Sports
Villanova vies to extend win streak, exact revenge vs. No. 5 UConn
Feb 17, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Villanova Wildcats guard Acaden Lewis (55) dunks the ball against the Xavier Musketeers in the first half at the Cintas Center. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images Villanova is cruising toward March Madness, but a tough test awaits on Saturday when the Wildcats host No. 5 UConn in Philadelphia.
The Wildcats (21-5, 12-3 Big East) have won six games in a row, capped by a 92-89 overtime road win against Xavier in their most recent contest. Acaden Lewis scored five of his 21 points in OT, while Tyler Perkins contributed 17 points.
Duke Brennan added 10 points and 13 rebounds for Villanova, and Bryce Lindsay had 15 points, including a clutch 3-pointer in overtime.
“I’m proud of him,” Lewis said of Lindsay, who finished 4 of 8 from long distance. “It’s not easy to go through big slumps like this when you’re playing on national TV and everyone expects so much of him.”
Lindsay had totaled only 12 points in his past four games but is averaging 12.3 points a game for the season.
The Wildcats won despite allowing the Musketeers to shoot 50.7% from the floor and 43.5% from the 3-point line.
“We didn’t get many stops out there, the starting five,” Lewis said. “The speed of the game kind of got to us. A bunch of guys (including Malachi Palmer and Devin Askew) just came in and changed the whole game. It got us into a rhythm when we came back into the game.”
In addition to its defensive struggles, Villanova shot just 14 of 22 from the foul line while getting outrebounded by Xavier. The difference in the game was the Wildcats’ ball control and decision-making.
“We’re going to take a lot of 3s,” Wildcats first-year coach Kevin Willard said. “We had 24 assists and only six turnovers, which was great.”
Villanova has not lost since a 75-67 overtime defeat at UConn on Jan. 24. The Wildcats led at halftime before the Huskies rallied to win behind Solo Ball (24 points) and Alex Karaban (17).
UConn has won seven of the last eight meetings between the teams.
The earlier matchup came in the midst of an 18-game winning streak by the Huskies (24-3, 14-2), who have since lost two of their last four games. They fell at home to Creighton 91-84 on Wednesday despite 25 points from Braylon Mullins.
UConn shot just 43.7% from the field and 11 of 18 from the foul line, but Huskies coach Dan Hurley said he is concerned with much bigger issues. For starters, his team allowed the Bluejays to shoot 49.1% from the floor and 10 of 21 from 3-point range.
“The defense has been a joke,” Hurley said. “It was a game of just really bad individual defense. Our defense has been so bad. We’ve been playing with fire. Obviously, our overall defense was just dreadful.”
Ball managed just eight points on 3-of-10 shooting from the field, with one rebound and no assists in 19 minutes.
Karaban, playing through an undisclosed injury, was held to two points on 1-of-6 shooting in 25 minutes.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have played Alex today,” Hurley said. “He said he was fine, but he’s dealing with something physically. He was not moving around well there on the court. He was a shell of himself.”
UConn has not lost two straight games since November 2024.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami rally past NYCFC
Mar 22, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC midfielder Keaton Parks (55) and New York City FC midfielder Maximiliano Moralez (10) fight for the ball challenged by Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi (10) during the first half at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images Micael Dos Santos’ go-ahead goal in the 74th minute lifted Inter Miami to a 3-2 comeback victory over host New York City FC on Sunday afternoon.
Dos Santos headed home a beautiful ball from fellow defender Noah Allen, which found its way past NYCFC keeper Matt Freese and gave Inter Miami (3-1-1, 10 points) its first MLS win since March 7.
Lionel Messi scored his 901st career goal and Gonzalo Lujan scored his first career MLS goal for Inter Miami, which bounced back after being eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday after a pair of draws against Nashville and that side advancing on the away goals tiebreaker.
NYCFC (3-1-1, 10 points) suffered its first defeat of the season and snapped a three-game winning streak despite goals from Nicolas Fernandez Mercau and Agustin Ojeda.
Maxi Moralez delivered his own stellar assist to Ojeda in the 59th minute to put NYCFC briefly ahead 2-1.
Moralez sent a great ball through traffic down the middle of the field to Ojeda, who was uncontested, and flipped the ball past Inter Miami goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair.
But two minutes later, Inter Miami earned a free kick and Messi delivered. His shot deflected off NYCFC’s Hannes Wolf and redirected past Freese (five saves) to tie the game at 2.
Messi nearly had a multi-goal match as he came close on several chances. He hit the post in the 31st minute and the crossbar in the 42nd minute. He also had a late opportunity to pad Miami’s lead but missed wide.
German Berterame appeared to extend Miami’s lead in the 79th minute, but what would have been his first goal with his new club was nullified after he was ruled offside.
After Lujan scored in the fourth minute, NYCFC leveled the match on a fantastic free kick goal by Fernandez Mercau, who lifted a high shot that bounced just under the crossbar and in, freezing St. Clair in place in the 17th minute.
NYCFC used Moralez as a decoy, having him approach as if he would take the shot and then Fernandez Mercau ran up and booted it.
St. Clair (three saves) made a huge save late in stoppage time to preserve Inter Miami’s win.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Women's NCAA roundup: North Carolina, Michigan advance to Sweet 16
Mar 7, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Elina Aarnisalo (17) shoots against the Louisville Cardinals in the second quarter at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Elina Aarnisalo poured in 21 points — one shy of her career high — and Lanie Grant had 20 points as North Carolina pulled out a 74-66 victory against Maryland in the Fort Worth Region 1 second-round game Sunday afternoon in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Fourth-seeded North Carolina (28-7) goes to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row. The Tar Heels will take on Monday’s Syracuse-Connecticut winner later in the week in Fort Worth, Texas.
Nyla Harris had 14 points and eight rebounds for the Tar Heels while Indya Nivar shrugged off foul trouble to finish with 11 points.
Oluchi Okananwa racked up 21 points for fifth-seeded Maryland (24-9), but she was just 3-for-11 on free throws. Addi Mack had 13 points, Mir McLean supplied 12 points and 14 rebounds and Kyndal Walker notched 10 points.
The Terrapins shot 3-for-23 from 3-point range and 17 of 31 at the line, so even collecting 21 offensive rebounds wasn’t enough.
North Carolina led 42-33 at halftime, but Maryland scored the first basket of the fourth quarter to claim a 52-50 lead.
No. 2 Michigan 92, No. 7 NC State 63
Olivia Olson had 27 points and Syla Swords pumped in 26 points as the second-seeded Wolverines benefited from a huge second half to pull away in the Fort Worth Region 3 second-round game at Ann Arbor, Mich.
Mila Holloway contributed 13 points and nine rebounds for Michigan (27-6), which faces the winner of Monday’s Alabama-Louisville game later in the week.
Zamareya Jones recorded 16 points, nine assists and four blocks for NC State (21-11), which she also committed seven of the Wolfpack’s 22 turnovers that Michigan turned into 35 points. Khamil Pierre added 15 points for NC State and Devyn Quigley notched 11 points.
NC State played without All-Atlantic Coast Conference guard Zoe Brooks, who was out with a lower-body injury. The Wolfpack were denied a third consecutive spot in the Sweet 16.
Michigan led 28-25 at halftime before cranking out 32 points in both the third and fourth quarters.
Swords finished with four of Michigan’s 10 baskets from 3-point range. The Wolverines committed only six turnovers.
Michigan won for the 16th time in 17 home games this season.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Avalanche beat Capitals in OT to clinch playoff spot
Mar 22, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) battles for the puck with Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) in front of Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) during the second period at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images Brock Nelson scored the game-winning goal at 1:22 of overtime as the Colorado Avalanche rallied for a 3-2 victory against the Washington Capitals on Sunday.
Nelson won the game for the Avalanche (46-13-10, 102) when Martin Necas set him up for a slap shot past Logan Thompson.
Gabriel Landeskog and Nicolas Roy also found the back of the net for Colorado, which is the first team to secure a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Necas had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 saves.
The win was the second straight for the Avalanche after a stretch in which they won just one of five games.
Alex Ovechkin and Justin Sourdif scored, and Thompson made 21 saves for the Capitals (35-28-8, 78), who had previously won two straight games and three of their last four.
Sourdif put Washington ahead 1-0 at 11:53 of the first period. The 23-year-old center caught the bouncing puck on a breakaway and beat Blackwood with a snap shot.
Landeskog tied it 1-1 at 1:05 of the third period. Thompson was caught out of position when Necas set Landeskog up from behind the net for an uncontested snap shot.
Colorado went ahead 2-1 at 6:03 when Roy collected his own rebound and scored shortside on Thompson.
Ovechkin tied the game back up 2-2 at 14:17 with a slap shot on the power play.
The Avalanche are part of the playoff field for the ninth straight season. They were Stanley Cup champions in 2021-22.
Washington is on the outside of the Eastern Conference wild-card race.
–Field Level Media
Lionel Messi scores as Inter Miami rally past NYCFC
Women's NCAA roundup: North Carolina, Michigan advance to Sweet 16
