No. 6 UConn unveils its 5th championship banner, routs Northern Arizona 95-52 in season opener

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

No. 6 UConn unveils its 5th championship banner, routs Northern Arizona 95-52 in season opener STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Alex Karaban scored 22 points to lead five players in double figures and No. 6 UConn opened the defense of the program’s fifth national championship on Monday with a 95-52 rout of Northern Arizona. Tristen Newton scored 14 points, Donovan Clingan and Stephon Castle each had 12 and Samson Johnson added 11 for UConn, which unveiled the school’s latest championship banner in a pregame ceremony. The Huskies shot 56% (32 of 57) from the floor and held the Lumberjacks to 34% (20 of 59).Liam Lloyd led Northern Arizona with 15 points. The Huskies won their games in last year’s NCAA Tournament by an average of 20 points, but then lost their top three players, Adama Sanogo, Jordan Houston and Andre Jackson Jr. to the NBA. That trio averaged a combined 40.1 points and 17.7 rebounds a game.This year the team’s literally centered around Clingan. But the 7-foot-2 sophomore missed the last month of the preseason with a right foot strain. He is being eased back into...

Knecht, defense lead No. 9 Tennessee over Tennessee Tech 80-42

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

Knecht, defense lead No. 9 Tennessee over Tennessee Tech 80-42 KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Dalton Knecht scored 17 points and No. 9 Tennessee’s defense was in midseason form as the Volunteers opened the season by beating Tennessee Tech 80-42 Monday night.Knecht, a Northern Colorado grad transfer, scored 14 points in the first half. Josiah-Jordan James added 15 points and Jordan Gainey 11.Tennessee Tech was limited to 22% shooting. The Golden Eagles turned over the ball 16 times and had eight shots blocked, four by Jonas Aidoo, who had eight rebounds.Josiah Davis led Tennessee Tech with 13 points.Santiago Vescovi and Zakai Zeigler, both preseason all-Southeastern Conference selections, saw their first action after missing both exhibitions.The Golden Eagles managed to make 16% (4 of 25) of their shots in the first 20 minutes and trailed 41-12. Tennessee scored 14 straight points while Tennessee Tech went more than 4 minutes without scoring.BIG PICTURETennessee Tech: After going 16-17 last season, the Golden Eagles are poised for improvement. Th...

Pili scores 26 points as No. 5 Utah beats Mississippi Valley State 104-45

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

Pili scores 26 points as No. 5 Utah beats Mississippi Valley State 104-45 SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Alissa Pili scored 26 points and No. 5 Utah beat Mississippi Valley State 104-45 on Monday night in the season opener for both teams.Gianna Kneepkins finished with 18 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Utes. Lani White added 15 points. Issy Palmer chipped in 10 points and seven assists. Jaylia Reed led Mississippi Valley State with 11 points. Leah Turner added 10 points.Pili gave the Utes an early spark with her efficient shooting. The Devilettes struggled to keep the junior forward from dominating in the paint. Pili went 7 for 7 from the field and 10 for 12 from the free throw line — all in the first half.The Devilettes faded away after scoring just eight baskets and committing 25 turnovers over the final three quarters.Mississippi Valley State found ways to stay one step ahead of Utah during the first quarter. The Devilettes scored seven points off six Utes turnovers over the first 10 minutes while shooting 69% from the floor on the other end. R...

NCAA Women’s Basketball Top 25 Fared-Week

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

NCAA Women’s Basketball Top 25 Fared-Week No. 1 LSU (0-0) did not play.No. 2 UConn (0-0) did not play.No. 3 Iowa (0-0) did not play.No. 4 UCLA (0-0) did not play.No. 5 Utah (1-0) did not play.No. 6 South Carolina (1-0) did not play.No. 7 Ohio St. (0-1) did not play.No. 8 Virginia Tech (1-0) did not play.No. 9 Indiana (0-0) did not play.No. 10 Notre Dame (0-1) did not play.No. 11 Tennessee (0-0) did not play.No. 12 Mississippi (1-0) did not play.No. 13 Texas (0-0) did not play.No. 14 Maryland (0-0) did not play.No. 15 Stanford (0-0) did not play.No. 16 North Carolina (0-0) did not play.No. 17 Louisville (1-0) did not play.No. 18 Florida St. (1-0) did not play.No. 19 Baylor (0-0) did not play.No. 20 Colorado (0-0) did not play.No. 21 Southern Cal (1-0) did not play.No. 22 Creighton (0-0) did not play.No. 23 Illinois (0-0) did not play.No. 24 Washington St. (0-0) did not play.No. 25 Mississippi St. (0-0) did not play.Source

14-year-old arrested after stabbing outside community center in Allston

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

14-year-old arrested after stabbing outside community center in Allston A 14-year-old was arrested Monday after a stabbing incident in Allston involving two other juveniles, police said. Boston police in a statement said officers first responded to the Armington Street area of Allston around 3:20 p.m. after receiving a report of a person who was stabbed. Police said officers soon found a juvenile male on scene suffering from multiple stab wounds. The person who was stabbed was taken to a Boston hospital, according to police. His injuries were considered non-life-threatening as of Monday evening. While the police investigation continued, police said officers found a second victim close to the stabbing site. “Victim #2 was not stabbed yet assaulted with a knife by the same suspect that stabbed the first victim,” police said. Boston police said investigators located the 14-year-old accused in connection with this incident in the area of Ringer Park. The teen was arrested and is now expected to be arraigned in Boston Juvenile Court ...

Striking actors say they have responded to Hollywood and TV studios’ ‘best and final offer’

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

Striking actors say they have responded to Hollywood and TV studios’ ‘best and final offer’ New York (CNN) — SAG-AFTRA said it has responded to Hollywood studios’ “last, best & final offer” on Monday as pressure ramps up to reach a deal ending the industry-freezing strike.The actors’ union said in a message to its members that there are several “essential items” that the two sides have yet to reach agreement on, such as the use of AI.The union said every member of its negotiating committee “is determined to secure the right deal and thereby bring this strike to an end responsibly.”On Saturday, the union said it had received and was reviewing the proposal from the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which it described as its “Last, Best, and Final Offer.”AMPTP members include Disney, Netflix, NBCUniversal, and Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. Discovery is the parent company of CNN.It’s still not clear when a deal to end the nearly four-month...

McIlroy unveils Boston entry in new team golf league

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

McIlroy unveils Boston entry in new team golf league BOSTON (AP) — There’s a new golf league starting up with team play and shorter events and fans acting like they’re at a ballpark instead of a library.And this time, Rory McIlroy is fully on board.Unlike LIV Golf, which aimed its Saudi Arabian bankroll directly at the PGA Tour, TGL will be squeezed into the schedule on Monday nights from January to March, before the Masters kicks off the highest-profile part of the season. And McIlroy, who was one of the most vocal opponents of LIV’s efforts to cannibalize the regular tour, said that makes all the difference.“This wasn’t adversarial at all,” the four-time major champion said on Monday at a Fenway Park news conference to unveil the Boston TGL entry. “This is meant to be complimentary. We’re not trying to replace traditional golf here. I think there’s a place for everything.”The brainchild of McIlroy and Tiger Woods, TGL will be an arena-based mini-tour with six, four-person teams representing U.S. cities. McIlroy, Keegan Bra...

Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson, Brandon Hyde among finalists for AL Rookie, Manager of the Year

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

Orioles’ Gunnar Henderson, Brandon Hyde among finalists for AL Rookie, Manager of the Year For the second straight year, an Orioles season that exceeded almost all expectations resulted in the club having finalists for both American League Rookie of the Year and AL Manager of the Year.On Monday night, Baltimore infielder Gunnar Henderson and manager Brandon Hyde were named finalists for the Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s yearly honors, which also include the Most Valuable Player and Cy Young Awards. Hyde placed second in voting for last year’s AL Manager of the Year recognition, while catcher Adley Rutschman also finished as the runner-up for AL Rookie of the Year.After the Orioles’ 101-win campaign, it’s hard to envision neither Hyde nor Henderson taking home their respective awards when winners are announced next week. Texas’ Bruce Bochy and Tampa Bay’s Kevin Cash join Hyde as the managers who finished in the top three of voting, which was completed before the postseason, while Boston first baseman Triston Casas and ...

Will Justin Fields start Thursday? Chicago Bears will evaluate QB’s thumb in walk-throughs and practice before deciding.

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

Will Justin Fields start Thursday? Chicago Bears will evaluate QB’s thumb in walk-throughs and practice before deciding. Chicago Bears coach Matt Eberflus said Monday he was not yet in a position to announce whether quarterback Justin Fields will be ready to start Thursday night’s game against the Carolina Panthers at Soldier Field.Less than 24 hours after the Bears suffered a 24-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome, the team was back at Halas Hall for a walk-through to start three days of preparation for the Panthers.Fields was expected to be limited in that walk-through as he works his way back from a dislocated thumb he suffered Oct. 15 against the Minnesota Vikings. Fields threw at practice Friday for the first time since he was injured and said afterward his grip strength wasn’t 100% and he still was working through some pain.But the Bears have left open the possibility of a return Thursday.Eberflus on Monday called Fields “day to day” and said the Bears would have a better picture of the quarterback’s capabilities by Wednesday. They also have a...

Who saw Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell’s breakout coming? His father, a former Super Bowl champion with Baltimore, did.

Published Sun, 29 Dec 2024 12:29:16 GMT

Who saw Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell’s breakout coming? His father, a former Super Bowl champion with Baltimore, did. Anthony Mitchell could sense that his son Keaton was about to do something big, and he has the receipts to prove it.A former defensive back for the Ravens who made one of the most memorable plays in franchise history when he returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown in a 2001 AFC divisional round playoff game against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville en route to an eventual Super Bowl title, Anthony Mitchell was watching Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks from his home in suburban Atlanta. He had no idea the youngest of his two sons was going to play after the running back recently worked his way back from a hamstring injury, or else he might’ve traveled to Baltimore for the occasion.But a little more than halfway through the second quarter, Mitchell, a speedy undrafted rookie out of East Carolina who ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash at the NFL scouting combine, was up to four carries for 37 yards. Keaton Mitchell was the Ravens’ second-leading rusher at ...