i Page 7 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Brewers extend contract of manager Pat Murphy through 2028
Back-to-back National League Manager of the Year Pat Murphy agreed to a multi-year contract extension with the Milwaukee Brewers, the team announced Friday morning.,Specific terms of the deal were not disclosed by the Brewers, however multiple media outlets reported that it was a three-year deal, sp...

No. 20 Arkansas, Missouri vying for coveted SEC tournament seedings
No. 20 Arkansas will take the floor against Missouri on Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville, Ark., with the new favorite for Southeastern Conference Player of the Year, Darius Acuff Jr.,The freshman guard posted a record-breaking 49-point performance in the Razorbacks' 117-115 double-overtime loss at...

Graham Ike pursues school record as No. 11 Gonzaga hosts Pacific
Gonzaga coach Mark Few isn't known for uttering superlatives.,So his response when looking at the stat sheet from Wednesday night's 80-59 victory at San Francisco came as a bit of a surprise.,"It was good -- it was very, very good and spread out," Few said.,High acclaim, indeed.,Graham Ike scored 22...

Differing styles in spotlight when No. 4 Arizona clashes with No. 2 Houston
When No. 4 Arizona plays at No. 2 Houston on Saturday afternoon, the game will pit the top two teams in the Big 12 standings and will feature contrasting styles.,Arizona's high-scoring transition offense will go against Houston's suffocating defense.,As of Wednesday's games, the Wildcats (24-2, 11-2...

Fresh off rout, No. 10 Illinois keeping guard up vs. UCLA
Illinois began a two-game road trip to Los Angeles with its biggest margin of victory in a Big Ten road game in 80 years.,But that triumph is now in the rear-view mirror for the No. 10 Fighting Illini, who will look to take down UCLA on Saturday.,Illinois (22-5, 13-3 Big Ten) routed Southern Califor...

No. 3 Duke set to test mettle vs. top-ranked Michigan
A neutral-court, non-conference game between Duke and Michigan sounded like a big deal when it was announced during the offseason.,Now it might be even bigger than anticipated.,The third-ranked Blue Devils and No. 1 Wolverines will jockey for position atop the AP Top 25 poll when they clash Saturday...

Villanova vies to extend win streak, exact revenge vs. No. 5 UConn
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 fiv...

Red Bulls kick off Michael Bradley era with visit to Orlando
Former MLS and U.S. men's national team star Michael Bradley is returning home ... in a sense.,The central midfielder, who logged 151 appearances for the national team while playing nearly 500 matches in his professional career, was hired as the new coach of the New York Red Bulls in December.,He wi...

MLS opener vs. RSL is part of Whitecaps' busy early stretch
The Vancouver Whitecaps will begin the defense of their Western Conference crown on Saturday when they open the MLS regular season against visiting Real Salt Lake.,Saturday will mark the 500th regular-season MLS match for the Whitecaps, who fell 3-1 to Inter Miami in the MLS Cup final in December.,V...

D.C.'s Tai Baribo gets immediate reunion with former club, Union
When Philadelphia opposes D.C. United on Saturday in Washington in its MLS opener, the Union will see a home side with several new faces and one very familiar one.,Tai Baribo, who scored a total of 25 goals the past two seasons for the Union, has joined D.C. United by way of a $4 million Designated ...

Lakers' star trio back together to battle resurgent Clippers
There will be far more than pride on the line as the Battle of L.A. resumes Friday with plenty at stake for both the Los Angeles Clippers and the host Los Angeles Lakers.,While the Lakers hope to have all of their stars in place for the fourth and final matchup of the regular season, the Clippers --...

Deni Avdija, Blazers eager to go again, starting with Nuggets
The Portland Trail Blazers are taking pride that they are in the running for postseason play after the All-Star break, as they haven't participated in the playoffs since the 2020-21 season.,The Trail Blazers resume play with a tough home test on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets.,A 27-29 recor...

No. 21 Louisville can't afford slip-up against Georgia Tech
No. 21 Louisville took just its second loss to an unranked team all season on Tuesday. It came at a costly time as the Cardinals are vying for position across a crowded top half of the Atlantic Coast Conference.,Before finishing the season with three games against teams that are above them in the AC...

No. 14 Virginia, Miami set for ACC second-place showdown
Second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference will be on the line Saturday afternoon when Miami visits No. 14 Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.,The Cavaliers (23-3, 11-2 ACC) and the Hurricanes (21-5, 10-3) trail only No. 3 Duke in the league standings.,Virginia is 12-1 at home and is riding a seven-...

No. 19 Vanderbilt hosts rival Tennessee in much-anticipated clash
No. 19 Vanderbilt hosts in-state rival Tennessee on Saturday in Nashville for one of the most significant recent matchups in the 104-year history of the series.,Vanderbilt (21-5, 8-5 Southeastern Conference) enters the game looking up at the Vols (19-7, 9-4), in a three-way tie for second place. If ...

Under new leadership, St. Louis City focus on Charlotte FC
Yoann Damet will make his debut as a permanent manager on Saturday when he leads St. Louis City against visiting Charlotte FC in both teams' season opener.,The 35-year-old Frenchman was previously twice an interim manager at FC Cincinnati, promoted from his role as assistant both times at a club tha...

Bennedict Mathurin (38) lifts Clippers to tight win over Nuggets
Bennedict Mathurin scored a season-high 38 points in his home debut for the Los Angeles Clippers and Kawhi Leonard added 23 in a 115-114 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday at Inglewood, Calif.,Derrick Jones Jr. produced 22 points and John Collins had 11 points and 12 rebounds for the Clippe...

Ready or not, banged-up Thunder open stretch run vs. Nets
The Oklahoma City Thunder could have used a longer break.,With the All-Star break over, the reigning NBA champions remain without three key players as they take the court Friday at home against the Brooklyn Nets.,Oklahoma City announced Thursday that stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams,...

Battling Hawks amid playoff race, Heat may get Tyler Herro back
The Miami Heat hope to get a boost to their playoff hopes when Tyler Herro returns to the lineup, possibly as soon as Friday when they visit the Atlanta Hawks for their first game after the All-Star break.,Herro has missed 45 games because of assorted injuries -- the first 17 with an offseason ankle...

Young players take center stage as Pacers face Wizards again
The injury report could be miles long when the Washington Wizards face the visiting Indiana Pacers for the second time in as many days on Friday.,With so many players sidelined, both teams are giving their young players extended playing time. Indiana forward Jarace Walker, for one, appears determine...