NEW DELHI: Fourteen-year-old Vaibhav Sooryavanshi summed up a historic night in simple, heartfelt words — grateful for the moment, proud of the contribution, and clear-eyed about the journey ahead. “Abhi bohot dur tak hai jaana,” the teenage sensation wrote after scripting one of the most extraordinary performances in Under-19 World Cup history.Sooryavanshi’s scintillating 175 off just 80 balls powered India to their record-extending sixth ICC Under-19 World Cup title as they crushed England by 100 runs in the final at Harare on Friday. His knock — a breathtaking blend of fearless strokeplay and maturity beyond his years — completely outshone a valiant century from England’s Caleb Falconer.
T20 World Cup: ‘God changed my destiny’ – Mohammed Siraj on emotions of lucky comeback
After India opted to bat, Sooryavanshi produced a record-shattering masterclass, smashing 15 fours and 15 sixes to propel the side to a daunting 411/9. Skipper Ayush Mhatre chipped in with a composed 53, while Abhigyan Kundu’s brisk 40 ensured India never lost momentum. In response, England faltered after a promising start, sliding from 142/2 to 177/7. Falconer fought a lone battle with a powerful 115 off 67 balls, but the target proved far too steep as England’s wait for a second U-19 crown — stretching back to 1998 — continued.Later, the young batting prodigy from Samastipur, Bihar, took to Instagram, posting a photo with the trophy and reflecting on the moment. “Really enjoyed myself out there and happy that I could contribute to a win that will hold a special place in my heart forever,” he wrote, expressing gratitude for the overwhelming support. India’s dominant campaign drew praise from across the cricketing fraternity. Virat Kohli, who captained India to the U-19 title in 2008, hailed the team’s sustained excellence at the age-group level, while head coach Gautam Gambhir declared, “The bright future is here.”For Sooryavanshi, though, the message was clear — this was just the beginning.
On February 7, 2026, a Jimin-focused fan page, @jmpopbase, flagged a serious safety concern involving BTS’ Jimin. The alert pointed to an Instagram profile, @mytaekoo, known for Taehyung-related posts, which allegedly shared airport photos taken in Portugal. The images were accompanied by hostile captions implying close physical access. The text suggested future proximity as well.
It also referenced inflicting harm elsewhere, framed as revenge. The language compared Jimin’s treatment to what Taehyung allegedly faced earlier. The situation follows recent online threats aimed at Taehyung during BTS’ Lisbon visit. Soon after, fan spaces circulated screenshots of alleged private messages linked to someone called Helga. The individual was reportedly connected to two TikTok accounts, @sò-mel-jikook and @jikook_mel. She allegedly identified as a Jimin Jungkook shipper while expressing hostility toward Taehyung.
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Those messages reportedly included violent statements, including physical attack and acid threat references. Portuguese fan accounts then claimed the same person was staying outside the group’s hotel. As discussions grew, posts also alleged a circulating video containing audible threats. While unverified, the claims triggered widespread alarm. Fans have since expanded their safety concerns, calling for stronger protection for Jimin as well.
“HYBE, TAKE ACTION NOW! This person is continuously insulting and threatening Jimin on IG without any fear. This is dangerous and cannot be ignored. We demand immediate investigation and proper protection for Jimin. His safety must come first,” an X user commented.
HYBE, TAKE ACTION NOW!This person is continuously insulting and threatening Jimin on IG without any fear. This is dangerous and cannot be ignored. We demand immediate investigation and proper protection for Jimin. His safety must come first. @HYBEINSIGHTtwt@BIGHIT_MUSIC
Many are urging others to report the account that is allegedly sending threats to Jimin.
Guys these random jikookers and taekookers are trying to harm both taehyung and Jimin , Please report these accounts in Instagram immediately There trying to kill them !!We’re trying to help but , this is getting put of hands , please anyone this is way too serious now !!
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mytaekoo is literally a psycho and is literally threatening violence against members and has been harassing jimin making fun of his height and bringing up his past relationship as a drag I need y’all to report her account and spread this as much as you can
This b*tch is an attention seeker. Keep reporting her because she’s a psycho, and of course there are many psychos like her who want to harm my Jimin. Please report this to HYBE.https://protect.hybecorp.com
Others are calling for protection for BTS overall after the group received back-to-back online threats.
I feel sad seeing the maknae line have to face this crazy shipper, I wanna protect them even all the Bangtan members😭😭
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Protect them from these deranged shippers & solos.Seems every day, a new BTS member is attacked. Keep guards at doors to block them from entering.@HYBEOFFICIALtwt@BIGHIT_MUSIC
@HYBEOFFICIALtwt please protect them . It was Taehyung then jimin? WHAT ARE YOU DOING SERIOUSLY ? It became more dangerous. Please protect our idols @BIGHIT_MUSIC
BTS spotted in Portugal ahead of ARIRANG comeback
BTS were spotted in Portugal in early February, marking their first overseas work schedule after military service. The group reportedly reached Lisbon around February 3, which immediately sparked attention. The timing closely connects with preparations for their upcoming Korean album, ARIRANG, set to drop on March 20. While official details remain undisclosed, the trip is believed to involve filming visual or promotional content.
This overseas work fits into a larger comeback plan already in motion. The album represents their first full-group release post-enlistment. It is also expected to lead to renewed promotions and performances. A titular global tour is also planned to begin in April in Goyang.
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Meanwhile, Portugal is not part of the officially announced stops on BTS’ ARIRANG world tour so far. The confirmed 2026-2027 schedule spans Asia, North America, Europe, South America, and Southeast Asia, but no cities in Portugal have been named yet. If additional shows are revealed later (particularly for 2027), the country may still be added to the lineup.
Manchester United learned exactly what Chelsea star Cole Palmer thinks of the transfer links surrounding him and a move to Old Trafford after the Reds beat Tottenham 2-0
Mikel Arteta believes Viktor Gyokeres has raised his game to the “highest level” after he scored a second-half brace in Arsenal’s 3-0 win against Sunderland.
Following Martin Zubimendi’s impressive first-half opener at the Emirates Stadium, Gyokeres landed his first just six minutes after coming on as a substitute.
The Sweden international then completed his brace in stoppage time to put the gloss on a win which moved Arteta’s side nine points clear of Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Gyokeres has faced criticism during his first campaign in north London. But his double takes his tally to four in as many matches, and six from his last eight appearances.
Since the start of the year, no Premier League player has scored more goals than Gyokeres’ five across all competitions.
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And Arteta said: “Confidence is the magic word. When you feel confident, when you feel important, when you feel at your best, that’s when you can really take your game to the highest level.
“We are really behind him in every moment to try to help him, to try to support him. And he is delivering, and he’s in a really good moment now.
“Obviously, when you put that shirt on, there is lot of responsibility and huge expectation, and you need to live with that.
“In your journey, you’re going to have moments where it goes really well, and then others where it is going to be tough.
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“With Viktor, it’s very difficult to understand his emotions because he looks straight at you. But he doesn’t seem too affected by the real highs or the lows. He’s very demanding of himself, he’s constantly trying to improve.
“I love his character, the way he approaches every single day and the fact that he’s so focused on the present, what he has to do, and he has a genuine will to help the team in whatever role he has.”
Arsenal are now in a strong position to claim their first title since 2004 with 39 points left to play for across the final 13 rounds.
Manchester City will have to beat Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday to trim Arsenal’s advantage back to six points.
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But when asked what his team’s latest victory means in their quest to take the title, Arteta replied: “Nothing. We still have to win so many games to achieve what we want.
“I’m going to have a beautiful dinner tonight. Tomorrow I start to prepare for Brentford (on Thursday), because it’s going to be a really tough one.
“And in the meantime, I will be watching a big, big game (between Liverpool and City).”
Sunderland have been the league’s surprise package this season but this was their third defeat in four matches.
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Manager Regis Le Bris said: “At the beginning of the second half we had opportunities to get back in the game, but we didn’t seize those opportunities and if you don’t do that against a team like Arsenal – one of the best teams in England and Europe – then the game has gone.”
France arrive in Cardiff next Sunday with Wales searching for a first Six Nations home win in four years.
The calamitous state of Welsh rugby means the WRU is struggling to sell out their three home games this year, with thousands of tickets still available for next weekend.
Tandy hopes Wales will receive the usual home backing.
“The fans have been amazing support for the team,” said Tandy.
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“We know what it means to the boys to play in the Principality Stadium and the fans give them huge belief.”
Whether the Wales head coach will make changes remains to be seen as he balances reacting to an underwhelming display and the need to develop a settled side.
He says there would be no “knee-jerk reaction” and full-back Louis Rees-Zammit appears to have done enough to keep the number 15 jersey.
The former NFL triallist was making his first Six Nations appearance for almost three years and is settling into a new position after switching from the wing.
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After a shaky start where he had an early kick charged down, Rees-Zammit settled down and produced one searing second-half break.
“He did well in his first start at 15 in a while for us,” said Tandy.
“In Test match rugby, there’s not much space but I thought he adapted with the aerial battles.
“He’s a big man and lit the game up in moments. It’s looking how we can get more of those moments.”
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So maybe one thing for Welsh fans hold on to. There is currently not much more.
Jeremy Fears Jr. made history but didn’t make any new friends in Big Ten country Saturday. The Michigan State point guard etched himself in Spartan lore with a 26-point, 15-assist showing to help No. 10 MSU outlast No. 5 Illinois 85-82 in an overtime thriller.
For a program that has housed legendary point guards like Magic and Cleaves and Cassius and Valentine, it’s Fears who will stand alone as the first Michigan State player ever to notch multiple 15-dime games.
He did it in the last two weeks.
The same 14-day span where Fears has turned into a legitimate All-American contender and one of college basketball’s biggest villains after numerous acts that span between reckless, shady and downright dirty.
Fears attempted to trip Michigan star Yaxel Lendeborg on Jan. 30 in a move that Wolverines coach Dusty May dubbed intentional. He kicked Minnesota’sLangston Reynolds in the groin in Michigan State’s 76-73 loss in a move that earned him a technical, a tongue-lashing from Tom Izzo and a warning that he might not even start against Illinois.
But on gameday, Fears was back in the starting five and involved in another controversy. Fears drew 14 fouls, but it was a play that didn’t earn a whistle that had Illinois’ bench riled up. Fears appeared to trip Illini big man David Mirkovic on a runout in the open floor, but after review, it was not upgraded to a flagrant foul.
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“There was nothing on the trip, they looked at it,” Illinois coach Brad Underwood said in the postgame press conference. “It’s always going to be a judgmental thing. He stops. It’s what he does. But yeah, he was terrific. We didn’t do a very good job of squaring him up. He plays with great speed and pace. I was disappointed in the fact that we fouled him that much. He’s not a very good shooter, and we wanted him to have to shoot the ball in even if it was a layup. He’s crafty, he’s smart and did a nice job tonight.”
This saga feels far from over, but one thing is clear: Fears’ debt to his team has been repaid.
His actions against Minnesota objectively cost his team the game, but the Spartans don’t beat the big, bad Illini without him.
“To be honest, it was kind of rough,” Fears told Fox in a postgame, on-court interview. “That’s not my character. That’s not who I am. I want to be able to help my team. I wasn’t able to help my team in the last few games. I wanted to help my team get the win today. No matter what.”
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Fears scored 22 of his 26 after halftime, including a remarkable 11 points in overtime. Illinois battled brilliantly in the Breslin Center until the very last second, showing it has what it takes to be heard from in the chase for a Big Ten Championship and a Final Four, but it could not defend without fouling in the final moments. For Fears, drawing fouls is an art of sorts, even if it drives the opposition into a tizzy (or to another swig from the bottle).
Fears told CBS Sports at Big Ten Media Days that he studies the rulebook intently, trying to understand and/or uncover any tricks of the trade that will get him to the free throw line. He shot 13 more free throws in Saturday’s victory, bringing his season total to a whopping 148. It’s the fifth time this season that Fears has double-digit attempts from the charity stripe, and no Big Ten player is drawing more fouls per 40 minutes than Fears (7.2), according to KenPom.com
“This team has confidence in each other; we’ve played bad, we got controversy, distractions,” Izzo said. “The best way to stick ahead is avoid dirtbags and distractions.”
Let the bobbing and weaving begin even more because the microscope on Fears isn’t going away.
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Somewhere, in another life, Fears just toed the free-throw line yet again.
Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez is one of the hardest-hitting operators in the lower weight divisions, but that status could soon be challenged by an unbeaten super-flyweight contender.
Most would consider Rodriguez a top five pound-for-pound star, having made a considerable impression on both the 112 and 115lb divisions.
The two-weight world champion comes off a 10th-round finish over Fernando Martinez – unifying the WBC, WBO and WBO super-flyweight titles in November – but has also claimed notable victories over the likes of Sunny Edwards and Juan Francisco Estrada.
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One man who hopes to eventually defuse the explosive technician, meanwhile, is Jack Turner, who enters his 14th professional outing on the undercard of Nick Ball vs Brandon Figueroa this Saturday.
At 24 years of age, it is still very much early days, but the ferocious puncher has nonetheless told Boxing News that a future Rodriguez clash certainly piques his interest.
“Bam’s only young, but I’m still only a baby in the sport. When the time’s right, I’d love that fight.
“I wouldn’t be in the sport if I didn’t want to fight the best – I’ll fight anyone. But yeah, hopefully I’ll get that opportunity when the time’s right.
“He’s a great fighter, a brilliant fighter, and I love watching him. I like his style, and I like studying him.
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“Obviously, everyone has their good points – but everyone has their weaknesses as well.”
Turner’s most significant victories have come against Ryan Farrag, who was dealt a second-round stoppage defeat last year, and Nicolas Muguruza, a tough Argentinian who, after enjoying spells of success, was ultimately stopped in the sixth round of their encounter last August.
Clearly, the Liverpudlian carries fight-ending power which, he believes, is only becoming more decisive as his career progresses.
“Yeah, it’s getting better. Each time I fight, and in every camp, I feel like I’m hitting harder.
“It’s always good to carry that power and [the Muguruza performance] shows I can carry that power into later rounds. If you’ve got power then that’s what people want to see; they want to see knockouts.
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“I’m going to take care of all these super-flyweights and smash their heads in.”
The next man at risk of getting his head smashed in is Juan Carlos Urbina, who Turner will look to demolish at Liverpool’s Echo Arena.
Elsewhere on the Queensberry Promotions card, fellow Scouser Andrew Cain threatens to make an equally destructive statement against bantamweight visitor Alejandro Gonzalez.
This, like with Rodriguez, is a fight that could become more realistic in the next year or so, especially with Turner and Cain representing the Rotunda ABC and Everton Red Triangle – two of Liverpool’s flagship gyms – respectively.
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“Obviously, we’re in two different weight classes. But, for sure, that could be a fight in the future.
“We’re two Scouse lads, so it would be a massive fight.”
WWE star AJ Styles seemingly retired at the 2026 Royal Rumble. Veteran wrestling manager Jim Cornette is still confused over how the segment panned out during the show.
Styles faced off against Gunther in a singles match with his career on the line. He passed out as the Ring General caught him in a Sleeper Hold, forcing the ref to call the match in favor of Gunther. After the encounter, AJ removed his gloves, signifying his retirement, but quickly put them back on before exiting the ring.
Thanks for the submission!
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During a recent episode of Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru, the veteran manager felt WWE was sending mixed signals with the whole retirement angle. Cornette was confused because AJ Styles almost left the gloves in the ring and then put the gloves back on, hinting that he was still not done.
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“Well, I’m getting mixed signals sent to me. They gave him a big ovation after Gunther left the ring. Fans are singing for AJ and everything, and he makes a production out of taking his gloves off, and the fans are like, ‘No, no, no!’ But then he put his gloves back on. What does it mean? Did he lie? He left the ring, and then he came back and posed on a turnbuckle. He didn’t take his boots off. I guess the gloves were gonna be the boots. He took the gloves off, but then he put the gloves back on. Has he changed his mind? Is he gonna say, ‘I just don’t want to leave you now’? That would be kind of kabukish.”
Roman Reigns shared a message for AJ Styles
Tributes and heartwarming messages have poured in for AJ Styles after his retirement. Several WWE stars and veteran congrulated him on a successful career in the business.
The 2026 Royal Rumble winner Roman Reigns also shared a message for Styles. The OTC said that he was a true team player and complimented AJ’s work ethic. He felt The Phenomenal One was a talented and disciplined superstar and one of his video game friends.
While using the quotes please credit Jim Cornette’s Drive Thru and add an H/T to Sportskeeda.
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Minnesota Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah surveys the field and pregame activity at U.S. Bank Stadium during warmups ahead of a December 8, 2024 matchup in Minneapolis against the Atlanta Falcons, as the organization prepared for another late-season test under the stadium lights with roster stakes looming. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings fired Kwesi Adofo-Mensah eight days ago, sending shockwaves through the team’s fan base and thrusting the franchise into a mysterious offseason, with free agency a month away. The decision moved the needle for most shocking offseason moments in franchise history, so here’s a look at items with that criteria over the last decade.
Ranked from five to one, each moment landed with real weight because it reshaped Minnesota’s roster, direction, or identity with the snap of two fingers.
The timing confused some. Why didn’t the Vikings terminate his contract on Black Monday?
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Ranked: The 5 Biggest Vikings Offseason Shocks since 2016
Ranked ascendingly (No. 1 = most shocking moment), the most stunning offseason moments since 2016.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins surveys the field during pregame warmups at Soldier Field, with November 18, 2018 appearing mid-paragraph as Chicago hosted a division matchup. The quiet sideline moment captures Cousins focused and composed before kickoff, framed by a hostile road environment and late-season stakes as Minnesota prepared for the Bears. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports
5. Vikings Win the Kirk Cousins Sweepstakes
In February and March of 2018, a handful of teams pursued Cousins, such as the New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Arizona Cardinals. Basically every quarterback-needy team explored the Cousins sweepstakes.
And after visiting the 2017 NFC Championship, Minnesota opted to offload Case Keenum to those very Broncos, paving the way for Cousins to sign in Minnesota for an unheard-of guaranteed contract at the time.
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The Vikings had been rumored in the mix for Cousins that offseason, but when they closed the deal, it felt like Minnesota had landed a franchise quarterback for the first time since Daunte Culpepper or Brett Favre.
Cousins stayed in Minnesota for six seasons, leading the club to the postseason twice and tallying one playoff win.
4. Stefon Diggs Traded to BUF
Diggs grew antsy over the Vikings’ run-happy offense, led by head coach Mike Zimmer, and actually asked general manager Rick Spielman for a trade during the 2019 campaign. He went AWOL from the team for a couple of days.
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Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Stefon Diggs lines up during live action at CenturyLink Field, with December 2, 2019 embedded mid-paragraph as Seattle hosted Minnesota. The in-game snapshot reflects Diggs’ involvement in a high-scoring contest that tilted toward the Seahawks, highlighting the intensity and pace of a primetime road environment. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Spielman told him no during the regular season but pledged to deliver the following offseason. He didn’t renege.
Diggs tweeted that it was time for a new beginning, Spielman shipped him to the Buffalo Bills, and the Vikings used the trade haul to draft Justin Jefferson about a month later.
3. OL Coach Tony Sparano Passes Away
In July 2018, about four months after Minnesota netted Cousins, Sparano was hospitalized with chest pains, which turned out to be a massive heart attack. He passed away three days later.
The news fell out of the sky because no Vikings fan knew that Sparano was sick, and he was a damn good offensive line coach. Minnesota scrambled and promoted Andrew Janocko and Clancy Barone to co-offensive line coach duty.
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The offensive line took a noticeable step back without Sparano in 2018.
2. Kwesi Adofo-Mensah Fired after 4 Seasons
The news that flipped the Vikings’ 2026 offseason on its face.
ESPN’s Kevin Seifert wrote last Friday, “The Minnesota Vikings fired general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Friday, a shocking turn after an organization-wide failure to make the playoffs this season. Owners Zygi and Mark Wilf tapped Rob Brzezinski, their longtime executive vice president of football operations, to lead the front office through the 2026 draft. Speaking to reporters Friday,”
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“Mark Wilf would not rule out Brzezinski as a candidate for the permanent general manager job but pledged a “thorough” postdraft search. Wilf said he will “lean toward” a traditional arrangement that would give the next general manager personnel decision-making power with “extremely heavy input” from coach Kevin O’Connell.”
Adofo-Mensah had only connected on about 17%-20% of all draft picks since taking the big job in 2022, fired up strange trades last summer involving Harrison Phillips, Mehki Blackmon, and Adam Thielen, and watched as Sam Darnold trudged to a Super Bowl with the Seahawks in 2025.
Those factors led the Wilfs to fire Adofo-Mensah, albeit about three weeks late by conventional offseason standards. Head coach O’Connell presumably takes center stage as the team’s de facto CEO.
1. Rookie CB Khyree Jackson Killed in Car Accident
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Just over two months after being drafted by the Vikings in the 2024 NFL Draft, Jackson was killed in a Maryland car wreck that took the lives of three people. Jackson’s professional career never got started. The team dedicated the 2024 campaign to him, and his family remains involved in Vikings activities.
Oregon Ducks defensive back Khyree Jackson reacts in coverage against Arizona State at Mountain America Stadium, with November 18, 2023 placed mid-paragraph during a late-season Pac-12 matchup in Tempe. The action shot shows Jackson engaged at the point of attack as Oregon’s defense pressed its advantage on the road. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Last month, the driver of the other vehicle, Cori Clingman, was sentenced to three years in prison for her crime.
Prince George County State Attorney Tara Jackson remarked after the sentence, “I hope that she will use this time really to think about her actions and the lives that have been lost, her friends, the lives of her friends that have been lost, and become a more productive member of our community.”
Cllingman issued a statement:: “From the deepest place in my heart, I’m sorry.”
Following Hidrix’s impressive Canonbury Stakes success elevating it to Golden Slipper favourite status, Chris Waller introduces another set of three juveniles at Randwick.
Defensemen and Fireball enter the $2 million Inglis Millennium (1100m), which remains absent from the elite trainer’s resume, alongside debutant Campione D’Italia in the Listed Lonhro Plate (1000m).
The trainer has solidified his presence in juvenile racing circles over recent campaigns, highlighting a group of talented precocious horses set for carnival prominence.
“We have five or six good two-year-olds and we are just finding out where they fit in,” Waller said.
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“Fireball has already won a race at Rosehill quite impressively. He had a trial the other morning and he has come back well.
“Defensemen has had two runs in the Golden Gift and one (race) before that and was just in behind them. He has come back strong.”
Fireball from barrier three and Defensemen from four will depart side by side, the prior one favoured at $5.50 equally with Plagiarism, the banner carrier for Tulloch Lodge.
In the alternative juvenile showcase, Waller’s $500,000 yearling Campione D’Italia bypassed the prior Canonbury Stakes to contest Saturday’s Lonhro Plate (1000m).
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Yet, Waller’s juveniles may be overshadowed by six stablemates performing gallops post early fields.
After race one, expect 1000m efforts from Aeliana (Zac Lloyd), Autumn Glow (McDonald) and Lazzura (Tommy Berry), with Lady Shenandoah (McDonald), Lindermann (Nash Rawiller) and Trinity College (Lloyd) following suit after race two for their autumn progressions.
No. 14 North Carolina stunned No. 4 Duke 71-68 with a last-second go-ahead 3-pointer in Chapel Hill on Saturday to complete its largest comeback vs. the rival Blue Devils in 25 years. UNC trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half and at various points throughout the second half — even with as little as six minutes left — it seemed Duke had a firm hold on the game.
Until it didn’t.
UNC stayed persistent and chipped away little by little before chasing Duke down for good courtesy of a corner 3-pointer from Seth Trimble with 0.4 seconds remaining. Duke’s last-ditch effort to force overtime ended with a bobbled inbounds that didn’t result in a shot attempt.
Here’s how the Tar Heels, who lost all three matchups vs. Duke last season and entered the game 4-6 under fifth-year coach Hubert Davis, got a desperately needed win to punch back in one of the sport’s best rivalries.
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All Duke early
Just over six minutes into the game, the Blue Devils opened up an 18-5 lead to silence the noisy crowd inside the Dean Smith Center. In that span, five different Duke players scored points — and that didn’t include leading scorer Cameron Boozer.
UNC closed the gap to 22-20 on the strength of a 15-2 run that got the crowd back into it. But Duke captured the momentum again going into the half with an impressive 19-9 run of its own in the final eight minutes of the first half. It led 41-29 going into the second half. That was one point shy of its largest lead of the game.
Caleb Wilson keeps UNC afloat
UNC’s supporting cast around star forward Caleb Wilson has been stellar all season. But it was nonexistent in the first half. Wilson accounted for 17 of the team’s 29 first-half points. The rest of the Tar Heels shot a woeful 4 of 20 from the field.
Wilson was spectacular, though. So spectacular that UNC’s 12-point deficit felt somehow miraculous not to be 20+ points. He hit tough mid-range fadeaway after tough mid-range fadeaway, reliably getting to his spot of comfort on the court.
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Wilson led all scorers at the half. Only one other UNC player in the opening 20 minutes made more than two field goals.
“Caleb kept us around in the first half,” Davis said after the game.
“We continued to fight. We were down. We didn’t join the fight …. We continued to stick to it … as we continue to cut into the lead, our confidence got better, our stops got better, our execution got better. And Henri stepped up, his ability to dominate points in the paint was huge. Caleb kept us in it.”
Veesaar comes alive
UNC’s second-leading scorer, Henri Veesaar, had zero points on 0-of-2 shooting in the first half. A virtual no-show.
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Veesaar in the second half: team-high 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting, nine rebounds, one assist, one block.
UNC went as Veesaar went in both halves — and Veesaar went from a stone-cold zero to full-blown flamethrower down the stretch. None of his buckets were more critical than the 3 he hit just at the 1:40 mark of the second half to tie things up. It lifted the crowd up and seemed to breathe new life into a once-dead UNC team.
“Henri stepped up,” Davis said postgame. “I mean, he had zero rebounds in the first half, then a double-double in the second half. His ability to dominate points in the paint for us was huge.”
UNC gets key stop at critical time
Duke did not score a single point over the final 2:25, during which it went 0-for-3 with two missed layups and also failed to get a shot off as time expired at the end.
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That is in part attributable to Duke’s inability to convert, but UNC deserves credit for its timely stops. Its last stand was arguably its biggest, as the Tar Heels defense stood tall and forced a tough contest on Boozer in an isolation situation. Boozer missed the bucket to help set UNC up with possession for the final go-ahead basket.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer said after the game that Boozer in isolation was the play they wanted with the result they didn’t. Boozer had 15 of his 24 points in the second half and finished with 11 rebounds, but was credited with two missed layups in the final 2:25.
Dixon dimes save the day
Freshman Tar Heels guard Derek Dixon was the unsung hero of the comeback. He had eight points and four assists — all in the second half — which included the penetration and pass that led to the game-winner. Check here how he attacks to the paint while four Duke defenders collapse, leaving Seth Trimble wide open in the corner for an easy bucket.
Davis said postgame they run that exact play in practice all the time, and one of the options off it is a skip pass to the corner just as Dixon did. Trimble did his job by stepping into it and delivering the Duke dagger.
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“That shot was made by the perfect person at the right time,” Davis said. “He’s deserving of being remembered forever of the commitment and devotion he’s made to his teammates, to his program, to the university, to the community.”
UNC closes like killers
Even when things looked bleak for North Carolina early, at the half and late in the second half, it managed to persist. Davis said postgame that early in the game UNC was not totally engaged and getting the short straw of hustle plays. That flipped in the second half as it powered to the finish.
“We continued to fight,” he said. “One of the things we were missing [early] was, we didn’t join the fight. Every 50/50 loose ball [Duke] was getting, ball was going on the ground and [Duke] was the first to get it. We just continued to stick to it. Every time we got knocked down we got up and we took a step forward.
“As we continued to cut into the lead, our confidence got better on both ends of the floor, our execution got better, our stops got better, our communicational defense got better, our rebounding got better … and then Henri stepped up.”
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UNC went on a 9-0 run in the final 2:25 to seal the win, during which it went 3-for-3 — all on 3-pointers. Dixon made the first of those three and assisted on the other two.
