GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Mikayla Blakes scored an SEC women's basketball record 53 points after making 16 field goals and 16 free throws to help No. 23 Vanderbilt beat Florida 99-86 on Thursday night.

Blakes' point total is also the second-most points by a freshman in Division I history behind Delaware's Elena Delle Donne, who scored 54 in a loss to James Madison as a redshirt freshman in 2010.

Blakes scored 33 in a win over then-No. 19 Alabama in her last game. Her previous season high was 36 against Georgia on Jan. 2.

Blakes is the only Division I player -- men's or women's -- to score at least 50 points in a game this season.

"I told the team in the locker room that Mikayla had one of the most incredible performances that I've ever seen as a coach, and I've coached a lot of really good players for a long time," Vanderbilt coach Shea Ralph said. "And that's not taking anything away from them. When you see player like her do what she did tonight, sometimes she makes things that are really, really hard to do look really easy. That's the sign of someone who is just gifted."

Blakes' 53 points also tied the Exactech Arena at O'Connell Center scoring record set by LSU men's basketball player Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf during the 1988-89 season. Blakes also becomes the first Commodore since 1999-2000 to have back-to-back games with 30-plus points.

Additionally, Blakes set the Vanderbilt women's basketball single-game scoring record, breaking Khamil Pierre's previous mark of 42 points, which was set on Dec. 17 vs. Evansville. Pierre scored only three points Thursday on 1-of-10 shooting but finished with 11 rebounds and three steals for Vanderbilt (18-4, 5-3 SEC).

Ra Shaya Kyle collected 23 points and 12 rebounds for Florida (11-11, 2-6).

Vanderbilt next plays host to Mississippi on Sunday. Florida will play Monday at Arkansas.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Figure skaters and others killed in the midair collision near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday will be honored when the world championships are staged in Boston in March.

International Skating Union president Jae Youl Kim held back tears Friday in making the announcement during the European championships in Tallinn, Estonia.

Skaters, coaches and family members on their way back from a national skating camp in Wichita, Kansas, were among those who died when a passenger jet approaching Ronald Reagan National Airport hit an Army helicopter. They included two teenage skaters, their mothers and two coaches who were part of the Skating Club of Boston.

In all, 14 members of the figure skating community were passengers on the airplane, according to Skating Club of Boston executive director Doug Zeghibe.

Among them were teenage skaters Jinna Han and Spencer Lane from the Boston club and youth figure skater Olivia Ter, who was 12.

Also killed were Evgenia Shishkova and Vadim Naumov, who won the pairs title at the 1994 world championships and competed twice in the Olympics. They were listed as coaches at the Boston club.

"At the moment we want to focus on mourning those who lost their lives and also provide support for the ones who lost their loved ones. We'll take one step at a time," said Kim, who became visibly emotional and paused to fight back tears as he told The Associated Press about the effect of the crash on the skating community. "We will discuss with our counterparts in Boston what should be done to honor those who left us in this tragic way. One way to honor them is to make sure that we provide the greatest event, to show the respect."

The world championships will be held March 25-30 at TD Garden in Boston.

Police boats combed the banks of the Potomac River on Friday morning, moving slowly and scanning the shoreline as part of the investigation into the midair collision that killed 67 people in the United States' deadliest aviation disaster in almost a quarter century.

More than 40 bodies have been pulled from the river as the massive recovery effort continued, two law enforcement officials told the AP on condition of anonymity. Sources told ABC News that additional equipment was needed to find additional victims and that the recovery is expected to last through the weekend.

Investigators have recovered the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder of the American Airlines plane. Authorities were still looking for the helicopter's black box recorder, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Fox News on Friday.

Officials are scrutinizing a range of factors in what National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jennifer Hommendy has called an "all-hands-on-deck event." Air crash investigations normally take 12 to 18 months, and investigators told reporters Thursday they would not speculate on the cause.

Kim said skaters including European champion Adam Siao Him Fa of France had dedicated programs at the European championships to the crash victims.

"We are all saddened, but this is also just bringing the solidarity of the figure skating community together," Kim said.

The figure skating world was also mourning Dick Button, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and broadcaster, who died Thursday at the age of 95.

"He left a great footstep in our lives, and not only in figure skating but in sports generally," Kim said of Button. "He was much, much greater than a great skater. He was an innovator, pioneer."

This is not the first time that the U.S. figure skating community has been rocked by an air tragedy. In February 1961, the 18-member U.S. figure skating team died in a plane crash en route to the world championships in Prague. Also killed were six U.S. coaches and four skating officials, along with some family members. The world championships were canceled that year out of respect for the American team killed in the crash.

Three-time WNBA champion Natasha Howard will sign with the Indiana Fever as a free agent, sources told ESPN on Friday.

Howard referenced her return to Indiana on Instagram, posting a photo from when the Fever drafted her in 2014 and writing, "Back to where all my dreams came true."

The two-time All-Star and 2019 defensive player of the year will bring veteran experience and a defensive presence to a Fever team led by the younger core of No. 1 overall picks Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston and star guard Kelsey Mitchell.

Howard, a 6-foot-2 forward, returns to the franchise that drafted her fifth overall out of Florida State. She spent two seasons with the organization, where she was coached by the recently returning Stephanie White, before moving on to play for the Minnesota Lynx, Seattle Storm, New York Liberty and Dallas Wings. Howard was part of the Lynx's 2017 championship squad and won a pair of titles in Seattle with Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart in 2018 and 2020.

With the Storm, Howard was named WNBA Most Improved Player in 2018 and had her career season in 2019, when Stewart was out with injury, earning an all-WNBA first-team nod, her first of two All-Star bids and her second all-defensive first-team appearance.

Howard, also known for her ability to rim-run, averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in 2024 for the Wings.

Now with Howard to elevate the frontcourt, the surging Fever are looking to improve on last season's 20-20 campaign and first-round playoff exit. This offseason, they brought back White for her second stint at the helm and re-signed Mitchell in free agency.

Free agent contracts can be signed beginning Saturday.

The 2025 Tournament of Champions ended in controversy on Thursday night after Diego Elias was awarded two conduct strokes during a high-quality final which paved the way for Ali Farag to win the mens title. 

At 2-1 down in games and 5-1 down in the fourth, Elias hit the sidewall with his racket and was handed a conduct stroke for racket abuse. It looked inocuous, with Elias pushing the ball off the wall, but there was certainly enough intention with his racket under the new PSA directives.

The Peruvian then took umbrage with the referee decision and was then given another conduct stroke for talking back to Jason Foster. 

At 7-1 to Farag and amid a chorus of boos, Elias had all but given up and the Egyptian raced to his fourth ToC title.

Meeting for the seventh time already this season, they had earlier delivered an opening hour of superb quality, with defending champion Farag clinching back-to-back tie-breaks to sit within a game of the title. 

Much to the disappointment of the crowd, though, the match was brought to a swift conclusion in the fourth.

Farag said: Obviously, I thought we played an incredible first three games. Diego and I have been pushing each other so hard. Hes an incredible athlete and an incredible squash player.

I dont want to make any judgements here and now [on the ending of the match]. I really dont know whos at fault. The referees have such a selfless job, and I know that they sometimes get it right, and sometimes they get it wrong, just like we do as players.

World No.3 seed Hanai El Hammamy completed her dream run inside the spectacular Grand Central Terminal overturning a seven-match losing streak against Gohar to claim her first ToC title and her first on the PSA Squash Tour since December 2023. 

In a nip-and-tuck match that saw multiple swings in momentum, it was 24-year-old El Hammamy who came through strongest in the latter stages of the match, holding off a late charge from Gohar to take the match by an 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6, 11-8 scoreline on her fourth match ball. 

Its amazing, Im so pleased, El Hammamy said after the match. I have finally got wins over the World No.1 [Nouran Gohar] and World No.2 [Nour El Sherbini] in a row I havent had that for so long. Theres no better place for me to win a title in the U.S. than here in New York in Grand Central Station.

I wasnt even enjoying squash for quite some time, so thank you so much to all of the team behind me. Theyve been through so much with me.

Result: Mens Final 

[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt [3] Diego Elias (PER) 3-1: 9-11, 12-10, 14-12, 11-1 (64m)

Result: Womens Final 

[3] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt [1] Nouran Gohar (EGY) 3-2: 8-11, 11-8, 3-11, 11-6, 11-8 (79m)

Easterby became a legend in Welsh club rugby, but he also forged a pretty decent career in green.

Having turned down Clive Woodward's invitation to play for England, he chose Ireland. He won 65 caps, and by the time he announced his retirement on St Patrick's Day in 2008, he was the country's most-capped flanker.

He made his debut against Scotland in the 2000 Six Nations, one of five new faces - alongside Ronan O'Gara, Peter Stringer, Shane Horgan and John Hayes - introduced by Ireland boss Warren Gatland in a shake-up after a 50-18 thumping by England.

Easterby played the full game, which Ireland won 44-22, and was retained at blind-side flanker for the remainder of the championship.

He wasn't always a guaranteed starter, though. At the 2003 World Cup in Australia, he was on the fringes of Eddie O'Sullivan's side, but became a success story in an otherwise familiar tale of Irish woe that ended in a quarter-final exit.

From there, Easterby became one of O'Sullivan's most trusted on-field lieutenants.

"He was a physical and powerful athlete, as you'd expect from a back row, but you could see he was one of the smarter ones," says Chris Henry, one of Easterby's successors in the Irish back row.

"He was part of that class back-row era with Denis Leamy, David Wallace and Neil Best."

Two years after the World Cup, O'Sullivan handed him the captaincy for the 2005 autumn series following injuries to Brian O'Driscoll and Paul O'Connell.

That was an especially big year for him. In addition to seizing his Lions chance - which came after fellow Ampleforth College alum Lawrence Dallaglio's injury - he also married Sarra Elgan Rees, the television presenter and daughter of former Wales international Elgan Rees.

Marcus Smith delivered the stand-out moment of England's last campaign, with a last-play drop-goal that snatched victory over Ireland at Twickenham in March.

That replacement appearance, his first Test of the year, was the start of a sparkling run on the international stage.

With George Ford injured, the 25-year-old assumed the 10 shirt for the summer tour and was the brightest point in a drab autumn for England.

Smith's matador trickery makes him a running threat to rival the best wings.

Among players representing top-10 Test nations last year, only New Zealand's Mark Tele'a, France's Damian Penaud and Scotland's Duhan van der Merwe beat defenders more regularly than Smith's average of 4.5 per 80 minutes.

His game-breaking ability has been central to England's attack.

He was involved in 12.7% of England's tries in 2024 - a number that eclipses New Zealand's Beauden Barrett and most others in the international game, and is all the more impressive considering Smith didn't start a single Six Nations match.

Part of Borthwick's mission has been to create a team that excites England fans.

And no-one has done that better than Smith.

When the team was announced to Allianz Stadium in the autumn internationals, his name was cheered loudest.

When fans thought Borthwick was preparing to replace Smith against Australia, their jeers almost matched those decibels.

So, where is the doubt? Where is the duel?

While Marcus Smith has been excellent, results haven't been.

In the seven matches that he started at 10 last year, England won only two - both against Japan.

Meanwhile, Fin Smith is a precocious understudy.

The 22-year-old plays flat, picking passes and poking holes while close enough to the defensive line to sniff a potential tackler's pre-match snack.

He steered Northampton to the Premiership title last season, marshalling a backline that includes fellow England internationals Tommy Freeman, George Furbank and Ollie Sleightholme.

If selected, he and Saints' team-mate Alex Mitchell would form a pre-baked half-back partnership.

While Marcus Smith often operates with a gain-line battering ram at 12, Fin Smith's usual inside centres - Rory Hutchinson or Fraser Dingwall - more closely match the playmaker skills of Henry Slade, England's current occupant.

Many of Marcus Smith's best moments have come in pockets of space that open up behind the backline or after multiple phases - the sort of opportunities that are often easier to access from full-back.

Could the moving parts of the puzzle need another nudge?

In Marcus Smith might England have found their virtuoso soloist, but lumbered him with the conductor's baton as well?

Gatland looked a broken man at times during the latter stages of 2024 but has been publicly defiant before this latest campaign.

Pre-tournament comments have included how he believes Wales can win the tournament, how he is building "a siege mentality" and how people should write his side off "at their peril".

He has also tried to heap pressure on France by stating he hopes Wales "can catch them cold" and highlighted the pressure his opposite number Fabien Galthie faces to defeat Wales comfortably.

In 2019, Gatland said if Wales beat France they would go on to win the Six Nations - exactly what happened.

Six years ago, you believed those swaggering sentiments. He also had the tools at his disposal to back up his actions with words.

Now it feels the Gatland soundbites are the right things to say but you wonder whether he believes them himself.

Speculation is rife this will be his final tournament, whatever might happen over the next two months. Gatland has accepted change is likely if signs of improvement are not shown during the Six Nations.

The 61-year-old has spoken himself about whether he needs the pressure and whether he could just retire to his beach house in New Zealand and reflect on his memorable achievements in the game.

Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Abi Tierney said Gatland's position had been "on the line" as a review into the miserable autumn campaign commenced earlier this season.

He was given the green light to continue with another detailed assessment planned after Wales finish the tournament at home to England in mid-March.

There have been changes to Gatland's staff. As well as scrum consultant Jones coming in, attack coach Alex King has left with Rob Howley taking over those responsibilities. How much that can influence events remains to be seen.

In November, England suffered narrow defeats by Australia and New Zealand, having led those matches heading into the closing stages.

They last won the Six Nations in 2020 and head to Dublin to face champions Ireland on Saturday before hosting France at home.

Former England wing Ugo Monye told BBC Sport: "England are at a stage now that they need to deliver a title. With the player pool, domestic game and finances, they have to do it.

"It is time that the team get a lot closer to their potential."

The loss of captain Sione Tuipulotu for the championship because of injury was a major blow for Scotland, who host Italy on Saturday.

Former Scotland international Johnnie Beattie told BBC Sport: "This is the best Scottish side I've seen. It is the best-coached side and in terms of talent the best since they won the last Five Nations in 1999. However, other sides have a greater depth of talent.

"Tuipulotu has been our brightest spark over the last three years with the way he challenges the gainline physically and brings Huw Jones on to the ball with short passes.

"It will be a huge opportunity for Stafford McDowall, who operated at a high level in the autumn. He knows his role as it is similar to how Glasgow play.

"Success for Scotland would be a top-three finish."