No. 6 Duke rallies past Georgia Tech to win ACC opener

Freshman phenom Cameron Boozer totaled a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds for No. 6 Duke, which fought off Georgia Tech for an 85-79 victory in both teams' Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Wednesday in Durham, N.C.

Isaiah Evans added 17 points, while Cayden Boozer scored 13 for Duke (12-1, 1-0 ACC), which rebounded from its first loss of the season - an 82-81 loss to then-No. 19 Texas Tech on Dec. 20. Caleb Foster had 12 points and Patrick Ngongba II tallied 11 points and nine boards for the Blue Devils, who trailed by four at halftime.

Kowacie Reeves Jr. tied his career high with 23 points to lead Georgia Tech (9-5, 0-1), which fell to 0-4 against major-conference opponents. Jaeden Mustaf scored 11, while Lamar Washington and Chas Kelley III had 10 points apiece for the Yellow Jackets, who were outrebounded 42-28.

Duke trailed by seven with 18:38 left after Reeves' 3-pointer gave Georgia Tech a 50-43 lead. Evans and Cayden Boozer's baskets then began the Blue Devils' 9-2 run, pulling even at 52 with 16:24 remaining.

Duke held the Yellow Jackets without a field goal for nearly seven minutes, before Kelley's triple trimmed the deficit to two at the 10:44 mark.

The Blue Devils' lead grew to seven on Foster's 3-pointer with 8:14 left. Nearly four minutes later, Mustaf's trey pulled Georgia Tech within two.

Akai Fleming and Ngongba traded a pair of free throws, as Duke grabbed a 78-75 lead with 3:04 remaining. Cayden Boozer's mid-range jumper with 1:28 left gave the Blue Devils a five-point cushion.

Behind by six, Georgia Tech sliced its deficit in half on Reeves' 3-pointer with 39 seconds remaining.

Cameron Boozer made two foul shots, before Washington split a pair for Georgia Tech. Evans then calmly drilled his two free throws to seal the win.

After Fleming and Washington's back-to-back 3-pointers gave Georgia Tech a 9-3 lead, Evans' trey began a 7-0 Duke run.

Leading by a point, Georgia Tech pushed its advantage to five after Mouhamed Sylla's consecutive baskets put the visitors ahead 29-24 with 8:10 left in the first half.

Foster's second 3-pointer of the opening half gave Duke a 37-35 edge, but Mustaf's jumper and Kelley's personal 4-0 run returned the lead to the Yellow Jackets with 47 seconds remaining.

From there, Cameron Boozer's layup was answered by Reeves' mid-range jumper to close out the first half with Georgia Tech ahead 43-39.

--Field Level Media

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

No. 6 Duke rallies past Georgia Tech to win ACC opener

Freshman phenom Cameron Boozer totaled a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds for No. 6 Duke, which fought off Georgia ...

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Alex Karaban helps No. 4 UConn rout Xavier

Alex Karaban scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead No. 4 UConn to a 90-67 Big East win over Xavier on Wednesday in Cincinnati.

Braylon Mullins amassed 17 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Huskies (13-1, 3-0 Big East).

Malik Messina-Moore led the Musketeers (9-5, 1-2) with 16 points.

Solo Ball came back after missing one game with a wrist injury to score 17 points for the Huskies, who outshot the Musketeers 53.2% (33-of-62) to 42.9% (24-of-56).

The Huskies dominated from the 3-point arc, hitting 13 of 28 (46.4%). The Musketeers struggled from long distance all night and were just 4 of 18 (22.2%) on 3-point attempts.

Xavier was able to get within 13 early in the second half when Roddie Anderson III laid in two of his 15 points to make it 53-40.

UConn answered with a 13-2 run with Ball hitting a 3-pointer to start the run and finishing it with a three-point play off a layup for a 66-42 UConn lead with 12:21 left.

The Huskies used a 17-2 run midway through the first half to build a 43-28 lead at the break.

UConn led 16-6 when Mullins hit a 3-pointer and Karaban scored five straight points with a layup and then a three-point play off a layup for a 24-6 lead with 12:39 left.

Tarris Reed Jr. went on an eight-point run of his own two minutes later with a three-point play off a dunk and a layup on the next possession to make it 30-6.

After Pape N'Diaye scored on a layup to stop the scoreless drought, Reed collected a second three-point play off a dunk for a 33-8 UConn lead.

Xavier had five of seven first-half turnovers during the run.

The Musketeers were able to outscore the Huskies 14-10 the rest of the way with Anderson scoring nine of points.

UConn was in command at that point, however, hitting 48.4% of its first-half shots (15-of-31), including 6-of-16 from the 3-point line.

The Musketeers only shot 37.5% from the floor (12-of-32) and missed all 10 of the 3-point shots they took.

UConn outrebounded Xavier 24-15 in the first half.

The Huskies jumped in front right away, hitting 6 of 12 shots to start the game. An early 7-0 run gave the Huskies a quick 12-point lead.

--Field Level Media

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

Alex Karaban helps No. 4 UConn rout Xavier

Alex Karaban scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead No. 4 UConn to a 90-67 Big East win over Xavier on We...

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Spurs' Victor Wembanyama downplays knee injury

San Antonio star center Victor Wembanyama hyperextended his left knee in the Spurs' home victory over the New York Knicks on Wednesday, but he doesn't expect to miss any additional time.

Wembanyama came down awkwardly with 10:32 to play in the game as he attempted to secure an offensive rebound. He stayed down until teammate Stephon Castle helped him up, then hobbled straight to the locker room while giving fans reassurance and saying, "I'm fine. I'm fine."

He later came back to the bench but didn't return to action.

After the Spurs rallied for a 134-132 win, Wembanyama said he would have tests done on Thursday, but, "I expect to be back the next game."

He added, according to ESPN, "I was confident. I was this close to coming back in the game. (They) had to hold me back. It was just a hyperextension, so it should be minimal. We've got to do everything tomorrow still to check that everything's OK."

San Antonio coach Mitch Johnson said following the game, "I have no idea what to say, but it was good to see him walk back out and be able to finish the game on the bench with his teammates."

Wembanyama amassed 31 points and 13 rebounds in 24 minutes before leaving the game with the Spurs down 102-96.

In 21 games this season, Wembanyama is averaging 24.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists. He was sidelined for 12 games from Nov. 16-Dec. 10 due to a left calf strain. Upon his return, he spent six games coming off the bench on a minutes restriction before rejoining the starting lineup last weekend.

--Field Level Media

byDaniel Coleman

in

January 01, 2026

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama downplays knee injury

San Antonio star center Victor Wembanyama hyperextended his left knee in the Spurs' home victory over the New York...

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Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as mayor of New York City

Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who campaigned on a promise to tackle the affordability crisis in one of America's most expensive cities, was sworn in as New York City's 112th mayor early Thursday.

Mamdani, a 34-year-old immigrant from Uganda, makes history as the city's first Muslim mayor, first South Asian mayor and the youngest mayor to hold the high-profile office in more than a century.

"This is truly the honor and the privilege of a lifetime," Mamdani said moments after being sworn in.

The former state assemblyman from Queens captured the world's attention and stunned the political establishment with his win in the Democratic primary last summer, runninga campaign focused on affordability: He promised to create a universal childcare program, freeze the rent for roughly two million rent-stabilized tenants and make city buses "fast and free."

Mamdani was sworn just after midnight during a private ceremony alongside his wife, artistRama Duwaji. His parents, filmmaker Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, a professor at Columbia University, were also in attendance.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James, who Mamdani has described as a "political inspiration," administered the oath of office.

The setting was symbolic. Mamdani was sworn in on the platform of the old City Hall subway station underneath City Hall Park in Manhattan – an architectural marvel where tiled, arched ceilings, colored glass skylights and brass chandeliers have laid dormant since the station was shuttered in 1945.

The location, which is closed to the public except for the occasional guided tour,is one of New York's 28 original subway stations that opened in 1904, ushering in a new dawn of innovation and growth in New York City.

Following his swearing in, Mamdani spoke about the significance of the setting, calling it "a testament to the importance of public transit to the vitality, the health and the legacy of our city."

He also announced Michael Flynn, a longtime city planner, as the city's next Department of Transportation Commissioner.

Mamdani has made public transportation a central focus of his agenda. In addition to proposing to make city buses free, he has said his administration would expand the city's bicycle lane network and optimize streets for pedestrians.

A public ceremony will be held at City Hall Plaza on Thursday afternoon. At least 4,000 people are expected to attend, including high-profile leaders of the progressive movement: DemocraticRep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortezwill introduce Mamdani, and the public oath of office will be administered by independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

A block party hosted by Mamdani's transition team – dubbed the "Inauguration of a New Era" – will line Broadway, with supporters of the new mayor gathering outside the gates of City Hall.

Mamdani's ambitious agenda has drawn some skepticism. He has proposed taxing the wealthy to pay for his proposals, something he can only do with the support of the state legislature and the governor. And while Mamdani is taking office at a time of general economic strength in the city, the high cost of living is squeezing working-class New Yorkers.

The dawn of Mamdani's administration also comes as thenational Democratic Partyis wrestling with its identity and struggling to energize a divided base.Mamdani's winhas fueled debate about whether the party should move further to the left and focus on affordability as its primary issue in the upcoming midterm elections.

This story has been updated with additional information.

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byDaniel Coleman

in

December 31, 2025

Zohran Mamdani is sworn in as mayor of New York City

Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist who campaigned on a promise to tackle the affordability crisis in one of America's most expens...

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Volunteer in Iran's Revolutionary Guard reportedly killed during widening protests

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A volunteer member of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed in a western province duringwidening demonstrations sparked by the Islamic Republic's ailing economy, authorities said Thursday, marking the first fatality among security forces during the protests.

The death Wednesday night of the 21-year-old volunteer in the Guard's Basij force may mark the start of a heavier-handed response by Iran's theocracy over the demonstrations, which have slowed in the capital, Tehran, but expanded to other provinces.

The state-run IRNA news agency reported on the Guard member's death but did not elaborate. An Iranian news agency called the Student News Network, believed to be close to the Basij, directly blamed demonstrators for the Guard member's death, citing comments from Saeed Pourali, a deputy governor in Iran's Lorestan province.

The Guard member "was martyred ... at the hands of rioters during protests in this city in defense of public order," he reportedly said. Another 13 Basij members and police officers suffered injuries, he added.

"The protests that have occurred are due to economic pressures, inflation and currency fluctuations, and are an expression of livelihood concerns," Pourali said. "The voices of citizens must be heard carefully and tactfully, but people must not allow their demands to be strained by profit-seeking individuals."

The protests took place in the city of Kouhdasht, over 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Tehran.

Iran's civilian government under reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian has been trying to signal it wants to negotiate with protesters. However, Pezeshkian has acknowledged there is not much he can do as Iran's rial currency has rapidly depreciated, with $1 now costing some 1.4 million rials.

Meanwhile, state television separately reported on the arrests of seven people, including five it described as monarchists and two others it said had linked to European-based groups. State TV also said another operation saw security forces confiscate 100 smuggled pistols, without elaborating.

The protests have become the biggest in Iran since 2022, when the death of22-year-old Mahsa Aminiin police custody triggered nationwide demonstrations. However, the demonstrations have yet to be countrywide and have not been as intense as those surrounding the death of Amini, who was detained over not wearing her hijab, or headscarf, to the liking of authorities.

Iran's theocracy had declared Wednesday a public holiday across much of the country, citing cold weather, likely as a bid to get people out of the capital for a long weekend. The Iranian weekend is Thursday and Friday, while Saturday marks Imam Ali's birthday, another holiday for many.

The protests, taking root in economic issues, have heard demonstrators chant against Iran's theocracy as well. The country's leaders are still reeling after Israel launched a12-day waragainst the country in June. The U.S. also bombed Iranian nuclear sites during the war.

Iran has said it isno longer enriching uraniumat any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program to ease sanctions. However, those talks have yet to happen as U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu havewarned Tehran against reconstituting its atomic program.

byDaniel Coleman

in

December 31, 2025

Volunteer in Iran's Revolutionary Guard reportedly killed during widening protests

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A volunteer member of Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard was killed in a west...

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