Morgan's last-second 3-pointer lifts No. 11 Kentucky over No. 5 LSU 80-78 as Kiffin looks on

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Tonie Morgan hit a 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to lift No. 11 Kentucky to an 80-78 win over No. 5 and previously unbeaten LSU on Thursday night.

It was a stunning loss before a crowd of 11,485 that included new LSU football coachLane Kiffin, who walked hand-in-hand with Tigers' coach Kim Mulkeyonto the floor before the game.

Morgan, a Georgia Tech transfer, led the Wildcats (14-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Asia Boone had 18 points, including five 3-pointers; Teonni Key added 17 points and 16 rebounds; and Clara Strack had 15 points.

Mikaylah Williams had 26 points to lead the Tigers (14-1, 0-1). Flau'jae Johnson had 15 points while Jada Richard and Amiya Joiner had 14 apiece.

Morgan's clutch basket came after Williams hit three free throws for a 78-77 lead with 18.5 seconds left.

UK's front line height — Strack and Key are both 6-foot-5 — gave LSU a challenge it hadn't faced this season.

Almost half of LSU's nation-leading 108 points per game have come from second-chance (26.3 points per game) and fast-break (27.5) points.

But because LSU lost the rebound battle 45-29 for just the second time this season and could only force a season-low 10 turnovers, the Tigers had just four second-chance points and 13 fast-break points.

Williams scored 10 of LSU's first 14 points as the Tigers roared to a 12-point lead in the first four minutes.

Boone's third 3-pointer of the first half gave Kentucky its largest lead at 30-25 with 7:39 left in the second quarter. The Tigers responded with a 9-0 run for a 34-30 advantage with 4:57 left, heading toward a 41-41 halftime tie.

Entering the fourth quarter with a 65-60 lead, LSU never led by more than seven points.

Kentucky: At home vs. Missouri on Sunday.

LSU: At No. 11 Vanderbilt on Sunday.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women's college basketball:https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-pollandhttps://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball

byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Morgan's last-second 3-pointer lifts No. 11 Kentucky over No. 5 LSU 80-78 as Kiffin looks on

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Tonie Morgan hit a 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left to lift No. 11 Kentucky to an 80-78 win over N...

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Troy Aikman to assist in Miami Dolphins' general manager search

Troy Aikman, aPro Football Hall of Famerand current ESPN analyst, is expected to serve as a consultant for theMiami Dolphins' general manager search, according to multiple reports.

Chris Grier served as a general manager from 2016 to 2025 beforemutually deciding to part wayswith the organization on Halloween. EnteringWeek 18, theDolphinshave compiled an 82-82 record in the previous 10 seasons. Champ Kelly has served as the Dolphins' interim general manager.

Aikman is not likely to leave his role with ESPN and is unlikely to stay with the Dolphins in the long term.

According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, the Dolphins' ownership wanted to add an outside perspective, who is said to have "strong relationships across the league," to their process.

Aikman won three Super Bowls during his 12-year career as a quarterback for theDallas Cowboys.

The former quarterback is still scheduled to serve as a broadcaster for ESPN on Saturday, Jan. 3 for the game between theSeattle Seahawksand theSan Francisco 49ers.

The California native is no stranger to assisting in a candidate search.

Aikman, who played quarterback atUCLAfor two seasons (1987-88), served as a member of theBruins' coaching search committee in 2017 that led to the hiring of Chip Kelly. Kelly compiled a 35-34 record from 2018 to 2023 at UCLA.

Aikman was a prominent name and contributor to the college football program, alongside sports executive and fellow UCLA graduate Casey Wasserman.

Aikman was not named to UCLA's most recent search committee for its head football coaching vacancy during the 2025 season.

Wasserman was instead joined by UCLA alumni Bob Myers (former Golden State Warriors general manager) and Adam Peters (Washington Commandersgeneral manager).

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Troy Aikman to assist in Miami Dolphins' general manager search

byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Troy Aikman to assist in Miami Dolphins' general manager search

Troy Aikman, aPro Football Hall of Famerand current ESPN analyst, is expected to serve as a consultant for theMiami Dolph...

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Alabama QB Ty Simpson sustained cracked rib in Rose Bowl loss

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said he cracked a rib in the first half of the Crimson Tide's 38-3 College Football Playoff quarterfinal loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl at Pasadena, Calif., on Thursday.

The hit came when Simpson was drilled by Indiana's D'Angelo Ponds while scrambling for a first down late in the second quarter, a run that ended in a fumble recovered by the Hoosiers.

"Felt like I had a good thing going on that drive when I got hit," Simpson said. "It kind of changed the momentum for sure. ... The competitor in me wanted to make sure I got the first down. Got more than the first down, and then should have been smart and just got down."

Simpson said an X-ray at halftime confirmed the injury. He returned to start the second half but quickly opted to yield to backup Austin Mack after one series.

"I made an executive decision and thought (about) what gave us the best chance to win," Simpson said. "I thought Austin being 100% could help us win."

Simpson finished 12 of 16 for 67 yards. Mack, a sophomore, went 11 of 16 for 103 yards and led the Crimson Tide to their only points with a third-quarter field goal.

"(Simpson) went out there and tried to battle, and that's who he is," Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. "There's no way he let us down."

Simpson finished his junior season completing 305 of 473 passes (64.5%) for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions while guiding Alabama to an 11-4 record.

--Field Level Media

byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Alabama QB Ty Simpson sustained cracked rib in Rose Bowl loss

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said he cracked a rib in the first half of the Crimson Tide's 38-3 College Football...

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Kim Jong Un’s daughter visits family mausoleum, promoting her potential status as heir in North Korea

The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, a step that experts saybolstered her status as her father's potential heir.

The visit, which occurred on New Year's Day on Thursday, even sparked speculation that the girl,reportedly named Kim Ju Ae and aged about 13, could be named a high-level official at the upcoming ruling Workers' Party congress.

Images carried by North Korea's state media on Friday showed Kim Ju Ae standing in the front row with her parents and deeply bowing at Pyongyang's Kumsusan Palace of the Sun in Pyongyang, where the embalmed bodies of her late grandfather and great-grandfather are on display.

The palace is "a place that symbolizes legitimacy of the North Korean regime" and her visit there ahead of the Workers' Party congress is a politically orchestrated move, said Cheong Seong-Chang, deputy head of the private Sejong Institute in South Korea.

Kim Jong Un, 41, is the third generation of his family to rule North Korea since the country's foundation in 1948. He often marks key state anniversaries by visiting the Kumsusan palace and paying respect to his father Kim Jong Il and grandfather Kim Il Sung.

Cheong predicted that Kim Jong Un could give his daughter the first secretary post at the Workers' Party, the party's No. 2 job, at the congress.

Other experts say she is too young to accept such a high-profile post and might be provided with lower-level jobs.

The congress, the first of its kind in five years, is meant to establish new priorities in state policies and reshuffle officials. North Korea hasn't said when it will hold it, but South Korea's spy agency said it will likely be held either in January or February.

Since first appearing in state media in November 2022, Kim Ju Ae has accompanied her father at a slew of events including military parades and missile launches.

In September, Kim Ju Ae took her on his visit to Beijing.During New Years' Day celebrations this week, she kissed her father on the cheek, showing their closeness.

In January 2024, South Korea's spy agency said it viewed Kim Ju Ae as her father's likely heir. Some outside experts disagree with that assessment, citing Kim Jong Un's relatively young age and the extremely male-dominated nature of North Korea's power hierarchy.

byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Kim Jong Un’s daughter visits family mausoleum, promoting her potential status as heir in North Korea

The teenage daughter of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made her first known visit to a sacred family mausoleum, a step that experts saybol...

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Off-duty ICE officer allegedly kills man firing gun outside apartment complex: DHS

An off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer allegedly shot and killed an armed man outside of the federal agent's Los Angeles apartment complex, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The shooting occurred late New Year's Eve in the Northridge neighborhood, DHS said. ICE is under the supervision of DHS.

The off-duty ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer was in his apartment "when he heard what he suspected were multiple gunshots" at approximately 10:45 p.m. local time Wednesday, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.

Ohio police search for suspect after dentist, wife found murdered at home

As the suspected gunfire grew louder, the officer went outside with his ICE-authorized firearm and encountered a man "armed with what appeared to be a long rifle" upon rounding the corner of a building in the apartment complex, according to McLaughlin.

After the ICE officer identified himself as law enforcement, the individual allegedly pointed his firearm at the officer and did not put it down when ordered, McLaughlin noted.

"When the subject refused to comply, the officer fired defensively with his service weapon at the subject to disarm him," McLaughlin said. "The subject fired at least three rounds at the officer."

The ICE officer then went back to his apartment to retrieve his ICE-issued body armor "to better protect himself against rifle rounds" and reported the shooting to the Los Angeles Police Department, according to McLaughlin.

When LAPD officers arrived, they found the shot individual, who was pronounced dead at the scene, McLaughlin noted. The ICE officer was uninjured, she said.

2 hurt in shooting involving ICE agents in Maryland: Police

Sources said it appears that the man had no connection to the ICE officer before the shooting.

ICE's Office of Professional Responsibility is coordinating with the LAPD in the ongoing investigation, McLaughlin said.

The LAPD confirmed it responded to a call of shots fired involving a federal agent, but did not release any additional details.

Authorities have not released the names of the ICE officer or deceased man.

byAlpha World

in

January 02, 2026

Off-duty ICE officer allegedly kills man firing gun outside apartment complex: DHS

An off-duty Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer allegedly shot and killed an armed man outside of the federal ...

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