SPORTS HEADLINES

Maye throws 3 TD passes, Stroud has 4 INTs as Patriots top Texans 28-16 to advance to AFC title game

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Drake Maye threw three touchdown passes, Marcus Jones returned one of C.J. Stroud’s four interceptions for a TD and the New England Patriots defeated the Houston Texans 28-16 to advance to the AFC championship game for the first time in seven years. Their last was during their run to their sixth Super Bowl title in the 2018 season. New England has won its last nine divisional round games. Maye finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards, but had an interception and fumbled four times, losing two. The eight combined turnovers were the most in a playoff game since 2015. The Texans have lost in the divisional round in three straight seasons under coach DeMeco Ryans.

College football’s surprise: Miami and Indiana meet for a title in a matchup nobody saw coming

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Indiana and Miami are playing for the national title Monday night, and if that has you scratching your head thinking “Who?” or “What?” then you are not alone. Even though a new world of paying players and rapid-fire transfers from school to school has shuffled the deck in college sports, nobody thought it would get mixed up this much. And even though both schools have been trending upward of late, both were listed as 100-1 long shots to win the championship at some point this season. Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and the Hoosiers head into the game being played on Miami’s home field at Hard Rock Stadium as 8 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.

College football leaders debate playoff expansion ahead of Friday deadline from ESPN

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — College football leaders gave every indication that they remain stuck in a yearlong debate about expanding the playoff from 12 teams to 16 or beyond. Commissioners and school presidents met on the eve of the College Football Playoff title game, facing a Friday deadline from ESPN to decide on changing or staying with the current 12-team model. ESPN bankrolls the postseason. The debate boils down to two conferences, the Big Ten and SEC, that have widely different visions of where the playoff should go. The SEC wants a 16-team playoff, the Big Ten wants 24. If they can’t agree, the playoff will stay at 12 teams for next season.

Senegal wins Africa Cup of Nations after chaotic final against host Morocco

RABAT, Morocco (AP) — Senegal has won the Africa Cup of Nations in dramatic fashion. Pape Gueye scored in extra time for the Teranga Lions to beat host Morocco 1-0 in a chaotic final on Sunday which at one point saw Senegal’s players leave the field to protest a penalty decision. After a 14-minute delay, Édouard Mendy saved Brahim Díaz’s Panenka penalty in the last kick of normal time. Gueye then scored the winning goal in the first half of extra time. The 69,500-capacity Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium emptied quickly after the final whistle. Few were left to see the Senegalese players lift the trophy. It’s Senegal’s second Africa Cup win. The Teranga Lions won the 2021 edition after a penalty shootout against Egypt.

NFL again faces questions about the definition of a catch after disputed pick in Bills-Broncos game

Once again, many NFL fans, coaches and commentators are questioning the definition of a catch. A disputed interception helped eliminate the Buffalo Bills from the playoffs in a 33-30 loss to the Denver Broncos on Saturday. Josh Allen’s deep pass to Brandin Cooks in overtime was wrestled out of the veteran receiver’s hands by Ja’Quan McMillian, and officials ruled that McMillian had the ball before Cooks was down by contact. Some NFL analysts said they were shocked that the play was ruled an interception because those calls usually favor the offensive player. Bills coach Sean McDermott was frustrated that officials didn’t spend more time looking at replays.

Villa loses to Everton to complete set of surprising results for Premier League title challengers

Aston Villa has become the latest title challenger to trip up on a weekend of surprising results in the Premier League after losing 1-0 at home to Everton because of a defensive blunder. Villa center back Pau Torres gave the ball away and goalkeeper Emi Martinez fumbled a soft shot, allowing Thierno Barry to score in the 59th minute. Villa could have climbed above Manchester City to second place and trimmed the gap to leader Arsenal to four points with a win. Wolverhampton, the league’s last-placed team, continued its resurgence by holding Newcastle to a 0-0 draw to extend its unbeaten run to five games in all competitions. Wolves are still 14 points from safety.

Grizzlies star Ja Morant says he’s a very loyal guy and cites his tattoo of team logo

LONDON (AP) — Ja Morant says there should be no doubt about his desire to keep playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. After a dominant performance in a 126-109 victory over the Orlando Magic, the two-time All Star addressed recent trade speculation about him. He says, “I’ve got a logo on my back, so that should tell you exactly where I want to be.” Morant has a tattoo of the team logo. He had 24 points and 13 assists in his return to the lineup after a six-game absence because a right calf injury. He says, “If anybody in here knows me — I’m a very loyal guy.”

At 45, Venus Williams sets record at Australian Open but falls in the 1st round

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Venus Williams became the oldest player ever in the Australian Open women’s singles draw on Sunday and went ever-so-close to celebrating the record with a win. The 45-year-old, seven-time major winner was leading Olga Danilovic 4-0 in the third set. But Danilovic rallied to win six straight games in a 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-4 first-round win. Williams, ranked No. 576 and playing on a wild-card entry, entered the tournament on a five-match losing streak. Williams made her Australian Open debut in 1998 and was playing at the tournament for the 22nd time.

South Carolina’s Staley on playing at Coppin State: I think it’s good on all fronts

BALTIMORE (AP) — Dawn Staley’s visit to Coppin State was a success for just about everyone. South Carolina won by 42 points, and the Eagles had more than 3,000 fans in their arena. Staley and the Gamecocks beat Coppin State 90-48 on Sunday. The attendance was 3,371 in the 4,100-seat PEC Arena. Coppin State got to host Maryland in 2021 and LSU two years later. This was a chance to bring another big-name program to Baltimore. South Carolina is 28-0 against HBCU teams during Staley’s coaching tenure, and four of those games have been on the road.

Edwards, Wembanyama enjoy another showdown between two of the West’s best as Spurs top Timberwolves

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Anthony Edwards doesn’t want to be the face of the NBA, but the Minnesota Timberwolves star is becoming a focus of one the league’s marquee matchups when he goes up against San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama. Edwards had a career-high 55 points, but Wembanyama scored 39 points and captured a key offensive rebound in the final seconds as San Antonio held off Minnesota 126-123 on Saturday. Wembanyama and Edwards exchanged highlights and baskets in the final minutes of a showdown between two of the Western Conference’s top teams.