Sports
Xavier out to display more toughness when DePaul comes calling
Xavier Musketeers forward Filip Borovicanin (4) hits a layup in the second half of the NCAA basketball game at the Cintas Center in Cincinnati on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. Xavier and DePaul both hope to generate some momentum going into February when they battle Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati.
Xavier (11-10, 3-7 Big East) is on a three-game losing streak entering Saturday, including an 86-68 drubbing at Seton Hall Wednesday night.
It has been an up-and-down season for the Musketeers, with the list of highs including wins over rival Cincinnati and West Virginia.
But the reality of having 13 new players on the roster, combined with playing in the Big East, are both starting to catch up to Xavier, culminating in Wednesday night’s loss. The Musketeers led 41-30 at halftime, but were outscored 56-27 and outrebounded 24-10 in the second half.
“They just took our spirit,” head coach Richard Pitino said. “It’s just effort and toughness. They showed a high level of toughness and we did not. We talked about defensive rebounding. We gave up 21 (offensive rebounds). That’s what Big East toughness looks like. I told the guys, ‘I hope y’all play basketball for a long time. You can’t let a team just physically punk you, and they did that.'”
Tre Carroll leads Xavier with 18.2 points per game, while Filip Borovicanin has team highs of 8.0 rebounds and 4.6 assists per contest. Xavier paces the Big East with 18.7 assists per game.
DePaul (12-9, 4-6) has alternated wins and losses in each of its last six games, but is 4-3 since an 0-3 start to Big East play.
The Blue Demons are looking to bounce back from a 70-61 loss Wednesday night at Georgetown, a game in which they never led despite knocking down 11 three-pointers.
CJ Gunn leads the Blue Demons with 14.3 points per game, while NJ Benson leads DePaul with 7.0 rebounds per game and a 60.7 field goal percentage.
DePaul has already matched its Big East win total from last year.
“From the first day me and NJ got here, we (have) been trying to change the culture and the environment in Wintrust (Arena),” Gunn said earlier this month. “And we (are) finally starting to get some wins — finally starting to get our rhythm and our momentum going.”
Gunn and Benson were two of six Blue Demons in double figures in their 86-77 win over Xavier on Jan. 3 in Chicago.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Corbin Carroll slam extends D-backs' win streak, Jays' skid
Apr 18, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder Corbin Carroll (7) steals secondbase under the tag by Toronto Blue Jays second baseman Andrés Giménez (0) in the first inning at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Corbin Carroll broke a tie with an opposite-field grand slam in the eighth inning and the Arizona Diamondbacks extended their winning streak to four games with a 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Phoenix on Saturday.
Ildemaro Vargas singled off Jeff Hoffman (1-2) to open the eighth, extending his season-opening hitting streak to a franchise-record 14 games.
Alek Thomas singled and Ketel Marte walked to bring up Carroll, who hit his fourth career grand slam on a 3-1 fastball.
The D-backs, who have won eight of 10, lead the majors with 10 comeback victories.
Geraldo Perdomo had three singles and an RBI and Thomas had two hits and an RBI for the Diamondbacks, who had eight hits.
Nathan Lukes had three hits, Kazuma Okamoto had two hits and an RBI and Ernie Clement and Eloy Jimenez had two hits apiece for the Blue Jays, who have lost four straight, six of seven and 12 of 15.
Juan Morillo (1-1) struck out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on a 100 mph fastball with a runner on first to end the seventh and keep the game tied at 2. He allowed one hit and struck out two over 1 1/3 innings of relief.
Toronto starter Max Scherzer gave up two runs on five hits in six innings, with one strikeout and one walk.
Arizona starter Zac Gallen permitted two runs and nine hits, leaving after Okamato’s single tied the game at 2 with two outs in the sixth. He struck out three with no walks.
Lukes, Guerrero and Jesus Sanchez singled in the top of the first, with Sanchez’s one-out single driving in Lukes for a 1-0 lead. Guerrero has a nine-game hitting streak.
The D-backs tied it in their half of the first when Carroll walked, stole second and scored on Perdomo’s single. Thomas grounded a two-out double inside the bag at first to drive in Jose Fernandez, who had singled, to give Arizona a 2-1 lead in the fifth.
Toronto tied it in the sixth after an apparent double play was changed after a review. Jimenez singled with one out, and Gallen appeared to get out of the inning when Andres Gimenez grounded to Fernandez to start what originally was called an inning-ending double play.
Perdomo was ruled to have missed the bag on the play, leaving Jimenez at second, and he scored on Okamoto’s single to tie the game.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Talles Magno awaiting NYCFC second act as Charlotte FC visit
Apr 4, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York City FC forward Talles Magno (11) looks to shoot the ball defended by St. Louis City SC midfielder Miguel Perez (28) during the second half at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark Smith-Imagn Images Is dynamic offensive threat Talles Magno finally ready to pay dividends in his second stint with New York City FC?
That question may be answered when NYCFC (3-2-2, 11 points) play host to Charlotte FC (3-2-2, 11 points) on Saturday at Citi Field in a matchup of teams part of the four-way fourth-place logjam in the Eastern Conference.
Magno first made noise as a high-profile teenager in 2021 for the eventual MLS Cup champions. He scored the winning goal as New York City topped Philadelphia Union 2-1 in the conference finals. A year later, Magno posted seven goals and 10 assists.
After being on loan for 17 months to Brazilian team Corinthians, Magno, now 23, returned this season but has yet to start an MLS match.
“There’s a few things he needs to take care of,” coach Pascal Jansen said. “Physically, he’s not at the level yet where he needs to be in order to be competitive enough with the guys that are the starters at the moment.”
Magno flashed his scoring ability on Tuesday, achieving the first hat trick of his professional career while leading NYCFC to a 5-2 win over Westchester SC in a U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match.
“I’m working very hard on getting my opportunity to start, given everything that’s possible for the team,” Magno said through an interpreter on Thursday. “I’m working with Pascal to see what I can do to get that opportunity.”
In the meantime, Nico Fernandez (five goals), Maxi Moralez (five assists) and Agustin Ojeda (two goals, one assist) have been supplying firepower for NYCFC.
After a hot start, New York City has gone 0-2-1 in its last three MLS matches. That includes last week’s 2-0 loss at Western Conference leader Vancouver.
Charlotte FC have been heading the other direction. They played four straight matches without a loss before falling last week at home to Eastern Conference leader Nashville SC, 2-1.
Pep Biel paces Charlotte with four goals and two assists while Archie Goodwin has notched three goals.
Charlotte FC also are coming off a 6-0 U.S. Open Cup win on Wednesday over Charlotte Independence as six players dented the net.
NYCFC topped Charlotte FC in the opening round of the MLS playoffs last year, holding them to one goal in the three-match series.
“Some of the players might feel scars because of that,” coach Dean Smith said. “There may be some scars where people have some things to prove but for me, it’s just a new season, new game.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Orlando City, Houston hope to build off U.S. Open Cup victories
Apr 11, 2026; Commerce City, Colorado, USA; Houston Dynamo FC midfielder Guilherme (20) chases down a loose ball in the first half against the Colorado Rapids at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images As Orlando City prepares to host the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night, both teams are coming off victories in the U.S. Open Cup.
But wins have been rare this season for both sides when it comes to MLS league games.
Orlando City (1-5-1, 4 points) and Houston (2-4-0, 6 points) still have time to battle back into playoff contention. Saturday’s matchup provides an opportunity to build toward those goals.
Orlando City’s only MLS victory came March 14 against Montreal, but was followed by losses to LAFC and Nashville by a combined score of 11-0.
This week, though, has been the most positive yet for the Lions after dueling Columbus to a 1-1 tie and scoring a 1-0 win over FC Naples to advance to the U.S. Open Cup’s Round of 16.
Orlando City, which parted ways with coach Oscar Pareja after starting the season with three losses, announced Friday that Argentina native Sebastian Setti, who has coached in MLS, Europe and Liga MX, will join interim coach Martin Perelman as an assistant coach. Martin Ojeda and Marco Pasalic lead the Lions with two goals each.
“It’s important,” Orlando City forward Tyrese Spicer said about the U.S. Cup win this week. “Every game is like a final, as Martin (Perelman) says. We have to stack up the victories one by one and we have to keep building.”
Houston rebounded from an ugly 6-2 loss to Colorado last Saturday with a 4-1 win over El Paso in the U.S. Open Cup.
“We were able to manage the game in the best way possible to set us up hopefully with some success here on the weekend — and on the road where we have not performed well, to be honest,” Houston coach Ben Olsen said.
Midfielder Guilherme has been one of the bright spots for a team looking for consistency. Before the lopsided loss to the Rapids, two of the Dynamo’s losses have been by one goal and another by two goals.
Guilherme has five goals this season, tying him with reigning league MVP Lionel Messi and others for the fourth-most in MLS.
–Field Level Media
