No. 12 Vanderbilt women remain undefeated knocking off No. 5 LSU 65-61

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mikayla Blakes scored 32 points and freshman Aubrey Galvan hit a 3-pointer with 2:05 left that put 12th-ranked Vanderbilt ahead for good in a 65-61 win Sunday over No. 5 LSU.

The victory gave coach Shea Ralph her first win over a Top 5 program.

Vanderbilt(15-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference) also remains one of four undefeated teams in the nation. The Commodores won their 10th straight at Memorial Gym and continued the second-best in program history with only the 1992-93 Final Four team better with a 17-0 start.

This was the first game between Top 15 teams at Memorial since the 2006-07 season, and the final quarter was a doozy with LSU taking a 49-42 lead. Vanderbilt answered back with eight straight for a thrilling finish.

Galvan, who finished with 14 points, knocked down her go-ahead 3, and Blakes added back-to-back layups for a 7-0 spurt. After Blakes split free throws with 9 seconds left, LSU missed three shots before the buzzer.

LSU(14-2, 0-2) now has lost two straight to start league play. Flau'jae Johnson missed all four shots and was scoreless for the first time this season. Jada Richard and MiLaysia Fulwiley each had 13 points, Mikaylah Williams had 12 and ZaKiyah Johnson 10.

Blakes scored the first 11 for Vanderbilt, and Justine Pissott's 3 gave Vanderbilt a 15-12 lead after the first quarter.

LSU opened the second quarter outscoring Vandy 13-3 with Blakes scoring only a jumper inside the arc. shooting 1-of-6. The Tigers took a 28-22 lead into halftime. Galvan scored her first 11 points in the third quarter helping Vanderbilt outscore LSU 20-15 to pull within 43-42 going into the fourth.

LSU visits Georgia on Thursday night.

Vanderbilt hosts Missouri on Thursday night.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign uphereandhere(AP mobile app). AP women's college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

byAdministrator

in

January 04, 2026

No. 12 Vanderbilt women remain undefeated knocking off No. 5 LSU 65-61

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Mikayla Blakes scored 32 points and freshman Aubrey Galvan hit a 3-pointer with 2:05 left that pu...

Read More

Sweden outlasts Finland 4-3 in shootout to reach world junior hockey final

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give Sweden a 4-3 victory over Finland on Sunday night in the world junior hockey semifinals.

Canada faced Czechia in the second semifinal. The final is Monday night.

The Swedes avenged a 4-3 overtime loss to Finland in the semifinals last year in Ottawa, Ontario. Sweden won its lone title in 1981 and 2012. It last appeared in the title game in 2024, falling 6-2 to the United States on home ice in Gothenburg.

Frondell — drafted third overall by Chicago last summer — put a wrist shot through Petteri Rimpinen's pads after failing on his first two attempts in the tiebreaker. His first attempt hit both posts.

"I blacked out," Frondell said. "It was an amazing feeling … happy the last one went in."

Sweden survived a power play in the 10-minute, 3-on-3 overtime after Viggo Bjork — who missed on three OT breakaways — was called for slashing with 2:03 left.

"This game, it was crazy, long game, tight, overtime, everything. Just one goal and then it's over," Frondell said. "You love to play those games."

Linus Eriksson, Ivar Stenberg and Eddie Genborg scored for Sweden in regulation, and Love Harenstam stopped 33 shots.

Atte Joki, Japser Kuhta and and Joona Saarelainen countered for Finland. Rimpinen made 29 saves.

Saarelainen tied it at 3 from close range with 5:59 left in the third.

Eriksson opened the scoring for Sweden at 36 seconds of the first period. Joki tied it with 3:34 to go in the period. Stenberg struck for Sweden at 1:20 of the second, and Kuhta countered 50 seconds later.

Genborg gave Sweden a 3-2 lead with 5:53 left in the second period.

On Friday in the quarterfinals, Finland beat the two-time defending champion United States 4-3 in overtime.

AP sports:https://apnews.com/sports

byAdministrator

in

January 04, 2026

Sweden outlasts Finland 4-3 in shootout to reach world junior hockey final

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Chicago Blackhawks prospect Anton Frondell scored in the eighth round of a shootout to give Sweden...

Read More

NFL playoff picture: Panthers claim NFC South after Falcons beat Saints, Broncos claim No. 1 seed in AFC on final day

Here's how things look in the standings heading into the final game of the 2025 regular season:

(* Clinched playoff spot)

1. Seattle Seahawks (14-3)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:Seattle has locked up the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the NFC West title withSaturday night's win over the 49ers. The NFC playoffs will run through Seattle.

2. Chicago Bears (11-6)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:The Bears are locked into the No. 2 slot and will host the Green Bay Packers in the first round.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (11-6)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:The Eagles fell to the Commanders on Sunday, ending hopes of jumping to the No. 2 seed

4. Carolina Panthers (8-9)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:The Panthers won the NFC South on Sunday,thanks to the Falcons' win over the Saints. That eliminated the Buccaneers from the playoffs despite their win over Carolina on Saturday.

5. Los Angeles Rams (12-5)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:The Rams are locked into a wild-card spot and claimed the No. 5 seed with their win over the Cardinals.

6. San Francisco 49ers (12-5)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:With Saturday's loss to the Seahawks, and the Rams' win over the Cardinals, the 49ers are in at No. 6.

7. Green Bay Packers (9-7-1)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:They're locked in at No. 7. Their wild-card round opponent will be either the rival Bears.

1. Denver Broncos (14-3)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:The Broncos ended the Chiefs' nine-year reign atop the AFC West by virtue of the Chargers' loss last week, and then beat the Chargers on Sunday to claim the No. 1 seed.

2. New England Patriots (14-3)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:The Patriots secured the AFC East crown with the Bills loss on Sunday, but are in at No. 2 with the Broncos' win.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars (13-4)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:The Jaguars have rolled over the Titans on Saturday to win the AFC South.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7):Remaining schedule — vs. Baltimore Ravens (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)

Notable:The Steelers can claim the division crown with a win or tie vs. the Ravens. A loss sends them home for the season.

5. Houston Texans (12-5)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:With their win over the Colts, the Texans are now locked into the No. 5 spot.

6. Buffalo Bills (12-5)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:The Bills are locked into a wild-card spot, and moved up to No. 6 after beating the Jets.

7. Los Angeles Chargers (11-6)*:Remaining schedule — finished

Notable:The Chargers fell to the Broncos on Sunday, and then dropped to the final spot after the Bills beat the Jets. That set up a matchup with the Patriots in the first round.

Still in the AFC picture

Baltimore Ravens (8-8):Remaining schedule — at Pittsburgh Steelers (Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET)

Notable:Baltimore can steal the division title with a win at Pittsburgh. A loss or tie ends its season.

Already eliminated

• Indianapolis Colts (8-9)

• Miami Dolphins (7-10)

• Kansas City Chiefs (6-11)

• Cincinnati Bengals (6-11)

• Cleveland Browns (5-12)

• New York Jets (3-14)

• Tennessee Titans (3-14)

• Las Vegas Raiders (3-14)

• Minnesota Vikings (9-8)

• Detroit Lions (9-8)

• Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-9)

• Atlanta Falcons (8-9)

• Dallas Cowboys (7-9-1)

• New Orleans Saints (6-11)

• Washington Commanders (5-12)

• New York Giants (4-13)

• Arizona Cardinals (3-14)

byAdministrator

in

January 04, 2026

NFL playoff picture: Panthers claim NFC South after Falcons beat Saints, Broncos claim No. 1 seed in AFC on final day

Here's how things look in the standings heading into the final game of the 2025 regular season: (* Clinched ...

Read More

Novak Djokovic cuts ties with the PTPA players' association he co-founded

Novak Djokovic is cutting ties withthe Professional Tennis Players Association, a group he co-founded that sued the sport's governing bodies last year, writing on social media Sunday that "my values and approach are no longer aligned with the current direction of the organization."

The 24-time Grand Slam champion announced at the 2020 U.S. Open that he and now-retired Canadian player Vasek Pospisil were launching the PTPA. They said they were aiming to offer representation for players who are independent contractors in a largely individual sport.

One of the goals made clear along the way was to become a sort of full-fledged union that negotiates collective bargaining agreements like those that exist in team sports, although that sort of thing hasn't happened.

Djokovic said Sunday on X that he had "ongoing concerns regarding transparency, governance, and the way my voice and image have been represented."

ThePTPA filed a class-action lawsuitin March against the women's and men's tours, the International Tennis Federation and the sport's integrity agency, accusing the organizations of "systemic abuse, anti-competitive practices, and a blatant disregard for player welfare." The four Grand Slam tournaments were later added as defendants.

Djokovic was not listed as a plaintiff when the suit was filed; Pospisil and other players were.

That's because, Djokovic said in March, "I want other players to step up."

The lawsuit says players should gain access to more earnings, arguing that the governing bodies that oversee the four Grand Slam tournaments — Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open — and other professional events "cap the prize money tournaments award and limit players' ability to earn money off the court."

Djokovic said Sunday he "will continue to focus on my tennis, my family, and contributing to the sport in ways that reflect my principles and integrity. I wish the players and those involved the best as they move forward, but for me, this chapter is now closed."

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

byAdministrator

in

January 04, 2026

Novak Djokovic cuts ties with the PTPA players' association he co-founded

Novak Djokovic is cutting ties withthe Professional Tennis Players Association, a group he co-founded that sued the sport...

Read More

Colts wideout Alec Pierce receives controversial ejection after making contact with official during career day

Indianapolis Colts wideout Alec Pierce was well on his way to shattering a handful of career-highs Sunday before being forced out of the game early. After nearly catching his third touchdown of the day, Pierce was ejected after making contact with an official.

The incident occurred with under two minutes to play in the third quarter. Pierce attempted to haul in a pass in the back of the end zone, but was pushed out of bounds by a Houston Texans defender. Pierce, looking for a flag, got up to talk to an official about the play. As Pierce extended his arm out behind the official, his shoulder bumped the official's arm. The ref immediately threw a flag, and disqualified Pierce from the rest of the game.

Alec Pierce has been disqualifiedpic.twitter.com/v5QiRjlQj1

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS)January 4, 2026

The broadcast seemingly disagreed with the penalty, with J.J. Watt calling it "harsh." Play-by-play man Ian Eagle threw it to former NFL ref Gene Steratore who noted, "It's not a lot of contact."

The ejection ended a career-day for Pierce, who hauled in four passes for 132 yards and two scores earlier in the contest. That was only two yards off his previous career-high and marked just the second time in his career Pierce scored multiple touchdowns in a game. Had he been allowed to keep playing, there's a decent chance Pierce would have exceeded his previous career-high of 134 receiving yards.

There's also a chance he could have helped the Colts win the game. After leading most of the way, the team coughed up a late lead,eventually losing the contest 38-30.

While he didn't get to realize that dream Sunday, he picked a tremendous time to post his best-ever game. Pierce is set to hit the free-agent market in the offseason, and stands to make quite a bit of money there. Though he's never had a 1,000-yard season as a receiver, Pierce has proven to be one of the game's best deep threats. He's led the NFL in yards per reception in each of the past two seasons.

Given Pierce's ability to get open deep, there's bound to be some teams that are convinced he could take a huge step forward in a good offense. Pierce hasn't had many opportunities to play with elite quarterbacks over his career, and could really benefit from joining a team with an accurate, deep-ball passer.

But that will have to wait until the offseason. Following Pierce's early exit in Week 18, the next time he'll take the field could come with a new team next year. If he can build off his career day — and his strong second half — Pierce could wind up being one of biggest free-agent additions of the offseason.

byAdministrator

in

January 04, 2026

Colts wideout Alec Pierce receives controversial ejection after making contact with official during career day

Indianapolis Colts wideout Alec Pierce was well on his way to shattering a handful of career-highs Sunday before being fo...

Read More

Infielder Kazuma Okamoto and Blue Jays finalize $60 million, 4-year contract

TORONTO (AP) — Infielder Kazuma Okamoto and the Toronto Blue Jays finalized their $60 million, four-year contract Sunday.

Okamoto will get a $5 million signing bonus, a $7 million salary this year and $16 million in each of the following three seasons.

To open a roster spot, Toronto designated right-hander Paxton Schultz for assignment.

A six-time All-Star, Okamoto has a .277 average with 248 homers and 717 RBIs in 11 Japanese big league seasons, leading the Central League in home runs in 2020, 2021 and 2023. Hehomered off Colorado's Kyle Freelandto help Japan beat the U.S. 3-2 in the 2023 World Baseball Classic final.

Okamoto, a 29-year-old third baseman and first baseman, hit .327 with 15 homers and 49 RBIs in 69 games last year for the Central League's Yomiuri Giants. He injured his left elbow while trying to catch a throw at first base on May 6 when he collided with the Hanshin Tigers' Takumu Nakano, an injury that sidelined Okamoto until Aug. 16.

With five-time All-Star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, Okamoto presumably would play mostly at third. Addison Barger had 67 starts there last year, Ernie Clement 66, Will Wagner 22, Isiah Kiner-Falefa six and Buddy Kennedy one.

Barger also plays right field, and the addition of Okamoto could mean Andrés Giménez would move from second to shortstop if free agent Bo Bichette doesn't re-sign. Clement and Davis Scheider could share time at second.

Under MLB's posting agreement with Nippon Professional Baseball, the Blue Jays owe the Giants a posting fee of $10,875,000.

Aftercoming within two outs of their first World Series title since 1993, the Blue Jays have made significant additions to the roster. Toronto signed right-hander Dylan Cease to a$210 million, seven-year contract, agreed to a $30 million, three-year contract with right-hander Cody Ponce and reached a$37 million, three-year dealwith reliever Tyler Rogers.

AP MLB:https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

byAdministrator

in

January 04, 2026

Infielder Kazuma Okamoto and Blue Jays finalize $60 million, 4-year contract

TORONTO (AP) — Infielder Kazuma Okamoto and the Toronto Blue Jays finalized their $60 million, four-year contract Sunday....

Read More

Cowboys DE Donovan Ezeiruaku ejected from loss to Giants early after ripping Greg Van Roten's helmet off

Dallas defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was ejected from the Cowboys' 34-17 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon after he got into an altercation in the second half and ripped a Giants player's helmet off his head.

Things erupted early in the third quarter after Jaxson Dart hit Tyrone Tracy in the back of the end zone at MetLife Stadium for a 13-yard touchdown, which extended the Giants' lead in the regular-season finale.

[Get more Cowboys news: Dallas team feed]

It's unclear exactly what started the altercation, but Ezeiruaku and Giants guard Greg Van Roten were at the center of it. Ezeiruaku held onto Van Roten's facemask as others ran into the pile and eventually ripped it off his head, which led to more flags being thrown.

Week 18 fight! Helmets coming off between Cowboys and Giants, you love to see itpic.twitter.com/HlIoOvmddK

— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs)January 4, 2026

Ezeiruaku was ejected from the contest after that, and Cowboys defensive tackle Quinnen Williams was hit with an unnecessary roughness penalty for his role. It looked like Van Roten was grabbing Sam Williams' facemask early on, too, but he was not penalized.

Once things settled down, the Giants went for a 2-point conversion and succeeded after running back Devin Singletary found Darius Slayton for a short completion. That put the Giants up 24-10.

Ezeiruaku had one tackle in Sunday's game before he was ejected. He finished his rookie season with 40 total tackles and two sacks. The Cowboys selected the 22-year-old in the second round of the draft last spring out of Boston College.

Both the Cowboys and the Giants entered Sunday's game, the final one of the regular season, having already been eliminated from playoff contention. The Giants had an outside shot at securing the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft but their 17-point win over the Cowboyshanded that to the Las Vegas Raidersinstead.

The Giants ended the season 4-13 and the Cowboys fell to 7-9-1, which marked their fourth defeat in their final five games of the season.

byAdministrator

in

January 04, 2026

Cowboys DE Donovan Ezeiruaku ejected from loss to Giants early after ripping Greg Van Roten's helmet off

Dallas defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku was ejected from the Cowboys' 34-17 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday afte...

Read More