w Page 265 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

No. 15 Vanderbilt hope to be healthier against struggling Oklahoma
No. 15 Vanderbilt looks to extend its three-game winning streak against visiting Oklahoma -- losers of nine straight -- in Nashville, Tenn. on Saturday afternoon., ,The Commodores (19-3, 6-3 Southeastern Conference) had a needed week off after a 71-68 home win over Ole Miss. Tyler Tanner led all sco...

Top scorers collide when Wisconsin pays visit to Indiana
Nick Boyd's production is helping Wisconsin position itself nicely in the Big Ten standings while Lamar Wilkerson's impressive output has not been enough for Indiana to climb out of the middle of the pack.,Two of the conference's top scorers oppose each other when Boyd and Wisconsin visit Wilkerson ...

Lightning F Curtis Douglas fined for being aggressor vs. Panthers
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Curtis Douglas was fined $2,018.23 Friday for serving as the aggressor in his team's latest melee with the archrival Florida Panthers.,The NHL issued the maximum allowable fine to Douglas for fighting an unwilling opponent, Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola, in the third p...

No. 10 Michigan State eager to end slide vs. No. 5 Illinois
No. 10 Michigan State is facing real adversity for the first time this season. A matchup against the hottest team in the Big Ten only adds to the Spartans' concerns.,No. 5 Illinois rides a 12-game winning streak into Saturday's clash versus Michigan State at East Lansing, Mich.,Michigan State (19-4,...

Rockets crave greater ‘aggression’ against depleted Thunder
The last time the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Houston Rockets, the teams turned in an epic season opener.,The Thunder ultimately came out ahead 125-124 in double overtime Oct. 21.,The teams meet again Saturday in Oklahoma City.,The Rockets have dropped back-to-back games after winning five of t...

Michigan State G Divine Ugochukwu (foot) out for season
Michigan State guard Divine Ugochukwu will miss the remainder of the season due to a left foot injury, head coach Tom Izzo announced Friday.,Per Izzo, Ugochukwu will undergo surgery next week after sustaining the injury during the first half of the 10th-ranked Spartans 76-73 loss to Minnesota on Wed...

Dodgers designate LHP Anthony Banda, claim C Ben Rortvedt
The Los Angeles Dodgers designated left-handed reliever Anthony Banda for assignment on Friday as they moved to bring back backup catcher Ben Rortvedt on a waiver claim.,Banda, 32, played a key role in the Dodgers' bullpen during two consecutive championship seasons, but he struggled in the last Wor...

Prosecutors withdraw felony assault charge against Gavin McKenna
Pennsylvania prosecutors on Friday withdrew a felony aggravated assault charge against Penn State freshman forward Gavin McKenna, a consensus top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft.,The 18-year-old Canadian still faces charges of misdemeanor assault and summary harassment and disorderly conduct for alle...

Tigers' Javier Baez won't play in 2026 WBC due to marijuana use
Detroit Tigers shortstop Javier Baez is not eligible to play for Puerto Rico in the upcoming World Baseball Classic due to his ongoing suspension for marijuana use, multiple media outlets reported on Friday.,Baez, 33, tested positive for the substance on March 12, 2023. The three-time All-Star recei...

No. 11 Kansas looks for seventh straight win, hosts Utah
Kansas is playing its best basketball of the season and is doing it at just the right time.,Riding a season-best six-game winning streak, the No. 11 Jayhawks will hunt for more Saturday afternoon when they host Utah in Lawrence, Kan.,Kansas (17-5, 7-2 Big 12) solidified its third-place status in the...

Revived Wizards move forward against skidding Nets
The Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets share similar struggles this season, although they will move forward with vastly different strategies.,While the Wizards are banking on the veteran pairing of Trae Young and Anthony Davis to guide them to new heights, the Nets forge ahead with far less star p...

Preparation key for No.7 Iowa State against versatile Baylor
Iowa State coach T.J. Otzelberger doesn't buy the hype that a team flips a switch when February arrives.,With the penultimate month in the regular season already underway, No. 7 Iowa State (20-2, 7-2 Big 12) hosts Baylor (13-9, 3-7) on Saturday in Ames, Iowa.,"I don't believe in any narratives about...

Nuggets' Peyton Watson (hamstring) out at least 4 weeks
Denver Nuggets swingman Peyton Watson will be re-evaluated in four weeks as he recovers from a strained right hamstring, the team announced on Friday.,Watson, 23, sustained the injury during Denver's 134-127 double-overtime loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday.,The emerging star is averaging 14....

Report: Mike Conley Jr. close to rejoining Timberwolves
Free agent guard Mike Conley Jr. is ready to return to the Minnesota Timberwolves, ESPN reported on Friday.,Per the network, Conley and the Timberwolves are negotiating a time for the re-signing.,Conley, 38, was with Minnesota to begin the week before being traded to the Chicago Bulls as part of a t...

Minnesota United sign Colombia star M James Rodriguez
Minnesota United signed Colombia's James Rodriguez to a short-term contract Friday as the national team captain looks to stay sharp in advance of the this summer's World Cup.,Rodriguez, 34, is under contract through June, with an option that extends until December. Financial terms were not disclosed...

Missouri intends to draw a line in visit to South Carolina
As Missouri battles to make the NCAA Tournament's field of 68, perhaps the most important number it needs to pay attention to is 332.,That is where the Tigers currently sit, out of 361 Division I teams, in free-throw shooting percentage as coach Dennis Gates' team faces South Carolina in Columbia, S...

Georgetown puts Big East win streak on line vs. Villanova
Once one of the premier powerhouses of the Big East Conference, Georgetown has not won five straight league games since 2013.,Saturday in Washington, D.C., the Hoyas (13-10, 5-7) have a chance to accomplish the feat, but it won't be easy as they face Villanova (17-5, 8-3).,The sudden turnaround of G...

Protests prevalent in Milan ahead of Olympics' opening ceremony
MILAN, Italy -- Hundreds of protesters chanted slogans, blew whistles and set off flares at a rally on Friday to oppose the presence in Italy of U.S. immigration agents and the closure of streets ahead of the Milan Cortina Winter Games' opening ceremony.,The reported presence of Immigration and Cust...

4-time All-Star Brionna Jones injures meniscus playing overseas
Four-time WNBA All-Star forward Brionna Jones sustained a torn meniscus last week while playing overseas but her agent told ESPN she is expected to return in time for the WNBA season.,Agent Boris Lelchitski also told the network that Jones will undergo surgery this weekend in the United States and m...

NC State looks to keep rolling against Virginia Tech
North Carolina State has been building a solid resume, and the Wolfpack don't want to see that diminished as they navigate a potentially difficult portion of the schedule.,Virginia Tech will arrive looking to boost its stock when the teams meet Saturday afternoon at Raleigh, N.C.,"I think Virginia T...