Ucla Extends Winning Streak To 20

From Felicia Keller: The No. 2 UCLA women’s hoops squad hit Washington 82-67, extending its triumph streak to 20 games, clinching nan No. 1 seed successful nan Big Ten tourney and earning astatine slightest a stock of nan convention regular play title connected Thursday night.

“It shows really difficult we are moving passim nan season, and we’re conscionable going to person to proceed to effort to get better,” Bruins halfway Lauren Betts said. “Obviously it’s great, but we person bigger things that we’re looking guardant to, truthful we’re conscionable going to proceed to support our heads down.”

It is nan Bruins’ first regular play convention title since nan 1998-99 season, erstwhile they tied for first successful nan Pac-10.

“To person a mates of alumni that were connected that squad present today, that’s really special, and I really want to compliment these guys for ever having a consciousness of humility,” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “We locomotion connected nan shoulders of nan group that came earlier us, and we’re conscionable really thankful to beryllium successful nan position we’re in, and successful nan number 1 nett convention successful nan state for women’s basketball.”

Betts scored a game-high 23 points and was 1 of 5 UCLA players to decorativeness pinch double-figure scoring, while Washington freshman Brynn McGaughy recorded nan second-highest constituent full of her assemblage profession pinch 19. Avery Howell scored 17 points and led nan Huskies pinch 7 rebounds.

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UCLA container score

Big Ten standings

USC women get a scare successful victory

From Ryan Kartje: Through a stellar debut season, freshman Jazzy Davidson has done everything for USC that was asked of her. She’s led nan Trojans successful scoring, successful rebounds, successful blocks, successful assists, successful steals. She’s been their champion defender, their astir clutch performer. Six times, she’s won Big Ten freshman of nan week.

Her prima move had helped move nan Trojans astir successful caller weeks, powering a season-long triumph streak that was extended to six pinch a 66-59 victory complete Wisconsin connected Thursday. She’d already turned successful different successful a season’s worthy of bonzer performances, erstwhile Davidson landed awkwardly successful nan last minutes and a searing symptom changeable done her calf.

The pained look connected nan freshman’s look and nan hush of nan Galen Center successful those first fewer seconds was capable to carrier astatine slightest immoderate of nan USC religious successful nan crowd backmost to past March, erstwhile Trojan superstar JuJu Watkins injured her knee not acold from nan aforesaid spot. The emotion of dread only worsened arsenic teammates carried her first to nan sideline, wherever coaches and trainers yet carried her to nan locker room.

Considering each nan unfortunate twists of destiny for USC complete nan past year, it was intolerable not to, for a infinitesimal astatine least, presume nan worst. But not agelong after, Davidson strode into nan postgame news convention room nary worse for nan wear.

“Based connected nan 30 texts I’ve gotten,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said, “Jazzy is OK.”

Cramps, it turned out, were nan culprit.

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USC container score

Big Ten standings

Big Three fresh for Lakers

From Broderick Turner: The Lakers had conscionable completed believe Thursday pinch a afloat and patient squad erstwhile Luka Doncic strolled complete to speak pinch nan media.

Doncic had played only 5 minutes Sunday for Team World successful nan All-Star Game because of a lingering near hamstring strain. He missed nan erstwhile 4 Lakers games.

With nan Lakers’ play scheduled to restart against nan Clippers connected Friday nighttime astatine Crypto.com Arena, Doncic was asked if he would beryllium playing.

“Probably,” he said. “We’ll see. I sewage to talk to people.”

Since Doncic practiced, he was asked really he was doing and really his hamstring felt.

“I’m good,” he said. “Feeling good.”

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Lon Rosen to return complete business operations for nan Lakers

Bennedict Mathurin helps Clippers separator nan Nuggets

Bennedict Mathurin scored 38 points successful his location debut for Los Angeles and the Clippers held disconnected nan Denver Nuggets 115-114 connected Thursday night.

Denver’s Jamal Murray had a chance to necktie it connected 3 free throws pinch 0.9 seconds remaining aft a foul from Derrick Jones Jr. Murray made nan first 2 earlier missing nan third, pinch clip expiring connected nan rebound.

Kawhi Leonard added 23 points, and Jones had 22 to thief nan Clippers (27-28) amended to 21-7 since Dec. 20. Both teams were coming disconnected nan All-Star break.

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Clippers container score

NBA standings

Mookie Betts feels fresh for resurgence

From Jack Vita: Dodgers head Dave Roberts did not hesitate erstwhile asked astir his expectations for Mookie Betts.

“He will beryllium successful nan MVP speech this year,” Roberts said this week. “But again, I think, speaking for Mookie, his main extremity is to thief america triumph a championship. So, I deliberation immoderate falls retired from there, I deliberation that will happen. I conscionable want him to attraction connected conscionable being healthy, helping america win, and past immoderate happens extracurricular of that, will happen.”

Coming disconnected a play that sewage disconnected connected nan incorrect ft pinch a stomach virus that caused him to suffer 20 pounds and past saw him group profession lows for batting mean (.258), on-base percent (.326) and OPS (.732), Betts is eager to move forward. And pinch a much emblematic outpouring training timeline this twelvemonth — dissimilar nan erstwhile 2 years erstwhile season-opening games successful South Korea and Japan sped up preparations — Betts tin easiness into his seventh play pinch nan Dodgers.

“I haven’t had a regular outpouring possibly since I’ve been a Dodger,” said Betts, who besides won’t beryllium participating successful nan World Baseball Classic arsenic he did successful 2023. “I conscionable cognize that, being 33 now, I don’t person to hurry up and get here, and beryllium fresh to play from time one. So, I tin conscionable benignant of clasp that. Not everybody’s blessed to person that, truthful being that I americium 1 of nan ones that’s blessed pinch that, I’ll spot what I tin make of it.”

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Rain is nan victor astatine Genesis Invitational

From Steve Galluzzo: The roars were backmost astatine The Riv connected Thursday… and truthful was nan rain.

After a four-birdie spree connected nan backmost nine, Englishman Aaron Rai vaulted into nan lead astatine six-under-par done 16 holes earlier nan horn sounded to suspend play astatine 5:41 p.m. He and 29 others will decorativeness their first rounds erstwhile play resumes Friday greeting astatine nan Genesis Invitational.

Unfazed by a astir three-hour upwind delay, Jacob Bridgeman fired a five-under-par 66 and shares nan clubhouse lead pinch nan No. 2-ranked subordinate successful nan world Rory McIlroy.

“Awesome course,” Bridgeman said arsenic he near nan property tent. “Played it yesterday for nan first clip and I emotion it!”

Making his tourney debut, Bridgeman carded 4 birdies connected nan backmost nine, nan past astatine No. 17, to propulsion moreover pinch McIlroy astatine five-under, and parred nan 18th to return nan clubhouse lead. The 26-year-old South Carolinian is classed 52nd — nan highest he has been since turning pro 4 years agone — but has ne'er won connected nan Tour.

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Genesis Invitational leaderboard

This time successful sports history

1887 — The International Assn., nan first insignificant convention shot association, is organized successful Pittsburgh.

1951 — The assemblage point-shaving ungraded prompts Long Island University to driblet hoops and each different intercollegiate sports. LIU revives hoops successful 1957.

1971 — En way to a grounds 76-goal season, Boston’s Phil Esposito becomes nan first subordinate to people his 50th extremity successful February, but nan Bruins suffer to nan Kings 5-4.

1972 — Larry Brown of nan Denver Rockets sets ABA records for assists successful a crippled (23), half (18) and 4th (10) during a 146-123 location triumph complete nan Pittsburgh Condors.

1974 — Gordie Howe, nan NHL’s profession scoring leader, comes retired of status and signs a $1-million, four-year statement to play pinch nan Houston Aeros of nan WHA and sons Mark and Marty.

1976 — Muhammad Ali thumps Jean-Pierre Coopman pinch a fifth-round knockout astatine nan Roberto Clemente Coliseum successful Puerto Rico to take sides his world heavyweight title.

1988 — In Calgary, Brian Boitano of nan U.S. wins nan Olympic fig skating golden badge connected a method merit tiebreaker and astir flawless free skate.

1993 — Julio Cesar Chavez records a fifth-round TKO complete Greg Haugen successful a WBC ace lightweight title bout earlier a grounds crowd of 130,000 astatine Mexico City’s Aztec Stadium.

1998 — Tara Lipinski, 15, becomes nan youngest Olympic fig skating champion, beating chap teen and U.S. teammate Michelle Kwan to return nan gold. Lipinski is 2 months younger than Sonja Henie was successful her 1928 victory.

2006 — Tanith Belbin and partner Ben Agosto extremity nan U.S. medals drought successful Olympic crystal creation title pinch a silver. The past to do truthful were Colleen O’Connor and James Millns, who won bronze successful 1976.

2009 — Lindsey Van of nan U.S. becomes nan first female skis jumping world champion. Women’s skis jumping makes its debut astatine this year’s Nordic world championships successful nan Czech Republic. Todd Lodwick wins nan opening Nordic mixed arena to springiness nan U.S. 2 golds successful 1 day. Before Van’s victory, nan U.S. had not won a golden astatine a Nordic worlds since 2003 erstwhile Johnny Spillane took a Nordic mixed sprint.

2010 — Switzerland’s Simon Ammann wins nan ample elevation astatine nan Vancouver Games to go nan first skis jumper pinch 4 individual Olympic titles.

2011 — Trevor Bayne, 20, wins nan Daytona 500, NASCAR’s biggest race, successful only his 2nd Sprint Cup start.

2011 — Kobe Bryant wins his record-tying 4th All-Star crippled MVP award, scoring 37 points earlier his hometown fans and starring nan West past nan East 148-143.

2016 — Lindsey Vonn clinches a grounds 20th World Cup crystal globe title and surpasses Swedish awesome Ingemar Stenmark. It’s Vonn’s grounds eighth downhill title. Stenmark won 19 globes betwixt 1975 and 1984.

2021 — Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Naomi Osaka of Japan wins her 4th awesome and 2nd Australian title; thumps American Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3.

2022 — Hannah Green of Australia becomes first female to triumph a mix-gender play tourney complete 72 holes; closes pinch five-under 66 for a 4-stroke triumph successful TPS Murray River connected nan PGA Tour of Australasia.

Compiled by nan Associated Press

Until adjacent time...

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