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  • Horoscopes: Friday, Feb. 20, 2026

    ARIES (March 21-April 19). It used to feel weird to witness the one who seemed to have it all and act like you weren’t inwardly comparing yourself. Now you’ll notice you’re over it. You actually enjoy the inspiration. It sparks ideas. You try things.

    TAURUS (April 20-May 20). You do not need approval to proceed, but don’t let that stop you from sharing. People will love being in on your process. This is how bonds are made. When they feel they’ve have been in on your plans from the start, future rewards will be wonderful for many.

    GEMINI (May 21-June 21). A possession takes more time than you want to give. It’s your cue to make a change. It’s not about upgrading or downsizing but about finding the balance of maintenance to benefit that fits the rest of your life.

    CANCER (June 22-July 22). This week you’re less like the naturally and brilliantly defended crab and more like a snail, half inside your house and half out, as comfortable as you are vulnerable. In this state, any number of things could happen. You could receive a message on the wind, learn a new pleasure or pain, or fall in love.

    LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). You can build bonds through work or play. The work will be easier today though because structure is built in. The rules and expected outcomes are a natural environment for getting to know people and building trust, and you’ll do both.

    VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). Whatever you most want from the day can happen if you’re willing to make everything else wait while you put all your focus into priority No. 1. It’s going to take more than a statement of intent. You may have to go somewhere no one will bother you.

    LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). Like other kinds of ailments, healing times vary for wounds of the spiritual heart. The important thing is that you know you can bounce back, like you have before. So you also know that love is worth the risk.

    SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Winning isn’t everything. Having the highest score isn’t always for the highest good for all. You’ll assess the game from a different vantage today and consider ways to “win” that hadn’t occurred to you before.

    SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Neatness doesn’t automatically improve the substance of work. A messy but brilliant idea is still brilliant. But today, presentation will make your work user-friendly and strongly influence the number of people who engage with it. So all your efforts to polish will pay you back.

    CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Novelty can be a pleasure, but pleasure isn’t always about novelty. Today’s self-care will involve returning to your familiar favorite things. What tops your list is no accident. You’ve tried a lot of different things to find out what you like.

    AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Busyness is to importance as distraction is to the “ta-da” in a magic trick. They look connected. Maybe they are; maybe it’s smoke and mirrors. Either way, the kind of busyness that counts? Being there for the people who need you.

    PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). You’ve known that kind of inspiration that feels like a lightning strike from the clouds. This time it’s very different. Intuition comes up from the ground, energizing you while you work. It’s like you’re suddenly plugged in.

    TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (Feb. 20). Welcome to your Year of the Grapevine Knot when your hope holds because it commits. You grip tighter under load, never slip once set, and will not return to any shape you’ve already been — ever forward, ever true. More highlights: fun friends, finding and deepening love, doing the right work over and over until the windfall, and a living arrangement that is so elegantly yours. Your lucky numbers are: 11, 23, 38, 7 and 29.

  • Imhotep is back in the Public League girls’ basketball final after beating Central

    Imhotep is back in the Public League girls’ basketball final after beating Central

    Business as usual.

    For the 14th year in a row, Imhotep Charter is headed back to the Public League championship. In Thursday’s semifinal, the Panthers eked out a 52-45 win against Central at La Salle’s John Glaser Arena. Imhotep led for the entire game, but Central kept it close until the final whistle. Taylor Linton’s team-high 17 points lifted the Panthers back to the final.

    “Out of all the teams throughout Imhotep history that have contributed to the streak, the commonality between all of those teams is that everybody is pushing,” said Imhotep coach David Hargrove. “Pushing to be better — number one. But then, pushing to be better teammates — number two. That allows us to keep that standard of competitiveness and championship-quality basketball.”

    Audenried will defend its Public League girls’ basketball title after blowout win over Lincoln

    Late in the fourth quarter, down by six, Central sophomore guard Ava Yancey stole the ball and passed to junior point guard Stevie Hall, who was fouled and sent to the line. She made both free throws.

    But Imhotep kept on pushing.

    Panthers junior guard McKenna Alston responded with a lay-in of her own to quiet Central’s fans. Alston then stole the ball on the next two Lancers possessions to swing the momentum back to the Panthers.

    “We challenge our kids about making connecting plays. A lot of people think that’s [just on offense]. But for us … it’s on defense too,” Hargrove said. “We were able to put pressure to the ball, be in passing lanes, and be active.”

    Linton added: “[The end] was very intense. I think what was important is that we kept our poise … and we stayed connected.”

    Imhotep senior point guard Anai Kenyatta controlled the pace for the Panthers. Whenever the Lancers gained momentum, Kenyatta answered the call, finishing with 13 points. Senior forward Crystal Hawthorne added 11.

    For Central, sophomore forward Janai Bellinger led with a game-high 18 points. After Imhotep took a quick nine-point lead behind a 7-2 run to start the second half, Bellinger kept her team within striking distance until the final whistle.

    Audenried trounced Lincoln 67-28 earlier Thursday, meaning Imhotep will meet Audenried in the Public League championship for the fourth year in a row on Sunday. The Panthers lost to the Shayla Smith-led Rockets in the championship the past three matchups. With Smith now at Penn State, Sunday’s results could look different from previous years.

    Before Alexis Eberz begins her journey at Villanova, she has unfinished business with Archbishop Carroll

    “Sunday’s matchup — we anticipate it to be a classic. It’s what has become an Imhotep-Audenried matchup, which is always going to be a back-and-forth, competitive game,” said Hargrove. “Some players are going to step up, some might step down, but it’s going to be a competitive game, and our kids have really been building for this moment all season.”

    Before Imhotep prepares for Audenried, the Panthers celebrated in the locker room after Thursday’s win.

    “It was quiet at first when we all walked in because it was like, ‘Dang,’” Linton said. “And then the coaches started coming in, and it was like, ‘OK, we going to the chip.’ It was real. Everybody was cheering and everyone was really, really happy.”

  • Sixers’ losing streak reaches three after 117-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks

    Sixers’ losing streak reaches three after 117-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks

    Jalen Johnson had 32 points and 10 rebounds and CJ McCollum added 23 points as the Atlanta Hawks beat the 76ers 117-107 on Thursday night in the teams’ first game after the All-Star break.

    Dyson Daniels finished with 15 points, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored 14, and Zaccharie Risacher and Jock Landale each had 10 as the Hawks snapped a three-game losing streak with their third win over the Sixers this season.

    Tyrese Maxey scored 28 points and Rising Stars MVP VJ Edgecombe added 20 for the Sixers, who were without center Joel Embiid, who missed the game due to right shin soreness.

    Cameron Payne is happy to return to Sixers: ‘When your focus is in the right place, things like this happen’

    Kelly Oubre Jr. scored 17 points and Quentin Grimes scored 10 of his 14 points in the first half for Philly. Andre Drummond contributed 10 points and 14 rebounds as the Sixers lost their third in a row and for the fourth time in five games.

    The Hawks built an 11-point lead with approximately six minutes remaining before the Sixers charged back and closed within 108-104 with less than three minutes left. Atlanta closed the game with a 9-3 run that included five points by Johnson, who shot 14-for-16 from the line.

    The 76ers said Embiid experienced soreness in his shin while participating in a right knee injury management program over the break. After consulting with doctors, Embiid has received daily treatment, while progressing through on-court work and strength and conditioning.

    Coach Nick Nurse said before the game against the Hawks that the plan is to get Embiid on the court on Friday and “see how he looks from there.” Nurse said he “don’t anticipate it being a long time.”

    Embiid is averaging 26.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 31 games this season.

    The Sixers will face the Pelicans on Saturday in New Orleans (7 p.m., NBCSP).

  • Audenried will defend its Public League girls’ basketball title after blowout win over Lincoln

    Audenried will defend its Public League girls’ basketball title after blowout win over Lincoln

    The Universal Audenried Charter girls’ basketball team entered the Public League semifinals Thursday night as three-time reigning champions, but the journey for its fourth title looks different.

    Guard Shayla Smith led the Rockets the last four seasons and became Philadelphia’s all-time leading scorer, but she graduated and moved on to Penn State.

    Against Abraham Lincoln, Audenried showed it still can win. Behind junior forward Nasiaah Russell and senior guard Heaven Reese, the Rockets are heading to their fourth straight Public League title game after beating Lincoln, 67-28, at La Salle’s John Glaser Arena. Audenried will face Imhotep on Sunday.

    Before Alexis Eberz begins her journey at Villanova, she has unfinished business with Archbishop Carroll

    After a sluggish first four minutes, Audenried dominated the rest of the way. The Rockets outscored Lincoln by 19 points in the second half by forcing turnovers and scoring in transition. Four players scored in double figures, led by Reese’s 16 points and sophomore guard Chloe Kham’s 15 off the bench.

    “Us making it back to the championship after Shayla leaving is huge for me,” said Audenried coach Kevin Slaughter. “A lot of people were saying once Shayla left, we were done, and to get back is big for us.”

    Audenried found stability behind Reese, who has been part of the winning culture at Audenried and knows what it takes to bring home a Public League crown.

    The experience of Reese, a Coppin State commit; Russell, who’s committed to St. John’s; and guard Aniyah Cheeseboro made overcoming the loss of Smith easier.

    “The last three years, we have all been behind Shayla and the other seniors,” Reese said. “So for us to [go win without her], it just means a lot.”

    The Rockets ended the first quarter on a 16-1 run to take a 12-point lead. Kham hit back-to-back threes early in the second to push Audenried’s lead to 16. The sophomore was a significant factor for Audenried with her deep shooting and layups in transition.

    West Philly ‘stayed the path’ to get back to the Public League final

    “Chloe has been a person who’s been struggling a bit this season … and I think it was her first high school experience because she didn’t really play at Neumann Goretti last year,” Slaughter said. “So for her to come out and have 15 points is huge for us.”

    Audenried took a 40-18 halftime lead with another championship appearance in sight. Lincoln scored the first three points of the second half before the Rockets put the game away.

    They scored 27 straight points to enter the final eight minutes with a 67-21 lead. Reese and Russell led the charge with 12 during the run.

    Audenried girls’ basketball will have a rematch with Imhotep in the Public League title game on Sunday.

    The championship game will pit Audenried against Imhotep for a fourth straight year. The Rockets won, 65-52, last year behind 35 points from Smith. They may not have Smith, but their confidence in winning a fourth straight Public League title remains high.

    “Me personally, I always thought we were going to get back here,” Slaughter said. “Because a lot of the kids who were ninth and 10th graders when Shayla was there, they got to see it. … They have been in these wars.”

  • ‘I was vulnerable’: Women testify against head of Delco addiction nonprofit accused of trading money for sexual favors

    ‘I was vulnerable’: Women testify against head of Delco addiction nonprofit accused of trading money for sexual favors

    The woman, then battling an addiction to heroin, said she sought help at the Opioid Crisis Action Network, a beacon of hope for those struggling with substance abuse disorder in Delaware County.

    But instead of providing compassionate care, Larry Arata, the nonprofit’s founder, offered her gift cards in exchange for oral sex in his car in 2024, the woman testified Thursday in a Delaware County courtroom.

    The experience traumatized her, she said, and within a month she had dropped out of recovery and overdosed.

    “I was still on heroin, and I needed help,” the woman said, her voice breaking as she recalled the encounter. “I didn’t expect to have to do that.”

    As she spoke, Arata, 65, sat in the courtroom for a preliminary hearing in a sweeping prostitution and trafficking case that Delaware County prosecutors brought against him late last year.

    He has denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyers said Thursday that they would present a robust defense at trial.

    In emotional testimony, six women took the stand and accused Arata of criminal behavior. The Inquirer is not naming the women because the newspaper does not identify victims of sex crimes without their permission

    One woman said Arata hired her to clean the Opioid Crisis Action Network’s office as she was trying to get sober. Almost immediately, she said, he began complimenting her appearance. Eventually, they began having sex in Arata’s private office at the nonprofit and at a nearby hotel, she said, where he sneaked her in a back door.

    Afterward, she said, Arata would give her a $300 paycheck, as well as extra cash and gift cards.

    Other women who sought the Action Network’s help said Arata made comments about their appearance and offered them financial incentives after sexual encounters in parks, hotels, and in one case, his father’s home.

    Arata founded the Opioid Crisis Action Network after his son died of an overdose in 2017, and he became something of a figurehead for issues surrounding addiction in the suburban county.

    But Arata abused his position of influence, prosecutors said in November as they charged him with multiple counts of trafficking, patronizing prostitutes, promoting prostitution, obstruction, and one count of harassment.

    They said Arata twisted his nonprofit’s mission, using cash, gift cards, and rent payments to elicit sex from vulnerable women who relied on him for help.

    In one case, a woman testified that Arata told after a sexual encounter that “secrets are meant to be kept.” Others said he worried that his wife would find out about the sexual encounters and asked them to delete sexually explicit images they had texted him.

    And one woman — who said Arata had cornered her in his office and tried to kiss her — said that when he later learned that she had spoken to county investigators about the incident, called her a liar and told her to recant.

    Arata’s attorneys did not call any witnesses. They told the judge their client’s alleged behavior did not meet the legal standards for many of charges against him, including trafficking and obstruction.

    After hearing nearly four hours of testimony, Delaware County Court Judge Benjamin Johns said prosecutors had presented sufficient evidence for all charges against Arata to stand.

    Brandi McLaughlin, an attorney for Arata, told reporters that her team would try the case in a “courthouse, not the media.”

  • Three Phillies starters are breaking their routine to pitch in the WBC during spring training

    Three Phillies starters are breaking their routine to pitch in the WBC during spring training

    CLEARWATER, Fla. — Most pitchers are creatures of habit and rely heavily on their routines. But every four years, some of those routines change for major league pitchers participating in the World Baseball Classic.

    The Phillies will send three members of their expected 2026 starting rotation to the tournament that starts on March 5: Cristopher Sánchez (Dominican Republic), Taijuan Walker (Mexico), and Aaron Nola (Italy).

    Next month, instead of the relaxed atmosphere of Grapefruit League games, they could be pitching in situations with higher stakes.

    Phillies coach’s infield drills take an unconventional approach to practice a basic skill: Watching the ball

    “It’s just a different feeling,” said Walker, who also pitched for Mexico in 2023. “The pride for you playing for your country, and the crowd is just different. The atmosphere is different because you get both crowds, both countries’ fans, and they got the instruments going. It’s loud. They never sit down. It’s just constantly going.”

    Mexico finished third in 2023 after being eliminated in the semifinals by Japan, which later defeated the U.S. in the championship game.

    Walker said he didn’t adjust his offseason training too much in preparation for the WBC. He completed the same weighted ball program that helped him add a tick to his fastball last offseason.

    Phillies pitcher Taijuan Walker (center) will pitch for Mexico in the WBC. He also helped Mexico to a third place finish in 2023.

    The WBC’s limits on pitch counts for each round allow him to continue to ramp up at a fairly normal pace. Pitchers are limited to 65 pitches in the first round, 80 in the quarterfinal, and 95 in the championship rounds, though they can exceed that to finish a plate appearance.

    “You’re already maybe two or three spring training games into it when WBC games start,” Walker said. “The only [different] thing is intensity-wise.”

    The high-stakes atmosphere of WBC games can make it difficult for pitchers to experiment in ways they might in a typical spring training, such as through introducing a new pitch. In bullpen sessions so far in camp, Walker has been working on his slider. But when he pitches for Mexico, he’ll be relying more on his best weapons, his splitter and cutter.

    The Phillies’ Trea Turner was still the fastest man in the league at 32. And it’s not due just to ‘genetics.’

    “If I’m working on a slider, I get to go throw 20 sliders and work on it. WBC games, we got to get outs,” he said.

    Mexico and Italy are in Pool B, alongside the U.S., Great Britain, and Brazil. Their round-robin games will take place in Houston. The Dominican Republic is in Pool D with Venezuela, Netherlands, Israel, and Nicaragua, and will play in Miami.

    Nola will be pitching in his first WBC next month, representing the country his great-grandparents are from. He started his offseason work in mid-November, about a month earlier than normal for him, to ease into his training.

    “Just to kind of get the arm moving,” Nola said. “I know how fast spring training games come when you get here, we don’t have as much time as we used to, so it’s actually been kind of nice to kind of be a little bit more ready, bodywise over here.”

    Nola also did long toss, which is not typically part of his offseason regimen.

    He said he likely would have done that anyway, even if he wasn’t already committed to Italy. Nola was limited to 94⅓ innings in 2025 due to an ankle sprain and rib fracture, the fewest innings he’s thrown since the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season.

    He decided toward the end of last season that he would commit to Italy, hoping to play with his brother. Nola pitched against Austin, a former professional catcher, who was with the Padres during the 2022 National League Championship Series against the Phillies.

    Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola will represent Italy for the first time in the WBC.

    Although Austin had to withdraw after accepting a role as bullpen coach for the Mariners, Aaron still wanted to play. He has never been to Italy, but is looking forward to teaming up with former Phillie Michael Lorenzen and current prospect Dante Nori, as well as the other new faces who play in the Italian Baseball League.

    “I wanted to experience it before I was done with baseball,” he said. “And every guy in here that has played in the past has loved it, said it’s a great experience. It’s gonna be fun to represent for Italy.”

    Of course, injuries are always a concern for any player. But the Phillies are optimistic that participating in the Classic could give Nola a head start on what they hope is a bounceback season.

    “Nola, I think, is going to benefit from playing the WBC, just to get the blood flowing a little bit earlier,” said manager Rob Thomson. “Nola’s always going to be ready; always going to work. But I think getting some competition is going to help him.”

    Murphy: What Bryce Harper said, what he couldn’t say, and how it reflects on Dave Dombrowski

    Extra bases

    The Phillies unveiled a new video board at Baycare Ballpark on Thursday. Its display of 3,200 square feet makes it the largest at any spring training ballpark. … Zack Wheeler (thoracic outlet decompression surgery) is scheduled to throw out to a distance of 120 feet again on Friday and will start spinning the ball. “We don’t have a date for bullpen yet, but he’s doing very well,” Thomson said.

  • Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae is ‘doing everything he can’ to get himself back into the lineup

    Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae is ‘doing everything he can’ to get himself back into the lineup

    During the last stretch of February heading into the Olympic break, Rick Tocchet had a familiar refrain regarding defenseman Emil Andrae — “we’re trying to get him in.”

    But Andrae, 23, ultimately ended up sitting the final five games before the break, the odd man out thanks to his left-handed shot and lack of utility on the penalty kill. Is there a place for him in the Flyers’ lineup down the stretch?

    “We need his input from the blue line offensively and the things that he can do in terms of breaking pucks out,” assistant coach Todd Reirden, who runs the defense, said Thursday.

    Flyers call-ups bring ‘a new energy’ as the team prepares for the stretch run

    In the 40 games Andrae has played so far this year, he’s set career-highs in points and assists, with 11 points and 10 assists. The 2020 second-round pick is averaging 16 minutes, 54 seconds of ice time and is second on the Flyers with a plus-11 rating.

    In Andrae’s place, Tocchet reinstated Noah Juulsen into the lineup. The veteran Juulsen is a right-hand shot and kills penalties. Juulsen and Andrae played on a pair together early in the year with right-handed defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen injured. But since Ristolainen’s return on Dec. 16, Andrae has jumped in and out of the lineup.

    Reirden echoed a similar sentiment to Tocchet — the coaching staff likes Andrae, but situationally, they don’t think it makes sense to play him.

    “He’s been really sharp in these three practices that he’s been back for,” Reirden said. “I know he came back a little bit earlier and did some other skating. He’s doing everything he can to get himself in a situation where he’s fighting to be in that lineup every night.”

    With the trade deadline coming up, and the Flyers still on the outside looking in, the team might be looking to ship out some of their extra defensemen — especially with a glut of prospects coming up, like 2023 first-round pick Oliver Bonk, who got an extended look during the last two days of practice with Travis Sanheim and Rasmus Ristolainen away in Milan.

    Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae is second on the team with a plus-11 rating, yet he’s found himself on the outside looking in of late.

    Andrae is no stranger to fighting for his place with the Flyers. He started the year in the AHL out of training camp, despite playing over 40 games for the Flyers in 2024-25. He put up five points in seven games before earning a recall to the NHL.

    “We sometimes forget what he’s gone through this year, by starting in the minors and going through that — it’s not easy, mentally and physically,“ Reirden said. ”To his credit, he came back and he’s been able to post those type of numbers.”

    Flyers return to practice after the Olympic break with playoffs on the mind: ‘The urgency, the compete level needs to be up’

    Whether Andrae finds himself back in the lineup come Feb. 25 in Washington or not, nearly a month after his last start, or on the Flyers beyond the March 6 trade deadline, he’s continued to take steps forward as the year progresses.

    “This is a player that definitely has improved, and continues to improve,” Reirden said. “Being able to just keep that level of consistency for us is important. Sometimes you need to take a step away and then take the break that he had.”

    Breakaways

    Sanheim, Tocchet, and Team Canada will take on Ristolainen and Finland in the Olympic semifinals on Friday at 10:40 a.m. … Team USA will face Slovakia at 3:10 p.m. The two winning teams will play for gold on Sunday and the losing teams will play for bronze on Saturday. … The Flyers loaned Bonk, Hunter McDonald, and Carson Bjarnson back to Lehigh Valley in order to play in American Hockey League games this weekend.

  • Man accused of hiding cameras in restrooms at a barbershop in South Jersey

    Man accused of hiding cameras in restrooms at a barbershop in South Jersey

    A 56-year-old man was arrested after he allegedly placed hidden cameras inside restrooms at a barbershop where he worked in Gloucester County, police said Thursday.

    Richard Doerrmann, of Mickleton, N.J., was charged with one count of third-degree invasion of privacy to record intimate body parts without consent, and two counts of fourth-degree invasion of privacy for placing recording devices in public restrooms, Mantua Township police said in a post on Facebook.

    Last Friday, the owner of Gino’s Barbershop at 670 Bridgeton Pike contacted the Mantua police to report that a spy camera had been discovered inside a restroom at his business.

    Detectives determined that Doerrmann, who worked as a barber at the business, had allegedly placed hidden cameras inside the restrooms, which are used by customers, on multiple occasions, police said.

    Police said they executed search warrants at Doerrmann’s residence and for his electronic devices.

    As of Thursday, Doerrmann was being held at the Gloucester County Correctional Facility, records show.

    The owner of the business fully cooperated with investigators, police said, adding that the investigation is ongoing and anyone with information helpful to the case can contact Detective Corporal Jeffrey Krieger at jkrieger@mantuatownship.com.

  • Villanova’s battle against No. 1 UConn brought fleeting flashbacks of the ‘old-school Big East’

    Villanova’s battle against No. 1 UConn brought fleeting flashbacks of the ‘old-school Big East’

    The Finneran Pavilion was the loudest it had been all season for Villanova women’s basketball as the Wildcats hosted No. 1 UConn on Wednesday night.

    The energy in the packed arena intensified at halftime when the unexpected happened: Villanova led the undefeated Huskies by three points. It was the first time all season that UConn trailed at the half.

    “The atmosphere that was created was tremendous,” said Villanova coach Denise Dillon. “I loved hearing [the fans]. They were here for us. That was the difference, and you felt it from the beginning of the game and carrying through.”

    What did Villanova learn in its loss to No. 1 UConn? The game truly is ‘four quarters.’

    The magic of Villanova’s first half eventually wore off, as UConn pulled away in the third quarter. The Huskies then held a double-digit lead to secure an 83-69 win. Villanova will be back in the Finneran Pavilion on Sunday to host Marquette, which stands fourth in the Big East (3:30 p.m., Peacock).

    However, Villanova’s tough stance against the nation’s top team was enough to remind the 41-year UConn coach Geno Auriemma of what he called the “old-school Big East.”

    The conference rivalry, which has dissipated since the advent of the NIL and transfer portal era, seemed to have been revived — at least for the moment.

    Looking back

    Auriemma reflected on the rivalry between Villanova and UConn over the years. Although UConn owns the all-time record 49-7, the longtime coach, who grew up in Norristown, suggested the competition intensified since UConn rejoined the Big East in 2000 after a seven-year stint in the American Confernce.

    Now, UConn (28-0, 17-0 Big East) and Villanova (21-6, 14-4) hold the top two places in the conference standings. But the gap between the two programs remains wide.

    Villanova’s Jasmine Bascoe finished wih 26 points in a loss to UConn on Wednesday.

    “Every mistake we made in the first half [tonight], we paid for it,” Auriemma said. “The crowd was great. The two best teams in the league are playing, it’s a great atmosphere. I love the way Denise does things with her team. As much as I enjoy coming [to Villanova] because a lot of friends and family are down here, I didn’t really miss it those seven years.”

    Wednesday’s game was a much different contest than the last time the two teams faced off just over a month ago. The Huskies bulldozed their way to a 99-50 victory on Jan. 15 on their home court.

    Before Alexis Eberz begins her journey at Villanova, she has unfinished business with Archbishop Carroll

    “It honestly was a train wreck at their place,” Dillon said. “So the growth from a month ago is fantastic. That’s what you want, especially when you have younger players and [Jasmine Bascoe] leading the way, directing out there on the floor.”

    After being limited to just eight points in January’s matchup against UConn, sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe was all over the court on Wednesday night. Bascoe scored 18 of her 26 points in the first half. She also added nine rebounds and seven assists, while playing the full 40 minutes.

    Carter’s veteran view

    In each of Denae Carter’s three seasons at Villanova, a win over UConn was out of sight. UConn recorded 100 points against Villanova for the first time last season and went on to win the national championship. The Huskies were one point away from repeating that in January.

    Carter, a graduate forward who joined the Wildcats in 2023-24 as a Mississippi State transfer, is one of Villanova’s few veteran players.

    Against UConn, she recorded a career-high 21 points, shooting 8-for-9 from the field and 3-for-3 on three-pointers. She also notched three steals and three blocks while being matched up with Sarah Strong, the Big East’s top scorer.

    Villanova’s Denae Carter (left) scored a career-high 21 points agains UConn on Wednesday.

    “[Strong] is a great player, and our focus really was just stopping everybody and helping each other,” Carter said. “I think we did a really good job in the first half, and we just have to sustain that.”

    With two regular-season games remaining of her college career, Carter is a player the program will continue to lean on.

    “I think that maturity came through tonight and she’s tough to take off the floor at any point,” Dillon said. “We’re going to keep [Carter] out there longer as she finishes her career.”

    Villanova honors alumni and coach Harry Perretta during its win over Georgetown

    What was once an intense rivalry between UConn and Villanova may not be achievable in the current college sports landscape. But Villanova’s unprecedented first half on Wednesday showed that the program is hungry to change that.

    “We have such a great connection,” Carter said. “On the court, we’re able to display that a lot. We have fun together. We’re playing all five out there, and I think Sunday is just going to be a really great opportunity for us to get that one back.”

  • Bradley Carnell never doubted his untested lineup in the Union’s first game of the year

    Bradley Carnell never doubted his untested lineup in the Union’s first game of the year

    Whatever doubts Union fans had about the team’s starting lineup in Trinidad on Wednesday, it wasn’t surprising that manager Bradley Carnell had none.

    “We knew that at some point, with the type of intensity we could play at, it could be too much for them,” he said a day after his team’s 5-0 rout of Defence Force FC. “And that did prove to be the truth.”

    The biggest decisions were putting Stas Korzeniowski at striker in his first game with the Union’s first team, and attacking midfielder Jeremy Rafanello at right back. Both worked out fine, helped by their teammates’ cavalcade of goals.

    “We’ve been training a couple weeks with Stas alongside Bruno [Damiani], alongside Ezekiel [Alladoh],” Carnell said. “So, I mean, for us, that was a no-brainer. It didn’t even come into thought that there’s anything doubtful or risky going on there.”

    Stas Korzeniowski jumps to celebrate with Olwethu Makhanya after Makhanya scored the Union’s third goal of the game.

    He praised Rafanello for being “always ready for a game, and he can always run for days, and he always puts his best effort forward.”

    But while Carnell praised “a lot of good things” in Rafanello’s game, he also admitted that playing Rafanello in that position was in part “by necessity.”

    “We’ve been challenged over the last couple of days with a couple of … day-to-day type of scenarios,” he continued.

    Union open 2026 season with 5-0 rout of Trinidad’s Defence Force in the Champions Cup

    Those “scenarios” included minor injuries to midfielders Ben Bender and Jovan Lukić along with forward Agustín Anello. Carnell also confirmed that new centerback Geiner Martínez is temporarily on a visa status that makes it difficult for him to leave the United States and promptly return.

    But right back Olivier Mbaizo’s absence was Carnell’s choice, one he said he made “just basically through preseason performance. Nothing much to question there.”

    That choice left the manager with no outside backs on his bench. Both players with experience there started, Frankie Westfield on the left and Nathan Harriel at centerback. Westfield grabbed at a hamstring midway through the second half, but Carnell said he “should be good.”

    The Union won their season opener in a blowout, but Bradley Carnell won a gamble in it

    Praise for Alladoh and Sullivan

    As debut goals go, Alladoh’s was pretty impressive. He watched teammates circulate the ball to Westfield, then charged up the middle, split two centerbacks, and slammed in a leaping header from close range.

    “New environment, new teammates, he has to figure things out, wasn’t able to get on the score sheet in preseason, but he worked really hard,” Carnell said. “And then in the big games and in the games that matter most, he showed up. So I’m really happy for that, and hopefully he takes that energy and confidence into the next couple of games.”

    That was the second of three goals the Union put on the board before Carnell started a raft of substitutions. Cavan Sullivan was one of the entrants, and immediately started shredding Defence Force’s back line.

    The 16-year-old made multiple surging runs forward, including three that drew payoffs: a great assist to fellow substitute Bruno Damiani in the 69th minute, a penalty kick in the 78th, and a red card to former Seattle Sounders defender Joevin Jones in the 92nd.

    An analysis of the Union’s roster at the start of the season, with several new players in the mix

    “I’ve seen a lot more maturity from Cavan over the last couple of weeks, and he’s worked his way into being a contributor,” Carnell said. “I speak about the environment, just think about the young kid coming in there and running rings around Defence Force. So I was really happy with his performance.”

    Sullivan had some longer runs as a starter last year in the U.S. Open Cup, but quality-wise this might have been his best outing in a Union jersey so far.

    “It was a very mature performance, I would say,” Carnell said. “He kept it simple when he needed to, he accelerated and got on the dribble when he had to, and then he draws crucial moments and puts the opponents under pressure. … I thought that was his best performance over the last 12 months.”

    The Union’s next game is their MLS season opener on Saturday at D.C. United (7:30 p.m., Apple TV), headlined by an early reunion with former leading striker Tai Baribo.

    Then it’s back to Chester for the finale of the Defence Force series next Thursday (7 p.m., FS1), followed by a rematch of last year’s playoff loss to New York City FC on March 1.

    Cavan Sullivan on Instagram this afternoon:

    [image or embed]

    — Jonathan Tannenwald (@jtannenwald.bsky.social) February 19, 2026 at 6:19 PM