Ladies’ national basketball team qualifies for Centrobasket
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas women’s national basketball team gave it another gallant effort but suffered a 105-81 loss yesterday to the US Virgin Islands in the FIBA Caribbean Women’s Championships in Georgetown, Guyana.
While USVI ended the tournament undefeated at 4-0 with eight points for the top spot, The Bahamas dropped to third place at 2-2 with six points to qualify for next year’s Centrobasket Women’s Championship.
Speaking from the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall in Georgetown, Guyana following the loss to the USVI, Bahamas’ head coach Donillo ‘Donnie’ Culmer said he was proud
of the team because they accomplished their mission.
“We came here to qualify, so that’s the main thing,” said Culmer, who was assisted by Jaraun ‘Kino’ Burrows, Diasti Delancy and Anthony Swaby. “With what we had, that was what we went with. These were basically the girls who came out and so we really didn’t have to cut the team.”
Culmer, however, said for next year, the Bahamas Basketball Federation will have to get some of the country’s bigger players to fill the void they were missing in the frontcourt.
“Our guards were super. They played excellently, but our forwards were our weak spots,” he stated.
“We just have to look for some bigs.”
Based on the way they played, Culmer said
if they didn’t have the issues they encountered getting into Guyana and playing the host team on the opening day, losing 102-75, he felt they could have been at least the second best team in the tournament.
After that loss on Wednesday, The Bahamas bounced back to win their next two games, beating Suriname 77-45 on Thursday and taking down Jamaica 88-56 on Friday.
The team was off on Saturday before closing play against the USVI yesterday.
Lashann Higgs tried her best to keep The Bahamas in the game, but the Virgin Islands was a little too much to handle as they ran a mixture of plays inside and out.
Nesbitt was the most consistent player for Team Bahamas, with a game high 37 points with five
rebounds, three assists and as many steals. The Harbour Island native was followed by Valerie Nesbitt, who added 32 points seven rebounds, four assists and three steals. Valencia Demeritte chipped in with six points, while LaTavia Braynen had four points and three rebounds and Latoya Rolle had two points with three rebounds.
Anisha George led a balanced scoring attack for the Virgin Islands with 26 points and 21 rebounds.
Five other players scored in double figures as they produced one of three games in which a team scored more than 100 points in the tournament.
Coach Culmer noted that the game was totally different from the previous three games they played. “They
let us play all tournament and then they changed the rules in this game,” he said. “We just couldn’t make the adjustments.
“I don’t want to blame it on the referees, but we just couldn’t contain them. We tried to make some adjustments, but it was a bit too late.”
The Virgin Islands took control of the game from the first quarter with a 29-19 advantage and they extended it to 56-44 at the half.
The Bahamas turned things around a bit in the third as they were only outscored by two points (21-19) to trail 77-63 going into the fourth.
But the Virgin Islands went into another gear with a 28-18 tear in the final period to put the game out of reach.
Hanna strikes gold
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
FEMALE judoka Karra
Hanna made history for The Bahamas Judo Federation with the victory, winning the first senior gold medal on the International Judo Federation world ranking circuit.
Competing at the Pan American Montreal Open in Montreal, Canada, Hanna beat out American Jessica Alaynick on Saturday in the women’s +75 kilogram class to put The Bahamas in fourth place on the medal chart behind Canada (four gold and seven bronze), the United States of America (one gold, five silver and two bronze) and Great Britain (one gold, one silver and two bronze) respectively.
It was the fifth international medal for Hanna, who thanked God for guiding her steps, thoughts and actions. "I am very impressed with myself seeing that I got an injured finger within the first minute of my match,” Hanna said. "I shed blood, therefore I had to win. I came into this tournament expecting gold. I prayed and trained hard for it. So said, so done." Hanna, 25, previously won a silver at the Barbados Open in 2016, a CARIFTA gold in 2017, a bronze at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2017 and a gold at the Quebec Open in 2024. But she noted that this one was extra special.
Judoka Karra makes history, wins first senior gold medal on the International Judo Federation world ranking circuit
"The competition overall was pretty smooth,” she said. "I met a lot of amazing athletes and was cheered on by many."
Travelling with Hanna was her coach Willard McKenzie, who had nothing but praise for her achievement.
"It was exhilarating to see all the hard work and effort come to fruition in an immaculate display of top notch judo,” he said. "The dominance Karra demonstrated in her matches garnered significant respect at this competition.
"It made me proud as a coach. Most importantly, we learned a lot as we continue to work for future competitions.” McKenzie has only been working with Hanna for about a year, but they were both pleased to see the progress she made in such a short time.
“He’s been dedicated with taking the time off from work to travel and be my support,” said Hanna in reference to McKenzie, whom she thanked, along with the support she got from Lennox Patton, JS Johnson, her family, especially her mother Sarah-Ann McKinney, her grandmother Alrina McKinney and her late grandfather Lawrence
JUDOKA Karra Hanna made history for The Bahamas Judo Federation, winning the first senior gold medal on the International Judo Federation world ranking circuit.
McKinney Sr and her friends.
Hanna, a native of Acklins and who played basketball at HO Nash and RM Bailey, started competing in judo in 2016 under sensei D’Arcy Rahming, who is now the president of the BJF. Rahming joined coach McKenzie in saluting Hanna on her performance.
“I took my first athlete to a senior world ranking judo tournament in 2004,” said Rahming, who travelled as coach then to Rupert Adams.
“Twenty-one years later, we stand on top of the podium for the first time at this level.
“I am immensely proud of her (Hanna), her coaches and the programme.”
Hanna, who also played and won a championship title in flag football with the Avengers, said her focus is now to compete over the next three years in the hopes of qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California. She is expected back in action in December when she competes in the Tokyo Grand Slam Camp.
Valerie Nesbitt
has triple-double as Bahamas defeats Jamaica 88-56
NOT only did The Bahamas pull off a mammoth win over its archrival, but Valerie Nesbitt produced a performance to remember.
The high scoring guard, who has been a thrill to watch with her flashy passes, posted the tournament’s first triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists. She also had six steals in 35 minutes. Valicia Demeritte and Lashann Higgs also impressed, scoring 25 and 23 points, respectively.
The trio accounted for 77 per cent of The Bahamas’ offence. Demeritte also had four rebounds, three assists and two steals and Higgs came up with a tournament high nine steals with three assists and two rebounds. Michell Butler helped out with five points and seven rebounds; LaTavia Braynen chipped in with four points and 10 rebounds, Judy Forbes had three points, five rebounds and two steals and Kayla Bien, Taronya Wildgoose and Sha-Londa Neely all ended up with two points. “Jamaica played something like us, so we were prepared for them,” said Culmer of Friday’s big triumph. “That’s the highlight of my coaching career. It was a must win for us and we got the job done. I’m happy with the way the team played.”
The Bahamas led from start to finish after taking an early 23-20 margin at the end of the first quarter. They outscored Jamaica 26-16 in the second quarter for a 49-33 advantage at the half.
Coming out of the locker room, The Bahamas continued the onslaught with a 18-9 surge in the third quarter and cruised in the fourth with a 21-14 rout to secure their second win in three games.
The team, managed by Shakira Farrington, included the following other players Mikayah Tucker, Kayla Bien and Tatyana Lockhart. LaToya Silver was the BBF representative.
Men’s national soccer team suffers 6-0 loss to British Virgin Islands
By BRENT STUBBS Chief Sports Editor
bstubbs@tribunemedia.net
THE Bahamas men’s national soccer team closed out play in the first half of the Group D of the inaugural 2025-26 CONCACAF Series over the weekend with a 6-0 loss to the British Virgin Islands.
Coming off their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Anguilla in their opener on Wednesday at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex in George Town, Cayman Islands, The Bahamas couldn’t get anything through the goal posts as they returned home with a 0-2 win-loss record.
The team, however, will get a chance to redeem itself when they play the second half of the series in March, 2026 against the Cayman Islands at a site yet
to be revealed. Head coach Kevin Davies said it was all about the development of the future generation of players between the ages of 16-17 for Team Bahamas in the new CONCACAF initiative that offers valuable international competition and development opportunities for member nations during the World Cup off-cycle.
“It was a tough one, tough one,” said Davies, who was assisted by Andre Roberts.
‘“The team was just a little bit better than us and more organised. They scored a suspect early goal and that changed the dynamics of the game pretty early. Nonetheless, there were just some mistakes that allowed them to score a few more goals.”
Despite the loss, Davies said it was a good test to see where the players were and
at the same time give them some exposure.
He said they all got another opportunity and so he’s hoping that they will only get better as they prepare for the next round.
“They just need to improve on their overall technical skills,” Davies said. “We really didn’t have much time to work with them because the team really just came together about a week ago.
“But once they can improve their ball awareness, field technicality and field awareness, we can only get better."
Team Bahamas was comprised of Dylan Archer, William Bayles, Michael Butler, Lance Carroll, Omar Chemaly, Camrawn Cox, Oakland Duncan, ReJohn Ene, William Gardiner, Marcel Joseph, Jack Massey, Ricardo McPhee, Jonathan
Miguel Thompson,
Tilo, Nathan Walker,
Wheaton and Vance Wheaton.
While they wait to find out where and when they will face the Cayman Islands in March, Davies said it’s his hope that the BFA will keep the nucleus of the team together and just add one or two more experienced players to help them get over the hump.
who couldn't travel for this tournament.”
“We are in our rebuilding stage. The nucleus of this team will be a part of that team,” said Davies about the match next year. “We just need to add a few more
Miller,
Jean
Brody
guys
The team was managed by Larry Minns.
THE Bahamas men’s national soccer team.
Ayton’s double double - 20 points and 10 reboundshelps Lakers roll to 119-95 victory against Bucks
By RICH ROVITO Associated Press
MILWAUKEE (AP) — Luka Doncic had 41 points and nine rebounds, Austin Reaves added 25 points and eight assists, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 119-95 on Saturday night.
Deandre Ayton had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers.
On Friday night, Doncic, Ayton and Reaves led the Lakers past the Pelicans 118-104.
Ayton made 10 of 11 shots and finished with 20 points, 16 rebounds, two steals and a block for the Lakers, who improved to 2-0 in cup play to remain atop West Group B.
Both teams were playing the second game of a backto-back, with each notching wins in NBA Cup games on Friday night.
The Lakers played without Rui Hachimura (calf tightness) and Marcus Smart (illness).
LeBron James also remained out with sciatica and has missed all 14 games this season.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 32 points and 10 rebounds, AJ Green scored 15 points and Gary Trent Jr. added 13 for the Bucks (8-6).
The Bucks couldn’t overcome ice-cold first-half shooting and ended with a season-low point total.
The Lakers led by as many as 13 points and held a 30-18 lead after one quarter.
Milwaukee was just three for 12 from deep in the period.
The Lakers blew it wide open in the second quarter and took a 65-34 lead at the half. Milwaukee made just 10 of 41 shots (24%) and
4 of 21 (19%) from long range in the first half while Los Angeles made 23 of 42 (55%) overall while going 5 for 13 (38%) from 3-point range. Milwaukee opened the third quarter on a 20-5 run sparked by three 3-pointers from AJ Green, who made four from deep in the quarter.
The Bucks scored 38 points in the quarter and pulled within 14 points before Doncic closed the period with eight points to give the Lakers a 20-point cushion.
Strong 3-point shooting pulled the Bucks to within 13 early in the fourth but the Lakers withstood the rally.
Up Next Lakers: Host Utah on Tuesday night. Bucks: At Cleveland tonight.
LOS Angeles Lakers’ Deandre Ayton fouls Milwaukee Bucks’ Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday. (AP Photos/Morry Gash)
BUCKS’ Giannis Antetokounmpo tries to get past Los Angeles Lakers’ Deandre Ayton during the first half on Saturday, November 15, 2025, in Milwaukee.
It’s official. Carl ‘Flashy’ Hield announces his title defence fight December 6
By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter jburrows@tribunemedia.net
BAHAMIAN boxer Carl
“Flashy” Hield has officially announced his fourth title defence fight against Stiven David Monterrosa, scheduled for December 6 in Cartagena, Colombia.
The announcement came at a brief press conference held at the Strikers Boxing Club gym.
The 39-year-old boxer is currently undefeated with a 14-0 record in the World Boxing Association.
His last fight was in October of this year, where he fought in Colombia against Saider Vizcaino. He beat Vizcaino in the third round with a knockout.
Fresh off that fight, Hield says God has been great to him to allow a successful training camp with no injuries.
“Thank God no injuries, injury-free this year just preparing to get a big title fight coming next year, so we just taking it step by step until we get that big fight we looking for,” said Hield.
“My expectations is to go out there and get my hand raised, keep my 14-0. Like I say I
don’t normally go
for the knockout but if the knockout comes I just take it, I prepare for the 10 or 12 rounds but if in this fight we get the stoppage before that we’ll take it.” Hield said about his fight expectations.
Ron Rodgers, owner of Strikers Boxing Club and Hield’s manager, spoke about Hield's training.
“Training is going really good, he’s getting much sharper, mobility is getting better, confidence is growing and his weight is coming down which are all positives for training camp. We are looking for another
successful defence, his opponent is one that comes ready, so we can’t take him for light, he has 13 wins, so he’s experienced. “Like Carl said we trying to come there with his hands raised and the guy on the canvas,” said Rodgers. Hield will look to keep his undefeated record and win streak alive. He said that he is dedicating this fight to his late mother Norma Hield. He also thanked his sponsors Rigger242, Rollintyerimporters Ltd, Strikers Boxing
and Gurus Productions.
Big Red Machine force crucial game 3 after beating defending champions Comets 14-3
By JONATHAN BURROWS Tribune Sports Reporter
THE Big Red Machine forced a crucial game three after defeating the defending champions Queen’s College Comets 14-3 in game two of the BAISS Senior Boys Baseball Championships on Friday at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.
St. Augustine’s College entered the game needing the win to keep the championship goal alive after a devastating 20-11 nine-inning loss in game one. SAC's offence was led by disciplined at-bats along with timely hits to secure runners on base and
over home plate. Defensively the team played near-perfect innings throughout the final innings, minimising errors, a complete night and day performance difference from game one. SAC headed into the third inning with a 5-3 lead and never looked back. By the fifth inning SAC added four unanswered runs
and, by the end of the sixth inning, led 11-3. “It feels good, this win gives the guys confidence, they know that they could beat this team as long as they listen. They listened tonight and they concentrated, they were confident and focused,” said head coach Geno Nairn. “We didn’t work hard all season to come second, we going for the whole hog… Monday we gonna do it. If we play on Monday how we played tonight, we’ll win,” said Nairn. Game three of the BAISS Senior Boys Baseball Championships is set for today at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium. The winner will claim the 2025 senior boys’ title.
Sinner beats Alcaraz to retain ATP Finals title in front of his home fans
TURIN, Italy (AP) — The final installment of the “Sincaraz” rivalry for 2025 went to Jannik Sinner.
The second-ranked Sinner beat top-ranked Carlos Alcaraz 7-6 (4), 7-5 for the ATP Finals trophy yesterday in the sixth meeting this year between the two players who are dominating men’s tennis.
Sinner defended the title before his home Italian fans for only his second victory over Alcaraz this year after also beating the Spaniard in the Wimbledon final.
“It was an incredible season,” Sinner said. “To finish it this way, before my Italian fans, is very special for me.”
Alcaraz had already secured the year-ending No.
1 ranking and was contesting his first final at the event for the year’s top eight players. Alcaraz still leads his career meetings with Sinner, 10-6. Sinner and Alcaraz have met in the last three Grand Slam finals. Alcaraz beat Sinner in a fifth-set tiebreaker to win the French Open. Sinner gained a measure of revenge at Wimbledon. Then Alcaraz once again came out on top at the U.S. Open. They also clashed this year in the Italian Open final (won by Alcaraz) and the Cincinnati Open final (won by Alcaraz when Sinner retired due to illness).
“I hope you are going to be ready for next year because I will be ready to hopefully play more finals against you,” Alcaraz said during the trophy ceremony. To which Sinner added that he hopes they have “great, great battles ahead of us.” Sinner also won the Australian Open — beating Alexander Zverev in the final — so he and Alcaraz each won two majors this year. In all, Alcaraz has won six majors and Sinner has won four.
St. Sinner Already early in the first set, the pro-Sinner crowd chanted its customary “Ole, Ole, Ole, Ole; Sin-ner, Sin-ner.”
One fan even held up an image of Sinner depicted as a saint.
Sinner saved a set point at 5-6 in the tight first set with a big second serve that Alcaraz couldn’t return. Then the Italian took control of the tiebreaker by running down a drop shot and responding with a lob that led to an overhead put away.
“I’m extremely happy with how I handled the situation,” Sinner said of saving the set point. Added Alcaraz, “He came up with a second serve 185-190 kph (115-118 mph) that surprised me.” Alcaraz’s thigh Alcaraz had his right thigh treated by a trainer on two occasions — and
got it wrapped after the first set. “Didn’t affect me too much, to be honest, because I could run well,” Alcaraz said. Alcaraz broke Sinner’s serve in the opening game of the second set but Sinner then evened it at 3-3. Sinner then got the crowd going again in the next game when he won a long rally and held his finger to his ear — signaling for more noise inside the Inalpi Arena. Sinner broke Alcaraz again to close it out when the Spaniard missed a backhand wide – then fell down to the court on his back in relief.
“It was a huge emotion,” said Sinner, who was banned for three months
earlier in the year after settling a doping case. Alcaraz led 28-25 in winners but also had more unforced errors, 26-24. Sinner said he wanted to improve his serve after the loss to Alcaraz at the U.S. Open and he led 8-5 in aces but also had five double-faults to Alcaraz’s none. It was Sinner’s 10th straight win at the finals stretching back to his loss to Novak Djokovic in the 2023 final. What’s more is that Sinner hasn’t lost a set in that stretch.
Sinner also extended his winning streak on indoor hard courts to 31 matches. In the doubles final, Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten beat Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski 7-5, 6-3.
THE SAC Big Red Machine senior boys forced a crucial game three after defeating the defending champions Queen’s College Comets 14-3 on Friday in game two of the BAISS Baseball Championships at the Andre Rodgers Baseball Stadium.
Club,
CARL “Flashy” Hield has officially announced his fourth title defence fight against Stiven David Monterrosa, scheduled for December 6 in Cartagena, Colombia.
C ARL Hield’s announcement came at a brief press conference held at the Strikers Boxing Club gym.
Donovan Mitchell scores 30 as Cavaliers rally over Grizzlies
By The Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points, including 14 in the fourth quarter over four minutes, to rally the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 108-100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Saturday.
Evan Mobley had 22 points and 13 rebounds for Cleveland, which used a 17-2 run to seize a 103-92 lead with 3:36 remaining.
The Cavaliers outscored Memphis 32-16 in the fourth after trailing by double digits for much of the middle periods.
Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 26 points and tied his career
high with 12 free throws made, but shot just 6 of 23 from the field for the Grizzlies. Zach Edey had 13 points and seven rebounds in his season debut following left ankle surgery on June 7. Memphis point guard Ja Morant scored seven points in six minutes before exiting with right calf soreness. He missed the previous game Wednesday in Boston with a sore right ankle.
RAPTORS 129, PACERS 111
INDIANÁPOLIS (AP) — RJ Barrett and Jakob Poeltl each scored 22 points and Toronto wrapped up a successful five-game road
trip with a victory over Indiana. Barrett made 9 of 17 shots with three 3-pointers for the Raptors, who won four games on the trip and improved to 6-3 on the road, 8-5 overall. Poeltl made eight of nine shots and had nine rebounds, but was just 6 of 14 at the line. Toronto had seven double-digit scorers. Brandon Ingram added 19. Scottie Barnes had 14 points, 11 rebounds and six assists.
The Raptors built a ninepoint halftime lead and gradually pulled away, the margin reaching 26. Pascal Siakam scored 30 points with five 3-pointers for the Pacers, who had just two
regular starters in the lineup due to injuries. The other healthy regular, point guard Andrew Nembhard, had 22 points and five assists.
NUGGETS 123, TIMBERWOLVES 112 MINNEAPOLIS (AP)
— Tim Hardaway Jr. and Nikola Jokic led Denver over Minnesota for their seventh straight victory Saturday night.
The Nuggets were missing both of their starting forwards, Christian Braun (left ankle sprain) and Cam Johnson (right biceps strain), who were both injured during Denver’s win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. Braun
is expected to be sidelined at least six weeks. The Northwest Division rivals have met in the playoffs twice in the last three years. The Timberwolves swept the regular-season series last year, but Denver has won both meetings this season.
THUNDER 109, HORNETS 96 CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 33 points and Chet Holmgren added 25 as the defending champion Oklahoma City used a big third quarter to beat Charlotte Hornets for their fifth straight win. Ajay Mitchell scored 14 points
for the Thunder, who have won 23 consecutive games against Eastern Conference opponents and are 22-2 in their last 24 road contests. Isiah Hartenstein had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Cason Wallace Chipped scored 10 points. Miles Bridges scored 15 points and Ryan Kalkbrenner, Collin Sexton and Moussa Diabate had 13 points apiece for the Hornets who played without Brandon Miller (shoulder subluxation) and LaMelo Ball, who sat out the second game of a back-to-back after returning from a ankle impingement Friday night in Milwaukee.
CAVALIERS centre Evan Mobley, left, shoots as Memphis Grizzlies centre Jock Landale, right, defends in the second half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Josh Allen dominates with six TDs, pushing Bills past Buccaneers 44-32
By The Associated Press
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.
(AP) — Josh Allen threw for three touchdowns and rushed for three more, the last on a rugged 9-yard run with 2:35 left that secured the Buffalo Bills’ 44-32 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday.
The eighth-year starter and reigning MVP became the first player with two games of three TDs passing and rushing. He did it last year in a 44-42 loss at the Los Angeles Rams.
This time, Allen outduelled fellow 2018 first-round draft pick Baker Mayfield in a shootout that featured nine lead changes.
The Bills benched struggling receiver Keon Coleman in a bid to spark their passing game, and each of Allen’s three touchdown passes went for 25 yards or more. Running back Ty Johnson scored on a 52-yard catch-and-run, Allen found Tyrell Shavers open deep for a 43-yard touchdown, and James Cook scored on a 25-yard reception.
Allen provided the go-ahead score, a 5-yard TD run with 9:06 left. He finished 19 of 30 for 317 yards, and the Bills overcame his two first-half interceptions.
He punctuated his final TD run with a massive spike of the ball. Taking off out of the pocket, Allen was hit at the 4-yard line, and then corralled by Bucs defenders at the 2 before Buffalo’s offensive linemen shoved him across the goal line.
PANTHERS 30, FALCONS 27 (Overtime) ATLANTA (AP) — Bryce Young passed for a career-high and franchise-record 448 yards and Ryan Fitzgerald kicked a 28-yard field goal in overtime to lift Carolina to a win over Atlanta.
Young’s 54-yard pass to Tommy Tremble set up the winning kick for Carolina (6-5), which completed its sweep of NFC South rival Atlanta.
The Falcons (3-7) suffered their fifth straight loss, including back-to-back overtime defeats.
Young completed 31 of 45 passes with three touchdowns. He threw a go-ahead 12-yard touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan with 1:08 remaining to give Carolina a 27-24 lead. But Zane Gonzalez kicked a 45-yard field goal for Atlanta with 16 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Bijan Robinson ran for 104 yards and two touchdowns, but the Falcons couldn’t overcome the loss of Michael Penix Jr. to a knee injury in the third quarter.
Backup Kirk Cousins couldn’t move the offense in overtime.
McMillan had eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
PACKERS 27, GIANTS 20 EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Jordan Love returned from a shoulder injury to throw two touchdown passes, backup Malik Willis had one of his own while filling in and Green Bay ended its losing streak at two by defeating New York.
interceptions, Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes and Los Angeles hung on to beat Seattle for its fifth consecutive victory. Jason Myers was short on a 61-yard field goal attempt as time expired, allowing the Rams (8-2) to survive the Seahawks’ furious late rally.
Seattle’s defense got a quick stop after Kenneth Walker III dived in for the Seahawks’ first touchdown with 2:23 to play.
Ethan Evans’ superb punt went out of bounds at the Seattle 1 with 1:41 left, but Sam Darnold shook off his rough afternoon and got the Seahawks to midfield. Rashid Shaheed made a catch at the Los Angeles 43 before calling a timeout with 1 second on the clock. Myers made four earlier field goals, but came up well short on the final kick, which would have matched his career long.
49ERS 41,
CARDINALS 22
Many of the greenand-gold clad fans in attendance at the Meadowlands chanted, “Go, Pack, Go!” following Love’s successful 2-point conversion toss to Emanuel Wilson.
The victory came at a cost, though, with starting running back Josh Jacobs exiting early in the second quarter with a knee injury. Jacobs was ruled out just after halftime.
Even without him, the Packers (6-3-1) took advantage early of an opposing run defence that ranks 31 out of the NFL’s 32 teams.
They had 106 of their 128 rushing yards before halftime, including Wilson’s TD run that ended the drive Willis finished while Love was sidelined.
TEXANS 16, TITANS 13
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Davis Mills threw for 274 yards and a touchdown, Matthew Wright kicked a 35-yard field goal as time expired, and Houston beat Tennessee to sweep the season series with its AFC South rivals.
Led by their backup quarterback, the Texans (5-5) reached .500 for the first time this season with their third win in four games. They also won their fifth straight over the Titans in Nashville despite playing without quarterback CJ Stroud, safety Jalen Pitre and kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn.
Houston had plenty of time to set Wright up for the winning field goal, his third of the day.
In a game pitting the NFL’s worst offense in Tennessee against the league’s stingiest defence in both yards and points, rookie Cam Ward drove the Titans 95 yards and threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Van Jefferson with 1:35 left. Interim coach Mike McCoy went for the tie as Joey Slye kicked the extra point. Mills easily moved the Texans into position to end it, with the big play a 17-yard completion to Nico Collins on third-and-16.
The Texans sacked Ward three times with Will Anderson Jr. also recovering a fumble he stripped from the rookie.Houston trailed 6-0 before rallying
Love provided some heroics on the go-ahead drive in the fourth quarter, connecting with rookie Savion Williams on a 32-yard gain under pressure on third-and-10 and finding Christian Watson in the end zone with 4:02 left to take the lead.
for a second straight game. Mills hit Collins for a 3-yard TD midway through the third quarter to put the Texans ahead to stay. Wright also had field goals of 41 and 43 yards.
The Titans (1-9) lost their fifth straight, and this one clinched a fourth consecutive losing season for the franchise.
JAGUARS 35, CHARGERS 6
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Jacksonville bounced back from the worst collapse in franchise history by thumping Los Angeles behind rushing touchdowns from Travis Etienne, Trevor Lawrence and rookie Bhaysul Tuten. Coming off a 36-29 debacle at Houston during which they blew a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter, the Jaguars (6-4) showed no lingering effects from the crushing setback against a division rival.
It might have helped that they faced the Chargers (7-4), who traveled across the country for an early start while potentially looking ahead to their bye.
Coach Jim Harbaugh’s team was a complete no-show, finishing with 135 yards and just eight first downs.
Lawrence’s 1-yard TD pass to Tim Patrick in the fourth gave Jacksonville more cushion than it had against the Texans, and Etienne’s second TD run of the game – this one coming after Antonio Johnson returned an interception 43 yards – sent visiting fans scampering for the exits.
Harbaugh pulled Justin Herbert with the game out of reach, turning to backup Trey Lance for the final 11 minutes.
STEELERS 34, BENGALS 12
PITTSBURGH (AP)
— Mason Rudolph guided a pair of long second-half scoring drives after taking over for the injured Aaron Rodgers, and Pittsburgh surged past Cincinnati.
Rodgers, the NFL’s oldest active player at 41, injured his left hand during a Pittsburgh drive late in the first half. It was unclear exactly when the four-time MVP was hurt. Rodgers was hit illegally twice during the drive, both of which resulted in roughing-the-passer penalties against Cincinnati.
While the Steelers (6-4) initially listed Rodgers’ status as “questionable,” he did not return to the sideline for the second half.
Enter Rudolph, the longtime backup who led the Steelers on a late run to the playoffs in 2023. He returned to Pittsburgh last spring, though he quickly ceded the starting job after Rodgers signed in early June.
Rudolph picked up right where he left off, completing 12 of 16 throws for 127 yards, including a 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Kenny Gainwell with 3:40 left that sealed it.
Pittsburgh’s defense, which was shredded by Joe Flacco and the Bengals a month ago, added two touchdowns of its own. Safety Kyle Dugger returned a Flacco pass 74 yards for a game-turning pick-6 in the third quarter.
Cornerback James Pierre added a 32-yard scoop-andscore late in the fourth.
Flacco’s run of inspired play came to an abrupt end. The 40-year-old, who had looked his age since taking over for an injured Joe Burrow and ineffective Jake Browning, delivered his worst performance since arriving in Cincinnati (3-7) last month. Flacco completed 23 of 40 passes for 199 yards with a touchdown and Dugger’s pick.
BEARS 19, VIKINGS 17
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Devin Duvernay’s 56-yard kickoff return in the final minute for Chicago set up Cairo Santos for his fourth field goal of the game, a 48-yarder as time expired, to push the Bears past Minnesota after the Vikings scored the go-ahead touchdown with 50 seconds left.
After J.J. McCarthy ended another erratic performance with five straight completions that culminated with a 15-yard scoring strike to Jordan Addison, Duvernay delivered the clutch response for the Bears (7-3) after nearly blowing a 13-point lead they took into the fourth quarter.
Santos made up for his 45-yard miss with 8:08 remaining by drilling the winner after a critical 7-yard rush by D’Andre Swift, who had 21 carries for 90 yards, pushed the ball into a safer
range. McCarthy, who played with a wrap on his throwing hand after hurting it on a helmet after a follow-through in the previous game, ended consecutive second-quarter possessions with interceptions and had an alarming amount of off-target passes. He finished 16 for 32 for 150 yards and a 47.7 passer rating in his fifth career start.
Caleb Williams, who was drafted by the Bears nine picks ahead of McCarthy last year and is much further down the development road under new coach Ben Johnson, had one of his least effective games this season while going 16 for 32 for 193 yards and scrambling four times for 26 yards.
RAVENS 23, BROWNS 16
CLEVELAND (AP) — Tight end Mark Andrews ran 35 yards for the go-ahead touchdown with 2:31 remaining, and Baltimore rallied for a victory over Cleveland to spoil Shedeur Sanders’ NFL debut. On fourth-and-inches at the Browns 35, Baltimore (5-5) looked like it was going to run a tush push with Andrews lined up under center. Instead of going up the middle, Andrews ran left. Fullback Patrick Ricard got a kickout block on Browns safety Grant Delpit, and Andrews was untouched as he scampered to the end zone for his first career rushing touchdown.
The Ravens have won four straight since their nightmarish 1-5 start.
Andrews, who is in his eight season, became Baltimore’s career leader in receiving yards with an 11-yard reception on the Ravens’ fifth offensive play. He came into the game needing 3 yards to pass Derrick Mason, and he finished with three catches for 32 yards.
Sanders made his much-anticipated debut with 12:43 remaining in the third quarter after Dillon Gabriel suffered a concussion. He went 4 for 16 for 47 yards with an interception and was sacked twice, finishing with a 13.5 passer rating. RAMS 21, SEAHAWKS 19 INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Kamren Kinchens had two of the Rams’ four
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes in his return from a toe injury, Christian McCaffrey had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving score, and San Francisco beat the sloppy Arizona.
McCaffrey extended his NFL record with his 17th career game with at least one running touchdown and a touchdown catch. Purdy completed 19 of 26 passes for 200 yards.
Tight end George Kittle caught two touchdown passes. Arizona lost for the sixth time in seven games. The Cardinals were called for a franchise-record 17 penalties, which was also the most for any team in the NFL this season. They had 11 penalties in the first half — tied for the most before halftime for any team over the past 20 years.
BRONCOS 22, CHIEFS 19
DENVER (AP) — Wil Lutz kicked five field goals, including a 35-yard game-winner as time expired Sunday, pushing Denver past Kansas City for their eighth straight victory.
The Broncos (9-2) all but buried the Chiefs (5-5) in the AFC West, which Kansas City has won ever year since 2016. Chiefs coach Andy Reid fell to 27-5 following a bye week, counting the playoffs and his time with Philadelphia. Bo Nix set up the game-winning kick with a 32-yard pass to Troy Franklin that got Denver to the Kansas City 15 with under a minute remaining.
Patrick Mahomes gave Kansas City its only lead on a 21-yard touchdown toss to Travis Kelce — the veteran tight end’s 84th career TD, one more than previous Chiefs franchise recordholder Priest Holmes. That put the Chiefs up 19-16, but Harrison Butker’s extra point was blocked by Frank Crum.
The Broncos tied it at 19-all on Lutz’s 54-yarder with 4:10 remaining.
Denver’s defense forced Kansas City to go three-and-out when Ja’Quan McMillian sacked Mahomes on third-and-10 from the Chiefs 36.
The Broncos chewed up the final 2:59 by driving 58 yards in 10 plays. They won their 11th straight game at Empower Field, where they haven’t lost since October 2024.
BILLS quarterback Josh Allen celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half yesterday. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Cristiano Ronaldo set for record 6th World Cup, Italy in danger again and Ireland make playoffs
By JAMES ROBSON AP Soccer Writer
CRISTIANO Ronaldo is heading to another World Cup. Erling Haaland is going to his first. Italy risks missing out on sport's biggest global event for the third straight edition.
Portugal sealed its place at next year's tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico with a 9-1 rout of Armenia yesterday.
Haaland scored twice as Norway confirmed qualification with a 4-1 win against four-time world champion Italy, which was consigned to the playoffs.
Ireland is also in the playoffs after a stunning late comeback to beat Hungary 3-2, while England ended its qualifying campaign with a 100% record by beating Albania 2-0.
Record-breaking
Ronaldo Without the suspended Ronaldo, Portugal ensured the soccer great would have the chance to appear at a record sixth World Cup.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner will be 41 by the time the tournament kicks off next June and Ronaldo recently said it would be his last shot at winning the one major title to elude him. Assuming he retains his fitness, he is expected to be part of coach Roberto Martinez's squad, though he may yet be suspended for as many as two matches after being sent off in Portugal's 2-0 loss to Ireland on Thursday.
That surprise defeat meant Portugal had to beat Armenia to be certain of top place in Group F and hat tricks from Bruno Fernandes and Joao Neves ensured there would be no slipup.
“Today we saw our team back to its best: committed, supportive and executing the game plan excellently,”
Martinez told broadcaster RTP.
Ronaldo and his great rival Lionel Messi will both appear at their sixth World Cup if they take part in next year’s tournament. They will surpass greats like Germany's Lothar Mattheus, who appeared in five.
Defending champion Argentina has already secured its place.
Messi fulfilled his careerlong ambition by leading Argentina to the title in Qatar in 2022. Ronaldo, who has won the European Championship and two Nations
League titles with Portugal, is still to add a World Cup to a trophy haul that includes five Champions Leagues and league titles in England, Spain and Italy.
Though he is nearing the end of his career and has left top-flight European soccer behind to play in Saudi Arabia, he has continued to further embellish his remarkable career.
He led Portugal to the Nations League earlier this year and last month became the leading scorer in World Cup qualifying games with 41 goals. Suspension denied him the chance to add to that
tally Sunday, but there was no shortage of goals from Portugal in his absence.
Fernandes' hat trick included two penalties. Neves struck twice in the first half and completed his treble with a goal in the 81st.
Italy on the edge
Having missed out on the 2018 and 2022 editions of the World Cup, Italy's place is in doubt again.
Only victory by nine goals or more would have been enough to see the Italians overtake Norway at the top of Group I.
That was never likely against a Norway team that had a perfect record in qualifying going into Sunday's game in Milan and ended its campaign in style.
Despite going behind to Francesco Pio Esposito's early goal, four goals in the second half — Haaland scored in the 78th and 79th — turned the game around for Norway.
Now Italy faces the 16-team UEFA playoffs, which will determine the last four European nations
to advance to the World Cup.
Ireland comeback
An unforgettable week for Ireland was capped off with a dramatic fightback in Hungary.
Troy Parrott scored a hat trick — including a winner in the sixth minute of added time — to send Ireland to the playoffs in second place in Group F. Parrott struck both goals in the 2-0 win over Portugal and with Ireland trailing 2-1 going into the 80th minute at the Puskas Arena, he proved his country's hero again.
First, he lifted the ball over Hungary goalkeeper Denes Dibusz to level the match at 2-2 and with the clock running down, he converted from close range for the winner deep into added time.
Perfect England England ended its qualifying campaign with a 100% record by beating second-placed Albania 2-0. Thomas Tuchel's team won its eight games in Group K and didn't concede a
single goal.
England star
Jude Bellingham appeared unhappy at being substituted in the closing stages of the match.
Tuchel said Bellingham had “to accept it, respect it, and keep on going.”
The Three Lions' all-time leading scorer Harry Kane got both goals Sunday to extend his record to 78.
The Bayern Munich forward struck twice in eight minutes in the second half to break Albania's resistance.
Victory ended Thomas Tuchel's first qualifying campaign as coach in perfect style after the German was hired to lead England at the World Cup, with the challenge of ending its decades-long wait for a major trophy.
Ukraine makes playoffs Ukraine finished second in Group D and is through to the playoffs after beating Iceland 2-0.
Group winner France beat Azerbaijan 3-1, having gone behind after four minutes to Renat Dadashov's opener.
Norway ’s Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the 2026 World Cup Group I qualifier soccer match against Italy in Milan, Italy, yesterday. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
England’s Jude Bellingham reacts during the World Cup 2026 group K qualifying soccer match between Albania and England, in Tirana, Albania, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Vlasov Sulaj)
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo speaks during a press conference in Dublin, Ireland, on Wednesday, November 12. (Brian Lawless/PA via AP)
Valdez ‘VJ’ Edgecombe Jr scores 18 in 114-105 loss to shorthanded Pistons
By DAVE HOGG Associated Press
DETROIT (AP) —
Javonte Green scored 21 points and Daniss Jenkins added 19 as the short-handed Detroit Pistons won their ninth straight game, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 114-105 in an NBA Cup game on Friday night.
The Pistons are on their longest winning streak since a 10-game run in 2008 despite playing the last two games without several key players. Cade Cunningham (hip), Tobias Harris (ankle), Ausar Thompson (ankle) and Jalen Duren (ankle) were among the players on the sidelines against Philadelphia.
Duncan Robinson scored 15 and Isaiah Stewart and Caris LeVert each had 14.
Tyrese Maxey had 31 to lead the Sixers, who played without Joel Embiid (knee).
Rookie Valdez “VJ” Edgecombe Jr contributed 18 points, three assists and seven rebounds.
Detroit trailed by five until Jenkins hit a halfcourt 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer. The Pistons then started the fourth period with a 10-2 run to go up by six.
Maxey scored six points in the fourth, but none of his teammates could get going and the Pistons took
a 114-103 lead on LeVert's dunk with 1:44 to play.
The Pistons led 63-54 at the half, thanks to 15 points from Green and 13 from Robinson. VJ Edgecombe led the Sixers with 13 points, but Maxey only had 12 on 4-for-13 shooting. Philadelphia scored the first 14 points of the third quarter, holding the Pistons to 0-for-5 shooting with five turnovers in the first four minutes of the period. It could have been worse for Detroit, but Andre Drummond was called for double dribble on an uncontested fast break.
The 76ers led by as many as 12 points in the quarter, but the Pistons rallied to cut the margin to 90-88 on Jenkins' 55-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer.
Up next Sixers: Host the Los Angeles Clippers tonight.
Pistons: Host the Indiana Pacers tonight.
76ERS guard VJ Edgecombe, right, shoots against Detroit Pistons guard Javonte Green on Friday, November 14, 2025, during the first half of an NBA Cup basketball game in Detroit.
(AP Photos/Ryan Sun)
Dolphins beat Commanders 16-13 in overtime in Spain
By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer
MADRID (AP) — Jack Jones had a fitting celebration after his overtime interception in the first NFL regular-season game in Spain.
The Miami Dolphins cornerback ran toward the sideline and stretched his arms wide after a twisting jump in front of his teammates. Jones was imitating Cristiano Ronaldo, the soccer great who used to celebrate like that at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium when he played for Real Madrid.
“I had to bring that out," he said. “I was talking to my friend and I'm like, ‘When I make a play, be ready for that celebration.'”
Jones intercepted Marcus Mariota on the first offensive play of overtime and Riley Patterson kicked a 29-yard field goal to give the Dolphins a 16-13 victory over the Washington Commanders.
Jones cut in front of Commanders tight end Zach Ertz and came away with the ball.
“They covered our first couple of options well,” Mariota said. “I tried to get back side to Zach. Guy undercut it and made a play. Unfortunate there, and give credit to him. He made a good play.”
Dolphins linebacker Jordyn Brooks said Jones told him moments earlier that he was going to come up with the interception, making “that moment a lot cooler.”
“His exact words: Y’all stop the run. He’s going to throw me the ball, because he can’t throw,” Brooks said.
The Commanders (3-8) had a chance to win and end
a five-game losing streak with 15 seconds left in regulation, but Matt Gay's 56-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right. Gay, who said ahead of the game he was thrilled to have the chance to play at the Bernabeu, missed two of his four field goal attempts.
“It’s tough,” Commanders coach Dan Quinn said. “This one stings. Guys are definitely hurting, and I thought in a lot of spaces they battled, and we had our opportunity to go win it.
We didn’t get that done.”
The Dolphins (4-7) were twice stopped on fourthand-goal, including inside the final two minutes after recovering the ball on an earlier muffed punt return by the Commanders. The muff came after the Commanders were stopped on fourth-and-goal the other way.
It was the seventh — and final — international game this season, the most in one year for the NFL as it continues to expand globally.
The game in Madrid saw Puerto Rican superstar Daddy Yankee and Argentine producer Bizarrap perform at halftime in front of a crowd of 78,610 at the Bernabeu.
The Commanders, still without injured quarterback Jayden Daniels, have lost six straight, including 44-22 to the Detroit Lions at home last week, while the Dolphins were coming off a commanding 30-13 victory over the Bills.
“They fought for belief, and now they’ve been awarded real belief based on performance and results,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said “So, I think we’ll be excited to play our next game. We need the time off. We
definitely wish we could play, our locker room would probably want to play tomorrow even though they’re a little beat up.”
Miami's Tua Tagovailoa went 14 for 20 for 171 yards passing without any touchdowns or interceptions.
“Great team victory,” Tagovailoa said. “All wins are good and we are going to carry this momentum along throughout the bye week and hopefully take it into our next game.”
Mariota went 20 for 30 for 213 yards with a touchdown and the interception in overtime. He also had
49 yards rushing, including 44 on a run not long after he was taken to the blue tent to be evaluated for a concussion.
Chris Rodríguez rushed for 49 yards for the Commanders, and Deebo Samuel had 74 yards receiving.
De’Von Achane had another big game for the Dolphins with 120 yards on 21 carries, plus 45 yards on five receptions. Brooks led the Dolphins with 20 total tackles.
After both teams exchanged a pair of field goals in the first half, the
Commanders put together a strong drive to begin the third quarter. Washington scored the first touchdown of the game on a 20-yard reception by Samuel, who took advantage of some good blocking up front after a screen pass by Mariota. The Dolphins tried to respond quickly and drove to the Commanders 2-yard line, but failed to score after an incomplete pass by Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle on fourth down.
After the Commanders were held, Miami put together another strong possession and Ollie
Gordon scored on a 1-yard run.
Mariota led the Commanders to the 1 after temporarily leaving the game and clearing concussion protocol, helped by a 44-yard run on which he sped through the right side with seven Dolphins trying to catch him. But the Commanders quarterback couldn’t close out the drive with a score, throwing an incomplete pass after Ertz tripped near the end of his route on fourth-and-goal. The Dolphins were held on the next drive, but Mike Sainristil muffed the punt and Ethan Bonner recovered for Miami at the Commanders 42 with about four minutes left.
After Achane couldn’t get in from the 1 on third down, McDaniel went for it on fourth down but the Commanders made another big stop as Gordon also failed to get in.
Washington took over with 1:41 left in the game at the 3 and Mariota led the team into field goal range, but Gay couldn't convert what would have likely been a game-winner.
Injuries Dolphins: DB JuJu Brents left with an ankle injury. ... Achane injured his back in the fourth quarter, but returned. ... S Jordan Colbert was sidelined in the first half with a concussion. Commanders: G Sam Cosmi was injured in the fourth quarter, but returned. ... WR Jaylin Lane was listed as questionable in the third quarter.
Up next
Dolphins: Bye week before hosting New Orleans on November 30.
Commanders: Bye week before hosting Denver on November 30.
REFEREE Shawn Smith flips the coin before the Washington Commanders take on the Miami Dolphins, Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 in Madrid. (Doug Benc/AP Content Services for the NFL)