Sports
Real Madrid’s Alonso: ‘Don’t know’ when Mbappé will return
Xabi Alonso has admitted he “doesn’t know” when Kylian Mbappé will return for Real Madrid, saying the club are working to have the star forward back from injury “as soon as possible.”
Madrid confirmed on Wednesday that Mbappé had been diagnosed with a sprain in his left knee, with sources telling ESPN that the France international would miss Sunday’s LaLiga game with Real Betis, and was a major doubt to take part in next week’s Spanish Supercopa in Saudi Arabia.
Mbappé has scored 29 goals in all competitions for Madrid so far this season, but has been troubled by discomfort in recent weeks, missing the Champions League match with Manchester City in December, before returning to play the team’s last three games of 2025.
“We’re going to push to keep the time down,” Alonso said in a news conference on Saturday ahead of the Betis match.
“It’s about feelings. We’ll do everything possible to make [his absence] as short as possible, so he can be ready as soon as possible. But when is that? That’s the question, I don’t know.”
Mbappé had featured in all 18 of Madrid’s LaLiga games this season going into the Betis game, scoring 18 times. In his last match of 2025, he matched Cristiano Ronaldo‘s club record of 59 goals in a calendar year, netting in Madrid’s 2-0 win over Sevilla.
Real will play Atlético Madrid in their Supercopa semifinal in Jeddah next Thursday, before a possible final next Sunday.
“In every game we make an assessment, based on how the player feels, and we take decisions based on the necessities of the game,” Alonso said. “Now we’ll see. We’ll do everything we can to have him back as soon as possible.”
Alonso denied that it was difficult to tell a player like Mbappé that they needed to rest.
“No, managing players who always want to help the team is easy, managing players who are ambitious and always want to win is easy,” he said. “After that it’s my job to take decisions, I accept that.”
Madrid coped well without Mbappé for much of last summer’s Club World Cup, with young forward Gonzalo García, 21, filling in.
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“It was flexible, with the players we had,” Alonso said on Saturday. “We have to look for the best way of fitting together the pieces … We’ll miss [Mbappé] for sure, not just his goals, but the influence he has.”
Alonso said that Madrid would be “attentive” to the January transfer market, as they look to improve on an inconsistent first half of the season.
“It’s our obligation to always be attentive as to how we can improve,, if possibilities arise,” Alonso said. “But we’re happy with the squad.”
Sports
UCF drains 14 3-pointers, runs away from No. 19 BYU in upset win
PROVO, Utah — Themus Fulks had 24 points and 11 assists, Jordan Burks also scored a career-high 24 and UCF shot 14-of-24 from 3-point range to run away from No. 19 BYU for a 97-84 upset Tuesday night.
Jamichael Stillwell added 12 points, 12 rebounds and six assists as the Knights (20-7, 9-6 Big 12) earned their first victory over the Cougars by outscoring them 44-34 in the paint and shooting 56% from the field — including 58% on 3s.
UCF’s 13-point margin of victory was its largest on the road over an AP-ranked team in program history, and third-largest in any game vs. an AP-ranked team.
AJ Dybantsa led BYU with 29 points and eight rebounds, his 21st game scoring at least 20 points, most among Division I freshmen this season. Robert Wright III had 20 points on 7-of-21 shooting, and Aleksej Kostic scored 14 off the bench. The Cougars (20-8, 8-7) shot 41% from the floor and trailed the entire way.
UCF got off to a blistering start on offense and didn’t let up. The Knights went 11-of-16 from 3-point territory and shot 57% from the field overall before halftime.
Burks drained three corner 3s over four possessions to cap an 18-4 run that put UCF ahead 23-8. Four of the Knights’ first nine field goals were transition baskets, including two of Burks’ long-distance buckets, and they started 9-of-11 from the floor overall.
It didn’t get much better for BYU as the first half progressed. UCF outscored the Cougars 25-10 over the final 9:21 of the period to go up 52-28 at halftime. Fulks made four baskets over a three-minute stretch to cap the surge, helping the Knights set a season high for points in a half.
Fulks became the fifth different player in Big 12 history to have 20 points and 10 assists in a win over an AP-ranked opponent.
UCF opened the second with a 12-0 spurt powered by three straight baskets from John Bol to take its largest lead at 64-28.
The Knights’ 97 points were their most in a game against an AP-ranked team in program history. They improved to 3-3 against ranked teams this season.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sports
Kentucky coach Mark Pope fined by SEC for postgame comments
The SEC has fined Kentucky coach Mark Pope $25,000 for his “post-game conduct and comments” following his team’s 75-74 loss at Auburn on Saturday, the league announced.
Auburn won the game on Elyjah Freeman‘s tip-in with 1.1 seconds to go. That play followed a controversial offensive foul call against Collin Chandler that set up Auburn’s game winner.
“Mitch, if those mother F’ers try to fine me, screw ’em because I did not say a word about how they cheated us,” Pope said to Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart as he left the postgame podium.
The league said Pope violated SEC rules after the game.
“University of Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope has been issued a public reprimand and fined $25,000 by the Southeastern Conference for post-game conduct and comments related to officiating following the Wildcats’ game at Auburn University on February 21,” the SEC said in its statement on Tuesday. “The comments violated SEC Bylaw 10.5.3 (Sportsmanship) and the SEC Commissioner’s Regulation regarding Public Criticism of Officials, which prohibit coaches, student-athletes and institutional staff from publicly criticizing officials or disclosing officiating-related communications.”
Saturday’s game was the third consecutive loss for Kentucky, which reportedly spent more than $20 million on its current roster, and the team’s fourth loss in seven games just weeks before Selection Sunday. Late in Saturday’s game, Chandler was whistled for pushing off an Auburn player on the inbounds with nearly 14 seconds to go in the game. On the next possession, Auburn sealed the win on Freeman’s putback.
After the game, Pope said his team had to stay focused even if things were “personal.”
“We refuse to give control to people that are outside of our program. Refuse,” Pope said after the loss. “Regardless of how personal it might get or how bad it might get, we refuse to give control to fans, to give control to anybody else associated with this game. Regardless of how blatantly people are trying to make this not happen, we refuse to give them our power. … We don’t make excuses. We don’t do that. Regardless of what is happening. Regardless of how disgraceful things are, we don’t give away our power. Regardless of how embarrassing, personal, awful, unacceptable things are, we refuse to give away our power.”
Sports
College track athlete allegedly stabbed to death by girlfriend over suspected affair
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The girlfriend of a college track and field athlete was arrested for allegedly stabbing her boyfriend to death.
Kevaughn Goldson, a senior sprinter from Jamaica, was killed in a stabbing off Lincoln University’s campus in Jefferson City, Missouri.
Goldson, 23, was found after police were called to a house on Monday morning with stab wounds in his back and chest. He died from his injuries after being taken to the hospital.
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Denita Jackson, 27, has been charged with the murder of her boyfriend, Kevaughn Goldson, 23, after an incident at Lincoln University. (Lincoln University/Cole County Sheriff’s Office)
“Our thoughts are with family, friends, faculty, staff and all who have been impacted by this tragic situation,” Lincoln University told KRCG in a press release regarding Goldson’s death.
“The well-being of our University community is our greatest priority. Students and employees are reminded of counseling and other support services for those who need them.”
Goldson’s girlfriend, Denita Jackson, was charged by Cole County prosecutors with second-degree murder and armed criminal action.
While in a romantic relationship, KMIZ in Missouri reported that there were past issues of domestic violence between the two. Jackson, 27, also ran track and field at Lincoln University.
Investigators questioned Jackson, who allegedly told them she believed Goldson was having an affair with one of her roommates, saying she found him in bed with her, both individuals being clothed, after returning home.

General view of starting blocks and baton at the 120th Penn Relays at Franklin Field. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
Jackson opened her roommate’s locked door with a hairclip after hearing her roommate talking with someone in her room, according to court documents. The docs said that Jackson jumped on her roommate’s bed and grabbed Goldson by the shirt, as well as a bottle of cologne that had allegedly been missing, leading to a fight.
Goldson, then, allegedly started to choke Jackson while on top of her, leading to the latter grabbing a knife from under the bed and stabbing the former.
Jackson was allegedly the one to call police regarding the incident, while authorities initially took Goldson to Capital Regional Emergency Room. He was, then, airlifted to University Hospital, where he eventually died during surgery.

General view of hurdles at a Track & Field event. (C. Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
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Goldson, who stood six-foot, 160 pounds, was a middle distance runner with the Blue Tigers earlier in his college career before moving into a sprinter role with the program.
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