Connect with us

Sports

Wake Forest wants better execution, seeks marquee win vs. NC State

NCAA Basketball: Virginia Tech at Wake ForestJan 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA;Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Omaha Biliew (0) with a slam dunk against the Virginia Tech Hokies during the first half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Wake Forest might be running out of time to secure notable wins, so the Demon Deacons will want to take advantage of North Carolina State’s visit Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem, N.C.

NC State (15-6, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) has put together a three-game winning streak for its best eight-game record in ACC play in 20 years.

“My thoughts are we should be 7-1, so I’m not really pleased with 6-2,” Wolfpack coach Will Wade said. “We should be 7-1, not 6-2, but I guess it’s good. … We have to strive for a little bit higher and better than that.”

Wake Forest (11-10, 2-6) just needs any sort of momentum after losing three straight games.

“We have to execute better,” said coach Steve Forbes, whose team fell 80-76 in overtime at Pitt on Tuesday night.

NC State used a big second half for an 88-68 home victory against Syracuse on Tuesday. Forward Darrion Williams reached the 20-point mark for the third time in the last six games by scoring 23.

“Made my first few shots so that just got me going a little bit,” said Williams, who’s providing a team-high 14.4 points per game.

Having Williams on track helps NC State’s offense flow in many ways.

“It’s easy also being a point guard because when he is this good of a player it takes so much attention away from me,” guard Quadir Copeland said. “People have their eyes on him, so it makes everything so much easier for all of us.”

NC State notched a 70-57 home victory vs. Wake Forest on Dec. 31. Copeland had 14 points and Ven-Allen Lubin notched a double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) for the Wolfpack in that game.

Omaha Biliew’s 18 points led Wake Forest in the first meeting.

Wake Forest had its best rebounding numbers of the season from Cooper Schwieger (11) and Isaac Carr (nine) in the Pitt game. But Nate Calmese went out with an apparent ankle injury and was seen on crutches. He’ll be out indefinitely, so that will alter the rotation.

“I don’t know how long he’ll be out,” Forbes said. “Everybody else has got to step up.”

Saturday’s starting time has been moved up nearly four hours to a noon tip-off because of concerns about a winter storm.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Carson Kelly's pinch-hit homer propels Cubs over hapless Mets

MLB: New York Mets at Chicago CubsApr 18, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs pinch-hitter Carson Kelly (15) hits a three-run homer against the New York Mets during the sixth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images

Carson Kelly hit a tie-breaking three-run pinch-hit home run in the sixth inning Saturday afternoon for the host Chicago Cubs, who beat the skidding New York Mets 4-2.

The pinch-hit homer was the second of Kelly’s career and his first since Aug. 25, 2021, when he went deep for the Arizona Diamondbacks against the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Anthony Banda.

Ian Happ homered in the second for the Cubs, who have won four straight and have scored 51 runs while winning five of their last six games. Chicago scored 59 runs in its first 14 games this season.

Kelly’s homer off Brooks Raley made a winner of Jameson Taillon (1-1), who gave up one run on five hits and three walks while striking out four over six innings.

Mark Vientos provided the visitors a short-lived lead by homering in the top of the second for the Mets, who have lost 10 straight — their longest skid since an 11-game losing streak from Aug. 28-Sept. 8, 2004. New York hasn’t led at the end of an inning since first inning of an 11-6 loss to the Athletics on Apr. 11 — a span of 62 frames.

New York’s Bo Bichette scored when second baseman Nico Hoerner threw wide of the bag on Francisco Alvarez’s two-out grounder in the eighth. But reliever Ben Brown induced Vientos to ground out to third and strand two before Caleb Thielbar struck out two in a perfect ninth to earn his first save of 2026.

Freddy Peralta (1-2) took the loss after allowing three runs on three hits and two walks while striking out three over 5 2/3 innings. Peralta issued both walks with two outs in the sixth, after which Kelly took Raley deep on the first pitch he saw. The homer was the first surrendered by Raley since 2023.

The Cubs only managed five hits as Happ reached in 3-of-4 plate appearances with a pair of walks.

Francisco Lindor and Luis Robert Jr. had two hits apiece for the Mets, who were 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading

Sports

WTA roundup: Elena Rybakina continues sizzling start to 2026

Syndication: Desert SunElena Rybakina waves to the crowd after advancing to the quarterfinals after Sonay Kartal retired from their match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Wednesday, March 11, 2026.

Top-seeded Elena Rybakina continued her outstanding 2026 campaign by overwhelming sixth-seeded Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-1 on Saturday to reach the finals of the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany.

Rybakina, who represents Kazakhstan, will face No. 7 seed Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in Sunday’s final. Muchova pulled off a mild upset with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory over No. 4 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine.

Rybakina, who won the 2026 Australian Open and reached the finals at Indian Wells, exchanged breaks with Andreeva before winning four of five points on the Russian’s serve to capture the first set. She cruised in the second set, winning a combined 21 of 25 points on her first serves and Andreeva’s second service offerings.

The deciding set between Muchova and Svitolina looked to be going the distance, but the Czech won the final eight points of the match — four on her opponent’s serve in the ninth game — to set up the fourth all-time meeting with Rybakina. Muchova has won two of three prior matches, including a quarterfinal victory in January at Brisbane.

Rouen Metropolitan Open

Top-seeded Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine cruised past Germany’s Tatjana Maria 6-3, 6-0 to reach the finals in Rouen, France.

Kostyuk will take on teenage qualifier and countrywoman Veronika Podrez. She advanced in a walkover prior to her scheduled match against Romania’s Sonia Cirstea, who withdrew due to a leg injury.

Kostyuk, who will be trying to win her second WTA title and first since a 2023 championship in Austin, Texas, fended off all four break points in the match against the 38-year old German. Maria could not contain Kostyuk’s power, dropping 32 of 43 (74.4%) service points.

Podrez, 19, advanced to the semifinals with wins over Sloane Stephens, No. 7 seed Elisabetta Cocciaretto of Italy and Great Britain’s Katie Boulter.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading

Sports

Dane Myers' hit in 9th lifts Reds past Twins

MLB: Cincinnati Reds at Minnesota TwinsApr 18, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds second baseman Sal Stewart (27) loses his helmet as he runs to third base against the Minnesota Twins in the second inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Pinch hitter Dane Myers’ bloop single scored Spencer Steer in the top of the ninth inning as the Cincinnati Reds rallied for a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Saturday in Minneapolis.

Kyle Nicolas (1-0) struck out all three batters in the eighth inning to earn the win. Tony Santillan pitched a 1-2-3 bottom of the ninth and earned his first save of the season as the Reds won the first two games of the three-game set.

Minnesota manager Derek Shelton was ejected in the top of the seventh after Elly De La Cruz’s RBI single scored Rece Hinds to trim the Twins’ lead to 4-3. Shelton was upset De La Cruz was ruled to have checked his swing a pitch earlier.

An inning later, the Reds tied the game at 4-4 when Hinds’ sacrifice fly scored Eugenio Suarez. Cole Sands (0-1) allowed Myers’ game-winning hit in the ninth.

Minnesota took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Austin Martin walked with one out and Josh Bell singled to right. Ryan Jeffers knocked them both in with a triple to the left field gap. Bell and Luke Keaschall each collected two hits for the Twins.

Tyler Stephenson’s sacrifice fly to center field scored Sal Stewart and cut the Twins lead to 2-1 in the top of the second.

In the bottom of the third, Martin reached on an error and was eventually plated on Keaschall’s line drive to shallow right field as the Twins led 3-1.

Cincinnati pulled within 3-2 in the top of the fourth. Suarez doubled with one out and moved to third on Nathaniel Lowe’s ground out. On an 0-2 pitch, Stephenson drove a hanging cutter into left field to score Suarez. Suarez and Lowe both had two hits.

Bell led off the bottom of the fifth with a single. After Abbott issued a two-out walk to Trevor Larnach, the Reds went to the bullpen. Reds reliever Sam Moll gave up an RBI single to Brooks Lee that scored Bell as the Twins led 4-2.

Reds starting pitcher Andrew Abbott gave up four runs (three earned), six hits, walked three and struck out three in 4 2/3 innings. Twins’ starter Taj Bradley allowed two runs, five hits, walked two and struck out five in six innings.

–Field Level Media

source

Continue Reading