preview Page 22 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Virginia opens vs. Wright State as Ryan Odom's arc comes full circle
PHILADELPHIA -- Eight years ago, Ryan Odom became the first coach to guide a No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament.,On the wrong side of history that night was a stunned Virginia. Now Odom's story has come full circle as the former UMBC coach not only has gotten the Cavaliers back to t...

Gonzaga looks to extend NCAA Tournament opener streak vs. Kennesaw State
PORTLAND -- Gonzaga returned to its usual spot in the NCAA Tournament field this season, earning its 27th straight appearance.,There was no such thing as usual this season for 14th-seeded Kennesaw State, which suspended its leading scorer at midseason due to a federal gambling investigation and tied...

Kevin Durant expects better of himself in Rockets' rematch with Lakers
Kevin Durant is a 16-time All-Star, a four-time scoring champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and soon will pass Michael Jordan for fifth in career points. His credentials are unassailable.,So when Durant insisted upon shouldering the blame for the Houston Rockets' fourth-quarter collapse against the ...

Blues riding post-break surge into clash with struggling Flames
As much as it is a long shot for the St. Louis Blues to make the playoffs, they have a golden chance to keep the faith when they continue their road trip Wednesday against the slumping Calgary Flames.,The Blues are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, but they have been one of the l...

Fast-rising Hawks go for 11th straight win vs. Mavericks
The hottest team in the NBA looks to make it 11 straight victories when the Atlanta Hawks visit the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night.,Atlanta hasn't won at least 11 in a row since winning a franchise-record 19 straight in 2014-2015.,Granted, Atlanta has played some of the teams in the bottom half of...

Raptors feeling things start to click as key road trip begins at Bulls
Consecutive home wins have helped the Toronto Raptors regain momentum and maintain their grasp on the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race.,On Wednesday, the Raptors will aim to stop a road funk as they open a five-game trip with a visit to the Chicago Bulls.,Toronto is coming off Sunda...

Clippers hit the road for back-to-back with soaring Pelicans
After an extended homestand ended with a thud, the Los Angeles Clippers will be out to solidify their play-in tournament status with back-to-back road games against the New Orleans Pelicans starting Wednesday.,The Pelicans enter with a five-game home winning streak that is part of an 8-4 record sinc...

North Carolina could have hands full against scrappy VCU
VCU is riding a high into the NCAA Tournament and North Carolina might be trending in the other direction.,The teams will meet in the South Region's first round Thursday night in Greenville, S.C.,Sixth-seeded North Carolina (24-8) is trying to regain a flow that existed earlier in the season. Since ...

Warriors' Kristaps Porzingis hopes to bring revenge tour to Boston
Golden State center Kristaps Porzingis has been seeing a lot of familiar faces lately, and that will continue when the Warriors visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.,Porzingis spent two seasons with the Celtics before he was traded to Atlanta after the 2025 season. The Hawks shipped him to Go...

Jack Hughes, Devils vying for another stellar showing vs. Rangers
New Jersey Devils star forward Jack Hughes torched the New York Rangers earlier this month by registering his fourth career hat trick to go along with an assist.,The Olympic hero will look for another strong performance against the Rangers on Wednesday night when the Devils cross the Hudson River to...

Darius Acuff Jr., Arkansas hunt tournament win over Hawaii, 'Big Fish'
PORTLAND -- Is there a better one-on-one player in the NCAA Tournament than Arkansas point guard Darius Acuff Jr.? Hawaii might be the first to find out.,Acuff leads fourth-seeded Arkansas into the West Region first-round matchup Thursday after the SEC Freshman of the Year starred in a remarkable ru...

After regular-season title, Navy sees new opportunity vs. Wake in NIT
As Navy was running away with the Patriot League regular-season title, the Midshipmen set their sights on reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998.,But after suffering a stunning upset in the Patriot League tournament on a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, Navy (26-7) has settled for a bid...

Longshots Lehigh, Prairie View A&M ready to shoot their shot in First Four
Prairie View A&M and Lehigh reached the NCAA Tournament, which begins when the Panthers and Mountain Hawks meet in the First Four in Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday.,Seeded 16th in the South Region, the winner advances from the First Four to face top-seeded Florida on Thursday. But first comes a showdown...

Chasing No. 3 spot in West, Nuggets eye sweep of ailing Sixers
The Denver Nuggets stunned Philadelphia in their first meeting, and they go for the season sweep when they host the 76ers on Tuesday night.,Denver pulled out an overtime win at Philadelphia on Jan. 5 despite not having its starting five available. The Nuggets have everyone back -- minus reserve Peyt...

Wisconsin wary of high-scoring High Point in classic 5-12 matchup
Wisconsin and 12th-seeded High Point are capable of producing one of the highest-scoring games in the NCAA Tournament's opening round when the Badgers navigate the ever-risky 5-12 matchup in West Region action in Portland.,High Point (30-4), the Big South's regular-season and tournament champion, av...

Sabres' road success to be challenged by Golden Knights
Holding a four-point lead in the Atlantic Division with just 15 games remaining, the Buffalo Sabres are in good shape to snap a well-documented 14-year playoff drought.,But a challenging four-game Western trip that begins Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights has the potential to be a stumbling b...

Panthers, Canucks clash with both teams stuck in division cellar
A pair of last-place teams will try to find some positives when the Vancouver Canucks host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.,The Canucks haven't won two straight since a four-game winning streak from Dec.14-20 and sit last in the Pacific Division.,Florida, the two-time defending Stanley Cup cha...

Kraken test Lightning's perfect record in Seattle as wild-card race heats up
For the Seattle Kraken to be effective, they need to have four lines rolling.,They showed that again Sunday when their third and fourth lines did most of the damage in a 6-2 victory against Florida, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.,The Kraken, who moved past San Jose into the second wil...

Contrasting styles on tap as Oklahoma State, Davidson open NIT
Oklahoma State will be in familiar territory as it tries to cap a solid campaign with an NIT run. The Cowboy open by hosting Davidson on Tuesday night in Stillwater, Okla.,The clash will be a battle of contrasts as the Cowboys (19-14) play at the nation's ninth-fastest pace, per KenPom.com, while th...

Sharks' late-game execution in spotlight vs. Oilers
San Jose has had no problem scoring goals and taking leads against Edmonton this season.,Holding on to those leads, however, has been another story.,The Sharks conclude a five-game road trip in Edmonton on Tuesday night.,San Jose sits one point out of the Western Conference's final wild-card spot af...