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Carlo Ancelotti has urged his Everton players to remain focused and put an end to their disappointing home form when injury-plagued Southampton visit Goodison Park on Monday. Everton have lost three successive Premier League games on home soil - to Newcastle United, Fulham and Manchester City - and have gone five without a victory there. The Toffees still find themselves in top-four contention thanks to their impressive away form, most recently beating Merseyside rivals Liverpool 2-0 last weekend, but Ancelotti accepts that a big improvement is required at Goodison. "In away games we are more focused defensively," said Ancelotti, who has never lost four consecutive home league games in his managerial career. "At home, maybe we are thinking that the games are easier and we are not able to keep the concentration that we had away. "When you are able to open the scoring it is important, not only for us. Of course starting fast [against Southampton] will be really

The Florida Panthers have gone four straight games without scoring a first-period goal. They have fallen behind in each of those contests. Further, the Panthers have trailed by at least two goals in three straight games, and they have gone scoreless in the first and second periods during those three contests. Given those slow-starting issues, the Panthers -- who host the Carolina Hurricanes again on Monday night -- have to feel fortunate to go 2-1-1 over the past four games. On Saturday night, the Panthers fell behind the Hurricanes 2-0 but rallied to earn a point, losing 4-3 in a shootout. Panthers winger Patric Hornqvist, for one, would like to see more consistency from his team. "It was easy to play hockey in the third period -- everyone was skating, and everyone was talking," said Hornqvist, who leads the Panthers in goals (nine) and power-play tallies (five). "We have to start like that on Monday." The Panthers will apparently do so without winger Brett

CHARLESTON, Ill. (AP) Cameron Holden had a season-high 27 points as UT Martin narrowly defeated Eastern Illinois 73-68 on Saturday. Holden shot 11 for 12 from the line. He added eight rebounds. Hannes Polla had 13 points for UT Martin (8-16, 6-14 Ohio Valley Conference), which ended its five-game losing streak. Eman Sertovic added 11 points. Jaron Williams had 10 points. Jordan Skipper-Brown had 18 points and nine rebounds for the Panthers (9-18, 6-14). Marvin Johnson added 17 points. He also had seven turnovers but only six assists. Sammy Friday IV had seven rebounds. The Skyhawks improve to 2-0 against the Panthers this season. UT Martin defeated Eastern Illinois 51-41 on Jan. 28. --- For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25 --- This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com

The U.S. Soccer Federation National Council voted to repeal the policy that required players to stand for anthem. The U.S. Soccer Federation National Council voted to repeal Policy 604-1 at Saturday's annual general meeting . The policy required players to stand for the national anthem. The vote to repeal the policy received 71.34% of the weighed vote, according to ESPN . Though it had already been repealed in June, it still required an official vote.  The policy was originally passed in 2017 and read "All persons representing a Federation national team shall stand respectfully during the playing of national anthems at any event in which the Federation is represented." The policy was introduced as a response to midfielder Megan Rapinoe, who took a knee during the national anthem in 2016 to show solidarity and support for NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick protested police brutality and racism in America by kneeling during the national anthem while with the

Rory McIlroy, Patrick Reed and Collin Morikawa said they would wear red shirt and black pants to honor Woods. Rory Mcllroy and other golfers are planning to honor Tiger Woods, who was injured in a single-vehicle car accident on Tuesday , by wearing his signature red shirt and black pants during the final round of the WGC-Workday Championship in Florida on Sunday.  Patrick Reed also said he is "definitely" going to wear the combination of clothes on Sunday, according to Golf Channel's  Todd Lewis . In addition, Collin Morikawa will also join and honor Woods. Morikawa idolized the 45-year-old icon while growing up in Southern California and is currently leading the pack in the 54-hole event.  Max Homa tweeted that he wouldn't be participating with the other golfers to honor Woods because he didn't pack a red shirt or black pants to the event as he didn't learn of the accident until he arrived, but still showed support for the gesture.  "Hope to see a

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still trying to strike a balance between defence and attack in the biggest matches as Manchester United head to Chelsea. United have been much improved this season to enter the title race, albeit now sitting 10 points off the pace. While there have been costly home defeats, the chief issue for Solskjaer's side has been the struggles against their 'big six' rivals, too often failing to turn draws into wins. United's defence has let them down at times, too, and Solskjaer is keen to see them turn the corner to maintain their outside title hopes. "We know we've scored quite a few goals; of course, we need to be a better team defensively," he said. "We've conceded too many goals, so we need to improve on that, definitely. "And win tighter games: we've had many games against, you know, City, Chelsea, nil-nil, Liverpool nil-nil, so get the goals in those games. "We just have to focus and tick one game off at

Roy Hodgson has praised the work of Scott Parker and is expecting a completely different test on Sunday compared to the last time Crystal Palace faced Fulham. Palace were deserved 2-1 winners in the reverse fixture at Craven Cottage in October - a result that left Fulham bottom of the division with one point from six matches. Parker's side took time to get going following promotion from the Championship but eight points from their last four matches has given them hope of dodging the drop. Fulham are three points adrift of safety heading into this weekend's clash at Selhurst Park and Hodgson acknowledged Palace, still without star man Wilfried Zaha, are in for a tough contest against their London rivals. "The coaching staff and the manager have obviously done a really good job in improving the side from the team that we met at the start of the season," Hodgson said. "I'd go as far as to say there is little comparison from that side. "If you look at

Brendan Rodgers is hoping for a reaction from Leicester City against Arsenal on Sunday following on the back of his side's disappointing Europa League last-32 exit. Leicester were beaten 2-0 by Slavia Prague on home soil on Thursday and have less than three days to pick themselves up before hosting Arsenal in the Premier League. However, City have been in fine form domestically, losing just one of their last 15 top flight and FA Cup matches, and Rodgers does not expect a hangover of any sort from the shock Slavia setback. "It's the environment we've created here. One of the key attributes of this group is how we respond," Rodgers said. "We don't dwell on disappointment. "That's shown in our results. We have to get ready for the next game. We'll be focused." Leicester faded away last season to finish fifth in the Premier League but they are third after 25 games this season, 15 points better off than an Arsenal side languishing in th

Jose Mourinho is not overly concerned by Tottenham's difficult run in the Premier League as the continues to relish the pressure ahead of hosting Burnley. Spurs are down in ninth heading into the weekend, nine points outside the top four after losing five of their past six matches. Progress in the Europa League, with the EFL Cup final still to play, has given Mourinho some respite, but the Tottenham coach insists he has no issue with scrutiny. "The problem is if you don't have pressure," he said. "I felt in trouble when I was at home and did not have pressure for a few months. That's the problem. "It comes like oxygen, it is our life; I don't think there is any coach in the world without objectives or any kind of pressure. "You just get used to it and also used to the way the press is at the time. You just have to adapt to it." Mourinho certainly has the support of Sean Dyche, the Burnley manager and his opposite number this week. &

Jurgen Klopp acknowledges Liverpool already face a "big challenge" simply to qualify for the Champions League with their Premier League title defence in tatters. The Reds play Sheffield United on Sunday and enter the weekend sixth, 19 points behind leaders Manchester City and also five shy of fourth-placed West Ham. Injuries have proved a huge hindrance to the champions this term, but they will continue to battle for a top-four finish. "It is a big challenge, big challenge, of course," Klopp said. "That's how it is. "You only have to look at the points; it's not too far off but already it's a distance. So that's all clear. "We don't have to talk too much about that, the only thing we have to do is to try to win as many games as possible. "That's what we do - and then we will see at the end of the season. But, of course, it's a challenge." A trip to basement side Sheffield United might be deemed a kinder fi

The New York Rangers discovered an easy answer to the question of how the noise from 1,800 fans may resemble the sound from the normal capacity of 18,006 -- score six goals in a decisive victory. Coming off their biggest offensive showing of the season, the Rangers attempt to impress their fans again Sunday afternoon when they host the suddenly slumping Boston Bruins. New York opened the two-game series with an impressive 6-2 victory on Friday, highlighted by three goals in the second period. Ryan Strome, Colin Blackwell and Chris Kreider scored in the period on a night when the Rangers welcomed fans to Madison Square Garden for the first time since a 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Devils on March 7. Strome had a three-point night and has 12 points in his past 12 games while the Rangers got two assists apiece from defensemen Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. Kreider followed up his hat trick on Wednesday with a goal and an assist. His nine goals lead the Rangers, who for now are playing home

Wilson has listed the Saints as one of four teams he'd consider being traded to. Nobody can ever say that the mayor of New Orleans, LaToya Cantrell, isn't a woman of the people.  Despite the fact that Seahawks quarterback hasn't officially requested a trade , Cantrell posted a video on Twitter not only recruiting Wilson to the Saints but also his wife, pop singer Ciara.  With Ciara's song "Level Up" playing in the background, Cantrell made her case for why Wilson should make his way to the Big Easy. "I've heard the rumors now, and I want to make sure that you understand that the city of New Orleans is a place for you and your beautiful family," Cantrell said. "I know, Mr. Wilson, that you will be a great addition to the New Orleans Saints, and more importantly, I can see us in that number winning that Super Bowl championship once again."  Cantrell also said she could see Ciara on the main stage of the annual Essence Festival th

Millsap alleged that Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey made a bigoted comment towards him when he played for the team in 2015. Former Utah forward Elijah Millsap said Friday that he has not yet heard from any investigators regarding his allegation that Jazz executive Dennis Lindsey made a bigoted comment to him during an end-of-season meeting in 2015. Millsap also expressed doubt that a fair investigation could take place regarding his claim that Lindsey, who then was the team’s general manager and now is an executive vice president, threated to cut his “Black ass” and send him home. Millsap made the allegation in a tweet on Wednesday. The Jazz responded Thursday by saying they would bring in outside counsel to conduct a thorough investigation, and the NBA will be part of that probe as well. “Obviously, I know my truth,” Millsap said in an interview with The Associated Press. “Some outside counsel or somebody, all they can do is just try to stir it up and make it me look as if I’m ly

Steve Bruce knows Newcastle United are reaching crunch time in their bid to beat the drop, starting against Wolves on Saturday. Newcastle have seen the gap to the bottom three cut to just three points heading into this weekend, with Fulham, one place below the Magpies in 18th, finding form. Bruce's side have lost at Chelsea and Manchester United since a run of two wins in three appeared to get their season back on track. But with a more favourable stretch coming up, including Wolves' trip to St James' Park, the pressure is on to pull clear. "It'd be nice to win, but with 13 games to go, there's a lot (of time left)," Bruce said of Saturday's game. "The tickly bit is upon us, the daffodils are coming up, so that usually is the first sign. We've got some big games coming up and, as I say, the accumulation of points (is key). But it would be great on Saturday night to come away sitting on 28 points, rather than 25. That's got to be the ai

Sam Allardyce is aiming to expose Brighton and Hove Albion's weak points in order to keep West Brom's slim Premier League survival hopes alive. It was a familiar story for Brighton last time out as they outshot rivals Crystal Palace 25-3 yet lost 2-1 to a last-gasp strike from Christian Benteke. Brighton's failure to stick away more of their chances has cost them on countless occasions this season and they enter Saturday's clash just four points above the relegation zone. West Brom are 11 points from safety, meanwhile, but Allardyce is hoping to close that gap with victory at The Hawthorns this weekend. "The only reason Brighton are not in the top eight is because they haven't got a goalscorer," Allardyce said. "They create more chances for where they are in the league than any of us in that bottom 10. People were saying how did Crystal Palace win with just two shots on target, but it showed some of Brighton's frailties, what you could do on

David Moyes believes Pep Guardiola is the only candidate to be named the manager of the season after guiding Manchester City back to the top of the Premier League. City, on a 19-match winning run in all competitions, host Moyes' high-flying West Ham on Saturday in the first game of the Premier League weekend. Guardiola has built another outstanding City side, but Moyes might also be considered among the league's best bosses as West Ham sit fourth. "There is only one candidate and that is Pep," Moyes said. "This is the best chance Manchester City have had of winning the Champions League and everybody is sure Man City are going to win the league. They are in one cup final and in with a chance of another. You would have to be football-stupid not to recognise their quality." Guardiola raised eyebrows in midweek when he acknowledged this quality was due to vast expenditure. Speaking ahead of the West Ham game, the City manager insisted he was not being sarc

Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa insists he would rather be playing a full-strength Aston Villa than one devoid of their key attacking talent in Jack Grealish. England international Grealish, who has six goals and 10 assists in 22 Premier League appearances this term, has been ruled out of Saturday's clash with a leg injury. Villa struggled in the midfielder's absence last week as they suffered a 2-1 loss to Leicester City, but Bielsa wanted to see Grealish back involved at Elland Road this weekend. "I always prefer that opponents have their best players available because even if that fortifies a team and makes them more scary to face, it's also a stimulus for us to face such players and to try to neutralise them," Bielsa said. Bielsa has injury concerns of his own as Rodrigo and Kalvin Phillips have been ruled out, while Mateusz Klich is a big doubt and Robin Koch is also not expected to play any part. Leeds returned to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Tyus Jones scored a career-high 20 points, the Memphis defense held Kawhi Leonard and Paul George to sub-standard nights and the Grizzlies beat the Los Angeles Clippers 122-94 on Thursday night. Dillon Brooks added 19 points for Memphis, and Jonas Valanciunas and Ja Morant had 16 each, with Valanciunas adding 15 rebounds. Jones was 9 of 11 from the floor, including 2 of 3 from outside the arc. Leonard scored 17 points, and George and Serge Ibaka had 13 points each, although George was stymied by a 3-for-12 shooting night, part of the Clippers shooting 41%. The teams will complete the two-game set Friday night at FedExForum The Grizzlies, who lead the league in points in the paint, concentrated on that factor in the first half. While the Clippers are one of the strongest teams in the third quarter, it was Memphis that extended its lead to as 17 in the third as the Grizzlies continued to shoot above 55%. Memphis managed to hold off a couple of pushes from the Cl

Trail Blazers visit Lakers, both looking to shake slump The Los Angeles Lakers are buried in their worst slump of the season as they enter Friday's matchup against the visiting Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers have dropped four straight games and five of six since Anthony Davis was lost to an Achilles injury. Los Angeles also has slipped to third in the Western Conference behind the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Clippers. In fact, the Lakers were no competition for the conference-leading Jazz on Wednesday as they trailed by as many as 29 points while being steamrolled 114-89 in Salt Lake City. The beatdown occurred immediately after Los Angeles went winless on a three-game homestand. "It's a tough stretch for us," LeBron James said after the setback in Utah. "You know this won't define who we will be for the rest of the season and for the long haul. That's for sure." But it's not looking too good in the short term as the defending champions

CLEVELAND (AP) Jarrett Allen tied his career high with 26 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked four shots as the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away for a 112-96 win over Houston on Wednesday night, extending the Rockets' losing streak to nine games. Allen, who leads the NBA making 67.2% of his field goals, made 10 of 11 shots from the floor as Cleveland won for the second straight evening after dropping its previous 10 contests. It beat Atlanta 112-111 on Lamar Stevens' dunk with 4.1 seconds left Tuesday. John Wall scored 20 points and Victor Oladipo had 17 points and six rebounds in his return from a strained right foot for Houston, whose last victory occurred at Memphis on Feb. 4. Eric Gordon added 17 points off the bench. The Cavaliers blew the game open with a 22-9 run in the fourth quarter, capped by a 3-pointer by rookie Isaac Okoro that made it 106-89. Cleveland later extended its lead to 112-93 on a trey by Collin Sexton, who scored 23 points. Darius Garland collec

MIAMI (AP) Jimmy Butler went to the foul line in the final moments of the fourth quarter Wednesday night, talking and smiling the entire time. There's a lot for Butler and the Miami Heat to be happy about right now. Butler scored 27 points, 14 of them in the final quarter, and the Heat won their fourth consecutive game by topping the Toronto Raptors 116-108 on Wednesday night. Butler also had 10 assists and eight rebounds for the Heat, plus a season-high three 3-pointers - two of them in the final minutes. Bam Adebayo had 19 points and 12 rebounds for Miami, Duncan Robinson added 17 points and Goran Dragic scored 15 in his return from an ankle injury. ''We're just out there having fun,'' Adebayo said. It was the eighth win in the last 11 games for the Heat, who started the season 7-14. ''Everybody that played really contributed at different points in the game,'' Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. ''And then Jimmy's game was the qu

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) With Stephen Curry struggling to make baskets, Draymond Green gave Golden State a boost of energy. The Warriors needed everything he could muster. Green scored on two late dunks to start the decisive final run, defended hard and found a way to corral loose balls in the closing minutes as Golden State scored six straight points to finally fend off the Indiana Pacers 111-107 on Wednesday night. ''I think in general we don't really need Draymond to score,'' coach Steve Kerr said. ''We need him to do what he needs energy wise but there are going to be some nights like tonight where we don't make a lot of shots and if we get a few from Draymond it might put us over the top.'' Green certainly bailed out the weary Warriors, who won the last two games on a four-game road trip. His numbers - 12 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds and three steals - only told part of the tale on a night Golden State made a season-low 19.2% from 3-poin

The Arizona Coyotes are apparently most dangerous when facing a 3-0 deficit. The Coyotes became the eighth team in NHL history to win consecutive games after trailing by at least three goals with a pair of 4-3 victories against Anaheim earlier this week, the latter coming Wednesday in a shootout. "It's one of those things where you never stop believing, but we can't have a steady dose of this," Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet said. The Coyotes will look to win in a more conventional way when they play host to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night in Glendale, Ariz. Phil Kessel had a goal and an assist as Arizona rallied with three goals in the final 9:55 of regulation in the finale of the two-game series against the Ducks. Oliver Ekman-Larsson had two assists to break Keith Yandle's career record of 246 by a Coyotes defenseman and Christian Dvorak scored the winner in the shootout. "We got some good breaks, a couple of good bounces," said Kessel, who h

Two of the hottest teams in the NHL will meet up Friday night when the Minnesota Wild host the Los Angeles Kings in Saint Paul, Minn. The Kings have won six in a row following two-game sweeps at the Arizona Coyotes and St. Louis Blues to start their six-game road trip. Los Angeles is scheduled to conclude the trip Saturday night against Minnesota. The Wild lost to the Kings 4-0 on Feb. 16 in their first game back from a two-week pause caused by a COVID-19 outbreak on the team. Minnesota has since won four in a row, combining for 20 goals in those wins. "Since we've been back, we've won games that we needed to win," Zach Parise said. "It's nice to have those games (in) hand, but you have to win them. We've done that." The Kings also shut out the Blues 3-0 during their six-game winning streak, surrendering just seven goals in that span. Los Angeles goalies Cal Petersen and Jonathan Quick have combined to save 202 of the past 212 shots. "We

RADFORD, Va. (AP) Shaquan Jules came off the bench to score 14 points to lead Radford to a 74-51 win over Division III member Mount Aloysius on Wednesday night. It was the first of an eight-game season for Mount Aloysius, three of which are exhibitions. Bryan Hart had 13 points for Radford (14-11), which ended its four-game losing streak. Dravon Mangum and Chyree Walker added 12 points apiece. Carlos Palacio had 13 points for the Mounties. Wesley Ayers added 12 points and Azim Hutson had 11. --- For more AP college basketball coverage: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and http://twitter.com/AP-Top25 --- This was generated by Automated Insights, http://www.automatedinsights.com/ap, using data from STATS LLC, https://www.stats.com

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) Florida State continues to build its case for a high NCAA Tournament seed. Sardaar Calhoun scored a career-high 16 points and the No. 11 Seminoles coasted to an 88-71 win over Miami on Wednesday night. The Seminoles (14-3, 10-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) were never threatened after a 19-2 run early in the first half. Anthony Polite hit consecutive 3-pointers and Scottie Barnes' jumper with 10:32 remaining capped the surge and increased Florida State's lead to 27-8. RaiQuan Gray had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the conference leading Seminoles, who have won nine of their last 10. Polite finished with 12 points and Balsa Koprivica was Florida State's fourth double figure scorer with 13 points. ''Our coaches do a great job of preparing us,'' Gray said. ''We treat every game as if it's for the national championship. Our coaches do a great job of keeping us humble.'' Barnes' field goal with 40 seconds remaini

Former Jazz guard Elijah Millsap accused team executive Dennis Lindsey of making racist remarks during a 2015 end-of-season meeting. The Utah Jazz is cooperating with a NBA investigation into former Jazz guard Elijah Millsap's allegations of insensitivity against executive vice president of basketball operations Dennis Lindsey, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski . Millsap, 33, alleged that Lindsey made bigoted comments during a 2015 end-of-season meeting, according to ESPN.  The investigation will examine notes taken in an April 2015 meeting attended by Millsap and three Jazz officials. The meeting included Lindsey, coach Quin Snyder and general manager Justin Zanik, who was then the assistant general manager tasked with taking notes of the conversation. Utah retained outside help to assist the league in its review of the matter. Utah officials, including Lindsey, encouraged the NBA office to open a review of Millsap's allegations.  Millsap made a series of posts

Beasley will serve 120 days on work release or home monitoring after the NBA season is over for his charges. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Malik Beasley will be suspended for 12 games by the NBA after pleading guilty to a felony charge of threats of violence for angrily aiming a rifle at a couple and their teenage daughter in an SUV last September. Beasley, 24, said in a statement on Instagram that he will take time to reflect on his decisions. "I apologize to all the great fans out there who have supported me during this difficult time and I promise I will come back very soon as a better person and player," Beasley said.  On Feb. 9, Beasley was sentenced to 120 days in the Hennepin County Workhouse on work release or home monitoring. The Timberwolves also released a brief statement after Beasley's suspension was announced by the NBA. Beasley will serve the 120 days after the NBA season is over. A local judge also sentenced Beasley to three years on probation th

DENVER (AP) Nikola Jokic had 41 points and Jamal Murray celebrated his 24th birthday by scoring 19 of his 24 in the fourth quarter to lead the Denver Nuggets over the Portland Trail Blazers 111-106 on Tuesday night. Damian Lillard had 20 of his 25 points in the second half and added 13 assists but it wasn't enough for the Blazers, who were coming off a 32-point loss Monday night in Phoenix. They have dropped three straight after a six-game winning streak. ''It's frustrating just because we want to win games,'' Lillard said. ''It's as high as you can get when you're having success. Sometimes you come out on the losing side. We were playing at a high level for a long stretch of games. It's not easy to sustain that level.'' Lillard had only five points at halftime but the Blazers rallied from 12 down to tie it at the break behind Carmelo Anthony's big second quarter. Anthony hit six of eight shots and two of his three 3-point att

CLEVELAND (AP) Jarrett Allen tied his career high with 26 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and blocked four shots as the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled away for a 112-96 win over Houston on Wednesday night, extending the Rockets' losing streak to nine games. Allen, who leads the NBA making 67.2% of his field goals, made 10 of 11 shots from the floor as Cleveland won for the second straight evening after dropping its previous 10 contests. It beat Atlanta 112-111 on Lamar Stevens' dunk with 4.1 seconds left Tuesday. John Wall scored 20 points and Victor Oladipo had 17 points and six rebounds in his return from a strained right foot for Houston, whose last victory occurred at Memphis on Feb. 4. Eric Gordon added 17 points off the bench. The Cavaliers blew the game open with a 22-9 run in the fourth quarter, capped by a 3-pointer by rookie Isaac Okoro that made it 106-89. Cleveland later extended its lead to 112-93 on a trey by Collin Sexton, who scored 23 points. Darius Garland collec