In the main event of the evening, Thailand’s Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy put on a striking masterclass as he dissected countryman Pongsiri PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym to capture the inaugural ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship.

Petchmorakot appeared to be one step ahead of his opponent at all times during the five-round bout. He used every tool in his arsenal – punches, elbows, knees, and kicks – to pick Pongsiri apart. Pongsiri remained game all throughout, as he tried desperately to find an answer to Petchmorakot’s continuous onslaught. In the end however, it was Petchmorakot’s superior Muay Thai skills that earned him the unanimous decision victory and carried him to the ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship.

Dutch middleweight contender Reinier de Ridder remained unbeaten and put himself in great position to challenge Aung La N Sang for the ONE Middleweight World Championship. De Ridder put together an impressive unanimous decision victory over Brazil’s Leandro “Wolf” Ataides in the evening’s co-main event. The two men went back and forth in an exciting three round contest, with Ataides opting to go for power shots, while de Ridder chose to unleash well-timed strikes. In the final round of action, de Ridder turned up the intensity and the aggression as he punished Ataides in the clinch with knees to the body. In the end, it was de Ridder who walked away with the win, and moved one step closer to the ONE World Title.

Undefeated Moldovan Iuri Lapicus recorded the biggest win of his career thus far, submitting former ONE Featherweight World Champion Marat “Cobra” Gafurov in the first round of their lightweight bout. Gafurov looked to make a triumphant lightweight debut, but Lapicus had other plans. Lapicus reversed a takedown attempt from the former titleholder in the early going and immediately took the Russian’s back. From there, Lapicus locked in a rear naked choke, leaving Gafurov with no other choice but to tap out.

Indonesian star Eko Roni Saputra needed less than a round to put away Cambodia’s Khon Sichan, winning by rear naked choke submission. The multiple-time Indonesian Wrestling Champion Saputra took control right off the bat, taking Sichan down almost immediately. After a brief return to the feet, Saputra took the action to the ground once again, and this time made his way to top position. From there, he began to unload punches and elbows. Saputra eventually took Sichan’s back and locked in the submission to force the tap.

Former ONE World Title challenger Koyomi “Moushigo” Matsushima of Japan returned to his winning ways with a third-round technical knockout win over South Korea’s “The Fighting God” Kim Jae Woong. The two faced off in a featherweight mixed martial arts bout. Matsushima was a takedown machine as he was able to repeatedly bring “The Fighting God” to the mat and dominate the action on the ground. In the final round, Matsushima landed a right hand followed by a left hook that had Kim rocked. Matsushima followed up with more strikes and ground-and-pound to earn the finish.

Japanese women’s atomweight contender Itsuki “Strong Heart Fighter” Hirata stopped ONE Warrior Series product Nyrene “Neutron Bomb” Crowley by technical knockout in the third round to continue her impressive run. Following an action-packed opening round, Hirata showed off her grappling pedigree as she was able to take Crowley down at will and punish her with strikes while in dominant position. In the final round, Hirata scored an early takedown which marked the beginning of the end for Crowley, as “Strong Heart Fighter” maneuvered to back mount and finished things off with heavy ground-and-pound.

Crowd favorite “The Terminator” Sunoto scored a big win at home, defeating fellow Indonesian Nurul Fikri by unanimous decision in a catch weight mixed martial arts clash. Sunoto landed a thunderous left hand early in the opening round, dropping Fikri. There was more control exhibited by Sunoto in the succeeding round as he was able to use his striking to set up a big takedown and punish the newcomer with strikes. Fikri rallied in the final round, scoring an early takedown of his own, but Sunoto secured the win by getting back up and scoring another takedown to end the bout in dominant position.

Abro “The Black Komodo” Fernandes of Indonesia and Timor Leste snatched his second-straight victory with a unanimous decision win over promotional newcomer Eko Priandondo in a flyweight mixed martial arts contest. Fernandes controlled the pace of the bout with his striking, working with jabs and leg kicks to keep Priandondo at bay. “The Black Komodo” was also the more aggressive of the two as he was relentless with his takedown attempts, but just could not complete them. After a back-and-forth three-round bout, it was Fernandes who had his hands raised.

In a ONE Super Series Muay Thai match-up, Japan’s Taiki “Silent Sniper” Naito scored a pair of knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision win over Cyprus’ “The Baby Face Killer” Savvas Michael Petchyindee Academy. A counter right hand from Naito in the second round put Michael down for the first time, setting the tone for the rest of the bout. Another well-placed right hand from Naito in the final round sent Michael down once more to secure the decision victory.

In a ONE Super Series Muay Thai contest, Australian Josh “Timebomb” Tonna provided some early fireworks with a second-round technical knockout of the United Kingdom’s Andy “Punisher” Howson. The opening round saw the two men stand toe-to-toe, with Howson getting the better of the exchanges. Tonna turned up the aggression in the second round, leading to an early knockdown. “Timebomb” then finished things off with a right hook followed by a knee to the head, leaving Howson unable to continue.

Kicking things off in Jakarta, 2019 SEA Games Combat Sambo gold medalist Fajar “Macho” of Indonesia put on a dominant display in his ONE Championship debut, stopping compatriot Egi Rozten in the opening round of their flyweight mixed martial arts bout. Fajar flashed his striking skills before taking the action down to the ground. From there, Fajar was unstoppable, as he cut through Rozten’s guard and began dropping punches and elbows to score the technical knockout.

Official Results for ONE: WARRIOR’S CODE

ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Championship: Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy defeats Pongsiri PK.Saenchaimuaythaigym by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 5 rounds

Mixed Martial Arts Middleweight: Reinier de Ridder defeats Leandro Ataides by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Mixed Martial Arts Lightweight: Iuri Lapicus defeats Marat Gafurov by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 1:07 minutes of round 1

Mixed Martial Arts Flyweight: Eko Roni Saputra defeats Khon Sichan by Submission (Rear Naked Choke) at 3:45 minutes of round 1

Mixed Martial Arts Featherweight: Koyomi Matsushima defeats Kim Jae Woong by TKO (Strikes) at 0:24 minutes of round 3

Mixed Martial Arts Catch Weight (53.4-KG): Itsuki Hirata defeats Nyrene Crowley by TKO (Strikes) at 3:27 minutes of round 3

Mixed Martial Arts Catch Weight (68.0-KG): Sunoto defeats Nurul Fikri by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Mixed Martial Arts Flyweight: Abro Fernandes defeats Eko Priandondo by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Muay Thai Flyweight: Taiki Naito defeats Savvas Michael Petchyindee Academy by Unanimous Decision (UD) after 3 rounds

Muay Thai Strawweight: Josh Tonna defeats Andy Howson by Knockout (KO) at 2:20 minutes of round 2

Mixed Martial Arts Flyweight: Fajar defeats Egi Rozten by TKO (Strikes) at 2:39 minutes of round 1

The Wizards’ 119-118 victory continued Beal’s one-man attack on all comers since his all-star snub.

Beal finished with a game-high 29 points on 11-of-28 shooting, along with eight assists, five rebounds and one massive mosh pit at half-court. Teammates mobbed Beal after the bucket, celebrating the big shot as Washington improved to 18-32.

The Mavericks (31-21) took a 118-117 advantage in the waning seconds after Tim Hardaway made one of two free throws. Coach Scott Brooks called a timeout and drew up an inbounds play that saw Brown throw a no-look pass to Beal for decisive layup.

Beal received offensive support from Davis Bertans, who made five 3-pointers and finished with 20 points, and Rui Hachimura, who started the game 6 for 6 and finished with 17 points.

The Wizards also got a boost from their newest player, Shabazz Napier. Perhaps, after Friday, Napier’s mother will stop checking in on her son.

Napier has endured a whirlwind week. He has been traded twice, from Minnesota to Denver, then Denver to Washington. Before he could truly catch his breath in the Mile High City, a deal came together between the Wizards and Nuggets in the closing hours of the NBA trade deadline Thursday afternoon, sending him to his sixth team in eight years.

Napier wasn’t fazed. He simply caught his three-hour flight and studied up on the Wizards’ playbook via video clips. By the time of his debut inside Capital One Arena, Napier was a steady hand as a backup point guard.

Napier scored 14 points (on 5-of-10 shooting, including a pair of 3-pointers) and played active perimeter defense. His statistical line should make his loved ones stop stressing.

“For me, it’s not difficult. For my family it is. . . . You get text messages from my mom, my brothers asking me if I’m OK. I’m certainly OK,” said Napier, who was part of the massive four-team, 12-player deal earlier in the week. A few days later, the Nuggets dealt him straight up for Jordan McRae.

It was the second time in a year Napier was traded from an organization before playing a game with the team. In July, Napier was dealt to the Warriors in a sign-and-trade to help Golden State land D’Angelo Russell. The Warriors traded him to the Timberwolves, where he appeared in 36 games and started 22.

“It’s my family members worried about me,” the 28-year-old Napier said, “that’s what I’m worried about.”

Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Napier family has little to worry about for the remainder of the season. If his debut is any indication, Napier has cemented his role as the backup behind newly-minted starter Ish Smith. As the leader of the second unit, Napier had his moments.

Even though he had to cram for the game, Napier made few mistakes (two bad passes for turnovers) but showed a knowledge of the game plan. At one point, Napier pointed to Bertans to show him where he needed to be on the floor. Before the end of the third quarter, Napier pulled up for a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to pull the Wizards to within 93-92. Then in the fourth, Napier set up Bertans for two of his 3s.

With seven minutes remaining in the game, Napier returned to the bench while Smith took over. At that point the Wizards held the one-point lead.

The starters plus Bertans handled the game the rest of the way. Although Dallas opened 117-112 advantage in the final two minutes, Washington and Beal closed the game with a bang.

After three days of practice since he his first career natural hat trick Tuesday against the Los Angeles Kings, Ovechkin has a chance to become the eighth member of the 700-goal club against the Philadelphia Flyers at Capital One Arena. His next chance would be Monday at home against the New York Islanders and former coach Barry Trotz.

“I know he wants to get it out of the way, so hopefully he gets it done as soon as possible,” Nicklas Backstrom said. “It’s a nice milestone, and it’s been incredible watching him for this many years and hopefully for more years too. I think me personally, I am just happy for him.”

If Ovechkin scores twice Saturday, he will become the second-fastest player to reach that 700 mark and also the second-youngest, trailing only Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin has been on a scoring tear, with 16 goals in 10 games, including three hat tricks. He is on pace for a 61-goal season, which would be the first time he surpasses the 60-goal mark since he getting 61 in 2007-08.

Ovechkin said he would like to be able to hit the milestone in front of the home fans, knowing he has two chances before the Capitals embark on a three-game trip. The Capitals have asked the NHL for permission for his teammates to jump over the boards and onto the ice to congratulate the captain whenever it happens.

“Yeah obviously it is just going to happen sometime, hope it is next game, but if not, that is OK,” Ovechkin said. “We have another one.”

As for any strategy Saturday against the Flyers, Capitals Coach Todd Reirden said that if Ovechkin got his 699th goal early, he wouldn’t shy away from playing him extended minutes to give him a better chance at reaching 700.

“He’s a guy that once he gets rolling early in the game, I tend to play him a little more so I don’t think I would sway from that theory, especially if we have a chance to do it at home,” Reirden said with a laugh.

Another scenario is if Ovechkin is sitting at 699 career goals, but the Capitals are up late and the Flyers pull their goaltender, would Reirden put Ovechkin in, so he could score an empty-netter as his 700th career goal?

“I don’t think he’ll care,” Reirden said. “Right now he’s earned that opportunity to be out there because he’s making the right decisions defensively. You know, it is not something that you just put him out there because he will score goals. He went after this opportunity, and he’s deserved the chances he’s getting.”

Ovechkin has scored six empty-netters this season, the most in his career. He had five twice (2008-09 and 2009-10), but also zero three times (2005-06, 2011-12 and 2016-17). Of his 698 career goals, 39 have been empty-netters. Gretzky is the career leader with 59 empty-net goals.

Ovechkin scored an empty-netter Tuesday against the Kings to complete his first career natural hat trick.

“This is part of how his game has evolved . . . we want to win games, and as a byproduct he scores goals,” Reirden said.

In his chase to 700, Ovechkin has been keeping pucks, sticks and gloves for his collection. The NHL may be taking some of those items to catalog. Ovechkin has collected so many items over the years, his house in Russia and in Virginia is starting to overflow.

“To be honest, right now I have a lot, and my wife tells me to stop,” Ovechkin said. “We don’t have any space in our gym, but it is great for my family, kids, grandkids, you know, when I’m going to be dead. My kids are going to look at it and appreciate it.”

As for Saturday’s game against the Flyers, the team knows not to force things to Ovechkin, even though they share the excitement over the milestone. However, with Saturday’s game being against a divisional team against whom they lost to in a poor showing last month, the Capitals can’t afford to lose focus.

Backstrom said the team also gets a bit of a boost knowing what is at stake from Saturday onward, and added that Ovechkin’s recent tear hasn’t surprised anyone.

“He is that talented,” Backstrom said. “He has that goal-scoring instinct that no one else has, or a couple guys. It’s impressive what he is doing.”

As of Friday, Ovechkin has a league-leading 40 goals.

“Now that we are closing in on it, it’s becoming a reality,” Reirden said. “I think he will be happy to move past it as well and continue to focus on improving our team and do the things he can do to develop as a player and go about it more under the radar more than he has been recently.”

Two weeks ago, the 2015 graduate of Louisiana State University held the lead after the last three rounds of the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, where she became a Rolex First-Time Winner.

“I think when you come off such a high, you don’t really know what to expect, like ‘can you keep it going or am I going to start over’ kind of thing,” said Sagstrom. “I’m really happy that I put myself in the position that I’m in, and being able to keep up really good play, especially keeping it rolling really nice on the greens. If you roll it good, you need to make putts to be in contention.”

American Ally McDonald is solo second at -12 and looks to join Sagstrom as a first-time LPGA Tour winner. The 2019 USA Solheim Cup team member is bogey-free for the tournament, carding eight birdies in her first 12 holes on Friday before parring her way home.

“After I hit the ball really well yesterday, I was hoping to go out and make a lot of birdies and I did,” said McDonald. “I started the round 8-under through 12 and the wind kind of picked up. Just didn’t have any really close looks at birdie in the last six holes, but very, very pleased with where I’m at.”

Second-year LPGA Tour player Linnea Strom sits third at -10, tied with 2019 KLPGA Tour Rookie of the Year Ayean Cho and Australian Robyn Choi, who made back-to-back eagles in her round of 8-under 65 on the Creek Course. Choi played holes 7-11 on the Creek Course at -7, opening with the two eagles and following with three birdies.

LPGA Tour rookie Haley Moore, who started the day one stroke off the lead, was +2 through nine holes but turned things around on the back nine. She played her final nine holes in -3 to card a second-round 71 and heads into the weekend tied for 11th at -8.

Following the second round, the field was cut to the top 60 professionals and ties at -3, with two amateurs also making the cut. The third and fourth rounds will both be held on the Beach Course. Defending champion Celine Boutier shot 72-72 and missed the cut at -1 overall. Other notables to miss the cut include Dame Laura Davies, who followed her first-round 67 with a 77 on Friday to finish at -1, and Australian golf legend Karrie Webb, whose second-round 70 left her three shots off the cut line at Even.

ALLY MCDONALD ENJOYING NEW YEAR AT VIC OPEN

Two years, two very different outcomes at the ISPS Handa Vic Open for Ally McDonald. The 27-year old from Fulton, Miss., shot 77-71 in 2019 to miss the first cut at 13th Beach Golf Links. One year later and she’s just one stroke off the lead, her second-round 65 tied for the third-lowest round of her LPGA Tour career.

“Last year I was still in a little bit of a swing change transition and I have a better grasp for sure beginning of this year,” said McDonald, a two-time First-Team All-American at Mississippi State University. “Short offseason, so I feel like I’ve kind of rolled out of CME quickly into Boca. Yeah, I’m just happy to be here, happy that I played a lot better these last two rounds than I did last year.”

McDonald enjoyed the best season of her career in 2019. She made 18 cuts in 25 tournaments, including her last 11 consecutive, and earned three top-10 finishes, including a tie for 10th at the U.S. Women’s Open. Thanks to that success, USA Solheim Cup Captain Juli Inkster brought McDonald with the team to Gleneagles, and McDonald was called into service when Stacy Lewis was forced to withdraw due to injury.

“I think it was huge for my career and a big confidence boost for me, just where I see my career heading in the next few years,” said McDonald, who ultimately went 1-3-1 for Team USA. “I definitely want to be part of another one now that I’ve got one.”

MADELENE SAGSTROM IN HER OWN WORDS – DEAR LITTLE MADELENE

On Thursday, the LPGA debuted a new #DriveOn social video featuring a letter written by Madelene Sagstrom to her younger self. Following her victory at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, Sagstrom felt called to tell her story of overcoming self-doubt to become a winner on the LPGA Tour.

“I was kind of hit by the moment of winning and I was like, this is like everything that I have done has led up to this,” said Sagstrom. “All the times I’ve been sitting here doubting myself and being hard on myself, like yes, it got me here, but I just wish you would have been a little bit nicer to yourself. So I think that for me it kind of was reflecting, going back, okay, where did you come from and how far did you get.”

To watch Sagstrom’s video, visit https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1225158402898382857. Sagstrom’s letter, which she originally posted to Instagram, reads as follows:

Dear little Madelene,

I know they think you’re a little crazy right now. You’re dreaming big, you’re determined, you know what you want. One day your plans and dreams will unfold. You’ll move across the world and play against the best players in the world. You will play on the biggest stage in women’s golf. You’ll travel across continents and meet the most amazing people along the way.

You’re going to work hard, you’re going to make mistakes, you’re going to have success. You’re going to question yourself along the way, you’re also going to think from time to time that you’re a superhero. You’re going to question who you are and what your purpose in this world is. You’re also going to know it so clearly and be so at peace with yourself. You’re going to learn to love yourself fully with all your flaws and imperfections.

I know it’s easier for you to be hard on yourself, to doubt yourself and not think you’re good enough. Please little girl, be nice to yourself. You’re so much greater thank you can ever imagine right now. You’re so worthy and perfect just the way you are. Don’t ever stop fighting, your time will come! Don’t ever stop dreaming!

All the love from 27-year-old Madelene

TWO GOALS FOR JEONGEUN LEE6

This week’s ISPS Handa Vic Open is the season debut for the Republic of Korea’s Jeongeun Lee6 and kicks off her second season on the LPGA Tour. Her 2019 rookie campaign included a major win at the U.S. Women’s Open en route to Rolex Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year honors. So it’s no surprise that Lee6 is setting lofty goals for 2020.

“I want to play at the Olympics and win three times,” said Lee6 after Friday’s 4-under 69 on the Creek Course at 13th Beach Golf Links.

Lee6 is well on her way to checking both boxes. She sits five strokes off the lead heading into the weekend and currently holds the fourth and final spot on Team Korea for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

The Olympic field is restricted to 60 players for each of the men’s and women’s competitions, with countries allowed up to four participants in each field if those players are within the top 15 in their respective world rankings.

At No. 8 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, Lee6 is behind No. 1 Jin Young Ko, No. 2 Sung Hyun Park and No. 6 Sei Young Kim, while ahead of No. 12 Hyo Joo Kim, No. 16 Inbee Park and No. 16 So Yeon Ryu.

GEOFF OGILVY IN HIS OWN WORDS – THE SUM OF MIXED GOLF IS WORTH MORE THAN ITS SEPARATE PARTS

2006 U.S. Open champion Geoff Ogilvy has long been an unofficial ambassador for gender equality in sports. Currently tied for seventh in the men’s competition at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, Ogilvy penned a first-person piece for LPGA.com discussing his thoughts on why this week’s competition is an example for the future of the game (click the link for his full letter):

“I’ve always been a fan of the women’s game but not to the degree I am now. I couldn’t watch the LPGA Tour, LET or ALPG that much throughout my career because I was playing at the same times as the women. I would always catch the ANA Inspiration, the old Dinah Shore, out in the California desert because it felt like The Masters for the LPGA Tour. It was fun to settle in and watch because it always aired later in the day on the East Coast. And I’ve always enjoyed the U.S. Women’s Open because I like seeing how the women battle USGA setups.

“But the event that changed a lot of thinking was the 2014 U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open played back-to-back at Pinehurst No.2. A lot of people didn’t think back-to-back championships would work, but it turned out to be a revelation. Not only could the men and women compete on the same course, they could do it under virtually identical conditions.

“Now, here at the ISPS Handa Vic Open, they’re doing it simultaneously.”

ACE FOR JING YAN

Jing Yan made the third hole-in-one of the 2020 LPGA Tour season, acing the 154-yard third hole of the Beach Course with a 7-iron. It was her fourth career hole-in-one and first in a competitive round.

“I wanted to hit a 6-iron, but then it was kind of in between clubs, so talked to my caddie and we went with a 7,” said Yan. “Just carried the bunker. Hit the shot with a little bit of a draw. Really liked the look of it, but I didn’t really think it was going to go in the hole. Then my fellow players and caddies are like, ‘Oh, there’s a chance of it going in.’ I didn’t see it go in, but yeah, it went in and I was pretty happy about it.”

For that ace, CME Group will donate $20,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The 2019 LPGA Tour season saw 32 aces from 31 different players, which more than covers the average cost of $425,000 needed to treat a pediatric cancer patient.

Yan ultimately shot +2 on the day and missed the cut at +2 overall.

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 55 Madelene Sagstrom (65C-67B)

• Hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
• Sagstrom is in her fourth season on the LPGA Tour; she has one career victory, coming two weeks ago at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio
• Member of the 2017 European Solheim Cup Team, posting a 1-2-0 record
• Member of Team Sweden at the 2018 UL International Crown, posting a 1-3-0 record
• Won the Symetra Tour’s 2016 Volvik Race for the Card to earn LPGA Tour Membership for the 2017 season
• Was the 2016 Symetra Tour Player of the Year and Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year with three wins and 12 top-10 finishes
• A 2015 graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in psychology

So the senior guard responded by bringing her own energy, scoring a game-high 21 points to go with 11 rebounds as the No. 13 Terps turned a six-point halftime deficit into a 79-69 win over the No. 18 Hoosiers at Assembly Hall.

Charles was a one-woman cheering section on court for Maryland. She unleashed megawatt smiles and clapped hard, her hands raised, as the Terps unleased a furious third-quarter rally. After a defensive stop – rare in the first half, regular in the second – she would thrust both fists in the air and hold them there as she ran down the court, looking up at the crowd as if daring it to reply.

“Every time we made a stop on defense or a great play, I just loved celebrating to get the team energy’s up to make sure we were hyped,” Charles said.

The senior’s teammates mirrored her intensity over the final 20 minutes, especially in the third quarter. Maryland (19-4, 10-2 Big Ten) held the Hoosiers (18-6, 8-4) to just 11 points in the third period.

Neither team led by more than 10 points, and neither had a run of more than seven at a time. It was the Terps’ defense that ultimately created separation as Maryland notched its fifth win over a ranked team.

“We came out in the exact same defense that we started the game with,” Maryland Coach Brenda Frese said. “It’s just the intensity, for us, went to a higher level.”

Ratcheting up the defense as the game led to a 22-7 advantage in fast-break points and a 13-6 edge in second-chance points. It was one such putback, from sophomore forward Shakira Austin, that got the Terps off to their 12-3 run to start the third quarter.

Maryland was in rhythm after that and earned its biggest lead of the night at 55-45 off a free throw from Diamond Miller.

“You’re not going to beat a team like Maryland if you can’t stay with them, within arm’s reach, each quarter. The third quarter really did us in,” Indiana Coach Terri Moran said. “. . . There were moments where they were flying down the floor and we hadn’t even turned around. And that was disappointing to watch.”

Indiana had exactly the start it needed to begin the game. Held to 44% shooting from the field when these teams met in College Park last month – a fine shooting night, but not good enough to beat a Maryland team in stride – the Hoosiers could hardly miss at home, shooting 59.3% in the first half.

They beat the Terps in the same couple of spots under the basket throughout the first quarter to take an eight-point lead with 40 seconds to go before Maryland closed the period with two buckets to make it 23-19. Indiana shot 14 for 19 through the first 13 minutes of the game, but it wasn’t just that they were hot. The Hoosiers were hitting the type of second-chance buckets at the end of the shot clock and demoralizing three-pointers that can drain the life out of teams.

But Maryland never wavered.

Freshman guard Ashley Owusu was just behind Charles with 19 points and five assists. Guards Taylor Mikesell and Blair Watson added 10 points apiece and the road win ensured that Maryland ended the week as strongly as it started.

On Monday, the NCAA selection committee released its list of who the top 16 teams in the tournament field would be if the NCAA tournament were to start at the beginning of the week. The Terps were a No. 2 seed, one of three Big Ten teams on the list alongside Northwestern and Iowa, which were both No. 4 seeds.

Maryland lived up to that high billing Thursday, following its resounding win over a shorthanded Michigan State team on Monday with the emphatic road win over the Hoosiers. Ali Patberg led Indiana with 16 points in its first loss in four games.

“It’s a special win, road wins are precious,” Frese said. “For this team, where they were really exposing our defense in the first half, staying committed and true to it to bounce back in the second half just goes again to their growth and their maturity. When I walked into the locker room at halftime and heard [them say] ‘control what you can control,’ I knew their mentality was in the right place.”

Both players took full advantage of the morning’s calm winds and prime scoring conditions, with Kang joining Sagstrom with eight birdies and no bogeys on Thursday. Starting on No. 10, Sagstrom opened with birdies at five of her first seven holes and rolled in with three more birdies over her closing three holes.

“I think currently I’m really working hard on my patience. Today I came out with a really hot start and then in the middle kind of just got dry there for a little bit. Just stay patient, stay patient,” said Sagstrom. “Then I finished off with three birdies. So I think that’s what’s really working out for me, and obviously I’m hitting the ball very nicely, putting nice.”

Making her debut as an LPGA Tour Member, rookie Haley Moore shot a 7-under 66, a round highlighted by an eagle at No. 18. She is tied for third with second-year player Linnea Strom, who eagled holes 2 and 18, and Peiyun Chien, the only player in the top 14 to play her first round on the par-72 Beach Course.

“I played very steady all day and did not make a lot of mistakes at all and just continued to do one shot at a time and yeah, just enjoy it out there,” said Strom, who made her LPGA Tour debut at this event in 2019. “It was fun to have one eagle in the beginning and then also to finish on 18 with an eagle.”

Proving once again that age is just a number, 56-year-old Dame Laura Davies is tied for sixth at 6-under 67. Davies’ last LPGA Tour victory came at the 2001 Wegmans Rochester Invitational, while she captured the Senior Slam in 2018 with victories at the U.S. Senior Women’s Open and the Senior LPGA Championship.

Defending champion Celine Boutier opened with an even-par 72 on the Beach Course and is tied for 80th.

MADELENE SAGSTROM CONTINUES EARLY-SEASON SUCCESS

On Jan. 26, Madelene Sagstrom’s biggest dream came true when she joined the ranks of LPGA Tour winners with her victory at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. Just 11 days later and the 27-year-old Swede has continued her roll of success, shooting a bogey-free 8-under 65 in the first round of the ISPS Handa Vic Open to sit tied for the lead after 18 holes.

“I think after my first win there definitely added confidence to everything, just knowing that I can compete out here, knowing that I can win on Tour,” said Sagstrom, who represented Europe at the 2017 Solheim Cup. “I think that is definitely helping me out. It’s also created kind of a little bit of a calmness; just okay, it’s going to be fine, it will all work out, it’s the beginning of the season.”

Sagstrom has her regular caddie David Buhai back on the bag, after her boyfriend’s father looped during her victory in Florida. This is Sagstrom’s third appearance at the ISPS Handa Vic Open; she missed the 36-hole cut in 2019 and finished 18th in 2017, when the tournament was a stop on the Ladies European Tour.

SAGSTROM’S #DRIVEON STORY

On Monday, the LPGA debuted a new #DriveOn social video featuring a poem written by Madelene Sagstrom to her younger self. To watch Sagstrom’s video, visit https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1225158402898382857.

HAEJI KANG LOOKING FOR VIC OPEN REDEMPTION

In 2012, Haeji Kang nearly made a miraculous comeback at the Vic Open, held that year in Melbourne. With Joanna Klatten in the clubhouse with a two-stroke lead, Kang holed out for eagle on the 72nd hole to force a playoff. Klatten quickly abandoned her celebration and headed back to the course, officially capturing the win when Kang bogeyed the first playoff hole.

“I should have just played slower and made her drink a little more,” Kang said with a laugh.

Australia is a truly comfortable place for the 29-year-old Korean, who moved to Queensland’s famed Gold Coast for three years in high school to focus on her game. She won numerous elite amateur events during her time here and calls the area her second home. She really looked at home during Thursday’s first round on the Creek Course. Playing in the first group out, she carded a bogey-free round of 8-under 65, tied for the third-lowest round of her LPGA Tour career.

“I usually play better when I go off quite early in the morning” said Kang. “There was not much wind, so I think it was – that was one of the keys on this golf course, when there’s no wind, then we just go for the flag and we just roll it in.”

LAURA DAVIES STILL HAS COMPETITIVE FIRE

“Still couldn’t win the group.”

Ever the competitor, Dame Laura Davies couldn’t help but laugh that her opening-round 67, her best round since 2018, was outdone by her playing partner Madelene Sagstrom’s 65. Today’s walk around the Creek Course at 13th Beach Golf Links was her first competitive round since August 2019, when she tied for 24th at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open.

“My mum wasn’t very well and I just stayed at home with her. Just kept entering tournaments and had to withdraw, withdraw because she wasn’t getting any better,” said Davies, who has more than 80 professional victories to her name, including 20 on the LPGA Tour. “It just worked out that I had six months off and now I turn up here not knowing what I’m doing. I’ve been on Tour 35 years and I didn’t have a clue what to do. It was a bit weird, but a good result.”

A good result, indeed. Playing in what she called one of her favorite tournaments, the 56-year-old from England said her putting today was some of the best of her illustrious career. She gave much the credit to good friend and former LPGA Tour player Rebecca Artis, an Australia native who is caddying for Davies on this Down Under swing.

“She’s a really good green reader; she does that AimPoint, which bamboozles me. I haven’t got a clue what she’s up to, but she got the lines right,” said Davies. “If I keep striking it like that and she keeps reading it like that, we might have a chance making the cut and make the weekend and see what happens, which when I got here I wasn’t too sure about.”

WHAT AN OPENING ROUND FOR HALEY MOORE

Thursday made for an auspicious LPGA Tour debut for rookie Haley Moore. Starting on the 10th hole, the 21-year-old from Escondido, Calif., opened her LPGA Tour career with a birdie on her first hole, made the turn with an eagle-3 at No. 18 and carded four other birdies en route to a 7-under 66 on the Creek Course. She sits tied for third heading into Friday’s second round on the Beach Course.

“I was just trying to stick with my game plan all day and not worry about looking at a scoreboard and seeing where I was,” said Moore, a 2019 graduate of the University of Arizona. “I was just like everything’s going my way and just keep putting the pedal down and just get ready, just keep doing this tomorrow and the next days will be good.”

Coincidentally, the last time a player won in her Membership debut also came in Australia. In 2018, Jin Young Ko captured the ISPS Handa Australian Open in her first appearance as an LPGA Tour Member. Only one other player – Beverly Hanson (1951 Eastern Open) – won in her Membership debut.

PLAYER NOTES

Rolex Rankings No. 55 Madelene Sagstrom (65C)

• Hit 13 of 14 fairways and 16 of 18 greens, with 29 putts
• Sagstrom is in her fourth season on the LPGA Tour; she has one career victory, coming two weeks ago at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio
• Member of the 2017 European Solheim Cup Team, posting a 1-2-0 record
• Member of Team Sweden at the 2018 UL International Crown, posting a 1-3-0 record
• Won the Symetra Tour’s 2016 Volvik Race for the Card to earn LPGA Tour Membership for the 2017 season
• Was the 2016 Symetra Tour Player of the Year and Gaelle Truet Rookie of the Year with three wins and 12 top-10 finishes
• A 2015 graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in psychology

Rolex Rankings No. 157 Haeji Kang (65C)

• Hit 12 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens, with 27 putts
• Kang is in her 12th season on the LPGA Tour; she has 14 career top-10 finishes, with a best showing of third three times, most recently at the 2018 Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open
• Finished fourth at the 2019 LPGA Q Series
• Winner of the Symetra Tour’s 2009 Greater Richmond Duramed FUTURE Classic

“We want to straightforwardly convey accurate information to the people by firmly ascertaining and analyzing the situation,” Prime Minster Shinzo Abe said during a meeting of the House of Representatives Budget Committee on Tuesday, expressing his intention to work to dispel unease among the people over the new coronavirus.

Abe is set to concentrate his energies on responding to the issue, canceling his attendance at such events as a gathering for his supporters association scheduled for Saturday and Sunday in his home area of Yamaguchi Prefecture.

In response to the spread of the infection, both the Japanese and Chinese governments decided to delay bilateral financial dialogue slated for Tuesday in Tokyo. Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Chinese Finance Minister Liu Kun were scheduled to discuss economic policy as part of preparations for Xi’s visit to Japan.

However, the Japanese side called on China to postpone the talks, saying, “It’s not absolutely necessary to hold the talks at this juncture.” The Chinese side is said to have agreed on the postponement.

Regarding Xi’s state visit to Japan, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga emphasized at a press conference Tuesday that “I have not heard that the visit will be affected [by the issue of the new coronavirus]. We want to quietly move ahead with preparations as scheduled.”

High-ranking Chinese government officials are scheduled to visit Japan from later this month to the end of March, to make prior arrangements for the summit talks between Abe and Xi. They include Yang Jiechi, a member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and the country’s top foreign policy official, and Wang Yi, foreign minister and a state councilor.

“Unless the spread of infection is resolved inside China, it will be difficult for Yang and other officials to visit Japan for prior arrangements,” said a senior official of the Japanese government. Depending on how the situation turns out, “the state visit to Japan could even be postponed,” according to an official close to the Liberal Democratic Party.

The Japanese government is deeply concerned about measures to cope with the new type of virus, partly because there is less than half a year until the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games are held this summer, with a myriad of foreigners expected to come to Japan.

It took about eight months for the World Health Organization to declare in July 2003 the end of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which began spreading from Guangdong Province, southern China, in November 2002 and raged through the world.

The organizing committee for the 2020 Tokyo Games, its related organizations, the local governments concerned, sports associations and other organizations are expected to hold a meeting on measures to deal with the infectious disease as early as Friday, and to discuss their responses.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Seiko Hashimoto, minister for the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, referred to prior camp training and a joint practice in which Chinese athletes are expected to take part in Japan.

“Unless the plan for the future is mapped out solidly, there will be a huge impact on the holding of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Hashimoto said.

The proposed sale of a reported 80% of the Mets to the hedge fund billionaire could be falling through, according to reports Tuesday.

Cohen, a Long Island native who purchased a small stake in the Mets from the Wilpon family in 2012, is “deeply unhappy with the Wilpons changing the terms of the deal at a very late stage and has decided to walk away,” wrote the New York Post, which cited sources close to the situation.

Among the points of contention, per the newspaper, are the Wilpons’ degree of control over the team during a previously reported five-year transition period and whether SNY, a regional sports network associated with the team, would be part of the sale.

Sterling Partners, the holding company for the Mets’ ownership group, responded to Tuesday’s reports in a statement, saying: “The parties are subject to confidentiality obligations, including a mutual non-disclosure agreement, and therefore cannot comment.”

Fred Wilpon, 83, became a minority owner of the Mets in 1980, co-owner in 1986 and purchased the team outright in 2002. Wilpon and his son Jeff Wilpon were forced to sell shares in the team after becoming embroiled in the Bernie Madoff financial scandal.

The reported agreement with Cohen, 63, called for Fred Wilpon to stay on as the Mets’ chief executive and for Jeff Wilpon to retain his role as chief operating officer through the five-year period. Fans of the team, which despite being based in the nation’s largest market has been in the middle of the pack in payroll since the fallout began from the Madoff scandal, were hoping that Cohen would quickly ramp up the Mets’ spending.

Instead, the transition to a new majority owner appears closer to not happening at all.

CNBC also reported Tuesday that Cohen has stopped negotiations to buy the team. Other reports indicated that the deal is in jeopardy but not dead.

Beltrán, a former Mets player, was introduced at the start of November as the team’s new manager, replacing Mickey Callaway. He and the team parted ways in mid-January after Beltrán was named in the MLB report on the Houston Astros’ sign-stealing scheme.

With the Capitals trailing by one late in the third period, the captain rattled off three straight goals for his fourth hat trick of the season during an awe-inducing span of 4 minutes 24 seconds. This is the first time Ovechkin’s career he’s recorded four hat tricks in one season. Three of his hat tricks have come in his last six games and he now is on pace to score 61 goals this season.

It would be the first time in Ovechkin’s career he hits the 60-goal mark since 2007-08 season, when he had 65.

“In less than five minutes, he took over the game,” Capitals Coach Todd Reirden said. “We win the game because of that. That’s what superstars do. We’re fortunate to have him.”

After being nearly invisible on the ice for the first 54 minutes, Ovechkin took complete control of the final 6:10. His first goal came on his first shot on goal of the night at 13:50, and he scored twice more over the next four and a half minutes – the final goal coming into an empty net before hats rained down from the sea of red.

The last player to score three or more goals in the final seven minutes of a regular-season game was Peter Bondra for the Capitals against the New York Islanders in March 1996.

Ovechkin now has 698 career goals, leaving him two away from becoming the eighth player in NHL history to notch 700. He has 40 goals on the season, reaching that mark for the 11th time in his career, and he reclaimed the NHL goal scoring lead.

He has 16 goals in his past 10 games, including three hat tricks. Since Jan. 13, Ovechkin has scored 14 goals over seven games. No other player has more than seven.When asked if he ever amazes himself with his accomplishments, Ovechkin sheepishly said no.

“Not yet,” Ovechkin said. “I’m still playing. Right after the year, yeah, I’m pretty sure my family and my friends are going to talk about it, but now personally I don’t try to concentrate about it. I’m just going out there and doing my job.”

He is now on track to reach the 700-goal mark in only 1,140 career games, which would be the second fastest in league history. It is also the second fewest games Ovechkin has played to reach the 40 goal mark (53 games). His fewest games to reach the 40-goal mark in his career came in the 2007-08 (52 games). Ovechkin was 22 years old at the time.

“That sounds like a good year,” said John Carlson after the game. “That sounds like a good year for the majority of the NHL.”

Behind the heroics of Ovechkin, in what was mostly a sloppy, lackluster game for the majority of the night, the Capitals (36-13-5) rallied again for their 15th comeback win of the season after their opponent has scored first.

The Kings (19-30-5) entered with one win in their previous seven contests (1-5-1). The Capitals were coming off an emotional, physical 4-3 loss to rival Pittsburgh, with Tuesday’s game an exception in a stretch of Metropolitan Division matchups.

The Kings weren’t giving the Capitals many opportunities, with Washington managing only 12 shots on goal through the first 40 minutes that ended tied at 1. The Kings appeared to take control when Jeff Carter scored his second goal of the game with 8:37 left.

But that’s when Ovechkin took over. He notched his 696th goal at 13:50 before scoring his second of the night off his own rebound 1:10 later for No. 687 and finally the empty netter for his 698th career goal at 18:14 to give the Capitals a stunning victory.

“Give him a couple more years and he’ll be at 800,” Kings Coach Todd McLellan said. “It’s that type of night where maybe you don’t see him a lot early and then bang, bang, bang and it’s in the net and they’ve won.”

The game was all Los Angeles until John Carlson tied the score at 1 with 12:35 left in the second period. He snuck the puck past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick under the blocker after a pass from Nicklas Backstrom, who collected a sweet backhand pass from Carl Hagelin from the opposite side of the ice.

Carlson, who also assisted on Ovechkin’s last two goals, is one goal away from matching his career best of 15 set in 2017-18. Hagelin is on a seven-game point streak (three goals, four assists) – the first of his career.

Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby made 29 saves and improved to 20-10-4. The only goal he allowed in the opening 40 was a blast by Carter from the left circle that beat him under the glove and over his pad with 4:57 left in the first period.

“Yeah, I really liked his game,” Reirden said. “I feel like I’m repeating myself when it comes to certain things like Braden, when he has a game he doesn’t like, his response games have been good for years.”

Holtby’s performance was encouraging for the Capitals, who recalled goaltender Vitek Vanecek from the team’s American Hockey League in Hershey, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday morning.

Rookie backup Ilya Samsonov was announced as day-to-day with an upper-body injury after he was hit with a high shot from Ovechkin at Tuesday’s morning skate. He went through some tests in the afternoon and was not cleared to play. The Capitals now have three days before they play their next game Saturday against Philadelphia.

With the postseason nearing, Tuesday also boasted a tweaked look for the Capitals’ blue line after Martin Fehervary was called up from Hershey on Tuesday. With the trade deadline approaching, the Capitals wanted to take a look at the 20-year-old and see how his development is shaping up.

Fehervary originally was teamed with Radko Gudas on the third unit, but as the defensive pairs were shuffled during the game, he got extended playing time on the left side of the second pair with Dmitry Orlov. Fehervary, who replaced Jonas Siegenthaler in the lineup, finished with 19:55 of ice time and contributed on the penalty kill.

“I think that his play warrants another game,” Reirden said of Fehervary. “How we do that, we’ll figure it out. If it’s not then, then it’s going to be another time soon because I thought he had a strong showing.”