Sports

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hundreds of fans have gathered at a sports hall in Gaza City which Qatar prepared for the Palestinian residents of the impoverished territory to watch the World Cup matches for free. The fans looked attentively at the large screen as the opener game between Qatar and Ecuador kicked off

By BOB SUTTON Associated Press CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — RJ Davis scored 21 points, Armando Bacot had 19 points and 23 rebounds and No. 1 North Carolina defeated James Madison 80-64 to improve to 4-0. Pete Nance added 11 points and Leaky Black had 12 rebounds as the Tar Heels concluded a four-game homestand.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — Charisma Osborne scored 23 points and hit five 3-pointers to help UCLA beat No. 11 Tennessee 80-63 in Sunday’s semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis. First-year guard Kiki Rice added 15 points, six rebounds and six assists for the Bruins. UCLA made 16 of 30 3-pointers and finished with a

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — FIFA has tried to end a standoff with European teams about wearing unauthorized captain armbands for an anti-discrimination campaign that draws attention to World Cup host Qatar. It didn’t work. FIFA wants seven European soccer federations to back down from allowing their captains to wear

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Karim Benzema’s injury has opened the door for veteran striker Olivier Giroud to spearhead France’s attack at the World Cup in Qatar. Benzema entered the tournament as arguably the world’s most complete forward while Giroud was a likely substitute in the France team. But Benzema

By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Longtime UConn associate head coach Chris Dailey fainted before the start of the No. 5 Huskies’ game against 10th-ranked North Carolina State on Sunday. As the national anthem ended, Dailey had to be held up by UConn personnel before she was laid down on the

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Football Writer Southern California moved into the top five of The Associated Press college football poll Sunday for the first time in five years. Georgia received 62 of the 63 first-place votes in the AP Top 25 presented by Regions Bank as the top four teams held their places

By DAVID BRANDT AP Sports Writer MEXICO CITY (AP) — Kyler Murray’s journey to NFL stardom appears to have hit a plateau. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 draft is having perhaps the worst season of his four-year career and it’s one of many reasons the Cardinals have struggled going into Monday night’s

CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) — Garrett Hien came off the bench and scored 13 of his career-high 20 points in the second half and Furman pulled away from South Carolina in the seventh-place game of the Charleston Classic. Both teams entered the Charleston Classic with 2-0 records. The Gamecocks lost to Colorado State 85-53 and Davidson

By STEVE DOUGLAS AP Sports Writer AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Qatar’s first ever World Cup match ended in dismay for an overmatched team and with a place in unwanted soccer history. The controversy-laced tournament opened Sunday with Qatar getting outplayed and embarrassed in a 2-0 loss to Ecuador in front of 67,372 fans at

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — President Joe Biden telephoned the American World Cup team ahead of their opening match against Wales. He said “let’s go shock ’em all.” Biden called the team at about 11:30 p.m. Friday. Biden told the players “I know you’re the underdog.” The United States is back in the World Cup after

By JENNA FRYER AP National Writer AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman extended one yellow-gloved hand to a FIFA World Cup ambassador suffering from a rare spinal disorder in an image meant to represent inclusion in a country facing international criticism over its human rights record. It wasn’t the biggest moment of

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Sports Writer DOHA, Qatar (AP) — France’s World Cup squad has been decimated by injuries to star players like Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante. While it’s a big blow for Les Bleus it opens the door for a new generation to make a name for themselves in Qatar. Among

By ISABEL DEBRE and STEPHEN WADE Associated Press DOHA, Qatar (AP) — The fan zone set up in central Doha has turned into a chaotic scene on the opening day of the World Cup as tens of thousands of fans are pushing and shoving against police lines to enter the venue. Fans were trying to

AL KHOR, Qatar (AP) — Enner Valencia has scored the first goal of the World Cup by converting a penalty in the 16th minute to put Ecuador ahead of host nation Qatar 1-0. The Ecuador captain earned the spot kick himself after being tripped by goalkeeper Saad Alsheeb. Valencia celebrated scoring a goal inside three

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Kyrie Irving has returned to the Brooklyn Nets and apologized to anyone who felt threatened or hurt when he posted a link to a documentary with antisemitic material. Irving was suspended by the team on Nov. 3 hours after he refused to say he had

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer DENVER (AP) — First-year Denver Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett is handing over offensive play-calling duties to quarterbacks coach Klint Kubiak, according to a person with knowledge of the decision. The person, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Hackett hasn’t publicly disclosed the handoff,

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Four-time Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel has bowed out of the sport after 16 years. Vettel is a lifelong auto racing fan who is known for his advocacy of human rights and environmental causes. It’s been a delicate balance for a driver who has become increasingly uneasy at