Sports Desk

SEATTLE — Strengthening its commitment to Mick Cronin, UCLA quietly awarded its men’s basketball coach a new five-year contract last summer that runs through the 2029-30 season, according to documents reviewed by The Times through a public-records request.

The contract that was signed by Cronin and athletic director Martin Jarmond in May and took effect June 1 will pay Cronin $4.5 million per season, a slight raise over the $4.1 million he was making under the previous contract that was set to expire after the 2027-28 season.

“I’m honored to be the coach at UCLA,” Cronin told The Times late Saturday night after his team’s 82-72 loss to Gonzaga at Climate Pledge Arena. “For me, I have no inklings of being anywhere else. I’ve had many offers to do so. I’m where I want to be so I’ll always say the same thing — it was surreal when I got the job and I’m just working hard to do everything we can to upgrade our program to a point to where we can try to win the title for our fans, and that’s all I really worry about. I’m at that point in my career, so if they want to extend me, I take it because I’m not looking to go anywhere.”

The contract was not announced at the time it was signed, according to an athletic department spokesperson, because of the financial climate within the university, particularly given the prospect of federal funding cuts.

Cronin’s contract was signed not long after he guided UCLA to the second round of the NCAA tournament, where the Bruins lost to Tennessee. Cronin’s previous teams reached the Final Four in 2021 and the Sweet 16 in 2022 and 2023.

Cronin, 54, has compiled a 145-67 record in seven seasons with the Bruins, his accomplishments including a Pac-12 title in 2023 that his team won by a four-game margin over second-place Arizona.

His new contract includes a buyout provision that calls for him to be paid $22.5 million if he’s terminated without cause through March 31, 2026. The buyout amount drops to $18 million if he’s terminated without cause through March 31, 2027; $13.5 million through March 31, 2028; $9 million through March 31, 2029; and $4.5 million through March 31, 2030.

The buyout includes a mitigation clause that would offset UCLA”s buyout obligations through future employment over the duration of the contract.

If Cronin were to leave for another job, he would owe UCLA $15 million through March 31, 2026, with that amount dropping to $12 million through March 31, 2027; $8 million through March 31, 2028; $6 million through March 31, 2029; and $4 million through March 31, 2030.

The bonus structure in Cronin’s contract calls for him to make $25,000 for a conference championship and $15,000 for a conference tournament championship. He’ll get an extra $45,000 if the Bruins make the NCAA tournament, $25,000 for making the second round, $40,000 for making the Sweet 16, $25,000 for making the Elite Eight, $50,000 for making the Final Four, $25,000 for making the championship game and $50,000 for winning the national title. If Cronin is selected conference coach of the year, he’ll make an additional $10,000.

Cronin could be awarded additional amounts for his team’s academic performance, along with retention bonuses of $500,000 if he’s employed through April 15, 2026; $600,000 if he’s employed through April 15, 2027; $700,000 if he’s employed through April 15, 2028; and $700,000 if he’s employed through April 15, 2029.

The NBA Cup is the competition’s annual in-season tournament, with all matches except the final also counting towards the regular season standings.

The Thunder were beaten in last year’s final by the Milwaukee Bucks and had a 16-game winning run ended by the Spurs as they exited this season’s competition.

Oklahoma City had equalled the best 25-game start to a season when they went 24-1 by beating the Phoenix Suns in the quarter-finals, but they have now made the second best start to a campaign after 26 games as the Golden State Warriors were 25-1 at the same stage in 2015-16.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s reigning Most Valuable Player, top scored for the Thunder against the Spurs with a game-high 29 points.

San Antonio will play the New York Knicks in the final after they beat the Orlando Magic 132-120.

Jalen Brunson scored a season-high 40 points to inspire the Knicks to victory, while team-mate Karl-Anthony Towns added 29 points.

“We came out here and did exactly what we said we wanted to do, which was play Knicks basketball,” said Towns.

NEW YORK — Fernando Mendoza, the enthusiastic quarterback of No. 1 Indiana, won the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night, becoming the first Hoosier to win college football’s most prestigious award since its inception in 1935.

Mendoza claimed 2,362 points, including 643 first-place votes. He beat Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (1,435 points), Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (719 points) and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin (432 points).

Mendoza’s Heisman win was emphatic. He finished first in all six Heisman regions, the first to do so since Caleb Williams in 2022. He was named on 95.16% of all ballots, tying him with Marcus Mariota in 2014 for the second highest in the award’s history and he received 84.6% of total possible points, which is the seventh highest in Heisman history.

“I haven’t seen the numbers yet,” said Mendoza, “but it’s such an honor to be mentioned with these guys [Pavia, Love and Sayin]. It’s really a credit to our team. It’s a team award.”

Mendoza guided the Hoosiers to their first No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team College Football bracket, throwing for 2,980 yards and a national-best 33 touchdown passes while also running for six scores. Indiana, the last unbeaten team in major college football, will play a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game in the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1.

Mendoza, the Hoosiers’ first-year starter after transferring from California, is the triggerman for an offense that surpassed program records for touchdowns and points set during last season’s surprise run to the CFP.

A redshirt junior, the once lightly recruited Miami native is the second Heisman finalist in school history, joining 1989 runner-up Anthony Thompson. Mendoza is the seventh Indiana player to earn a top-10 finish in Heisman balloting and it marks another first in program history — having back-to-back players in the top 10. Hoosiers quarterback Kurtis Rourke was ninth last year.

With his teammates chanting “HeismanDoza” as he addressed the media, he said he felt he had a realistic chance of winning the Heisman after the Hoosiers routed then-No. 19 Illinois 63-10 on Sept. 20.

“At that point my boys [teammates] said we might make it to New York [for the award ceremony],” he said. “It was lighthearted at the time, but that’s when it started. “

Quarterbacks have won the Heisman four of the last five years, with two-way player Travis Hunter of Colorado ending the run last season.

Mendoza is the 43rd quarterback to win the Heisman and the second winner of Latin American descent to claim the trophy. Stanford’s Jim Plunkett was the first in 1970.

“Although I grew up in America, my four grandparents are all from Cuba,” he said. “I had the opportunity to go there and that was important to me. I credit the love to my grandparents and the Hispanic community.”

The Heisman Trophy presentation came after a number of accolades were already awarded. Mendoza was named the Associated Press player of the year earlier this week and picked up the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien awards Friday night, while Love won the Doak Walker Award.

Mendoza and Pavia clearly exemplify the changing landscape of using the transfer portal in college football. Mendoza is the seventh transfer to win the award in the last nine years. Vanderbilt is Pavia’s third school.

Confident Commodore

Pavia finished second with 189 first-place votes. He threw for a school-record 3,192 yards and 27 touchdowns for the Commodores, who were pushing for a CFP berth all the way to the bracket announcement. He is the first Heisman finalist in Vanderbilt history.

Generously listed as 6 feet tall, Pavia led Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season along with six wins against Southeastern Conference foes. That includes four wins over ranked programs as Vandy reached No. 9, its highest ranking in the Associated Press Top 25 since 1937.

Pavia went from being unrecruited out of high school to junior college, New Mexico State and finally Vanderbilt in 2024 through the transfer portal.

Vandy will play in the ReliaQuest Bowl against Iowa on Dec. 31.

Irish Love

The last running back to win the Heisman was Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015. Love put himself in the mix with an outstanding season for Notre Dame. He finished with 46 first-place votes.

The junior from St. Louis was fourth in the Bowl Subdivision in yards rushing (1,372), fifth in per-game average (114.3) and third with 18 rushing touchdowns for the Fighting Irish, who missed out on a CFP bid and opted not to play in a bowl game.

He was the first player in Notre Dame’s storied history to produce multiple touchdown runs of 90 or more yards, a 98-yarder against Indiana in the first round of last year’s playoffs and a 94-yarder against Boston College earlier this season.

Buckeyes’ leader

Sayin led the Buckeyes to a No. 1 ranking for most of the season, throwing for 3,329 yards while tying for second in the country with 31 touchdown passes ahead of their CFP quarterfinal at the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31.

The sophomore from Carlsbad, Calif., arrived at Ohio State after initially committing to Alabama and entering the transfer portal following a coaching change. He played four games last season before winning the starting job. He led the Buckeyes to a 14-7 win in the opener against preseason No. 1 Texas and kept the team atop the AP Top 25 for 13 straight weeks, tying its second-longest run.

Sayin follows a strong lineage of Ohio State quarterbacks since coach Ryan Day arrived in 2017. Dwayne Haskins (2018), Justin Fields (2019), C.J. Stroud (2021), and Kyle McCord (2023) averaged 3,927 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and six interceptions, along with a 68.9% completion rate, during their first seasons.

Merrill writes for the Associated Press.

Oxnard Pacifica had loads of motivation heading into Saturday’s CIF state 1-A bowl game. Having fallen to Sacramento Grant in the 2-AA state final last season, the Tritons were anxious to redeem themselves against Fresno Central East in one of the weekend’s marquee matchups.

The game showcased two high-octane offenses, but every spectacular play by the Tritons was answered by the opponent as they were dealt their first defeat, 42-28, in the second of three games at Saddleback College.

“You’ve gotta win on third down and we weren’t,” Pacifica coach Mike Moon said. “Their offense is hard to stop. We thought we’d be able to score with them and we couldn’t. We wanted to go up-tempo and we weren’t able to do that.”

Pacifica scored first, marching 91 yards in 12 plays, capped by Taylor Lee’s 15-yard strike to Tyler Stewart with 3:21 left in the first quarter. The North region champions punted during their first three possessions and turned it over on downs on the fourth, but ultimately tied the game on a 25-yard touchdown pass from Jelani Dippel to Bayon Harris that finished an eight-play, 78-yard drive with 5:43 left in the second quarter.

Oxnard Pacifica quarterback Taylor Lee slings a pass to the flat in the first half of the CIF Division 1-A state championship game Saturday at Saddleback College.

(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)

After forcing a punt, Central East moved 82 yards in 10 plays and took a 14-7 lead on Brandon Smith’s two-yard run 1:05 before halftime.

Pacifica received the second-half kickoff and drove 71 yards in seven plays, tying the game 14-14 on a one-yard rush by Isaiah Phelps and David Carranza’s extra point.

Central East moved deep into Pacifica territory on its ensuing drive before Phelps deflected the ball and PeeWee Wilson intercepted it at the Tritons’ 24. However, Pacifica (15-1) was forced to punt and on its next possession, and Central East regained the lead on Smith’s four-yard run with 4:03 left in the third quarter and upped the margin to 28-14 on Dippel’s state-leading 58th touchdown pass, a 34-yarder to Kevin Cooks.

“We knew it was going to be a battle,” Moon added. “They made plays when they needed to and we didn’t. Simple as that.”

Lee hit Alijah Royster in stride for a 74-yard gain to Central East’s four-yard line and Phelps powered across the goal line on the next play to cut the Tritons’ deficit in half with 10:20 left in the game.

However, the Bengals (14-1) recovered a fumble at the Pacifica 18 and took two plays to capitalize on Dippel’s five-yard keeper.

Royster’s 12-yard touchdown reception made it 35-28 with 6:25 left, but Smith scampered 15 yards for his third touchdown to close the scoring with 3:21 left.

Pacifica beat Palos Verdes 20-10 to capture the Southern Section Division 3 title Nov. 28 for its second CIF crown in a row under Moon. The Tritons defeated St. Bonaventure in the Division 4 final last year.

Fresno Central East lost to Huntington Beach Edison in the state 1-A bowl last year at Saddleback.

Lee completed 21 of 31 for 317 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice and sacked three times. Phelps ran for 127 yards in 23 carries. Royster caught six passes for 114 yards and Stewart had seven catches for 93.

Pacifica has played 32 games in the last two seasons and won two section and two regional crowns, just not the ultimate prize it covets.

“It’s a long two years to not have a state championship … but we’ll try to get back next year,” said Moon, who has scheduled nonleague games with Sierra Canyon and San Diego Lincoln next fall. “This is a super group of seniors and the younger players will grow from this.”

Alfie Burden beat Stuart Bingham 63-8 to win the Snooker Shoot Out and claim his first ranking title in Blackpool.

He turns 49 on Sunday but started the celebrations early by climbing on the table to huge cheers once victory was confirmed at Blackpool Tower Circus.

Burden, who won the World Seniors Championship in May, takes home the £50,000 prize.

“I’ve had a 30-year career and it has been mainly downs – I’ve underperformed – but tonight is a night for me,” Burden told TNT Sports.

“I’d like to thank all my family and friends for all the belief they’ve had in me. This is a special moment and I’m going to cherish it.”

Bingham finished runner-up at the Snooker Shoot Out in 2014 but passed up the opportunity to mount a fightback from 56-7 with three minutes on the clock.

The 2015 World Champion put away a red but was well wide of the mark when going at the blue.

“He looked so cool and calm all the way through. He played brilliantly from the start,” Bingham told TNT Sports.

Snooker Shoot Out is a single-frame game with a maximum length of 10 minutes and players facing a shot clock.

Players have 15 seconds to complete each shot in the first five minutes of the match and 10 seconds during the final five minutes.

When USC and Connecticut met in the Elite Eight, in the immediate wake of JuJu Watkins’ devastating knee injury last March, it didn’t take long to see how much USC missed its superstar. As hard as the Trojans fought, the Huskies were simply too much to handle without Watkins.

That thought, nine months later, hadn’t been given much serious credence at USC through a solid 7-2 start. At least, not until Saturday, when the top-ranked Huskies offered a rude reminder by trouncing the 16th-ranked Trojans, 79-51, in their home arena, where they had yet to lose this season.

“It doesn’t feel good,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “It’s embarrassing to get beat on your home court.”

Granted, Connecticut had yet to lose a game since early last February. Coming into Saturday, it had won its nine games by an average of 39 points, dominating wherever it went.

USC guard Malia Samuels tries to dribble past UConn guard Azzi Fudd at Galen Center on Saturday.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

It took all of a few minutes Saturday to see a similar beatdown was in store. When it finally was over, less than two hours later, USC had been outmatched in almost every category. The Huskies shot 18% better from the field. They dominated the paint (44 points to 22) and the boards (41 to 33) and forced seven more turnovers than the Trojans, who struggled to handle the Huskies’ defensive pressure.

“The No. 1 team in the country came in here today,” Gottlieb said, “and they’re really good.”

They certainly were too much for a team still striving to figure itself out like USC. With no presence inside and no consistency on the perimeter, the Trojans had no answers when things clicked into place for the Huskies, whose coach took time to wax poetic after the game about how his team went 11-deep.

The same wasn’t exactly true for the Trojans, who got 30 points from the veteran pair of Kennedy Smith and Londynn Jones and little else.

Watkins, who is sitting out this entire season, could only watch from the end of the bench as the star freshman who stepped up in her absence struggled Saturday. Jazzy Davidson had been nothing short of terrific over the last month as she settled into her new role as the Trojans’ undisputed top weapon.

But the freshman looked anything but settled Saturday, as Connecticut blanketed her early and often. Davidson missed her first five shots and managed to make only three of 13 overall, scoring 10 points, her lowest output since USC’s loss to South Carolina.

“She’s only going to get better for having these experiences early in her career,” Gottlieb said.

By the time Davidson had hit her first jumper of the afternoon, early in the second quarter, the Trojans had already dug a 12-point hole. By the time USC scored another bucket, the Connecticut lead had ballooned to 19.

It was up to 22 as Davidson searched for a final shot in the waning seconds of the first half. When she finally lifted up for a floater, Connecticut forward Serah Williams was waiting. She swatted the shot back into the freshman’s face and Davidson fell to the floor as the buzzer sounded.

It proved to be a fitting image from an afternoon to forget for USC.

It was ugly from the start. Connecticut harassed USC with full-court pressure, forcing turnovers at the Trojans’ own end. When they did make it across half court, the Huskies swarmed the perimeter, leaving USC without many open shots.

The Trojans managed to hold tight with the defending champions for a little while. They led 9-8 at the 5:14 mark of the first quarter. But then Connecticut’s defense ratched up. The shots stop falling. The Huskies went on a 15-0 run to end the first quarter, as USC failed to score for five minutes.

“The game certainly did change,” Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma said. “It just felt like we were locked in.”

Davidson made a jumper early in the second to put a stop to the slump, only for the Trojans’ offense to go cold again. Connecticut held USC scoreless for six more minutes after that as it ripped off another run, extending its lead to 22 at halftime.

USC guard Juju Watkins, who is recovering from a torn ACL, stands with teammates during the Trojans’ lopsided loss to UConn Saturday at the Galen Center.

(Eric Thayer/Los Angeles Times)

Any hope of a miracle comeback was extinguished mere minutes after halftime, as Connecticut once again mounted a run. It was almost five minutes into the third quarter before Londynn Jones finally made the Trojans’ first shot of the half.

By then, there was no more suspense of where Saturday was heading.

The question now is where the blowout loss, the Trojans’ worst since January 2023, leaves them with the bulk of their Big Ten slate beginning in just two weeks’ time. No. 4 UCLA awaits on Jan. 3.

“Games like this are where you learn so much,” Jones said. “We can’t do anything about the past. What are we going to do moving forward?”

Perhaps Jarred Vanderbilt and his ability to defend can help the Lakers and their reeling defense.

Perhaps Vanderbilt can return to the rotation to help the Lakers’ defensive woes while guard Austin Reaves is out for approximately a week because of a mild left calf strain.

And perhaps Vanderbilt and the Lakers can get some immediate results for shoring up their defensive shortcomings when they face the Suns in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon.

The 6-foot-8 Vanderbilt is hopeful that his opportunity will come against the Suns and he turns that into a positive for the Lakers.

“Oh, yeah, I’m pretty eager,” he said after practice Saturday. “I mean, obviously, I think a lot of the stuff we lack, I think I can help provide on that end.”

In the last 10 games, Vanderbilt had only a three-minute stint against the Philadelphia 76ers because Jake LaRavia took a shot to the face that loosened a tooth.

The return of LeBron James and Vanderbilt’s offensive deficiencies left him out of the rotation. During much of that time the Lakers were winning, which meant Vanderbilt spent time on the bench.

In 15 games, Vanderbilt is three for 10 (26.6%) from three-point range. He was asked how he has been handling things.

“Good,” Vanderbilt said. “Controlling what I can control. Keep showing up to work, doing my part, supporting the team.”

Vanderbilt was asked if coach JJ Redick or any assistants have spoken to him about his role.

“Kind of here and there, I guess,” Vanderbilt said.

Vanderbilt was seen after practice Saturday working with an assistant coach on his shooting, just like he did after practice Friday and like he has done while not playing.

Redick said Reaves, who played against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night, wasn’t sure when the calf became an issue, and “we’re obviously gonna be cautious with it.”

“It’s a mild strain, Grade 1, and he’ll be out for a week,” Redick said, adding, “I would venture to say every player is a little bit different, but players now are becoming more cautious — to use that word again — more cautious when they get those diagnosis with the calf. Everything looks clean. It’s not in the deep part.”

The Lakers have looked at the last 10 games during the film sessions as a barometer for their defensive problems. But in reality, the Lakers have not been very good on defense all season while producing a 17-7 record because of their stellar offense.

“It’s been a trending thing even when we was winning, so I think like you said, the defense still wasn’t there, but we was just outscoring everybody,” Vanderbilt said. “So, I think obviously during the loss, it’s an appropriate time to address certain things just so it won’t keep lingering and get worse.”

The Lakers are 18th in the NBA in points given up (116.8), 22nd in opponents’ field-goal percentage (48.1%) and 27th in opponents’ three-point shooting (38.2%).

They will face a Suns team that defeated them Dec. 1 at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers were unable to stop Collin Gillesipie, who had 28 points and was eight for 14 from three-point range, and Dillon Brooks, who had 33 points.

It hasn’t gotten better in the ensuing days. The Spurs loss was the Lakers’ third in the last five games.

“Nobody likes to go watch film after you get your ass kicked,” guard Marcus Smart said. “It’s tough because the film never lies. And it exposed us a lot, which we already knew. We were just winning a lot of games. So it was mitigated that way, but it was straight to it: We have to be able to guard.

“The scouting report against us is we’re not guarding people. And if we want to be great in this league and do what we’re trying to do, you have to be able to guard, especially in the West. These guys are no joke, and they’re coming. And especially [if] you got the Lakers across your jersey. They’re definitely coming with everything they have. So you can’t be expecting any surprises. And that’s what it was. It wasn’t no sugarcoating anything. It was, ‘This is what we got to do.’ We’ve been asked. Let’s fix it.”

Paul Lim became the oldest player to win a match at the PDC World Championship as the 71-year-old claimed a stunning victory over Jeffrey de Graaf.

Backed by a partisan crowd at the Alexandra Palace, the Singapore veteran claimed a 3-1 success over the Dutch-born Swede.

He beat a record held by Northern Irishman John MaGowan, who was 67 when he knocked out Chris Mason in the first round of the tournament in December 2008.

“A moment like this has kept me going for all these years,” said Lim.

“The standard of play nowadays is not like how it was before. This tournament is the Super Bowl of darts so I would say this is a good moment.”

Lim will face Luke Humphries in the second round after the 2024 world champion progressed with a 3-1 win over Ted Evetts in his opening match later on Saturday evening.

Humphries had cruised into a 2-0 lead against his fellow Englishman before Evetts pinched a set back.

However, 30-year-old Humphries regained his intensity and clinically finished out the contest with an average of 98.58, throwing eight 180s.

Lim, who thew the first world championship nine-darter at the BDO event at Lakeside in 1990, beat Humphries when the pair last met at the Ally Pally five years ago.

On meeting again, Humphries told Sky Sports: “He’s amazing, he’s a legend. The crowd are going to be against me so it’s going to be a tough game.”

Lim said: “I hope on a given day it can happen again. I never give up. He is good but he can be beaten.”

The crowd roared on Lim, who is 72 next month, when he won the first set against De Graaf befofe his opponent levelled the match.

Lim went ahead again after a scrappy third set as De Graaf wilted while the experienced ‘Singapore Slinger’ held his nerve in a tense fourth, sealing victory with an average of 86.52.

Five-time world championship semi-finalist Wayne Mardle said Lim was able to “take his chances” against De Graaf to secure an “incredible” win.

“If you have the desire, the passion but most of all the ability humans can achieve amazing things – and that was amazing,” said Mardle on Sky.

De Graaf was six years old when Lim made his PDC debut 29 years ago.

Elsewhere, Wessel Nijman of the Netherlands eased to a 3-0 win over Czech Karel Sedlacek while Germany’s Gabriel Clemens beat American Alex Spellman by the same scoreline.

NEWARK, N.J. — Stefan Noesen, Paul Cotter and Cody Glass each scored to help the New Jersey Devils beat the Ducks 4-1 on Saturday and snap a five-game home losing streak.

New Jersey started the season 9-0-1 on its home ice before losing five straight at the Prudential Center. The Devils’ third line of Cotter, Juho Lammikko and Noesen combined for five points (two goals, three assists).

Troy Terry scored his 10th goal for the Ducks and third in as many games on a breakaway in the first period on an assist from Leo Carlsson for a 1-0 lead. Noesen tied it later in the period with his first goal in 22 games.

Cotter scored in his third straight game, giving New Jersey a 2-1 lead at the 5:52 mark of the second period, assisted by Lammikko and Noesen.
Glass increased the lead to 3-1 late in the period with assists from from Ondrej Palat and Colton White. Connor Brown scored on an empty net late in the game for his seventh goal.

Jake Allen stopped 30 shots for New Jersey for his first win since Nov. 28. Allen had lost three straight.

Lukas Dostal had 18 saves for the Ducks, who failed to convert on four power-play opportunities.

The Devils were without Timo Meier, their top goal-scorer who missed his second straight game because of a family health matter. “We will give him all the time he needs,” coach Sheldon Keefe said.

The Ducks were playing their third game in five nights as part of a five-game road trip.

Up next

Ducks: Visit the New York Rangers on Monday night. Devils: Host Vancouver on Sunday.

The seemingly unlikely comeback at the end of regulation came after a dramatic second-half that had begun with Scotstown leading 0-6 to 0-1.

Kilcoo were playing into the considerable wind in the first half with the conditions hampering their attacking efforts.

Despite a sizeable edge in possession through the opening period, there were just five minutes until the break before they registered their sole score of the first half.

The point was provided by Eugene Branagan, but even the wavering trajectory of the ball as it bisected the posts was evidence of the difficulties endured by the Down side’s players when shooting into the swirling breeze.

By that stage, Beggan had already kicked the first pair of two-pointers among his tally and there seemed only one winner when his side’s lead was stretched to eight midway through the second half.

But, having struggled to find their range with the wind at their backs in the early stages of the second half, Kilcoo belatedly mastered the conditions to reel Scotstown in.

Devlin finally got his side off the mark in the second half with a two-pointer 13 minutes after the restart, with the forward adding a further three points as the Down champions cut the deficit to only a point in the closing stages.

A drilled effort from Kieran Hughes was matched by Tommy Mallen from just inside the arc, before Beggan stepped up with another two-pointer to give his side that seemingly crucial three-point cushion heading into injury time.

But his Kilcoo counterpart Niall Kane answered in kind with the clock already well in the red.

Rather than mere consolation, Kilcoo regained possession with the three minutes of indicated added time already up and Callum Rogers gathered and spun brilliantly to send the game into extra time.

Rather than be flattened by letting the long-sought title slip from their grasp, Scotstown lifted themselves from the floor in extra-time with Beggan kicking two frees and a 45, in addition to three points from Conor McCarthy, to end their 36-year wait.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

AMIT 56, Lakeview Charter 16

Angelou 62, Jefferson 57

Annenberg 47, Aspire Ollin 20

Bernstein 91, Belmont 9

Bravo 65, Franklin 55

Canoga Park 62, Panorama 28

Contreras 49, Roybal 48

Crenshaw 50, LA Jordan 48

Diego Rivera 53, Santee 50

Downtown Magnets 61, Bell 46

Foshay 83, Stella 31

Fulton 62, Lake Balboa College 43

Hawkins 66, Harbor Teacher 61

Huntington Park 42, Garfield 31

LACES 54, LA Hamilton 49

Los Angeles 51, West Adams 44

LA Marshall 65, Eagle Rock 51

LA Roosevelt 60, South Gate 27

LA Wilson 66, Lincoln 61

MSCP 86, Middle College 49

Narbonne 72, Wilmington Banning 29

North Hollywood 70, Arleta 53

Orthopaedic 55, Central City Value 42

Port of Los Angeles 87, Dymally 40

RFK Community 77, Hollywood 54

San Pedro 74, Gardena 47

Sherman Oaks CES 100, Elizabeth 47

Sotomayor 78, CNDLC 40

South East 63, Legacy 60

Stern 72, Alliance Ouchi 40

Sun Valley Poly 86, Chavez 17

Sylmar 70, Granada Hills Kennedy 69

USC-MAE 54, Animo Bunche 14

Venice 60, Fairfax 50

Verdugo Hills 81, Monroe 50

View Park 59, Locke 29

Washington 83, Dorsey 42

Westchester 76, LA University 44

Wiseburn Da Vinci 70, Rancho Dominguez 67

WISH Academy 84, MSAR 32

SOUTHERN SECTION

Adelanto 60, Eisenhower 58

Alta Loma 64, Jurupa Valley 39

Apple Valley 66, Victor Valley 58

Arcadia 82, Burbank 52

Ayala 57, Northwood 45

Baldwin Park 53, El Monte 33

Big Bear 74, San Gorgonio 49

Brea Olinda 70, La Puente 23

California Lutheran 67, Hawthorne 39

CAMS 37, New Roads 23

Cantwell Sacred Heart 71, Bosco Tech 45

Cerritos 78, La Palma Kennedy 75

Chadwick 75, CSDR 49

Chaminade 76, Ventura 45

Charter Oak 70, San Dimas 66

Citrus Hill 75, Arroyo Valley 43

Citrus Valley 62, Indio 25

Claremont 67, Serra Vista 52

Coastal Christian 75, Cuyama Valley 15

Corona Centennial 88, Capistrano Valley Christian 42

Corona Santiago 73, Liberty 42

Crescenta Valley 75, Hoover 45

Crossroads 58, Santa Monica 53

Diamond Bar 54, La Sierra 24

Don Lugo 56, Kaiser 50

Dos Pueblos 54, Capistrano Valley 52

Eastside 44, Highland 36

Edgewood 51, Montebello 45

El Modena 67, Fullerton 58

El Segundo 65, Los Amigos 57

Elsinore 84, Hemet 63

El Toro 62, Portola 58

Estancia 71, Costa Mesa 55

Etiwanda 63, Rancho Verde 57

Fountain Valley 70, Temescal Canyon 41

Garden Grove Pacifica 52, Saddleback 28

Garden Grove Santiago 38, Century 22

Glendora 60, La Canada 55

Glenn 58, Southlands Christian 44

Grace 50, Laguna Blanca 44

Heritage Christian 45, Anaheim Canyon 42

Hesperia Christian 74, Cornerstone Christian 42

Hillcrest 54, Moreno Valley 47

Huntington Beach 74, Laguna Beach 52

Indian Springs 63, Redlands 50

Keppel 59, Gabrielino 47

Knight 60, Quartz Hill 40

Lakeside 70, Westminster 35

La Mirada 94, Rancho Cucamonga 61

Littlerock 46, Lancaster 30

Long Beach Poly 69, Hesperia 45

Long Beach Wilson 54, Long Beach Cabrillo 48

Maricopa 58, Alpaugh 20

Mater Dei 73, San Clemente 71

Mesrobian 61, Downey Calvary Chapel 28

Mission Viejo 58, Great Oak 51

Norte Vista 78, La Serna 61

Oak Hills 82, Norco 56

Ontario 46, Arroyo 45

Ontario Christian 78, Bishop Amat 69

Oxford Academy 61, Paramount 50

Palmdale 68, Antelope Valley 46

Palm Desert 67, Heritage 44

Pasadena 81, Burbank Burroughs 21

Pioneer 70, Santa Fe 58

Placentia Valencia 73, Marina 49

Redlands East Valley 62, Chaparral 61

Riverside King 81, Riverside North 43

Riverside Prep 53, Sultana 45

Rosemead 54, Bellflower 52

Rowland 59, Nogales 39

Rubidoux 68, Oxnard Pacifica 38

San Bernardino 99, Woodcrest Christian 76

San Jacinto 63, Santa Rosa Academy 44

Santa Ana Foothill 58, Tustin 44

Santa Clara 65, Cate 45

Santa Maria St. Joseph 60, Crespi 51

Santa Margarita 92, Village Christian 85

Servite 73, Western 43

Silver Valley 80, University Prep 51

St. Francis 68, La Salle 54

St. Margaret’s 91, Santa Ana 55

Summit Leadership 48, ACE 43

Thacher 67, Orcutt Academy 40

Valencia 80, Castaic 35

Valley View 63, Savanna 56

Vasquez 67, St. Monica Academy 35

Vista del Lago 60, Desert Hot Springs 41

Webb 58, Azusa 29

Whittier Christian 51, South Hills 32

Windward 66, Verbum Dei 43

Wiseburn Da Vinci 70, Rancho Dominguez 67

INTERSECTIONAL

Archbishop Riordan 89, Inglewood 84

Cupertino Homestead 67, Artesia 60

Desert Mirage 50, Borrego Springs 41

Francis Parker 66, Eastvale Roosevelt 59

Jurupa Hills 60, Oceanside El Camino 39

Layton (UT) Layton Christian Academy 43, JSerra 33

Loyola 64, Stockton St. Mary’s 46

Meridian (ID) Owyhee 53, Damen 47

Miami (FL) Riviera Prep 74, Crean Lutheran 71

Monrovia 84, Rise Kohyang 23

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 78, Redmond (WA) 52

Potomac (MD) Bullis 70, Redondo Union 62

Torres 63, Garey 59

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Arleta 39, North Hollywood 17

Aspire Ollin 23, Annenberg 21

Bernstein 56, Belmont 12

Carson 70, Rancho Dominguez 11

Central City Value 36, Orthopaedic 8

Crenshaw 40, LA Jordan 15

Diego Rivera 42, Santee 39

Dominguez 46, Elizabeth 17

Eagle Rock 53, LA Marshall 27

Franklin 34, Bravo 25

Garfield 71, Huntington Park 24

Granada Hills Kennedy 70, Sylmar 22

Harbor Teacher 66, Hawkins 30

King/Drew 112, GALA 16

LA Hamilton 73, LACES 33

Lakeview Charter 41, AMIT 18

Lincoln 33, LA Wilson 21

MSCP 51, Middle College 19

Panorama 54, Canoga Park 16

Port of Los Angeles 33, Dymally 19

RFK Community 53, Hollywood 43

San Pedro 44, Gardena 43

Sotomayor 43, CNDLC 27

South Gate 40, LA Roosevelt 34

Stern 29, Alliance Ouchi 8

USC-MAE 39, Animo Bunche 14

Venice 99, Fairfax 35

Verdugo Hills 82, Monroe 4

Washington 65, Dorsey 7

West Adams 33, Los Angeles 22

WISH Academy 37, MSAR 18

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 29, San Marino 26

Alemany 59, Crossroads 46

Aliso Niguel 62, Woodbridge 40

Apple Valley 42, Hillcrest 31

Arcadia 52, Burbank 44

Baldwin Park 39, Edgewood 32

Beaumont 49, San Jacinto 42

Bethel Christian 32, NSLA 14

Bishop Amat 55, Colony 44

Burbank Burroughs 60, Pasadena 20

Calvary Baptist 63, Southlands Christian 14

Canyon Country Canyon 79, Moorpark 22

Capistrano Valley Christian 26, Avalon 22

Carpinteria 55, Del Sol 41

Carter 52, Redlands East Valley 23

Cerritos Valley Christian 43, La Mirada 19

Chadwick 44, Westridge 4

Chino 69, Rio Hondo Prep 54

CIMSA 43, AAE 32

Citrus Valley 43, Kaiser 39

Compton 67, Inglewood 38

Compton Centennial 55, Compton Early College 2

Corona 46, Ayala 35

Crescenta Valley 66, Keppel 44

El Toro 57, Placentia Valencia 51

Esperanza 73, Los Alamitos 49

Fillmore 53, Nordhoff 23

Gahr 39, Patriot 32

Garey 40, Workman 37

Glendora 58, Canyon Springs 18

Hart 59, Golden Valley 25

Heritage 65, Great Oak 23

Holy Martyrs Armenian 72, ISLA 15

Huntington Beach 45, Laguna Beach 32

Jurupa Valley 35, La Habra 30

Lancaster Baptist 50, Immanuel Christian 11

La Quinta 41, Valley View 36

La Salle 49, Orange Lutheran 26

La Sierra 31, Perris 21

Laton 30, Coast Union 20

Long Beach Jordan 48, Lakewood 40

Long Beach Wilson 52, Long Beach Cabrillo 3

Marlborough 67, Cerritos 42

Marymount 44, Mayfield 16

Mary Star of the Sea 26, St. Paul 25

Murrieta Mesa 53, Tahquitz 22

Newport Harbor 56, Irvine 50

Norco 33, Miller 29

Ontario 40, Fontana 33

Orcutt Academy 66, Westlake 47

Palm Desert 59, Coachella Valley 37

Palm Springs 50, Desert Hot Springs 36

Portola 51, San Juan Hills 45

Ramona Convent 35, Excelsior Charter 34

Rancho Cucamonga 52, Sonora 39

Redlands 47, Indian Springs 40

Rialto 51, Rosary Academy 42

Royal 39, Santa Barbara 30

Samueli Academy 50, Glenn 27

San Bernardino 43, Covina 38

San Gabriel 27, Arroyo 25

San Jacinto Leadership Academy 41, California Military Institute 23

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 65, California Lutheran 24

Saugus 54, West Ranch 27

Silver Valley 51, University Prep 27

St. Genevieve 39, AGBU 17

St. Margaret’s 53, Marina 28

St. Monica 68, Vistamar 25

St. Monica Academy 34, Vasquez 20

Sunny Hills 33, Hesperia 25

Temescal Canyon 46, Eisenhower 26

Tesoro 50, Anaheim 38

Trabuco Hills 76, Ocean View 10

Twentynine Palms 48, Xavier Prep 42

Upland 52, Rancho Verde 25

Valencia 81, Castaic 19

Village Christian 58, Oaks Christian 56

Vista del Lago 56, Rubidoux 16

West Covina 35, Immaculate Heart 30

Western Christian 33, Charter Oak 19

Whitney 53, Savanna 49

Whittier Christian 61, California 23

Woodcrest Christian 50, Sherman Indian 29

Yorba Linda 57, Pilibos 34

Yucaipa 58, South Pasadena 55

INTERSECTIONAL

Clovis West 77, Mira Costa 52

Crean Lutheran 39, Waco (TX) Midway 33

Desert Mirage 32, Borrego Springs 12

Dominguez 46, Cudahy Elizabeth 17

Francis Parker 57, Windward 48

Granada Hills 60, Highland 55

Monrovia 52, Rise Kohyang 7

The return of Philip Rivers is becoming a dadgum reality.

The Indianapolis Colts have added the 44-year-old quarterback to their active roster and plan to start him in Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks, according to multiple reports.

Rivers, an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and Hall of Fame semifinalist, has not played since calling it a career after the 2020 season. The father of 10 — who is also a grandfather — had been coaching football at St. Michael Catholic High in Fairhope, Ala., where his son is a four-star quarterback recruit.

The Colts came calling after starter Daniel Jones suffered a season-ending torn Achilles tendon last Sunday and rookie backup Riley Leonard sustained an undisclosed knee injury. Leonard was a full participant in practice all week and did not have an injury designation Friday, indicating he will be available to play. But Rivers is set to start for a Colts team jockeying with the Rams for the top seed in the NFC.

In deciding to add Rivers to their active roster, the Colts will reset the quarterback’s Hall of Fame eligibility clock because the Chargers legend has to have been retired for at least five years to be considered. Rivers made it clear this week that that’s not a concern.

“It’s a real honor to be mentioned with those other 25 guys, certainly,” Rivers said of being named a semifinalist. “But I’m not holding my breath on that. I hadn’t been counting down the years. With all respect to the Hall, if one day I can be part of that group, it will be special, no question about it. But the extension of that timeline, if that comes to be, was not a factor in my thinking.”

Jamaica won the inaugural 2024 Horizon series 2-1, which enabled them to leapfrog England and go third in the world rankings.

The 2025 series was due to consist of four fixtures – two in Jamaica in early December and two in England – but the matches in Kingston were cancelled following the devastation caused by Hurricane Melissa.

Members of the Jamaica team helped in the relief effort, handing out care packages, and have been unable to train as a whole squad.

England Netball will donate £1 from every Horizon Series ticket sold to Netball Jamaica’s chosen charity, World Central Kitchen, and has also announced fans will be able to contribute to the British Red Cross’ Disaster Fund.

But with less than a year to go until the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the Horizon Series provides crucial game time for both nations.

They will meet again for a second match on Sunday at 14:00 GMT with the action available to watch on BBC iPlayer and on the BBC Sport website.

As if Simi Valley coach Jim Benkert doesn’t have enough things to do, he’s taken on the task of putting on the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame high school all-star games Dec. 20 at Simi Valley High.

At 4 p.m. there will be a flag football game featuring players from the San Gabriel Chapter against the Coastal Valley Chapter. At 7, players from Ventura County will take on Los Angeles County in an 11-man game.

Agoura’s Dustin Croick is coaching the West team that includes his outstanding quarterback, Gavin Gray. Taft’s Thomas Randolph is coaching the East team that has a strong group of quarterbacks, including Michael Wynn Jr. of St. Genevieve.

Simi Valley High will be the site for all-star football games on Dec. 20.

(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Times)

Tickets are $10 and will help pay for the growing costs of all-star games, from uniforms to insurance.

Benkert, one of the winningest coaches in state history with more than 300 victories, said he’s determined to make it work.

“We’re trying to keep all-star games alive,” he said. “If we don’t do it, there’s nothing.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Glengouly won Saturday’s big race at Cheltenham, which was run in support of a charitable initiative created by BBC commentator John Hunt and his daughter Amy.

The Hunt Family Fund was set up after John’s wife, Carol, and their daughters Hannah and Louise were murdered at their home in Bushey, Hertfordshire in July 2024.

Saturday’s December Gold Cup carried the name of the fund, which will support causes that help and inspire young women.

The 33-1 outsider Glengouly gave trainer Faye Bramley the biggest victory of her career.

John Hunt commentated on the race for BBC Radio 5 Live, before presenting the prizes in the winners’ enclosure with Amy.

“We share many phrases together, and one of them is that in our situation you have to go through the uncomfortable to become more comfortable,” he said.

Glengouly was ridden to victory by champion jockey Sean Bowen for Bramley, who is based at a yard owned by former champion AP McCoy.

Bramley took over training of the winner, who finished down the field in this year’s Grand National, from champion Irish trainer Willie Mullins in May, and this was the horse’s first win in three years

Vincenzo (7-2) was one and a half lengths back in second, with 11-4 favourite Jagwar third.

“It’s brilliant to win a race named after John’s family,” said Bowen as the winning horse returned to the strains of It’s All About You by McFly – Amy Hunt’s favourite band.

Step into the Dodgers’ team store, turn to the right, and you’ll be staring at Shohei Ohtani.

Not in person, of course. But amid all the jerseys and caps and T-shirts, there is a commercial playing on a loop, with Ohtani waving his fingers through his hair and winking as he displays the product he is endorsing: the top-selling skin serum in Japan.

“Take care of your skin,” the narrator says. “Live life to the fullest.”

Life is good at Dodger Stadium. In the store at the top of the park, you can buy a bottle of skin serum that retails for $118, or World Series championship gear including T-shirts and caps for $54 and up, hoodies for $110 and up, and cool jackets for as much as $382.

If you’re a fan of any team besides the Dodgers, you might despise all the money they spend on players. On Friday after the Dodgers introduced their latest All-Star, closer Edwin Díaz, I asked general manager Brandon Gomes if they really could buy whatever player they wanted.

“Our ownership group has been incredibly supportive, so if we feel like it’s something that meaningfully impacts our World Series chances, we’ve had that support all the time,” he said. “We’re fortunate to be in that position.”

The Dodgers’ owners spend money to make money, and they wisely hired Andrew Friedman a decade ago to tell them where to spend their money. Sounds simple, but some owners do not spend money wisely, and some do not spend money, period.

And sometimes you do both, and it just does not work out.

In the last decade the Dodgers have made the playoffs every year. Take a guess: What other Los Angeles pro team has made the playoffs the most during the last decade?

It’s the Clippers — eight playoff appearances, no championships and now a disaster.

The Dodgers have won three championships over the last decade. You might not remember that the Dodgers’ owners were ridiculed within the industry for spending $2 billion to buy the team in 2012.

At the time I asked co-owner Todd Boehly how he would define successful ownership of the Dodgers.

“You’re not really asking me that, are you?” he said then. “The more World Series we win, the more valuable a franchise it is, right?”

The Dodgers were valued at $8 billion last year by Sportico.

They signed Díaz for three years and $69 million. I asked Gomes what winter signing he recalled as the biggest during the five years he pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, left, and Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes welcome star closer Edwin Díaz during his introductory news conference Friday.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

In 2014, he said, the Rays signed closer Grant Balfour: two years and $12 million — after the Baltimore Orioles withdrew a two-year, $15-million deal following a physical examination.

It’s not just the Rays, or even the small markets. The New York Mets’ spending rivaled the Dodgers last season, but the Mets missed the playoffs and lost free agents Díaz, Pete Alonso and Tyler Rogers this week alone. The New York Yankees sound oddly supportive of a salary cap. The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs talk like big-market teams but do not spend like them.

At the Angels’ team store Friday morning, five customers looked around the team store, where all jerseys sold for 50% off. The attraction at the store Saturday: photos with Santa.

The Angels have not made a postseason appearance since 2014, and their acquisitions so far this offseason: a formerly touted infield prospect once traded for Chris Sale, a talented young pitcher who missed this past season because of injury and another pitcher who finished third in Cy Young voting in 2022 but has not pitched in the majors in more than 18 months. They’ll likely pay those three players less than $4 million combined.

In March, Anaheim Mayor Ashleigh Aitken invited Angels owner Arte Moreno to join her in “an open and honest conversation about the future of baseball in Anaheim.”

This week when the future of the Angel Stadium site came up during an Anaheim City Council meeting, Aitken mused about asking city residents “how much of a priority is it to have the land tied up with a baseball franchise,” Voice of OC reported. (The Angels’ stadium lease extends through 2032, and the Angels have the right to extend it through 2038.)

So consider this a timely holiday reminder for Dodgers fans to give thanks for this ownership group, for what the Dodgers are doing now is exceptional and extremely rare.

It would be nice if the Dodgers made more of a commitment to family affordability — and also if the Dodgers did not charge $102.25 for “an iconic photo op with the 2024 and 2025 World Series trophies” — but their attendance nonetheless hit 4 million for the first time.

This is a Dodger town, and the team is the toast of the town. The Dodgers are the biggest winner in American pro sports right now.

The owners are winners too. On Thursday, Boehly’s company staged its holiday party, and the musicians included Eddie Vedder, Bruno Mars, Anthony Kiedis, Brandi Carlile and Slash. Live life to the fullest, indeed.

American Lindsey Vonn became the oldest skiing downhill World Cup winner at St Moritz in Switzerland on Friday.

The 41-year-old retired from the sport in February 2019 because of knee problems but made her competitive return in December 2024.

Vonn has collected one gold and two bronze Olympic medals in her career to date and is on track to represent the USA at the 2026 Games in February.

She crossed the line in one minute and 29.63 seconds – nearly a second quicker than second-placed Magdalena Egger – to wrap up her 83rd World Cup win and first since 2018.

“I knew I was skiing fast but you never know until the first race,” Vonn told TNT Sports.

“I think I was a little faster than I expected. It’s a very exciting time. Obviously my goal is Cortina but if this is the way we start, I think I’m in a good spot.”

Vonn seized skiing’s oldest World Cup winner record from Switzerland’s Didier Cuche, who had held it since his victory in the super-G at Crans Montana, USA in 2012 aged 37.

The oldest winner on the women’s circuit was Austrian Elisabeth Goergl for her victory in the super-G at Val d’Isere, France in 2014, at the age of 33.

It was Vonn’s 83rd World Cup victory and first since she won in Are, Sweden, in March 2018.

Vonn has four overall World Cup titles from a glittering career that has spanned 20 years.

“The win means so much to me. I knew in the summer I was on the right path, and all the hard work has paid off,” Vonn added.

“I thought I might retire after the last race of the Olympics, because I didn’t think I’d be competitive for a title, but I might need to change my approach.”

Friday’s event marked the beginning of the downhill World Cup campaign, with a further eight races taking place before the World Cup Finals at Kvitfjell in Norway on 21 March.

Sweeping the Las Vegas Raiders is one thing, but can the Chargers do the same against the mighty Kansas City Chiefs?

With the way Patrick Mahomes & Co. have played lately — losing four of five and in danger of missing the playoffs for the first time with Mahomes — that’s entirely possible.

The Chargers need to win at least one of their final four games to get to double digits and put themselves in position to make the playoffs, and it’s a brutal stretch — at Kansas City and Dallas, home against Houston, and a finale at Denver. They could check that box Sunday, having won five of their last six games.

How the Chargers can win: The Chargers need to ratchet up the pressure on Mahomes, particularly off the edges, and test an offensive line that has been in a steady rotation and is suspect at the tackle spots. Take advantage of the inconsistency at receiver and the propensity for drops. The secondary led the way in the win over Philadelphia. Win on early downs to get into third-and-manageable and don’t fall behind in what can be one of the loudest stadiums in the league. Keep Chris Jones and the rest off of Justin Herbert, who still is recovering from surgery on his left hand. Continue to pound the ball with Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal.

How the Chiefs can win: The Chiefs need to win out, and to do that they must get out of their own way. Too many times they have fallen victim to mistakes — drops, penalties, missed assignments, defensive lapses. It’s like a bizarro version of the team that went 11-0 in one-score games last season. As great as he is, Mahomes can’t get happy feet the way he has too often. Kansas City needs to do a better job of giving him a clean pocket. The Chiefs need to tighten up on defense late — that has been a problem — and limit turnovers. They’re in a loud stadium and the cold weather plays to their advantage.