preview Page 15 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Florida State leans on defense vs. Stanford as 3-point woes linger
Luke Loucks' first season as Florida State head coach hasn't gone according to plan.,What was expected to be a high-powered, 3-point-focused offense instead ranks 17th out of 18 Atlantic Coast Conference teams in 3-point percentage (31.2%).,That has forced the Seminoles to adopt a new defensive iden...

With UCL league phase in rearview, Liverpool, Newcastle square off
Liverpool and Newcastle United have both secured advancement in the UEFA Champions League. But each could use a good result when they meet at Anfield in Saturday's late kickoff if they intend to return to the continental competition next season.,Sixth-place Liverpool (10-7-6, 36 points) qualified di...

Hurricanes, Capitals renew division rivalry after gutsy wins
The Carolina Hurricanes got the better of the Washington Capitals during last year's playoffs, winning the best-of-seven series in five games. Now the Metropolitan Division rivals will meet for the third time this season on Saturday in the nation's capital.,Both teams have won on each other's home i...

UCLA aims to continue recent run against Indiana
Two Big Ten teams trending in the right direction meet when UCLA faces Indiana on Saturday at Los Angeles.,Indiana (14-7, 5-5 Big Ten) is coming off an impressive 72-67 win over No. 12 Purdue on Tuesday, while UCLA (15-6, 7-3) has won three straight games and five of its last six.,Tyler Bilodeau sco...

Treysen Eaglestaff, West Virginia take aim at sinking Baylor
Treysen Eaglestaff was struggling to score all night in West Virginia's 59-54 win over Kansas State Tuesday, but coach Ross Hodge said the senior guard didn't let it weigh down the rest of his game.,Eaglestaff hit a 3-pointer with 2:08 left to give the Mountaineers the lead and then put the game awa...

Panthers, Jets take measure of desperation into rematch
It's late January, but there's still work to be done for both the Florida Panthers and Winnipeg Jets just to move into playoff position.,With each looking to rebound from their latest defeat, the Panthers host the Jets on Saturday in Sunrise, Fla.,Florida is the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champio...

Miami vows to keep finding ways to win, faces hot-shooting Cal
Miami is one of the surprises of the season in the Atlantic Coast Conference as it gets set to host Cal on Saturday afternoon in Coral Gables, Fla.,The Hurricanes (17-4, 6-2 ACC) have engineered a complete turnaround from last season's disaster that saw them finish 7-24 with just three conference wi...

Missouri banking on home floor vs. Mississippi State
Missouri hopes to regain its shooting touch when it returns home to face Mississippi State on Saturday afternoon in Columbia, Mo.,The Tigers (14-7, 4-4 Southeastern Conference) are 12-1 at home this season. They will try to exploit that homecourt advantage against the Bulldogs (11-10, 3-5) after get...

Texas desperate for better D with rival Oklahoma on tap
Oklahoma is struggling to plug all kinds of gaps. Texas is trying to fill one hole -- albeit a major one. ,The rival Sooners and Longhorns meet Saturday in Norman, Okla., with both teams scuffling.,Texas (12-9, 3-5 SEC) is still searching for answers defensively following an 88-82 loss at Auburn on ...

Setbacks stagger LSU, South Carolina ahead of meeting
South Carolina and LSU are both having bad seasons.,And both are coming off one of their worst performances of the season as they prepare to meet Saturday in Columbia, S.C.,The Gamecocks (11-10, 2-6 SEC) suffered their most lopsided loss of the season, a 95-48 setback at home against No. 19 Florida ...

Georgia, Texas A&M prepare for matchup of high-octane offenses
Texas A&M sets out to solidify its hold on first place in the Southeastern Conference and stretch its winning streak to four games on Saturday when it travels to meet Georgia in Athens, Ga.,Texas A&M (16-4, 6-1 SEC) won its third straight game on Saturday by whipping South Carolina 92-69 and did not...

Sharks strive to shake off collapse against lowly Flames
San Jose's playoff push hit a snag in Edmonton on Thursday, but the Sharks get another shot in Alberta when they visit the Calgary Flames on Saturday afternoon.,The Sharks sit on the cusp of the second Western Conference wild-card spot. They trail the Utah Mammoth by two points and the Anaheim Ducks...

Xavier out to display more toughness when DePaul comes calling
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 f...

Butler battles Georgetown with Thad Matta on verge of 500 wins
Butler coach Thad Matta gets a second chance to score his 500th career win on Saturday when the Bulldogs host Georgetown in Indianapolis.,The setting couldn't be more appropriate for Matta, 58, who gained his first victory at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse 25 seasons ago, leading Butler past Eastern Ill...

Improving Marquette aims for first road win at Seton Hall
After its best overall performance of the season, Marquette will bid for its first road win of the season when it travels to Newark, N.J., to face Seton Hall on Saturday afternoon.,The Golden Eagles (8-14, 3-8 Big East) shot 68.8% in the first half and were up by as many as 31 points in an 86-62 win...

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

Hornets to test newly discovered winning formula against Spurs
The thrills keep stacking up for the Charlotte Hornets, and they'll aim for more when the San Antonio Spurs visit Saturday afternoon.,It's the first meeting of the season between clubs that have been making nice recent climbs.,The Hornets have a five-game winning streak for the first time in nearly ...

No. 10 Houston aims for another home win, faces Cincinnati
No. 10 Houston will look to build on its 15-game home winning streak but will have its hands full when it hosts gritty Cincinnati on Saturday afternoon in a Big 12 Conference game., ,If the first meeting between the teams this season - a 67-60 victory by the Cougars in Cincinnati on Jan. 3 that took...

No. 24 Miami (Ohio) hopes for less drama against NIU
After three straight nailbiters, No. 24 Miami (Ohio) looks to continue its historic undefeated run Saturday afternoon when they host Northern Illinois in a Mid-American Conference game in Oxford, Ohio.,Miami (21-0, 9-0 MAC) comes off an 86-84 home win over Massachusetts on Tuesday before 9,223, the ...

Raptors hope to continue road excellence at Magic
The Toronto Raptors put their four-game road winning streak on the line Friday night when they visit the Orlando Magic.,The Raptors have made themselves at home on the road, boasting an Eastern Conference-best 16 wins away from Toronto heading into play on Thursday.,The Raptors, however, returned ho...