Sports
Osceola Magic Defeat Texas Legends 144-112 on Puerto Rican Heritage Night
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The Osceola Magic (2-0) delivered a record-breaking performance Saturday night, defeating the Texas Legends (0-2) 144-112 at Osceola Heritage Park during Puerto Rican Heritage Night. The Magic set a new Tip-Off Tournament record for most points in a game (144), along with records for points in a quarter (45) and points in a half (89).
Robinson and Castleton Lead Magic’s Offensive Surge
In his first appearance with Osceola, Orlando Robinson made an immediate impact, posting a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double. Colin Castleton also tallied 25 points on an impressive 77% shooting from the field.
For the Legends, Miles Kelly led with 20 points, while Jamarion Sharp added 16 on 7-of-8 shooting. Despite leading by as many as 13 points in the first half, Texas couldn’t keep pace with Osceola’s second-half surge.
Smart Ignites Fourth-Quarter Run; Upcoming Theme Nights Announced
Trailing by four at halftime, the Magic stormed back in the third quarter to take a 100-89 lead into the final frame. Javonte Smart sparked the offense off the bench, scoring 15 of his 23 points in just eight minutes, going a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range in the fourth quarter.
Up Next:
School Day Game (Presented by Jostens) – Thursday, November 13 vs. Mexico City Capitanes, Tipoff: 11 a.m.
Military Appreciation Night (Presented by Krush Brau Park) – Friday, November 14 vs. Birmingham Squadron. The first 1,000 fans will receive an Osceola Magic military-themed pint glass.
Head Coach Dylan Murphy praised his team’s resilience:
“It’s really hard to beat the same team twice in a row, especially on a back-to-back. Orlando Robinson joined us after practicing with us, but there’s still a little bit of that clunkiness to get through. The guys fought, defended really well in the second half, and that fueled our offense.”
Davison scores 26 points, Branham adds 23 and Osceola records 23 steals to open its season with a victory at Silver Spurs Arena.
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Osceola Magic opened their season with a record-setting defensive performance, collecting 23 steals and forcing 35 turnovers in a 97-89 victory over the Oklahoma City Blue on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Silver Spurs Arena.
JD Davison scored a game-high 26 points and Malaki Branham added 23 as Osceola established a franchise record for steals and matched its record for opponent turnovers. Osceola Magic
Defense drives the comeback
Oklahoma City led 31-22 after the first quarter and 44-43 at halftime. Osceola pulled even at 70 entering the fourth quarter, then outscored the Blue 27-19 over the final period.
The victory gave Osceola a 1-0 start and dropped Oklahoma City to 0-2. Zhaire Smith led the Blue with 19 points, while Christoph Tilly contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. gleague.nba.com
Osceola’s defensive pressure helped offset Oklahoma City’s early advantage. The Blue finished just 5 of 29 from 3-point range, shooting 17.2%.
Six Magic players recorded multiple steals, led by Johnell Davis’ career-high six — one short of the franchise record. Davison collected four, Jarron Cumberland had three, and Ace Baldwin Jr., Branham and Mike Sharavjamts each added two.
Malaki Branham leans into his drive while keeping his dribble low as an Oklahoma City Blue defender guards him during the Osceola Magic’s season opener. Photo by Bernie Walls / Florida National News.
Davison and Branham lead the offense
Davison and Branham combined for 49 points, accounting for more than half of Osceola’s scoring.
Au’Diese Toney contributed 14 points in his return to Osceola, including a late 3-pointer that helped secure the victory.
Davis provided another boost off the bench with 11 points and a career-best-tying four assists, complementing his disruptive defensive performance.
Sharavjamts makes professional debut
Sharavjamts posted a team-best plus-12 rating in 24 minutes during his professional debut. Osceola outscored Oklahoma City by 12 points while he was on the floor. Osceola Magic
What’s next for the Osceola Magic?
Following a scheduled road matchup with the Memphis Hustle on Tuesday, Nov. 10, Osceola returns to Silver Spurs Arena to host the Mexico City Capitanes on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Eastern. Member News
The Magic’s challenge will be to sustain the defensive pressure that helped them overcome an early nine-point deficit in the opener.
NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.
Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.
“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.
LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.
TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.
The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.
A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.
Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls
Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.
The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.
A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry
The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.
Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:
“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”
— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.
South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.
– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com
Business2 days agoGetty Images files for Chapter 11. What comes next for Florida photographers and videographers?
Central Florida News1 day agoDarren Soto defeats Gov. Ron DeSantis’ gerrymandered map, narrowly wins reelection
Central Florida News21 hours agoOsceola Magic Set Franchise Steals Record in 97-89 Season-Opening Win
Politics18 hours agoGrenada PM Dickon Mitchell Wins Second Term as NDC Takes 14 of 15 Seats
