ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Pavel Buchnevich scored late in the third period and the St. Louis Blues snapped a 10-game road losing streak by beating the Minnesota Wild 3-1 on Sunday.

Logan Mailloux and Alexey Toropchenko also scored for St. Louis, and Joel Hofer stopped 22 shots.

Kirill Kaprizov scored to tie Marian Gaborik for the most goals in Wild franchise history with 218. Filip Gustavsson made 21 saves, but Minnesota lost its second straight after six straight wins. The Wild lost 5-2 Friday in Utah.

It was the first time in 42 games this season that Minnesota lost when allowing three or fewer goals in regulation.

With the game tied at 1, Buchnevich scored with 3:39 remaining. He took a backhand pass from Jimmy Snuggerud and beat Gustavsson with a wrist shot from near the right dot, extending his scoring streak to five games.

Buchnevich, who scored the Blues’ lone goal in Saturday’s 3-1 loss to New Jersey, is tied with Jordan Kyrou and Jake Neighbours for the team lead with 14 goals.

Toropchenko added an empty-net goal.

In Minnesota’s first home game after the Olympic break, Kaprizov broke a scoreless tie late in the second period, tipping in a pass from Matt Boldy for a power-play goal. His sixth goal in seven games was his 34th goal of the season and 218th in a Wild sweater. He has played in 122 fewer games than Gaborik.

Mailloux tied it when he beat Gustavsson with a wrist shot from the top of the right less than two minutes later for his first goal in 25 games.

Robert Thomas had an assist on the goal in his first action since Jan. 10. The top-line center and team’s second-leading scorer missed 13 games with a lower-body injury and a minor leg procedure. Robby Fabbri was placed on waivers.

Minnesota left wing Marcus Foligno missed the game with a lower-body injury. Coach John Hynes said before the game if Foligno is day to day or could be sidelined long term.

Up next

Blues: At Seattle on Wednesday.

Wild: Host Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Michigan State basketball got dominant performances from a trio of Spartans to pick up another monster road win at Indiana on Sunday.

Jaxon Kohler (21 points), Jeremy Fears Jr. (21 points), Kur Teng (18 points) combined for 60 of the Spartans 77 points in a road victory over Indiana on Sunday. Michigan State led throughout the game en route to an impressive 77-64 win against the Hoosiers.

Michigan State picked up a pair of road wins this week against Purdue and Indiana to extend their winning streak to four games and improve to 24-5 overall and 14-4 in Big Ten play. The win over the Hoosiers has put the Spartans in position to land a triple-bye in the Big Ten Tournament and potentially play their way up to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Next up for the Spartans is their senior day matchup against Rutgers on Thursday. But before we turn our focus to the Scarlet Knights, let’s look back at the highlights from Michigan State’s win over Indiana on Sunday:

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.

This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Michigan State-Indiana Basketball: Watch highlights from Spartans’ win over Hoosiers

The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.

To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.

With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.

And for today’s article, we will continue with the 12th of 12 who wore the No. 8, forward alum Jae’Sean Tate. After ending his college career at Ohio State, Tate went unselected in the 2018 NBA draft, playing in other leagues until he signed with the Houston Rockets in 2020.

The Toledo, Ohio native played the first six seasons of his pro career with Houston, and remains with the team at the time of writing.

During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Tate wore only jersey No. 8 and put up 7.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets jersey history No. 8 – Jae’Sean Tate (2020-26)

The month of February is one of the quietest times in the college football recruiting calendar, with a dead period sandwiched between two major periods for unofficial visits in January and March.

But that doesn’t stop the action from happening completely. More than a dozen prospects decommitted last month, headlined by two of the nation’s top quarterbacks in the 2027 class. February was also a tough month for Syracuse, which lost three of its top four commits after a fast start to the cycle.

Rivals breaks down the biggest decommitments of the month:

QB Peter Bourque (Michigan)

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 91
School: Tabor Academy (Hingham, MA)

Bourque was an early commit in the Wolverines’ class, announcing his pledge in August 2025 over Penn State, Georgia and a host of others. When the previous coaching staff under Sherrone Moore was dismissed, he remained committed but listened more closely to other programs. But he he has already heard from a number of schools, including Georgia, Penn State, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Washington and more.

QB Luke Babin (Vanderbilt)

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 279
School: Woodville (Woodville, TX)

After committing to Vanderbilt back in September, Babin — a Texas native — received plenty of interest from other programs looking to flip him. But Eric Morris’ move from North Texas to Oklahoma State turned things up another notch. And according to Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong and Sam Spiegelman, the Cowboys are considered the heavy favorites to land Babin. He is coming off a huge junior season where he threw for 3,625 yards and 47 touchdowns.

SAF Tristin Hughes (Syracuse)

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 377 (#248 Rivals300)
School: Rocky River (Rocky River, OH)

Hughes committed to Fran Brown and the Orange on Sept. 9, choosing the ACC program over an early offer list that was mostly populated by Group of Five schools. And he was one of the biggest headliners of a class that ranked among the top-25 nationally heading into February. But a change of heart and new offers from the likes of Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Wisconsin upended his recruitment. Louisville, Kentucky and Purdue have already set up summer official visits.

DL Stanley Montgomery (Syracuse)

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 493
School: Archbishop Ryan (Philadelphia, PA)

Montgomery had been pledged to the Orange since June 22 when he decided to reopen his recruitment on the same day as Davion Crumitie. The 6-foot-3, 290-pounder was coming off a visit to Penn State prior to his decommitment, and the Nittany Lions have now jumped to the top of his list. Montgomery is coming off a 45-tackle, eight-sack season for Archbishop Ryan as a junior.

ATH Davion Crumitie (Syracuse)

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 509
School: James Rickards (Tallahassee, FL)

Crumitie originally committed to Fran Brown and the Orange early last September, but after months of reflection and growing interest from other programs, he decided to decommit early in February. More than 20 schools have extended offers, including Vanderbilt, Wake Forest, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Kansas State, Kansas, Mississippi State, Maryland and UCF.

“What I’m looking for in a school is a good relationship with the coaching staff first,” he told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “Then it is a great education and the fastest way to get on the field.”

Other notable decommitments in the month of February

SAF Kamauri Whitfield (Tennessee)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 563

WR Gavin Honore (Georgia)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 632

QB DJ Hunter (Kentucky)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 704

WR Trysten Shaw (UCLA)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 811

DL Antonio Underwood (Texas Tech)
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 818

USA TODAY Sports provided live coverage of Sunday’s workouts at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine.

More than 300 college football standouts made their way to Indianapolis this week for the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. The final day of action gave the biggest players of the class a chance to shine.

Sunday saw the final day of on-field drills and testing for the offensive linemen. Scores of players weighing in at more than 300 pounds showed off their athleticism in the classic athletic tests as well as position-specific drills.

This gave scouts and analysts more data for the offensive line in a league in which that position group has become even more important than ever. We’re one full season removed from a Super Bowl win by the Philadelphia Eagles powered by a dominant offensive line and running game.

There’s no clear-cut top-five offensive line prospect in this class but many made their case to be selected in the top 50 picks of the draft. Future starters at tackle, guard and center showed off throughout the day.

Who were some big winners and losers from the final day of the NFL combine? Here’s our choices from Sunday’s action:

Winner: OT Monroe Freeling, Georgia

The top tackle prospects in this class almost strictly lined up on the right side of the offensive line. Freeling lined up at left tackle for all but one snap in 2025 with plenty of good tape showing his skill as a pass protector and athleticism.

He first measured in at 6-foot-7 and 315 pound with massive 34 ¾-inch arms – an ideal frame for offensive tackles. On Sunday, he showed off his talent in the testing numbers.

Freeling posted a 33 ½-inch vertical jump and hit 9 feet, 7 inches in the broad jump, among the best at the position. It wasn’t just power, though, as he had the second-best 10-yard split in the 40-yard dash among all offensive linemen at 1.71 seconds.

Loser: IOL Brian Parker II, Duke

Parker is a college tackle who likely will have to move inside at the NFL level due to some length questions. With that, a strong showing at the combine could show that he’d be fighting for a starting role as a rookie.

He didn’t have a good showing in the jump tests, a common test to show linemen power. He made it just past 9 feet in the broad jump, his lone jump of testing. His 1.78-second split in the 40-yard dash was one of the slowest in the group, too.

Winner: OT Spencer Fano, Utah

Fano entered the combine as one of the top offensive line prospects in the class. A star on the right side for the Utes, Fano weighed in heavier than expected at 311 pounds with arms just over 32 inches. Those are solid boxes to check.

His calling card is athleticism and he showed that off at multiple points in the day. He had the second-fastest 40-yard dash of the group at 4.91 seconds but crucially had the third-best 10-yard split at 1.72 seconds. A knock on his game is power and he performed well enough in the jumps but didn’t blow away the competition.

His 3-cone was one of the best in the group at 7.34 seconds. He was one of two prospects to get under 7.5 seconds among the whole group, showing his impressive mix of athleticism and footwork.

MORE: Sonny Styles dazzles with combine results

Loser: OL Kage Casey, Boise State

Casey faces some questions about sticking at tackle at the NFL level. The former Broncos starter showed some solid athleticism in college but his leaner frame could keep him from succeeding.

His testing numbers weren’t up to the standard compared to many of his peers. He was one of two prospects to clock in over eight seconds in the 3-cone drill. He also had one of the slowest 10-yard splits in the 40-yard dash at 1.85 seconds. That might necessitate a move inside in the NFL, lowering his draft stock.

Winner: OT Max Iheanachor, Arizona State

Iheanachor is a late riser in this process thanks to his tools. He needs more development of his traits but the potential is there at 6-foot-6 and 321 pounds with nearly 34-inch long arms.

He measured in as one of the biggest tackle prospects in the class and then showed off his athleticism. His 1.73-second 10-yard split in his 40 yard dash were tied for fourth-best among all offensive linemen at the combine. His vertical jump wasn’t as good as others (not too surprising given his size) but he rebounded in the broad jump by hitting 9 feet, 7 inches.

Iheanachor was a career right tackle at Arizona State. With a performance like today, teams can bank on developing his traits with time.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Spencer Fano, Brian Parker are NFL combine winners, losers for Sunday

Michael Jordan reacts to Tyler Reddick’s historic 3-peat win at COTA originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Another week, another milestone for Tyler Reddick.

The 23XI Racing driver continued his red-hot start to the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season Sunday, winning the DuraMAX Texas Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas to become the first driver in NASCAR’s 77-year history to open a season with three consecutive victories.

With team co-owner Michael Jordan watching from pit road, Reddick delivered a dominant performance on the 20-turn road course. He started from the pole, led 58 of 96 laps and held off a late push to secure wins at Daytona, Atlanta and now COTA.  Three distinctly different tracks that showcased his versatility.

“It’s time for change,” Jordan told FOX Sports’ Jaime Little after the race. “The guys feel the same way. Tyler came in with the most pressure. Everybody expected him to win three in a row. That’s the hardest one to win. He stuck to his strategy, and the team put together a great car.”

Jordan credited crew chief Billy Scott for race strategy and praised the competition Reddick had to fend off.

“When you see (Shane van Gisbergen) coming back there, you get a little nervous,” Jordan said. “But Tyler had him covered pretty much the whole day.”

Reddick’s victory snapped Trackhouse Racing driver Shane van Gisbergen’s five-race streak of wins on non-oval tracks dating to 2025.

More: DuraMax Texas Grand Prix: The trickiest turns for abbreviated road course at COTA

Asked what the historic start means to him as an owner, Jordan deflected attention to his partners. “I just put up the money. I’m just a competitor,” he said. “Denny’s done an unbelievable job putting this team together. The team has taken that leadership and gone out and won. That’s what it’s about — winning.”

The series heads next to Phoenix, where Reddick will look to extend his unprecedented run to four straight.

More NASCAR News: 

• Michael Jordan outshines NBA’s ASG with first-time Daytona 500 winner
• What Michael Jordan said in victory lane after Daytona 500 win
• Tyler Reddick refused to address exchange between Michael Jordan and his son
• NASCAR schedule 2026: Dates, times, TV channels, live streams
• Jimmie Johnson announces retirement plans before racing in Daytona 500

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder has died at age 23, coach Deion Sanders said Sunday on social media.

There was no immediate word from the university on the circumstances surrounding Ponder’s death.

Ponder played in two games for the Buffaloes last season, going 0-for-1 passing and carrying the ball twice for a loss of 4 yards. The 6-foot-5 sophomore from Opa Locka, Florida, began his collegiate career at Bethune-Cookman before transferring.

The Buffs were slated to begin spring practice on Monday.

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends & Loved ones,” Sanders posted on X. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1.”

Fellow Colorado quarterback Colton Allen also paid tribute to Ponder on Instagram.

“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”

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The USC men’s basketball team is losing one of its most key players at one of the most critical points of the season.

Chad Baker-Mazara, a sixth-year graduate student, is no longer with the program, the team announced in a statement Sunday afternoon.

No further details were provided by the team, but Ryan Kartje of the Los Angeles Times reported that “it wasn’t any one incident, but an accumulation of issues that led to Baker-Mazara’s departure.”

Baker-Mazara put up 14 first-half points in USC’s 82-67 loss to Nebraska on Saturday but exited the game just three minutes into the second half after he fell hard on the baseline while trying to chase down Nebraska’s Pryce Sandfort. He briefly went into the locker room and did not re-enter the game.

“He said he couldn’t go,” head coach Eric Musselman told reporters after the game.

USC was Baker-Mazara’s fifth team in six years. He began his college career at Duquesne before transferring to San Diego State a year later and earning Mountain West sixth man of the year honors. From there, Baker-Mazara spent a year in junior college at Northwest Florida State before landing at Auburn, where he played two seasons and had a prominent role in their Final Four run in the 2024-25 season. He re-entered the portal shortly thereafter and ended up at USC.

Baker-Mazara started 22 of 26 games for the Trojans this season and has been their leading scorer after Rice went down with a season-ending right shoulder injury just six games into the season. He averaged 18.6 points on 44.4% shooting (38.3% from three), 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists — all career-highs.

The Trojans have been one of the teams on bubble watch for March. They’re currently one of the first four out in USA TODAY Sports’ latest bracketology, but they’ve lost five straight games, including a critical Quad 1 matchup against rival UCLA last Tuesday.

They’ll finish out the regular season this week with a road game against Washington on Wednesday before returning home for one more clash against the Bruins on Saturday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chad Baker-Mazara leaves USC Trojans men’s basketball program