IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Sam Griesel scored 16 points, C.J. Wilcher broke a tie with five key points late in the game, and hot-shooting Nebraska defeated Iowa 81-77 on Sunday to close out the Big Ten regular season.

Wilcher scored on the fast break then added a 3-pointer for an 80-75 Nebraska lead with 2:33 remaining. The Cornhuskers committed fouls on their next three possessions but Iowa came up empty except for two free throws by Kris Murray. Nebraska made only 1 of 3 free throws in the final minute but Iowa failed to capitalize at the other end.

Nebraska shot 60% in the second half (58.5% for the game) and made 8 of 12 3-pointers after halftime.

Wilcher finished with 12 points, Jamarques Lawrence had 15 and Keisei Tominaga 11 for Nebraska (16-15, 9-11 Big Ten). All eight players who scored for the Cornhuskers had at least nine points.

Patrick McCaffery had 23 points off the bench for Iowa (19-12, 11-9) and Murray added 22 to go with seven rebounds, four assists and two steals. Filip Rebraca added 10 points but missed two key free throws in the final minute. Iowa made 9 of 21 3-pointers in the first half but only 3 of 16 in the second half.

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McCaffery made five of Iowa’s nine 3-pointers in the first half and scored 16 points to lead the Hawkeyes to a 43-39 halftime lead. Griesel had 14 points and Tominaga 11 for the Cornhuskers who kept it close by shooting 57% before halftime.

The loss ended Iowa’s seven-game home winning streak.

Nebraska has won four of its last five games.

The conference tournament begins Wednesday in Chicago.

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Memphis Grizzlies All-Star Ja Morant is taking some time away from the court ‘to get help’ after he was suspended at least two games by the team for allegedly flashing a gun at a nightclub on Instagram Live early Saturday morning.

‘I’m going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being,’ Morant, who has deactivated his Twitter and Instagram accounts, wrote in a statement to ESPN and The Athletic.  

The Grizzles announced Morant ‘will be away from the team for at least the next two games’ on Saturday, shortly after the NBA opened an investigation into the incident. Morant will miss at least the Grizzlies’ road games against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. 

‘I take full responsibility for my actions last night,’ Morant said in his statement. ‘I’m sorry to my family teammates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire grizzlies organization for letting you down.’

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USA TODAY Sports reached out to the league, the Grizzlies and Morant’s reps for comment Saturday. 

JA MORANT: Grizzlies star responds to report that his associates threatened Pacers’ travel party

Morant is having a stellar season on the court, averaging 27.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 8.2 assists on 46% shooting from the field. But his off-court antics have dominated the headlines and display a troubling pattern of threatening behavior from the star.

Earlier this week, allegations that Morant punched a teenager during a basketball game back in June resurfaced. According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, part of the USA TODAY Network, the teen had thrown a basketball at Morant, hitting him in the face, and approached him. Morant told officers he struck the teen in self-defense and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office declined to press charges. 

Four days prior, Morant was accused of threatening a security guard at a Memphis mall during an altercation in the parking lot. The guard filed a police report, saying one person in Morant’s group shoved him in the head. The report alleges that Morant told the security guard, ‘Let me find out what time he get off.’ No charges were filed. 

In January, the NBA investigated a report that Morant’s acquaintances confronted members of the Indiana Pacers’ travel party after a Jan. 29 game and pointed a red laser that was believed to be attached to a gun at them. Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins said the incident was also ‘addressed internally’ by the team.

‘We’re aware of the investigation of the NBA,’ Jenkins told the USA TODAY Network in February. ‘They did a full investigation, we were fully compliant with it and I think they came out with a statement saying nothing was corroborated or found. That’s what I know and that’s all I’m going to comment on.’

Morant’s agent Jim Tanner put out a statement Wednesday, saying ‘any and every allegation involving a firearm has been fully investigated and could not be corroborated. This includes the NBA investigation last month, in which they found no evidence.’

Morant later commented about the situation on Twitter, revealing that one of his  acquaintances was banned from the FedExForum for one year. 

‘Did a investigation seen they were cappin. still let a article come out to paint this negative image on me & my fam . & banned my brother from home games for a year . unbelievable,’ Morant tweeted on Feb. 5 with a laughing face emoji.

Mikaela Shiffrin is taking her chase of Ingemar Stenmark’s record to his country. 

The American remains one win away from matching Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup victories after finishing seventh in a super-G on Sunday, in Kvitfjell, Norway. Shiffrin was in second place when she crossed the finish line, but dropped in the standings as conditions improved. 

Nina Ortlieb led an Austrian sweep of the podium, with all three starting in the bottom half of the draw. 

Still, it was Shiffin’s third top-10 finish in as many days, after coming fourth in the first super-G on Friday and fifth in Saturday’s downhill. That result in the downhill clinched a fifth overall season title for Shiffrin. 

Catching Stenmark this weekend was always going to be a challenge for Shiffrin. Though she is familiar with Kvitfjell – she trained there in the off-season – the speed events are not her specialty. 

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Her chances are much better next weekend, with a giant slalom and slalom in Are, Sweden. Of Shiffrin’s 85 World Cup wins, 53 are in slalom and 19 are in giant slalom.

She also got her first World Cup victory in Are, a win in slalom in December 2012. 

If Shiffrin doesn’t catch Stenmark next weekend, there’s still the World Cup Finals in Andorra from March 15-19. She’s qualified in all four races: the downhill, super-G, slalom and giant slalom. 

‘There’s so much talk about the record and if it happens today or tomorrow or the next day. I kind of have the perspective that it might not even happen this season,’ Shiffrin said Friday. ‘I’m trying to take every day step by step, pushing the right way, skiing the right way.’

A Las Vegas sports power couple tied the knot this weekend. 

Las Vegas Aces guard Kelsey Plum announced on Instagram that she and Raiders tight end Darren Waller got married on Saturday. 

The two are among the most prominent athletes on the city’s sports teams. 

Plum was the first overall pick in the 2017 WNBA draft after a standout career at Washington that saw her leave as the all-time leading scorer in Division I women’s basketball. She was the 2021 WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year before earning All-Star honors (and the All-Star MVP) last season, which culminated in the Aces winning the WNBA title. She also won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics playing 3-on-3 basketball.

Waller joined the Oakland Raiders in 2018 and has blossomed into one of the NFL’s standout tight ends. Like Plum, who was drafted by the Aces when the franchise played in San Antonio, Waller arrived in Las Vegas when his franchise relocated. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2020 after making 107 catches for 1,196 yards and nine touchdowns. The Raiders signed Waller to a three-year, $51 million deal ahead of the 2022 season.  

There is a lot of hype surrounding Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud and Alabama quarterback Bryce Young heading into the NFL draft.

But the star of the NFL combine on Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium was Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson.

Richardson set position records for the broad jump when he recorded a 10- foot, 9-inch leap and for the vertical jump with a 40.5-inch effort. He also recorded a 4.43 time for the 40-yard dash, which is the fourth fastest time since 2003. Michael Vick (4.33), Reggie McNeal (4.40) and Robert Griffin III (4.41) were the three who have run faster than him. During his run, Richardson reportedly reached a speed of 23.44 mph.

The 20-year-old also was measured as the tallest and heaviest quarterback at 6-4 and 244 pounds.

His performance caught the attention of former Pro Bowl wide receiver Chad Johnson, who said on Twitter that Richardson was not human.

Anthony Richardson’s draft projection

In USA TODAY’s recent mock drafts, Nate Davis has Richardson being selected at No. 8 to the Atlanta Falcons while Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz has him going at No. 9 to the Carolina Panthers.

Richardson opted out of the Gators’ Las Vegas Bowl game in December to prepare for the draft. As a redshirt sophomore, he started 12 games and threw for 2,549 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions for a passer rating of 131.0. He added 654 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

‘It’s just helping guys out and helping guys help me,’ he said. ‘My completion percentage, some people say it’s not great. I don’t think it’s great, either. But it’s just growing as a quarterback, and not every year is gonna be your best year, and I definitely learned a lot from last season.’

Anthony Richardson carving his own legacy amid Cam Newton comparisons

On Saturday after Richardson’s stellar performance, Heisman trophy winner Robert Griffin III commented how, even though the Newton comparisons are easy to make, Richardson is his establishing his own name.

Another day, another upset in the Big 12. 

The toughest, deepest conference in America doesn’t take days or games off — which explains how No. 22 TCU fell to last-place Oklahoma, 74-60. 

The Sooners, who have won just five conference games, deserve credit for not throwing in the towel this season. The reality is, if they somehow figured out a way to make the NCAA Tournament — maybe a crazy run through the conference tournament is what’s next for Oklahoma — they could win a game or two. The conference really is that good — just ask No. 11 Kansas State, which was also upset by West Virginia. 

The talent and depth in the Big 12 also explains how and why No. 7 Texas beat No. 3 Kansas 75-59. With a win, Kansas probably would have been the favorite for the overall No. 1 seed. 

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But we’re here to talk about the winner, Texas. In a game the Longhorns led almost the entire way, Texas’ bench was the biggest winner Saturday, outscoring Kansas’ bench 32-8. The Longhorns’ 17 fast break points and 19 assists were also noteworthy in their regular season finale. 

Texas leads this week’s roundup of college basketball’s winners and losers, but the Longhorns are far from the only team making noise — good and bad — during the last weekend of the regular season. 

WINNERS

Southeast Missouri State

One of the first auto bids was awarded in dramatic fashion Saturday night in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship. Leading by seven, 72-65 with 1:11 to play, Southeast Missouri State fell apart and chaos ensued. Tennessee Tech went on an 8-0 run, taking a 73-72 lead on a 3 with 10 seconds to go. Then Chris Harris of SEMO was fouled on a 3-point attempt with two seconds to play, and he calmly stepped to the line and hit all three free throws to take a 75-73 lead. Tennessee Tech inbounded the ball, launching a baseball pass more than 75 feet to Diante Wood, who caught it, front pivoted and swished an 18-foot jumper to tie the game. In overtime, SEMO took back control, winning 89-82 and booking a ticket to the Big Dance for the first time in more than 20 years. 

Texas A&M

Good things happen for the Aggies when they hold opposing teams to less than 66 points, and that’s exactly what happened early Saturday when Texas A&M beat No. 2 Alabama 67-61. The final score is a little crazy when you consider the Aggies didn’t score a field goal in the final 4:17 — but going an almost-perfect 27-for-28 from the line throughout the game certainly helped seal the win. Texas A&M was in control most of the contest, led by Wade Taylor IV (28 points) and Tyrece Radford (21 points, seven rebounds). The win secures Texas A&M’s perfect record at home during conference play and locks up the Aggies as the No. 2 seed in next week’s SEC conference tournament

Iowa State

Having your bench outscore the other team’s bench 22-12 and dominating the paint 36-14 is a good way to secure a sweep for the season. That’s exactly what the Cyclones did with their 73-58 win at Baylor Saturday. Iowa State had a balanced scoring attack: three players finished with double figures, led by Jaren Holmes’ 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. That’s a solid win for a team looking to move up on the NCAA Tournament seed line, which Iowa State could do with a nice run in the Big 12 conference tournament next week. 

Kentucky

On the bubble just a few weeks ago, the Wildcats seem to have figured it out. They’ve won five of their last six, including Saturday’s 88-79 victory at Arkansas. That win locked up the No. 3 seed in the SEC tournament, which starts Wednesday. Maybe the program never hurting for NBA talent is getting ready for a deep postseason run. 

San Jose State

San Jose State has become one of the feel-good stories of this college basketball season due to success that the program hasn’t experienced for a long time — and that was before Saturday. Trailing by 20 early in the second half, the Spartans recorded a comeback for the ages, forcing overtime before escaping with a 63-61 win at Air Force. The Spartans are the No. 5 seed heading into the Mountain West Conference Tournament. Don’t be surprised if Omari Moore (33 points in 39 minutes at Air Force) & Co. go on a little run in Vegas and upset someone. 

LOSERS

UCLA

If there was any doubt, No. 4 UCLA established itself as the top team in the Pac-12, beating No. 9 Arizona 82-73 in Los Angeles. The Bruins built as much as a 14-point lead late in the second half, eventually cruising to the win (the game wasn’t as close as the final score indicates). But here’s the issue: Jaylen Clark, an important piece off the bench who came in averaging 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds, got hurt. What exactly happened is unclear, but when he returned to the bench after a stint in the locker room he had a boot on his right foot and was on crutches. This is a potentially devastating loss for UCLA, which is still in contention for the No. 1 seed in the West Region.

Alabama

A loss at Texas A&M won’t hurt the Tide’s seeding in the NCAA Tournament, but talk about ending the regular season on a whimper. Superstar freshman Brandon Miller fouled out with 1:59 to play and No. 2 Alabama trailing by two and the Tide couldn’t finish its comeback. In four years at Alabama, Tide coach Nate Oats has yet to beat Texas A&M. Will he get another shot in the conference tournament? 

Baylor

Letting opposing teams shoot 54% from the field is a good way to get beat by double-digits on your home floor. That’s exactly what happened to the No. 8 Bears, who lost 73-58 to Iowa State (on Senior Day, no less). Baylor got beat in nearly every facet of the game, including a 36-24 deficit on the boards. The Bears are still a legit threat to make the Final Four, and they’ll probably be happy if they don’t have to meet any conference opponents in the NCAA Tournament. 

Providence

It’s not so much that the Friars lost but more how they did it. For the second consecutive game — Wednesday against No. 17 Xavier and Saturday against unranked Seton Hall — Providence fell behind more than 20 points. And at home no less. Saturday was ugly, as Providence lost 82-58. Providence is not playing its best basketball of the season as we head into the most important stretch.

INDIANAPOLIS – There were always going to be doubts about Stetson Bennett IV’s viability as an NFL quarterback.

But at a time when the former Georgia star should be riding high coming off a pair of national championships over the past two seasons, he’s only seemed to create more questions about himself heading into the 2023 draft.

Friday, Bennett faced fairly quiet music – as opposed to what he’s hearing from prospective employers – while responding to reporters gathered at his scouting combine interview. One of the first questions was about his January arrest in Dallas for public intoxication, the Athens Banner-Herald recently revealing he hid behind a brick wall in an attempt to evade police officers.

‘It was a mistake everybody’s aware of. I understand, you know, why that can’t happen,’ Bennett said. ‘I’ve talked to coaches about it, talked to GMs. Apologized to my family – that’s who I felt worse about. I felt like I let them down, because no matter where I go now – and even without all this – I’ve got an obligation. I’m the Fourth. Can’t do that if your last name is Bennett. And I know better.”

He apologized again to Georgia fans who felt he was more engaged with his phone than them during the Bulldogs’ victory parade in Athens, Georgia. Bennett said he was managing a music playlist for his teammates and not ignoring UGA supporters.

He was also asked about skipping the Senior Bowl, its practices and game occurring in the days following his arrest.

‘It was more so the Shrine Bowl, it wasn’t really the Senior Bowl,’ said Bennett. ‘I really wanted to play in it. There was a lot going on at the moment. I discussed with people that are close to me, asked advice, decided that I needed to go train – I need to get better. But I do wish that I could have but just ultimately decided that the other was the better choice.’

Quite a lot to answer for – and simply in the time period following Georgia’s 65-7 thrashing of TCU for the national title on January 9. (Bennett skipped the next morning’s news conference, telling ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt following the win, “I told them when the whistle sounds, my obligations to the media are done to the University of Georgia. … I’m going to go have fun and celebrate.”)

It’s even more dismaying given Bennett’s experience and presumed maturity – the 25-year-old started 32 games for Georgia – should be viewed as positive attributes going into the NFL.

Now, he finds himself explaining his judgment at a time when he should merely be trying to prove that a 5-11, 190-pounder who was surrounded by enough collegiate talent to compete in the NFC South (maybe?) should get a shot in a league that falls in love with size, athleticism and arm strength at his position this time of year.

Bennett revealed that his combine meeting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team in search of quarterback help, was at least partially focused on his character.

‘They asked me some questions, wondered about the incident,’ he admitted. ‘Answered them. Asked me about football. Asked me about life, trying to figure out who I was. I thought it went well.’

Saturday, 32 clubs will be watching how it goes on Lucas Oil Stadium’s field. Bennett said part of his recent training objectives had been trying to work on throws that scouts at the combine would want to see. 

Yet he knows he won’t have the competitive advantage from a roster standpoint in the NFL that he did at Georgia, where Bennett was rarely touched, and that he may have to get used to holding a clipboard.

‘I’ve never been a wave causer or anything like that,’ he said. ‘I keep my head down. I play ball. And so, whatever’s asked of me is what’s asked of me. My job, when I get there, regardless, you’ve got to be the best player to play. And I know there’s more to that probably here, but at the end of the day that’s all you can control. So, that’s what I’ll do.’

And he understands he may not get as many cracks in the pros as he did with Georgia.

“The way I see it, you only get one of these, man,’ he said. ‘Lives. I’m playing football right now. I’m going to try to do it to the best of my ability. That doesn’t mean try really hard. That means figure out, ‘Is this the right area to try hard at? Or is this one?’ What’s the best area, figure it out and then give 1,000% there.’ 

Time will tell whether that will be sufficient.

***

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.

Chicago White Sox stars Luis Robert and Yoán Moncada dreamed one day of playing for Cuba after they left their country, and now they finally have that chance. This is the first time MLB players are eligible to play for Cuba in the World Baseball Classic. 

‘I never thought that I would have the chance to play and represent the Cuban national team once I got here,’ Moncada said, ‘because I was here and I knew all of the restrictions. I’m very glad that I have this opportunity right now, and I am very hopeful that this is a first step for the Cuban players that are in the major leagues to represent their country in future tournaments. … 

‘This wasn’t just a dream for me, but for those people too. … It’s going to be definitely one of the best experiences I will ever have in my life.’ 

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The players were not permitted to travel to Cuba to work out with the team, but will join their teammates in Taiwan, where Cuba will play in Pool A in the first round (March 8-13). 

‘I’m pretty sure that’s going to be incredible,’ Robert said. ‘The last time that I wore the Cuban national team uniform was six or seven years ago. It has been a long time since I did it, having the chance to do it this time in the World Baseball Classic is going to be very special.’ 

White Sox manager Pedro Grifol says he’ll be paying close attention, knowing just how much the international tournament means. 

‘You talk about pressure,’ Grifol said, ‘you’re talking about countries playing against countries. It means everything to them. There are some bragging rights in the clubhouses, there’s some bragging rights across the league. 

‘It’s going to be crazy. The atmosphere is going to be electric.’

The Formula One season kicked off Sunday in Bahrain, and it was smooth sailing for Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen.

The 25-year-old Dutch star led wire to wire and finished with a time of 1:33:56.736 after he had secured pole position the day before. His Red Bull teammate, Sergio Pérez, joined him on the front row in qualifying and finished second (+11.987). For the first time since the 2013 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Red Bull posted the first- and second-place finisher in an F1 race after it had two drivers qualify in the first two spots in pole setting.

‘That was exactly the start to the season we needed,’ said Verstappen, who retired from three of his first four career races in Bahrain. ‘I’m very happy to finally win a race here.’

To round out the checkered flag, Fernando Alonso (+38.637) of Aston Martin, made his 99th trip to a podium. Charles Leclerc appeared to be in line for third place, but his Ferrari stalled with engine failure with just 17 laps left in the race.

‘To finish on the podium first race of the year is just amazing,’ Alonso said. ‘What Aston Martin did over the winter to have the second best car on race one is just unreal.’

The race took place at Bahrain International Circuit in Sakhir, Bahrain.

Here’s everything you need to know about the F1 season opener in Bahrain. 

Who is Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen?

Born in Belgium, Verstappen races under the Dutch flag. Verstappen, 25, emerged onto the F1 scene as an instant star, becoming the youngest competitor at 17, and then becoming the youngest race winner (18 years and 228 days) with his 2016 performance in Barcelona. Verstappen won his first F1 driver’s title in 2021, after he fended off Lewis Hamilton. Then, last season, he defended his championship and won an F1-record 15 races throughout the campaign.

Verstappen’s victory in Bahrain marks his 36th career first-place finish. It was his 10th visit to the Bahrain International Circuit and his first top finish. It is his first season-opening victory.

What does this mean for the start of the Formula One season?

The Bahrain Grand Prix means one down, 22 more to go. In what will be the longest F1 season in history, Verstappen and Red Bull’s quest for a third consecutive championship couldn’t have started much better. The third-place finish for Alonso, 41, spells good news for his pairing with Aston Martin, after he signed with them in 2023 on a multiyear deal to replace Sebastian Vettel, who retired. That Alonso passed a pair of star British racers in Lewis Hamilton (+50.977) and George Russell (+55.873) deepens concerns for Mercedes, whose cars never appeared to be threats to compete for a podium. Hamilton finished fifth and Russell finished seventh.