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Arizona State beats No. 14 Kansas 70-60 in Hurley’s potential home finale

By
The Associated Press
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TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Moe Odum scored 23 points, Massamba Diop added 19 and Arizona State pulled away late to beat No. 14 Kansas 70-60 on Tuesday night in what could be Sun Devils coach Bobby Hurley’s final home game.

Hurley is the final year of his contract and the administration hasn’t given any indications it will be extended amid a fourth mediocre season in the past five years.

The Sun Devils (16-14, 7-10 Big 12) did all they could to send their coach off with a win in a physical, emotional game that included the ejection of Kansas coach Bill Self and one of his assistants.

Arizona State jumped on Kansas early, withstood a big run and made the key plays down the stretch to beat the Jayhawks (21-9, 11-6) for the third time in the Hurley era, with the others 2018 and ’19.

Darryn Peterson scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half as the Jayhawks twice rallied from double-digit deficits. Kansas went on a 17-1 run to cut a 20-point halftime deficit to four and trimmed a 12-point deficit to two with four minutes left.

Anthony Johnson answered with a 3-pointer and a layup, kicking off a 11-0 run that secured Arizona State’s 15th win over a ranked opponent — second this season — in Hurley’s 11 seasons.

Self was hit ejected in the first half for arguing an offensive foul call against Peterson. Assistant Jacque Vaughn was also T’d up and Elmarko Jackson was hit with a flagrant foul for taking down Arizona State’s Allen Mukeba on a drive.

Up next

Kansas: Hosts Kansas State on Saturday.

Arizona State: At No. 6 Iowa State on Saturday.

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US soldiers were killed in Iranian drone strike on operations center at Kuwait civilian port

By
The Associated Press
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WASHINGTON (AP) — An operations center targeted by an Iranian drone strike that killed six American soldiers on Sunday was located in the heart of a civilian port in Kuwait, miles away from the main Army base, according to satellite images and a U.S. official.

The husband of one of the slain soldiers, who was part of a supply and logistics unit based in Iowa, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the hub was a shipping container-style building and had no defenses.

The development, reported earlier by CNN and CBS News, raises questions about the safety precautions that the U.S. military had in place as it, along with Israel, launched an attack on Iran, which has responded with retaliatory strikes against several countries in the region, including Kuwait. President Donald Trump and top defense leaders say more American casualties are likely.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the six soldiers were killed in a “tactical operations center” when a projectile made its way past air defenses. A day later, the Pentagon confirmed it was a drone strike in Port Shuaiba when announcing the names of four of the soldiers who were slain.

A satellite image taken Monday and reviewed by the AP showed the main building in the complex destroyed, with a trail of black smoke rising from it. It is located in the heart of Port Shuaiba, a working seaport and industrial area just south of Kuwait City. The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a matter under active investigation, confirmed the image depicted the location of Sunday’s attack.

The Army base, Camp Arifjan, is more than 10 miles to the south. The operations center was just a little over a mile from some of the piers where merchant ships would offload cargo containers and was surrounded by oil storage tanks, refineries and a power plant.

Joey Amor, husband of Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor, said his wife was moved off-base to what he described as a shipping container-style building a week before the Iranian strike. The 39-year-old from White Bear Lake, Minnesota, was one of the soldiers killed in the attack.

“They were dispersing because they were in fear that the base they were on was going to get attacked, and they felt it was safer in smaller groups in separated places,” he said.

After news reports about the operations center emerged, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said on social media that the “secure facility was fortified with 6-foot walls.” He said the military has “the most extensive Air Defense umbrella in the world over the Middle East right now and control of the skies is increasing with every wave of airpower.”

Parnell’s office did not respond to questions about what role the walls would have played in defending against a drone attack or what air defenses were present in range of the command center at the port.

Capt. Tim Hawkins, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command, said “it would be inappropriate to comment given the incident is under investigation.”

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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho. Associated Press writer Michael Biesecker contributed to this report.

Patterson’s return gives Olympians shot in the arm

By
James Pence
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Columbus East’s Carter Patterson, right, attempts to dribble past Franklin’s Trent Hall Jan. 6 at Columbus East.

Mike Wolanin | The Republic

Carter Patterson is back to full health.

The Columbus East senior missed four weeks of the season with a fractured elbow. He’s back in the starting lineup and will hope to lead the Olympians to their first sectional title in 30 years.

Late in a win against Franklin Jan. 6, Patterson fell on his elbow when he took a hard fall on the ground late in the fourth quarter. He didn’t return to the game.

At first, Patterson didn’t think it was anything serious. After the game adrenaline subsided, he knew something was wrong.

The next day, Patterson went to see a doctor and got an X-ray, which confirmed a fracture in his elbow. This was his first big injury in his basketball career since he began playing when he was little at Foundation For Youth.

“In the moment, I didn’t really think I was going to feel much. I got up and started moving around a little bit and realized it was a little more than I thought it was,” Patterson said. “As my adrenaline came down, it was more messed up than I originally thought it was. That next morning, I went to the doctor and figured out it wasn’t something light and that it was a pressure fracture. It really stung me up a little.”

Patterson said most of his weeks of rehab came from East athletic trainers McKensie Hurt and Michaela Swafford. He eventually made his return a month later, Feb. 7 against New Albany.

“It was nice to know that I had a time and date that I’d be able to come back,” Patterson said. “They were nice and flexible about how I felt and when I could start practicing again. That was nice to have some confidence being able to get back in time. They put me through to some tough stretches and lifts and take some stress off of it. They’ve been helping me by taping it up and stuff and help getting me ready. They were able to help me find a way through it and did a great job.”

Columbus East’s Carter Patterson, left, shoots over Jennings County’s Luke Alexander Feb. 13 at Columbus East.

Mike Wolanin | The Republic

While Patterson was sidelined, the co-captain showed his leadership when the younger players had to fill in during his absence.

“I was able to help our younger guys a lot, just talking to them and help them get into the flow of playing basketball at the varsity level and letting all these guys know that there’s opportunity for anybody to play on our team,” Patterson said. “Being off the court, I had to remember to tell myself that I was going to be back eventually.”

In 13 games played, Patterson is averaging 16.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

What stands out more to East coach Perry Nash about Patterson is his leadership. Nash mentioned Patterson has been one of the biggest leaders he’s seen in the past 20 years as a head coach or an assistant.

“His ability to constantly communicate with kids, he does a phenomenal job of demanding high expectations but also showing love after that demanding of the high expectations. You have a lot of guys that can be the disciplinarian and your enforcer, but you’ve got to have a different guy that circles around and shows the guys some love. That’s where he does a phenomenal job,” Nash said. “One play, he’s yelling at a player and demanding excellence, but then the next dead ball, he’s got his arm around him and showing love back. It is that balance consistently because I think that is so hard for kids today is to show that consistency day-in-and-day-out.”

Carter Patterson

Patterson said this it for basketball when the season eventually ends. He plans to work in the construction business once he graduates from East in the spring. He mentioned he still loves basketball and loves playing and representing the Olympians.

Patterson and the Olympians (7-14) will play Columbus North (12-10) in the sectional semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday at North.

“It was happy for me because missing out on your senior season, it hasn’t happened to me before,” Patterson said. “It’s not always the best feeling. Knowing I was able to get back out there and get some stuff done and help out our team a lot, it means a lot to me.”

East isn’t coming into Friday on a hot streak. The Olympians have lost seven of their past eight to end the regular season. During sectional time, it’s a fresh start and new beginning for players and coaches when records reset to 0-0.

Patterson and the Olympians have defeated North four times in the past five matchups, including the past two sectional openers. If the matchup Dec. 19, East won 52-49 in overtime is any indication, Friday’s matchup could be another nail-biter.

“Our season didn’t go as what we had hoped, but it doesn’t even matter,” Nash said. “If a team goes 22-0 and loses the first round of the sectional, is that successful? I’d much rather have a team that goes 0-22 and wins sectional. So I really think our guys have done an amazing job of being focused through this whole process, and that’s what this season is, a process, and now we get to take the test and see how we did.”

Ferguson has been versatile point guard for Bull Dogs

By
Ted Schultz
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Columbus North’s Caleb Ferguson (5) drives past Columbus East’s Josiah Kiel (22) in overtime Dec. 19, 2025, at Columbus East High School.

Nicholas Shaw | For the Republic

As Columbus North’s starting point guard the past three years, Caleb Ferguson has played a variety of roles.

Ferguson has been a facilitator. He’s been a scorer. He’s been a rebounder. He’s been a defender. Sometimes, he’s been most or all of those things at the same time.

”Caleb has always been a high-IQ basketball player,” said his father, North coach Paul Ferguson. “He thinks the game really well. He’s done a nice job this year recognizing what the team needs him to do and then making it happen on the court. Sometimes we need him to score, sometimes we need him to facilitate, sometimes we need him to rebound. He’s just one of those players who’s very willing to do whatever needs to be done to help the team win.”

The biggest thing the younger Ferguson has been this season, though, is a senior leader.

That may have been most evident in Thursday’s come-from-behind win against Covenant Christian in the regular-season finale. In postgame interviews, leading scorer Austin Perry and senior Ben Kriesant credited Caleb with bringing the team together when they trailed by nine points in the first half.

“Just trying to step in and be a leader,” Caleb said. “BK and Austin, both of those guys are huge leaders for us. It’s definitely not just me. Those guys, how they act and how they talk to the team, they’re so encouraging and uplifting. It’s an effort from all the guys bringing that leadership and camaraderie.”

Columbus North’s Caleb Ferguson drives to the basket against Terre Haute North’s Nate Middleton Jan. 9 at Columbus North High School.

Tommy Walker | For The Republic

While Perry, a junior, leads the Bull Dogs with 19.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals a game, Ferguson is second in those categories with 15.4 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Ferguson is averaging a team-high 5.5 assists per contest.

“I’m trying to do whatever we can to win,” Caleb said. “Austin is having a great year. A lot of players right now like Jack Whaley and Austin and BK and Zach Fedor are continuing to get better, and those guys can score, so I try to get them the ball in places where they can do that and let them work. I think it’s a team effort.”

Thursday’s win allowed North (12-10) to snap a four-game losing streak and clinch its ninth winning season in the past 10 years.

“I’ve had an absolute blast playing with all of these guys,” Caleb said. “These are my boys. I love coming to practice each day and competing with them.

“On the court, I think that we’re growing,” he added. “We’re reaching our potential, and that’s our goal as a team. I know we want to have a great record, but out goal is to reach our potential, and in this postseason time, if we keep working and getting better, we can have success.”

Caleb Ferguson

Ferguson made his way onto the varsity roster late in his freshman year and ended up contributing to the Bull Dogs’ most recent sectional title.

“He actually came off the bench and gave us some key minutes on that sectional championship team in 2023,” Paul said. “So he kind of knows what it takes to prepare to win in those level of games. He’s very intense, he’s focused and he’s helping his teammates to get ready this week to play their best basketball all season. He’s a very versatile player, and I just love his unselfishness out there.”

North has lost to Columbus East in the first round of the sectional the past two years. The Bull Dogs will get another shot at the Olympians at 6 p.m. Friday, this time in the semifinals and this time on their home floor.

“It’s a great opportunity to play in our gym,” Caleb said. “Obviously, we’re really comfortable in our gym. East is a great team, so it will be a great challenge. We’re excited to play, and we’re excited to see the community show out. It’s going to be a great game, and I’m really pumped up for it.”

Caleb will be heading to play next year at Taylor University, where his older brother Ben is a freshman student. Caleb plans to major in mechanical engineering, but hasn’t ruled out following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a basketball coach.

“I love the game of basketball, and I love talking about the game of basketball,” Caleb said. “So I don’t know if it’s going to be my profession, or if I’m just going to coach middle school or maybe high school or college.”

Athletes of the Week

By
   
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Josh Pendleton

MALE

Josh Pendleton // Columbus East sophomore swimmer

Pendleton placed sixth in the 500-yard freestyle and ninth in the 200 freestyle in Saturday’s Boys Swimming and Diving State Finals.

His performance last week: “I got up and raced, had a good time. I wasn’t necessarily where I wanted to be, but I think I did good, considering the circumstances.”

Do you do anything special to prepare? “I just try to get lots of rest and eat healthy and stay hydrated.”

Favorite drink: “I like water and Powerade.”

Favorite food: “Pizza”

Favorite class: “I enjoy weight training.”

Favorite sports team: “Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Lakers”

Favorite athlete: “Michael Phelps and Leon Marchand”

Role model: “All my coaches that I’ve had for high school and club.”

Best advice: “Never stop dreaming.”

Athletics goal: “Continue to compete at the high school level and do my best.”

If you could travel anywhere: “Going to Machu Picchu would be really cool.”

FEMALE

Bethany Lewis // Columbus East junior gymnast

Bethany Lewis

Lewis won the floor and finished second on the vault and third on the bars on her way to winning the all-around at the Franklin Central Sectional.

Her performance last week: “I worked pretty hard in the practices leading up to it, and I’m really happy with how I did.”

Do you do anything special to prepare? “I eat Chick-Fil-A.”

Favorite drink: “I like Smoothies.”

Favorite food: “Chobani Flips yogurt”

Favorite class: “I like Yearbook and Fashion.”

Favorite sports team: “UCLA”

Favorite athlete: “Simone Biles”

Role model: “My sister (Natalie Lewis).”

Best advice: “Trust God.”

Athletics goal: “I want to make it to state this year.”

If you could travel anywhere: “I want to go to Greece to pet one of the cats on the street.”

Panthers topple Franklin County, move to semis

By
Staff Reports
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AURORA — Jennings County opened defense of its boys basketball sectional title Tuesday with a 54-46 win against Franklin County at South Dearborn.

The Panthers (11-13) will play host South Dearborn in the second semifinal at around 7:45 p.m. Friday. Batesville and Greensburg will meet in the first semifinal at 6 p.m. Friday.

Trinity routs Shawe, advances to semifinals

By
Staff Reports
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MILAN — Trinity Lutheran opened boys basketball sectional play Tuesday with a 74-36 win against Shawe Memorial at Milan.

Reed Mellencamp led the Cougars with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Bode Brooks scored 14 points, Braxton Sinclair had 13 points and Hudson Lang added 11 points and seven assists.

Trinity (14-10) will play host Milan in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday.

The first round at Milan continues Wednesday with Jac-Cen-Del playing Oldenburg Academy at 6 p.m., followed by Hauser and Rising Sun at around 7:45 p.m. Those winners will meet in the second semifinal at around 7:45 p.m. Friday.

Rebels end Eagles’ season

By
Staff Reports
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HANOVER — Brown County saw its boys basketball season come to an end Tuesday with an 83-50 loss to Southwestern (Hanover) in the opening round of the Southwestern Sectional.

The Eagles finish the season 8-16.

Sports Planner for Wednesday

By
   
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COMING UP

Indiana Sentinels hockey

Friday at Port Huron, 7:05 p.m.

Saturday at Port Huron, 7:05 p.m.

March 13 vs. Topeka, 7:30 p.m.

IU Columbus baseball

Sunday vs. Shawnee State, 3 p.m.

Monday vs. Shawnee State, noon (DH)

Tuesday vs. Rochester Christian, 1 p.m. (DH)

IU Columbus softball

Friday vs. West Virginia Tech, noon (DH)

Saturday vs. Rio Grande, noon (DH)

March 13 at Shawnee State, 2 p.m. (DH)

Indiana Pacers

Today at Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

Friday at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (WTHR)

Sunday at Trail Blazers, 9 p.m.

Indiana University men’s basketball

Today vs. Minnesota, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)

Saturday at Ohio State, 5:30 p.m. (FOX)

Big Ten Tournament at Chicago, TBA (TBA)

Purdue men’s basketball

Today at Northwestern, 8:30 p.m. (BTN)

Saturday vs. Wisconsin, 4 p.m. (CBS)

Big Ten Tournament at Chicago, TBA (TBA)

Indiana University women’s basketball

Today vs. Nebraska in Big Ten Tournament at Indianapolis, 3:30 p.m. (Peacock)

NASCAR Cup Series

Sunday at Avondale, Ariz., 3:30 p.m. (FS1)

March 15 at Las Vegas, 4 p.m. (FS1)

March 22 at Darlington, S.C., 3 p.m. (FS1)

IndyCar Series

Saturday at Avondale, Ariz., 3 p.m. (FOX)

March 15 at Arlington, Texas, 12:30 p.m. (FOX)

March 29 at Birmingham, Ala., 1 p.m. (FOX)

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS TODAY

Boys basketball

Edinburgh vs. Knightstown in Tri Sectional, 6 p.m.

Hauser vs. Rising Sun in Milan Sectional, 7:45 p.m.

South Decatur vs. North Decatur in Tri Sectional, 7:45 p.m.

SPORTS ON TV TODAY

Men’s college basketball

Creighton at Butler, 6 p.m. (FS1)

Minnesota at Indiana, 6:30 p.m. (BTN)

Miami at SMU, 7 p.m. (ACC)

Texas at Arkansas, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

California at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Marquette at Providence, 7 p.m. (Peacock)

Ohio St. at Penn St., 7:30 p.m. (Peacock)

Loyola of Chicago at Saint Louis, 8 p.m. (CBSSN)

Maryland at Wisconsin, 8 p.m. (FS1)

Villanova at DePaul, 8 p.m. (Peacock)

Purdue at Northwestern, 8:30 p.m. (BTN)

Florida St. at Pittsburgh, 9 p.m. (ACC)

Baylor at Houston, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)

Stanford at Notre Dame, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

Colorado St. at New Mexico, 10 p.m. (CBSSN)

Southern Cal at Washington, 10:30 p.m. (BTN)

Women’s college basketball

ACC Tournament: Stanford vs. Miami, First Round, 11 a.m. (ACC)

SEC Tournament: Arkansas vs. Kentucky, First Round, 11 a.m. (SEC)

ACC Tournament: Wake Forest vs. California, First Round, 1:30 p.m. (ACC)

SEC Tournament: Mississippi St. vs. Florida, First Round, 1:30 p.m. (SEC)

Big Ten Tournament: Indiana vs. Nebraska, First Round, 3:30 p.m. (Peacock/NBCSN)

ACC Tournament: Florida St. vs. Georgia Tech, First Round, 4 p.m. (ACC)

Big Ten Tournament: Wisconsin vs. Illinois, First Round, 6 p.m. (Peacock/NBCSN)

SEC Tournament: Auburn vs. Texas A&M, First Round, 6 p.m. (SEC)

Big Ten Tournament: Purdue vs. Oregon, First Round, 8:30 p.m. (Peacock/NBCSN)

SEC Tournament: Missouri vs. Alabama, First Round, 8:30 p.m. (SEC)

Golf

LPGA Tour: Blue Bay LPGA, 11 p.m. (Golf)

LIV Golf League: First Round, midnight (FS2) and 1 a.m. (FS1)

MLB Spring Training

Yankees vs. Red Sox, 1 p.m. (ESPN)

NBA

Thunder at Knicks, 7:10 p.m. (ESPN)

Hawks at Bucks, 9:35 p.m. (ESPN)

Men’s soccer

English Premier League: Chelsea at Aston Villa, 2:30 p.m. (USA)

French Cup: Toulouse FC at Olympique de Marseille, Quarterfinal, 2:50 p.m. (FS2)

CONCACAF U-20 Championship Qualifier Group Stage, Canada vs. Nicaragua, Group F, 7:50 p.m. (FS2)

Women’s soccer

2026 SheBelieves Cup: Argentina vs. Colombia, Round Robin, 3:30 p.m. (TRU)

2026 SheBelieves Cup: U.S. vs. Canada, Round Robin, 6:30 p.m. (TNT/TRU)

Tennis

Indian Wells – Live; ATP/WTA 1st Round, 2 p.m. (Tennis)

Unrivaled basketball playoffs

Mist vs. Fantom, Championship, 9:30 p.m. (TNT/TRU)

Women’s volleyball

League One Volleyball: Houston at Madison, 8 p.m. (USA)

World Baseball Classic

Pool Stage: China vs. Australia, Pool C, 10 p.m. (FS1)

Pool Stage: Czech Republic vs. South Korea, Pool C, 5 a.m. Thursday (FS1)

Asian shares extend losses as the war with Iran widens and oil surges higher

By
The Associated Press
-

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares fell further on Wednesday after the global sell-off for stocks hit Wall Street, while oil prices climbed even higher.

Worries over the widening war with Iran have hammered most world markets. Higher oil prices and how much they might worsen inflation are among the central fears for investors. More spikes for oil prices may grind down the global economy and sap corporate profits.

South Korea’s Kospi led regional losses, plunging 6% to 5,447.52 as energy security concerns vanquished optimism over the boost big tech companies like Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix are getting from expanding use of artificial intelligence.

In Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 shed 3.4% to 54,346.73. Japan, like South Korea, depends heavily on imports of oil and natural gas from the Middle East that are now stranded in the Persian Gulf.

Elsewhere in Asia, the Hang Seng in Hong Kong fell 1.4% to 25,408.27 and the Shanghai Composite index was down 0.5% at 4,100.46.

In Australia, the S&P/ASX 200 declined 1.8% to 9,130.90.

Taiwan’s Taiex lost 2.9%.

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 finished with a loss of 0.9% after dropping as much as 2.5% on concerns over the war’s damage to the economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average pared its loss to 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 1%.

Higher inflation partly due to the war could tie the Federal Reserve’s hands and keep it from cutting interest rates. The Fed lowered rates several times last year and indicated more cuts were to come in 2026. That would help boost the economy and job market, but lower rates can also worsen inflation.

The price of U.S. benchmark crude oil climbed 1.2% to $75.46 per barrel. Brent crude, the international standard, gained 1.5% to $82.61 per barrel.

The dollar was nearly unchanged at 157.55 Japanese yen. The euro slipped to $1.1599 from $1.600.

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