Opposition fighters are closing in on Syria’s capital in a swiftly developing crisis that has taken much of the world by surprise. Syria's army has abandoned key cities in the west and south with little resistance. Nervous residents in Damascus describe security forces on the streets. The state news agency has been forced to deny rumors that President Bashar Assad has left the country. Who are these opposition fighters ? If they enter Damascus after taking two of Syria’s largest cities , what then? Here’s a look at the stunning reversal of fortune for Assad and his government in just the past 10 days, and what might lie ahead as Syria’s 13-year civil war reignites . This is the first time that opposition forces have reached the outskirts of the Syrian capital since 2018, when the country’s troops recaptured the area following a yearslong siege. The approaching fighters are led by the most powerful insurgent group in Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham , or HTS, along with an umbrella group of Turkish-backed Syrian militias called the Syrian National Army. Both have been entrenched in the northwest. They launched the shock offensive on Nov. 27 with gunmen capturing Aleppo, Syria’s largest city, and the central city of Hama, the fourth largest. The HTS has its origins in al-Qaida and is considered a terrorist organization by the U.S. and the United Nations. But the group said in recent years it cut ties with al-Qaida, and experts say HTS has sought to remake itself in recent years by focusing on promoting civilian government in their territory as well as military action. HTS leader Abu Mohammed al-Golani told CNN in an exclusive interview Thursday from Syria that the aim of the offensive is to overthrow Assad’s government. The HTS and Syrian National Army have been allies at times and rivals at times, and their aims might diverge. The Turkish-backed militias also have an interest in creating a buffer zone near the Turkish border to keep away Kurdish militants at odds with Ankara. Turkey has been a main backer of the fighters seeking to overthrow Assad but more recently has urged reconciliation, and Turkish officials have strongly rejected claims of any involvement in the current offensive. Whether the HTS and the Syrian National Army will work together if they succeed in overthrowing Assad or turn on each other again is a major question. While the flash offensive against Syria’s government began in the north, armed opposition groups have also mobilized elsewhere. The southern areas of Sweida and Daraa have both been taken locally. Sweida is the heartland of Syria’s Druze religious minority and had been the site of regular anti-government protests even after Assad seemingly consolidated his control over the area. Daraa is a Sunni Muslim area that was widely seen as the cradle of the uprising against Assad’s rule that erupted in 2011. Daraa was recaptured by Syrian government troops in 2018, but rebels remained in some areas. In recent years, Daraa was in a state of uneasy quiet under a Russian-mediated ceasefire deal. And much of Syria's east is controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-led group backed by the United States that in the past has clashed with most other armed groups in the country. Syria’s government now controls just four of 14 provincial capitals. Much depends on Assad’s next moves and his forces' will to fight. A commander with the insurgents, Hassan Abdul-Ghani, posted on the Telegram messaging app that opposition forces have started carrying out the “final stage” of their offensive by encircling Damascus. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Syrian troops have withdrawn from much of the two southern provinces and are sending reinforcements to Homs. If that city is captured, the link would be cut between Damascus, Assad’s seat of power, and the coastal region where he enjoys wide support. “Homs to the coastal cities will be a very huge red line politically and socially. Politically, if this line is crossed, then we are talking about the end of the entire Syria, the one that we knew in the past,” said a Damascus resident, Anas Joudeh. Assad appears to be largely on his own as allies Russia and Iran are distracted by other conflicts and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah has been weakened by its war with Israel, now under a fragile ceasefire. The U.N. special envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen, is calling for urgent talks in Geneva to ensure an “orderly political transition,” saying the situation is changing by the minute. He met with foreign ministers and senior diplomats from eight key countries including Saudi Arabia, Russia, Egypt, Turkey and Iran on the sidelines of the Doha Summit. President-elect Donald Trump in his first extensive comments on the developments in Syria said the besieged Assad didn’t deserve U.S. support to stay in power. “THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT,” Trump posted on social media.
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NoneWill Riley scored a game-high 19 points off the bench as No. 25 Illinois shrugged off a slow start to earn an 87-40 nonconference victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill. Morez Johnson Jr. recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, Kylan Boswell posted 13 points and Tomislav Ivisic contributed 11 for Illinois (4-1). Coming off a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Wednesday, the Illini led by as much as 52 despite hitting just 10-of-40 3-point attempts. Jalen Ware paced Maryland Eastern Shore (2-6) with 10 points before fouling out. Ketron "KC" Shaw, who entered Saturday in the top 20 of Division I scorers at 22.3 points per game, went scoreless in the first half and finished with seven points on 2-of-11 shooting. The Hawks canned just 22.1 percent of their shots from the floor. Illinois broke out to a 6-0 lead in the first 2:06, then missed its next six shots. That gave the Hawks time to pull into an 8-8 tie on Evan Johnson's 17-foot pullup at the 12:21 mark. That marked Maryland Eastern Shore's last points for more than seven minutes as the Illini reeled off 17 straight points to remove any suspense. Johnson opened the spree with a basket and two free throws, Ben Humrichous swished a 3-pointer and Tre White sank a layup before Kasparas Jakucionis fed Ivisic for a 3-pointer and an alley-oop layup. Jakucionis set up Johnson for a free throw, then drove for an unchallenged layup to make it 25-8 with 5:15 left in the first. Evan Johnson snapped the visitors' dry spell with a driving layup at the 4:56 mark, but Illinois went on to establish a 35-15 halftime lead on the stretch of 11 offensive rebounds that turned into 12 second-chance points and 13 points off UMES' 10 turnovers. Maryland Eastern Shore needed nearly four minutes to get its first points in the second half as Illinois pushed its lead to 42-15. The Illini margin ballooned all the way to 70-24 on Boswell's driving layup with 8:11 to go. --Field Level Media
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Another week, another pair of records for Miami quarterback Cam Ward — breaking 40-year-old marks by Bernie Kosar in both cases. Ward, Miami's Heisman Trophy contender who already holds the Hurricanes' single-season record for touchdown passes and is on pace to break the school mark for completion percentage, on Saturday eclipsed Kosar's school records for both passing yards in a season and completions in a season. Ward's 13-yard completion to Damien Martinez with 1:27 left in the second quarter gave him 3,643 yards for the season. Kosar's mark of 3,642 yards was set in 1984. Later Saturday, Ward threw a 15-yard pass to Xavier Restrepo for his 263rd completion of the year — topping Kosar's mark of 262, also set in 1984. “Congrats #CamWard,” Kosar posted on social media. “U R Awesome.” Ward is on pace to break Miami's single-season completion percentage mark of 65.8% set last year by Tyler Van Dyke. He also is on pace to top the Miami career mark — among those with at least 300 attempts — of 64.3% set by D'Eriq King in 2020 and 2021. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Walter Payton Award finalist Irv Mulligan had 116 yards rushing, Jackson State took control in the third quarter and the Tigers rolled past Southern 41-13 on Saturday to win the SWAC Championship. Jackson State (11-2) claimed the conference title for the fourth time and will play MEAC champion South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 14 in Atlanta. Southern (8-5) led 10-3 late in the second quarter before Jackson State ended the half on an Emari Matthews 2-yard touchdown run and followed it up with Mulligan's 1-yard TD run to open the third quarter. Now leading 17-10, the Tigers added Gerardo Baeza's 45-yard field goal and Zy McDonald's 23-yard touchdown run to take a 27-10 lead into the fourth quarter. Jackson State wrapped up the conference title with two touchdowns in the final 6 1/2 minutes. The Jaguars' 28-yard field goal by Joshua Griffin in the fourth quarter marked the end of a six-game streak in which Jackson State had not allowed a point in the final period. Also, Southern was only the third team since Oct. 5 to score in the second half against Jackson State. In addition to Muligan's 116 yards on the ground, McDonald ran for 95 yards and the Tigers totaled 275 yards and four rushing touchdowns. McDonald completed 6 of 11 passes for 75 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Czavian Teasett had 127 yards passing and 56 yards rushing for Southern. Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here . AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
Tottenham urged to make a January move for 16-goal Premier League attackerUndefeated Oregon and No. 23 Texas A&M will collide Tuesday afternoon in Las Vegas in the second game of the new Players Era Festival. Both teams are in the "Power" group of the eight-team event. All eight teams are receiving $1 million for their name, image and likeness (NIL) collectives, but placing fourth or higher in the tourney in order will net them anywhere from $1.1 million to $1.5 million. The Aggies (4-1) opened the season with a three-point loss at UCF, but since then have won four straight, all in convincing fashion. Texas A&M upset then-No. 21 Ohio State 78-64 on Nov. 15 at home in College Station, Texas. Then the Aggies crushed Southern 71-54 last Wednesday, when Wade Taylor IV led the way with 17 points and six assists. All of Texas A&M's wins have been by double digits. The Aggies and Ducks (5-0) have split the two previous meetings against each other. Until March 2022 in an NIT second-round game, they had not met since the 1970-71 season. Texas A&M tied the overall series with a 75-60 win at home in 2022. The only player on the Ducks' current roster who played in that game was 7-foot senior Nate Bittle, who has been one of Oregon's best players so far this season. Bittle's 16.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game lead the Ducks so far this season, and the big man also averages two blocked shots per game. Texas A&M guard Zhuric Phelps, a transfer from SMU, leads the Aggies in scoring at 16 points per game. Taylor adds 14 points per game. The Aggies could be the best defensive team the Ducks will have seen this season. A&M is allowing teams to shoot only 36.6 percent in games. Head coach Buzz Williams and his staff are hoping the team gets better at taking charges on defense, as the Aggies have just one so far this season. "I guess the thing that you work on most is verticality around the rim," Texas A&M assistant coach Steve Roccaforte told KBTX television. "‘Hey, once you get there, if you try and take a charge, it's going to be a block. Just jump as high as you can, stay vertical, try to go chest-to-chest. Make it a hard shot.'" Oregon is coming off a 78-75 win at Oregon State, the Ducks' first road game of the season. The Ducks trailed by 10 points at halftime but, as they have in several games this season, they found a rhythm on offense in the second half and came up with a comeback win. Bittle's 23 points and 14 rebounds led the way. Jackson Shelstad had 15 points and Jadrian Tracey and Keeshawn Barthelemy both added 10. "We started rebounding the ball a little better. Nate really got it going inside and our guys got him the ball," Oregon head coach Dana Altman told the school's athletics website. "He had a heck of a game." --Field Level MediaPresident-elect Donald Trump is in Paris for his first international trip since winning back the presidency, where he joined world leaders and dignitaries in celebrating the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral following its restoration after a devastating fire in 2019 . French President Emmanuel Macron , who invited Trump to the event, has been praised for overseeing the restoration efforts, The Business Standard Reports Although Trump and Macron have had a complicated relationship, Macron has worked to cultivate ties with the president-elect, especially after his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris last month. Macron’s office played down the significance of the invitation, noting that politicians who are no longer in office have been invited to such events in the past. President Joe Biden , also invited, will not attend due to a scheduling conflict. First Lady Jill Biden is officially representing the U.S. at the event. Also Read: Trump’s Transition Team Considering Undoing USPS’s Contracts With Ford, Oshkosh For Electrifying Fleet: Report Trump’s visit comes at a crucial time, as Macron and other European leaders seek to maintain U.S. support for Ukraine amid its ongoing defense against Russia’s invasion. Ahead of the Notre Dame celebration, Macron will meet with Trump and separately with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy . The restoration of Notre Dame serves as a symbol of resilience, much like the broader geopolitical challenges facing Europe and the West, The Business Standard adds. During Trump’s presidency, relations between France and the U.S. were initially warm but grew strained over issues like NATO and trade. Read Next: Suze Orman Warns: ‘Fear Is Fueled by Stress’ – Why 60% Don’t Manage It and 4 in 10 Worry About Retirement Savings Image: Wikimedia Commons © 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.TEANECK, N.J. (AP) — Dylan Jones had 22 points in Fairleigh Dickinson's 98-54 victory over Lehman on Saturday. Jones shot 6 for 10 (6 for 9 from 3-point range) and 4 of 4 from the free-throw line for the Knights (4-7). Terrence Brown added 19 points while shooting 7 for 12 (2 for 5 from 3-point range) and 3 of 4 from the free-throw line and also had six rebounds, five assists, and six steals. Cameron Tweedy had 11 points and shot 4 of 5 from the field and 3 for 5 from the line. The Lightning were led in scoring by Kai Parris, who finished with 12 points. The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar .
Edison residents Keith Kahn and Russell Azzarello fire back against the town council's refusal to repeal an ordinance on 'props' at meetings ahead of a local rally in support of the American flag. Protests against the Edison, N.J. town council’s ordinance banning items deemed "props" at meetings are intensifying, with residents vowing to keep up the pressure in support of the American flag. The town was hit with national backlash after a resident was escorted out of a town council meeting last month for waving the flag in protest of a new rule banning such items, including the U.S. Constitution and other "props" from the public comment portion of town meetings. Last week, the town council walked back the idea of a flag ban and apologized, but the ordinance in question still stands, two residents told "Fox & Friends First," Wednesday. NATIONAL OUTRAGE PROMPTS NJ TOWN TO 'HUMBLY APOLOGIZE' FOR AMERICAN FLAG BAN, BUT RESIDENTS SAY IT'S 'BS' "The residents of Edison would like to see these ordinances repealed," Russell Azzarello said. "Keep the public speaking time to six minutes and repeal referring to the United States flag and the Constitution as props." "It hit a nerve with a lot of people. It’s not just a piece of material," he continued. "It’s very symbolic to many people. Anybody that has a family member that’s been a veteran, that’s served." A "flag caravan" is planned for Wednesday evening on the Garden State Parkway, ending in front of the Edison Municipal Building. This follows a demonstration Monday night that saw dozens of residents demand the council repeal the ordinance, which critics say infringes on free speech and public accountability. The protest came after Council President Nishith Patel issued an apology, insisting the rules were never meant to ban symbols like the American flag outright. "Let me be very clear. The Edison Council has never, nor will we ever ban the American flag from our public meetings," Patel said in a statement to Fox News Digital , "If any of my remarks during the previous council meeting implied that, I apologize." Still, residents argue that the rules set a dangerous precedent. Edison Council President Nishith Patel appeared to walk back the American flag ban in a statement to Fox News Digital. (istock) CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Edison has seen a political shift in recent years, as Republicans gain ground in the blue Garden State. Some residents view the controversy as part of a broader cultural and political battle. "There is a big change going on, and there’s a big red wave coming across New Jersey," retired Edison police officer and former mayoral candidate Keith Kahn told co-host Carley Shimkus. President-elect Trump saw a 4.7-point improvement in his New Jersey vote share in 2024 compared to 2020. Madison is a production assistant for Fox News Digital on the Flash team.
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Mediawatch - TVNZ's Q+A show finally got Christopher Luxon in last weekend for the first time since he became PM. Host Jack Tame made the most of a long interview, but there was not much time for other stuff in the show. Tame told viewers to head to YouTube to see the full version of his chat with outgoing Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr. The global free-to-use tech platforms do have their uses for local media. Likewise, the government broadcasting funding agency NZ On Air. NZ on Air declared itself 'platform agnostic' almost a decade ago, so it now funds programmes that can be seen online, as long as it is available for free. Last week, it announced it is funding weekly current affairs show Paddy Gower Has Issues to screen on Three next year - but also on the Stuff website, YouTube, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram. In 2025, current affairs The Hui will be available on stuff.co.nz, rnz.co.nz, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok, as well as on TV. Some of NZ on Air's latest funding for tamariki is for the online platforms only - including new children's music and lullabies on YouTube and Spotify. But not everyone thinks young people should be on some of those offshore online platforms - including the government across the ditch. It has just rushed through legislation outlawing accounts for under-16s on some social media platforms . Media Watch on the ABC said most experts seemed to think the ban would not work, but they had not been seen much in the Australian media - especially those owned by Rupert Murdoch. News Corp ran an intense 'Let Them Be Kids' campaign for the law change, urging people of all ages to unplug from social media. Media Watch 's Paul Barry pointed out Australian media hostility to online platforms intensified this year after Meta pulled out of the bargaining code which returned big payments from Google and Facebook to news media. Casting an eye across the Tasman 'TIK TOK HORROR' screamed the front page of the Herald on Sunday two weekends ago. "Adding to young people's fears and potential dangers through phones and devices is highly irresponsible and unnecessary," a subsequent editorial in The New Zealand Herald said. "It's high time New Zealand takes the plunge - and seriously considers whether it should follow Australia's lead." Last weekend, the Herald on Sunday declared: "Kiwis want kids off social media." Three-quarters of people surveyed by Horizon Research and the University of Auckland backed Australia's age restrictions, the paper said. But Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden told the Herald on Sunday she was not considering an age limit for social media. It did not mention she had earlier this year scratched a 'Safer Online Platforms' proposal to extending regulation to social media because it could have been a backdoor to unwelcome hate speech laws. This week, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research - in partnership with BusinessDesk - put Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation at the top of its annual Summer Reading List for the PM. "The evidence is becoming overwhelming that social media and telecommunications device addictions are causing society-wide harm, particularly in children and young people," it claimed. The book carried evidence-based solutions that have been successfully implemented, the institute said. But New Zealand Initiative chief economist Dr Eric Crampton does not agree. "Each of us can use Google Family Link to control which apps can be used on our kids' Android phones, and to set time limits on them. The government could encourage public service announcements explaining how to use them," he wrote in the Herald in October. What have the tech platforms here had to say in the debate in the media? Next to nothing - either because they were not asked for comment or did not respond to any requests. Experts are also sceptical. Confronting big tech "We shouldn't touch this style of social media ban with a bargepole," tech commentator Peter Griffin wrote for BusinessDesk last week. "It was bad policy-making and badly written policy," Griffin told Mediawatch . "In the last week of Parliament in Australia, and on the last day, they pushed this thing through with 24 hours of consultation. They didn't really even consider any of the 15,000 submissions. They had already made up their mind." "We haven't seen anywhere in the world a reliable, private, secure age verification system ... because it's inherently flawed." But he said our government should mirror their Australian counterparts' willingness to confront Big Tech. "The Liberals as well as Labor have [encouraged] the competition watchdog, the ACCC over there. It did a huge investigation into the market power of big tech, and that is now starting to turn into policy. "Our track record has been woeful. We had an opportunity to partner with Australia on the competition stuff and the digital economy - but we've done nothing. "There's brinksmanship going on at the moment where Google is saying here in New Zealand it might take news off Google Search and Google News. Well, how about you do that? Let's see what happens," he said. Is the news media here compromised when covering these issues? It is an area of genuine public interest, but local media are rivals with big tech platforms in the attention economy. Also, our news media makers are trying to get Google and Facebook to pay them for news - and backing more regulation online as well. "There's a conflict of interest but ... it is an existential crisis that the media is going through. I think it's reasonable to be saying: 'Look at the balance sheets of these big tech companies. Look at how little tax they pay here. Bottom line - do you want a healthy democracy?'" Griffin said. "If you believe that a healthy media underpins that, what are you willing to do to preserve it and to be fair? "If you still want that public interest journalism elements in your media - and not just social media influence - someone's got to pay for it. And it's either going to be taxpayers or it's going to be a more equitable share of the advertising revenue that goes around news. "If they can't make it work, what are we left with? Facebook groups or Facebook pages mediated by Big Tech with all the algorithmic stuff that they're doing ... and making you pay for it if you do want to get that reach. "If you're 12 years old, or 22 or 82 - we're all faced with this manipulation. I think they've lost an opportunity to address those real issues that affect everyone who uses social media. "We've never had a nuanced, balanced discussion about these tech-related issues and the dominance of big tech in our digital economy ... for consumers, for media outlets, for how we nurture our democracy." TV all-in on TikTok In countries with heavy social media habits, media companies have already decided to join what they cannot beat. In the Philippines, broadcaster GMA streams its news bulletin live on TikTok and urges its top journalists and presenters to create content for it. "Many journalists still don't know how to relate to ... the mostly young content creators with huge followings who do not identify as journalists - but greatly influence public opinion," Howie Severino said. Severino, a household name as host of GMA network's current affairs show i-Witness , helped found GMA's Integrated News. He fronted a social media responsibility campaign - Think Before You Click - and partnered with TikTok and the National Commission on Elections to guide people to credible election information on the 2022 Philippines elections. That collaboration won international recognition and Severino told a recent international media conference journalists needed to understand they did not have a monopoly on the facts anymore - and should not keep online influencers at arm's length. "Would a carefully curated selection of these 'influencers' benefit from exposure to journalists and conversations on the value of verification? We must hope so, but first they need to be invited. "Journalists must now serve as models and guides for everyone else on the best practices. With our audiences shrinking and scattering to millions of niches around the internet, we better hope the multitude of new voices grabbing all the attention value the truth and know how to find it." Embracing social media seems to have paid off for GMA. This year's Reuters Institute Digital News Report found GMA's online news remains the most used in the Philippines. Analytics company Tubular rated GMA the highest-ranking media and entertainment company in Southeast Asia, with almost 28 billion video views across Facebook, TikTok and YouTube in the year to August. And it is not all entertainment and clickbait. The GMA News channel on YouTube garnered 1.1 billion views - and the GMA Public Affairs channel 1.6 billion in August this year alone. Embracing TikTok does not appear to have dented its reputation. GMA Network was rated the most trustworthy news outlet in the Philippines in a national survey earlier this year . And on-air ratings for its live TV channels are also going up as well. How did GMA do it? "What felt like a gamble was using our news personalities to populate the platform and to really try out what works. They were sceptical at first," Theodore Jason Patrick Ortiz, senior social media producer at GMA, told Mediawatch at The Future of Facts, an international media conference in Manila in July. Mediawatch was part of a New Zealand delegation there with the support of the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono. "A lot of people in the media would say that we're not supposed to be doing this for the numbers. We should be addressing the problems in the world. But in the world of social media, maybe it's the kind of content that you're creating or the way that you're presenting it that needs fixing," he said. "During the pandemic, people had this tendency to not watch or consume news content. We knew Tiktok was rising. That's why we needed to look for something like the 24 Oras challenge - our version of the teleprompter challenge. "It was a duet with the reporters, encouraging people to be a newscaster and reading a report. "And the numbers spoke for themselves. We saw new people who were rediscovering the programmes, and then there were people who were already fans in the past, who saw it again. "We reached influencers that were not necessarily engaged with our news content. One is a pageant queen who built her platform on Tiktok teaching English grammar and all that stuff. She tried this challenge that we launched, and her followers dived in. So what you're building here is actually a community." Many countries have a problem engaging young people with politics. During the 2022 Election in the Philippines, GMA used online influencers to spread the message. That sounds like a big risk for a news company. "You are taking a gamble, but you choose someone who will agree that they will not be promoting a candidate because that will really jeopardise your credibility. "We just started slowly releasing information or updates, releasing more newscast reports on this platform, in our accounts, and then that's when we started rolling out the journalists. "We don't just create the content and then be done with it. We have to maintain that kind of effort. "Basically you're exposing your news personalities to people that need to hear your message." Should networks here do the same? "Be on those platforms, sure - but be prepared for the 'rug pull' that will inevitably come when the surplus of value disappears," Griffin warned. "That will happen with TikTok. And there's concerns about the ownership (in China) of it as well and we could see Tiktok essentially banned in some countries. "Experts in how to build an audience sustainably say you need to own that audience yourself. You cannot rely on X or Facebook to look after your audience, because those algorithms will change - and their business models will be tweaked to maximize the value they can extract from you. "Suddenly you're paying thousands of dollars for advertising on Tiktok now - and it'll be millions of dollars you'll be expected to pay in future." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.NoneWill Riley scored a game-high 19 points off the bench as No. 25 Illinois shrugged off a slow start to earn an 87-40 nonconference victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon in Champaign, Ill. Morez Johnson Jr. recorded his first double-double with 10 points and 13 rebounds, Kylan Boswell posted 13 points and Tomislav Ivisic contributed 11 for Illinois (4-1). Coming off a 100-87 loss to No. 8 Alabama on Wednesday, the Illini led by as much as 52 despite hitting just 10-of-40 3-point attempts. Jalen Ware paced Maryland Eastern Shore (2-6) with 10 points before fouling out. Ketron "KC" Shaw, who entered Saturday in the top 20 of Division I scorers at 22.3 points per game, went scoreless in the first half and finished with seven points on 2-of-11 shooting. The Hawks canned just 22.1 percent of their shots from the floor. Illinois broke out to a 6-0 lead in the first 2:06, then missed its next six shots. That gave the Hawks time to pull into an 8-8 tie on Evan Johnson's 17-foot pullup at the 12:21 mark. That marked Maryland Eastern Shore's last points for more than seven minutes as the Illini reeled off 17 straight points to remove any suspense. Johnson opened the spree with a basket and two free throws, Ben Humrichous swished a 3-pointer and Tre White sank a layup before Kasparas Jakucionis fed Ivisic for a 3-pointer and an alley-oop layup. Jakucionis set up Johnson for a free throw, then drove for an unchallenged layup to make it 25-8 with 5:15 left in the first. Evan Johnson snapped the visitors' dry spell with a driving layup at the 4:56 mark, but Illinois went on to establish a 35-15 halftime lead on the stretch of 11 offensive rebounds that turned into 12 second-chance points and 13 points off UMES' 10 turnovers. Maryland Eastern Shore needed nearly four minutes to get its first points in the second half as Illinois pushed its lead to 42-15. The Illini margin ballooned all the way to 70-24 on Boswell's driving layup with 8:11 to go. --Field Level Media
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