ATLANTA — Jacobian Morgan threw a pair of touchdown passes to Joanes Fortilien, Irv Mulligan added two short touchdown runs, and Jackson State defeated South Carolina State 28-7 on Saturday in the Celebration Bowl that serves as the HBCU national championship. The Southwestern Athletic Conference champion Tigers (12-2) outgained the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's Bulldogs (9-3) 383-211, giving up just 59 yards through three quarters to win their 10th straight game. Jackson State won its first Celebration Bowl, coming in its third appearance in four years. Morgan was 15 of 21 for 233 yards passing with an interception. Isaiah Spencer had 123 yards receiving. The Bulldogs' Eric Phoenix, who sat out the third quarter, was 13 of 20 for 167 yards — enough to make him the program's season passing leader with 2,628 yards. He ran for South Carolina State's only touchdown. Jackson State took a 14-0 halftime lead. Morgan threw a 4-yard TD to Fortilien, capping a nearly 10-minute drive. The Tigers' second TD came after the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs at the JSU 32. On the next play, Morgan found Spencer for a 67-yard gain to the 1. Mulligan scored on the next play. After a scoreless third quarter, a 42-yard pass to Spencer sparked a drive given second life after an offsides on a field-goal attempt. Mulligan scored from 2 yards out. Phoenix led an 80-yard drive, connecting with Nigel Johnson an a 64-yard play before scoring on a 3-yard run for the Bulldogs' only points with about 11 minutes left. Gerardo Baeza missed a 35-yard field goal but the Tigers got the ball back on Shamar Hawkins' interception. On the next play, Morgan threw a 14-yard TD pass to Fortilien to again lead by 21. HUNTINGTON, W.V. — Marshall has withdrawn from the Independence Bowl after a coaching change resulted in much of its roster jumping into the transfer portal. The Thundering Herd were slated to play Army on Dec. 28 in Shreveport, Louisiana. But the Independence Bowl and Louisiana Tech announced on Saturday that the Bulldogs will take on the 19th-ranked Black Knights instead. Marshall said it pulled out “after falling below the roster minimum that was deemed medically safe.” The Herd (10-3) beat Louisiana-Lafayette 31-3 last weekend to win the Sun Belt Conference Championship for the first time. The program has won seven games in a row in the same season for the first time since 2020. “We apologize for the nature and timing of this announcement and for the turmoil it has brought to bowl season preparations for Army, the Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl, the American Athletic Conference and ESPN,” Sun Belt Commissioner Keith Gill said in a statement. Coach Charles Huff left Marshall for Southern Miss last Sunday, and Tony Gibson, the defensive coordinator at North Carolina State, was announced as his replacement less than an hour later. By Thursday, at least 25 Marshall players had entered the transfer portal. LUBBOCK, Texas — Texas Tech junior quarterback Behren Morton will miss the Liberty Bowl after undergoing elective shoulder surgery, the school said Saturday. Morton had surgery Tuesday in Los Angeles for a joint sprain in his right shoulder that he has played with for most of two seasons. He initially suffered the sprain in the fourth game of the 2023 season, and didn't miss a regular-season game this year after ending his spring practice early. “After hearing from several leading NFL medical experts, my family and I felt it was best to get this procedure done now so that I can fully rehab this spring and be ready for the start of summer workouts,” Morton said. “As I’ve said all year, this injury did not impact me at all this past season. I elected to undergo this surgery now for my long-term success." The Red Raiders (8-4) play Arkansas (6-6) from the SEC in a matchup of former Southwest Conference foes in the Liberty Bowl on Dec. 27. Morton is third in the Big 12 and 10th nationally with 3,335 yards passing (277.9 ypg) and is second in the league with 27 touchdown passes. The Red Raiders are the Big 12 leader with 38.6 points and 459.8 total yards per game. Nevin Shapiro, the former Miami booster whose rogue involvement with the school led to a massive NCAA investigation and significant sanctions against the Hurricanes, had his sentence for masterminding a $930 million Ponzi scheme commuted by President Joe Biden. Shapiro was among the 1,499 recipients of commutations announced by the White House on Friday. Federal records show that Shapiro, who was initially sentenced in 2011 to serve 20 years in prison and repay his jilted investors nearly $83 million, will be officially listed as released on Dec. 22. Court records show Shapiro has been on home confinement since 2020. The commutation of his sentence only “reduces the period of incarceration,” the Department of Justice said, adding that “it does not imply forgiveness of the underlying offense, but simply remits a portion of the punishment.” Quarterback Jackson Arnold is transferring to Auburn after two seasons at Oklahoma. Arnold played nine games for Oklahoma this season, throwing for 1,421 yards, 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also rushed for 444 yards with three touchdowns, including a career-high 131 yards in Oklahoma’s 24-3 win over then-No. 7 Alabama in November. “The fit he is for our offense and for Auburn, I couldn’t be more excited,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “He’s a dual-threat guy who understands the RPO system extremely well and throws the deep ball extremely well.” Also, tight end Tanner Koziol posted on X that he has committed to Wisconsin. Koziol had a productive season at Ball State with 94 catches for 839 yards and eight TDs. Get local news delivered to your inbox!
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — As spontaneous celebrations rippled throughout the Los Angeles Chargers' locker room after their resounding 40-7 win over the New England Patriots, coach Jim Harbaugh grabbed general manager Joe Hortiz and wrapped him up in a bear hug. “Love you!” Harbaugh said. “Love you!” Hortiz responded. “Great job! Let's keep it going,” Harbaugh replied, finally loosening his grasp. The Chargers (10-6) are back in the playoffs. But the message is clear: They have their eyes on achieving much more. Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes and Los Angeles locked up its second playoff appearance in three seasons with Saturday's victory. “We had a good opportunity tonight and we went out and took it," Herbert said. “We had a good plan. All week we knew how big of a game this was for us. Guys were dialed in, focused and we executed today.” It also secured the fourth postseason appearance in Harbaugh’s five seasons as an NFL coach, adding to the three he made during his stint with the San Francisco 49ers. “You talk to them and there's more to do,” Harbaugh said. “There's no coach who could have it better than to be coaching these players. Nobody. Maybe the only person would be future us, could have it better than us.” Herbert finished 26 of 38 for 281 yards to become the third player in NFL history with at least 3,000 passing yards and 20 touchdown passes in each of his first five seasons. He joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning and Russell Wilson. Ladd McConkey had eight catches for 94 yards and pulled in TD throws of 6 and 40 yards. With a 10-yard reception in the second quarter, he passed 1,000 yards receiving for the season, making him the third Chargers rookie receiver to reach that milestone. JK Dobbins rushed 19 times for 76 yards and a TD. The Patriots (3-13) have lost six straight games, their second such losing streak of the season. They are now 2-14 the last two seasons at home. “We just didn’t play well enough in any phase of the game,” coach Jerod Mayo said. “No complementary football, and that’s what you get.” Asked if he thinks he is coaching for his job, Mayo said it comes with the territory. “I’m always under pressure and it’s been that way for a very long time, not just when I became the head coach of the Patriots," he said. New England quarterback Drake Maye finished 12 of 22 for 117 yards and a touchdown. He became the first rookie quarterback in franchise history with a TD pass in eight straight games. But he was sacked four times, and a second-quarter fumble marked his eighth straight game with at least one turnover. Los Angeles outgained New England 428-181 for the game. Maye briefly left the game to be evaluated for a head injury following a blow to his helmet in the first quarter. He was scrambling near the sideline on third down of the Patriots’ first possession when he was hit by Chargers cornerback Cam Hart, jarring the ball loose as Maye spun out of bounds. No flag was thrown on the play and Maye stayed down on the turf for several seconds before eventually getting up and jogging off the field. He initially sat on the bench before going to the medical tent for evaluation. He was replaced by backup Jacoby Brissett in the next series, which ended in a punt. But after further evaluation in the locker room and a Cameron Dicker 27-yard field goal put the Chargers in front 10-0, Maye returned to the game for the Patriots’ third series, at the 10:15 mark of the second quarter. Maye scrambled for 9 yards on his first play back, ending with him being hit by linebacker Junior Colson as he slid to the ground. Colson was flagged for unnecessary roughness. Five plays later, Maye mistimed a toss to Demario Douglas, causing a fumble that was recovered by Derwin James. The Chargers took over on the New England 24 and nine plays later, Herbert connected with McConkey for a 6-yard touchdown pass to put Los Angeles in front 17-0. Chargers: WR Joshua Palmer left the game in the third quarter with a heel injury. DB Elijah Molden limped off the field after a collision in the third quarter. He returned but was later driven off the field on a golf cart because of a shin injury. Patriots: In addition to Maye, CB Christian Gonzalez left the game in the second quarter to be evaluated for a head injury and was later ruled out with a concussion. McConkey, a second-round draft selection, also set a Chargers rookie record for catches, surpassing Keenan Allen, who had 71 in 2013. Chargers: Visit Las Vegas in their regular-season finale. Patriots: Host Buffalo next Sunday in their season finale. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflBlack Friday is over — but these 50+ early Cyber Monday deals are just kicking off: Save $100s at Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Nike and more
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, expecting their first childLAWRENCEVILLE, N.J. (AP) — CJ Luster II's 20 points helped Stony Brook defeat Rider 72-55 on Saturday. Luster shot 7 for 11, including 6 for 9 from beyond the arc for the Seawolves (3-7). Joseph Octave scored 14 points, shooting 5 for 12 (1 for 4 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line. Ben Wight shot 5 of 7 from the field to finish with 12 points. The Seawolves snapped a five-game losing streak. Jay Alvarez led the Broncs (4-7) in scoring, finishing with 13 points and two steals. Rider also got 13 points, four assists and two steals from Aasim Burton. Tariq Ingraham also had seven points. Stony Brook took the lead with 4:48 left in the first half and did not relinquish it. Luster led their team in scoring with 12 points in the first half to help put them up 34-24 at the break. Stony Brook extended its lead to 50-33 during the second half, fueled by a 12-0 scoring run. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Anita AI: The First AI-Driven Influencer Launches Her Own Token $ANITAShohei Ohtani unanimously wins 3rd career MVP, joins Frank Robinson as only players to win in both AL and NLLOWELL, Mass. (AP) — Max Brooks' 26 points helped UMass-Lowell defeat Dartmouth 92-83 on Saturday. Brooks added nine rebounds and four steals for the River Hawks (8-4). Quinton Mincey added 20 points while going 7 of 10 from the floor, including 3 for 5 from 3-point range, and 3 for 4 from the line while he also had six assists. Martin Somerville shot 3 for 10 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 4 of 7 from the free-throw line to finish with 12 points, while adding six rebounds. The Big Green (4-6) were led by Connor Amundsen, who posted 28 points and six assists. Cade Haskins added 16 points for Dartmouth. Jayden Williams also recorded 11 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
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AMHERST, Mass. (AP) — Malek Abdelgowad scored 26 points as UMass beat UMass-Boston 86-52 on Saturday. Abdelgowad also contributed 14 rebounds for the Minutemen (4-7). Daniel Rivera added 11 points while going 4 of 6 and 3 of 7 from the free-throw line while they also had 10 rebounds. Jaylen Curry had 10 points and finished 4 of 7 from the field. The Beacons were led in scoring by Cameron Perkins, who finished with 13 points, six rebounds and two steals. Xavier McKenzie added 13 points, two steals and two blocks for UMass-Boston. Raphel Laurent also recorded eight points. UMass took the lead with 15:49 remaining in the first half and did not relinquish it. The score was 47-24 at halftime, with Abdelgowad racking up 18 points. UMass extended its lead to 66-36 during the second half, fueled by a 14-2 scoring run. Abdelgowad scored a team-high eight points in the second half as their team closed out the win. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .Private schools win Class 1A-4A Illinois football state championshipsInfamous transgender college swimmer Lia Thomas went on the attack recently against the state of Iowa’s ban on transgender athletes in women’s sports and falsely claimed it is telling trans kids they “don’t deserve to participate” in sports. Thomas was asked to participate in a panel discussion this month at the Trans Athletes and the Future of Sports event at Iowa State University to discuss the law signed in 2022 by GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, Fox News reported. The former college swimmer, who earned an unremarkable record in men’s college swimming when he first went off to college, was scrutinized for joining the University of Pennsylvania’s women’s swim team after “transitioning” and suddenly jumping into the top tier of swimmers. During his appearance on the panel, Thomas railed against Iowa’s law and falsely claimed it excludes transgender kids from sports. “With the ban here in Iowa ... the state is actively saying to trans kids, ‘You don’t deserve to participate. You are actually being excluded,” the controversial former athlete said. His claim, though, is not true. The law does not ban transgender children from sports. It only bans males who identify as females from playing in girls’ sports. These trans kids have every right to play on teams that correspond to their birth gender. Thomas added that sports are vital to a child’s education and development. “I had a team, a group I could identify with... it gave me that belonging,” Thomas said during his comments on the panel. “Athletics and, for me, the water was just ... a place of peace where I could leave my worries outside. Activist and One Iowa Policy and Advocacy Director Keenan Crow agreed with Thomas but also plied the false accusation that trans kids are banned from sports in Iowa. “Excluding trans athletes from sports denies them the chance to participate in a part of life that teaches resilience, teamwork, and community... there’s value in just being on a team and being included, especially for young people who might be struggling to find acceptance,” exclaimed Crow. The panel members also flatly denied that male-born athletes have a physical advantage over women in sports. But many women are finally waking up to the fact that transism in sports is being forced upon them without their consent. Former swimmer Paula Scanlan, who was on the same UPenn swim team as Thomas, noted that forcing women to be confronted by nude men in sports locker rooms is a major issue for women who have survived sexual assault. “This is real. I know women who have lost roster spots and spots on the podium. I know of women with sexual trauma who are adversely impacted by having biological males in their locker room without their consent. I know this because I am one of these women,” Scanlan said. “I was sexually assaulted on June 3rd of 2016. I was only 16 years old. I was able to forgive my attacker, but violence against women still exists. Let us not forget the viral #MeToo movement that empowered female victims to speak up. It casts a spotlight on the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and abuse, including in scholarly and educational institutions.” Still, many women are finally starting to fight back. In the last few months, high schools and college teams have risen up to oppose transgender athletes invading their teams, their sport, and their spaces. Just this month, for instance, a girl’s volleyball team at a Christian school in Merced, California, recently forfeited a game because they did not wish to compete against a trans player. The women on several college teams are also speaking out. This year, a lawsuit was filed against San Jose State University (SJSU) and the Mountain West Conference for allowing a male to play on the SJSU women’s volleyball team. In addition, five colleges have refused to play against SJSU over the school’s inclusion of transgender player Blair Fleming. The NCAA is also being sued by several groups over its policy of allowing transgender players to play as women. Even the Olympics is facing internal debate over transgenders in women’s sports as a new candidate for president of the International Olympic Committee is campaigning for the job with a promise to ban men from women’s sports. Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston , or Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston
Major stock indexes on Wall Street drifted to a mixed finish Friday, capping a rare bumpy week for the market. The S&P 500 ended essentially flat, down less than 0.1%, after wavering between tiny gains and losses most of the day. The benchmark index posted a loss for the week, its first after three straight weekly gains. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 0.2%, while the Nasdaq composite rose 0.1%, ending just below the record high it set on Wednesday. There were more than twice as many decliners than gainers on the New York Stock Exchange. Gains in technology stocks helped temper losses in communication services, financials and other sectors of the market. Broadcom surged 24.4% for the biggest gain in the S&P 500 after the semiconductor company beat Wall Street’s profit targets and gave a glowing forecast, highlighting its artificial intelligence products. The company also raised its dividend. The company’s big gain helped cushion the market’s broader fall. Pricey stock values for technology companies like Broadcom give the sector more weight in pushing the market higher or lower. Artificial intelligence technology has been a focal point for the technology sector and the overall stock market over the last year. Tech companies, and Wall Street, expect demand for AI to continue driving growth for semiconductor and other technology companies. Some tech stocks were a drag on the market. Nvidia fell 2.2%, Meta Platforms dropped 1.7% and Google parent Alphabet slid 1.1%. Among the market’s other decliners were Airbnb, which fell 4.7% for the biggest loss in the S&P 500, and Charles Schwab, which closed 4% lower. Furniture and housewares company RH, formerly known as Restoration Hardware, surged 17% after raising its forecast for revenue growth for the year. All told, the S&P 500 lost 0.16 points to close at 6,051.09. The Dow dropped 86.06 points to 43,828.06. The Nasdaq rose 23.88 points to 19,926.72. Wall Street’s rally stalled this week amid mixed economic reports and ahead of the Federal Reserve’s last meeting of the year. The central bank will meet next week and is widely expected to cut interest rates for a third time since September. Expectations of a series of rate cuts has driven the S&P 500 to 57 all-time highs so far this year. The Fed has been lowering its benchmark interest rate following an aggressive rate hiking policy that was meant to tame inflation. It raised rates from near-zero in early 2022 to a two-decade high by the middle of 2023. Inflation eased under pressure from higher interest rates, nearly to the central bank’s 2% target. The economy, including consumer spending and employment, held strong despite the squeeze from inflation and high borrowing costs. A slowing job market, though, has helped push a long-awaited reversal of the Fed’s policy. Inflation rates have been warming up slightly over the last few months. A report on consumer prices this week showed an increase to 2.7% in November from 2.6% in October. The Fed’s preferred measure of inflation, the personal consumption expenditures index, will be released next week. Wall Street expects it to show a 2.5% rise in November, up from 2.3% in October. The economy, though, remains solid heading into 2025 as consumers continue spending and employment remains healthy, said Gregory Daco, chief economist at EY. “Still, the outlook is clouded by unusually high uncertainty surrounding regulatory, immigration, trade and tax policy,” he said. Treasury yields edged higher. The yield on the 10-year Treasury rose to 4.40% from 4.34% late Thursday. European markets slipped. Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.1%. Britain’s economy unexpectedly shrank by 0.1% month-on-month in October, following a 0.1% decline in September, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Asian markets closed mostly lower.Washington, Dec 1 (PTI): US President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday nominated New York real estate developer Charles Kushner as his envoy to France. Kushner is the father of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Jared played a key role in the first term of the Trump Administration including the Israel-Palestine peace plan. He is married to Ivanka Trump, daughter of President-elect Donald Trump. “I am pleased to nominate Charles Kushner, of New Jersey, to serve as the US Ambassador to France. He is a tremendous business leader, philanthropist, & dealmaker, who will be a strong advocate representing our Country & its interests,” Trump announced. “Charlie is the Founder & Chairman of Kushner Companies, one of the largest & most successful privately held Real Estate firms in the Nation. He was recognized as New Jersey Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young, appointed to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, & served as a Commissioner, & Chairman, of the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, as well as on the Boards of our top institutions, including NYU,” he said. “Congratulations to Charlie, his wonderful wife Seryl, their 4 children, & 14 grandchildren. His son, Jared, worked closely with me in the White House, in particular on Operation Warp Speed, Criminal Justice Reform, & the Abraham Accords. Together, we will strengthen America’s partnership with France, our oldest Ally, & one of our greatest!,” Trump said in a social media post. Charles Kushner was convicted of preparing false tax returns, retaliating against a cooperating witness, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission in 2005. He served over 16 months in prison. He was pardoned by Trump in 2020. PTI LKJ VN VN (This story is published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. No editing has been done in the headline or the body by ABP Live.)
Saskatchewan premier says he won't allow Speaker intimidation as legislature resumesBelieve it or not, Cowboys might have hope yet after chaotic win at Washington
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A rare win as a double-digit underdog came just in time to let the Dallas Cowboys believe their playoff hopes aren't completely gone in 2024. Cooper Rush probably will need three more victories in a row filling in for the injured Dak Prescott for any postseason talk to be realistic. The thing is, the Cowboys (4-7) could be favored in two of those games, and already are by four points as an annual Thanksgiving Day host against the New York Giants (2-9) on Thursday, according to BetMGM. Not to mention the losing record at the moment for each of the next four opponents for the defending NFC East champions, playoff qualifiers each of the past three seasons. The Cowboys have a chance to make something of the improbable and chaotic 34-26 win at Washington that ended a five-game losing streak. “Behind the eight ball,” Micah Parsons said, the star pass rusher acknowledging the reality that Dallas hadn't done much yet. “Let’s see how we can handle adversity and see if we can make a playoff run. But we got a long way to go.” It was a start, though, powered in part by the best 55 minutes from the Dallas defense since the opener, when the Cowboys dismantled Cleveland and looked the part of a Super Bowl contender. The last five minutes for the Dallas defense against the Commanders looked a lot like most of the nine games after that 33-17 victory over the Browns. Which is to say not very good. Jayden Daniels easily drove Washington 69 yards to a touchdown before throwing an 86-yard scoring pass in the final seconds to Terry McLaurin, who weaved through five defenders when a tackle might have ended the game. The Cowboys kept a 27-26 lead thanks to Austin Seibert's second missed extra point, and withstood another blunder when Juanyeh Thomas returned an onside kick recovery for a TD rather than slide and leave one kneel-down from Rush to end the game. Dallas will have to remember it did hold a dynamic rookie quarterback's offense to 251 yards before the madness of the ending in the Cowboys' biggest upset victory since 2010 at the New York Giants. That one was too late to save the season. This one might not be. “We needed it,” embattled coach Mike McCarthy said. “It’s been frustrating, no doubt. We’ve acknowledged that. We’ve got another one right around the corner here, so we have to get some wins and get some momentum.” Rush ended a personal three-game losing streak with his best showing since the previous time he won as the replacement for Prescott, who is out for the season after surgery for a torn hamstring. The 117.6 passer rating was Rush's best as a starter, and the NFL's second-worst rushing attack played a solid complementary role with Rico Dowdle gaining 86 yards on 19 carries. KaVontae Turpin's electrifying 99-yard kickoff return did more than lift the Cowboys when it appeared an 11-point lead might get away in the final five minutes. It eased the worst day of special teams for Dallas since John Fassel took over that phase four years ago. Suddenly struggling kicker Brandon Aubrey had one field-goal attempt blocked and missed another. Bryan Anger had a punt blocked. For the second time in five games, Aubrey's attempt to bounce a kickoff in front of the return man backfired. The ball bounced outside the landing zone, putting the Commanders at the 40-yard line to start the second half and setting up the drive to the game's first touchdown. CB Josh Butler, whose NFL debut earlier this season came five years after the end of his college career, had 12 tackles, a sack and three pass breakups. The pass breakups were the most by an undrafted Dallas player since 1994. Rookie LT Tyler Guyton, who has had an up-and-down season with injuries and performance issues, was benched immediately after getting called for a false start in the fourth quarter. His replacement, Asim Richards, could be sidelined with a high ankle sprain that executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones revealed on his radio show Monday. Veteran Chuma Edoga, who was the projected starter at Guyton's position before a preseason toe injury, was active but didn't play against the Commanders. He's awaiting his season debut. The status of perennial All-Pro RG Zack Martin (ankle/shoulder) and LG Tyler Smith (ankle/knee) will be a question on the short week after both sat against Washington. Stephen Jones indicated Smith could be available and said the same of WR Brandin Cooks, who hasn't played since Week 4 because of a knee issue. TE Jake Ferguson may miss at least a second week with a concussion. The short week might make it tough for CB Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) to return. 75% — Rush's completion rate, his best with at least 10 passes. He was 24 of 32 for 247 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. His other game with multiple TDs and no picks was a 25-10 victory over Washington two years ago, when he went 4-1 with Prescott sidelined by a broken thumb. There's some extra rest after the short week, with Cincinnati making a “Monday Night Football” visit on Dec. 9. The next road game is at Carolina on Dec. 15. AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nflWith each team coming off a come-from-behind win, West Virginia and North Carolina Central square off Tuesday night in Morgantown, W.Va. West Virginia (6-2) has won two straight games and is in the midst of a 16-day, four-game homestand that kicked off with a 73-60 win over Georgetown in the Big 12-Big East Battle on Friday night. North Carolina Central (4-7) comes off a 78-77 road win over Gardner-Webb on Saturday night. Javon Small led the Mountaineers with a game-high 26 points against Georgetown as they overcame a second-half deficit with a decisive run. "The way we played in the second half (against Georgetown), I'll take that team everywhere," West Virginia coach Darian DeVries said. "You have to be able to do that every single night, every single possession you don't always get to go on a 16-0 run to pull you out of it. That's where we are still growing as a team." Eduardo Andre was questionable for the Georgetown game after he missed the Mountaineers' 83-76 overtime win against Arizona on Nov. 29. But the fifth-year senior center returned with four points, three rebounds and four blocks. "It was good to have him back in the lineup for a reason," DeVries said. "That presence, especially defensively and the ability to block shots, that's a huge deal for us." Against Gardner-Webb, Po'Boigh King led NCCU with 28 points, well above his 17.4 points per game average, as the Eagles rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to win on a late 3-pointer from Isaac Parson. On offense, the Eagles take care of the ball. They are seventh in the nation in turnover margin at plus-7.5 per game. They seek extra possessions on defense and are second nationally with 18.9 turnovers forced per game "We're good enough, we just need to fine tune some things," NCCU coach LeVelle Moton said. "We've got to cross some T's, dot some I's and close. We can't be a really good basketball team until we get the mindset that when winning time presents itself in the last five minutes, (the other team) has to earn it." --Field Level Media