Sports

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Playing without Robert Lewandowski wasn’t so bad for Barcelona after all. Barcelona overcame the absence of its top striker to win 1-0 at Atlético Madrid and open a three-point lead over rival Real Madrid in the Spanish league. Madrid had lost 2-1 at Villarreal on Saturday

By ALANIS THAMES AP Sports Writer MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jason Sanders kicked a go-ahead 50-yard field goal with 18 seconds left and helped send the Miami Dolphins to their first playoff berth since 2016 after barely squeaking by the New York Jets 11-6. The Dolphins snapped a five-game losing streak and then had

By JAY COHEN AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Thanks to an old friend, the Chicago Bears are on the clock for the NFL draft. Chicago will pick No. 1 for the first time since 1947 after it lost 29-13 to the Minnesota Vikings in its season finale. It was the 10th straight loss for

DENVER (AP) — Los Angeles Chargers receiver Mike Williams was carted off the field with what the team called a back injury late in the first half against Denver. Williams spent several moments in the blue medical tent before the cart took him to the locker room. Williams had four catches for 32 yards. The

By GEORGE HENRY AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Tom Brady broke his own NFL mark for most completions in a season, quickly gaining the needed nine connections in Tampa Bay’s 30-17 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. He played into the second quarter and then was taken out to avoid injury with the playoffs next

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Nyheim Hines ignited an emotionally charged atmosphere celebrating injured Bills safety Damar Hamlin by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns, and Buffalo clinched the AFC’s No. 2 playoff seed with a 35-23 win over the New England Patriots. The loss, coupled with Miami beating the

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (AP) — Trevon Faulkner drilled a 3-pointer at the end of regulation and Marques Warrick’s 19 points helped Northern Kentucky defeat Detroit Mercy 78-76 in overtime on Sunday. After Faulkner tied the game at 71 with his contested 3 from the top-right, A’Lahn Sumler hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with two minutes to

NEW YORK (AP) — Jayla Everett scored a season-high 26 points, Jillian Archer had a double-double and No. 24 St. John’s bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 71-52 win over Xavier. Archer finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds. Mackayla Scarlett had 18 points for the Musketeers, who have lost

By GARY B. GRAVES AP Sports Writer LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — Flau’jae Johnson scored 26 points, including eight during a 12-0, second-quarter run to break the game open, Angel Reese also scored 26 and No. 7 LSU blew out Kentucky 67-48 on Sunday for its best start in school history. The Tigers (16-0, 4-0 Southeastern

By ANDREW SELIGMAN AP Sports Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Kirk Cousins threw for 225 yards and a touchdown in the first half and watched the rest of the way as the NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings tuned up for the playoffs by beating the Chicago Bears 29-13. Cousins led three scoring drives as the Vikings

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Eddy Pineiro kicked a 42-yard field goal as time expired, and the Carolina Panthers closed out their season with an opportunistic 10-7 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The Saints outgained Carolina 304 yards to 203. But the game remained tight until the end because

By CHARLES ODUM AP Sports Writer ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie Desmond Ridder’s first two career touchdown passes powered the Atlanta Falcons to a 30-17 win over the playoff-bound Tampa Bay Buccaneers after Tom Brady added to his imposing list of records. Brady broke his own NFL record for most completions in a season before leaving

EASTON, Pa. — Led by Leo O’Boyle’s 24 points, the Lafayette Leopards defeated the Bucknell Bison 74-67 in overtime on Sunday. The Leopards improved to 3-14 with the victory and the Bison fell to 7-10.

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Jasmyn Roberts scored a career-best 23 points, Haley Cavinder added 19 and Miami held off No. 9 Virginia Tech 77-66. Roberts was 8 for 12 from the field, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range for the Hurricanes, who won their third straight game.

SMITHFIELD, R.I. — Colton Lawrence scored 19 points as UMBC beat Bryant 81-73. Lawrence added five rebounds for the Retrievers. Jacob Boonyasith scored 15 points, going 4 of 8 from the floor, including 4 for 7 from distance, and 3 for 4 from the line. The Bulldogs were led in scoring by Sherif Kenney, who

WORCESTER, Mass. — Led by Will Batchelder’s 21 points, the Holy Cross Crusaders defeated the Loyola (MD) Greyhounds 63-55 on Sunday. The Crusaders are now 6-11 on the season, while the Greyhounds moved to 5-12.

TAMPA, Fla. — Melvion Flanagan scored 16 points off of the bench to help lead the Wichita State Shockers over the South Florida Bulls 70-66 on Sunday. The Shockers are now 8-8 on the season, while the Bulls moved to 7-9.

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer PARIS (AP) — Top-flight teams Lorient, Reims and Toulouse avoided upsets upsets with heavy scoring to reach the French Cup’s round of 32. But four-time winner Auxerre needed penalty kicks to get past third-tier Dunkerque after a 2-2 draw. Lille hosted Troyes later in an all-first division game. Dutch

PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Payton Sandfort more than doubled his season average with 22 points, Filip Rebraca had a double-double and Iowa ended Rutgers’ five-game winning streak with a 76-65 victory on Sunday. Sandfort, who was 4 of 28 from the field, including 1 of 14 from 3-point range, in the first four Big Ten

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Dolphins star receiver Tyreek Hill briefly left Sunday’s game against the New York Jets with an ankle injury before returning for the final drive of the first half. Hill appeared to be hurt running a route in the second quarter with Jets cornerback Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner in coverage and went