Arsenal will end the year top of the Premier League after 4-1 statement win over Villa

Arsenal ensured it will end the year top of thePremier Leagueafter beating Aston Villa 4-1 at home in a powerful statement win on Tuesday with all goals scored in the second half.

The fourth goal, scored by substitute Gabriel Jesus one minute after coming on, highlighted the depth of Arsenal's bench this season and coach Mikel Arteta jubilantly high-fived his assistants at the final whistle.

Victory moved Arsenalfive points aheadof Manchester City, which plays at Sunderland on New Year's Day, and six points clear of third-place Villa.

"It is a beautiful evening. That was a very tough match, as we knew it would be, because they are a top opponent to play against," Arteta told broadcaster Sky Sports. "The way we started the second half was amazing, we really turned things up and were efficient in everything that we did."

Arsenal has not won the Premier League since 2004 and the pressure is on Arteta to deliver.

"In 2026, we know what we want," Arteta said.

Villa manager Unai Emery later defended his decision not to shake Arteta's hand at the end of the game by saying it was "cold" at the Emirates.

"Always my routine is go to the opposition coach, shake hands and go inside," the former Arsenal manager told Sky Sports. "If he is not doing the same rule, I can't wait ... it was cold."

Elsewhere, Chelsea drew 2-2 at home to Bournemouth; Newcastle won 3-1 at lowly Burnley; and Manchester United was held 1-1 at home to rock-bottom Wolverhampton.

Struggling West Ham drew 2-2 with visiting Brighton, and Everton won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest.

Sharing the goals

No Arsenal player is near the top of the scorers' charts this season, yet sharing the goals around might just be the team's strength.

Defender Gabriel Magalhães headed home early in the second half following a corner for set-piece specialist Arsenal, and midfielder Martín Zubimendi netted in the 52nd minute.

Winger Leandro Trossard curled in a fine third from the edge of the penalty area in the 69th and was involved in the fourth goal, curled into the same corner from almost the same spot in the 78th minute by Jesus after Arsenal had launched a superb counterattack from deep.

The win was even more impressive considering Arsenal was missing key midfielder Declan Rice with a knee injury and Villa was playing on the back of11 straight victoriesin all competitions.

Gabriel nodded in from close range and was deemed not to have impeded Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez with his elbow.

Zubimendi finished confidently after captain Martin Ødegaard expertly won the ball in midfield and advanced before threading a perfect ball behind Villa's defense.

Ollie Watkins grabbed an injury-time consolation for Villa.

Poor defending costs Chelsea

Bournemouth's David Brooks netted early from close range after Chelsea failed to deal with a throw-in from the right.

Cole Palmer equalized in the 15th with a penalty awarded after a video review ruled that Antoine Semenyo's knee had gone into the back of forward Estevão's leg.

Midfielder Enzo Fernández gave Chelsea the lead midway through the first half, but Chelsea gifted Bournemouth an equalizer when a defender headed on a throw-in from the left and Justin Kluivert scored at the back post for 2-2.

Chelsea is fifth and level on 30 points with United in sixth.

United held by Wolves

Manchester United led through Joshua Zirkzee's deflected strike in the 27th but Ladislav Krejčí equalized close to halftime for Wolves with a powerful downward header.

It was Wolves manager Rob Edwards' first pointsince taking charge in November.

Patrick Dorgu's injury-time goal for United was ruled out for offside by VAR.

Boos at the final whistle by United fans contrasted with Wolves supporters' chants of "We've won a point."

Wissa scores for Newcastle

Yoane Wissa grabbed his first league goal since joiningfrom Brentfordas Newcastle moved into 10th spot.

Newcastle was 2-0 up inside seven minutes with Joelinton being set up from the left wing by Anthony Gordon and Wissa bundling in from close range following a goalmouth scramble.

Josh Laurent pulled a goal back for Burnley midway through the first half. Newcastle survived nervy moments before Bruno Guimarães sealed the win with an expert lob in stoppage time.

Next-to-last Burnley is two points behind West Ham in 18th.

Garner and Paquetá shine

Everton netted in the 19th when James Garner drilled in a low finish after being set up down the right by Dwight McNeil.

Garner then turned neatly in midfield before feeding Thierno Barry with a defense-splitting pass to make it 2-0 against Forest in the 79th.

West Ham took an early lead against Brighton when striker Jarrod Bowen latched onto Lucas Paquetá's exquisite through ball from halfway and struck a low shot into the bottom corner.

Veteran forward Danny Welbeck equalized for Brighton from the penalty spot for his eighth goal of the season, and then hit the crossbar with a Panenka-style chipped penalty later in the first half.

Paquetá converted his spot kick with a staggered run-up in first-half injury time, but Joël Veltman equalized for Brighton in the 61st following a corner.

Defending champion Liverpool hosts Leeds on Thursday.

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

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December 30, 2025

Arsenal will end the year top of the Premier League after 4-1 statement win over Villa

Arsenal ensured it will end the year top of thePremier Leagueafter beating Aston Villa 4-1 at home in a powerful statemen...

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What to know about Tatsuya Imai before he signs with an MLB team this week

ForTatsuya Imai, this offseason's top Japanese free-agent pitcher, the clock is ticking.

The 27-year-old right-hander must sign with an MLB team before the expiration of his posting window at 5 p.m. ET Friday. While few teams have been definitively linked to the longtime Seibu Lions hurler, the overwhelming expectation within the industry is that Imai will come to terms with a big-league club before the deadline.

That's because he offers an enticing combination of ceiling and floor at a relatively young age for a free-agent pitcher.

To be clear: Yoshinobu Yamamoto he is not. Imai's athleticism, track record and pitch quality pale in comparison to those of the 2025 World Series MVP. As such, Imai won't sniff the 12-year, $325 million deal that Yamamoto secured two winters ago. Still, a substantial payday is in order; Imai should eclipse the $100 million mark. That is, at least, what his representative, agent Scott Boras, is gunning for.

And based on Imai's talent and résumé, that's a very reasonable goal.

Across the Pacific, Imai has been a known commodity, a famous figure, for quite a while. He rose to fame during the 2016 edition of Summer Koshien, Japan's immensely popular high school baseball tournament. In the final, Imai delivered a heroic performance as the ace of  Sakushin Gakuin High School, tossing a nine-strikeout, one-run complete game. That propelled him to national prominence and the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NPB Draft.

Pro success didn't come right away. As a 20-year-old rookie with Seibu in 2018, Imai struggled to a 4.81 ERA across 78 2/3 innings. Things gradually improved as he got comfortable at the highest level, but injuries and a lack of control limited his production.

Free passes, in particular, were a massive bugaboo. Between 2018 and 2023, Imai posted a total walk rate over 13%. For comparison, just one MLB starter over the past decade (Blake Snell in 2023) has recorded a season with such wildness. This past season, only two qualified starters (Cleveland's Gavin Williams and Anaheim's José Soriano) had walk rates north of 10%. Simply put, it was an unsustainable way for Imai to live.

So the 5-foot-11 righty changed course, purposefully altering his mechanics to improve his strike-throwing. In turn, his numbers took a huge step forward, with the walk rate dropping to 9.8% in 2024 and then a tidy 7% in 2025. Even more impressively, Imai's strikeout numbers increased alongside his boost in control.

It all culminated in a phenomenal 2025 season in which Imai cruised to a 1.92 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning across 24 starts.

That breakout sent Imai zooming up MLB wish lists, as practically every club — except, perhaps, the Dodgers — could use another rotation piece. And unlike fellow Japanese free-agentMunetaka Murakami, whose high-risk profile stunted his market, Imai seems like a reliable proposition.

Part of that is simply a product of the hitter/pitcher divide in regard to NPB players. Projecting whether or not a Japanese hitter will adjust to MLB pitching is a much trickier exercise than doing the same with a Japanese pitcher. Advances in tracking data mean that we can compare Imai's arsenal, release points, velocities and pitch shapes to those already present in the bigs. That provides us — and, crucially, MLB teams — a better sense of how arms will translate from the second-best to the best league in the world.

And Imai's stuff passes the smell test. His heater last year averaged right around 95 mph, above the MLB starter average of 94.1. He leans on that four-seam fastball quite a bit, particularly against right-handed hitters, to whom he threw the pitch 53% of the time. His slider accounted for another 39% against same-sided bats, meaning Imai rarely uses a third pitch against righties. That puts him in a small group of pitchers — think Spencer Strider, Jacob deGrom, Jared Jones — with such a small right-on-right mix.

Facing lefties, Imai turns toward his changeup and splitter to keep opponents off-balance, using those offering 16% and 7% of the time, respectively. It all comes out of a relatively low slot, which adds deception to his heater/slider combo.

The indomitable Yuri Karasawa ofJapanBall, the internet's premier source for English-language Japanese baseball coverage, compared Imai to Mariners righty Luis Castillo in a recentYouTube video.It's an interesting comp, based on their similar heater/slider reliance and low arm slots.

One key difference: Castillo has been commendably durable for most of his career, while Imai has never started more than 25 games in a season. But if Imai can match Castillo in terms of efficacy, that would be a massive win for whichever team ends up with the Japanese hurler. No front-runner has yet emerged, as the typical host of deep-pocketed clubs in Los Angeles, New York and Toronto have pretty stocked starting staffs.

The Mets, whose starting pitching woes sank their 2025 season, have been connected to Imai, but they would probably need to subtract from their assortment of arms if they reel him in. The Phillies, potentially without ace Zack Wheeler for the start of the season and around $35 million below last year's final payroll, would make some sense. The Cubs desperately need another frontline arm buthaven't shown the willingness to push their payroll far beyond $200 million. The same is true for the Giants, who haven't added much to their big-league roster so far this winter.

To be fair, a player of Imai's caliber fits pretty much anywhere; playoff hopefuls in Baltimore, Detroit, Miami, Arizona and even Sacramento should all pick up the phone and inquire. His history of gradual, year-over-year improvement, willingness to make adjustments, on-mound athleticism and arsenal all suggest he'll be a solid mid-rotation hurler in MLB, with the potential for more if he continues to develop.

That's a pretty exciting player — one who should be a whole lot richer in a few days.

byAdministrator

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December 30, 2025

What to know about Tatsuya Imai before he signs with an MLB team this week

ForTatsuya Imai, this offseason's top Japanese free-agent pitcher, the clock is ticking. The 27-year-old rig...

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NCAA tries to clarify NBA stance after Baylor's addition of 2023 draft pick prompts criticism

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA said Tuesday it would not grant eligibility to any player who had signed an NBA contract after Baylor's midseason addition of a 2023 draft pick who had been playing professionally in Europe prompted criticism from coaches across college basketball.

The Bears announced the signing of 7-footer James Nnaji of Nigeria on Christmas Eve. He could make his debut Saturday in Baylor's Big 12 opener at TCU.

Nnaji was the first pick of the second round, 31st overall, by the Detroit Pistons 2 1/2 years ago. His draft rights have since been traded to Boston, then Charlotte and most recently the New York Knicks in October 2024. The 21-year-old Nnaji, who was playing in Europe before he was drafted, hasn't been on an NBA roster. He was 18 when he was drafted.

International players with varying backgrounds, including professional leagues, have played college basketball for years. With players now getting paid under name, image and likeness (NIL) deals, college teams have added players from the NBA's developmental G League.

The NCAA said players wouldn't be eligible if they signed regular NBA contracts or two-way deals that involve G League affiliates. But the association said that won't necessarily apply to G League players without NBA deals, or other professional leagues in the U.S. and elsewhere.

"As schools are increasingly recruiting individuals with international league experience, the NCAA is exercising discretion in applying the actual and necessary expenses bylaw to ensure that prospective student-athletes with experience in American basketball leagues are not at a disadvantage compared to their international counterparts," NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement released by the association. "Rules have long permitted schools to enroll and play individuals with no prior collegiate experience midyear."

Arkansas coach John Calipari said he wasn't criticizing Baylor's Scott Drew or others trying to add players amid a shifting college landscape. But he said a rule should clearly disqualify any NBA draft pick.

"I don't blame coaches," Calipari said. "Let me give you this, real simple ... If you put your name in the draft — I don't care if you're from Russia — and you stay in the draft, you can't play college basketball. Well, that's only for American kids. What? If your name is in that draft and you got drafted, you can't play, because that's our rule. But that's only for American kids. OK."

Drew defended the move by pointing to other undrafted international players who are playing college basketball right now. Nastja Claessens, a 2024 third-round WNBA draft pick, is averaging 10.6 points in 11 games for the Kansas State women this season.

"Until we get to collective bargaining, I don't think we can come up with rules that are agreeable or enforceable," Drew said. "Until that, I think all of us have got to be ready to adjust and adapt to what's out there. Early on, when it first came out with G League players, I wasn't in favor of that either. But again, we don't make the rules and as we find out about things, we're always going to adapt to put our program in the best position to be successful, because that's what we get paid to do."

The NCAA said court rulings in lawsuits challenging eligibility standards are making its rules difficult to enforce. Attorneys for Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, who is suing for more eligibility,latched on to Baylor's signing of Nnajito try to bolster their argument.

"While the NCAA has prevailed on the vast majority of eligibility-related lawsuits, recent outlier decisions enjoining the NCAA on a nationwide basis from enforcing rules that have been on the books for decades — without even having a trial — are wildly destabilizing," Baker said in the statement. "I will be working with D-I leaders in the weeks ahead to protect college basketball from these misguided attempts to destroy this American institution."

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

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December 30, 2025

NCAA tries to clarify NBA stance after Baylor's addition of 2023 draft pick prompts criticism

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA said Tuesday it would not grant eligibility to any player who had signed an NBA contract aft...

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Trevon Diggs landing spots: Patriots, Chargers should make play for CB

TheDallas Cowboysaren't waiting until the end of the regular season to make roster changes.

Dallas waived two-time Pro Bowl cornerbackTrevon DiggsTuesday morning less than two years intoa five-year contract extensionwhich made him one of the highest-paid players at his position.

Diggs has taken a step back this season under defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Per NFL Pro stats, Diggs is allowing a career-worst 158.3 quarterback rating when targeted and 85% catch rate.

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Diggs, 27, enjoyed a breakout year in 2021 for theCowboys. His 11 interceptions and two pick-sixes led the league and he was named a first-team All-Pro. He followed that with a Pro Bowl campaign in 2022 thanks to three interceptions.

Since then, he's managed just three interceptions and played 21 of 50 possible regular-season games.

Diggs is now available for another team to pick up ahead of the postseason. Here's where he could land:

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18) makes a catch for a touchdown against the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

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Best images of the 2025 NFL season

Week 1: Detroit Lions wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa (18)makes a catch for a touchdownagainst the Green Bay Packers during the fourth quarter at Lambeau Field. The play was originally ruled an incomplete pass, but the call was overturned. Despite TeSlaa's effort, the Packers won the game 27-13.

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Trevon Diggs landing spots

New England Patriots

New England is in contention for the No. 1 seed in the AFC behind one of the most efficient offenses in the NFL and a stout run defense. The worst phase of thePatriots' defense is the passing game; New England ranks 10th in passing yards allowed and 11th in expected points added (EPA) per pass allowed.

Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis are both long corners that play a physical brand of football but both have had some injury concerns over the last two years. Diggs could be a low-risk addition to provide some depth and injury insurance. New England has plenty of cap space to keep him on the books into the future.

Los Angeles Chargers

Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter has routinely maximized late-round picks at cornerback like Cam Hart and Tarheeb Still. Give him a proven commodity like Diggs and he could likely find a way to maximize him even more.

The AFC is relatively wide open compared to prior years, with the Chiefs andBengalsout of contention, and theRavensin danger of missing out. Small additions on the margins could make the difference in a playoff run. Los Angeles' defense is one of the best against the pass and could use one more defender to keep them in contention.

Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh is knocking on the door of a division title but it all comes down to Week 18 against Baltimore. The Steelers have had another solid year from Joey Porter Jr. at one of the outside cornerback spots but have rotated through veteran options opposite him throughout the year.

Pittsburgh recently brought on Asante Samuel Jr. to play outside cornerback with James Pierre working through injury. Diggs could be an upgrade and a more natural fit outside than both of those options.

Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles' defense was exposed slightly against the Atlanta Falcons on "Monday Night Football" in Week 17. TheRams' defensive front is ferocious but things can take a turn if they aren't able to generate a consistent pass rush.

Like his counterpart on the other Los Angeles franchise, Rams defensive coordinator Chris Shula is garnering a reputation as one of the better play-callers on that side of the ball this season. The team took a formerly disappointing first-round pick, Emmanuel Forbes Jr., and has him playing solid football in his first full year in Los Angeles. Diggs could give the unit a similar bump ahead of a playoff run against the NFC's best.

New York Jets

If Diggs isn't looking to join a playoff contender, New York should drop a line and see what could happen. Jets coach Aaron Glenn had a lot of success in Detroit with developing defensive backs in general and could offer a long-term fit for the former Pro Bowler.

New York will have plenty of holes to fill with their first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. Adding Diggs could provide insurance at a position of need if their top choices are off the board or they opt to focus elsewhere.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Best fits for Trevon Diggs after Cowboys release includes Patriots

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December 30, 2025

Trevon Diggs landing spots: Patriots, Chargers should make play for CB

TheDallas Cowboysaren't waiting until the end of the regular season to make roster changes. Dallas waived tw...

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With Rose Bowl up next, No. 1 Indiana is 'something to last' after Curt Cignetti's surge in Bloomington

LOS ANGELES — Right before stepping into the tunnel on Oct. 19, 2024, Aiden Fisher snuck a peak into the crowd.

Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana — the home of the Hoosiers team that has traditionally struggled in the Big Ten conference and had taken a very clear back seat to the historic basketball program that plays right next door — was completely sold out for the first time in years.

More than 53,000 people had packed the stadium for just the sixth time over the past decade, ready to watch the Hoosiers take on Nebraska.

"When you walk out through our stadium, there's a window you can kind of see out before you get to the tunnel. You just see all the towels waving, not a single seat was open," the Indiana linebacker said with a smile on Tuesday. "It's just special to be a part of."

Since then, that's been the standard in Bloomington. And now, 14 months later, Fisher and No. 1 Indiana are just days away fromtaking on Alabama in the Rose Bowl in the quarterfinals of the College Football Playoff.

A win on Tuesday would not only be historic. It would also lock in the fact that Indiana football is legitimate, which is something that seemed almost impossible just a few years ago. The last two seasons under head coach Curt Cignetti, in which the Hoosiers have gone an incredible 24-2, wouldn't be a fluke — if that's something that is even still up for debate.

"Last year, I know there was still a lot of doubt," linebacker Isaiah Jones said. "Maybe it was a one-hit wonder. … We don't need everybody else believing in us. But after this year, it's really kind of cemented Indiana … This isn't just a two-year thing and it's done after that. Coach Cignetti will be here, all these coaches will be here. Indiana football is here, and it's something to last."

Curt Cignetti's revival at Indiana

Before Cignetti arrived in Bloomington from James Madison in 2024, Indiana football wasn't in a good place.

The program was coming off of a 3-9 season under coach Tom Allen, who managed just one true winning season in his seven years with the program. They went 6-2 during the shortened COVID-19 season in 2020, too, but then won just two games the following year. When Allen led the Hoosiers to an 8-5 finish in 2019, it marked the program's most wins since the 1993 campaign.

Cignetti immediately turned the Hoosiers around. They went 11-2 in his first season, which marked the winningest campaign in school history, and reached the College Football Playoff for the first time, though they fell to Notre Dame in the first round. Their run stunned just about everybody.

But Jones, who spent two seasons at Indiana before Cignetti arrived, noticed the change in the program instantly. Cignetti's opening press conference was different.

"Not cocky, but confident," Jones said of that opening impression. "And I like that. Why would you not want to play for a coach that's confident in his players and believes in his players. It's not a façade, either, when he's in front of the media. He believes in us, and that makes us want to play so much harder for him and leave it out on the field."

This season was no different. The Hoosiers, behindHeisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza, went a perfect 13-0. They beat then-top-ranked Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game, too, which gave the Hoosiers their first conference title since the 1960s and secured the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. Outside of a scare against Penn State, it was a very dominant campaign from start to finish.

Naturally, Indiana and Cignetti reached a new eight-year, $93 million contract extension in October. He's now earning about $11.6 million a season, which makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the country.

"Everybody wants to talk about how they went from a losing record to making the playoffs two years in a row," Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said. "It is very, very impressive and remarkable, honestly. The turnaround they've had, just how disciplined they are. I know coach Cignetti talks about coach [Nick] Saban a lot, so I'm sure the values and principles of the program are very similar to Alabama."

That discipline is exactly what Jones described.

"I'm not knocking the first two years [I was here] … but the biggest thing for me here, we don't do anything that's not going to benefit us winning," Jones said. "There's no like, fake hurrah, there's none of this.

"We might not go do all the fun team events, because none of that benefits us on Saturday. Instead of going and doing something fun as a team, we'll get the linebackers together and watch an hour and a half of film. … We're here to win games on Saturday, we're not here for the fun, media photo shoots, and all that."

What will Indiana turn into?

Regardless of what happens on Thursday afternoon, or in the rest of the playoff, Cignetti has already gotten the Hoosiers to a much, much better place.

They've now won double-digit games in back-to-back seasons, produced a Heisman Trophy winner for the first time and is once again in a spot to legitimately compete for a national championship. That would change everything. Already, the impact of these two seasons will spill over into the future.

With Cignetti locked down, there's no telling where Indiana football can go — especially if he picks up right where they left off just a few weeks ago in Indianapolis.

But, at least for now, Cignetti doesn't seem to care much about the impact he's made. He's focused on one thing, and one thing only.

"It's great. There's a lot of excitement," he said about his program. "But we're here to play in a playoff game and our 100% focus is on the here and now."

byAdministrator

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December 30, 2025

With Rose Bowl up next, No. 1 Indiana is 'something to last' after Curt Cignetti's surge in Bloomington

LOS ANGELES — Right before stepping into the tunnel on Oct. 19, 2024, Aiden Fisher snuck a peak into the crowd. ...

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No. 14 Alabama dominates Yale with 3-point barrage

Aden Holloway scored 26 points and made five of Alabama's season-high 22 3-pointers as the No. 14 Crimson Tide smashed Yale 102-78 on Monday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Alabama (11-3) finished 22-for-54 (40.7%) from the 3-point line en route to its seventh win in eight games. Eight different players made at least one long-range shot for the Crimson Tide, led by Holloway (5-for-10) and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (5-for-15 for 15 points).

Amari Allen and Jalil Bethea also added 15 points each for Alabama, while Houston Mallette chipped in 12 points on four 3-pointers.

Nick Townsend scored 18 points to pace Yale (11-2), while Isaac Celiscar contributed 17 points for the Bulldogs.

After an early bucket by Yale, Alabama jumped out 9-3 on consecutive 3-pointers by Mallette, Holloway and Allen. Noah Williamson and Wrightsell added 3-pointers of their own shortly thereafter, giving the Crimson Tide five players with a made 3-pointer in the opening five minutes.

Mallette's 3-pointer gave the hosts their first double-digit lead, 21-10, with 12:07 to go in the half.

Allen's two free throws pushed the lead to 15 with just under five minutes left. With 1:26 remaining in the half, Allen's bucket sent the lead north of 20. Allen then hit a 3-pointer in the waning seconds, sending Alabama into the locker room with a 55-31 advantage.

Alabama was 11-of-26 from 3-point range in the first half. Yale, meanwhile, only had 11 total field goals in the half.

Holloway made two 3-pointers and a layup in the opening three minutes of the second half. That set the tone for another strong stanza by Alabama, which went ahead 77-47 on Bethea's 3-pointer with 11:35 to go.

The Crimson Tide led by as many as 35 points before the Bulldogs rallied to make the final score a bit more respectable.

--Field Level Media

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December 30, 2025

No. 14 Alabama dominates Yale with 3-point barrage

Aden Holloway scored 26 points and made five of Alabama's season-high 22 3-pointers as the No. 14 Crimson Tide sma...

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Two French sailors in a 35-foot boat are set to win handicap honors in the Sydney to Hobart race

HOBART, Australia (AP) — Two French sailors based on the Pacific island of New Caledonia — one of them a former windsurfing Olympian — have overcome tough Sydney to Hobart seas on one of the fleet's smallest boats to all but clinch handicap honors in the annual race.

Michel Quintin and Yann Rigal arrived at Constitution Dock in Hobart on their 35-foot yacht BNC on Tuesday morning after spending more than 93 hours at sea. They were the 33rd crew across the line but the first doubled-handed yacht, a craft sailed by just two people, to make it to Hobart from the start last Friday morning in Sydney harbor.

By late afternoon, their handicap time was the best, with only double-hander Crux a mathematical but highly improbable chance of overtaking them. Crux had earlier on Tuesday led the overall standings but ran into a southerly breeze that pushed back her expected arrival time until early Wednesday morning.

Overall handicap honors has in recent years been won by larger yachts, but BNC is about a third of the length ofline honors winner Master Lock Comanche.

Quintin and Rigal have been sailing together for five years and spent the past two preparing for the Sydney to Hobart.

"We came here to test (ourselves) … and we didn't really know what results we'll have," Quintin said, before knowing if they had reached top spot. "Even during the race we said, 'no it's not possible'."

The duo, along with the rest of the fleet, battled sea sickness in rugged early upwind sailing which forced 34 of the starting 128-yacht fleet to retire.

The French pair had spaghetti, lasagne and chicken curry on board with them but most of it went uneaten.

"I'm never seasick but the first six hours I couldn't eat," Rigal told Australian Associated Press. "We didn't sleep much, it was very busy. The waves and the seas were crazy."

Quintin, who represented France in windsurfing at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, said some electronic equipment had failed in Bass Strait meaning they had no indication of the true wind direction.

"When you have to steer nearly all day and all night long, you're tired," he said.

Comanche claimed the yacht's fifth line honors on Sunday after outpacing fellow supermaxis LawConnect and Hong Kong's SHK Scallywag 100 in a tight race off the state of Tasmania.

The supermaxi arrived at the finish line near Constitution Dock in Hobart shortly after 6 p.m. local time Sunday in a time of 2 days, 5 hours, 3 minutes and 36 seconds, well behind the record set in 2017.

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

byAdministrator

in

December 30, 2025

Two French sailors in a 35-foot boat are set to win handicap honors in the Sydney to Hobart race

HOBART, Australia (AP) — Two French sailors based on the Pacific island of New Caledonia — one of them a former windsurfi...

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