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INDIANAPOLIS — Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza made all the big plays Saturday night.

Then his Hoosiers teammates and their fans celebrated like it was 1967.

Mendoza’s neatly tucked 17-yard pass to Elijah Sarratt gave the No. 2 Hoosiers the lead they needed and the defense shut down No. 1 Ohio State the rest of the way in a 13-10 win for their first Big Ten title in nearly half a century while likely locking up the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.

“We were never supposed to be in this position, but now we’re the flipping champs,” Mendoza shouted on television before he was selected the game’s MVP. “We are brothers, we know how to stick together and we’re the toughest glue ever.”

They did it in style — extending the best season in school history to 13-0, breaking a 30-game losing streak against the Buckeyes that stretched to 1988, ending major college football’s longest winning streak at 16 and moving to the precipice of earning the first No. 1 ranking in school history.

Heck, Mendoza could become the first Heisman Trophy winner to play for the Hoosiers too.

And they sealed it with a remarkable 33-yard pass from Mendoza to Charlie Becker on third down, a play that took the clock down to the two-minute timeout.

“The Hoosiers are real and we are here,” Becker said after hauling in six passes for 126 yards.

Ohio State fell to 12-1 overall though its quest to win back-to-back national championships for the first time will likely begin with the No. 2 seed and a first-round bye.

The Buckeyes had a chance to retake the lead on fourth and one from the Indiana five-yard line late in the third quarter. But a replay review overturned the call on the field, determining Julian Sayin came up short. They also had a chance to tie the score with 2:48 to play, but Jayden Fielding missed a 29-yard field goal wide left.

“There’s going to be a lot of hard conversations over the next two weeks,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said. “It hurts, it stings.”

Ohio State still hasn’t won a conference crown since 2020.

The two quarterbacks dueling for the Heisman Trophy essentially played to a draw.

Mendoza was injured on the first offensive play of the game but returned after missing one play and went 15 of 23 for 222 yards and the one touchdown and one interception. Sayin had his ankle retaped in the second quarter and was 21 of 29 for 258 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

But when the big plays needed to be made, Mendoza made them.

Indiana took a 3-0 lead after Sayin was picked off in the first quarter, but the Buckeyes turned Mendoza’s miscue into a 17-yard scoring pass to Carnell Tate for a 7-3 lead late in the quarter.

The teams traded field goals in the second quarter as the Buckeyes took a 10-6 lead, but Mendoza neatly tucked a touchdown pass into Sarratt near the sideline on Indiana’s first possession of the third quarter and that was all they needed.

“A year late,” Hoosiers coach Curt Cignetti said. “I’ve three weeks to get these guys humble and hungry.”

Slot has not had to go looking for problems as Liverpool have slumped this season, despite spending almost £450m in the summer.

But the biggest landed when Salah decided to go public with obvious fury at his treatment.

Salah uses his words carefully and strategically. At most matches since arriving at Anfield from Roma in 2017, he has declined requests to talk to waiting reporters.

This only changes at Salah’s behest, like when he stood outside St Mary’s in the teeth of Storm Bert last November after scoring twice in a 3-2 win at Southampton to announce he was “probably more out than in” at Liverpool as contract negotiations were slow to progress.

The impasse was resolved when he signed a two-year deal in April, Salah marking the deal by sitting on a throne in his Liverpool kit at a floodlit Anfield.

It was all a far cry from the rancour that was exposed at Elland Road on Saturday night.

Salah is now more out than in than he has ever been. And if his time at Liverpool ends in such acrimony, it will be a sad farewell.

If Salah’s words are a challenge to Liverpool and Slot, then it is a battle he is far less likely to win than he was at this time last season.

It is understandable that such a proud character would be hurt by being relegated to the bench, such has been his standing at Liverpool.

Salah has won two Premier League titles, the Champions League, the FA Cup and the EFL Cup at Liverpool, scoring 250 goals. In the Premier League, he has scored 188 goals and had 88 assists.

He is third on Liverpool’s all-time record list of goalscorers, behind Ian Rush and Roger Hunt.

This season, however, Salah has started to look his age. It was not the seismic shock it might once have been when Slot dropped him to the bench for the 2-0 win at West Ham United.

Salah’s form this term has offered a stark contrast to last season, when he seemed driven by a personal mission to bring the Premier League title back to Anfield, which he duly did, scoring 34 goals in 50 starts in all competitions.

Over the course of USC’s undefeated start, with its star freshman still out, its leading scorer nursing an ailing shoulder and one of its best defenders down because of an injured hip, coach Eric Musselman still managed to make the best of his ravaged roster.

USC had won eight straight, sweeping its nonconference slate and winning its Big Ten opener at Oregon. It swept through the Maui Invitational, beating three real teams in the process. With every punch, the Trojans had been ready to punch back.

Then came Saturday, when a former Trojan delivered the knockout blow in the Big Ten home opener at Galen Center, ending USC’s undefeated start in the most painful fashion possible in an 84-76 loss to Washington.

USC led for all but six minutes and in the first half looked primed to run away with its second Big Ten win, leading by 18 at halftime. But it all came unraveled in the final 10 minutes as Washington scored 24 of the last 30 points to stun USC. It was Desmond Claude, the Trojans’ leading scorer last season, who propelled Washington to victory.

The Trojans still led by 10 with 10 minutes remaining, and after such a resounding start it seemed only a matter of time before they kicked back into gear. But they shot just 25% in the second half after making 50% in the first.

Chad Baker-Mazara led USC with 21 points but made only one of seven shots after halftime. Without him the offense dried up in a hurry.

Washington caught fire late, led by Claude, who had just four points in the first half but finished with 22.

USC cut Washington’s lead to three with just over a minute remaining. But Washington put the ball in Claude’s hands and he delivered, driving for a lay-in high off the glass and getting fouled.

The Huskies started the game in dismal fashion, turning the ball over seven times in the first seven minutes and making only two of their first 12 shots.

But those tides turned completely in the final minutes, dealing USC its first loss — and a brutal one at that.

Shabaz Masoud beat Peter McGrail by unanimous decision to claim the vacant European super-bantamweight title in Monaco.

Liverpool’s McGrail started the stronger before Stoke fighter Masoud grew into the fight.

McGrail ensured the closing rounds were tight but the judges scored it 116-111 115-112 114-113 in favour of Masoud.

It was Masoud’s first fight in 13 months, after injury meant a planned June meeting with McGrail was postponed, and now he has his eyes on a world title shot.

“I’ve got big plans,” he said. “I’m struggling making super-bantamweight and I don’t mind moving up for a world title.

“There’s a British world champion at the weight above, Nick Ball. That’s the fight I want. I need to move up.”

Earlier, in another all-British bout, British welterweight champion Conah Walker beat 2020 Olympic silver medallist Pat McCormack with a 12th-round knockout.

The Monte Carlo crowd also saw Turkey’s Elif Nur Turhan become the new IBF lightweight champion.

The 30-year-old demolished Brazil’s Beatriz Ferreira, finally stopping her in the fifth round – the two-time Olympic medallist’s first professional defeat.

It had been a performance impressive in its nothingness.

Zero points, zero rebounds, zero assists, zero steals and zero blocks in 15 minutes.

The only tangible statistical sign that UCLA’s Eric Dailey Jr. had played against Washington earlier this week came in the four fouls that he logged, which contributed mightily to his struggles across the board.

So it was encouraging for the Bruins to see their usually productive forward back to his old ways Saturday.

An early spin move leading to a turnaround jumper put Dailey on the board against Oregon, topping his total production from three days earlier less than three minutes into the game.

Dailey was just getting started. There were a couple of free throws after getting fouled on a putback attempt. A three-pointer after coming around a screen from Tyler Bilodeau. Another three-pointer. Another spin move leading to a turnaround jumper.

By then there were nearly eight minutes left in the half and Dailey was already well on his way to a big afternoon during the Bruins’ 74-63 victory over the Ducks at Pauley Pavilion.

Oregon center Ege Demir (16) puts a hand to the face of UCLA forward Tyler Bilodeau (34) while battling UCLA forward Steven Jamerson II for a rebound in the first half of the Bruins’ 74-63 win Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.

(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

Finishing with 14 of his season-high 18 points in the first half, Dailey logged his latest excellent showing against Oregon after having averaged 20 points on 88.2% shooting during the two games between the teams last season.

As UCLA (7-2 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) tends to do, it had trouble closing out the Ducks (4-5, 0-2) after building an 18-point lead. Oregon was within 61-58 after guard Jackson Shelstad (20 points) pump-faked Bruins counterpart Donovan Dent (13 points, three assists) out of the way and rose for a jumper.

But three consecutive assists from UCLA guard Skyy Clark fueled a 7-1 run that gave his team a slightly more comfortable cushion. The Bruins were firmly in control a few minutes later after center Xavier Booker finished a give-and-go involving Bilodeau with a ferocious dunk.

The next step for Dailey, who made six of nine shots and grabbed eight rebounds, will be to repeat his performance from Saturday as he continues a search for consistency in his second season as a Bruin. He’s alternated single- and double-digit games over each of his last four games.

Dailey had plenty of help in pushing UCLA to a second consecutive victory while handing Oregon a fifth consecutive loss.

Clark continued his fiery streak from long range, making three of six three-pointers on the way to 13 points, and Bilodeau (14 points, eight rebounds) and Booker (12 points, five rebounds) were also productive.

UCLA reserve guard Trent Perry had two points in 10 minutes in his return from an ankle injury that had forced him to miss the game against Washington.

For Farke, the pressure was close to boiling point, with BBC Sport reporting that, according to sources, the process of identifying potential replacements had already begun.

But with four points against three of England’s top teams in eight days, Farke’s job will be safe for now.

The Leeds boss was asked by Sky Sports if this was one of his best weeks as a Premier League manager, and said: “No, one of the most exhausting ones.

“If you play against Pep Guardiola, Enzo Maresca and today against Arne Slot and their world-class teams, we know in terms of quality we can’t compete with them, so we have to be spot on in tactical terms and try and surprise them sometimes and change the game a little bit.

“Yes, it’s joyful after the game to get good results but, to be honest, I’m happy that I can spend the weekend with coffee and cake on the sofa.”

Even when Leeds lost four in a row, Farke insists he “never lost faith”.

“It’s not a question I am even thinking about – because before this week, I was 100% convinced,” he added. “I work with these guys every day and I see what it means to them and how united they are and their spirit and togetherness.

“It is outstanding. I am a big believer that you get what you invest in and these boys are willing to invest and to present this club in the best possible way.

“It’s a long road. Nothing is achieved yet, but we should take lots of confidence out of this.”

It’s still unclear if Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert will play against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Herbert, who underwent surgery on his fractured left (non-throwing) hand Monday after sustaining the break last week against Las Vegas, was listed as questionable against Philadelphia after being limited across three days of practice.

The Chargers quarterback was being handed the ball as he aligned under center during practice, with a cast and wrap over his left hand. Herbert appeared to comfortably catch the ball on shotgun snaps during throwing drills Saturday.

“I try not to,” Herbert said when asked earlier this week if the cast changes the way he plays. “I try to play the game the same way. … As long as it’s stabilized and fixed, you know, the doctors feel comfortable with it, then I think you can just move on to just playing and just try not to focus on it too much.”

Coach Jim Harbaugh wouldn’t speculate Friday about whether Herbert would play, adding that Herbert had taken seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 reps but had not taken direct snaps under center.

“Optimistic,” Harbaugh said, however, when asked how he felt about Herbert playing against the Eagles.

Harbaugh could also be getting both of his running backs to help mix-and-match the operation alongside Kimani Vidal, who inserted himself into the team’s running attack after rookie Omarion Hampton sustained an ankle fracture.

Hampton, along with running back Hassan Haskins (hamstring), is questionable for Monday, and both were full participants in practice Saturday. Hampton shed the yellow non-contact jersey earlier this week — a sign of increased progress toward a return.

The rookie tailback from North Carolina rushed for 314 yards (4.8 yards per carry) and two touchdowns before fracturing his left ankle in Week 5.

Defensive lineman Otito Ogbonnia (elbow) is questionable for Monday, and tight end Tucker Fisk (ankle) is out.

WASHINGTON — Iran, New Zealand, Switzerland, Belgium and the winner of a March playoff featuring Wales, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy and Northern Ireland will join the U.S. in playing World Cup group-stage games at SoFi Stadium next June. The Inglewood venue will host eight World Cup games in 28 days, beginning with the U.S. opener with Paraguay on June 12.

The tournament will kick off June 11 in Mexico City with Mexico facing South Africa in a rematch of the 2010 tournament opener in South Africa. It will end July 19 in East Rutherford, N.J., with the final beginning at 3 p.m. Eastern time.

The schedule for the largest and most complex World Cup ever was announced Saturday at the Hilton Capital Hotel in Washington and it isn’t a favorable one for Southern California businesses hoping to cash in on the tournament. Of the five group-stage matches, two feature Iran, whose citizens have been banned from traveling to the U.S. by the Trump administration. Although Southern California is home to the largest concentration of Iranians outside Iran, those fans won’t be booking flights or hotel stays, dampening the economic effect on the region.

Following the U.S.-Paraguay game, SoFi will stage two Group G matches featuring Iran against New Zealand on June 15 and Iran-Belgium on June 21. In between, Switzerland will face the European playoff winner on June 15. The U.S. will then return to Inglewood on June 25 to face the winner of a March playoff featuring Slovakia, Kosovo, Turkey and Romania.

In addition to the five first-round games, SoFi will host three knockout-stage games — two in the round of 32 and one quarterfinal. Among the most attractive teams that could play in Inglewood during the round of 32 are Mexico, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Austria and Algeria. Reigning champion Argentina could also come to Southern California in the second round if it stumbles in group play.

New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium drew arguably the best schedule of any of the 16 World Cup venues. In addition to the final, the stadium will host group-play games featuring Brazil, Germany, France and England.

Defending champion Argentina will play its first game in Kansas City then finish the group stage in Dallas while Spain, the tournament favorite, will play its first two games in Atlanta and its final match in Guadalajara.

All times BST

England – Group L

21:00, Wed, 17th June v Croatia – Dallas

21:00, Tue, 23rd June v Ghana – Boston

22:00, Sat, 27th June v Panama – New Jersey

Scotland – Group C

02:00, Sun, 14 June v Haiti – Boston

23:00, Fri, 19 June v Morocco – Boston

23:00, Wed, 24 June v Brazil – Miami

Sunday’s game vs. the Panthers was a particularily brutal loss suffered by the Rams to an inferior team.

Yes, Matthew Stafford and Emmanuel Forbes were very bad, but the responsibility for this debacle should fall squarely on the coaching staff.

Sean McVay needed only to the run the ball down Carolina’s throat on their last possession, killing the clock and in the process, at worst, getting a tying field goal. Instead McVay chose to pass, pass, pass, resulting in a Stafford fumble/turnover and effectively ending the game. His platitude of “humility is only a day away” feels more like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Axel Hubert
Santa Monica

Russell looked at times as if he might become an interloper in the title fight – and he may yet be if he gets a good start – but after a messy session with a few mistakes on his laps, the Briton ended up 0.438secs off the pace in fourth.

Leclerc dragged the Ferrari into fifth after another difficult session for the team.

His lap in second qualifying was lurid, and he said over the radio that he was “surprised” to make it through because he was “driving like rallying”.

Team-mate Hamilton suffered his third consecutive knockout in the first session and said he had “no answer” as to his lack of performance. He was 0.231secs behind Leclerc in the first session.

He had earlier crashed in final practice after losing the car into Turn Nine. “The car was feeling great, just had some bottoming and lost the back end,” he said.

Alonso ended Aston Martin’s season on a relative high with sixth place on the grid – and in so doing became the only driver on the grid to complete a grand prix qualifying clean sweep over his team-mate.

Alonso is 24-0 over Lance Stroll, and the Canadian has beaten him only once over one lap all season, in sprint qualifying in China at the second race of the season.

Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto, Haas’ Esteban Ocon, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Tsunoda completed the top 10, with British Haas driver Oliver Bearman in 11th.

Who’s No. 1?

Not the Rams. Not for now anyway.

Before last Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, the Rams held the No. 1 seed in the NFC.

After their defeat, the Rams (9-3) are No. 2 heading into Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals (3-9) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

The Chicago Bears (9-3) currently hold the top spot.

How closely are Rams coach Sean McVay and his players tracking the race for the No. 1 seed — and home-field advantage for the playoffs?

“It’s not important to me at all,” McVay said.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford apparently feels the same.

“That’s the last thing on my mind at the moment,” he said.

Understandably so.

The Panthers ended the Rams’ six-game winning streak and knocked the Rams from their perch atop the NFC.

The Rams are attempting to regain momentum and stay atop the NFC West.

“Last week serves as a phenomenal reminder of… you get all ahead of yourself, we won’t even be in the playoffs if we’re not careful,” McVay said.

Or, as receiver Davante Adams put it: “They were just singing our praises a week ago, and now, ‘We suck’ just because we go out and don’t win the game.”

Barring a complete collapse, the Rams appear on their way to the postseason. But the Seattle Seahawks (9-3) and the San Francisco 49ers (9-4) — also of the NFC West — are among the teams that remain in contention for the top seed.

This is the time of year when playoff projections are omnipresent.

“I’m not naive to the fact that every time you flip on NFL Network or ESPN or you’re watching games… and it pops up,” McVay said. “Our guys see it, but I think they’re also smart enough and humble enough to know that none of it really matters. … It’s something that you’re aware of, but it doesn’t move the needle for us at all.”

In his first eight seasons with the Rams, McVay led them to the Super Bowl twice, and neither road included home games for every round.

In 2018, the Rams had a bye in the wild-card round, and then defeated the Dallas Cowboys at the Coliseum and the New Orleans Saints in the Superdome en route to Super Bowl LIII, where they lost to the New England Patriots.

In 2021, the Rams did not have a bye. They defeated the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa and the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium to advance to Super Bowl LVI. The Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium to win the title.

After Sunday’s game, the Rams play host to the Detroit Lions and then play a “Thursday Night Football” game at Seattle. They travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons, and finish the season at home against the Cardinals.

“If you said, ‘would I be happier if we ended up being able to be in a position where that means we won more games that maybe gave you a chance to get an automatic bid to the Division Round?’ Yeah, of course,” McVay said.

The last two seasons, the Rams were eliminated from the playoffs on the road.

In 2023, the Lions beat them in a wild-card game at Ford Field. Last season, the Rams lost in the divisional round at Philadelphia to the eventual Super Bowl-champion Eagles.

“I don’t think being on the road had anything to do with us coming up short in those games,” McVay said.

If the Rams have clinched the No. 1 seed or a playoff spot before the finale against the Cardinals, McVay, as he did the past few seasons, might opt to rest most starters.

“We’re trained to do whatever is right in front of us and if that is to go play a game for this seed, all the marbles or whatever it is, we’ll go do it,” Stafford said. “If it’s to sit, rest and take care of yourself, you do that.

“We’re not anywhere near that conversation at the moment. We’re laser focused on Arizona and trying to get the result that we want.”

When you have perhaps the best junior guard in the nation, it makes things a lot easier. So far, so good for the Ontario Christian girls’ basketball team.

Junior Kaleena Smith and sophomore Tatianna Griffin have led Ontario Christian to an 8-0 start going into the championship game of the Troy tournament against JSerra at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

Ontario Christian won the Southern Section Open Division championship last season before losing to Etiwanda in the regionals. The Knights are looking even stronger in the way they have been beating some good teams, such as Oak Park, Moreno Valley and Fairmont Prep.

JSerra is 7-1 with recent wins over Sage Hill and Sierra Canyon, so this is another test against a possible Open Division team. Rosie Santos has been an outstanding point guard for JSerra, but now she gets to face the high-scoring Smith, who is a much-wanted talent pursued by USC and UCLA.

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

FRIDAY’S RESULTS

BOYS

CITY SECTION

Angelou 61, Santee 40

Animo Pat Brown 49, AHSA 42

Animo Robinson 67, Hawkins 61

Animo Watts 46, Animo Bunche 21

Bernstein 72, Roybal 25

Downtown Magnets 80. San Fernando 72

Foshay 64, Middle College 58

Garfield 58, Torres 40

Granada Hills 73, Granada Hills Kennedy 24

Hollywood 53, Mendez 49

LA Hamilton 97, West Adams 38

Legacy 83, Elizabeth 40

Lincoln 58, Huntington Park 47

Manual Arts 57, Jefferson 48

Marquez 60, South East 31

Orthopaedic 63, Gertz-Ressler 32

Panorama 52, Sun Valley Magnet 46

RFK Community 58, Contreras 24

San Pedro 64, Rancho Dominguez 58

Stern 42, Collins Family 32

SOUTHERN SECTION

Aliso Niguel 73, Portola 55

Anaheim 72, Pomona 24

Apple Valley 90, Big Bear 67

Aquinas 50, Summit 49

Baldwin Park 57, Santa Ana Valley 37

Banning 75, Nuview Bridge 22

Beaumont 66, Carter 53

Bell Gardens 66, Rosemead 41

Bishop Amat 77, Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 67

Bonita 72, Damien 47

Brea Olinda 64, Whittier Christian 36

California 69, Montclair 44

California Lutheran 78, Bethel Christian 24

Capistrano Valley Christian 81, Cathedral City 20

Century 35, Glenn 23

Chaffey 59, Perris 46

Citrus Hill 81, Coachella Valley 38

Coastal Academy 42, Westminster 22

Damien 68, Chino Hills 56

Del Sol 59, Providence 47

Downey 74, Cerritos 47

Edison 48, Long Beach Cabrillo 45

EF Academy 63, Animo City of Champions 52

El Modena 73, Loara 58

Esperanza 59, Servite 55

Etiwanda 65, Colony 60

Excelsior Charter 89, Lakeview Leadership 30

Flintridge Prep 64, CSDR 22

Foothill Tech 88, Hillcrest Christian 50

Great Oak 75, Linfield Christian 50

Hawthorne 63, Environmental Charter 31

Heritage 58, West Valley 50

Hesperia Christian 63, CIMSA 56

Hillcrest 70, Bloomington 35

Jurupa Valley 57, Pacific 47

Knight 62, Highland 36

La Habra 69, San Juan Hills 55

La Palma Kennedy 59, Oxford Academy 35

Long Beach Wilson 83, Orange 29

Los Altos 71, Hacienda Heights Wilson 23

Los Amigos 76, Torrance 72

Mesrobian 57, First Baptist 44

Mira Costa 102, Long Beach Jordan 62

Monrovia 51, Santa Fe 49

Moreno Valley 60, Nogales 28

Murrieta Valley 74, Arrowhead Christian 64

Newbury Park 72, Lompoc Cabrillo 40

Norwalk 61, Garden Grove 57

Oaks Christian 67, Santa Clara 38

Ontario Christian 55, Glendora 51

Orange Vista 78, San Jacinto 65

Palmdale 72, PACS 28

Palm Desert 78, Twentynine Palms 49

Paramount 76, Estancia 70

Pasadena Poly 48, South Hills 40

Quartz Hill 67, El Toro 51

Rancho Alamitos 53, Santa Ana 39

Redlands East Valley 64, Diamond Bar 57

Riverside Notre Dame 64, Arlington 58

Riverside King 65, Ramona 61

San Marino 45, Walnut 41

SEED: LA 67, New Roads 49

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 76, Millikan 60

Sierra Vista 47, Fontana 45

Silverado 79, La Quinta 36

Silver Valley 81, AAE 53

South El Monte 54, El Rancho 37

Southlands Christian 59, NSLA 36

St. John Bosco 82. Los Alamitos 44

Temecula Prep 60, Lakeside 52

Temecula Valley 99, Rancho Cucamonga 93

Temescal Canyon 61, Entrepreneur 25

Thacher 58, Nipomo 36

Thousand Oaks 81, Camarillo 52

Trabuco Hills 62, Yorba Linda 45

Trinity Classical Academy 57, Villanova Prep 52

Upland 80, Grand Terrace 31

Valencia 79, Hart 60

Valley Christian 59, Windward 45

Vasquez 57, Paraclete 50

Vista Murrieta 56, Liberty 52

Westminster La Quinta 67, San Gorgonio 42

West Ranch 79, Castaic 59

INTERSECTIONAL

Alemany 61, Bakersfield 55

Arcadia 68, San Diego Francis Parker 66

Brawley 55, Shadow Hills 51

Clovis North 79, Santa Barbara 76

Crean Lutheran 61, Carlsbad 47

Goodyear (Ariz.) Millennium 68, JSerra 58

Granada Islamic School 51, Palo Alto KIPP Esperanza 47

Harbor Teacher 54, Vista Meridian 14

Hayden (Idaho) Christian Center 59, Lancaster Baptist 44

Horizon Prep 68, Cornerstone Christian 27

Mary Star of the Sea 80, Port of Los Angeles 31

Newport Beach Pacifica Christian 77, Stockton Weston Ranch 67

Nordhoff 54, Maricopa 29

Rancho Mirage 78, Holtville 43

Rolling Hills Prep 63, Las Vegas (Nev.) Democracy Prep Agassi 55

Seattle Roosevelt 50, Palm Springs 47

Schurr 76, Maywood Academy 34

St. Francis 74, San Jose Leigh 44

Vanden 66, Legacy Christian Academy 54

Warner 43, Desert Mirage 26

GIRLS

CITY SECTION

Animo De La Hoya 29, Monroe 10

Animo Watts 43, Animo Bunche 27

Diego Rivera 33, LA Roosevelt 26

Hawkins 54, Animo Robinson 24

LACES 55, Bell 29

Larchmont Charter 52, Horace Mann UCLA 9

LA Wilson 55, Torres 9

Santee 41, Angelou 23

South East 62, Marquez 29

Stern 38, Collins Family 6

Sun Valley Magnet 44, Panorama 37

Triumph Charter 56, Central City Value 12

Vaughn 30, AMIT 13

Verdugo Hills 60, San Fernando 34

SOUTHERN SECTION

Agoura 48, Simi Valley 23

Aliso Niguel 73, Redlands East Valley 64

Arrowhead Christian 66, Anza Hamilton 22

Beckman 49, Claremont 45

Bishop Diego 58, Carpinteria 47

Bonita 66, Avalon 21

Burbank 96, Mayfield 13

Cajon 39, Liberty 33

Calabasas 55, Northridge Academy 36

Century 32, Long Beach Cabrillo 14

Cerritos Valley Christian 54, Laguna Beach 33

Chaffey 44, Apple Valley 31

Chino Hills 50, Chino 48

Citrus Valley 41, Sultana 40

Corona 68, Elsinore 16

CSDR 70, Linfield Christian 38

Fillmore 51, Hueneme 8

Flintridge Prep 51, Harvard-Westlake 45

Glendora 74, Patriot 28

Hacienda Heights Wilson 70, Ramona 53

Hemet 38, Great Oak 31

Hesperia Christian 57, CIMSA 26

Indian Springs 40, Riverside Notre Dame 22

JSerra 70, San Clemente 51

Kaiser 46, Entrepreneur 6

La Habra 35, HMSA 27

La Puente 22, Edgewood 18

La Serna 50, Savanna 40

La Sierra 49, West Valley 43

Los Amigos 40, Saddleback 16

Marymount 47, Palm Springs 23

Mayfair 26, Norco 17

Mira Costa 63, Marlborough 48

Newbury Park 66, Moorpark 45

New Roads 26, SEED: LA 24

Northwood 29, Westminster La Quinta 24

Notre Dame Academy 59, Burbank Providence 22

NOVA Academy 67, Garden Grove Santiago 29

NSLA 25, Grove School 14

Oak Hills 58, Brea Olinda 18

Paloma Valley 63, Citrus Hill 39

Pasadena Poly 48, Keppel 38

Pinewood 61, Oxnard 31

Rancho Bernardo 50, Murrieta Mesa 35

Redlands 34, Rancho Verde 33

Riverside King 49, Riverside Poly 39

San Bernardino 51, Arroyo Valley 22

San Gabriel 33, Covina 22

Santa Ana Calvary Chapel 35, Capistrano Valley Christian 19

Santa Ana Foothill 41, Woodbridge 29

Santa Clara 30, Hillcrest Christian 20

Santa Clarita Christian 49, Grace 19

Santa Rosa Academy 55, SJDLCS 15

Saugus 57, Canyon Country Canyon 44

Silver Valley 74, AAE 22

South Hills 46, West Covina 42

St. Anthony 51, Rancho Cucamonga 49

St. Lucy’s 26, Southlands Christian 22

St. Margaret’s 49, Godinez 25

St. Pius X-St. Matthias Academy 61, Artesia 38

Sunny Hills 40, La Palma Kennedy 33

Temecula Prep 64, Lakeside 33

Trabuco Hills 71, Irvine University 6

Valencia 66, Hart 17

Viewpoint 46, Golden Valley 43

Villa Park 58, Orange Lutheran 34

Webb 29, Pomona Catholic 27

Western Christian 52, Arroyo 23

West Ranch 60, Castaic 23

Whitney 47, Compton Centennial 32

Whittier 35, Norwalk 25

Whittier Christian 55, Sierra Vista 26

Wiseburn Da Vinci 41, Torrance 38

Yucaipa 47, Aliso Niguel 46

INTERSECTIONAL

Alemany 57, Grant 33

Calabasas 55, Northridge Academy 36

Crescenta Valley 61, Granada Hills 49

Mater Dei 62, Salt Lake City (Utah) West 47

Cummins has taken 309 wickets in 71 Tests and has a career average of 21.19 with the ball at the Adelaide Oval.

Australia are also without fast bowler Josh Hazlewood, while Steve Smith has captained the side in Cummins’ absence.

Cummins said the selectors considered bringing him in for Brisbane but decided it was too risky.

“It felt a bit too acute and didn’t really feel fair on the other bowlers,” he added.

“We thought it didn’t feel like the right Test match to take that risk, so kick it down the road for a week.”

Los Alamitos underclassmen laid down their helmets, one by one, on the five-yard line.

Griffins junior running back Kamden Tillis was already overcome by emotion, the reality of a 42-21 defeat to San Diego Cathedral in the Division 1-AA regional final sinking into Los Alamitos as the players said goodbye.

“I hate this moment,” said Los Alamitos coach Ray Fenton, who led his program to a 12-3 record and a Southern Section Division 2 title.

Tillis, along with his teammates, embraced each senior on the goal line. Hug after hug. Words of brotherhood overpowering the sensations of a crushing defeat.

“I loved them to death,” Tillis said of the Griffins’ seniors.

Los Alamitos defensive end Jackson Renger, who recorded a sack Friday night at Veterans Stadium and helped lead a defensive fury to defeat San Clemente a week ago, pounded on the back of junior linebacker Koa Marasco as he told Renger of how much he meant to him.

Los Alamitos receiver Ashton Gogue heads upfield after a reception against San Diego Cathedral on Friday night.

(Craig Weston)

“These are my best friends,” Renger said.

Belief is built into Los Alamitos’ players bones.

Losses to Mission Viejo and San Clemente threw a wrench in the route the Griffins took to get this far. On each step of its journey to the state semifinal, Fenton’s program rallied.

The Griffins held a 14-7 lead early in the game Friday, using touchdowns on a Colin Creason-to-Ashton Gogue 26-yard pass and a two-yard quarterback keeper to set a tone against the Dons.

But as the game reached halftime, the brunt of Cathedral’s larger offensive and defensive lines proved difficult to overcome.

Tillis stormed to a 26-yard carry to bring Los Alamitos to the nine-yard line with six seconds remaining in the first half.

Two attempts to punch the ball in fell short on incomplete passes before a 26-yard field-goal attempt went wide left. Instead of being up by three points, the Griffins and Dons entered halftime tied at 14.

San Diego Cathedral running back Honor Fa’alave-Johnson jumps over a fallen blocker to cross the goal line against Los Alamitos on Friday night.

(Craig Weston)

“We lost momentum,” Fenton said. “We had it going.”

Cathedral opened the half with two long touchdown passes from quarterback Brady Palmer to wide receiver Isaac Cook, who finished with 183 receiving yards and three touchdowns, and iced the game with their final connection, a nine-yard touchdown pass with 1:53 left on the clock. The Dons scored 28 unanswered points.

Tillis never gave up, however, telling himself not to think about the future, he said. Los Alamitos avoided a second-half goose egg thanks to a 45-yard touchdown run from the 5-foot-11 tailback.

For Creason, in a season where, as Fenton put it, many believed Los Alamitos would not finish with a winning record, the Griffins exceeded their own expectations by making it to a regional final.

“We already got what we wanted to accomplish, but, I mean, this year has been magical,” the Griffins senior signal-caller said.

And for Fenton, he’s thankful for the ride Los Alamitos brought him.

“When you don’t have those expectations and pressure on you to win every game, you get better every day,” Fenton said. “All of a sudden, I looked up and I go, ‘Oh my god, we’re in the finals.’ I honestly didn’t know we were in the finals. It was just another game for us to say we are in the finals.”

Justin Greaves scored a Test career-high 202 not out as West Indies made the second-highest fourth-innings total in history to earn a draw with New Zealand in the series opener in Christchurch.

West Indies had been skittled for just 167 in their first innings and were set an imposing target of 531 – 113 more than the highest successful Test chase – after New Zealand declared on 466-8, but valiantly stood firm for the best part of two days.

Greaves faced 388 balls and batted for 564 minutes for his second Test century and compiled a resilient 180-run seventh-wicket stand with Kemar Roach, who posted a career-high 58, before New Zealand captain Tom Latham shook hands with West Indies 457-6.

Coming in with his side 72-4 on day four, Greaves combined with captain Shai Hope for a 196-run fifth-wicket stand off 384 deliveries.

Hope (140 off 234) and wicketkeeper Tevin Imlach fell in quick succession shortly before lunch on day five but Greaves found the perfect partner in Roach.

The bowler, who had taken a five-wicket haul in New Zealand’s second innings, scored his maiden Test half-century and crucially withstood 233 deliveries as they negotiated the remainder of the day.

It’s time to get excited about the start of Pacific League play in high school basketball. Arcadia and Pasadena are set to play Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. at Arcadia in a game matching the top two teams in the league.

Arcadia improved to 5-1 in nonleague competition Friday with a 68-66 win over Francis Parker. Noa Eteuati Edwards scored 23 points, Mateo Ingersoll had 14 points and Nick Wallace Jr. had 12 points.

Mira Costa 102, Long Beach Jordan 62: The Mustangs (8-1) advanced to the championship game of the Bellflower tournament. Paxx Bell had 22 points, Royce Rielly scored 16 and Logan Dugdale had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

St. Francis 74, San José Leigh 44: In Northern California, the Golden Knights won behind Cherif Millogo, who had 20 points.

Forestville (Md.) Bishop McNamara 71, Santa Margarita 67: The Eagles (8-1) suffered their first defeat in Washington, D.C. Brayden Kyman led the Eagles with 27 points, including seven threes.

Brentwood 70, Cleveland 51: The Eagles improved to 9-0. Ethan Hill had 18 points and 16 rebounds.

Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 75, Long Beach Millikan 60: NaVorro Bowman Jr. had 34 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the Knights.

La Habra 69, San Juan Hills 55: The Highlanders are 8-1 after Acen Jimenez scored 27 points.

Saugus 64, Canyon 50: The Centurions improved to 2-0 in league. Braydon Harmon finished with 23 points and 15 rebounds.

Rolling Hills Prep 63, Democracy Prep 53: Kawika Suter had 17 points and 12 rebounds and Nick Welch Jr. added 16 points and 10 rebounds for 8-0 Rolling Hills Prep.

San Pedro 64, Rancho Dominguez 58: The Pirates opened the Marine League with a win behind Chris Morgan, who finished with 19 points, including a couple dunks.

Oak Park 48, Sun Valley Poly 45: Beau Prophete scored 16 points and Jonathan Plax had 15 points for the Eagles.

Oaks Christian 67, Santa Clara 38: Noah Krayndler led Oaks Christian with 15 points.

Calabasas 84, Blythe Palo Verde Valley 41: Calvin Goetz led the 4-4 Coyotes with 19 points.

Edison 48, Long Beach Cabrillo 45: Jackie Oei made a three-pointer at the buzzer to deliver victory for Edison.

Girls basketball

Valencia 66, Hart 17: The Vikings cruised to victory in their Foothill League opener. Alexis Epie had 16 points.

Having opened 2025 by winning the Masters, Murphy is now just two matches away from triumphing in a second Triple Crown event this year.

And unlike his last-16 win over John Higgins, when he fought back to win a decider, his match against Zhang proved to be a far more comfortable affair – albeit both players were well below their best.

A calamitous conclusion to the opening frame from Zhang set the tone for what was to follow.

The 33-year-old from China failed to hit a routine snooker and then went in off the black to lose a frame in which had control following a break of 65.

Murphy enjoyed a run of 88 in the second frame and that was as good as it got, with his only other two half centuries coming in frames five and nine on a night when both players were guilty of some dreadful misses.

“I am delighted to win, but that is about it. We both played under par I think and I made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes which threw me,” admitted Murphy.

“I dropped the rest and nearly clattered the balls, I miscued, I couldn’t tell you the last time I did that and there were a number of totally basic misses.

“Thankfully I got the win. You always have a bad session in a tournament. I am hoping tonight is it.”

Selby, who won the Champion of Champions last month, underlined why he arrived in Yorkshire as one of the favourites.

Breaks of 61 and 115 gave him a 2-1 lead over Hawkins and he was then able to exhibit his renowned matchplay skills to edge three consecutive frames that were all delicately poised.

While Hawkins replied with a wonderful break of 138, Selby sealed his success with a run of 83 to reach the semis for the first time since 2016 – the year of his second UK success.