AP National Sports

By GLEN ROSALES Associated Press ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The addition of two transfer forwards has proven to be a difference-maker for a New Mexico team that has vaulted back into the national spotlight. The presence of 6-foot-8 Morris Udeze and Josiah Allick means the Lobos’ quick guards have the space to slash through the

By JOCELYN NOVECK AP National Writer NEW YORK (AP) — The harrowing scenes of Damar Hamlin’s on-field collapse after suffering cardiac arrest have forced some fans to confront yet again a truth they’ve always known but hated to think about: Football, a game with violence in its DNA, can go from exciting and joyous to

By The Associated Press The Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars will play for the AFC South title and the No. 4 seed in the conference playoffs. It’s the NFL’s only winner-take-all matchup for a division crown in the final week of the 2022 regular season. The slumping Titans have lost six consecutive games and will

NEW YORK (AP) — LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets may be headed toward yet another NBA All-Star Game rematch. James is the overall leader in All-Star balloting so far. Durant leads all Eastern Conference players in early voting returns. That puts them on track to be

By TOM WITHERS AP Sports Writer BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Browns defensive coordinator Joe Woods wants another chance. Under fire most of this season for a unit that underperformed and didn’t always complement Cleveland’s offense, Woods said he’s hoping to come back for a fourth season. He may not get the chance. Woods was one

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — McNeese has renamed its basketball court for Basketball Hall of Famer Joe Dumars, the two-time NBA champion player who scored a record 2,607 points in his four seasons at the school. Joe Dumars Court will be unveiled Thursday on “Joe Dumars Day.” The Detroit Pistons chose Dumars with the 18th

NEW YORK (AP) — The NBA has hired Lesley Slaton Brown as its new chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer. She’ll begin on Feb. 1. She comes to the NBA from HP, where she was a vice president and oversaw diversity. The NBA says Slaton Brown will work with the league office and the 30

By DAWOOD SALMAN and KAREEM CHEHAYEB Associated Press BASRA, Iraq (AP) — Iraq is hosting its first international soccer tournament in more than four decades and for many Iraqis, the tournament that is about to kick off in the southern city of Basra offers a rare moment of joy and optimism. The eight-nation Arabian Gulf

ROME (AP) — Lazio will play its next game with part of the Stadio Olimpico closed to spectators after fans of the Roman club directed racist chants at Lecce defender Samuel Umtiti and winger Lameck Banda. The referee briefly halted Wednesday’s match when the chants were heard at the Via del Mare stadium in Lecce.

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Omar Minaya has joined the New York Yankees as a senior adviser to baseball operations. He’s the third former general manager in current GM Brian Cashman’s front office. The 64-year-old Minaya was Major League Baseball’s first Latino general manager with the Montreal Expos from 2002-04

LONDON (AP) — Premier League club Chelsea has signed France defender Benoît Badiashile on a seven-and-a-half-year contract from French side Monaco. No financial details were given but French media estimated the transfer fee to be around 34 million pounds ($40 million). The 21-year-old central defender made his Monaco debut in the 2018-19 season and played

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer The Masters is extending an invitation to NCAA champion Gordon Sargent. Sargent is now a sophomore at Vanderbilt. He won the NCAA title last year in a four-man playoff and is regarded as one of the elite college golfers. He’s No. 3 in the amateur ranking. Augusta National has

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee coach Josh Heupel says Joey Halzle has been promoted from quarterbacks coach to offensive coordinator for the sixth-ranked Volunteers. Halzle will continue coaching quarterbacks. He repalces Alex Golesh, who was hired in early December as the new coach at South Florida. Heupel says Halzle has been instrumental in the Vols’

By STEPHEN WHYNO AP Hockey Writer The horror that swept across the NFL when Buffalo Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin collapsed and went into cardiac arrest during a game this week in Cincinnati was all too familiar to members of the hockey community. Five players in the NHL over the past 25 years who collapsed

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — UConn women’s basketball  coach Geno Auriemma will sit out the Huskies’ game at Xavier Thursday, the fourth game he has missed this season due to illness. The Hall of Fame coach also sat out Tuesday’s win at Butler and UConn (12-2). The school didn’t release a timetable for his return. Auriemma

By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has shown what physicians treating him are calling “remarkable improvement over the past 24 hours,” the team announced Thursday, three days after the player went into cardiac arrest and had to be resuscitated on the field. “While still critically

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer General Motors will attempt to enter Formula One by partnering with Andretti Global under its Cadillac banner as it supports Michael Andretti’s bid to launch a two-car American team. Andretti has been lobbying the FIA to expand the 20-car grid and join the series after a failed 2021

NEW YORK (AP) — Jake Paul has signed a deal with the Professional Fighters League. The YouTube star signed with PFL to compete in a new Super Fight division that is scheduled to include fights on pay-per-view. The 25-year-old Paul is 6-0 as a professional boxer. He has wins against former UFC champions Tyron Woodley

By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo’s new club, Al Nassr, has postponed its scheduled Saudi Pro League home match on Thursday due to heavy rain. Ronaldo was not due to play as he’s suspended. He was handed a two-match suspension by the English Football Association in November for

By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer For Damar Hamlin’s teammates, peers and everyone in the NFL community, going back to work is not business as usual. Players returned to practice with heavy hearts on Wednesday, two days after Hamlin went into cardiac arrest and needed to be resuscitated on the field during Buffalo’s game