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
French superstar Antoine Griezmann joins Orlando City
[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 15, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann (7) reacts during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Rose Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Cole-Reuters via Imagn Images Orlando City SC completed the long-anticipated signing of Atletico Madrid superstar Antoine Griezmann on Tuesday.
The 35-year-old French attacker is signed from July 2026 through the 2027-28 season with an option for 2028-29. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“Bringing Antoine to Orlando is a landmark moment not only for our club, but for our city, our supporters and for Major League Soccer,” team owner and chairman Mark Wilf said. “He is one of the most gifted, accomplished and influential players of his generation, and his decision to choose Orlando City reflects the mission and culture of our club. Our focus is on consistently building a championship-caliber roster every year, and adding a world-class player like Antoine reinforces that commitment and our belief in what the Club can achieve.”
Griezmann will join the Lions as a designated player when the MLS secondary transfer window opens in July, pending medical clearance and receipt of his international paperwork.
“I am very excited to begin this next chapter of my career with Orlando City,” Griezmann said. “From my first conversations with the Club, I could feel a strong ambition and a clear vision for the future, and that really spoke to me. I look forward to making Orlando my new home, meeting the supporters, feeling the energy at Inter&Co Stadium, and giving everything I have to help the team achieve great things.”
Griezmann has recorded 13 goals and four assists across all competitions with the La Liga side this season.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner spent 10 seasons at Atletico Madrid, where he is the club’s all-time leader with 211 goals across all competitions from 2014-19 and 2021-26. He was the La Liga Player of the Year in 2015-16 and placed third in the Ballon d’Or voting in 2016 and 2018.
“Antoine is a complete footballer–creative, intelligent, clinical–and he is a proven winner on the biggest stages of the game,” Orlando City general manager Ricardo Moreira said. “Beyond his talent, he brings leadership, a relentless drive and a championship mentality that will elevate everyone around him. This is a statement signing for our club and ownership group, and we are thrilled to welcome Antoine and his family to Orlando.”
Griezmann has tallied 298 goals and 132 assists across 792 professional appearances in Spain. He had 44 goals in 137 caps for France before retiring from international competition in 2024.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kylian Mbappe: Knee is 100%, 'false things were said'
Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid’s game against Sevilla in Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid, on Dec. 20, 2025 .
French striker Kylian Mbappe disputed reports about the severity of the left knee sprain that has limited his availability of late for Real Madrid.
“My knee is fine. It’s getting better,” he said at a promotional event in France on Monday. “It’s going quite well, and I know there’s been a lot of speculation about it and some false things have been said.
“It’s the life of a top athlete, and we’re used to people saying things without verifying them or having any basis in fact.”
Mbappe, 27, came off the bench in Real Madrid’s two most recent matches: Sunday’s 3-2 La Liga defeat of Atletico Madrid and a 2-1 win at Manchester City on March 17 in the second leg of a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 match.
His last appearance before that, and his most recent start, was on Feb. 21. In 24 La Liga matches this season, Mbappe has 23 goals and four assists.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup winner is on the roster for France’s upcoming friendlies in the United States against Brazil (March 26) and Colombia (March 29).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Falcons add veteran Trevor Siemian to QB room
Jan 7, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New York Jets quarterback Trevor Siemian (14) throws the ball against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images The Atlanta Falcons are signing veteran quarterback Trevor Siemian, his agent confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
Siemian, 34, adds depth behind newcomer Tua Tagovailoa and 2024 first-round pick Michael Penix Jr.
Terms weren’t disclosed for Siemian, who last appeared in an NFL regular-season game in 2023 with the New York Jets. He spent most of the 2024 and 2025 campaigns on the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad.
Siemian is 15-18 as a starter, completing 58.5% of his passes for 7,751 yards, 44 touchdowns and 32 interceptions in 40 games with the Denver Broncos (2015-17), Jets (2019, 2023), New Orleans Saints (2021) and Chicago Bears (2022). He has rushed for 251 yards and two scores.
The Broncos drafted Siemian in the seventh round in 2015.
–Field Level Media
French superstar Antoine Griezmann joins Orlando City
Kylian Mbappe: Knee is 100%, 'false things were said'
