preview Page 224 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Clippers, Pelicans seeing different results despite stars' absence
Kawhi Leonard is close to returning for the Los Angeles Clippers.,Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram are further away from returning to the New Orleans Pelicans.,Both teams will continue without key players when they meet Monday night in New Orleans.,Leonard hasn't played this season because of knee...

Jets take high-octane offense into contest with Predators
The Winnipeg Jets, owners of the highest point total (53) and the most wins (26) in the NHL, will host the struggling Nashville Predators on Monday.,Winners of three straight, the Jets trailed the visiting Ottawa Senators 2-0 early in the second period on Saturday night before scoring four straight ...

Floundering Rangers try to end frustrations on visit to Panthers
The New York Rangers are still desperately seeking answers following their blockbuster trade of captain Jacob Trouba earlier this month.,They'll try to regain some stability when they visit the Florida Panthers on Monday evening in Sunrise, Fla.,New York is 3-8-0 since trading Trouba to the Anaheim ...

Rutgers tries to avoid another Ivy loss when Columbia visits
In a season of raised expectations due to the arrivals of Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey, Rutgers is experiencing some underwhelming moments.,Off to a mediocre start through 12 games, Rutgers faces a tough test in its final nonconference game Monday night when it hosts Columbia in Piscataway, N.J.,Rutg...

Following quality win, No. 19 Mississippi St. faces Bethune-Cookman
Mississippi State is back in the AP Top 25.,The No. 19 Bulldogs (11-1) jumped into the rankings last week as they were preparing to face Bethune-Cookman on Monday night in Starkville, Miss.,Mississippi State was unranked in the preseason poll and stayed in the rankings for just one week in both of i...

John Calipari faces familiar foe as No. 23 Arkansas hosts Oakland
No. 23 Arkansas will close its nonconference schedule Monday night by hosting Oakland in Fayetteville, Ark., in the final tune-up before beginning Southeastern Conference play.,With Arkansas (10-2) rotating just nine players due to injuries, coach John Calipari wants Jonas Aidoo, a second-team All-S...

No. 15 Houston rides balanced offense into league opener at Oklahoma St.
Having concluded the nonconference portion of its schedule with four consecutive wins, No. 15 Houston will open Big 12 play with something of a clean slate.,The Cougars (8-3) resemble the squad that claimed the regular-season Big 12 title in their first year in the league last season as they head to...

No. 2 Auburn not taking Monmouth lightly
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is cautioning his team not to overlook visiting Monmouth when they clash on Monday night, in what will be the Tigers' final nonconference game of the regular season.,The No. 2 Tigers (11-1) have won four in a row following their lone setback against host Duke on Dec. 4. They...

No. 17 Cincinnati kicks off Big 12 play vs. struggling Kansas State
Big 12 Conference play begins Monday as No. 17 Cincinnati travels to Manhattan, Kan., to face Kansas State, and neither team resides where most people thought they'd be at this point.,Cincinnati (10-1), which was picked sixth in the preseason coaches' poll, is tied with No. 3 Iowa State for the best...

UNC closes nonconference schedule vs. in-state foe Campbell
With something significant from which to build, North Carolina will see if it can sustain the momentum following a holiday break.,The Tar Heels are back in action for their final nonconference game Sunday night when in-state opponent Campbell visits Chapel Hill, N.C.,This will be the first meeting b...

Western Kentucky, Michigan each eye 10th win of season
Reaching 10 victories before the New Year is an achievement worth aiming for, and both Western Kentucky and Michigan will have a chance at it when they meet Sunday night in Ann Arbor.,Western Kentucky (9-3) earned a 91-71 home win over Division II Kentucky Wesleyan on Dec. 21 and comes in averaging ...

After rough trip, Blackhawks try to continue home success vs. Stars
The Chicago Blackhawks will try to snap a three-game losing streak when they host the Dallas Stars on Sunday night.,After winning three in a row at home, the Blackhawks went in the other direction on the road, allowing 16 goals during the 0-3 trip. Their next five games will be on home ice.,Tyler Be...

LSU freshmen to get further development vs. Mississippi Valley State
One of the most important aspects of LSU's early-season success has been the development of its freshmen., ,The young players figure to get significant playing time when the Tigers (10-2) play their final nonconference game against Mississippi Valley State (2-10) on Sunday in Baton Rouge, La., ,Reds...

Deep, balanced Indiana faces high-scoring Winthrop
Winthrop and Indiana each were merry in advance of a short Christmas break after both earned victories before the holiday.,Before their respective conferences resume play next week, the programs will aim to keep that positive feeling intact when they clash on the Hoosiers' home floor Sunday in Bloom...

Timberwolves meet Spurs as optimism begins to grow
As the Minnesota Timberwolves continue to search for the best way to build a game plan around Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle, they get another chance to unleash the duo in a home matchup against the improving San Antonio Spurs on Sunday at Minneapolis.,The Timberwolves have been treading water th...

Facing Toledo, No. 21 Purdue out to halt rare 2-game skid
No. 21 Purdue aims to apply the brakes on a two-game skid when it hosts Toledo on Sunday in a nonconference game in West Lafayette, Ind. ,The Boilermakers (8-4) are returning home after coming up short in a pair of neutral-court contests against Southeastern Conference opponents. They dropped a 70-6...

Scuffling Magic seek better outcome, season sweep of Nets
The Orlando Magic won the first three meetings this season over the Brooklyn Nets by producing plenty of offense and getting big performances by Franz Wagner.,The Magic are a little over three weeks removed from Wagner tearing his right oblique, and their offense is scuffling.,Orlando hopes to redis...

No. 9 Oregon thriving on defense as it hosts Weber State
Oregon has played defense to coach Dana Altman's liking heading into the ninth-ranked Ducks' game Sunday at Eugene, Ore., against a Weber State team that has struggled with its offensive execution.,The Ducks (11-1) and Wildcats (6-7) will play their last nonconference games before competing in their...

Sabres strive to continue momentum, take on Blues
The Buffalo Sabres ranked among the NHL's most disappointing teams this season while sinking into the Eastern Conference cellar, but they might have established a turning point following a particularly dreadful stretch.,Buffalo will shoot for a third straight win when it visits the St. Louis Blues o...

Northwestern hopes hot streak continues vs. Northeastern
After three losses this year by a combined eight points, Northwestern has found the finishing touch, winning three straight games, all against power conference teams.,Northwestern (9-3) tries to extend its streak Sunday in Evanston, Ill., when it takes on Northeastern (8-4) in the final nonconferenc...