Stanford gets win over Virginia Tech, freshman Ebuka Okorie calls game

Freshman guardEbuka OkorieliftedStanfordoverVirginia Techwith a game-winning, step-back 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left to give the Cardinal a69-68 win at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia, on Jan. 7.

Okorie sized up his defender, Virginia Tech freshman Neoklis Avdalas of Greece, before getting into his sweet spot and rising up.

Okorie scored 31 points, going 11-for-18 from the floor with four 3-pointers, including the go-ahead bucket. His four made from long-distance tied a collegiate career-high. He added six assists and had only one turnover.

Virginia Tech led 31-24 at the end of the first half. However, Stanford came out of the second half and switched gears. The Hokies were outscored in the second half 45-37.

Virginia Tech was led by Avdalas with 21 points. Hokies sophomore guard Ben Hammond scored 14 points off the bench.

Chisom Okpara had an off night for Stanford, scoring just four points on 1-of-11 shooting, but still the Cardinal would get some help in the scoring department from Donavin Young and Oskar Giltay, who chipped in with 11 and eight points, respectively.

Stanford continues its road trip with a visit to No. 23 Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 10. Virginia Tech has a home game Saturday against California.

More:Stanford beats No. 13 Louisville, gets first ranked win in Kyle Smith era

Which NCAA men's basketball teams are coaches' preseason favorites? See who made the list.

NCAA Men's Basketball:USA TODAY Coach's rankings

Stanford vs. Virginia Tech: Ebuka Okorie hits game-winning shot

GAME WINNER BY OKORIE!!📺@accnetworkx@StanfordMBBpic.twitter.com/Pa6ATLGTa9

— ACC Men's Basketball (@accmbb)January 8, 2026

byAdministrator

in

January 08, 2026

Stanford gets win over Virginia Tech, freshman Ebuka Okorie calls game

Freshman guardEbuka OkorieliftedStanfordoverVirginia Techwith a game-winning, step-back 3-pointer with 2.8 seconds left t...

Read More

England's players and management face performance review after lopsided Ashes loss in Australia

SYDNEY (AP) — England's players and management are undergoing a performance review following the4-1 Ashes series defeat in Australia, with England Wales Cricket Board chief executive Richard Gould vowing to "implement the necessary changes over coming months."

Gould issued a statement after England's five-wicket loss in the fifth test Thursday, highlighting disappointment in the campaign after the squad traveled to Australia with high expectations of ending a long drought Down Under.

Theplanning, tactics and preparationofhead coach Brendon McCullumand cricket director Rob Key will be part of the review, along with "individual performances and behaviors" and the team's ability to adapt and react to conditions.

"This Ashes tour began with significant hope and anticipation, and it is therefore deeply disappointing that we have been unable to fulfill our ambition of winning the Ashes in Australia," Gould said. "While there were moments of strong performance and resilience during the series, including a hard-fought victory in the fourth test in Melbourne, we were not consistent enough across all conditions and phases of the contest."

Gould said the cricket board was "determined to improve quickly" as the team prepares for the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup in India and Sri Lanka next month.

"We will implement the necessary changes over the coming months," he said.

McCullum, the main architect of England's attack-at-all-costs approach that the tourists started the tour with, said he'd be open to minor changes but not a complete overhaul.

"You've got to have conviction in your methods," he told the BBC. "You're not against evolution and progress, but you've got to have conviction in what you believe in.

"It's about nipping and tucking to try and get a better version of your style and your beliefs."

McCullum said he'd "see what happens" with the review "but I firmly believe in how we go about trying to build this team and progress on what we've done."

Australiaretained the Asheswith wins inPerth,BrisbaneandAdelaide, before England'sdrought-breaking winin the fourth test in Melbourne made it 3-1 ahead of the test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Australia has won four consecutive home Ashes series since England's last win here in 2010-11.

England struggled this tour with injuries to key bowlersJofra ArcherandMark Wood, a heavy workload for skipper Ben Stokes which meant he couldn't bowl on the last day of the series, and a consistently flawed approach to batting in pressure situations.

England's fielding was also problematic across the series, with too many chances put down.

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

byAdministrator

in

January 08, 2026

England's players and management face performance review after lopsided Ashes loss in Australia

SYDNEY (AP) — England's players and management are undergoing a performance review following the4-1 Ashes series defe...

Read More

No. 15 Arkansas grabs early lead, holds off Ole Miss down the stretch

Darius Acuff Jr. scored 26 points and handed out nine assists as No. 15 Arkansas took the lead less than six minutes into the game and never looked back, holding off Ole Miss 94-87 on Wednesday night in Oxford, Miss.

Trevon Brazile added 18 points, Meleek Thomas and Billy Richmond III had 13 each, and Karter Knox scored 10 for the Razorbacks (12-3, 2-0 Southeastern Conference).

Malik Dia and Ilias Kamardine scored 16 points each, AJ Storr added 12, Eduardo Klafke put in 11 and Patton Pinkins added 10 to lead the Rebels (8-7, 0-2)

Arkansas had advantages in points off turnovers (17-12), second-chance points (14-6) and points in the paint (34-28).

After Arkansas took a 42-32 lead into the half, Ole Miss' James Scott made consecutive dunks to start the second-half scoring and pull the Rebels within 42-36. Arkansas increased the lead back to 10 points twice before Dia's three-point play trimmed the lead to 52-47 with 15:04 left.

Acuff scored seven points as the Razorbacks responded to open a 67-55 lead midway through the half. Dia answered with a layup and Ole Miss got within 10 points a third time before Arkansas expanded the lead to 77-61 with less than eight minutes left.

Klafke scored nine points to help the Rebels get within 82-72, but Brazile answered with a 3-pointer. Ole Miss got within 10 again, but Brazile made another 3-pointer.

The Rebels got within six points on Klafke's jumper with 3:06 left. Acuff made one free throw before Ole Miss got within four points twice, the second with 1:01 left. But Acuff made a jumper and Brazile added a free throw to complete the scoring.

Richmond made consecutive field goals and Thomas added a 3-pointer during an 11-0 run that gave the Razorbacks a 15-6 lead. Kezza Giffa made a 3-pointer to end the run and the Rebels crept within 18-14.

Richmond made a 3-pointer and Thomas added three points as Arkansas rebuilt the lead to 28-18 before Kamardine made a 3-pointer and a layup to get Ole Miss within five points with 6:21 to go in the first half.

The Rebels got within two points on two occasions before Brazile made consecutive 3-pointers to cap an 8-0 run that gave the Razorbacks their 10-point halftime advantage.

--Field Level Media

byAdministrator

in

January 08, 2026

No. 15 Arkansas grabs early lead, holds off Ole Miss down the stretch

Darius Acuff Jr. scored 26 points and handed out nine assists as No. 15 Arkansas took the lead less than six minutes i...

Read More

Ames native Tamin Lipsey a big part of first 15-0 start for No. 3 Iowa State

WACO, Texas (AP) — Iowa State point guard Tamin Lipsey, the senior who grew up near campus in Ames, is now part of something that had never been done by the Cyclones. They have a 15-game winning streak to start the season.

"I've been a Cyclone all my life. Just got on the court four years ago, though," Lipsey said Wednesday night following a70-60 victory at Baylor. "Watching all those teams growing up and just realizing that I have a chance right now to make a footprint for Iowa State, and just the community of Ames and all of that, I never take for granted."

Lipsey scored 24 points, overcoming some early foul trouble that kept him on the bench for nearly eight minutes in the first half. Joshua Jefferson had 19 points and 17 rebounds for Iowa State (15-0, 2-0 Big 12).

The Cyclones' 15-0 start and 15-game winning streak are both school records, surpassing a 14-0 start by the 2013-14 team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. They areone of six undefeated Division I teams, along with No. 1 Arizona, No. 2 Michigan, No. 10 Nebraska, No. 11 Vanderbilt and unranked Miami, Ohio.

"I think these guys do such a great job at honoring all those who have come before us with the effort and the execution that they play with," fifth-year Cyclones coach T.J. Otzelberger said. "So it's a great accomplishment. It's a credit to the young men and how they work. And hopefully something that the past Cyclones who have been in this program and those that have invested can take tremendous pride in."

Jefferson, a senior forward and second-year transfer from Saint Mary's, already had his sixth double-double of the season by halftime.

His long-3-pointer with 5 seconds left in the first half gave the Cyclones their first lead at 25-24. They never gave that up, starting the second half with a 14-1 run when six players scored and Jefferson capped it with a fast-break dunk.

"A huge shot Joshua made just before the half," Otzelberger said. "A huge momentum play that carried into that second half."

Lipsey has started all 115 of his games in four seasons with the Cyclones, including three NCAA Tournament appearances and a Sweet 16 in that time. He came out after his second foul with 17:12 left in the first half and didn't return until the 9:19 mark. He finally scored with 6:11 left in the first half, then had 20 points after halftime.

"I'd take him over any point guard in America," Otzelberger said. "Obviously, not having Tamin out there quite as much in the first half impacted where the game was at. But man, in that second half, the plays he made, the shots he made, it was amazing — especially when you have to bounce back when your normal routine and rhythm of a game is disrupted because of the fouls."

After the Cyclones shot 27.8% from the field (10 of 36) in the first half, they were at 57.1% (16 of 28) after halftime.

On the defensive side, they held Baylor to 18.8% (6 of 32) before halftime and 30.6% (19 of 62) overall.

"Iowa State is a really good team. If you ask me, right now, today, them and Michigan are the two best in college basketball," Baylor coach Scott Drew said. "They're not going to beat themselves. They know exactly where they're going to be, how they're going to do things. T.J. has done a great job with them."

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

byAdministrator

in

January 07, 2026

Ames native Tamin Lipsey a big part of first 15-0 start for No. 3 Iowa State

WACO, Texas (AP) — Iowa State point guard Tamin Lipsey, the senior who grew up near campus in Ames, is now part of someth...

Read More

Moore and Murphy help the Blackhawks beat the Blues 7-3 for their 4th straight win

CHICAGO (AP) — Oliver Moore and Connor Murphy scored during Chicago's four-goal second period, and the Blackhawks beat the St. Louis Blues 7-3 on Wednesday night for their fourth consecutive win.

Moore, Murphy, Louis Crevier and Landon Slaggert each had a goal and an assist as Chicago improved to 2-1-0 against St. Louis this season. Spencer Knight made 27 saves and Nick Lardis, Jason Dickinson and Andre Burakovsky also scored.

Chicago went 3 for 4 on the power play, while St. Louis was 0 for 5 with the man advantage. The Blackhawks are 8 for 8 on the penalty kill during their win streak.

Tyler Tucker, Otto Stenberg and Nathan Walker scored for St. Louis in the opener of a three-game trip. Jordan Binnington stopped 28 shots.

Chicago grabbed control in the second. Stenberg tied it at 2 with his first career goal at 8:22, but the Blackhawks regained the lead 35 seconds later on Murphy's first of the season.

Slaggert got a piece of Colton Dach's shot at 12:27, and Dickinson made it 5-2 when he redirected Crevier's shot for his fifth goal with 2:36 left in the period.

Burakovsky added a power-play goal 5:11 into the third. It was his first goal since Dec. 20 and No. 10 on the season.

Chicago improved to 5-6-1 in 12 games since Connor Bedardhurt his right shoulderduring a3-2 lossat St. Louis on Dec. 12. The 20-year-old center participated in the team's morning skate and could return as soon as Friday against Washington.

The Blackhawks observed a pregame moment of silence for Hockey Hall of FamersGlenn Halland former coach and general managerBob Pulford. Hall, a goaltender who helped the team win the Stanley Cup in 1961, died Wednesday at age 94. Pulford died Monday.

Both teams play again on Friday night. The Blues visit the Utah Mammoth, and the Blackhawks host the Capitals.

AP NHL:https://www.apnews.com/NHL

byAdministrator

in

January 07, 2026

Moore and Murphy help the Blackhawks beat the Blues 7-3 for their 4th straight win

CHICAGO (AP) — Oliver Moore and Connor Murphy scored during Chicago's four-goal second period, and the Blackhawks bea...

Read More

Stars end losing streak with 4-1 win over Capitals

WASHINGTON (AP) — Radek Faksa scored a shorthanded goal, Casey DeSmith made 23 saves and the Dallas Stars ended their losing streak at six games by defeating the Washington Capitals 4-1 on Wednesday night.

The Stars bounced back from a6-3 drubbing at Carolina24 hours earlier that included the Hurricanes chasing U.S. Olympic goaltender Jake Oettinger, winning for the first time since Dec. 21.

Faksa put Dallas up 1-0 just over three minutes in with Ilya Lyubushkin in the penalty box for holding, cashing in on his own rebound off Washington netminder Logan Thompson. Early in the second period, Canadian Olympic defenseman Thomas Harley made the play to set up Sam Steel's net-front tap-in past Thompson

Steel assisted on Wyatt Johnston's goal, his 24th of the season, with 6:29 left in regulation. Roope Hintz sealed it with an empty-netter with 18.6 seconds remaining.

Before that, Alex Ovechkin scored his 915th career goal, adding tohis NHL recordtotal, with 2:19 left and Thompson pulled for an extra attacker. It was Ovechkin's 18th goal of the season at age 40.

CANADIENS 4, FLAMES 1

MONTREAL (AP) — Alexandre Texier had a goal and two assists, Jacob Fowler made 28 saves and Montreal beat Calgary.

Lane Hutson, Oliver Kapanen and Cole Caufield also scored to help Montreal improve to 24-13-6.

Joel Farabee scored for Calgary, and Dustin Wolf stopped 31 shots. The Flames dropped to 18-21-4.

Texier opened the scoring 3:10 into the second period when he took the puck at the goal line and roofed it over Wolf's shoulder.

After Phillip Danault's chance out of the penalty box, Texier got the puck back to him, and Danault found Hutson alone in the slot. Hutson fired a slap shot past Wolf. Just 1:07 later, Kapanen finished off a rebound to make it 3-0.

Farabee beat Fowler with a shot from the left circle with 2:21 left in the second.

Caufield took a Texier pass and fired a rolling puck past Wolf for his 21st goal 3:56 into the third period.

MAMMOTH 3, SENATORS 1

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Lawson Crouse and John Marino scored in a 3:21 span in the first period, Karel Vejmelka made 33 saves and Utah beat Ottawa to cap a big day for the franchise.

The Mammoth won hours after the NHL announced the team will host the2027 Winter Classicat the University of Utah's football stadium.

Clayton Keller assisted on the first-period goals, and Daniil But also scored. The Mammoth opened a seven-game homestand, rebounding from a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Rangers on Monday night.

Ridly Greig scored for Ottawa, and Leevi Merilainen stopped 18 shots. Greig has scored in all four games he has played against Utah.

Crouse opened the scoringfrom the slot at 3:59, andMarino scoredoff a rebound at 7:20.Greig scoredthrough a crowd in front for Ottawa with 2:19 left in the opening period.

But made it 3-1at 5:41 of the third on a wild scramble in front. The goal survived a video review for goalie interference.

BLACKHAWKS 7, BLUES 3

CHICAGO (AP) — Oliver Moore and Connor Murphy scored during Chicago's four-goal second period, and the Blackhawks beat St. Louis for its fourth consecutive win.

Moore, Murphy, Louis Crevier and Landon Slaggert each had a goal and an assist as Chicago improved to 2-1-0 against St. Louis this season. Spencer Knight made 27 saves and Nick Lardis, Jason Dickinson and Andre Burakovsky also scored.

Chicago went 3 for 4 on the power play, while St. Louis was 0 for 5 with the man advantage. The Blackhawks are 8 for 8 on the penalty kill during their win streak.

Tyler Tucker, Otto Stenberg and Nathan Walker scored for St. Louis in the opener of a three-game trip. Jordan Binnington stopped 28 shots.

Chicago grabbed control in the second. Stenberg tied it at 2 with his first career goal at 8:22, but the Blackhawks regained the lead 35 seconds later on Murphy's first of the season.

Slaggert got a piece of Colton Dach's shot at 12:27, and Dickinson made it 5-2 when he redirected Crevier's shot for his fifth goal with 2:36 left in the period.

Burakovsky added a power-play goal 5:11 into the third. It was his first goal since Dec. 20 and No. 10 on the season.

byAdministrator

in

January 07, 2026

Stars end losing streak with 4-1 win over Capitals

WASHINGTON (AP) — Radek Faksa scored a shorthanded goal, Casey DeSmith made 23 saves and the Dallas Stars ended their los...

Read More

Jim Harbaugh predicts brother John will return to NFL coaching soon but he hopes it's in the NFC

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The NFL is down one Harbaugh in its coaching ranks, although Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh doesn't expect his older brother to be out of a job for long.

"He'll be a head coach next year," Jim Harbaugh said Wednesday. "We'll be playing against him in some form or fashion."

John Harbaugh was firedas coach of the Baltimore Ravens a day earlier after 18 seasons that included a Super Bowl championship in which he famously beat Jim, who coached the San Francisco 49ers at the time. The Ravens were 8-9 and missed the playoffs this season.

Jim Harbaugh will guide the visiting Chargers (11-6) against the New England Patriots (14-3) in the AFC wild card game on Sunday.

Asked if he was surprised at his brother's dismissal, Jim Harbaugh said, "Yeah, as were many."

"John Harbaugh's the best coach I know, the best coach I've ever seen. I'm his brother, so I might be biased," a smiling Jim Harbaugh said.

John Harbaugh went 193-124 in Baltimore, including the postseason. He led the Ravens to the AFC championship game four times, including their Super Bowl season.

"It's great seeing that kind of outpouring of support," Jim Harbaugh said. "It's so cool to see all my brother's accomplishments and be recognized for that."

John Harbaugh certainly isn't alone on the NFL's unemployment line. The league hasseven head coaching jobs open, including AFC spots in Cleveland, Las Vegas, Tennessee and of course, Baltimore. The available NFC jobs are in Arizona, Atlanta and New York.

"As I told him, whatever team he goes to is going to be formidable," Jim Harbaugh said. "Just hope it's in the NFC."

John Harbaugh, older than Jim by 15 months, is 3-0 coaching against his younger brother.

"He'll be attacking with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind the next opportunity," Jim Harbaugh said.

AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

byAdministrator

in

January 07, 2026

Jim Harbaugh predicts brother John will return to NFL coaching soon but he hopes it's in the NFC

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — The NFL is down one Harbaugh in its coaching ranks, although Los Angeles Chargers coach Jim Har...

Read More