Jan. 17—USC AIKEN 65, CLAYTON STATE 58

AIKEN, S.C. — The USC Aiken women’s basketball team led the entire game in a 65-58 victory over Clayton State on Saturday afternoon.

The Pacers are now 5-12 on the season, including a 2-7 mark in Peach Belt Conference play.

Head coach Brittany Batts’ team was paced by Mackenna Nix’s double-double effort of 16 points and 11 rebounds. Morgan McDermott added 15 points and three steals while Monique Emelifeonwu added 13 points and five blocks. Mahkayla Premo totaled 12 points, five boards and four assists. Destiny Harman chipped in seven points while Zenia Palaska had two points and seven boards.

Nika Kurdija accounted for four boards and four assists.

USCA jumped out to a 10-5 lead entering the first media time-out. Up 4-2, McDermott took a long pass from Kurdija for a lay-up. Leading 6-3, Emelifeonwu connected on a pair of lay-ups for a seven-point cushion, 10-3. After the break in action, Premo sliced through the defense and found Harman on the wing, who promptly rattled home a bucket from downtown. Holding an 18-7 edge, Nix found Premo for a lay-up, giving the home squad a 13-point cushion entering the second stanza.

Up 22-11, two wide-open lay-ups from Palaska and Harman — both off passes from Premo — gave USCA a 26-11 lead and forced a time-out by the visitors. Holding a 26-15 margin, Premo hit McDermott for a three-ball. Nix hit a lay-up with just over a minute to go, but the Lakers trimmed the deficit to 10 just before halftime.

The Lakers pulled within five with just over 4:30 to play in the third, but Nix found Premo for a corner three-ball, pushing the margin to eight, 45-37. With the score at 45-40, Emelifeonwu hit Nix for a three-point basket. Harman stepped in front of a pass and took it the distance for a lay-up. Nix hit two free throws for a 52-40 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Clayton State sliced the margin to just two with 3:29 to play. Kurdija hit Premo for a jumper. McDermott stole a pass and promptly hit two charity tosses. On the ensuing possession, USCA saw the clock nearly wind down. However, McDermott kicked the pass to Emelifeonwu, who nailed a 25-foot shot off the glass for a 63-54 advantage en route to the win.

For the game, USCA hit 24-of-57 from the floor, including a sizzling seven-of-13 from downtown. The squad buried 10-of-16 from the charity stripe. Batts’ team pulled down 39 rebounds, including 12 on the offensive glass. The Pacers distributed the ball well, dishing out 16 assists. The squad also converted 18 turnovers into 17 points.

USCA returns to action Wednesday when they host Georgia Southwestern at 5:30 p.m. It has been designated a White-Out game. The first 50 students in attendance will receive a free t-shirt. Doors open at 4:30 p.m.

DALLAS (AP) — Klay Thompson scored all 23 of his points in the first half, including the 17,000th of his career, and six Mavericks scored in double figures in a 138-120 win over Utah on Saturday night as Dallas completed a two-game sweep of the Jazz.

Dallas and Utah have played three times in 10 days. Utah won at home on January 8, 114-112. Dallas won 144-122 on Thursday.

The Mavericks were without Cooper Flagg (left ankle sprain) for a second straight game and the first injury absences of his rookie season. Dallas was also missing Anthony Davis (finger) and Kyrie Irving (knee) and forward P.J. Washington for personal reasons.

The rest of the Mavericks proved to be more than enough against the Jazz for a second straight game.

Thompson, coming off the bench, had a pair of 3-pointers and then hit a turnaround jumper in the lane with just under five minutes left in the first quarter to reach the 17,000-point plateau. He shot 7 for 12 overall and 6 for 11 from 3-point distance and led the Mavs in scoring for the second straight game in Flagg’s absence after scoring a season-best 26 in Thursday’s win.

Brandon Williams and Max Christie each scored 22 points, Naji Marshall added 16, Jaden Hardy pitched in with 12 and Dwight Powell had 10 for the Mavs, who entered Saturday with wins in just two of their last five games.

Utah’s Keyonte George led all scorers with 29 points, Brice Sensabaugh had 25 and Ace Bailey scored 18. Kyle Filipowski contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds and Cody Williams scored 11 for the Jazz, who trailed 42-29 after one period and never recovered.

Lauri Markkanen, Utah’s scoring leader averaging 27.9 points, sat out a third consecutive game because of illness. Walker Kessler (shoulder) was also sidelined.

Up next

Jazz: At San Antonio on Monday in the finale of a five-game trip.

Mavericks: At New York Knicks on Monday.

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

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Olivia Miles scored 16 points, Clara Silva had 15 points and 11 rebounds and No. 10 TCU extended its home winning streak to 37 games with a 78-62 victory over Arizona on Saturday.

The Horned Frogs (18-1, 6-1 Big 12) tied No. 4 Texas for the nation’s longest current home winning streak while holding a 30th consecutive opponent under 70 points. The last team to score 70 against TCU was the Wildcats in their 85-73 loss at home last February.

Miles was 1 of 8 from 3-point range, but her only make broke a 35-35 tie and put the Horned Frogs up for good in the third quarter. The graduate transfer from Notre Dame had seven assists while finishing 4 of 14 from the field and making all seven of her free throws.

Sumayah Sugapong scored 17 points and Achol Magot added 12 for the Wildcats (10-7, 1-5), who were outscored 50-32 in the second half after leading 30-28 at the break.

TCU scored the first 11 points of the fourth quarter for a 66-48 lead. Miles assisted on a 3-pointer from Donovyn Hunter, before Veronica Sheffey forced an Arizona timeout with a steal and layup. Hunter scored 12 points, and Sheffey had 11.

Coming out of the timeout, TCU’s Taylor Bigby caught an errant inbound pass and drove for a layup before Silva finished the run with a layup off another turnover. The 6-foot-7 center from Portugal had her fifth double-double of the season.

The Wildcats’ Adebanjo Blessing scored nine points before fouling out with 1:21 remaining in the third quarter.

Up next

Arizona: Home against Kansas on Tuesday.

TCU: No. 14 Ohio State in the Coretta Scott King Classic in New Jersey on Monday.

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There are rumors that are growing strong regarding trade talks between the Houston Astros and the Boston Red Sox.

Many of the rumors involve Astros 3B Isaac Paredes and Red Sox LF Jarren Duran.

There have been several iterations of this rumor, as far as packages going back and forth, and other players that have been mentioned in these rumors include Red Sox SP Brayan Bello as well as Astros CF Jake Meyers and SP Spencer Arrighetti.

Both the Red Sox and the Astros line up well as trade partners, and these rumors have indicated a deal could be coming in the next week.

Keep in mind, it’s the offseason and rumors fly. Rumors can also be very true until the last second when one team pivots out. However, the Red Sox and Astros have been linked as trade partners that make sense all offseason, and they are able to meet each other’s needs through their own surpluses.

The Red Sox are clearly looking for a 3B, and the Astros for a left-handed hitting outfielder.

A trade of Jake Meyers would make Zach Cole the favorite to be the everyday starting centerfielder for the Astros, with Jarren Duran in left field, and Cam Smith/Jesus Sanchez in right field. Trading Paredes would solidify Christian Walker as the Astros starting 1B and Jose Altuve as the starting 2B, clearing the infield log jam.

If acquired, Bello would slot in as the Astros fourth starter behind Hunter Brown, Cristian Javier and Tatsuya Imai. Mike Burrows is likely the fifth starter, and a competition for the sixth starter would emerge between Jason Alexander, A.J. Blubaugh, Nate Pearson, Lance McCullers Jr. and Ryan Weiss. Others could emerge in that competition as well.

Astros Fans, It’s Time to Be Realistic About Kyle Tucker

Astros fans, it’s time to step back, relax and stop all the hate for Kyle Tucker because he decided to sign with the Dodgers. You need to be realistic and get past your hurt feelings surrounding Kyle Tucker’s decision to sign with a team you despise. Appreciating Tucker as one of the standout players from Houston’s Golden Era of baseball without holding a grudge over a business decision that was driven by money and financial security, not loyalty to a team he no longer played for, is where your focus should be. If you were in his shoes, you’d do the exact same thing.

Let’s not forget how quickly circumstances changed. Tucker was traded away from a franchise he loved just one year before he reached free agency. Once that happened, all bets were off. Where he would land, how much money he would make, and how long his next contract would be were no longer Houston’s concerns. The Astros’ front office, led by Dana Brown, did what they believed was best for the organization, fully aware that Tucker was likely headed elsewhere when free agency arrived.

The Astros have long operated within specific financial parameters when it comes to long-term, big-money contracts. Fans should have come to terms with Tucker’s eventual departure the moment he was traded. It wasn’t personal. It was business, and that’s okay.

If fans are looking for a place to direct their frustration, Major League Baseball and its Commissioner, Rob Manfred, would be a more appropriate target. After the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a massive, heavily deferred contract, MLB had an opportunity to step in and tighten the rules surrounding such deals. Instead, the league allowed the structure to stand, opening the door for similar arrangements in the future.

That decision signaled a growing divide between the “haves” and the “have-nots” in baseball. Big-market teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, and Red Sox can leverage financial advantages that small-market clubs simply can’t match. The result is a league increasingly tilted toward the richest franchises.

The harsh reality is that Major League Baseball is heading toward a potentially contentious labor negotiation and inevitably a work stoppage. Smaller-market teams and the lower half of the league are not in a position to compete financially, and that imbalance is only getting worse. Manfred must step in and do what’s right for the sport as a whole, rather than continuing to protect and promote big-market interests.

There has never been a stronger case for both a salary cap and a salary floor. These measures could help prevent financial disparities from dominating roster construction and protect competitive balance across the league. Owners must recognize that another work stoppage could seriously damage the momentum and popularity baseball has built in recent years.

As for the Dodgers, if you don’t like them, that’s fine. Rivalries are part of sports. Their fan base, their World Series history, and their swagger make them easy targets. But don’t be angry simply because their front office outmaneuvered the rest of the league. If the Astros had pulled off the same kind of deal, Houston fans would be celebrating.

The Dodgers are only doing what Major League Baseball allows them to do. It’s up to the rest of the owners and the league office to prevent these financial loopholes from creating long-term competitive advantages. Deals like this require a perfect storm: a superstar player with massive endorsement income who doesn’t need his money up front, and a franchise willing to push the boundaries of contract structure.

That responsibility doesn’t fall on the players or the teams taking advantage of the system. It falls on the league to make sure the system is fair for everyone.

So appreciate what Kyle Tucker gave Houston, accept the reality of modern baseball business, and aim your frustration where it truly belongs, at MLB and the rules that allow the rich to keep getting richer.

NEW YORK (AP) — Devin Booker is back for the Phoenix Suns after missing a game with a sprained left ankle, while the New York Knicks will be without Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart for their game Saturday night.

Booker sat out the Suns’ loss in Detroit on Thursday, but coach Jordan Ott said the star guard seemed to be in a good place at shootaround earlier in the day and was eager to play at Madison Square Garden.

But Brunson wasn’t ready to return for the Knicks after spraining his right ankle in the first quarter of their loss in Sacramento on Wednesday. He then sat out a loss to Golden State the next night and coach Mike Brown said Saturday that the All-Star point guard is day to day.

Hart returned to play in the final three games of the road trip after missing eight games following a sprained ankle sustained on Christmas. Brown said the swingman was feeling sore and the Knicks wanted to be cautious.

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ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 20 points, Blue Cain added 18, and No. 21 Georgia jumped out to a quick double-digit lead then outlasted Arkansas’ second-half run to beat the No. 17 Razorbacks 90-76 on Saturday.

Arkansas trailed 55-36 less than four minutes into the second half but went on a 20-3 run over a roughly five minute span to cut Georgia’s lead to 62-61. Arkansas tied the game at 68-all when Darius Acuff Jr., who led the Razorbacks with 20 points, made a 3-pointer with 6:43 remaining.

Georgia (15-3, 3-2 Southeastern Conference) responded with a 12-2 run to take an 80-70 lead. During that run, Georgia held Arkansas (13-5, 3-2) scoreless for almost four minutes.

Cain scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half. It was the 16th time he’s been in double figures in 18 games this season.

Somto Cyril only scored six points but had a career high seven blocks with five rebounds for Georgia. With help from Cyril, Georgia scored 29 points off 17 Arkansas turnovers.

Kanon Catchings scored 14 points with five assists.

Billy Richmond III and Malique Ewin had 12 points each for Arkansas.

Georgia’s rebounding woes continued as the Bulldogs were outrebounded 43-35 but Georgia’s defense held Arkansas to one of its lowest scoring totals of the season. Arkansas entered the game averaging 90.5 points per game and scored less than 80 points for the fifth time in 18 games this season.

Up next

Georgia: Plays at Missouri on Tuesday night.

Arkansas: Hosts No. 10 Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.

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BERKELEY, Calif. (AP) — John Camden scored 20 points and Dai Dai Ames and Justin Pippen each added 19 as California built a 20-point lead and held off No. 14 North Carolina 84-78 on Saturday.

The Tar Heels (14-4, 2-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) absorbed their second straight loss in the Bay Area; they fell 95-90 at Stanford on Wednesday.

Cal (14-5, 2-4) owned that 20-point lead early in the second half. A basket by Ames gave the Bears a 74-55 edge with 8:26 left before the Tar Heels rallied.

Carolina cut its deficit to 81-78 on a 3-pointer by Henri Veesaar with 19 seconds remaining but Pippen hit two foul shots with 10 seconds to go to just about clinch the decision.

Pippen had a game-high five assists. His father Scottie, a Basketball Hall of Famer, was part of the announced crowd of 8,077 at Haas Pavilion.

Cal had a decided advantage in 3-point shooting: The Bears went 14 for 26 from beyond the arc. The Heels were 9 for 27.

Freshman Caleb Wilson led Carolina with 17 points. Veesaar had 14 points and 10 rebounds.

The Bears’ Lee Dort grabbed a game-high 12 boards.

California scored the game’s first seven points, put together an 11-0 run to take a 26-13 lead and did not trail at any point Saturday.

The Bears took their biggest lead of the first half when Ames hit a jumper with 14 seconds remaining to put Cal up 54-35. Derek Dixon’s layup just before the buzzer cut the Heels’ deficit to 54-37 at the break.

Camden led all scorers in the half with 16 points as Cal went 10 for 16 from beyond the arc in the opening 20 minutes.

Up next

North Carolina hosts Notre Dame on Wednesday.

Cal plays at Stanford next Saturday.

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CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Adam Klapka had a goal and an assist for his first multi-point game of the season as the Calgary Flames beat the New York Islanders 4-2 on Saturday.

Yegor Sharangovich, Justin Kirkland and Yan Kuznetsov also scored for Calgary, which has won three of its last four. Kevin Bahl had his first multi-point game since Dec. 5, 2023, finishing with two assists. Dustin Wolf had 28 stops and snapped his five-game losing streak.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anders Lee scored for New York, which is 2-2-1 with two games left in its seven-game trip, it’s longest of the season. David Rittich made 15 saves in the loss and slipped to 11-6-3.

Up 2-0 midway through the second period, the Flames doubled their lead when Kirkland and Kuznetsov scored two minutes apart.

In four games since sliding into Blake Coleman’s spot on a line with Mikael Backlund and Matt Coronato, Sharangovich has five points (two goals, three assists) for the Flames. Coleman (upper body) remains on injured reserve. While Backlund had his three-game point streak (2-3-5) snapped, Connor Zary extended his to a career-high five games.

Calgary’s Rasmus Andersson had an assist and became the seventh defenseman in Flames history to record five straight 20-assist seasons. He joins Al MacInnis, Gary Suter, Mark Giordano, TJ Brodie, Derek Morris, and Randy Manery.

Rittich, who broke into the NHL and played four seasons in Calgary, has yet to defeat his former team. In six games, he fell to 0-4-2. The 33-year-old Czech was playing his 250th NHL game and came in on a roll, going 8-3-3 with a .920 save percentage over his last 14 starts.

Up next

Islanders: At Vancouver on Monday in the sixth game of a seven-game trip.

Flames: Host the New Jersey Devils on Monday.

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