Set to go: Two weeks of tennis mania Down Under ahead of the Australian Open

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — If it's a new year, it must be serious tennis time Down Under.

Just over six weeks since theATPandWTAheld their respective 2025 Finals, players on the men's and women's tours are arriving in Australia and New Zealand for a crammed two-week schedule of tournaments ahead of the Australian Open, the year's first Grand Slam event starting Jan. 18 in Melbourne.

Leading the way is the United Cup, a mixed teams event which will be played in Perth and Sydney beginning Friday and finishing Jan. 11. The tournament will feature four of the world's top 10 men and women including Coco Gauff, Taylor Fritz, Alex de Minaur, Iga Świątek, Alexander Zverev, Jasmine Paolini and Felix Auger-Aliassime.

Also during the first full week of 2026, the Brisbane International will be headlined by defending champion Aryna Sabalenka, fresh off theBattle of the Sexesexhibition against Nick Kyrgios in Dubai.

But missing from the pre-Australian Open tournaments are the two biggest names in men's tennis: No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz and second-ranked Jannik Sinner.

Alcaraz and Sinner — who have won nine of the last 10 Grand Slam singles titles, withSinner winning the 2025 Australian Open— have decided to play an exhibition at Incheon, South Korea on Jan. 10. After the exhibition, it's expected they'll fly to Australia to begin their preparations at Melbourne Park.

Alcaraz will be playing his first major in seven years without coachJuan Carlos Ferrero— the Spanish player recently announced their split. Alcaraz has not announced a replacement.

Other players at the United Cup, which begins Friday with Greece taking on Japan in Perth, include Emma Raducanu, Naomi Osaka, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Stan Wawrinka, who hassaid 2026 will be his last year on tour.

The 40-year-old, three-time major winner Wawrinka says he hopes to improve on his current ranking of 157 and move back into the top 100 before he retires. His highest ranking was No. 3, achieved when he won the Australian Open in 2014.

"I'm happy with the decision (to retire) and feeling at peace with that," Wawrinka said when he arrived earlier this week in Perth.

Joining Sabalenka at the 500-level Brisbane International will be two-time major finalist Amanda Anisimova, WTA Finals champion Elena Rybakina, reigningAustralian Open champion Madison Keys, Jessica Pegula and Mirra Andreeva.

The 18-year-old Andreeva is tipped to be the next big thing in women's tennis and she could renew her rivalry with Sabalenka in Brisbane. Sabalenka leads 4-2 in the head-to-head matches but world No. 9 Andreevahad a three-set win in the Indian Wellsfinal in 2025.

The Russian also made it to the quarterfinals at last year's French Open and Wimbledon along with the semis at Roland Garros in 2024 when at 17 she became the youngest to reach the final four in a major since Martina Hingis at the 1997 U.S. Open.

"Maybe the rivalry (with Sabalenka) is a little bit there but she is leading ... unfortunately ... for now," Andreeva told Australian Associated Press this week.

Andreeva lost to Sabalenka in the semifinals in Brisbane in 2025 and again in the fourth round at the Australian Open before her victory at Indian Wells where she was the youngest winner since Serena Williams.

"That gave me a lot of confidence. Winning Indian Wells is a milestone of my career so far," she said.

In the second week of the warm-up events, the joint ATP-WTAAdelaide International featuring 24-time Grand Slam singles championNovak Djokovicwill run from Jan. 12-17 as well as a WTA 250 tournament at Hobart, Australia.

Auckland, New Zealand will host a WTA tournament from Jan. 5-11 before the ATP plays at the same venue from Jan. 12-17. Kyrgios and Frances Tiafoe are scheduled to play in an exhibition tournament at Kooyong in Melbourne several days before the Australian Open begins.

And in the only warm-up tournament being played outside Australia or New Zealand, Hong Kong will host an ATP event from Jan. 5-11.

The ATP events will come under a new rule for 2026 toaddress extreme heatduring men's matches that will allow for 10-minute breaks during best-of-three-sets singles matches and is similar to what was put in place on the WTA more than 30 years ago.

AP tennis:https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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December 31, 2025

Set to go: Two weeks of tennis mania Down Under ahead of the Australian Open

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — If it's a new year, it must be serious tennis time Down Under. Just over six week...

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NASCAR Star Denny Hamlin Breaks Silence After Death of His Father in House Fire

Steve Helber/AP

NEED TO KNOW

• Denny Hamlin penned a message in tribute to his late father, Dennis Hamlin

• The NASCAR driver's dad died from injuries sustained in a massive fire at his home on Sunday, Dec. 28

• His mom was "critically injured" after escaping the blaze at the Hamlin's home in Stanley, N.C.

Denny Hamlin ismourning the death of his father.

On Wednesday, Dec. 31, the NASCAR driverpenned a heartfelt message on Xin tribute to his late father, Dennis Hamlin, who died from injuries sustained in a fire at his North Carolina home on Sunday, Dec. 28. Hamlin's 69-year-old mother, Mary Lou Hamlin, was seriously injured in the blaze.

"Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father's passing," Hamlin, 45, wrote. "My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time."

Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department/Facebook; James Gilbert/Getty

Denny's note comes two days after officials confirmed that Dennis, 75, died from his injuries, according toWCNCandNASCAR, citing the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services.

Both Dennis and Mary Lou were able to escape the home, authorities confirmed on Monday, Dec. 29. Dennis was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Mary Lou is hospitalized in Winston-Salem, N.C.

The nature of Mary Lou's injuries were not disclosed, and the cause of the fire is still unknown.

Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department/Facebook

PEOPLE reached out to the Gaston County Office of Emergency Management and Fire Services for more information.

The flames broke out shortly after 6:19 p.m. local time on Sunday at the home, which Chief David Toomey of the Lucia Riverbend Fire Department confirmed belongs to Hamlin's parents, NBC affiliateWCNCreported.

First responders discovered 40-45% of the house full involved in the blaze when they arrived to the scene, Toomey said. The home was a total loss, he added

Lucia-Riverbend Fire Department/Facebook

The outlet reported that 10 to 15 fire departments responded to the home due to its 3,700 square-foot size, as well as its location in a remote and wooded area without fire hydrants.

It took over two hours for firefighters to extinguish the fire due to a local water shortage, according to WRAL.

In October, Hamlintold the Associated Pressthat his 75-year-old father was battling a serious illness while talking about the sacrifices his parents made for his NASCAR success. Hamlin said his father "always tells me I'm the best, no matter if I win or not, he always says I'm the best."

Hamilin described his dad a "a big hype guy." He also recalled spending time together "in his garage" over the years.

"He's got all my old memorabilia and it's just good to reminisce," he said of his father. "He's a reminiscent guy and right now I am just cherishing those hours that I have with them each week."

Read the original article onPeople

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December 31, 2025

NASCAR Star Denny Hamlin Breaks Silence After Death of His Father in House Fire

Steve Helber/AP NEED TO KNOW Denny Hamlin penned a message in tribute to his late father, Dennis Hamlin The NASCAR driver's dad died ...

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Reports: Kylian Mbappe (knee) expected to miss Supercopa

Kylian Mbappe's status for next week's Spanish Supercopa is in serious doubt after the Real Madrid star suffered a sprained left knee in training.

The France international star will miss Madrid's first match of 2026 at home on Sunday against Betis, and French publication L'Equipe reported that Mbappe is expected to be sidelined for at least three weeks.

"Following tests carried out today by Real Madrid Medical Services on our player Kylian Mbappe, he has been diagnosed with a sprain in his left knee," the team said in a statement Wednesday. "His progress will be monitored."

Madrid will travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, for the Supercopa, with a semifinal match against Atletico Madrid on Jan. 8 ahead of a potential final against Barcelona or Athletic Club on Jan. 11. Marca also reported that Mbappe may not travel with the team to Saudi Arabia.

Whether he will be able to return for a Copa del Rey Round of 16 match the following week is also in doubt.

Mbappe, who leads LaLiga with 18 goals, has started all 18 of Madrid's games so far this season. He missed their Champions League game against Manchester City on Dec. 19, but returned to play 90 minutes over three games leading up to Christmas.

Earlier this month, Mbappe tied Cristiano Ronaldo's club record with his 59th goal in the calendar year.

--Field Level Media

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December 31, 2025

Reports: Kylian Mbappe (knee) expected to miss Supercopa

Kylian Mbappe's status for next week's Spanish Supercopa is in serious doubt after the Real Madrid star suffer...

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Leonard scores 33 as Clippers extend win streak to 5 with 131-90 rout of Kings

INGLEWOOD,Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and the Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to a season-best five games Tuesday night with a 131-90 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

James Harden had 21 points while John Collins and rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser each added 16 for the Clippers, who have found a successful formula after not winning more than two consecutive games before their current run of success began.

Leonard's productive night came after he scored a career-best 55 points in a victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. He has averaged 37.8 points over the past five games.

Los Angeles' win streak started on the same night center Ivica Zubac went down with a left ankle sprain. Zubac has not played in any of the past four games.

Nique Clifford scored 18 points while Maxime Raynaud and Russell Westbrook each had 12 for the Kings, who fell to 3-12 since Nov. 26. Raynaud also grabbed 12 rebounds, but Sacramento lost its fifth consecutive road game.

Westbrook added four assists and a pair of 3-pointers against his former team.

The Clippers left little doubt from the start. They led 34-20 after one quarter and were up by 36 in the second before taking a 70-43 advantage into halftime. They shot 57.1% from the floor in the second quarter while scoring 39 points, with Leonard delivering 18 of them.

Leonard had 30 points through three quarters as the Clippers led 100-71 and coasted from there.

Los Angeles shot 51.1% from the field overall while posting its largest margin of victory this season. Sacramento shot 41% from the floor.

The Clippers committed just four turnovers while forcing the Kings into 19 that they turned into 28 points.

Kings: Home against the Boston Celtics on Thursday.

Clippers: Home against the Utah Jazz on Thursday.

AP NBA:https://apnews.com/NBA

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December 31, 2025

Leonard scores 33 as Clippers extend win streak to 5 with 131-90 rout of Kings

INGLEWOOD,Calif. (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 33 points and the Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to a se...

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Kings vs. Clippers highlights: LA rolls behind Kawhi Leonard

Sacramento saw the return of Keegan Murray but it wasn't enough to stop theLos Angeles Clipperson Tuesday night. The Clippers beat the Kings, 131-90, on Dec. 30 at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

It was the sixth consecutive victory for the Clippers, who have been rolling. Despite getting rotational big man Drew Eubanks back from injury, the Kings suffered back-to-back losses in their short trip to Southern California.

Kawhi Leonard had a game-high 33 points for Los Angeles. Clippers guard James Harden had 21. They got some bench production from rookie Yanic Konan Niederhauser, who scored a career-high 16 points off the bench.

Murray had a tough outing in his return, scoring 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting. However, rookie forward Nique Clifford scored a career-high 18 points. Kings rookie center Maxime Raynaud recorded another double-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and added two blocks.

The Clippers move to 11-21, as the Kings fall to 8-25.

Next up for the Clippers are the Utah Jazz on Jan. 1. The Kings have the Boston Celtics at home for their next game on Jan. 1.

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets' Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs' Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

SACRAMENTO KINGS:News, stats, injuries and updates

Game highlights

1st quarter highlights

Sacramento found itself trailing by 14 to open the game against the Clippers. At the end of the first quarter, the Clippers led the Kings, 34-20.

James Harden scored 12 points in the opening quarter. Kawhi Leonard had eight points. DeMar DeRozan had five points for the Kings.

2nd quarter highlights

Sacramento came out flat in the second and Los Angeles' lead grew as large as 36 points. Harden and Leonard, combined, outscored the Kings in the first half, 42-40.

Leonard scored 18 in the second quarter alone. The Clippers would get first-half contributions from John Collins with 12 points and two blocks, and Kris Dunn with eight points and two steals.

The Kings were held to 32% from the field on 14-of-44 shooting. Sacramento went into the locker room down 73-40.

3rd quarter highlights

The Clipper defense continued to stifle Sacramento, as they forced missed shots and turnovers. The Kings had 13 turnovers, compared Los Angeles' three turnovers after the third quarter.

The Kings had some highlight plays such as a thread the needle pass from Russell Westbrook to Keegan Murray near the basket for a dunk.

The Kings didn't get their first fast break points until a rebound and coast-to-coast layup by DeRozan with 5:39 remaining in the third quarter.

Nique Clifford played more minutes and made the most of it. He knocked down a couple of 3-pointers and connected from the mid-range. Clifford scored 10 points in the quarter.

The Kings were down, 100-71, to end the third quarter.

4th quarter highlights

The Clippers' onslaught continued. They responded with smothering defense, which turned into easy offense. Los Angeles hit on 3-pointers and slammed down alley-oop dunks.

Malik Monk provided a long distance field goal in the fourth, his only basket of the night. Eubanks got a baseline dunk in the final period. He ended the game with six points in 13 minutes in his return.

The Kings were outscored 31-19 in the fourth quarter.

Kings keys to victory

• Don't allow L.A.'s veteran superstars to dominate: The Clippers have two guys who can fill up the stat sheet in James Harden and Kawhi Leonard. Leonard is coming off of a career-high 55 points against the Pistons. Harden quietly added 28 in that game. The Kings have to focus on these two, not allowing them to go on a scoring rampage. This task was easier said than done. Leonard and Harden combined for 54, scoring 33 and 21, respectively.

• Hustle and effort: The Kings have to rely on their energy to take them to the level that they aspire to be at. Guys have to dive on the floor, be the first to loose balls and be aggressive defensively. Grab rebounds, get steals and blocked shots. Sacramento only had one steal in the entire game, compared to its 18 turnovers.

• Defend the paint: The Clippers are a top-15 team in the NBA when it comes to players driving to the basket, led by James Harden who is 13th at drives-to-the-basket. Sacramento needs to contain that with defensive team rotations in help, moving their feet, be in the right spots to defend shots or a lob pass attempt. Try and take a charge, or two. A tough task to handle, Harden shot 12 free throws, the Clippers as a team shot 32.

• Play aggressive on offense: The Kings should look to play aggressive on offense: drive to the hole early and often, get their bigs like Ivica Zubac and Brook Lopez in foul trouble and get to the free throw line. Play inside-out to create open looks from 3-point distance. Zubac did not play and Lopez only had one foul all game, as did their backup rookie center Yanic Konan Niederhauser. Sacramento only shot 14 free throws.

Kings next five games

• Jan. 1 vs. Boston Celtics

• Jan. 2 at Phoenix Suns

• Jan. 4 vs. Milwaukee Bucks

• Jan. 6 vs. Dallas Mavericks

• Jan. 9 at Golden State Warriors

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Kings vs Clippers highlights, recap

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December 31, 2025

Kings vs. Clippers highlights: LA rolls behind Kawhi Leonard

Sacramento saw the return of Keegan Murray but it wasn't enough to stop theLos Angeles Clipperson Tuesday night. T...

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With Steelers facing elimination, the DK Metcalf swipe at a fan may have marked the unofficial end of Aaron Rodgers' career

If this week is the end forAaron Rodgers, it will be hard to ignore that this was the exact chess gambit thePittsburgh Steelerschose to execute last March.

In an effort to purposefully move on from wideoutGeorge Pickens— a talented-but-mercurial wideout whom Pittsburgh leadership had stopped counting upon — the Steelers traded forDK Metcalfand promptly secured him in place with a four-year, $132 million extension. The commitment and aim at the time was unmistakable: With sweeping change coming at quarterback, the Steelers would finally have an elite No. 1 receiver whose astounding talent would be matched by accountability and availability.

More than eight months later, the maneuver has collapsed on itself. And Sunday, it may bury the final snaps of Aaron Rodgers' career along with it.

For all intents and purposes, that is what is on the line when the Steelers host theBaltimore Ravenson Sunday night. Barring a change of heart since June, when Rodgers told "The Pat McAfee Show" he was "pretty sure" 2025 would be his final season, this week in Steelers history carries the weight of an AFC North crown and a playoff berth — alongside the potential bookend to a first-ballot Hall of Fame career.

And because of that, it's hard to get away from the reality that a loss to Baltimore would frame Pittsburgh's fall as being the last domino in a chain reaction that began when Metcalf struck a fan during the Steelers' Week 16 win over theDetroit Lions. The altercation resulted in Metcalf's suspension for the final two games of the season, effectively removing the star wideout who was acquired to be the reliable cornerstone that Pickens wasn't.

There will be pains taken by the team to avoid making this all about Metcalf, of course. Even in the wake of anembarrassing loss to the Cleveland Brownsthat has pushed the Steelers to the brink of elimination, fingers have been pointed in all manner of directions. Pittsburgh's secondary is hobbled. The defense has continued to feel the absence of edge rusherT.J. Watt. Tight endDarnell Washington was lost against Cleveland to a broken armandCalvin Austin IIIsat out with a hamstring injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin made some conservative fourth-down decisions in the fourth quarter and the offense was accused of being overly preoccupied with keeping Browns defensive endMyles Garrettfrom setting the single-season sack record.

[Get more Steelers news: Pittsburgh team feed]

There's merit to some of those arguments, maybe even all of them. But what is absolutely inarguable is that Pittsburgh's offense missed Metcalf's presence more than any other player, particularly in the final moments of the 13-6 loss, when Rodgers ended a potential game-winning drive by throwing atMarquez Valdes-Scantlingthree straight times from Cleveland's 7-yard line. All three were incompletions. If Metcalf had not been suspended, it's likely all three of those throws go in his direction. And on the final throw, when it appeared Valdes-Scantling had possibly drawn a pass interference penalty that wasn't called, it's likely a player of Metcalf's stature would have drawn the flag.

This is what Metcalf's absence represents. His altercation in Detroit has opened a hole that Pittsburgh can't fill.

And now? Well, now the Steelers face the Ravens in the type of everything game that exists to seize upon the aggressive moves made in March. This is the moment that drove the Steelers to abandon Pickens and reach for Metcalf. This is what you trade draft picks and money for — to bring the star to the table and watch him eat. That's exactly what Metcalf did in Week 14 against the Ravens, when his 7 catches for 148 yards provided the Steelers' offense an engine thatpowered Rodgers' most effective downfield passing game of this entire season. That included two explosives, via 52 and 41 yard receptions, that haven't been seen often this season.

Lest anyone forget, that 27-22 win over the Ravens awakened a 6-6 Steelers team that had fans chanting for Tomlin's job only one week earlier. It was the propellant for a three-game winning streak that put Pittsburgh back into the driver's seat of the AFC North and had the teamswaggering off the field following a 29-24 win over the Detroit Lions. Only to be undone by a terrible decision by Metcalf that may end up being more damaging to the franchise than any mistake Pickens ever committed during his 50 games as a Steeler.

Now offensive coordinator Arthur Smith is grappling with that reality this week, as he absorbs a Cleveland loss that is suggestive that Pittsburgh's other offensive pieces are simply not good enough to collectively make up for Metcalf's absence. That leaves him to find another way to creatively turn the key on the offense that doesn't suddenly render it into a run-heavy attack with a parade of check-downs in the passing game, all in the hopes that the defense can create enough short fields or turnover opportunities to score more than the 6 measly points put up against the Browns.

Turning back the clock to the offseason when so much of what the Steelers did was predicated on putting all their chips on one season of Rodgers, it's an almost unfathomable position to be in. But this is where Pittsburgh finds itself, while also having to contemplate that what happens Sunday night might be the final curtain for Tomlin, the coaching staff and possibly some elements of the front office. Not to mention the quarterback, who was pursued to bring it all together before a suspension pulled it all apart.

This week, Tomlin was asked if he'd thought about Sunday potentially being the last game in Rodgers' career.

"I don't know that I've taken time to ponder that," Tomlin replied. "I'm just committed to making sure that it's not."

That commitment started in March, when the Steelers traded for Metcalf. Eight months later, it may end up being remembered as the defining decision that was the beginning of the end of Rodgers' final NFL season, and this era of Steelers that might go out the door with him.

byAdministrator

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December 31, 2025

With Steelers facing elimination, the DK Metcalf swipe at a fan may have marked the unofficial end of Aaron Rodgers' career

If this week is the end forAaron Rodgers, it will be hard to ignore that this was the exact chess gambit thePittsburgh St...

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No. 7 Gonzaga makes it 20 straight wins vs. San Diego

Jalen Warley recorded a season-best 22 points and a career-high 14 rebounds to help No. 7 Gonzaga defeat host San Diego for the 20th consecutive time, 99-93 in West Coast Conference play on Tuesday night.

Tyon Grant-Foster scored 18 points, Braden Huff had 14 points and eight rebounds and Mario Saint-Supery also scored 14 points for the Bulldogs (14-1, 2-0 WCC), who won their seventh straight game. Gonzaga's Graham Ike added 11 points and nine rebounds.

Ty-Laur Johnson scored 21 points, Juanse Gorosito added 16 points and D'Arrae Goodwin tallied 15 for the Toreros (6-8, 1-1). San Diego's Adrian McIntyre had 12 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Toneari Lane put up 10 points.

The Toreros are now 1-31 against Gonzaga since recording a 69-62 upset over the Zags in the 2008 West Coast Conference tournament title game. That contest resulted in the Toreros making their most recent appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

Warley's three-point play gave Gonzaga an 83-62 lead with 7:21 left before the Toreros made a furious late comeback bid.

San Diego scored 11 straight points to pull within 98-93 on McIntyre's layup with 11.2 seconds left. San Diego made eight straight shots to end that burst.

Grant-Foster split two free throws with 9.2 seconds left, and Lane missed a 3-point attempt for San Diego as the Bulldogs escaped.

Gonzaga shot 56.5% from the field, including 8 of 18 (44.4%) from 3-point range. The Bulldogs held a dominating 44-27 rebounding advantage. Warley also contributed five assists and three steals.

San Diego connected on 52.4% of its attempts and was 12 of 31 (38.7%) from behind the arc.

Huff made consecutive hoops to give Gonzaga a 70-50 lead with 10:41 remaining, capping a 10-0 surge.

After McIntyre's basket ended the run, Saint-Supery canned a trey to give the Zags a 21-point lead with 9:50 to play.

Warley's three-point play made it 83-62, but San Diego responded with an 18-5 charge, ending with four straight points from Goodwin, to move within 88-80 with 3:12 left.

Warley scored five straight to put the Bulldogs ahead by 16 with 1:38 left before the Toreros made the Zags sweat.

Grant-Foster scored 13 first-half points to help Gonzaga hold a 48-37 lead at the break. Johnson had 10 points in the half for San Diego.

The Toreros led 11-9 after a 3-pointer by Boskovic 4 1/2 minutes into the game.

Steele Venters then drilled a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs the lead for good, starting a 10-0 run.

--Field Level Media

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December 30, 2025

No. 7 Gonzaga makes it 20 straight wins vs. San Diego

Jalen Warley recorded a season-best 22 points and a career-high 14 rebounds to help No. 7 Gonzaga defeat host San Dieg...

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