Having rescued a point in a dramatic 2-2 draw against Bayer Leverkusen at the weekend, Leipzig were in Austria hoping to close out their Champions League campaign with three points and another morale-boosting display. The match started tentatively, with play frequently breaking down in the midfield. Christoph Baumgartner and Antonio Nusa were the standouts in a much-changed Leipzig XI in the first half. Nicolas Seiwald bombarded Graz with a flurry of corners and set-pieces, but none of them tested Kjell Scherpen in the Graz goal. The hosts grew into the game, seizing their biggest chance as Malić crept in at the back post to get on the end of a corner, breaking the deadlock from close range. Baumgartner and Lutsharel Geertruida combined minutes later as Leipzig looked to respond, but Scherpen saved Geertruida’s initial attempt, and his teammate sent the rebound over the bar.

The second half began much the same as the first ended; with Leipzig dominating possession but failing to make anything of it. Much of their play lacked its usual precision and sharpness, with the visitors opting to go long to Yussuf Poulsen all too frequently, to no avail. Things soon appeared to go from bad to worse for Leipzig, as William Bøving thought he had doubled the host’s advantage just after the hour mark. The attempt was disallowed by the VAR for a foul in the build-up, however. Rose made a flurry of changes inside five minutes to try and find a way back into the game, bringing on regular starters in David Raum, Xavi and Benjamin Šeško. Yet it was the Austrian side who played with bravery and attacking intent, creating chances at every opportunity. In the final ten minutes, Graz stood off their visitors, enduring prolonged spells of pressure, but their defence held. Beaten but unbowed, Die Roten Bullen will look to pick up in the Bundesliga when they face Union Berlin this weekend.

Getting married Today, following her training, she eventually announced her marriage to his boyfriend.

Oklahoma softball’s offense proved to be too much for Texas, winning Game 2 of the WCWS Championship Series 8-4, securing the Sooners’ fourth straight national title.

Thursday night’s matchup had similar events to the night before. Oklahoma led early and was supplemented by fantastic offense in the middle innings, stifling a late comeback attempt by the Longhorns.

Oklahoma led by one after the second inning before Texas initially started to come to life. In a small-ball two-out rally, Texas captain Alyssa Washington drove in shortstop Viviana Martinez, tying the game in the top of the third. With the bases still loaded, DH Joley Mitchell had a chance to give Texas its first major advantage of the tournament.

Working a 2-0 count, Texas looked in control. Two more balls and the Longhorns walked in a run, which meant Oklahoma’s Karlie Keeney had to throw a strike. Keeney, however, battled through the at-bat, forcing a 3-2 count. In a battle that was likely to dictate the momentum for the rest of the game, Keeney forced a week grounder to the right side, an easy play for the Sooners as the Longhorns left three on base.

Texas would take the lead in the top of the fourth thanks to center fielder Kayden Henry’s speed and some luck with an error by Oklahoma, but the bottom of the fourth was where the Sooners truly broke the game open.

With starting pitcher Mac Morgan out of the game for the Longhorns after just three innings, reliever Estelle Czech was tasked with getting through the Sooners lineup. Oklahoma struck quickly, loading the bases in 16 pitches with just one out on the board. Another massive payoff pitch came in the at-bat between Czech and first baseman Cydney Sanders, with both players battling into a 3-2 count. Czech choose a pitch low in the zone and Sanders turned on it, sending the ball into the right-center gap. The bases cleared, and what felt like a home crowd in Oklahoma City erupted as Oklahoma was now up twoTexas would take the lead in the top of the fourth thanks to center fielder Kayden Henry’s speed and some luck with an error by Oklahoma, but the bottom of the fourth was where the Sooners truly broke the game open.

With starting pitcher Mac Morgan out of the game for the Longhorns after just three innings, reliever Estelle Czech was tasked with getting through the Sooners lineup. Oklahoma struck quickly, loading the bases in 16 pitches with just one out on the board. Another massive payoff pitch came in the at-bat between Czech and first baseman Cydney Sanders, with both players battling into a 3-2 count. Czech choose a pitch low in the zone and Sanders turned on it, sending the ball into the right-center gap. The bases cleared, and what felt like a home crowd in Oklahoma City erupted as Oklahoma was now up two. .

It wasn’t until the sixth inning that action resumed, as Texas began to knock on the door once again. The Longhorns found unexpected power from nine-hole hitter Ashton Maloney, whose double brought Mitchell to third after her walk. Texas had the tying run on second with just one out and the top of the order coming up.

First stepped Bella Dayton, the leadoff batter and arguably one of the most consistent hitters on the team. Dayton worked a 1-1 count but swung hard and missed on relief pitcher Nicole May’s changeup. Frazzled, Dayton would whiff on the next pitch, setting up third baseman Mia Scott with a two-out RBI chance.

But Scott wouldn’t face May. A familiar face emerged from the Sooner bullpen after a mound visit, Kelly Maxwell. The Oklahoma State transfer had dominated in the previous night’s matchup, and the veteran was being asked to finish the final four outs of the Sooners’ potential fourpeat.

Scott quickly fell behind 0-2, with the hopes of the Longhorn fans dwindling. On the 0-2 pitch, Scott chopped a ball to the right side, forcing a tough play for second baseman Avery Hodge. Safe was Scott, as was Mitchell at home, and Texas had brought the game within one, two runners still on base.

But as the camera panned to the celebrating Longhorns, a random eruption came from the Oklahoma fans. Out number three was called, and panic ensued. Scott, for seemingly no apparent reason, decided to step into the basepaths between first and second. Either a mental lapse or a misjudgment from the senior meant she couldn’t react in time to being tagged out. Texas’ rally had been quieted by an uncharacteristic mistake, and from there the wheels fell off.

The Sooners added three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, pushing the lead to four. With all the momentum on their side, Texas had no hopes of defeating Maxwell and getting back into the game. A 1-2-3 top of the seventh ended the Longhorns season in second place, a fantastic accomplishment for the team, but a frustrating result at the hands of its most bitter rival.

Another Los Angeles Lakers-Dallas Mavericks transaction is on the horizon.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ response to Adams Silver’s dismissal over Luka Doncic is reported in NBA News.

class: National Signing Day.

Prospects across the country will sign with the schools of their choice, with many set to enroll early for the spring semester. But there’s still plenty of excitement to come with commitments, flips and more unexpected news in the next few days.

On3 is providing wall-to-wall coverage with live updates, news, notes and the latest intel from our team of national and school-specific recruiting experts. Track the movement on the class rankings throughout the day on the On3 In7dustry Team 

Coco Gauff Officially Withdraws from Upcoming Tournament Due to Injury Setback as Fans Rally Behind Her Recovery

 

Rising tennis star Coco Gauff has officially withdrawn from an upcoming tournament following an unexpected injury setback. The 20-year-old player, known for her powerful performances and poise on the court, made the announcement through a heartfelt statement on her social media platforms.

 

Gauff cited the need to focus on recovery and emphasized her commitment to returning stronger. “This wasn’t an easy decision, but my health has to come first. I’ll be dedicating my time to rest and rehab to ensure I’m back at 100% soon,” Gauff shared.

 

The setback has prompted an outpouring of support from fans and fellow players alike, with many taking to social media to send messages of encouragement and well wishes.

 

While Gauff’s absence will be felt in the tournament, her team has assured fans that her recovery is on track, and she’s already eyeing a return for future events in the season.

 

This marks another test of resilience for the young athlete, who continues to inspire with her determination and grace both on and off the court.

 

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo spoke with a horde of NBA scouts and executives to get their thoughts  on Flagg’s game. While he drew comps to NBA greats ranging from Grant Hill to Jayson Tatum, executives cautioned that Flagg’s scoring is not yet where it could be.

“It looks like [Duke head coach Jon] Scheyer has been intentionally putting him in situations where it’s, ‘OK, go, get a basket,’” one Western Conference executive said. “It doesn’t look like the primary creation is there for him quite yet. There’s a hope that he can be a go-to guy on offense. It seems like he’s got the vision and passing, but the individual scoring stuff has to get better.”

Fans saw this first-hand during the annual Champions Classic. With Duke and Kentucky locked in a tie game with 12 seconds left, Flagg committed two turnovers over seven seconds of game time as the Wildcats escaped with a

Luka Dončić Announces Plan to Pursue Off-Season Charity Tour Across Europe

 

In an inspiring move, NBA star Luka Dončić has unveiled plans to embark on a charity tour across Europe during the upcoming off-season. The tour, which will focus on promoting youth basketball and supporting local communities, is set to begin in his home country of Slovenia before expanding to other European nations.

 

Dončić aims to host basketball camps for aspiring players, charity games featuring fellow professional athletes, and fundraising events to benefit underprivileged communities. Speaking about the initiative, Dončić said, “Giving back to the community is incredibly important to me. Basketball has given me so much, and this is my way of sharing that passion while making a difference.”

 

The charity tour is expected to draw massive crowds, with fans eager to see Dončić in action and support his philanthropic efforts. Details about the schedule and participating players will be announced in the coming weeks.

 

This initiative further solidifies Dončić’s reputation as not just a world-class athlete but also a role model off the court.

 

CARDINALS

Louisville basketball records in danger of falling in Year 1 ith a 72-59 victory over Wake Forest on Jan. 28, Pat Kelsey passed Rick Pitino for the program’s largest one-year jump in the win column by a new coach. As of Sunday, the Cardinals (20-6, 13-2 ACC) were sitting at +12 and counting from an 8-24 finish to Kenny Payne’s final go-around.

Powering this return to the right side of the record book: historic performances up and down the roster.

There was Chucky Hepburn and Reyne Smith breaking the single-game assists and made 3-pointers records, respectively, on Jan. 21 at SMU. There was Aboubacar Traore becoming the first U of L player to grab more than 10 rebounds while clocking a shift of 15 minutes or less on Feb. 5 at Boston College. There was J’Vonne Hadley joining Hepburn and Smith to form the program’s first trio of 30-point performances since 2015 on Jan. 7 against Clemson. There was the Cards’ red-hot trip to N.C. State on Feb. 12, when they shot 60% or better from the field, 50% or better from beyond the arc and 90% or better from the free-throw line for the first time in 111 seasons.