preview Page 20 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Texas Tech keep winning without star players
Alabama and Texas Tech both had concerns regarding their roster makeup entering the NCAA Tournament.,Now one of them is guaranteed a spot in the Sweet 16.,The teams meet in Sunday night's Midwest Region second-round game in Tampa, Fla.,Fifth-seeded Texas Tech (23-10) was looking like a national cham...

Celtics' Luka Garza filling key role as unfocused Wolves visit
Nikola Vucevic will remain unavailable with a broken finger when the Boston Celtics face the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, but that doesn't mean Boston won't have a quality center.,Luka Garza has given the Celtics (47-23) more offense since Vucevic was injured on March 6. Garza av...

No. 2 Purdue knows No. 7 Miami's top two players well
Second-seeded Purdue may not necessarily be familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of No. 7 seed Miami ahead of the teams' meeting in West Region second-round play on Sunday in St. Louis.,But the Boilermakers certainly know what to expect from the Hurricanes' top two scorers, having played them ...

Auburn's home streak presents tall task for visiting Seattle in NIT
Soon after his Seattle University squad defeated St. Thomas in the opening round of the NIT, Redhawks coach Chris Victor was asked about facing top-seeded Auburn in its next matchup.,At that moment, Victor wasn't concerned about how his team is one step away from the quarterfinals.,"I haven't though...

Ryan Odom strives for another shining moment as Virginia faces Tennessee
PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Odom engineered a massive one-year turnaround at Virginia. Seven years removed from the program's only national title, Odom has his players visualizing their own shining moment.,The third-seeded Cavaliers are on the verge of the Sweet 16 but first must handle Ja'Kobi Gillespie a...

Lowly Nets, Kings trying to finish season strong
Turning positive signs into wins will be the focus for both the Sacramento Kings and visiting Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.,Sacramento (18-53) is anchored to the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but the Kings have shown steady improvement recently with four wins in their past seven games.,Broo...

Illinois State, Wake Forest battle for NIT quarterfinal spot
Another prolific scoring performance by Juke Harris allowed Wake Forest to keep its season alive and the best game of Landon Wolf's career enabled Illinois State to continue playing.,Both players are hoping for another big showing Sunday when Harris and top-seeded Wake Forest host Wolf and No. 4 see...

Galaxy, Timbers square off amid early-season lulls
The Los Angeles Galaxy and Portland Timbers both opened the MLS season with positive results.,But it has gone downhill from there.,The Galaxy (1-2-1, 4 points) and Timbers (1-3-0, 3 points) will be looking to snap losing streaks when they meet in a Western Conference showdown Sunday afternoon in Por...

NYCFC out to continue hot start vs. Inter Miami
Inter Miami want to turn the page while host New York City FC want to keep things rolling as the two Eastern Conference contenders meet Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, N.Y.,Inter Miami (2-1-1, 7 points) would love to move past the bitterness stemming from last Wednesday's elimination from the CONCACA...

Real Salt Lake bring 3-match win streak to San Diego
Real Salt Lake seek their first four-match winning streak since June 2013 when they visit San Diego FC on Sunday night.,Real Salt Lake (3-1-0, 9 points) were blanked while losing their season opener against the Vancouver Whitecaps before scoring seven goals during the three consecutive wins.,RSL not...

Cincinnati looking to bounce back at home vs. Montreal
FC Cincinnati will look to rebound less than 72 hours after a loss their head coach called one of the toughest of his tenure when they host a CF Montreal side with two contests remaining on a season-opening six-match road trip.,Cincinnati (1-3-0, 3 points) suffered a 5-1 loss to Tigres UANL in Mexic...

Battling for top-six spot, Sixers face youth-driven Jazz
Earlier this week, Joel Embiid was said to be close to a return from a right oblique strain.,But he didn't play against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday and he will be sidelined again on Saturday night when the 76ers face the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City.,That raises the absences to 12 straight for E...

Drivers anticipating 'out of control' action at Darlington
It's bad enough to roll into Darlington, S.C., less than 10 miles off Interstate 95, and realize a tough weekend lies ahead at the 1.366-mile facility dubbed "The Track Too Tough to Tame.",Now it will be tougher.,Small changes have occurred at Darlington Raceway, NASCAR's distinguished, oldest super...

No. 11 seed VCU embraces underdog role, eyes upset of third-seeded Illinois
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- VCU has been comfortable in this uncomfortable position for weeks. The Rams had to win the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament just to clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament.,VCU (28-7) then had to dig out of a 19-point hole against North Carolina on Thursday, rallying for an 82-78 o...

Michigan State, Louisville meet in March again with Sweet 16 on the line
Tom Izzo is no stranger to high-stakes games between Michigan State and Louisville.,"We had a couple with them -- ‘09, ‘19. We've played them in Elite Eight games," said Izzo, who is in his 31st season coaching the Spartans. "One of my first games was against Louisville when Denny Crum was there. Th...

Atlanta welcomes D.C. United following breakthrough win
Atlanta United hope to build on some newfound confidence when they face visiting D.C. United on Saturday evening ahead of the FIFA international break.,Miguel Almiron assisted on all three goals last Saturday as Atlanta (1-3-0, 3 points) beat the Philadelphia Union 3-1 to win for the first time this...

Stars set sights on another win vs. top division opponent at Wild
The Dallas Stars already knocked off one of the best teams in their division this week.,Now, the Stars will try to go 2-for-2.,Dallas will aim for back-to-back victories when it faces off against the Minnesota Wild on Saturday afternoon in Saint Paul, Minn. The Stars are looking to build upon a 2-1 ...

Deadlocked Bruins, Red Wings face off in major matchup
While the Boston Bruins have won 14 of their last 15 home games, holding onto one of the final Eastern Conference playoff spots will require an improved effort on the road.,The Bruins (38-23-8, 84 points) play seven of their final 12 games away from the comforts of TD Garden, including a massive one...

Islanders, Canadiens lock horns after painful losses
The New York Islanders find themselves in a strange position as they conclude a three-game road trip with a visit to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.,Following a last-minute 3-2 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, New York is out of playoff position for the first time since Dec. 4. ,Th...

Streaking Blue Jackets get set for slumping Kraken
At this point in the season, each NHL game can have a profound effect on the standings.,Saturday's matchup between the Seattle Kraken and host Columbus Blue Jackets is a prime example.,The Kraken are one point out of the Western Conference's second and final wild-card spot. The Blue Jackets are tied...