31 points, hit 12 of 12 free-throw attempts and dished out five assists to lead the Sooners to an upset of the Tigers in Norman, Okla.
Oklahoma (18-12, 5-12 SEC) snapped its two-game losing streak and boosted its NCAA Tournament resume. Sam Godwin had 12 points in the first half but didn’t play in the second half for the Sooners as he sat at the end of the bench with ice on his right knee. Mohamed Wague chipped in 12 points and Jalon Moore added 11 points and seven rebounds.
Mark Mitchell led Missouri (21-9, 10-7) with 18 points. Caleb Grill scored 16 points and had eight rebounds and Marques Warrick added 10 points for the Tigers, who have lost three of their past four games.
UConn 72, No. 20 Marquette 66
Alex Karaban scored 21 points to lead the Huskies to a victory over the Golden Eagles in Storrs, Conn.
UConn (21-9, 13-6 Big East) moved into third place in the Big East thanks to its tiebreaker over the Golden Eagles. Four other players scored in double figures for the Huskies, with Samson Johnson providing 10 points and 11 rebounds.
David Joplin led Marquette (22-8, 13-6) with 23 points on 7-for-13 shooting. Kam Jones added 21 points.
–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
