Sports News Roundup: No. 8 Texas romps past No. 3 Kansas; Beal posts 31 in Wizards' first win and more

Beal became the first player in franchise history to start a season with at least 25 points in the team's first six games. He led Phoenix to its first NBA Finals appearance a year later and averaged 20.6 points over six seasons with the team.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Bowl roundup: No. 5 Texas A&M trounces No. 13 North Carolina

Freshman running back Devon Achane ran 76 yards for a tiebreaking touchdown with 3:44 remaining, and No. 5 Texas A&M overcame No. 13 North Carolina to win the Orange Bowl, 41-27, on Saturday night in Miami. The Aggies, who were denied a spot in the College Football Playoff, scored the game's final 21 points in the last 10 1/2 minutes. Their 24 fourth-quarter points were the most in the Orange Bowl for a team since Oklahoma in 1958.

Tournament of Champions field expanded; McIlroy opts out

The Sentry Tournament of Champions will have a record field of 42 players when it begins Thursday at the Kapalua Plantation course in Lahaina, Hawaii. Typically, the field is made up of winners from the previous year. But because of the number of tournaments lost due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020, the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings from last year also were invited.

NBA roundup: Beal posts 31 in Wizards' first win

Bradley Beal scored 31 points to lift the Washington Wizards to their first win of the season, 130-109 over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday in Minneapolis. Beal became the first player in franchise history to start a season with at least 25 points in the team's first six games.

Celtics seek better start in rematch with Pistons

The revisions made to the NBA schedule to decrease travel give the Boston Celtics a swift shot at redemption in Detroit. The Pistons collected their first victory of the season at the Celtics' expense, 96-93, on Friday. The two Eastern Conference clubs will match up once again in Detroit on Sunday afternoon.

NFL-Browns shut down training after another staff member tests positive for COVID-19

The Cleveland Browns closed its team facility on Saturday after another member of the coaching staff tested positive for COVID-19, a day ahead of their critical regular-season finale. The team had been cleared to return to practice on Friday after they had been forced to shut down due to players and a staff member testing positive for the coronavirus. But 24 hours later those plans again changed.

Pope calls Maradona a fragile poet; decries doping cheats

Pope Francis has hailed fellow Argentine Diego Maradona as a "poet" on the pitch, but also acknowledged his frailty away from the sport. In a wide-ranging interview with Italian sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport published on Saturday, Francis recalled his own days playing soccer as a child with a ball made of rags and laid bare his scorn for doping cheats.

NBA-Paul Westphal, Hall of Fame player turned coach, dies at 70

Paul Westphal, a Basketball Hall of Fame guard and later a successful NBA coach, died on Saturday at the age of 70, the Phoenix Suns said, months after he was diagnosed with brain cancer. The five-time NBA All-Star and former first-round pick won the NBA championship early in his career with the Boston Celtics in 1974, before joining the Suns in 1975. He led Phoenix to its first NBA Finals appearance a year later and averaged 20.6 points over six seasons with the team.

Results not age key factor for Federer now, says Woodbridge

Roger Federer's results in 2021 are more likely than any age milestone to determine when his glittering career comes to an end, said Australian Todd Woodbridge, who thinks the Swiss master may yet have another Wimbledon triumph in him. Last week the holder of 20 Grand Slam singles titles confirmed that fitness issues after two knee operations in 2020 mean that fans will not see him in action at the Australian Open in February for the first time in more than two decades.

Top 25 roundup: No. 8 Texas romps past No. 3 Kansas

Courtney Ramey scored 18 points as No. 8 Texas sizzled from 3-point range and led wire-to-wire Saturday, trouncing No. 3 Kansas 84-59 at in their Big 12 matchup in Lawrence, Kan. The losing margin was the worst sustained at home by Bill Self in his 18 seasons as Kansas coach. Andrew Jones scored 14 points, Matt Coleman III added 13, and Jericho Sims netted 11 to go with a game-high 12 rebounds for the Longhorns (8-1, 2-0).

NFL-Floyd Little, 'The Franchise' of Denver Broncos fame, dies at 78

Hall of Fame running back Floyd Little, whose on-field heroics for the Denver Broncos earned him the nickname "The Franchise," died on Friday at the age of 78. A first-round draft pick out of Syracuse in 1967, Little captained the Broncos for all nine seasons of his career, earning Pro Bowl honors five times to become an icon early in the franchise's history.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)