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La Mirada finally got its breakthrough win in the Southern Section Open Division basketball playoffs on Friday night, going on the road to defeat St. John Bosco 56-53.

The Matadores (23-7) wanted to be in the Open Division playoffs last season and went 1-3, failing to make the state playoffs. They lost to Sherman Oaks Notre Dame on Wednesday, in a pool-play opener, ending their 14-game winning streak, then came back to inflict a rare home defeat on St. John Bosco in a pool play game. St. John Bosco had a chance to tie the score at the end but a three-point attempt failed.

Jordyn Houston led La Mirada with 22 points. St. John Bosco faces Notre Dame on Tuesday. La Mirada is in good position to claim second place in the pool and advance to the quarterfinals.

Harvard-Westlake 67, Damien 62: Joe Sterling finished with 22 points to help the Wolverines get back into the win column in an Open Division pool play game.

Corona Centennial 74, Etiwanda 48: The Huskies rolled to a win in their Open Division opener.

Crespi 82, Corona del Mar 70: The Celts faced a large, enthusiastic road crowd and won their first Open Division game. Isaiah Barnes scored 24 points and Jasiah Williams 23. Maxwell Scott scored 35 points for Corona del Mar.

JSerra 75, Loyola 46: Jaden Bailes scored 22 points in the Division 1 playoff victory.

Mater Dei 85, Westlake 59: It was another dominating win for the Monarchs in Division 2.

Rolling Hills Prep 63, Orange Lutheran 52: Josahn Webster, the son of King/Drew coach Lloyd Webster, contributed 23 points for Rolling Hills Prep.

Shalhevet 42, Palm Springs 41: Sam Jacobsen had the game-winning basket for Shalhevet in a Division 4-A game.

Venice 58, Sun Valley Poly 40: The Gondoliers advanced in the City Section Division I playoffs.

MILAN — He popped the quad axel. He stumbled across the ice. He tried to hide the pained expression.

Ilia Malinin fell apart in the men’s free skate, tumbling from near lock to win the gold medal to eighth place after a disastrous performance Friday. After his music ended, Malinin covered his anguished face. He put his hands on his knees, shook his head in disbelief and scrunched his face, hoping to hold back the tears.

It was the first time since November 2023 that he hadn’t won a competition.

“I just thought that all I needed to do was go out there and trust the process that I’ve always been doing with every competition,” Malinin said with tear-stained cheeks. “But, of course, it’s not like any other competition. It’s the Olympics.”

American Ilia Malinin reacts after stumbling through the men’s singles free skate at the Winter Olympics on Friday in Milan.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Malinin skated four times at the Milan-Cortina Games, helping the United States to a team gold medal with a clutch free skate that clinched the one-point win. But the 21-year-old had just one clean skate in his first Games experience. He explained his slow start during the team event as “Olympic nerves.”

There was no explaining away Friday’s flop.

“I think people only realize the pressure and the nerves that actually happen from the inside,” said Malinin, whose technical advantage was supposed to be insurmountable for his opponents. “It was really just something that overwhelmed me. I just felt like I had no control.”

After Malinin’s score was announced, Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Shaidorov covered his mouth in shock. He was the new Olympic champion. Shaidorov claimed his country’s first Olympic gold in figure skating. His coach held his arm up like a boxing champion as a legion of Kazakh fans seated in the corner above the kiss-and-cry booth where skaters wait for their score waved their country’s teal and yellow flags. Malinin hugged him. He pointed to Shaidorov’s chest.

“You deserve it,” Malinin said.

Japan’s Yuma Kagiyama shook off several falls in his program to fight for his second consecutive Olympic silver. His countryman Shun Sato was in tears after learning he took the bronze.

Ilia Malinin’s father, Roman Skorniakov, reacts during his son’s performance at the men’s singles free skate at the Winter Olympics on Friday in Milan.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The United States’ Andrew Torgashev finished 12th with his season’s best 259.06-point total. Maxim Naumov stumbled through several jumps in his free skate to finish 20th overall with a 223.36 point total. The 24-year-old who lost both parents in a plane crash last year earned a standing ovation from actor Jeff Goldblum, who was in the stands behind the judges.

As the groups progressed toward the medal contenders, the crowd filled Milano Ice Skating Arena to the brim. Fans in suites in the rafters leaned over glass panes to get a better look. Volunteers and arena workers stood at the top of the concourse with no open seats left to claim.

While rising to the top of the sport with his stunning jumps and crowd-pleasing backflip, Malinin said his mission was to boost the popularity of figure skating to get this kind of attention outside of just the Olympic stage.

But standing at the center of the ice as fans waved U.S. flags from every corner, Malinin, the “Quad God” who looked invincible just three months ago when he became the first person to land seven quadruple jumps in one program, felt scared.

“Especially going into that starting pose, I just felt like all the just traumatic moments of my life really just started flooding my head,” Malinin said. “It was just like so many negative thoughts that just flooded into there, and I just did not handle it.”

He started off the program with a strong quad flip. Then he bailed mid-air on his signature quad axel that he had yet to attempt in the Olympics. The crowd gasped. Panic started when Malinin downgraded a planned quadruple loop to a double two jumps later.

American Ilia Malinin falls while competing in the men’s singles free skate at the Winter Olympics in Milan on Friday.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Behind the boards, his father and coach, Roman Skorniakov covered his face. Coach Rafael Arutyunyan, who has worked with Malinin part-time since 2021, paced back and forth. He hit the padded boards for encouragement before Malinin lined up for a three-jump combination.

Malinin fell again.

The program couldn’t end soon enough just to allow the 21-year-old a chance to hide after years of being in the spotlight as the presumed next Olympic champion.

“Being the Olympic gold hopeful is really just a lot to deal with,” Malinin said, “especially for my age.”

Malinin’s free skate music includes self-narrated voiceovers telling the story of his personal journey growing in the sport. As it begins, he uncovers his face. His words echo over the speakers.“The only true wisdom,” Malinin says in the program, “is in knowing you know nothing.”

After this result, that couldn’t be more true.

When D’Anton Lynn abruptly left for Penn State on the eve of USC’s bowl game, the hope within the program had been to keep what remained of his defensive staff intact. All while also attracting a top-notch defensive coordinator to take Lynn’s place.

But Lincoln Riley, after four years of regular churn with his staff at USC, was also realistic. The coach had learned by now how quickly plans could change with the coaching carousel.

“It really doesn’t matter what team you are,” Riley said in December. “It doesn’t matter what staff you are. Doesn’t matter what your postseason situation is like. … We’ve been through this now for a few years. So you can’t always predict everything that’s going to happen, but this time of year, you have to be ready to adjust. It’s just the nature of the game.”

Some adjustments, as Riley suggested then, were probably inevitable.

New USC defensive coordinator Gary Patterson takes questions from the media during a news conference.

(Ronaldo Bolanos/Los Angeles Times)

The worst of it came late in the carousel, when defensive line coach Eric Henderson elected to return to the NFL, departing for the same position with the Washington Commanders. Losing Henderson, from a recruiting perspective alone, is significant. He finished the last recruiting cycle as the nation’s top-ranked recruiter, according to 247 Sports.

It was Henderson who took over the defense for USC’s bowl game, which led some players to voice their belief he should get the full-time gig. His name was floated for other jobs, too, including the coordinator position at his alma mater, Georgia Tech.

USC hoped to retain him as defensive line coach. But with the program determined to go outside of its staff for a new coordinator, Henderson ultimately chose to leave.

USC also moved on from secondary coach Doug Belk, who’d also been mentioned as a potential internal candidate. He spent the previous two seasons as a leading voice on USC’s defensive staff. But his contract was not renewed.

In hiring longtime Texas Christian coach Gary Patterson, Riley found the rare coordinator happy to blend in with a staff that’s largely in place already. Last month, in his first meeting with reporters, Patterson said he viewed himself more as “that last piece” on USC’s staff. He even assured he’d adapt his 4-2-5 defensive scheme to what USC did under Lynn.

“The group that’s here, they improved the defense last year,” Patterson said. “So instead of just coming in and saying, ‘Well this is how we’re gonna do it, it’s been a little bit more work of trying to put both of them together, understanding they did a great job and recruiting really good players. So you gotta really kind of listen a little bit more before you say this how we [do it].”

Some unique aspects of Patterson’s scheme, however, are probably best left in familiar hands. That’s especially the case with his secondary, which is called separately from the front seven.

It stands to reason then that Patterson would bring Paul Gonzales, a defensive backs coach who worked with Patterson for nearly half of his tenure at TCU. He left Baylor to join USC’s staff and is expected to lead the Trojans entire secondary. He’ll be joined by Sam Carter, a former all-Big 12 safety who played under Patterson.

The rest of the staff remains largely intact from last season. Defensive ends coach Shaun Nua stuck with USC amid rumors of interest from his alma mater, Brigham Young. Trovon Reed will continue to coach cornerbacks and Rob Ryan, for the time being at least, remains as linebackers coach.

After a debut that produced mixed results with a thin linebacker room, Ryan’s status has been up in the air over the past two months. Whether he returns or not, his unit will have another voice in the linebacker room in Year 2. Mike Ekeler, who previously coached at USC under Lane Kiffin in 2013, was hired away from Nebraska to coach both special teams and linebackers.

Two defensive analysts were also promoted to full-time roles, as Skyler Jones, in his third season on staff, will coach defensive tackles and AJ Howard, entering his second, will coach outside linebackers.

That makes nine coaches on USC’s defensive staff alone, three more than it employed last season.

As of 2024, there are no longer limits on the number of coaches who can provide on-field instruction, meaning the Trojans can have as many assistants on staff as they please. But only 10 total, plus the head coach, are allowed to recruit off-campus. It’s unclear who among USC’s current staff will fill those 10 roles.

On the other side of the ball, Riley was able to keep the whole band together. Offensive line coach Zach Hanson was pursued heavily by his alma mater, Kansas State, to be offensive coordinator under new coach Collin Klein, who Hanson considers to be one of his closest friends.

Still, Hanson chose to stick with USC and Riley, whose offense will return not just every member of its staff, but also its entire offensive line, its star running back and a Heisman candidate at quarterback.

MILAN — Kings left wing Kevin Fiala sustained a leg injury and was taken off the ice on a stretcher late in Switzerland’s game against Canada at the Milan-Cortina Olympics on Friday.

Fiala went down when he collided with Tom Wilson with just less than three minutes left in Canada’s 5-1 victory.

Fiala backed into a hit on Wilson near the boards, their legs got tangled and both players fell to the ice. Fiala couldn’t get up and after a stoppage in play medical personnel attended to him.

Fiala was placed face down on a stretcher and his left leg appeared to be in an air cast as he was wheeled out.

“I haven’t seen him yet. I think he went to the hospital. Obviously it doesn’t look very good,” Swiss coach Patrick Fischer said. “Tough moment for Kevin and the whole team, obviously.”

No penalty was assessed on the play.

“It was an accident,” Fischer said.

The 29-year-old Fiala is in his 12th NHL season and fourth with the Kings. He has 40 points in 56 games this season.

USA’s Ilia Malinin, the red-hot favourite for men’s figure skating gold at Milan-Cortina 2026, falls twice as he misses out on a podium finish to give Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan the gold medal.

READ MORE: Shaidorov wins gold as ‘Quad God’ Malinin crumbles

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Akshay Bhatia shot an eight-under-par 64 to share the second-round lead with Ryo Hisatsune at 15 under at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy birdied the final hole to sign for a 67 but sits six strokes off the pace heading into the weekend.

The Northern Irishman made five birdies and an eagle but was left to rue bogeys on the 10th and 14th, although his four on the par-five 18th proved a more than satisfactory conclusion to the five-time major winner’s day.

American Bhatia had earlier produced one of the rounds of the day at Spyglass Hill, while Hisatsune recovered from dropping shots either side of the turn to pick up four shots in his final five holes.

Rickie Fowler was equally as impressive as he moved into a tie for second alongside Sam Burns, at 14 under as he chases his first win since July 2023.

Austria Sepp Straka is currently the best placed European player at 12 under, with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick two shots further back along with the likes of Keegan Bradley, Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele.

Englishman Tommy Fleetwood followed his 67 on Thursday with a 68 to sit at nine under with McIlroy, with Ireland’s Shane Lowry one shot further back.

A charging Scottie Scheffler brought himself back into picture with three birdies and an eagle on a five-hole stretch after the turn to reach the clubhouse at six under across the first two days.

England’s Justin Rose and Harry Hall are at five under with Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, with each player in the field having played one round at Pebble Beach and Spyglass Hill.

All the third and fourth-round action will take place solely at Pebble Beach, with there also being no 36-hole cut at the $20m (£14.7m) PGA Tour signature event.

PHOENIX — Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expects a lot from Shohei Ohtani this season. But even with those high expectations, a topic of conversation Friday as pitchers and catchers went through their first official workouts at Camelback Ranch, the superstar two-way player already found a way to exceed them.

“I came into camp at the beginning of February,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton following a bullpen session. “This is my third bullpen with pretty good intensity. … I’m not really sure how I’ll be able to practice in the WBC setting, so I’m going to try to ramp up as much as I can to a point where I’m throwing a live BP, which should be next week.”

The 2026 season will be Ohtani’s third year with the Dodgers, and his first pitching without restrictions. Fully recovered from his second Tommy John surgery, Ohtani was able to enjoy a regular, albeit short, offseason. With Ohtani in full bloom, Roberts has even higher hopes for the four-time MVP in the coming season.

“I think there’s certainly a lot more in there, and regardless of my expectations for him, his are going to exceed those,” Roberts said Friday. “I think it’s fair to say, he expects to be in the Cy Young conversation, but we just want to be healthy and make starts and all the numbers and statistics will take care of themselves, but man, this guy is such a disciplined worker, and expects the most from himself.”

Ohtani’s highest placement in Cy Young Award voting came in 2022, when, still a member of the Angels, he finished fourth after logging 15 wins, a 2.33 ERA and a 1.012 WHIP across 166 innings pitched. Ohtani suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament the following season, requiring Tommy John surgery.

“If the end result is getting a Cy Young, that’s great,” Ohtani said. “Getting a Cy Young means being able to throw more innings and pitch throughout the whole season, so if that’s the end result, that’s a good sign for me. I’m just focused on being healthy the whole year.”

Ohtani appeared in 14 games last season, logging 47 innings pitched. Roberts liked what he saw in the small sample size.

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“I think the thing that was most surprising from last year was his command,” Roberts said. “And I’ll say that he still feels his command wasn’t up to par, but given the Tommy John and what typically command looks like the year after, it was above that. So, I think that was impressive. Just his ability to command the couple different breaking balls, to change the shape of his breaking balls was pretty impressive, and everything he does is with a purpose. So, I’m really excited to see with the full offseason and to just prepare and not rehab, what he can do this year.”

Physically, Roberts believes Ohtani is in the right place entering the ninth year of his career.

“I think he just looks strong,” Roberts said. “He looks strong, but there’s not too much mass. Just watching him throw, watching him run, his body’s moving well. I think he’s in a sweet spot. Just watching him, the muscle mass, it just seems that he’s in a sweet spot.”

Ohtani and Roberts said that they don’t yet know when Ohtani and some of his teammates will be departing for the World Baseball Classic, but Ohtani will continue to ramp up in the time leading up to next month’s event. Last month at DodgerFest, Roberts announced Ohtani will not pitch in the WBC in order to focus on pitching in the regular season.

“As much as people think that he’s not human, he’s still a human being who’s had two surgeries,” Roberts said Friday. “He’s got a long career ahead of him.”

Yoshinobu Yamamoto throws live BP

Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw a live batting practice Friday as the World Series MVP took the mound for the first time since he recorded the final out of last year’s Fall Classic. Yamamoto threw 20 pitches to a pair of his teammates, with right-handed hitting catcher Will Smith and left-handed hitting infielder Hyeseong Kim alternated at-bats.

Kim turned on a pair of fastballs from Yamamoto, ripping a pair of base hits into right field.

A little over an hour before Yamamoto pitched, Roberts was asked by reporters about Yamamoto’s durability, coming off a postseason where the 27-year-old totaled 526 pitches, capped off by a Herculean effort in Game 7 that powered the Dodgers to their second straight World Series championship.

“I just believe that he knows his limitations and he’s prepared, so I’m not too concerned about it,” Roberts said.

Yamamoto wasn’t the only pitcher to see some run on the Dodgers’ first day of camp. Among those to throw a bullpen session Friday: veteran Tyler Glasnow, promising sophomore Roki Sasaki, playoff hero Will Klein, newcomer Edwin Díaz, and Ohtani.

Staff writer Anthony Solorzano contributed to this report.

Man City, Chelsea and Bayern Munich have interest in Igor Thiago, defender Dayot Upamecano dashes Real Madrid & Liverpool hopes, while Real Madrid want to keep Endrick at the club next season.

Manchester City, Chelsea and Bayern Munich remain interested in Brazilian forward Igor Thiago, 24, despite him signing a new contract with Brentford. (Teamtalk), external

France defender Dayot Upamecano, 27 has dashed Liverpool and Real Madrid’s hopes of signing him this summer after signing a new deal with Bayern Munich. (Sports Illustrated), external

Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham have been told Brazil striker Endrick will not be available this summer. Real Madrid say the 19-year-old, who is on a season-long loan to Lyon, will return to the Bernabeu as part of their first‑team squad next season. (Teamtalk), external

Manchester United will look to sell goalkeeper Andre Onana this summer. The 29-year-old Cameroon international is on loan at Trabzonspor having lost his place at Old Trafford. (Sun), external

Inter Milan plan to use a buy-back clause to secure the services of midfielder Aleksandar Stankovic, despite facing competition from Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham. They sold the Serbian, 20, to Club Brugge last summer but can get him back for 23m euros (£20m). (Fabrizio Romano), external

Real Madrid will activate their buy-back clause to sign Argentina midfielder Nico Paz, 21, from Como in the summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Tottenham have left the door open for United States boss Mauricio Pochettino, 53, to return to the club in the summer, with the Argentine having previously guided the club to a Champions League final. (Telegraph – subscription required) , external

Manchester City are prepared to offer around 50m euros (£43.4m) to sign Brazil right-back Wesley Franca, 22, from Roma in the summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

Newcastle, Tottenham, and Aston Villa have joined Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United in chasing Bournemouth‘s French forward Eli Junior Kroupi, 19. (Teamtalk), external

Manchester United have held talks to sign rivals Manchester City‘s 16-year-old English defender Kasen Brown. (Football Insider), external

Barcelona are keen to lower the £26m transfer option previously agreed for on-loan England striker Marcus Rashford, 28, but Manchester United are holding firm. (Express), external

Barcelona have identified Sporting’s Portugal centre-back Gonçalo Inacio, 24, as their top target to strengthen their defence, but would need to pay 70m euros (£60m). (Fichajes – in Spanish), external

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Ukrainian skeleton athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych took his case to sport’s highest court Friday, detailing the reasons why he wanted to race at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in a helmet that paid tribute to his country’s war dead.

The arbitrator was moved by his story but ruled against him anyway, denying him his last chance for a win of any kind at this year’s Winter Olympics.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport denied Heraskevych’s appeal of his disqualification from the men’s skeleton race, agreeing with the International Olympic Committee and the sliding sport’s federation that his plan to wear a helmet showing the faces of more than 20 Ukrainian coaches and athletes killed since Russia invaded their country four years ago would violate Olympic rules.

“The court sided with the IOC and upheld the decision that an athlete could be disqualified from the Olympic Games without actual misconduct, without a technical or safety threat, and before the start,” wrote Yevhen Pronin, Heraskevych’s attorney.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport said the sole arbitrator who heard the case sided with IOC policy about what athletes at an Olympics can say on a field of play — and that the “memory helmet” Heraskevych brought to the Milan-Cortina Games would not align with the rules.

The arbitrator, the court said, “found these limitations reasonable and proportionate,” especially since Heraskevych could show his helmet away from the racing surface, such as in interview areas and on social media. Heraskevych also wore the helmet in training runs.

The court added that the arbitrator “is fully sympathetic to Mr. Heraskevych’s commemoration and to his attempt to raise awareness for the grief and devastation suffered by the Ukrainian people, and Ukrainian athletes because of the war.”

The appeal, which Heraskevych believed he would win, was largely moot anyway. He was disqualified from the competition 45 minutes before its start on Thursday, and whatever the Court of Arbitration for Sport said Friday wouldn’t have changed that.

“Looks like this train has left,” Heraskevych said after Friday’s hearing, knowing there was no way he could race. He left Cortina d’Ampezzo’s Olympic village on Thursday night with no plans to return.

He was blocked from racing by the IOC and the International Bobsled and Skeleton Federation on Thursday after the slider and his father emerged from a last-minute, last-ditch meeting with IOC President Kirsty Coventry — who was unable to get Heraskevych to change his mind.

Coventry reiterated Friday that she believed the disqualification was justified. The IOC made its decision based on the guidelines for athlete expression at the Olympics, he said.

They say, in part, “the focus on the field of play during competitions and official ceremonies must be on celebrating athletes’ performances.” Heraskevych never made it to the field of play — not in competition, anyway.

“I think that he in some ways understood that but was very committed to his beliefs, which I can respect,” Coventry said. “But sadly, it doesn’t change the rules.”

The IOC contends that the rule is in place for multiple reasons, including protecting the athletes from pressure from their own countries or others about using Olympic platforms to make statements.

“I never expected it to be such a big scandal,” Heraskevych said.

He also said he found it puzzling that his accreditation for the Games was taken away, then returned in short order Thursday in what seemed like a goodwill gesture.

“A mockery,” he said.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport did agree that Heraskevych should keep his accreditation.

Heraskevych said he felt his disqualification fed into Russian propaganda, noting that he and other Ukrainian athletes have seen Russian flags at events at these Games — even though they are not allowed by Olympic rule. He has previously spoken out against the IOC’s decision to allow Russians and Belarusians to compete at Milan-Cortina as “neutral” athletes and said the IOC empowered Russia by awarding it the 2014 Sochi Games.

He also wondered why other tributes from these Olympics, such as U.S. figure skater Maxim Naumov displaying a photo of his late parents — killed in a plane crash last year — have been permitted without penalty.

Italian snowboard competitor Roland Fischnaller had a small Russian flag image on the back of his helmet during these Games, and Israeli skeleton athlete Jared Firestone wore a kippah with the names of the 11 athletes and coaches who were killed representing that country during the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Pronin wrote that IOC representatives at Friday’s hearing said that “they were not punished because they did not declare this in advance, but did it after the fact, so there was no point in disqualifying them.”

The IOC said those cases were not in violation of any rules. Naumov showed his photo in the kiss-and-cry area and not while he was actually on the ice; Fischnaller’s helmet was a tribute to all the past Olympic sites he competed at, with Sochi included; and Firestone’s kippah “was covered by a beanie,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said.

The IOC offered Heraskevych the chance to compete with a different helmet and bring the tribute helmet through the interview area after his runs. He also could have worn a black armband, which the IOC typically bans. It just didn’t want him making a statement by competing in the helmet.

“I think it’s the wrong side of history for the IOC,” Heraskevych said.

Reynolds writes for the Associated Press. AP journalists Annie Risemberg and Stefanie Dazio in Milan and Vasilisa Stepanenko in Warsaw contributed to this report.

New England Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs has pleaded not guilty to felony strangulation and other criminal charges in connection with an alleged dispute with his private chef over money she said he owed her for her services.

Five days after playing in Super Bowl LX, Diggs appeared for his arraignment Friday morning at Massachusetts’s Dedham District Court. The four-time Pro Bowl player stood and was attentive but did not speak during the hearing, which lasted less than two minutes.

After attorney Michael Schuster entered the not-guilty plea on behalf of his client, Diggs was released on his own recognizance and ordered to have no contact with his accuser. A pretrial hearing was set for April 1.

“He is completely innocent of these false allegations that have been alleged against him,” Schuster told reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing. “We are confident that after the facts and evidence are reviewed in this case, he will be completely exonerated. … When they are presented it will paint a very different picture and we’re very confident that he will be exonerated.”

Diggs did not speak to reporters.

The alleged incident is said to have occurred at Diggs’ house Dec. 2. His accuser reported it to Dedham police two weeks later, according to court records, stating that Diggs had “smacked her across the face”and “tried to choke her using the crook of his elbow around her neck.”

Diggs was charged with felony strangulation or suffocation and misdemeanor assault and battery at a court hearing Dec. 30.

The arraignment hearing was originally scheduled for Jan. 23 but was postponed until after the Super Bowl. Diggs had three catches for 37 yards in the Patriots’ 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER PLAYOFFS

THURSDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

OPEN DIVISION

Quarterfinals

#1 El Camino Real 1, #8 Wilmington Banning 0

#4 Palisades 2, #5 Bell 1

#6 Marquez 3, #3 Birmingham 3 (Marques wins 6-5 in shootout)

#2 South East 3, #7 Venice 0

Note: Semifinals Feb. 19 at higher seeds; Finals Feb. 27-28 at TBA.

DIVISION I

First Round

#17 King/Drew 2, #16 Sylmar 1

#13 Van Nuys 3, #20 Alliance Marine-Innovation 0

#19 LA Marshall 2, #14 Reseda 0

#15 Granada Hills Kennedy 2, #18 Eagle Rock 0

DIVISION II

First Round

#17 Canoga Park 3, #16 Contreras 2

#9 Santee 1, #24 Fairfax 0

#12 Arleta 1, #21 Animo Robinson 0

#20 Neuwirth Leadership 2, #13 Burton 1

#14 Taft 10, #19 Gertz-Ressler 0

#22 Elizabeth 9, #11 Monroe 0 (Elizabeth wins 4-3 in shootout)

#23 Huntington Park 1, #10 Jefferson 1 (HP wins 6-5 in shootout)

#15 RFK Community 1, #18 USC Hybrid 0

DIVISION III

First Round

#16 Camino Nuevo 3, #17 West Adams 2

#9 Franklin 1, #24 CALS Early College 0

#12 North Hollywood 6, #21 Simon Tech 1

#13 Foshay 2, #20 Northridge Academy 2 (Foshay wins 4-3 in shootout)

#14 Hollywood 2, #19 University Prep Value 0

#11 Grant 1, #22 USC-MAE 0

#23 Sun Valley Magnet 3, #10 Bravo 2

#15 Bernstein 5, #18 Torres 2

DIVISION IV

First Round

#16 Smidt Tech 1, #17 Hawkins 1 (Smidt Tech wins in shootout)

#24 New Designs University Park 3, #9 Dymally 2

#12 MSCP 3, #21 Crenshaw 2

#13 Animo South LA 2, #20 Animo De La Hoya 0

#19 Lakeview Charter 2, #14 Rise Kohyang 2 (LC wins 10-9 in shootout)

#11 Triumph Charter 2, #22 Los Angeles 1

#10 Alliance Levine 3, #22 Washington Prep 2

#18 Port of LA 3, #15 Stern 1

Note: Second Round Feb. 18 at higher seeds; Quarterfinals Feb. 20 at higher seeds; Semifinals Feb. 25 at higher seeds; Finals Feb. 27-28 at TBA.

GIRLS

SOUTHERN SECTION

FIRST ROUND

Pool Play

#1 Santa Margarita , #8 Corona Santiago

#4 Oaks Christian , #5 Palos Verdes

#3 Mater Dei , #6 Huntington Beach

#2 Redondo Union , #7 JSerra

DIVISION 1

Westlake 3, Fairmont Prep 2

El Dorado 1, Los Alamitos 0

Rosary Academy 1, Thousand Oaks 1 (Rosary wins in shootout)

Great Oak 1, Aliso Niguel 0

San Juan Hills 1, Mira Costa 0

Orange Lutheran 4, Chino Hills 1

Newport Harbor 2, Chaminade 1

Moorpark 4, Murrieta Valley 1

Edison 2, Mission Viejo 0

Eastvale Roosevelt 5, Foothill 2

Etiwanda 2, Bishop Amat 1

Anaheim Canyon 3, Hart 2

Harvard-Westlake 3, San Clemente 1

Garden Grove Pacifica 1, Torrance 0

Capistrano Valley 3, Camarillo 2

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 1, Glendora 0

DIVISION 2

Beckman 3, Brea Olinda 1

Ayala 3, Buena 0

Temecula Valley 2, Paraclete 1

Saugus 3, Laguna Beach 0

Crean Lutheran 2, West Ranch 0

Portola 2, Tesoro 0

Rancho Cucamonga 3, Downey 2

San Marino 2, Villa Park 1

St. Genevieve 2, Western Christian 1

Millikan 3, El Segundo 0

La Habra 1, Corona Centennial 0

Warren 5, Yorba Linda 4

Riverside King 2, South Torrance 2 (King wins 4-2 in shootout)

Alta Loma 4, El Toro 0

Bonita 3, Cypress 2

La Serna 2, Royal 1

DIVISION 3

Valencia 3, North Torrance 0

La Mirada 1, Dos Pueblos 0

Oxnard 2, Mayfield 0

Crescenta Valley 3, Montclair 2

Fullerton 1, Burbank Burroughs 1 (Fullerton wins 4-3 in shootout)

La Salle 1, Flintridge Sacred Heart 0

South Hills 0, Estancia 0 (South Hills wins 4-3 in shootout)

Paloma Valley 2, Northwood 1

Sage Hill 4, Norco 0

Quartz Hill 2, Brentwood 1

Costa Mesa 2, Ventura 1

La Canada 2, Long Beach Wilson 0

Santa Monica 1, Oak Hills 0

Flintridge Prep 1, Valley View 0

Citrus Valley 1, Don Lugo 0

Simi Valley 1, Notre Dame Academy 0

DIVISION 4

Patriot 1, Windward 0

Monrovia 2, Los Altos 0

Katella 3, Palm Desert 2

San Jacinto 4, Pasadena Poly 1

Temescal Canyon 3, Santa Fe 0

Granite Hills 4, Culver City 2

Shadow Hills 1, California 0

Arcadia 4, Carter 1

Tahquitz 5, Riverside Poly 2

Laguna Hills 2, Redlands 0

Immaculate Heart 2, Viewpoint 0

Redlands East Valley 1, Linfield Christian 0

Yucaipa 1, Orange County Pacifica Christian 0

Chino 5, Palm Springs 0

Arlington 1, Ontario Christian 0

Apple Valley 3, Long Beach Poly 1

DIVISION 5

Ramona 2, Indio 1

Anaheim 2, Fillmore 1

Artesia 1, Summit 0

Channel Islands 5, Century 1

Rancho Verde 2, Maranatha 1

Grand Terrace 3, Arrowhead Christian 2

Carpinteria 3, Burbank 0

Coachella Valley 5, Cerritos 2

La Palma Kennedy 2, San Gorgonio 1

Santa Paula 3, Charter Oak 2

Sultana 1, Liberty 0

Lakewood 2, Rowland 0

Del Sol 2, Northview 1

Cerritos Valley Christian 2, Godinez 1

Alemany 1, Whittier Christian 0

El Rancho 3, Capistrano Valley Christian 1

DIVISION 6

Beverly Hills 1, Knight 1 (Beverly Hills wins in shootout)

Norte Vista 2, Alhambra 1

Palmdale Aerospace Academy 3, Fontana 2

Mark Keppel 1, Perris 0

Hemet 4, Cobalt 2

Arroyo Valley 3, Woodcrest Christian 2

Riverside Prep 5, Gahr 0

Segerstrom 2, Palmdale 0

Mayfair 2, Littlerock 1

Thacher 1, Orange Vista 1 (Thacher wins 3-1 in shootout)

St. Monica 2, Rim of the World 1

Grace 2, Village Christian 0

DIVISION 7

Nuview Bridge 3, Mary Star 1

Desert Mirage 1, Garey 0

de Toledo 6, San Jacinto Leadership 5

Savanna 3, Westminster La Quinta 0

Animo Leadership 3, Jurupa Hills 1

Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 1, University Prep 0

Ganesha 5, St. Mary’s Academy 2

South El Monte 5, Hawthorne 0

Cate 4, Pioneer 0

Desert Christian Academy 1, Bellflower 0

Santa Rosa Academy 4, AGBU 0

Saddleback 1, Garden Grove Santiago 0

San Gabriel 2, St. Paul 0

Pasadena Marshall 1, Western 0

Oakwood 3, Baldwin Park 0

Azusa 3, Academy for Academic Excellence 0

DIVISION 8

CAMS 6, Academy of Careers & Exploration 0

Shalhevet 2, Bolsa Grande 0

Hawthorne MSA 2, Compton Early College 1

Mountain View 2, Bishop Diego 0

Milken 3, Loma Linda Academy 0

Vistamar 2, Palmdale Academy Charter 0

Buckley 3, Wildomar Cornerstone Christian 0

Indian Springs 1, Laguna Blanca 0

Environmental Charter 4, Silver Valley 0

Rosemead 2, Lennox Academy 1

Big Bear 6, Coast Union 1

Bishop Conaty Loreto 5, Redlands Adventist 2

Miller 2, Edgewood 1

Downey Calvary Chapel 2, Sacred Heart LA 0

Vasquez 2, San Bernardino 1

Webb 8, Workman 0

Note: Quarterfinals Feb. 18; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 3 p.m. unless noted)

BOYS

SOUTHERN SECTION

ROUND 2

OPEN DIVISION

Pool Play

#8 Orange Lutheran at #1 Palos Verdes, 3:15 p.m.

#5 Cathedral at #4 Placentia Valencia, 5 p.m.

#6 JSerra at #3 Redondo Union, 5 p.m.

#7 Mira Costa at #2 Mater Dei, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 1

Anaheim Canyon at Arlington, 6 p.m.

Servite at Palm Desert

Santa Monica at Eastvale Roosevelt

Rancho Mirage at Sultana, 5 p.m.

El Toro at Sunny Hills

Fontana at Edison, 5 p.m.

Rialto at El Segundo, 6 p.m.

DIVISION 2

Shadow Hills at Downey

El Dorado at Millikan

Oak Hills at Newport Harbor, 5 p.m.

Crossroads at Tesoro, 5 p.m.

Bishop Amat at Ayala, 5 p.m.

Culver City at Norte Vista

Patriot at Temecula Valley, 5 p.m.

Fullerton at Citrus Hill

DIVISION 3

West Torrance at Buena Park

Los Alamitos at Los Altos

La Serna at Palmdale

Godinez at Hillcrest, 5 p.m.

Channel Islands at Murrieta Valley

Oxnard at Littlerock

Calabasas at Claremont, 5 p.m.

Yorba Linda at Knight, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 4

Granite Hills at Santa Fe

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame at Cypress, 5 p.m.

Estancia at Sierra Vista

Sage Hill at Indian Springs, 5 p.m.

Irvine University at San Bernardino

Montebello at Santa Paula, 5 p.m.

Lakewood at Arroyo, 5 p.m.

Baldwin Park at Oxnard Pacifica, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 5

Santa Ana Valley at Linfield Christian

Windward at Crespi, 5 p.m.

Mountain View at Norwalk, 5 p.m.

Golden Valley at San Marcos, 5 p.m.

Esperanza at Pasadena, 6:15 p.m.

Magnolia at Tustin

Bellflower at Westlake, 7 p.m. at Cal Lutheran University

Camarillo at Ventura, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 6

Cate at Viewpoint

Temescal Canyon at Bishop Montgomery

Beverly Hills at Coachella Valley

Animo Leadership at South Pasadena, 5 p.m.

Vista del Lago at Elsinore

Cerritos Valley Christian at Samueli Academy

Ontario Christian at Indio, 5 p.m.

Lakeside at Tahquitz, 5 p.m.

DIVISION 7

Artesia at Maranatha, 5 p.m.

Western Christian at Cerritos

Laguna Blanca at Pasadena Poly

Edgewood at Milken

Glenn at Oakwood, 4:30 p.m. at Valley College

Ganesha vs. Cristo Rey OC at Dan Young Sports Complex

Palmdale Academic at Temple City 3:30 p.m.

Pioneer at St. Anthony

DIVISION 8

San Jacinto Leadership at Burbank Providence, 12 p.m.

Foothill Tech vs. Fairmont Prep at Great Park, Field #7

Orange County Pacifica Christian at Don Bosco Tech

Le Lycée at Bishop Diego, 1 p.m.

Environmental Charter at Rio Hondo Prep

Buckley vs. Holy Martyrs at Valley United Sports Complex

Redlands Adventist vs. de Toledo, 1 p.m. at Whitsett Soccer Field #3

Big Bear at Thacher

Note: Quarterfinals Feb. 17; Semifinals Feb. 21; Finals Feb. 27 or 28.

Charlotte Bankes hoped to “put on a better show” as her Olympic hoodoo continued with a quarter-final exit from the snowboard cross – in another missed medal chance for Team GB.

Bankes, appearing at her fourth Games, is a former world champion and has 26 World Cup golds to her name, but an Olympic medal is the one that continues to evade her grasp.

Although slower than anticipated in her seeding run, the 30-year-old had qualified fastest from her heat but looked off the pace from the start of her quarter-final, crossing the finish line last.

It was the same story four years ago in Beijing when Bankes exited at the same stage, a crash to blame on that occasion.

Asked by BBC Sport how she was feeling, Bankes replied: “Lost.

“I feel like I’ve done exactly the same as four years ago, which is very frustrating.

“We’ve worked incredibly hard to improve from that and I feel it hasn’t made any difference today.

“I’ve been struggling with the track all week, but we thought we’d found solutions.

“I really wanted this one.”

Bankes’ preparations for these Games had not been ideal.

In April last year she broke her collarbone, an injury she needed further surgery – including a bone graft from her hip – on in the summer after it was found not to be healing correctly.

But she came into the Games back to full fitness and had won a gold medal at a World Cup in China just last month.

“It’s a tough one to swallow. I was hoping to put on a better show, but it didn’t work out today,” she added.

“It can be a cruel sport. The team did all the work behind me and I didn’t pull it off.”

Australia’s Josie Baff won gold, with Czech Eva Adamczykova taking silver and Italian home favourite and former champion Michela Moioli the bronze.

Bankes has just 48 hours to brush off her disappointment before she returns to the start gate alongside team-mate Huw Nightingale in the mixed team event.

Bankes and Nightingale were crowned world champions in 2023.

The Livigno Snow Park has not been a happy hunting ground so far for Team GB at the Milan-Cortina Games, and the wait goes on for a first Olympic gold or silver medal on snow.

Two fourth-place finishes for freestyle skier Kirsty Muir and snowboarder Mia Brookes came earlier in the week, but both will return to action in the coming days, as will Zoe Atkin, the current halfpipe world champion.

The 55-year-old first joined the Scottish Premiership club in 2013 as part of Derek McInnes’ management team and went on to spend eight years at Pittodrie.

He was also McInnes’ number two with Kilmarnock before spells as manager with Dundee and Ross County but was sacked by the latter in December with his side bottom of the Championship.

“Tony has a wealth of experience and knows the Club inside out,” Pfannenstiel told his club website.

“He has excellent knowledge of the Scottish Premiership, both as a coach and a manager, and that will be invaluable for us in the short term.

“Our managerial search is now reaching its conclusion and we hope to be in a position to announce our new head coach imminently.”

Leven, who is in his third spell as caretaker and whose side sit seventh in Scotland’s top flight, welcomed Docherty’s appointment.

“It’s great to have someone of Tony’s experience back in the Aberdeen dugout for the upcoming games,” Leven added.

“He was very enthusiastic about coming in when I spoke with him and his presence and knowledge at both training and matches will be a big boost to me and the squad.”

Horneland left Saint-Etienne at the start of February with his side sitting fourth in France’s second tier.

Should Aberdeen decide to wait until the summer for the Norwegian to take charge, it will mirror the six-month delay in Thelin arriving at Pittodrie from Elfsborg in summer 2024.

Adams: The Leicester-born 29-year-old has established himself as Clarke’s first pick up front. Since switching allegiances in 2021, he has amassed 45 caps and contributed 11 goals. Formerly of Sheffield United and Birmingham City, he moved to Torino two years ago after featuring in the Premier League with Southampton.

This season, he has scored six goals in 26 appearances, 17 of them starts, for the side sitting 13th of Serie A’s 20 clubs.

Bowie: The Kirkcaldy-born 23-year-old began his career with Raith Rovers before spells with Fulham and on loan to Northampton Town before rising to prominence with Hibernian, his nine goal in 30 appearances this season leading to his January sale to Hellas Verona.

Bowie, who has two Scotland caps, made his debut, and first start, in a 0-0 draw at home to Pisa.

Doig: The Edinburgh-born 23-year-old became a first-team regular for Hibs in the Scottish Premiership before moving to Italy and is already at his second Serie A club. He moved from Verona to Sassuolo in 2024 and won his one and only Scotland cap last year in a left-back role in which he finds himself behind Liverpool’s Andy Robertson and Celtic’s Kieran Tierney.

Doig has made 24 appearances, 20 of them starts, this season for his 11th-placed club side.

Ferguson: Having started his career with local club Hamilton Academical, the 26-year-old spent four seasons with Aberdeen in the Premiership before being sold to Bologna in summer 2022. Ferguson, who has 21 Scotland caps, became captain the following October and led his side to a Coppa Italia final win over AC Milan last year and European qualification.

He has made 29 appearances this season, 21 of them starts for the side sitting eighth.

Gilmour: Irvine-born, the 24-year-old started his career with Rangers but moved to Chelsea while still a youth. He made his senior debut aged 18 but moved to Premier League rivals Norwich City on a season-long loan in 2021.

Transferred to Brighton & Hove Albion the following year, he helped them to a sixth-place finish and qualification for European football for the first time before being sold to Napoli in 2024, on the same day as Scotland team-mate McTominay, and they finished the season with the first league titles of their careers. However, this season he has been limited to 12 appearances, only six of them starts, having been sidelined since November.

McTominay: The Lancaster-born midfielder came through Manchester United’s youth ranks and, although he did not make his first-team debut until aged 21, he went on to make 255 appearances for the Premier League club. After being sold to Napoli, the 29-year-old was nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award last season as his goalscoring feats helped win the league title.

His 14 goals in 67 Scotland appearances include a lauded overhead kick that helped beat Denmark to secure World Cup qualification in November. McTominay has made 34 appearances this season for his club, scoring 10 goals.

Miller: Born in Wishaw, the 19-year-old son of Scotland-capped former striker Lee came through the youth ranks with Motherwell, making his debut just days after turning 16. After 76 appearances for the Premiership club, he was sold to Udinese in August for a Well club record fee, two months after being handed the first of his four Scotland caps.

He has made 14 appearances, six of them starts, so far.

MILAN — Brock Nelson might be making his Olympics debut, but he has a rich family history when it comes to playing hockey for Team USA.

His grandfather was a forward on the team that won gold in 1960. His uncle was a forward on the “Miracle on Ice” team in 1980.

And Thursday night, Nelson made a mark of his own. The Colorado Avalanche forward scored two goals to lead the U.S. to a 5-1 victory over Latvia in an opening game that included some of the best American NHL players.

“It’s pretty crazy,” said Nelson, 34, considered the old man on a team filled with some of the game’s brightest young stars. “It’s just an unbelievable experience. I’m trying to soak it all in.”

The Americans had to show resilience after two of their goals were wiped out in the first period by successful challenges. It’s rare to have two such reversals in a game, exceedingly rare to have two in the same period.

“Yeah, that was frustrating,” said defenseman Zach Werenski, who plays for the Columbus Blue Jackets. “But at the same time, you’re still getting the goals even though they got overturned. You’re doing the work to put the puck in the net, and I think that helps your confidence a little bit. After they get overturned, you’ve just got to put it out of your mind and continue to play the same way.”

Latvia was competitive early, forging a 1-1 tie in the first period, but eventually fell prey to a U.S. barrage. The Americans outshot them, 38-18, and goaltender Connor Hellebuyck needed to make only 17 saves.

Brothers Brady Tkachuk, left, and Matthew Tkachuk after the U.S. scored the first goal of the game against Latvia.

(Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

“It was just 1-1 but there was never any panic,” said forward Matthew Tkachuk, the Florida Panthers winger. “From the second period on, we just wanted to make sure someone was at the net at all times. They were playing pretty tight, but with the skill and puck possession and strength that we have, we knew we were going to win some battles.”

Nelson, who said he takes a ribbing from his young teammates for his graying hair, has a rich family history when it comes to Olympic hockey. His grandfather, Bill Christian, won gold at the Games in Squaw Valley — now called Olympic Valley — and his uncle, Dave Christian, was on that championship team in Lake Placid.

“My brother came in today,” said Nelson, raised in Minneapolis. “He brought me a couple pins from back home, from ‘Hockeytown,’ and a couple letters from the youth team. They’ve always been supportive of me, going back to growing up there. I’m forever grateful for that.”

The U.S. team features brothers Matthew and Brady Tkachuk, and Quinn and Jack Hughes — all NHL players. It has been 12 years since NHL players last took the Olympic stage.

“To make this roster is extremely difficult when you look at the amount of talent that the United States has developed and can play at this level,” said coach Mike Sullivan, who doubles as coach of the New York Rangers.

The fans were fairly evenly divided, with every “U-S-A” chant countered with one for “LAT-VI-A.”

“It was great to see the flags, the chants, and just the support that you have here,” said U.S. forward Brady Tkachuk, who was raised in a suburb of St. Louis and plays for the Ottawa Senators. “I’m just kind of a little example of the support you have back at home. So you’re playing in front of millions of millions of Americans, and you just want to represent them well, and it’s always an honor to put this jersey on.”

Their frustrating midseason slump was finally in the rear-view mirror, their season finally feeling back on the right track.

Any reservations about USC righting the ship after losing six of seven had largely been forgotten on the heels of a four-game winning streak. Victories over No. 8 Iowa, Rutgers, Northwestern and Illinois, two of which came on the road, had cemented its place on the right side of the NCAA tournament bubble.

But as the Trojans were reminded in a 79-73 win over Indiana at Galen Center, now is no time to get comfortable — even if Thursday’s victory had marked their longest winning streak of the season.

The Hoosiers certainly never let USC settle in, even as freshman Jazzy Davidson poured in another stat-stuffing performance that would have to carry a stagnant Trojan offense for much of the way. It would take an aggressive defensive effort, too, complete with 19 forced turnovers, to put Indiana away.

That it took such a hard-fought effort to escape a team that’s 3-11 in the Big Ten and was without the Big Ten’s leading scorer, Shay Ciezki, was not exactly reassuring, as USC (16-9 overall, 8-6 in the Big Ten) enters the final four games of their regular season slate. Two of those four are against top 10 teams, Ohio State and UCLA.

But where the Trojans might have slipped up earlier in the season, they held tight Thursday.

“We were tough where we needed to be when shots weren’t falling,” coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. “Our confidence to get it done when it’s not always prettiest is something that we’re proud of.”

Outside of a stellar second quarter, Thursday’s win certainly would not be remembered for being aesthetically pleasing. Over the rest of the game, Trojans shot under 32% from the floor. Their issues from three-point range persisted, as they made just three of 19 from behind the arc. Over their last four games, they’ve knocked down just 11 of 68 (16%).

They wouldn’t need them Thursday, not with Davidson looking as dynamic as ever. The freshman sensation followed up a career-high, 27-point performance with 24 points, along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals. She did so while playing all 40 minutes.

“You talk about overdelivering,” Gottlieb said, “To be a freshman and carry the load for us and continue to grow, the numbers are really showing it … she’s just capable of doing almost anything on a basketball court.”

That much has been abundantly clear over the last seven games, with Davidson as she’s averaging 20 points, six assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks per night. She credited that outburst with being more comfortable down the final stretch of the season.

The Trojans will likely go as far as their dynamic freshman can take them as March approaches. But of late that’s been a pretty successful strategy.

“She’s unique,” Gottlieb said. “I know there are several good freshmen in the country. We know how good she is. We see it every day, and we think there’s no one better.”

USC didn’t look early on like a team that had found solid ground . The Trojans went six straight minutes in the first without a single field goal, then gave up an 8-0 run to Indiana in the final 1:22 of the quarter.

It was until Davidson turned it on in the second quarter that USC seized control. Fresh off her fifth Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors, Davidson tallied 10 points in the second alone, while the Hoosiers had just 13 total, USC’s defense clamping down after a sloppy start.

With Indiana’s attention on Davidson, Kara Dunn and Kennedy Smith would help the Trojans fire out front, as they combined for 20 points after half. But the Hoosiers tied the score just one possession into the fourth quarter.

An elbow to the face of guard Malia Samuels gave the Trojans free throws and a seven-point lead with just four minutes remaining in the game. Still, a foul from Dunn on a corner three-pointer by Indiana’s Maya Makalusky opened the door for the Hoosiers.

Makalusky, who led all scorers with 29, hit another three to once again cut the lead to a single possession.

But USC held on, with Smith applying the punctuation mark, snagging a driving Indiana lay-in out of mid-air with just a minute remaining. It was the sort of play that reminded what USC might be capable of, with everything working in concert.

It’ll need that to be the case, if it hopes to make noise come March.

“We’re in position to do all the things we set out to do,” Gottlieb said. “We’re as good and set up as any team outside of maybe the top group to get a great seed.”