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Cameron Boozer produced a game-high 18 points and eight rebounds to lead No. 4 Duke to a 67-54 victory against No. 20 Clemson in a key Atlantic Coast Conference matchup Saturday afternoon in Durham, N.C.

Isaiah Evans scored 17 points and Cayden Boozer added 12 for the Blue Devils (23-2, 12-1 ACC), who pulled away early in the second half courtesy of a strong defensive performance. Duke has won back-to-back games since last weekend's last-second loss at North Carolina.

Carter Welling (12 points) and RJ Godfrey (10 points) paced Clemson (20-6, 10-3), which began the week with a chance to move atop the ACC standings. Instead, the Tigers suffered an upset loss to Virginia Tech on Wednesday at home before losing on Duke's home floor for the 22nd time in a row dating back to 1996.

Clemson finished at 35.1% from the field, including 6-for-24 on 3-point attempts.

Cooper Flagg, the National Player of the Year as a Duke freshman last season, was among those in attendance at Cameron Indoor Stadium. He saw the Blue Devils made 10 3-pointers for their first double-figure total since Jan. 10 vs. SMU.

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Duke scored the first eight points of the second half -- five from Evans -- for a 38-26 lead. The margin grew to 52-31 as Clemson missed its first six shots of the second half and went just 2-for-15 in the first eight-plus minutes of the second half.

Duke made five 3-point shots in the game's first 13 minutes while Clemson was 0-for-4 at that juncture. But the Blue Devils were aiming for perimeter production, taking 17 of their first 23 shots from beyond the arc.

Duke stretched its lead to 28-20 on Evans' 3-pointer with 3:58 left in the half, which forced Clemson to call timeout. The Tigers pulled within 31-26 by halftime despite 1-for-9 shooting on 3-point tries.

Duke center Patrick Ngongba II, whose status had been in doubt because of a wrist injury, started but played only four first-half minutes after picking up two fouls. He finished with six points and six rebounds in 19 minutes.

--Field Level Media

Jarin Stevenson and Seth Trimble scored 19 points apiece on Saturday to help short-handed No. 11 North Carolina post a 79-65 victory over visiting Pittsburgh in Atlantic Coast Conference play in Chapel Hill, N.C.

Zayden High had 15 points and seven rebounds for North Carolina (20-5, 8-4 ACC), which played without its two leading scorers in Caleb Wilson (19.8 points per game) and Henri Veesaar (16.4 ppg), who both missed the game with injuries. Luka Bogavac added 15 points for the Tar Heels, who won their sixth game in seven tries.

Cameron Corhen led Pittsburgh (9-17, 2-11) with 23 points, six rebounds, and six assists. Roman Siulepa scored 14 points and Barry Dunning Jr. contributed 10 in the Panthers' fifth straight loss.

After building a 14-point halftime lead, North Carolina extended the margin to 19 on Bogavac's mid-range jumper and High's dunk with 15:26 left. The Tar Heels took their first 20-point lead on Trimble's layup at the 13:41 mark.

Trailing 62-41, Pittsburgh pulled within 14 as Nojus Indrusaitis's layup began a 7-0 spurt. From there, North Carolina opened the lead back up as Bogavac's 3-pointer put the Tar Heels ahead by 22 at the 7:57 mark.

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Corhen's dunk with 4:55 remaining pulled the visitors within 16, before the Panthers cut the deficit to 76-62 on Dunning's 3-pointer. Trimble then made three free throws to ice North Carolina's comfortable victory.

After Siulepa's layup trimmed Pittsburgh's early deficit to 8-5, Trimble's 3-pointer stamped an 8-0 spurt to push the Tar Heels' edge to 11 with 15:04 remaining in the first half.

Siulepa's floater later sliced North Carolina's lead to 20-15, before Trimble and Jonathan Powell's back-to-back layups gave the Tar Heels a 30-19 edge. Jaydon Young hit a triple to extend the lead to 36-23 with 6:10 left in the opening half.

Stevenson scored the Tar Heels' final four points of the first half, giving North Carolina a 46-32 lead at the break. Stevenson's 14 first-half points paced the Tar Heels, while Corhen's 17 led all scorers before halftime.

--Field Level Media

A joint report alleging that a poison dart frog toxin has beenlinked to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalnyrippled quickly around the globe among scientists.

The allegations raised fresh questions about the circumstances of Navalny's 2024 death and about the origin of a highly unusual toxin.

Poison dart frog species have long fascinated researchers and the public, partly because of their diminutive size and striking color patterns and also because of the myths surrounding the deadly toxins found on their bodies.

But the toxin reportedly identified in this case – epibatidine – isn't known to have been used to kill anyone, Kyle Summers, an emeritus biology professor at East Carolina University, told USA TODAY.

Thereport released Saturday by the United Kingdom,Germany, France, Sweden and The Netherlands stated the governments were "confident" Navalny was poisoned, based on the traces of epibatidine found in his body. Navalny, an attorney,had been imprisoned in Siberia when he died. The report noted the toxin is only found naturally in poison dart frogs in South America, not Russia. The governments didn't release toxicology reports and the Russian government denied the allegation.

Epibatidine intrigued researchers for decades and was once highly sought after as a potential analgesic many times more powerful than morphine. It may be possible a chemical laboratory thousands of miles from a tropical rain forest could have artificially reproduced the toxin, but many questions remain, Summers said.

Daily diets of poison dart frogs in the wild cause deadly toxins

How did we learn about toxins in poison dart frogs?

John Daly, a biological chemist at the National Institutes of Health, pioneered the study of the dart frog toxins species during decades of research, tracing the origin of the poisons to the frogs' diets, according to Joe Schwarcz, director ofthe McGill University Office for Science and Society. He traced the origin of the poisons to the frogs' diets.

Enzymes in the frogs' bodies turn the alkaloids in ants, small beetles, millipedes and mites into toxins, Schwarcz wrote in an article first published in the Montreal Gazette. Daly identified epibatidine in a poison frog in Ecuador calledEpidedobates tricolor.

At first, researchers had high hopes for the poison. Although it's extremely toxic, they found it had a painkilling effect 200 times more potent than morphine and might not be linked to addiction.

The idea that epibatidine could be "a potentially useful pharmacological tool as a painkiller really stimulated a lot of interest and motivation," Summers said. "Ultimately it could be incredibly profitable if they could make it work as a painkiller."

Scientists were able to decode the toxin and chemically reproduce it, but they found the difference between a beneficial dose and a deadly dose was too narrow to be viable.

Could the epibatidine reportedly found in Navalny's body be manmade?

Although some Indigenous tribes in the rainforests were known to use batrachotoxin from dart frogs for hunting, scientist haven't found any evidence that epibatidine was ever used for that purpose.

Summers noted the statement from the governments does not make clear Navalny's cause of death, but it's remarkable if they were able to identify the epibatidine in samples from his body.

It would be "very surprising" if anyone tried to use the product as an experimental chemical to poison someone, Summers said.

The statement from the UK and other governments said they informed the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons of their findings that could indicate violation of the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention. It also stated the findings raise concerns that Russia had not destroyed all of its chemical weapons.

What to know about poison dart frogs

Found in tropical rain forests in South America, the frogs face risks from habitat destruction and the exotic pet trade. More than 175 species have been identified. Dart frogs in captivity aren't generally toxic because they aren't fed the same diet as frogs in the wild, the researchers found.

Colorful patterns on the frog warn predators of danger, said Summers. They advertise the toxins so that predators know to avoid them, he added. The frogs have evolved to be resistant to the toxins.

The bright colors are sometimes mimicked by non-poisonous frogs to convince predators they're deadly and by other poisonous frogs to join forces in warning predators away, said Summers, one of a number of scientists who have studied coloration among dart frogs for years.

Color also is used in mate choice and competition, Yusan Yang, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida, told USA TODAY.

Females usually prefer males that have the same color as their own as well as brighter colors. And males are more aggressive when the opponent is the same color, and brighter.

Many of the poison frog species are different from other frogs, who abandon their eggs to hatch on their own, Summers said. He and Yang described how the adults cooperate to transport their tadpoles to small pools.

"The tadpoles will wriggle on to the male's back and the male will go to a small pool," Summers said. "Over a period of months they will go back and visit the pool."

Females lay eggs for the tadpoles to eat and survive, the scientists said. That kind of monogamous pairing is "very unusual for frogs," Summers said.

The behaviors for mating are likely acquired when tadpoles remember the mom's color when she is feeding them, Yang said, and when they grow up they show bias toward the color that they remember.

Dinah Voyles Pulver, a national correspondent for USA TODAY, covers climate change, wildlife and the environment. Reach her at dpulver@usatoday.com or @dinahvp on Bluesky or X or dinahvp.77 on Signal.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Assassination by frog? Scientists ponder a Navalny report.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military on Saturday reported a series of strikes against Islamic State group targets in Syria in retaliation for the December ambush that killed two U.S. soldiers and one American civilian interpreter.

U.S. Central Command said in a statement that American aircraft had conducted 10 strikes against more than 30 IS targets between Feb. 3 and Thursday, hitting weapons storage facilities and other infrastructure.

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At least 50 members of IS have been killed or captured, while more than 100 IS targets have been struck since the United States began its strikes after the Dec. 13 ambush, according to Central Command. That attack killed Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, and Ayad Mansoor Sakat, the civilian interpreter.

Meanwhile, the Syrian Defense Ministry said Thursday that government forcestook control of a basein the east of the country that was run for years by U.S. troops as part of the fight against IS. The Al-Tanf base played a major role after IS declared a caliphate in large parts of Syria and Iraq in 2014.

The U.S. military on Friday completedthe transfer of thousands of IS detaineesfrom Syria to Iraq, where they are expectedto stand trial. The prisoners were sent to Iraq at therequest of Baghdad, in a move welcomed by the U.S.-led coalition that had for years fought against IS.

British airline Jet2 announced that it banned two travelers for life after they started brawling on flight bound for Manchester, England, on Thursday, resulting in its diversion.

The flight was traveling from Antalya, Turkey, when the midair fight broke out, according to the airline.

The cause of the brawl was not immediately clear Saturday.

The flight was diverted to Brussels, Belgium's capital city, as a result of the disruption, the airline said.

Jet2, a budget-friendly airline behind last year's viral "Nothing Beats a Jet2 Holiday" jingle, called the behavior of the two passengers "appalling."

"They were both offloaded by police in Brussels and the flight continued to Manchester," the airline said in the statement. "We can confirm that the two disruptive passengers will be banned from flying with us for life, and we will also vigorously pursue them to recover the costs that we incurred as a result of this diversion."

Videos depicting the altercation could be seen circulating online. In one video, two men start exchanging blows before additional passengers get involved. Many could be heard urging the men to stop.

"As a family friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour, and we are very sorry that other customers and our colleagues onboard had to experience this too," the airline said.

Editor's note:This story has been updated to include aBYUstatement to the USA TODAY Network.

Brigham Young Universityhas expelled Parker Kingston, the university has confirmed to the USA TODAY Network.

The university said in a statement that Kingston, whois facing a first-degree felony rape charge, is no longer part of the football program.

"As of Friday, Parker Kingston is no longer a student at Brigham Young University and is no longer a member of the BYU football team," BYU said in a statement to the USA TODAY Network. "University administration and athletic administration, including BYU Head Coach Kalani Sitake, were only made aware of the investigation and allegations after Kingston's arrest this past Wednesday, Feb. 11."

Kingston, 21, was charged on Wednesday, Feb. 11. According toThe Salt Lake Tribune, he made his first appearance, remotely, in Washington County Fifth District Court on Friday, Feb. 13, from the Purgatory Correctional Facility in Hurricane, Utah.

He was held in Washington County jail without bail following his arrest. According to the Salt Lake Tribune, Judge John Walton agreed to terms with Washington County chief deputy attorney Ryan Shaum and Kingston's defense attorney Cara Tangaro for Kingston to be released on $100,000 bond with $10,000 cash immediately paid to the court.

The charge against Kingston stems from an incident Feb. 23, 2025, in St. George, Utah ― over 250 miles south ofBYU's campus in Provo, Utah. The alleged victim was 20 at the time of the incident, and made her sexual assault report to officers at St. George Regional Hospital.

Kingston, a redshirt junior last season, earned second-team All-Big 12 honors after catching 67 passes for 928 yards with five touchdowns, along with 25 carries for 125 yards with three touchdowns.

According to The Salt Lake Tribune, four other stipulations were set in Kingston's release:

Among the requirements Walton set for Kingston's release were:

• GPS ankle monitor for at least the next 60 days

• No contact with alleged victim, her family or case witnesses

• Kingston must delete all social media applications from his phone

• Kingston is not allowed in Washington County except for future in-person court appearances

Kingston is due for a virtual hearing on Feb. 25, and the preliminary in-person hearing is scheduled for April 13, in the Fifth District Court in St. George.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN's National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) andHotline.RAINN.organd enEspañol RAINN.org/es.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Parker Kingston expelled from BYU following rape charges

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Azzi Fudd scored 25 points, Sarah Strong had 19 of her 22 in the second half andNo. 1UConn remained unbeaten with a 71-56 victory over Marquette on Saturday.

UConn Marquette Basketball

UConn (27-0, 16-0 Big East) has won 43 straight games and hasn't lost since an80-76 decisionat Tennessee over a year ago. The Huskies also have won 63 straight Big East games, counting regular-season and tournament matchups.

Marquette (16-10, 10-7) did manage to end one UConn streak.

UConn had won 21 straight games by at least 25 points before Saturday, which represented the longest such streak for any Division I program over at least the last 25 seasons. The last team to lose to UConn by fewer than 25 points was No. 7 Michigan, which fell72-69to the Huskies on Nov. 21 at Uncasville, Connecticut.

The Huskies built a 36-24 halftime lead thanks to Fudd, who scored 17 points and shot 5 of 8 on 3-point attempts in the first two periods.

Strong, who entered Saturday shooting 60% from the floor, went 1 of 9 and scored just three points in the first half. But she shot 6 of 7 during a 15-point third quarter. UConn coach Geno Auriemma said after the game that Strong was feeling "a little bit under the weather."

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UConn guard KK Arnold had 10 points and a career-high nine assists in her return home. Arnold was a three-time Associated Press Wisconsin state player of the year while starring at nearby Germantown High School.

Lee Volker scored 15 points, Skylar Forbes 14 and Jaidynn Mason 11 for Marquette, which has lost three straight games for the first time since December 2022.

After Marquette took an early 5-0 lead on a pair of Mason baskets, UConn scored eight straight points and never trailed again. A three-point play from Forbes tied the game at 20-all with 5:12 left in the second quarter, but UConn scored 11 consecutive points to pull ahead for good.

Up next

UConn is at Villanova on Wednesday.

Marquette has a long layoff before visiting Villanova on Feb. 22.

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