Sports Desk

“Take nothing away from Subriel – he’s a great champion.

“I didn’t really stick to the tactics tonight. I played him at his own game.

“I gave my dad a bit of a heart attack in there as that wasn’t the gameplan, but I took all his best shots and thought ‘you can’t hurt me’. I knew I’d get to him.”

Smith joins heavyweight Fabio Wardley, welterweight Lewis Crocker, super-featherweight Jazza Dickens and featherweight Nick Ball as one of the UK’s five current male world champions.

Ticket sales were reportedly modest, but there was no shortage of noise from travelling supporters as Smith walked to the ring to ‘When the sun goes down’ by Arctic Monkeys, who are from his home town of Sheffield.

Yet it felt like a home fight for Matias, with New York’s strong Puerto Rican population firmly behind the 33-year-old.

He appeared so relaxed that he stopped for selfies with family members during his ring walk.

Making the first defence of the title he won against Alberto Puello in July, Matias has at times been a slow starter and Smith exploited that by banking the opening round with sharp, crisp punches to head and body.

Matias edged the second, forcing Smith on to the back foot as blood trickled from the Briton’s nose.

After a scrappy third, Smith unexpectedly chose to trade with the champion.

With 22 knockouts in his 23 wins, Matias entered with a reputation for relentless pressure and heavy hands. Smith, however, also carried stoppage power, having recorded 13 knockouts of his own.

He landed several heavy left hooks to close the fourth round. Then came the career-defining moment that truly announced Smith on the world stage.

After briefly stumbling from a Matias combination, an unfazed Smith came roaring back in a fifth-round firefight.

He landed two straight left-right combinations that snapped Matias’ head back, before the decisive overhand right.

There was a brief protest from Matias at the referee’s decision, while Smith’s trainer and father, Grant, rushed into the ring in celebration.

The Rews are not the only brothers it is hoped will have big futures.

Rehan Ahmed was the youngest man to play Test cricket for England when he featured in Pakistan in 2022, while his 17-year-old brother Farhan, an off-spinner rather than leggie like Rehan, became the youngest bowler to take a five-wicket haul in first-class cricket in Britain when taking seven for Nottinghamshire against Surrey in 2024.

Rehan was another on this winter’s Lions trip. Many thought he should have been in the full Test squad after a strong season for Leicestershire.

Farhan has played for the Lions this year and will be part of the Under-19 World Cup group.

After Shoaib Bashir’s tour as drinks carrier, England appear back at square one in their search for a frontline spinner.

Having scored five centuries and taken 23 wickets in the 2025 County Championship Division Two, it may be that Rehan’s future is more as an all-rounder.

Lancashire left-arm spinner Tom Hartley, who has not added to his five Test caps since the 2024 tour of India, was with the Lions in Australia, and do not forget Somerset’s Jack Leach.

He was the leading wicket-taker among spinners in the County Championship last season and, aged 34, is still desperate to regain his Test place.

CHICAGO — Caleb Williams came through in his playoff debut, throwing a go-ahead, 25-yard touchdown pass to DJ Moore with 1:43 remaining, and the Chicago Bears rallied from an 18-point deficit to beat the rival Green Bay Packers 31-27 in a wild-card playoff game on Saturday night.

The NFC North champion Bears extended their resurgent first season under coach Ben Johnson with their seventh fourth-quarter comeback victory. They split two down-to-the-wire games with Green Bay in the regular season, and this one turned out to be a thriller when it looked like it would be a breeze for the Packers.

Chicago trailed 21-3 at halftime and 21-6 through three quarters, only to outscore Green Bay 25-6 in the fourth on the way to its first playoff win in 15 years.

Williams found a wide-open Moore along the left sideline to give Chicago a 31-27 lead with 1:43 remaining.

Jordan Love then led Green Bay into Chicago territory. But on third down at the 28, Jaquan Brisker broke up a pass in the end zone as time expired, setting off a wild celebration — and a curt handshake between Johnson and Packers coach Matt LaFleur.

The Bears will host a divisional-round game next weekend.

Dave Roberts tossed T-shirts to fans. The students were back out in bunches. UCLA traded in its recent first-half troubles for a big lead.

It was sort of fun to be a Bruin again Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.

On an evening the team honored Roberts, the Dodgers manager and former Bruins outfielder who triumphantly hoisted the World Series trophy over his head during a timeout as fans roared, it was possible to forget about UCLA’s troubles for a few hours.

The Bruins’ 67-55 victory over Maryland was a needed reprieve for a team aching over its defense, not to mention a two-game losing streak that was comfortably snapped despite the Terrapins grabbing one offensive rebound after another.

Maryland (7-9, 0-5) finished with an absurd 20 offensive rebounds, leading to 24 second-chance points, and it still wasn’t enough to make the final minutes a worry for UCLA (11-5, 3-2) after a 6-0 push put the game away.

Forward Eric Dailey Jr. ensured that things didn’t go awry for the Bruins, nearly logging a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Trent Perry (16 points, six rebounds) hit a clutch corner three-pointer with a little less than six minutes left after Maryland had closed to within five points.

Maryland’s inability to make baskets — the Terrapins shot 30.3% overall and 18.2% from three-point range — was forced in part by some active defense, notably from UCLA’s Steven Jamerson II. The backup center had perhaps his best across-the-board showing as a Bruin, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 22 minutes.

UCLA guard Trent Perry, left, collides with Maryland guard Andre Mills while battling for a defensive rebound in the first half Saturday.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

His top highlight came on an offensive rebound he snagged while falling out of bounds and saved by flinging a pass to Perry for a three-pointer. UCLA would have won with even greater ease had it not made just 18 of 27 free throws (67%).

There were moments it was easy to forget the Bruins were playing without guard Skyy Clark (hamstring) and forward Brandon Williams (lower-leg injury). Both players are considered day to day, meaning they could return soon.

Maryland could relate to being shorthanded. The Terrapins were missing star center Pharrel Payne, who remained sidelined because of a knee injury. Forward Elijah Sanders led Maryland with 17 points.

It wasn’t nearly enough given the Bruins looked a bit more like the team they need to be.

Match of the Day’s Dion Dublin and Rob Green analyse Antoine Semenyo’s Manchester City debut as his new side thumped League One Exeter City 10-1 in the FA Cup third round.

WATCH: ‘It’s double figures’ – Manchester City score 10 as they thrash Exeter

Available to UK users only.

The NFL play-offs have got off to a thrilling start with the Los Angeles Rams needing a late touchdown to escape a huge upset at the Carolina Panthers.

The Rams were not only heavy favourites to win on Wildcard Weekend but are among the Super Bowl favourites.

But they needed a touchdown by tight end Colby Parkinson with 38 seconds remaining to claim a 34-31 win in Charlotte.

Despite coming into the post-season with a losing 8-9 record, Carolina had home advantage having stumbled to the NFC South division title.

The Rams, who finished the regular season 12-5, looked on course for a straightforward passage to the Divisional Round after Puka Nacua scored the opening two touchdowns.

But the Panthers regrouped and rushing touchdowns by Chuba Hubbard and quarterback Bryce Young cut the score to 17-14 at half-time, before the hosts tied the game in the third quarter.

Hubbard and Jalen Coker twice put the Panthers in front during the final quarter, but the Rams replied each time with Kyren Williams then Parkinson scoring from passes by quarterback Matt Stafford, who is favourite for this season’s Most Valuable Player award.

Kaleena Smith scored 50 points, including 14 after regulation, to lead Ontario Christian to a 96-87 double-overtime triumph over San José Archbishop Mitty in a high-noon showdown between the top two teams in the state Saturday in the featured game of the Kay Yow Showcase at Mater Dei.

Tatiana Griffin contributed 20 points and 18 rebounds, while Dani Robinson added 16 points for the No. 1-ranked Knights (20-0), who overcame a 12-point deficit with four minutes left in the fourth quarter. Smith was fouled with 4.7 seconds left and made both free throws to pull Ontario Christian even at 78-78. Archbishop Mitty missed a three-pointer at the buzzer.

“I’m pretty confident I’ll make them in that situation,” Smith, who reached the 50-point mark for the second time this season, said of her free throws. “This is what I do. I was in a similar spot in the Southern Section finals last year and made them.”

Smith, a junior, made nine of 10 from the foul line and added four steals and three assists. Her career high for points in a game is 63, which she accomplished her freshman year.

No. 2-ranked Archbishop Mitty (12-2), which lost to Etiwanda in the Open Division state finals last season, got 25 points from McKenna Woliczko and 21 from Ze’Ni Patterson.

The Northern and Southern California powerhouses could meet again for the state championship in March.

“During a timeout in the fourth quarter I reminded them why they’re here,” Knights coach Aundre Cummings said. “The girls love being No. 1 in the country and the attention that brings but with that comes the pressure to prove yourselves.”

Zoe Atkin secured a second British World Cup podium of the weekend with a silver medal in the freeski halfpipe event at the US Grand Prix in Aspen.

The 22-year-old halfpipe world champion was top of the standings in qualification but finished 0.25 points behind winner China’s Li Fanghui in the finals on Saturday to place second.

Li scored 93.00, Atkin achieved a score of 92.75 and third-placed Kexin Zhang of China finished with 88.75.

Atkin said she was “really happy” to secure a podium at the last World Cup event before the Winter Olympics get under way next month.

“I’m feeling super confident, really excited to get back to training and work on a couple of new things in preparation for the Games,” she added.

In his postgame interviews analyzing the play of his basketball team, UCLA coach Mick Cronin is spot on. The problem is that as the coach, his prime duty is to fix these identified shortcomings, not to blame his players for the mounting problems.

If NIL funds are lacking, discuss this with the wealthy donors. If the offense is to generate more points, he needs to devise a new scheme. Quality coaches are able to change their approaches on the fly. If Cronin is unable to get the Bruins back on the winning track, his status in Westwood needs to be reassessed. But I guess Martin Jarmond performed an assessment when he secretly extended Cronin’s contract.

Neal Rakov
Santa Fe, N.M.

The great John Wooden passed almost 16 years ago but he still watches UCLA from heaven. After Tuesday’s bad loss to Wisconsin he turned to his first Bruins athletic director, Wilbur Johns, and asked “Did we really give Mick Cronin a five-year extension?”

Fred Wallin
Westlake Village

Justin Herbert or Drake Maye?

Both quarterbacks have had outstanding seasons and will meet on a huge stage Sunday night, each looking to pick up his first victory in the NFL playoffs.

Whereas Herbert is 0-2 in Chargers postseason games, Maye is making his first postseason appearance for the New England Patriots after assembling a most valuable player-caliber season.

Herbert hasn’t gotten as much MVP mention but has been elite, especially considering the state of his injury-riddled offensive line, which has a new configuration virtually every week.

Jim Harbaugh and the Patriots’ Mike Vrabel are two of the league’s most talented coaches too, and this figures to be a balanced matchup.

The Patriots won 14 games — a whopping 10 more than the year before — but didn’t play a lot of great quarterbacks, a middler’s row that included Cam Ward, Spencer Rattler, Dillon Gabriel and a 40-year-old Joe Flacco.

Twice the Chargers have lost playoff games at New England, falling short in the AFC championship game to end the 2007 season and a divisional game in 2018.

How the Chargers can win: The Chargers need to put the Patriots on their heels by slowing the running game, which has been New England’s key to winning lately, and force the pass. Maye’s receivers don’t have a lot of big-play potential. On defense the Patriots are solid but not overwhelming. The Chargers need to be effective on third down — need to stay in third-and-manageable — to keep drives alive and keep that Patriots defense on the field. Of course protecting Herbert is a priority and it’s a challenge with an offensive line that’s constantly being reshuffled. If the Chargers score early and often, they can take the crowd out of the game.

How the Patriots can win: New England has to stay out of obvious passing situations against an opportunistic Chargers defense. That means leaning on the running game, something the Patriots have done the last month. The Patriots need to shore up the defense against the run, although the Chargers don’t thrive on that with a banged-up Omarion Hampton and backups. If the Patriots can avoid the turnovers and establish a methodical tempo, they can inch away with field goals.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Puka Nacua were named first-team All-Pro on Saturday.

Stafford, a 17th-year pro, passed for a league-leading 46 touchdowns and 4,707 yards to make All-Pro for the first time.

Stafford, 37, led the Rams to a 12-5 record and No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs. The Rams play the Carolina Panthers on Saturday in a wild-card game at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Nacua, a third-year pro, caught a league-leading 129 passes, 10 for touchdowns. His 1,715 yards receiving ranked second behind Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s 1,793.

Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. and linebacker Del’Shawn Phillips were named second-team All-Pro. James had three interceptions, two sacks, 94 tackles and a forced fumble this season. Phillips had 37 tackles and one sack heading into the Chargers’ AFC wild-card showdown with the New England Patriots on Sunday night.

The All-Pro team is voted on by a panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL. Los Angeles Times reporters do not vote for awards.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

Dorsey 75, Northridge Academy 67

El Camino Real 60, Carson 40

Fairfax 80, North Hollywood 43

Harbor Teacher 43, Torres 33

LA Hamilton 47, Marquez 40

LA University 74, Franklin 52

Santee 71, Rise Kohyang 39

SOCES 74, Lincoln 73

South East 59, Locke 45

View Park 44, Orthopaedic 40

Westbrook 57, Maywood CES 56

Wilmington Banning 50, Verdugo Hills 37

WISH Academy 50, University Prep Value 47

SOUTHERN SECTION

ACE 57, Victor Valley Christian 45

Agoura 52, Newbury Park 48

Alhambra 57, Montebello 43

Aliso Niguel 39, Beckman 37

Anaheim 57, Garden Grove Santiago 42

Anaheim Canyon 75, Santa Ana Foothill 52

Animo Leadership 61, Ambassador 58

Arcadia 69, Muir 45

Arlington 73, Hemet 66

Arrowhead Christian 68, Linfield Christian 53

Arroyo 79, Pasadena Marshall 57

Ayala 67, Diamond Bar 63

Azusa 77, Duarte 76

Banning 77, Desert Mirage 30

Bassett 51, Pomona 18

Bell Gardens 69, San Gabriel 49

Beverly Hills 57, Culver City 48

Big Bear 98, AAE 49

Bishop Amat 91, Gardena Serra 49

Blair 95, South Pasadena 78

Bonita 68, Walnut 51

Brea Olinda 67, Garden Grove Pacifica 53

Burbank Burroughs 72, Glendale 64

Calabasas 81, Westlake 70

California 84, El Rancho 39

California Lutheran 66, Desert Christian Academy 65

Calvin Christian 63, Cornerstone Christian 28

Cathedral 73, Cantwell-Sacred Heart 69

Cerritos 60, Whitney 32

Chaminade 55, Loyola 48

Citrus Hill 80, Canyon Springs 55

Corona Centennial 89, Norco 21

Corona Santiago 70, Eastvale Roosevelt 63

Crescenta Valley 77, Burbank 64

Desert Hot Springs 69, Cathedral City 46

Downey 78, Firebuagh 38

Dunn 60, Grace 53

Edgewood 67, Workman 34

Edison 75, Newport Harbor 70

El Dorado 69, Sonora 60

El Toro 53, Mission Viejo 48

Excelsior Charter 79, Lucerne Valley 34

Foothill Tech 66, Cate 39

Fountain Valley 56, Huntington Beach 49

Gahr 54, Dominguez 52

Glendora 54, Claremont 33

Hacienda Heights Wilson 62, Charter Oak 52

Harvard-Westlake 78, Crespi 53

Indian Springs 64, Pacific 32

JSerra 80, Orange Lutheran 66

Keppel 79, Schurr 50

Laguna Beach 69, Irvine University 48

La Habra 69, Crean Lutheran 56

Lakeside 72, Heritage 53

Lakeview Leadership 69, PAL Academy 22

La Salle 63, Mary Star of the Sea 38

La Sierra 52, Jurupa Valley 51

La Serna 49, Santa Fe 47

Long Beach Cabrillo 59, Long Beach Jordan 53

Long Beach Poly 78, Compton 50

Long Beach Wilson 65, Lakewood 52

Los Alamitos 80, Marina 60

Maranatha 45, Heritage Christian 44

Mater Dei 95, Servite 76

Mira Costa 69, Peninsula 28

Moorpark 58, Camarillo 54

Murrieta Valley 70, Great Oak 67

North Torrance 47, West Torrance 42

Northview 45, West Covina 37

Oaks Christian 72, Thousand Oaks 65

Ontario Christian 79, Woodcrest Christian 58

Orange 60, Estancia 59

Oxford Academy 64, Artesia 62

Oxnard 60, Rio Mesa 50

Oxnard Pacifica 73, Dos Pueblos 70

Paloma Valley 65, Vista del Lago 42

Palos Verdes 53, Wiseburn-Da Vinci 51

Pasadena 86, Hoover 20

Perris 52, Valley View 51

Pilibos 69, Mesrobian 35

Pioneer 79, Glenn 41

Portola 69, Irvine 44

Ramona 87, Norte Vista 77

Rancho Christian 78, Liberty 39

Rancho Verde 76, ORange Vista 46

Rio Hondo Prep 51, Chadwick 50

Riverside King 62, Corona 53

Riverside North 44, Moreno Valley 41

Riverside Prep 65, CIMSA 52

Rosemead 38, South El Monte 33

Rowland 41, Covina 40

Rubidoux 56, Patriot 43

San Bernardino 94, Miller 45

San Marcos 73, Buena 35

San Marino 60, La Canada 53

Santa Ana Valley 40, Magnolia 33

Santa Barbara 64, Ventura 37

Santa Clara 48, St. Bonaventure 45

Santa Rosa Academy 81, United Christian Academy 40

Sequoyah 51, Hillcrest Christian 47

Sierra Canyon 78, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 74

Sierra Vista 69, Garey 35

Silver Valley 53, Hesperia Christian 46

Simi Valley 93, Del Sol 42

Southlands Christian 50, Avalon 49

South Torrance 50, Torrance 46

St. Anthony 79, St. Bernard 71

St. Genevieve 67, Paraclete 41

St. John Bosco 74, Santa Margarita 73

St. Monica 78, St. Paul 60

Temecula Valley 79, Vista Murrieta 73

Temple City 66, Monrovia 49

Twentynine Palms 59, Yucca Valley 33

University Prep 59, Desert Christian 45

Valencia 84, Canyon Country Canyon 58

Vasquez 97, PACS 52

Village Christian 90, Cerritos Valley Christian 34

Warren 86, Paramount 57

Webb 75, Newport Christian 48

Western 68, Savanna 54

Westminster La Quinta 60. Rancho Alamitos 48

Woodbridge 66, St. Margaret’s 50

Yorba Linda 49, Sunny Hills 48

INTERSECTIONAL

Buckley 64, Taft 61

Rolling Hills Prep 72, Narbonne 42

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Marquez 36, MSCP 31

Panorama 38, Fulton 7

South East 61, Huntington Park 36

SOUTHERN SECTION

AAE 46, Big Bear 31

Arcadia 69, Muir 31

Arroyo 26, Pasadena Marshall 19

Ayala 41, Diamond Bar 32

Banning 66, Desert Mirage 14

Bonita 41, Walnut 24

Brentwood 61, Crossroads 32

Buena Park 72, Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 20

Burbank Burroughs 58, Glendale 42

Camarillo 59, Moorpark 31

Capistrano Valley Christian 49, Samueli Academy 35

Cerritos 72, Whitney 58

Chaparral 61, Murrieta Mesa 60

CIMSA 42, Riverside Prep 24

Corona Centennial 96, Norco 8

Costa Mesa 60, Westminster 36

Crescenta Valley 77, Burbank 39

Desert Chapel 45, Joshua Springs Christian 15

Desert Christian 37, University Prep 26

Downey 53, Gahr 16

Duarte 61, Azusa 23

Edgewood 44, Workman 25

El Dorado 48, Crean Lutheran 30

El Modena 61, Santa Ana Foothill 27

El Rancho 38, California 31

Esperanza 47, Anaheim Canyon 34

Etiwanda 69, Villa Park 49

Fillmore 44, Santa Clara 19

Flintridge Prep 73, Pasadena Poly 37

Fullerton 51, Laguna Hills 35

Garden Grove 47, Ocean View 23

Glendora 61, Claremont 32

Godinez 43, Placentia Valencia 23

Hacienda Heights Wilson 75, Charter Oak 20

Hemet 33, Canyon Springs 20

Hesperia 54, Apple Valley 38

Hesperia Christian 56, Silver Valley 54

Holy Martyrs Armenian 49, AGBU 23

Indian Springs 62, Pacific 28

Irvine 45, Northwood 34

Keppel 53, Schurr 34

La Canada 54, San Marino 22

La Puente 32, Ganesha 22

La Serna 51, Santa Fe 40

La Sierra 30, Jurupa Valley 29

Lawndale 55, Hawthorne 9

Leuzinger 77, Compton Centennial 28

Liberty 46, Vista del Lago 27

Loara 44, Anaheim 39

Long Beach Jordan 72, Long Beach Cabrillo 5

Lucerne Valley 42, Excelsior Charter 38

Murrieta Valley 61, Great Oak 19

Newbury Park 55, Agoura 33

Nogales 63, Baldwin Park 42

North Torrance 47, West Torrance 35

Norwalk 49, Bellflower 40

Oak Hills 78, Burbank Burroughs 33

Oak Park 91, Royal 10

Oakwood 61, Burbank Providence 15

Ontario Christian 86, Lakewood St. Joseph 51

Palos Verdes 55, Wiseburn-Da Vnci 50

Pasadena 53, Hoover 43

Patriot 62, Rubidoux 9

Pioneer 55, Glenn 30

Ramona 62, Norte Vista 18

Riverside King 60, Corona 47

Riverside Poly 52, Hillcrest 51

Rowland 58, Covina 30

Sage Hill 73, Portola 45

San Bernardino 61, Miller 19

Santa Ana Valley 45, Western 38

Santa Clarita Christian 45, Faith Baptist 37

Santa Paula 73, Carpinteria 43

Saugus 79, Golden Valley 39

Savanna 44, Westminster La Quinta 21

Sierra Vista 60, Garey 38

St. Margaret’s 64, Laguna Beach 41

Southlands Christian 22, St. Lucy’s 19

South Torrance 49, Torrance 41

Temple City 53, Monrovia 34

Thousand Oaks 67, Oaks Christian 32

Twentynine Palms 62, Yucca Valley 20

Valencia 82, Canyon Country Canyon 55

Village Christian 68, Cerritos Valley Christian 56

Vista Murrieta 51, Temecula Valley 48

Warren 57, Mayfair 32

West Covina 32, Northview 25

Westlake 61, Calabasas 57

Woodbridge 50, Irvine University 16

Yorba Linda 42, Sunny Hills 32

INTERSECTIONAL

Archbishop Mitty 80, Fairmont Prep 45

Chatsworth 49, Northridge Academy 40

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 67, North County San Marcos 53

Rosary Academy 53, King/Drew 44

West Ranch 82, Vaughn 11

New documents filed Friday in the Rose Bowl’s breach-of-contract case against UCLA that also accuses Kroenke Sports and Entertainment of meddling on behalf of SoFi Stadium revealed communication between UCLA and a top Kroenke executive dating back as far as August 2024.

An email sent that month from UCLA chief financial officer Stephen Agostini’s assistant to executives from Kroenke Sports and Entertainment and SoFi Stadium sought coordination of a Zoom meeting between the parties in September 2024 under the subject heading “UCLA Football Discussion.” The importance level was listed as “high.”

A list of proposed meeting attendees included Agostini; UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond; UCLA athletics chief financial officer Chris Iacoi; Kroenke Sports and Rams president Kevin Demoff; SoFi Stadium executives Greg Kish and Mike Forrester; and Mitchell Ziets, chief executive officer of Tipping Point Sports, a boutique sports advisory firm based in New Jersey.

“Please review the scheduling opportunities below and let me know what is possible,” wrote Shelley Stanley, Agostini’s executive assistant. “A reply sooner rather than later would be greatly appreciated, given that we are on the heels of the Fall quarter and the beginning of the UCLA football season.”

A subsequent email sent by Demoff to Agostini in late September 2024 under the subject heading “Next Get Together” inquired about another meeting.

“Steve,” Demoff wrote in the email, “I figured with all of the changes/craziness that I would give the group some time, but let me know when is a good time to get our teams together to go back through and financials/pro formas related to SoFi in order to help moving things along. Next week is poor for me personally but we are ready to jump in!”

As part of another email exchange between Demoff and Agostini in December 2024 under the subject heading “Updated Projections,” Demoff wrote that he “had our group re-run everything to really focus on reducing expenses and where we think there is opportunity for UCLA to grow revenue. Attached is the deck that they have provided. I’ve been scrambling all week between LA, Denver, Dallas and now NYC and haven’t had a ton of opportunity to connect on the phone, but wanted to share this with you ahead of the holidays so that you can start to dig in.”

In an email timestamped 13 minutes later, Agostini replied that he would “look at this now.”

The attachment that Demoff referenced was not included as part of the discovery documents related to the ongoing dispute between UCLA and the Rose Bowl Operating Co. and the City of Pasadena. The latter entities are trying to force the school to honor the terms of a lease agreement that does not include an opt-out clause and requires the Bruins to keep playing at the Rose Bowl through the end of the 2043 season.

The plaintiffs have alleged that UCLA abandoning the Rose Bowl, where the school has played home football games since 1982, would cause “irreparable harm necessitating equitable relief and for which monetary damages alone would be inadequate.”

According to court documents, the City of Pasadena faced $184,355,000 in outstanding debt on bonds issued to finance stadium modernization and renovations as of last June. Revenue from UCLA football games has been used to service the debt as part of the agreement between the entities, ensuring that Pasadena taxpayers would not be burdened with that expense through withdrawals from a general fund used to support city services.

The Rose Bowl is also expected to spend at least $28.5 million before the 2026 season to construct a field-level club in the south end zone that would enhance UCLA’s game-day experience and generate revenue for the school.

Meanwhile, UCLA’s athletic department is seeking new sources of revenue after running up $219.55 million in debt during the past six fiscal years, though an athletic department spokesperson has said that deficit has been covered by the university, bringing the balance to zero.

UCLA has not publicly stated its intentions for its football future other than to say it continues to evaluate its options. But the new documents show that the school has been contemplating the possibility of a move for more than a year.

Last month, Kroenke Sports and Entertainment and SoFi Stadium were added as defendants to the Rose Bowl’s complaint against UCLA and accused of tortious interference. UCLA and SoFi Stadium officials have said they would not comment on ongoing litigation.

A hearing on UCLA’s motion to compel arbitration and keep the proceedings out of open court is set to be heard Jan. 22 in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Sixth-tier Macclesfield FC beat reigning champions Crystal Palace. With 117 places between the teams, it’s the biggest upset in FA Cup history.

MATCH REPORT: Macclesfield 2-1 Crystal Palace

Watch Macclesfield FC documentary on BBC iPlayer: Managing Macclesfield FC

Available to UK users only.

Shortly after adjusting the bandages on his head after picking up an injury early in the match, Paul Dawson nods home Macclesfield’s opener to put them ahead against Crystal Palace.

WATCH ON IPLAYER: Macclesfield FC v Crystal Palace

Available to UK users only.

The City Section might have a contender for small-schools basketball success in Sylmar-based Triumph, a charter school that opened in 2010 and is having its best season ever.

The Jaguars, under coach Fabian Avila, have been led by the Garcia brothers, Antonio, a 6-foot-3 senior, and Damian, a freshman point guard.

Antonio was one of the leading scorers in the City Section last season and is averaging 19 points this season.

“He’s very strong and physical,” Avila said.

His brother is averaging 11 points.

Probably the best win for Triumph was over AGBU when Antonio scored 22 points.

Triumph, which has an enrollment of fewer than 400 students, relies on multiple-sport athletes. One of the players is playing basketball and soccer simultaneously.

Avila is in his ninth year and said this is his best team. There are no transfers and all are students from the Sylmar area.

Last season, the team made it to the Division IV semifinals before losing when it was down to five players because of injuries. This season, the roster is at 13 with freshmen helping out.

The school has won one City title — in boys’ volleyball.

The big question is where Triumph will be placed in the playoffs depending on computer rankings.

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

A further five of Saturday’s SPFL fixtures have been postponed, including Greenock Morton v Dunfermline Athletic and Queen’s Park v St Johnstone in the Championship.

Frozen pitches have caused the cancellation of the two second-tier games.

Alloa Athletic v Montrose (frozen pitch) and Peterhead v Hamilton Academical (waterlogged pitch) in League 1 are off and, in League 2, frozen pitches mean Dumbarton v Clyde and East Kilbride v Spartans will also be rearranged.

Annan Athletic’s home game against Elgin City in League 2 was called off after a Friday pitch inspection revealed another frozen surface.

People across Scotland are being warned to prepare for more snow and ice this weekend.

The Lakers have two of the best clutch players in the NBA in LeBron James and Luka Doncic. They have been the best clutch team in the NBA this season because of them and because they have led the way for the Lakers. They have won an NBA-best 13 games in the clutch this season.

But when the game hung in the balance Friday night, when the Lakers needed James and Doncic to be clutch, neither was able to deliver, their inability to do so a direct result in L.A. dropping a 105-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Crypto.com Arena.

For as much as James did in keeping the Lakers in the game by scoring 13 of his 26 points in the final quarter and by nearly collecting a triple-double with 10 assists and nine rebounds, it was his last-second turnover that doomed them.

For as much as Doncic did in producing a near triple-double with 24 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, his poor shooting and foul trouble was not helpful in the end.

“I’d love to go undefeated in clutch games for a season, but you know, you can’t get too high, can’t get too low on stats like that,” James said. “You just play the game. And they made some plays. Big three by [Myles] Turner by our bench; obviously the free throws down the stretch by KP [Kevin Porter Jr.]. So, we had our chances.”

The score was tied at 101-101 after Jake LaRavia (13 points) drilled a three-pointer off a pass from Doncic.

Lakers guard Luka Doncic, center, makes a backwards pass over Bucks guard AJ Green (20) during the first half Friday night at Crypto.com Arena.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The Lakers never scored again. James missed a driving layup for the lead that was blocked by Giannis Antetokounmpo. Then Doncic fouled Porter on a three-pointer with 16.2 seconds left. It was Doncic’s sixth foul.

“I think we missed a couple of good shots down the stretch. Then I fouled (out). I had six fouls. First time in a long time,” Doncic said. “So, that’s on me. I can’t foul at that point.”

Porter made two of the three free throws for a 103-101 Bucks lead.

Doncic was asked about the foul.

“Yeah, I don’t think he shoots like that,” Doncic said of Porter’s three-pointer. “The referee said it was a foul. So, I guess it’s a foul.”

Still, the Lakers were down only two points and they still had James on the court.

But on his drive to the basket, James lost control of the ball for a turnover with 1.5 seconds left.

“For me? … I turned the ball over. You definitely can’t do that at that point and time,” James said. “So, Giannis, he made a great play by getting his arm and tipping it from behind, but can’t turn the ball over — obviously.”

Doncic lamented his shooting during the game.

He made his first two three-pointers to start the game, but it was all downhill from there. He was eight-for-25 shooting the field and had a rating of minus-14.

“Obviously my shot didn’t go well today,” Doncic said. “You know, could get better shots. So, wish I could have executed better than that.”

The Lakers played their fourth game this week, at times looking sluggish because of the workload.

It was the kind of night that saw Doncic pick up his fifth foul with 2.1 seconds left in the third quarter.

The Lakers trailed by as much as 12 in the second quarter, looking a bit slow.

So much — if not all — of the Lakers’ game plan was on trying to deal with the nearly unstoppable force that is Antetokounmpo.

And much of that job went to Lakers center Deandre Ayton, whom the LA felt was best equipped to handle the assignment because of his size (7-foot), length and strength.

But it also was going to take the Lakers as a group to slow down Antetokounmpo, who finished with 21 points, six rebounds and five assists.

Jarred Vanderbilt gave the Lakers a big effort with nine points and nine rebounds off the bench, and his usual tough defense.

Hachimura update

Lakers forward Rui Hachimura missed his sixth consecutive game because of right calf soreness. Hachimura has been working out and there is some hope that he can play Monday night in Sacramento.

“He’s made a lot of progress just in terms of regaining strength and mobility in his calf and had a good workout today,” coach JJ Redick said. “There’s a lot of optimism that he’ll be available Monday, but we’ll see how the next few days go.”