Sports
Trey Kaufman-Renn, Braden Smith help No. 20 Purdue top UCLA
Purdue Boilermakers guard Braden Smith (3) is defended by UCLA Bruins guard Trent Perry (1) Friday, Feb. 28, 2025, during the NCAA men’s basketball game at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind. On the strength of a torrid 3-point shooting performance and a critical late run, No. 20 Purdue pulled out of a four-game tailspin with a 76-66 win over UCLA on Friday in West Lafayette, Ind.
The Boilermakers (20-9, 12-6 Big Ten) trailed 56-55 before Trey Kaufman-Renn made a pair of free throws with 7:27 remaining. That began a 12-0 onslaught, turning the prospect of a potential fifth straight loss into a win they desperately needed to maintain their pursuit of one of the top four seeds in the upcoming Big Ten tournament.
Kaufman-Renn, who scored a game-high 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the floor, followed his go-ahead foul shots with a pair of midrange jumpers. They were the prelude to a deluge from beyond the arc, starting with Camden Heide’s triple on an assist from Fletcher Loyer.
Loyer then hit a corner 3-pointer on an assist from Braden Smith — one of Smith’s eight as he broke the program’s career assist mark. Smith’s historic night also included a career-high-tying six made 3-pointers on 10 attempts.
Smith finished with 23 points and led the Boilermakers on a red-hot 11-of-22 night from beyond the arc. He also contributed to Purdue’s defensive effort with four steals. Kaufman-Renn added three steals and a blocked shot.
Tyler Bilodeau finished with team highs of 15 points and seven rebounds for UCLA. Sebastian Mack came off the bench to score 10 points, and Eric Dailey Jr. finished with nine.
The Bruins (20-9, 11-7) came into the night in a three-way tie with Purdue and Maryland for fourth place in the league. UCLA fell a game behind the Boilermakers and is a half-game behind Maryland, with both Purdue and the Terps now owning the head-to-head wins over the Bruins.
One of Smith’s 3-pointers came after Aday Mara ended UCLA’s scoring drought, pushing the Purdue lead to 12 points with 2:54 remaining.
Smith connected on another 3-pointer from the top of the key less than a minute later, with plenty of time to set up before his swish elicited an eruption from the home fans.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yordan Alvarez homers in first, Astros shut out Guardians
Apr 22, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros left fielder Yordan Alvarez (44) hits a single during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn Images Yordan Alvarez had three hits, including a two-run homer in the first inning, and Peter Lambert threw six shutout innings for the visiting Houston Astros in a 2-0 win against the Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday afternoon in the rubber game of their three-game series.
Lambert (1-1) allowed three hits while striking out eight and walking three for the Astros, who had lost five of six and surrendered at least seven runs in four of those defeats.
Cleveland right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-3) allowed two runs and five hits over six innings. He struck out three and walked two.
Chase DeLauter had two of the five hits for the Guardians, who had won three of four.
Alvarez came up after Carlos Correa doubled to lead off the game and fouled off a two-strike changeup before lifting a curveball into the stands in right for a 2-0 lead.
The home run was the MLB-leading 11th of the season for Alvarez.
Lambert stranded two runners in the first and again in the third. The Guardians also couldn’t take advantage of a leadoff walk in the second. George Valera was safe on an error by Astros second baseman Jose Altuve to lead off the fourth but was stranded at third.
A right-hander, Lambert retired six of the final seven batters he faced, getting two strikeouts and a comebacker in the sixth.
AJ Blubaugh retired the side in order in the seventh for the Astros before reliever Steven Okert got the first two outs in the eighth. Enyel De Los Santos then came in and struck out Rhys Hoskins with a runner on first to end the inning.
De Los Santos came back out for the ninth and got Brayan Rocchio to fly out to center with two runners aboard to end the game and secure his third save.
Bibee got away with walking the leadoff batter in the third and fourth innings and then retired six in a row before Alvarez singled to lead off the sixth. Bibee stranded two runners in his final inning.
Matt Festa, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski each tossed an inning of scoreless relief for the Guardians.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Point guard Caleb Foster returning to Duke for senior season
Feb 14, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) controls the ball in front of Clemson Tigers forward RJ Godfrey (0) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images Duke point guard Caleb Foster is returning for his senior season, the program announced on social media on Wednesday.
The 6-foot-5 Foster averaged 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 24.8 minutes in 33 games (30 starts) last season for the Blue Devils (35-3), who won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season (17-1) and tournament crowns. He also shot 39.8% (39 of 98) from 3-point range.
He fractured his right foot in the regular-season finale against North Carolina on March 7 and missed the ACC tournament. He sat out top-seeded Duke’s first two NCAA Tournament games in the East Region before playing in the Round of 16 win over St. John’s and the Elite Eight loss to UConn.
LET’S MAKE IT LEGENDARY ?? @iamcalebfoster pic.twitter.com/eFKs8ILMeI
— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) April 22, 2026
Over three seasons, Foster is averaging 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 20.8 minutes in 98 games (52 starts).
A native of Harrisburg, N.C., Foster is staying in Durham along with point guard Cayden Boozer, a rising sophomore. They will be joined by five-star recruit Deron Rippey Jr., and Duke also got a commitment on Tuesday from Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell, who also is going through the NBA draft process.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Phillies C J.T. Realmuto (back) placed on 10-day injured list
Mar 29, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto (10) at bat against the Texas Rangers at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images The slumping Philadelphia Phillies placed catcher J.T. Realmuto on the 10-day injured list with back spasms on Wednesday.
Realmuto, 35, sat out two games before returning Tuesday and going 0-for-4 in a 7-4 road loss to the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia’s seventh straight defeat.
The three-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove backstop is batting .259 with one home run and four RBIs through 17 games this season.
The Phillies are calling up catcher Garrett Stubbs from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Realmuto’s roster spot and split time behind the plate with Rafael Marchan. To make room for Stubbs on the 40-man roster, Philadelphia transferred right-hander Max Lazar (oblique strain) to the 60-day IL.
Realmuto is a lifetime .270 hitter with 181 homers and 681 RBIs in 1,390 career games with the Miami Marlins (2014-18) and Phillies (2019-26).
Stubbs, 32, is a career .215 hitter with seven home runs and 45 RBIs in 197 games across seven seasons with the Houston Astros (2019-21) and Phillies (2022-25). He’s hit .289 with three home runs and eight RBIs in 10 Triple-A games this season.
–Field Level Media
Yordan Alvarez homers in first, Astros shut out Guardians
Point guard Caleb Foster returning to Duke for senior season
