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Wales captain Jac Morgan will miss the start of the 2026 Six Nations after dislocating his shoulder in the autumn series opener against Argentina at the start of November.

The 25-year-old flanker has undergone surgery, with Ospreys head coach Mark Jones saying Morgan now faces “four to five months” on the sidelines.

Wales kick-off their campaign away to England on 7 February before home matches against France on 15 February and Scotland a week later.

If his rehabilitation goes well, Morgan could potentially have a chance of returning for the final two games against Ireland on 6 March and Italy on 14 March.

“He’s had his operation, it’s all gone really well and he’s on the road to recovery,” said Jones. “He’s in that race now to get back as soon as he can.

“It will be four to five months based on what we’ve heard, but obviously those things can change, we’re just working off that at the moment.”

More to follow.

At the City Section breakfast on Wednesday morning for teams competing this weekend in championship football games, two linebackers from the class of 2027 were asked to take a photo together, because one day, it could be historic.

Elyjah Staples, a 6-foot-3 junior from Marquez, and De’Andre Kirkpatrick, a 6-3 junior from Crenshaw, can match their skills against anyone in the state. College recruiters are paying attention and one day NFL scouts will too. They are helping destroy the stereotype that City Section football is lacking in talent.

Add versatile junior quarterback Chris Fields III from Carson and senior running back Darnell Miller from Santee, who has surpassed the 3,000-yard mark rushing this season, and you have a group of players you’ll be watching on television in the coming years.

Here’s the schedule for games at Birmingham on Friday and L.A. Southwest College on Saturday.

Marquez coach Rudy Fortiz has been hearing from friends through text messages. He’s in a bit of a bind. His team is facing his alma mater, South Gate, for the Division I title on Saturday. Fortiz says he always roots for South Gate — except for this week. South Gate was 0-10 two seasons ago.

Hawkins coach Ronald Coltress is the one who had the put the program back together after it went 0-13 in 2016 because of forfeits and firings of coaches. In 2017, he was JV coach when the varsity went 0-11 following an exodus of players. He took over in 2018 and the team went 1-9. The administration told him to stay the course and make sure players were going to class, behaving and graduating. Now Hawkins is 10-2 and playing for the Division III championship on Friday against Santee at Birmingham.

“There was nobody left,” Coltress said. “I had to find kids who wanted to play.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

Keller, who led the consortium that bought Strasbourg for one euro in 2012, has helped revive a club that were playing in the amateur fourth tier after financial collapse.

They returned to the Ligue 1 within five years, and are now competing on the European stage – two years after entering into the partnership with Chelsea.

“Discussions with Behdad Eghbali and Todd Boehly have been about how to create a smart multi-club model from the beginning, while using more financial power,” said Keller.

“We improved every year and were in a strong financial position before the takeover, but with new partners we can dream a little bigger and think about getting into the top six or seven to qualify for Europe every year.”

At the Stade de la Meinau, BlueCo’s investment is evident, with cranes finishing the stadium’s expansion from 26,000 to 32,000 seats – the final touches of a £157m redevelopment.

Walking around the modernised stadium, there is incredible attention to detail, including monuments to every male and female player to wear the blue jersey.

“The good balance is ambition but with tradition,” Keller said.

“We are investing a lot to set up an organisation around the team to help the players go higher. That’s in staff, data, physio, player care and scouting networks.”

Sporting director David Weir was hired last month, after leaving Brighton.

But, just as at Chelsea, Strasbourg’s squad had already been transformed by BlueCo – with £112m spent on building the youngest squad – averaging just 21.5 years of age – in the big five leagues. Chelsea are fourth – behind their partner club, plus Paris St-Germain and Parma.

Chelsea midfielder Andrey Santos was the first to benefit from a move between the clubs – spending 18 months on loan at Strasbourg – and says he still watches their matches and texts manager Liam Rosenior.

“We try to work well with the technical team of Chelsea to have good players for Strasbourg,” says Keller. “It would have been impossible for us to have Mike Penders, Andrey Santos or Dorde Petrovic in the past, so that’s positive.

“Strasbourg and France is a good step for the young players to develop, and this BlueCo project is about building quality.

“We are investing a lot in a young generation. It can happen that one player per year is good enough for Chelsea. But our project is to have other players around top clubs in Europe, not just Chelsea. It’s not correct to say they are coming to go to Chelsea.

“They are coming to Strasbourg because of the ambition.”

Strasbourg sold £74m of players in the summer – including Dilane Bakwa to Nottingham Forest and former captain Habib Diarra to Sunderland, both for about £30m.

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: During parts of Sunday’s game in Utah, LeBron James desperately motioned toward the Lakers bench for a sub. When asked after the game about a particularly labored stretch during the second quarter, James quipped that it wasn’t just that moment.

“First, second, third and fourth,” James joked Sunday in Utah. “Come get me.”

Two days later, James looked almost back to normal as he had season-high 25 points, showing he had no trouble pushing the pace in transition while the team was plus-18 with him on the court.

“It will get better every game,” James said Tuesday of his conditioning. “Today was another … testament to that. So great win for us, but I’m starting to feel better and better.”

Coach JJ Redick said the Lakers will be tracking James’ three-point shooting, play-making and transition points as indicators of how he is progressing in his return from sciatica that sidelined him for 14 games.

Here are more takeaways from Tuesday’s win over the Clippers.

UCLA BASKETBALL

Rori Harmon scored 26 points and No. 4 Texas held on to beat No. 3 UCLA 76-65 on Wednesday in the Players Era Championship.

After building a 23-point lead late in the third quarter, the Longhorns staved off UCLA’s late surge to advance to Thursday’s championship game.

Texas (6-0) will face South Carolina in Thursday’s title game, while the Bruins (6-1) will play Duke for third place.

Continue reading here

UCLA box score

USC BASKETBALL

Chad Baker-Mazara scored 23 points, Jaden Brownell added 16 points, and USC claimed the Maui Invitational championship with an 88-75 victory over Arizona State on Wednesday.

Baker-Mazara won the tournament championship for the second consecutive year after scoring 14 points in Auburn’s 90-76 victory over Memphis last season. Baker-Mazara made nine of 16 shots from the field against Arizona State with four three-pointers.

USC took the first double-digit lead of the game at 77-66 with 5:14 remaining on a basket by Ezra Ausar. The Trojans drew an offensive foul under the ASU basket and Jordan Marsh sank a jumper from the free-throw line to make it 81-69.

Continue reading here

USC box score

RAMS

From Gary Klein: The Rams, the team with the best record in the NFC, are getting stronger.

On Wednesday, the Rams designated receiver Tutu Atwell and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to return from injured reserve. Both could play Sunday against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, N.C., coach Sean McVay said.

The Rams also placed cornerback Roger McCreary on injured reserve, claimed cornerback Derion Kendrick off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks and signed veteran tight end Nick Vannett to the roster.

Continue reading here

DUCKS

Max Sasson and Drew O’Connor scored in a late 2:10 span, Nikita Tolopilo made 37 saves in his first NHL appearance of the season and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Ducks 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Sasson gave Vancouver the lead with 4:02 remaining on a tip, and O’Connor followed with 1:52 to go on a wrist shot. Cutter Gauthier got one back for the Ducks with seven seconds left, his 14th of the season.

Jackson LaCombe, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish added goals for the Ducks, who have three victories in the first five games of a six-game homestand.

Continue reading here

Ducks summary

NHL standings

THIS DAY IN SPORTS HISTORY

1913 — Notre Dame and Texas meet for the first time in a Thanksgiving showdown. Both carry perfect records into the game, with Notre Dame not losing a game in three years and the Longhorns on a 12-game winning streak. The Fighting Irish build on a 10-7 halftime lead, scoring 20 unanswered points for a 30-7 win at Austin, Texas. The win gives Notre Dame a 7-0 season for rookie coach Jesse Harper.

1947 — Howie Dallmar of the Philadelphia Warriors sets an NBA record for the most field-goal attempts with none made (15) in an 81-59 loss to the New York Knicks.

1949 — Steve Van Buren of the Philadelphia Eagles becomes the second NFL player, the first in 16 years, to rush over 200 yards. He runs for 205 yards in a 34-17 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.

1960 — Trailing 38-7, the Denver Broncos score 31 points to salvage a 38-38 tie with the Buffalo Bills.

1960 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe scores his 1,000th point with an assist, and the Red Wings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0. It’s Howe’s 938th NHL game.

1961 — Detroit’s Gordie Howe becomes the first to play 1,000 NHL games.

1965 — Gordie Howe becomes the first NHL player to score 600 goals. The milestone comes in Detroit’s 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

1966 — The Washington Redskins set an NFL regular-season record for most points in a 72-41 victory over the New York Giants. Both teams also set records with 16 TDs and 113 total points.

1980 — Dave Williams returns Eddie Murray’s opening kickoff in overtime 95 yards to give the Chicago Bears a 23-17 victory over the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day. The Bears tied the score with no time remaining in regulation.

1994 — Joe Montana of the Kansas City Chiefs becomes the fifth quarterback to surpass 40,000 passing yards in a 10-9 loss at Seattle.

1998 — Texas’ Ricky Williams becomes the leading rusher in Division I-A history, breaking Tony Dorsett’s record set 22 years earlier.

2009 — Graham Gano kicks a 33-yard field goal in overtime to give the Las Vegas Locomotives a 20-17 victory over the Florida Tuskers in the inaugural UFL championship game.

2011 — The Connecticut women’s basketball team wins its 89th straight at home to set an NCAA record, beating Dayton 78-38 behind freshman Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis’ 23 points.

2015 — James Harden scores 50 points to lead Houston past Philadelphia 116-114 for the 76ers’ 27th straight loss dating to last season, the longest losing streak in major U.S. pro sports. The previous record was set by the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 1976-77 and matched by the 76ers in 2013-14.

2016 — Justin Tucker makes all four of his field-goal attempts, including ones from 52, 54 and 57 yards, in Baltimore’s 19-14 victory over Cincinnati. Tucker has made 34 field goals in a row, including 27 this season, and has connected on all 15 conversion. It is Tucker’s 11th game with at least four field goals since entering the NFL in 2012.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time…

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected]. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

Lewis Crocker is set to return to Windsor Park for a voluntary defence of his IBF world welterweight title next spring.

The Belfast fighter beat Paddy Donovan by split decision to clinch the vacant belt in front of a sold-out crowd at Northern Ireland’s national football stadium in September.

Crocker and Donovan’s fight – a rematch of their March contest which ended in Donovan’s disqualification – marked boxing’s return to Windsor Park for the first time since Carl Frampton’s victory over Luke Jackson in August 2018.

It is understood a defence is slated for 11 April, with an opponent expected to be confirmed in the next fortnight.

Crocker, who is unbeaten in 22 professional bouts, has been vocal about his desire to fight Conor Benn, who defeated bitter rival Chris Eubank Jr in dominant fashion in their Tottenham Hotspur Stadium rematch on 15 November.

Speaking to BBC Sport NI in the build-up to that fight, Crocker’s manager Jamie Conlan mentioned Benn and WBC champion Mario Barrios as options for the 28-year-old.

However, Englishman Benn this week told Boxing News, external Crocker “is not really a name that is on my radar”.

With a victory in April, Crocker would be expected to return to the ring in late summer.

They were going to win. They were going to lose. All in one breath, all in one month.

Win. Lose. Win. Lose. Win. Lose.

Win!!!

Weeks later the chest still pounds, the throat still thickens, the mind still has not completely grasped.

The Dodgers won their second consecutive World Series championship this fall in pure dramatic art.

A catch worthy of a statue. An out at home plate by history-making inches. A cheating outfielder steals a victory. A struggling first baseman steals a marathon. A sore-handed catcher steals a title.

The greatest postseason game by one player in baseball history. The greatest World Series by one pitcher in baseball history. The greatest moment by a Dodger benchwarmer in baseball history, a guy so embedded in the landscape of Los Angeles sports that he will be forever known simply by two abbreviated versions of his name…

Miggy Ro.

Enough said.

It’s perhaps appropriate today to give thanks for the drama, thanks for the art, thanks for the breathtaking uncertainty of the diamonds of October.

Thanks, baseball, for creating the tableau for the Dodgers’ 13 most memorable playoff moments, one for every win, one for every scream, one for every occasion when you thought it couldn’t get any crazier.

Then it did.

The Philadelphia Phillies’ Nick Castellanos is out at third after Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts gets the throw from Max Muncy and applies the tag in the ninth inning of Game 2 of the NLDS at Citizens Bank Park.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

Treble winners Hull KR will start the defence of their Super League title with a visit to newly promoted York Knights in the opening game of the 2026 season.

Rovers will travel to York’s LNER Community Stadium on Thursday, 12 February (20:00 GMT).

Hull KR won the Challenge Cup, League Leaders’ Shield and Grand Final last season, sealing the title by beating previous champions Wigan Warriors 24-6 at Old Trafford in October.

York are one of three new clubs in Super League for next season as part of an expanded 14-team competition.

The Knights and Toulouse Olympique were selected to join the top flight by an independent panel, while Bradford Bulls were promoted in place of financially troubled Salford Red Devils after climbing to 10th in this year’s grading system.

York will play in Super League for the first time while Toulouse return to the top tier after their one-season stint in 2022.

Both the Bulls, who return to Super League after an 11-year absence, and Toulouse start the campaign with away games on Saturday, 14 February.

Bradford will make the journey east to face Hull FC, while Toulouse travel to Wakefield Trinity.

Max Sasson and Drew O’Connor scored in a late 2:10 span, Nikita Tolopilo made 37 saves in his first NHL appearance of the season and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Ducks 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Sasson gave Vancouver the lead with 4:02 remaining on a tip, and O’Connor followed with 1:52 to go on a wrist shot. Cutter Gauthier got one back for the Ducks with seven seconds left, his 14th of the season.

The 6-foot-6 Tolopilo was called up Monday from Abbotsford of the American Hockey League. He has won both of his career NHL starts.

Linus Karlsson, Evander Kane and Conor Garland also scored for Vancouver. The Canucks had lost three straight and six of seven.

Jackson LaCombe, Leo Carlsson and Mason McTavish added goals for the Ducks, who have three victories in the first five games of a six-game homestand.

Eberechi Eze, Arsenal, £7.7m – Chelsea (a)

Why not ride the hot hand of London derby hero Eze?

His hat-trick against Spurs was not out of the blue and he makes this team of the week before because of his underlying statistics.

With 31 shots in 11 starts, Eze leads the way among Arsenal players. He had six in the derby alone.

The only note of caution is that he is yet to have a ‘big chance’ this season. While he has 21 shots in the box, they tend to be from near the edge of the area. His goals against Spurs were all from about 15-16 yards out.

But when you are that good shooting from range, is it really an issue?

Morgan Gibbs-White, Nottingham Forest, £7.3m – Brighton (h)

Speaking of hot streaks, Gibbs-White has three goals in three games for Sean Dyche’s revitalised Forest.

He scored a 10-pointer in this team of the week in his most recent home game against Leeds, so he comes back in.

Forest have a nice fixture run coming up too, with Wolves away next.

Morgan Rogers, Aston Villa, £6.9m – Wolves (h)

It would be negligent not to target Wolves this week – they have lost five in a row and conceded 27 goals in 12 games.

If you are feeling brave then Donyell Malen is Villa’s most explosive midfield option, with the highest expected goals (xG) of 2.08 this season, four big chances (three more than any other midfielder) and three goals.

But his gametime is not guaranteed and Rogers showed with last week’s double at Leeds what a key part of Villa’s attack he is. His goal and assist threat make him an easy choice this week.

Phil Foden, Manchester City, £8m – Leeds (h)

Since his two goals against Manchester United in week four, Foden has only one assist, but that does not tell the full story of some fine performances.

For a start, he has created 20 chances. He has had more shots in that period than any City player except Haaland – 14 – and has an xG of 1.29.

This game against struggling Leeds is surely the moment Foden turns underlying data into returns.

Dango Ouattara, Brentford, £6m – Burnley (h)

Burnley have the leakiest defence in the league away from home and are a team to attack this week.

It is a toss-up between Outarra and Kevin Schade for a midfield spot. Per start, they have almost an identical xG of 0.27 and 0.28.

What swings it Outtara’s way is his 0.88 big chances per 90 minutes compared to Schade’s 0.33.

If you have watched Outarra recently, he always seems to be getting chopped down in the box, so his assist potential is high.

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS
CITY SECTION
Harbor Teacher 67, Alliance Ted K. Tajima 27

SOUTHERN SECTION
Apple Valley 91, Lawndale 70
Ayala 52, Beckman 43
Barstow 74, Bloomington 44
Bell Gardens 49, Baldwin Park 31
Beverly Hills 57, Ontario Christian 47
Brea Olinda 62, Irvine 51
Burbank 56, Keppel 52
Chadwick 77, HMSA 25
Chaminade 62, Pilibos 44
Corona 83, Rialto 65
Corona Santiago 62, Silverado 48
Crescenta Valley 70, Camarillo 64
El Dorado 80, Garden Grove 56
Elsinore 59, Adelanto 44
Estancia 53, San Gabriel 37
Garden Grove Pacifica 54, Huntington Park 35
Inglewood 96, Bishop Diego 82
Knight 73, Simi Valley 66
Liberty 94, Perris 58
Palmdale 72, Paraclete 56
Patriot 56, Arroyo Valley 44
Ramona 70, Montebello 59
Rolling Hills Prep 63, Palos Verdes 33
San Jacinto 75, Banning 57
Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 59, La Serna 50
Santa Paula 71, Laguna Beach 57
Sierra Canyon 82, Santa Barbara 43
St. Francis 51, Arcadia 43
St. Genevieve 58, Santa Clara 46
Torrance 68, Dana Hills 39
Valley Torah 54, Castaic 46
Villa Park 66, Walnut 55
Westlake 64, Milken 60
Wiseburn Da Vinci 70, Orange County Pacifica Christian 68
Woodbridge 61, Long Beach Wilson 51

INTERSECTIONAL
Cleveland 109, Whittier 44
Cypress 66, LACES 28
Garden Grove Pacifica 54, Huntington Park 35
Granada Hills 48, Highland 43
Grant 52, Lancaster 51
La Jolla Country Day 88, Linfield Christian 40
Lynwood 64, Diego Rivera 22
Morton (IL) 73, Mater Dei 71
North Torrance 58, Eagle Rock 33
Orange Lutheran 69, Carlsbad 59
Pasadena 66, Metamora (IL) 59
Rancho Christian 72, San Diego Lincoln 43
San Pedro 68, West Torrance 62
Tesoro 79, Fresno Bullard 68
Triumph Charter 55, Hoover 53

GIRLS
SOUTHERN SECTION
Arcadia 58, Riverside Poly 37
Bishop Amat 55, El Segundo 35
Cerritos 51, West Covina 29
Chino 62, Chaparral 59
Chino Hills 49, Beaumont 47
Colony 62, Brea Olinda 56
Cypress 64, Santa Ana 19
El Toro 63, Mission Viejo 25
Irvine 38, Northwood 22
Lakewood St. Joseph 58, Los Alamitos 28
Leuzinger 59, West Torrance 51
Mary Star of the Sea 35, Lawndale 28
Moreno Valley 69, Bishop Montgomery 43
Murrieta Valley 57, Temecula Prep 11
Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 50, Great Oak 35
Notre Dame Academy 44, Adelanto 29
Ontario 55, El Segundo 35
Orange County Pacifica Christian 50, Great Oak 35
Orange Lutheran 45, San Juan Hills 33
Rosary Academy 68, Edison 19
Royal 39, Riverside North 36
San Bernardino 67, Don Lugo 25
Santa Ana Foothill 55, Marina 51
Schurr 42, St. Paul 38
Segerstrom 47, Ayala 40
Sierra Vista 61, South El Monte 13
South Hills 63, University Prep 18
St. Genevieve 50, Faith Baptist 22
Summit 63, Elsinore 11
Temecula Valley 61, Linfield Christian 34
Temescal Canyon 55, Canyon Springs 43
Trabuco Hills 71, Whitney 46
Westminster La Quinta 26, Rancho Alamitos 20
West Ranch 87, Ramona Convent 20
Whittier Christian 53, Arroyo 18
Windward 61, Canyon Country Canyon 46

INTERSECTIONAL
Burbank 90, Bravo 23
King/Drew 58, Crean Lutheran 56
La Jolla Country Day 81, Silverado 28
Mater Dei 66, Sierra Pacific 52
Oak Park 65, Portola Valley Priory 47
Red Mountain (AZ) 48, Corona del Mar 33
Sacred Heart of Jesus 57, Rise Kohyang 2

Next five fixtures: Sharks (H), Ospreys (A, Challenge Cup), Black Lion (H, Challenge Cup), Dragons (A), Ulster (A)

It has been a difficult start to life in Galway for former England boss Stuart Lancaster, who replaced Pete Wilkins as Connacht head coach in the summer.

After an opening win over Benetton was followed by the Storm Amy-enforced postponement of their Scarlets game, the western province lost to Cardiff, Bulls and Munster before the international break.

The 28-27 loss to the Bulls in Galway and 17-15 reverse to Munster in Limerick were tough pills to swallow, but Lancaster has had a solid month to devise a plan for breathing new life into Connacht’s season.

It starts with the visit of the Sharks to Dexcom Stadium on Saturday (19:45 GMT). After three defeats in their first four games, the South African side signed off before the November break with a 29-19 win over Scarlets.

The Sharks will be without most of their Springboks, including Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, Bongi Mbonambi, Ethan Hooker and Andre Esterhuizen.

For the hosts, Ireland internationals Bundee Aki, Cian Prendergast and Finlay Bealham are available for selection, but Mack Hansen has been ruled out.

Hansen, who starred at full-back in Ireland’s win over Australia earlier this month, is nursing hand and foot injuries with Connacht unsure on a timeline for the 27-year-old’s return.

After facing the Sharks, Lancaster will lead Connacht into European action for the first time as the Challenge Cup returns with a trip to Ospreys followed by a home game against Georgian side Black Lion.

When community members crowd into a Metro meeting room next Thursday to argue for and against the proposed Dodger Stadium gondola, the board of directors will listen before they vote on whether to proceed with the project.

Will the directors speak?

In a public meeting, officials often explain their position on a high-profile issue. In the Metro meeting next week, the board of directors could vote on the gondola without any of the board members saying a word about it.

Metro released the meeting agenda late Tuesday night. The agenda includes the gondola vote as part of what public agencies call the consent calendar — that is, a package of items that can be approved with one vote, and without any discussion among the officials doing the voting.

The items on any consent calendar generally are routine. Based on a staff report, Metro considers the gondola approval to be routine too: Metro approved the gondola last year, a judge ordered fixes to the environmental impact report, and all Metro needs to do now is rubber-stamp the fixes. The gondola project still would need approvals from the Los Angeles City Council and various state agencies.

At a committee meeting last week — one week after the council had urged Metro to kill the project — Los Angeles Mayor and Metro board member Karen Bass put it this way: “Just real quickly, I just wanted to reiterate or clarify that what the vote is about today is about certifying the EIR, certifying the project’s environmental documents under CEQA, nothing more.”

Two other board members — county supervisors Janice Hahn and Hilda Solis — did address the concerns raised by the public speakers. Hahn voted no on the gondola; Solis voted yes.

Whether Hahn, Solis or any of the other 11 voting board members decide to speak up next Thursday remains to be seen. All it takes is one member to remove the item from the consent calendar and demand discussion on the issue.

The gondola, first pitched by former Dodgers owner Frank McCourt in 2018, would carry fans from Union Station to Dodger Stadium. Gondola proponents have not announced any financing commitments for a project with a construction cost estimated at $500 million and proposed as privately funded.

An emotional Scott Donaldson said “I think my dad was doing something” after he came back from 5-0 down to beat Stuart Bingham 6-5 in the final round of qualifying for the UK Championship.

Donaldson, whose father Hector died aged 70 on 2 October, was messaging his wife about driving home when he was 4-0 down against the 2015 world champion in Wigan.

Bingham had knocked in breaks of 71 and 117 on the way to moving one frame away from victory and a place in the main tournament.

However, Donaldson produced a stirring comeback to stun his rival as the Scotsman made breaks of 56 and 64 before a 110.

He then added breaks of 51, 91 and 64 to complete victory and book a spot at the UK Championship, which starts at the York Barbican on Saturday.

LAS VEGAS — Rori Harmon scored 26 points and No. 4 Texas held on to beat No. 3 UCLA 76-65 on Wednesday in the Players Era Championship.

After building a 23-point lead late in the third quarter, the Longhorns staved off UCLA’s late surge to advance to Thursday’s championship game.

Texas (6-0) will face South Carolina in Thursday’s title game, while the Bruins (6-1) will play Duke for third place.

Madison Booker finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists for the Longhorns. Jordan Lee had 13 points and Justice Carlton chipped in 10.

The Bruins trailed by just four after a 24-7 run, sparked by Kiki Rice’s 12 points. But three failed possessions — a missed three-pointer and two turnovers — allowed Texas to pull away.

Gianna Kneepkens and Rice led the Bruins, each with 17 points. Charlisse Leger-Walker scored 13 points on 50% shooting.

Texas was superior defensively in the first quarter, forcing seven UCLA turnovers and turning them into six points. Despite going 0 for 4 from the three-point line, the Longhorns were nine of 15 (47.4%) from inside the arc in the opening period to take a 10-point lead after one.

The Longhorns doubled their lead in the second quarter, outscoring UCLA by 10 again, to take a 45-25 lead into the locker room at halftime. Texas shot a blistering 51.4% in the first half, while UCLA stumbled to a 44.4% clip after 20 minutes.

UCLA survived a scare when Lauren Betts left the game early in the third quarter with what appeared to be an upper-body injury.

Betts, an AP preseason All-American selection, collided with Booker and writhed in pain on the court, grabbing her arm as trainers tended to her. Betts returned to the game after spending several minutes in the locker room.

Liverpool’s stellar start was followed by a run of six defeats in seven matches that sparked concern and talk of a crisis.

Things started to look up earlier in November, with victories over Aston Villa and Real Madrid lifting morale and offering hope of a return to form.

But they ultimately proved not to provide a permanent change in their fortunes, but a momentary respite.

A 3-0 defeat by Manchester City just before the international break was tough, but can happen against Pep Guardiola’s side.

But a setback by the same scoreline to Sean Dyche’s Nottingham Forest left them 12th in the Premier League and now followed by this embarrassing loss against PSV – only their second at Anfield in their past 26 pre-knockout stage games in this competition.

It has left Slot with a massive task on his hands to return his side to the top half of the Premier League and remain in the hunt for a top-eight place in the Champions League league phase, having slipped down to 13th.

“I don’t think there should be a knee-jerk reaction, I think this is a very tough moment at Liverpool for one reason or another, but the one thing I’d say is that things weren’t right at the start of the season either, when they were winning,” added Warnock.

Sacking managers at the first sign of trouble is not a tactic Liverpool have frequently deployed. Let’s not forget too that last year Slot oversaw the best ever start – eight wins in his first 10 top-flight games – by a Reds boss, having just replaced Jurgen Klopp.

But his summer signings have not worked, putting him under pressure.

Record transfer Alexander Isak is still yet to get off the mark, German playmaker Florian Wirtz is currently injured and left-back Milos Kerkez continues to struggle.

Yet on Wednesday, Slot made just two substitutions as his side trailed. One was Isak for fellow new signing Hugo Ekitike, who looked to have picked up an injury, while the other was Italy forward Federico Chiesa for Ibrahima Konate during another tough evening for the French defender.

“This run is a shock for everyone,” admitted Slot.

“For the players, for me. I don’t easily shock and it’s very unexpected. We can all do better individually, but that goes for everyone including myself.”

The brightest spark has perhaps been Dominik Szoboszlai.

Reinstated in his role in central midfield against PSV, he provided not only a goal, but energy and an attacking threat, while going some way to proving there are significantly better uses for him than as a stand-in right-back.

“With each defeat it gets closer to being a crisis,” former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard told TNT Sports. “I don’t think Liverpool are at that [yet] – crisis is too strong.

“There are no excuses for a performance like that at this football club

“You cannot deny the team is struggling massively, they are on a terrible run, their confidence is at an all-time low, they are wide open.

“Unless the manager can find answers and stability in his team, then this situation is going to continue.”

PSV, though, was never going to be an easy fixture for Slot to try to get his players back on track.

The former Feyenoord boss has only won one of his past eight games against the Eredivisie outfit in all competitions (D3 L4), and against no side has he suffered more defeats in his managerial career.

Slot says he is not worrying about his future at the club and is instead focused on turning things around.

“I need to do better, that’s what I’m trying to do every single day to improve the team and that is where my main focus is,” added the 47-year-old.

LAHAINA, Hawaii — Chad Baker-Mazara scored 23 points, Jaden Brownell added 16 points, and USC claimed the Maui Invitational championship with an 88-75 victory over Arizona State on Wednesday.

Baker-Mazara won the tournament championship for the second consecutive year after scoring 14 points in Auburn’s 90-76 victory over Memphis last season. Baker-Mazara made nine of 16 shots from the field against Arizona State with four three-pointers.

USC took the first double-digit lead of the game at 77-66 with 5:14 remaining on a basket by Ezra Ausar. The Trojans drew an offensive foul under the ASU basket and Jordan Marsh sank a jumper from the free-throw line to make it 81-69.

Marsh sealed it with a long three-pointer for an 86-71 lead.

Ausar, coming off a 25-point performance in the semifinals, finished with 14 points for USC (7-0), which was without leading scorer Rodney Rice. Jacob Cofie had 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, and Marsh added nine points.

Maurice Odum scored 17 points and Anthony Johnson added 15 for Arizona State (6-2). Santiago Trouet and Massamba Diop each scored 13. The Sun Devils trailed by double-digits in all three tournament games.

Frank’s formation moved away from the five-man defence that drew so much fury against Arsenal, operating with a traditional back four protected by Rodrigo Bentancur and Archie Gray. He paired Richarlison and Kolo Muani up front to good effect.

It was also line-up that suggested Frank may have had one eye on Saturday night’s key home game against Fulham, with Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, Destiny Udogie, Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons left out.

Spurs, however were none the worse for that until they were submerged under PSG’s quality, Frank’s selection tireless out of possession using a man-for-man strategy which Luis Enrique’s side initially struggled to combat, getting up the pitch in a manner that seemed alien to them at Arsenal.

Spurs were pressing high, looking to win the ball back with a real competitive edge. This, at least, looked something like a Thomas Frank team, despite the painful end result.

Frank was furious at his team’s lack of aggression at Arsenal, visibly grimacing when he pointed out they only won 17 out of 53 duels and second-ball situations.

Commitment could not be questioned here, but Spurs were undone by momentary lapses that always risk the ultimate punishment against PSG.

Frank said: “I am very pleased with the performance. This was much more the identity of the team, the bravery and aggressiveness of the team.

“There were lots of positives, the two strikers scoring three goals between them, the whole team performed really well. The performance was to get something out of the game but then you need to have the margins with you, but we can’t concede some of the goals we did.”

Spurs looked like taking a deserved 1-0 lead into the interval, only to switch off after a set-piece, allowing the brilliant Vitinha to equalise.

It happened again when Pape Matar Sarr, with the score 2-2, carelessly ceded possession just before the hour, the mistake ending with Fabian Ruiz putting PSG ahead for the first time.

Vitinha, a stellar performer in PSG’s Champions League win, was the decisive performer with two stunning strikes to snuff out the Spurs lead, one with his right foot another with his left.

Frank said: “Vitinha is the best midfielder in the world. He will be the next Ballon d’Or winner.”

PSG simply proved too good in the end, but Spurs also went some way to answering justified criticism about a lack of threat, with Richarlison and Kolo Muani providing three goals between them.

It was a good night for Kolo Muani, who has seen his attempt to make an impact at Spurs held back by a dead leg and a broken jaw, restricting him to just four starts and 345 minutes of action before this game.

Former Spurs and England goalkeeper Paul Robinson told BBC Radio 5 Live: “What I will say is that Tottenham had a different attitude. Their application, their work rate, their pressing, they started higher up the field. There was a lot more to be positive about.

“Unlike at the weekend Frank can put his finger on things that went wrong rather than scratching his head and thinking he didn’t recognise his team.”

The scenery now shifts to the vital home game against Fulham – where Frank must again convince his detractors he has foundations to build on.

The Rams welcomed back two key players from injured reserve, placed another player on the injured list and claimed a former player off waivers.

It made for a busy Wednesday as the Rams prepared to play the Carolina Panthers on Sunday in Charlotte, N.C.

The Rams, who are 9-2 and hold the No. 1 seed for the NFC playoffs, designated receiver Tutu Atwell and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to return from injured reserve. Atwell was sidelined four games because of a hamstring injury but coach Sean McVay said Atwell is expected to play against the Panthers.

Witherspoon has been out since suffering a broken collarbone in the second game of the season.

Cornerback Roger McCreary, acquired in an October trade with the Tennessee Titans, was placed on injured reserve after suffering a hip injury in the Rams’ victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. McCreary had been playing special teams, and he played only one defensive snap against the Buccaneers.

The Rams welcomed back cornerback Derion Kendrick, a 2022 sixth-round draft pick by the Rams, who was claimed off waivers from the Seattle Seahawks.

Kendrick started 18 games for the Rams before suffering a season-ending knee injury on the first day of training camp in 2024. He sat out last season, was released and re-signed before he was cut before the start of this season and claimed by the Seahawks.

Skip Mouat had sat out the previous two games through illness and said: “I thought I might have lost the momentum having those two games off, but I thought I threw pretty well in practice.

“I was glad to be back and there were a few misses by Sweden that let us off the hook.”

In the women’s event, Scotland secured their fourth win, against Norway, but sit sixth going into their final game against Sara Messenzehl’s Germany with only an outside chance of qualifying for the semi-finals.

Skipped by Sophie Jackson, they picked up four unanswered points over the first three ends against Marianne Roervik’s rink and finished strongly to see out a 8-5 victory.

Ranked second in this event, the Scots have also beaten Lithuania, Denmark and the Czech Republic, but losses to Turkey, Sweden, Italy and Switzerland mean they are requiring favours from other rinks to make the final four.

With Anna Hasselborg’s Swedes already qualified with seven wins, Denmark, Norway and Switzerland are all on five wins, one ahead of the Scots.

Jackson said: “That win was really important for us as we want that world qualification spot and that’s what we’re focused on now.

“I sadly had some news yesterday that my grandad passed away. It’s actually changed the mood in the team a little. We are just doing everything for each and make it the best time we can out there.”

It’s championship week in the high school football playoffs.

Here’s a look at top matchups on Friday and Saturday:

Southern Section

FRIDAY

DIVISION 1

Santa Margarita (9-3) vs. Corona Centennial (11-1) at the Rose Bowl, 7 p.m.

The last team standing will be the one able to execute on offense in a showcase of two aggressive, physically tough defenses. Santa Margarita has an advantage with versatile linebacker Dash Fifita and a defensive line second to none. Coach Carson Palmer twice played in the Rose Bowl as a player for USC. Centennial must find a way to run the ball or quarterback Dominick Catalano will have a long night. The pick: Santa Margarita.

DIVISION 3

Oxnard Pacifica (13-0) at Palos Verdes (10-3), 7 p.m.

Pacifica’s speed will cause Palos Verdes problems, especially if quarterback Taylor Lee can get the ball to his playmakers. Any team with quarterback Ryan Rakowski will not go down easily, but Rakowski suffered a broken thumb last week. Backup Giorgio Di Mascio has shown he can fill in when needed. The pick: Pacifica.

SATURDAY

DIVISION 2

Los Alamitos (11-2) at San Clemente (9-4), 7 p.m.

No team has turned around its season quicker than San Clemente, which has gone from unranked to playing in the championship game with a five-game winning streak. And the teams they’ve beaten were good — Los Alamitos, Edison, Beaumont, Vista Murrieta and Leuzinger. Defense has been key. Patrick Norman leads the team with 109 tackles. The Tritons will have to make sure Los Alamitos running backs Lenny Ibarra and Kamden Tillis are held in check. The pick: San Clemente.

DIVISION 5

Rio Hondo Prep (13-0) at Redondo Union (9-4), 7 p.m.

With a student population of just 150, Rio Hondo Prep faces its toughest challenge yet going for a 17th championship. Coach Mark Carson has schemes and strategies taught to players once they arrive in seventh grade. Running back Noah Penunuri (1,203 yards, 22 touchdowns) is recovering from an ankle injury. Redondo Union, with a student body of nearly 3,000, is in its first title game since 1944. Quarterback Cole Leinart is the son of Heisman Trophy winner Matt Leinart. The pick: Rio Hondo Prep.

City Section

FRIDAY

DIVISION III

Hawkins (10-2) vs. Santee (9-4) at Birmingham, 2 p.m.

It’s been a long road back for Hawkins after the program hit rock bottom in 2016 with forfeits, the firing of the coaching staff and an exodus of players during a season that ended up 0-13. Coach Ronald Coltress has stayed the course. Senior Jamarieah Wallace is closing in on 900 yards rushing. Santee’s Darnell Miller gets the chance to put on a show. He has rushed for more than 3,000 yards and 31 touchdowns. The pick: Santee.

DIVISION II

San Fernando (10-3) vs. Cleveland (5-8) at Birmingham, 6 p.m.

Everything changed when Cleveland quarterback Domenik Fuentes came back from an injury in Week 1 to lead the Cavaliers in the playoffs. San Fernando’s Julian Sarzo has passed for 1,500 yards. The pick: Cleveland.

SATURDAY

DIVISION I

Marquez (11-2) vs. South Gate (10-3), at L.A. Southwest College, 2 p.m.

It will be the passing of South Gate quarterback Michael Gonzalez vs. the all-around game of junior Elyjah Staples, perhaps the top college prospect in the City Section. He gets sacks, catches passes and makes plays. The pick: Marquez.

OPEN DIVISION

Crenshaw (10-1) vs. Carson (8-3) at L.A. Southwest College, 6 p.m.

These two defenses have given up a combined 14 points in the playoffs. As impressive as Crenshaw has been, Carson has reached another level behind quarterback Chris Fields III. Crenshaw’s speed on defense and resiliency should make for a defensive battle. The pick: Carson.