2026 Nations Championship: France topple world champion Springboks in 21-19 thriller
South Africa started the match as the overwhelming favorite but never led an epic heavyweight showdown.
Virginia's No. 6-ranked Cavaliers will face off against Maryland in an ACC-Big Ten rivalry game tonight at 8 p.m. ET. This matchup is taking place at the Xfinity Center in College Park, Maryland, and will be broadcast on Peacock and NBCSN. The Cavaliers come into the game with an undefeated record of 4-0, while Maryland has a 1-1 record.
The Cavaliers have won nine of the last 10 games against Maryland, with the most recent showdown resulting in an 80-72 victory for the Cavaliers last year. This is the second game in a four-game series that began in 1913, with the Cavaliers emerging victorious in the first matchup by a score of 65-1. Virginia has reached its highest ranking since February 2023 and is looking to secure its second consecutive 5-0 start.
Maryland, on the other hand, is hoping to avoid missing the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season, a feat they haven't accomplished since 2013-14. Virginia's roster boasts several top talents, including ACC Preseason Player of the Year Thijs De Ridder, who has averaged 15.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game last year.
Freshman forward Nolan Adekunle has been impressive with his scoring, averaging 13.5 points over the past two games. Senior guard Sam Lewis, a career 41.6% three-point shooter, is another key asset for the Cavaliers. Maryland, facing their first ranked opponent this season, has struggled on the road, going 0-9 against Top 25 teams last year.
The team has turned to the transfer portal to bolster their roster, with starters DJ Wagner, Mike McNair Jr., and Tomislav Buljan joining the squad. Andre Mills and Pharrel Payne, who transferred from Texas A&M last year under head coach Buzz Williams, are also contributing to Maryland's efforts.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- France stuns world champion Springboks 21-19 in a Nations Championship thriller sports.yahoo.com
- France edge past South Africa after thriller in Nations Championship bbc.co.uk
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- France stun South Africa 21-19 in Nations Championship channelnewsasia.com