Sports
Not even the return of Boogie Ellis in a rivalry game could fix USC's scoring woes
Boogie Ellis waved hello with three fingers. The fifth-year guard swished a three-pointer on his first shot after a three-game absence, flashing three fingers toward a sold-out Galen Center crowd. Briefly, he looked like USC’s best hope to save its season.
But Ellis’ eight-point flurry in seven minutes against the Bruins could do little to shift USC’s offensive misfortunes. The team’s problems are too large for just the leading scorer to solve.
UCLA held USC to its lowest scoring total of the season in a 65-50 loss Saturday. As effortlessly as the Trojans (8-12, 2-7 Pac-12) ripped off a 10-point run in the first half, they also let UCLA bury them in a 22-4 avalanche going into halftime. USC allowed the Bruins (9-11, 4-5 Pac-12) to carry the momentum of the run for the rest of the game, forward Joshua Morgan admitted sheepishly.
The Trojans never found a second gear despite the high stakes. They had won five in a row at home against their rivals. The team’s NCAA tournament hopes are fading with each game tacked onto the losing streak. The five consecutive losses are the most for the program since 2015.
“We’ve gotta have some more pride,” Ellis said. “At the end of the day, we had a lot of guys on last year’s team who really knew how much it meant to us. I feel like we just gotta establish the culture. We got a lot of young guys now. We just gotta want it more.”
Even with Ellis back from a nagging hamstring injury, USC’s offense is still stuck in neutral without freshman point guard Isaiah Collier.
USC is averaging 61.2 points in its last five games after averaging 77.9 points in the first 16 games. Ellis reinjured his hamstring in a loss to Washington State that also saw Collier injure his right hand. The backcourt tandem missed three consecutive road games before Ellis returned Saturday on one day’s practice. Collier, the No. 1-ranked recruit in his class, will sit out two to four more weeks because of a right hand injury.
For the Trojans, his return can’t come soon enough.
“I feel like Zay, he does a great job of getting in the paint, he draws a lot of attention. Teams can’t really sit in the gaps as much because he’s going to find the open shooter,” Ellis said. “I feel like we gotta continue to move the ball, make our open shots, feed the ball in the post, play inside-out. … At the end of the day, we just gotta make shots.”
Sophomore Oziyah Sellers was the only Trojan to score in double figures Saturday, notching 10 points on three-for-three shooting. With no one in rhythm on offense, coach Andy Enfield said he drew up different plays in the second half to try to get various players going. The Trojans tried to post up Kobe Johnson, who was just three-for-seven shooting for eight points. Sellers was the target on two plays. So was Bronny James, who went scoreless from the field on three shots and picked up an early technical foul for taunting UCLA’s Dylan Andrews after a blocked shot.
After Ellis scored eight points on his first four shots, UCLA — the best scoring defense in the Pac-12 — dialed up its defense to face guard Ellis and deny him the ball. He missed his final six shots.
“Offense is a team game,” Enfield said. “You have to share the ball, you have to make plays for your teammates and then when it’s your time to step up and make a shot, you hope you can do that at a certain percentage, and unfortunately, we had a little trouble doing that for most of the game.”
While Enfield, Morgan and Ellis all emphasized the team is staying positive in trying to improve, Ellis is also resigned. Even with more than half of the Pac-12 slate to go, he knows each little bit of progress during the regular season needs to pay off in Las Vegas, site of the Pac-12 Conference tournament.
“From here on out, I feel like we just need to focus on doing what we can do, taking it one game at a time and getting better for the Pac-12 tournament,” Ellis said, “because we have to win it.”
Sports
Becky Lynch enters exclusive WWE club with Women’s Intercontinental Championship win at WrestleMania 42
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LAS VEGAS – Becky Lynch entered an atmosphere no other WWE women’s superstar has ever reached as she won the Women’s Intercontinental Championship over AJ Lee on Saturday night at WrestleMania 42.
Lynch became the first person to hold the Women’s Intercontinental Championship three times after she pinned Lee. She first won the title against Lyra Valkyria in June 2025 and then again against Maxxine Dupri in November.
Becky Lynch celebrates with the belt after defeating AJ Lee during their women’s Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 42 in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
She dropped the belt to Lee at the Elimination Chamber, sparking a monthslong feud with her.
Lee gave Lynch the chance at the title in the weeks prior to WrestleMania 42. But it appeared Lee played right into Lynch’s plans. Despite arguing with referee Jessica Carr for most of the match, Lynch was able to tactfully tear down a rope buckle and use it to her advantage.
Lynch hit Lee with a Manhandle Slam and pinned her for the win.
WWE STARS REVEAL WHAT MAKES WRESTLEMANIA SO SPECIAL: ‘IT’S THE SUPER BOWL OF PRO WRESTLING’
AJ Lee reacts after losing to Becky Lynch in their Women’s Intercontinental Championship match at WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
It’s the second straight year Lynch will leave Las Vegas as champion. She returned to WWE at WrestleMania 41, teaming with Valkyria, to win the women’s tag titles. She will now leave Allegiant Stadium as the women’s intercontinental champion.
Lynch is now a seven-time women’s champion, three-time women’s intercontinental champion and two-time tag team champion.
Becky Lynch withstands AJ Lee during their Women’s Intercontinental Championship match on night one of WrestleMania 42 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., on April 18, 2026. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Lee’s reign as champion ended really before it could really begin. WrestleMania 42 was her first appearance at the event in 11 years. It’s unclear where Lee will go from here.
The Clippers’ season has come to an end but better than anyone expected. No consolation but a great job by head coach Tyronn Lue for guiding the Clippers from a disastrous 6-21 start and finishing with more than 40 wins.
Coach Lue led the team, overcoming major obstacles throughout the season with a player investigation, injuries, internal strife and major roster changes at the trade deadline. As usual for Clipper fans, wait till next year.
Wayne Muramatsu
Cerritos
The Clippers are the NBA’s version of Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You.” Yes, they have had 15 straight seasons of playing .500 or better, and owner Steve Ballmer has brought them respectability, but for their entire 56-year existence — which has contained many clowns and jokers — they still have never [attained] their goal of winning (or even reaching) the NBA Finals.
Ken Feldman
Tarzana
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LAS VEGAS – Paul Walter Hauser is an actor who has been in “The Naked Gun,” “Blackbird,” and “Richard Jewell.” But on Friday night at Maple Leaf Pro’s first U.S. event, MLP Multiverse, there was no acting going on.
Hauser squared off against QT Marshall in a sin city street fight at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. It was the final show of Slam Fest. The two pro wrestlers pulled out all the stops and left the ring in complete disarray.
Paul Walter Hauser competed against QT Marshall at Maple Leaf Pro Multiverse on April 18, 2026 in Las Vegas. (Fox News Digital)
It was a rematch of their brawl at Ring of Honor’s Death Before Dishonor event. Marshall went on the attack first, throwing in all kinds of foreign objects into the ring, including a piece of wood wrapped with barbed wire, a table, a cane, chairs and even a door was brought into the match.
Hauser was able to regain momentum in the match. He set up the barbed-wire object in the corner. Marshall countered and was trying to whip Hauser into the barbed wire. However, Hauser stopped himself. As Marshall tried to take Hauser by surprise, the movie star avoided Marshall and tossed him into the barbed wire.
Marshall was busted open, but wasn’t done. Hauser was trying to inflict more pain. He set up a table near one corner of the ring and poured thumbtacks on top of it. Marshall was able to powerbomb Hauser through the tacked table.
Paul Walter Hauser is pictured on Thursday, Feb. 1, 2024. (Nathan Congleton/NBC)
BLUE PANTHER AND ÚLTIMO GUERRERO STEAL THE SHOW AT CMLL’S FIRST-EVER US EVENT IN LAS VEGAS
Hauser was left with thumbtacks in his back and one in his head. He managed to power through and put Marshall into a sharpshooter. Marshall tapped out. Hauser picked up the victory.
Hauser got his start in pro wrestling in 2023 at Pro Wrestling Revolver. He worked his way through appearances at All Elite Wrestling before he signed with Major League Wrestling in 2024.
He’s currently Progress Wrestling’s Progress proteus champion.
Elsewhere, Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre (CMLL) world heavyweight champion Hechicero defended his championship against Jonathan Gresham, Maple Leaf Pro Canadian women’s champion Gisele Shaw fended off Shotzi Blackheart, Persephone and surprise entrant Killer Kelly to keep the title.
Mistico, Mascara Dorada and Amazing Red defeated The Rascalz at Maple Leaf Pro Multiverse on April 18, 2026 in Las Vegas. (Fox News Digital)
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The show started with Subculture, the tag team duo of Mark Andrews and Flash Morgan Webster, defeated Vaughn Vertigo and Guy Cool. The Demand’s Ricochet, Bishop Kaun and Toa Liona defeated Sidney Akeem, Michael Oku and Rich Swaan, Steve Borden defeated Kiran Gray and Mistico, Mascara Dorada, Amazing Red defeated The Rascalz – Desmond Xavier, Zachary Wentz and Myron Reed.
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