Former President George W. Bush has reason to smile from ear to ear. The 43rd president scored his first-ever hole-in-one Wednesday during a round of golf at Dallas' Trinity Forest Golf Club.

Bush, 72, was enjoying a round of golf on the links-style course with friends, Bush Center CEO Ken Hersh, and board members Mike Meece and Bill Hickey, when he grabbed his 8-iron and teed-up a shot on the par 3, 12th hole.

After nailing the ace the president posted a photo on Instagram, along with the joke that his next golf goal was to live to 100 so he could shoot his age.

A love of golf runs in the family. Bush's father, the late former President George H.W. Bush, is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame. Bush's grandfather Prescott Walker Bush was a eight-time club champion at Cape Arundel Golf Club in Kennebunkport, Maine and his great grandfather George Herbert Walker was president of the USGA in 1920. The Walker Cup, a biannual tournament between amateur stars from the U.S. and United Kingdom is still played today, the 2019 match will be held in September.

The Trinity Forest Golf Club, which is home to the Bush Center's Warrior Open, the PGA's AT&T Byron Nelson golf tournament and is home to the SMU Golf Team.

The Alliance of American Football, which has a team in San Antonio but not North Texas, is moving its championship game from Las Vegas to Frisco.

The new eight-team spring league, which plays its seventh set of games this weekend, said Wednesday that the April 27 title match will switch to The Ford Center at The Star, which is owned by Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys.

"I am a big fan of The Alliance," Jones said. "They are the first high-quality alternative football league to come along in a long time. The championship being live in prime time on CBS and the league's success in drawing good crowds in Texas means this will be a great event for the fans of the Dallas/Fort Worth area."

Originally, the title game was set for Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, an aging college facility. But when Tom Dundon, owner of the NHL's Carolina Hurricanes, joined the Alliance last month as chairman, he helped arrange for the championship game's move to Texas during a meeting with Jones at the NFL combine.

Fans who purchased tickets to the game in Las Vegas will receive full refunds.

Pro Football Hall of Fame executive Bill Polian and TV-film producer Charlie Ebersol are co-founders of the Alliance, whose games have been televised by CBS, CBS Sports Network, Turner Sports and NFL Network.

"To have the championship in the Dallas Cowboys' facility immediately following the NFL draft was an opportunity we could not pass up," Ebersol said, noting that the Alliance's San Antonio franchise has been one of its most popular. "The reception we have received in Texas has been tremendous, in many ways exceeding our expectations, and holding the biggest game of our inaugural season there will be an incredible experience for players, fans and the league. When this idea came up, we spoke with our Vegas partners ... to explain why we thought the move was ultimately in the best interest of the league, and they were understanding. Las Vegas and Sam Boyd have been phenomenal partners and we look forward to bringing many more future events to the city."

One of the AAF's long-term goals would include an affiliation with the NFL. Having Jones, one of the NFL's most powerful owners, in its corner can't hurt the Alliance.

Jones plans to attend the title game after finishing his work as general manager of the Cowboys as the three-day draft ends earlier that Saturday.

"Yes I do. Just as soon as we reach an agreement with our last undrafted free agent," he said. "Don't want to miss out on a Tony Romo.

"I watch the games. I'm a fan. I have been very impressed with the Alliance. The quality of football has exceeded our expectations, and the reception among the fans and the television viewers has been encouraging. There are few football minds I respect as much as Bill Polian, and he has delivered.

"I don't know what the future holds with respect to a potential relationship between the Alliance and the NFL, but they have certainly done a great job of laying the groundwork for players, coaches, officials, executives, and technology to get developed. I always say, what is good for the game of football is good for all of us. It floats all boats."

Under the classic entrance of one of football's most historic sites, the NHL gave a glimpse at what a hockey game in the Cotton Bowl will look like. At a press conference in front of the stadium's main entrance, the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators were officially announced as the two teams set to face off on January 1st, 2020, in the NHL's twelfth outdoor Winter Classic.

"You are not going to believe what this iconic venue is going to look like," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. "Dallas and Nashville are quintessential examples of the hockey boom."

"I've never played outdoor hockey, it was always street hockey for me (growing up)," said Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn. "You never thought we'd play an outdoor hockey game in Texas. I'm definitely looking forward to this."

Logistically, playing a hockey game in a stadium the size of the Cotton Bowl creates a unique set of challenges. For example, organizers are expecting the spectators will approach 80,000, four times the size of a maximum capacity crowd in the Stars home of the American Airlines Center.

"It's a lot bigger than an NHL rink, so we'll have to adjust," said Dallas Stars goalie Ben Bishop. "But you watch (the Winter Classic), dream about it, and think it's the coolest thing in the world. You see college football games in this stadium and see how many people are there. Now we get the same opportunity. It's a dream-come-true, a great opportunity for all of us and it should be a lot of fun."

The weather and potential warm temperatures in North Texas on New Year's Day could be a factor as well, though the NHL's commissioner believes the league is prepared.

"We've played an outdoor game in Los Angeles," said Bettman. "Our icemakers are incredible at what they do. If we didn't think we could have a great, successful event here, we wouldn't have announced what we have."

Confident in success in outdoor hockey in Dallas, and confident the Winter Classic in the Cotton Bowl will grow the game in North Texas in the years ahead.

The first edition of the classic was held in 2008 at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium -- home of the NFL's Bills -- between the Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins.

Dallas is the ninth team to host the annual classic, joining the Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Pittsburgh Penguins, St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals. The 2020 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic® will set the record for the southern-most location for any signature NHL outdoor contest.

Only NFL, MLB and college football stadiums have hosted the event, limiting potential venues in Dallas-Fort Worth to places like Globe Life Park, AT&T Stadium and the Cotton Bowl.

Tickets for the event will go on sale April 23. For more information about the game and to enter for a chance to win tickets, click here.

The Cowboys are done paying retail free agent prices for players.

The past few years they have opted to shop at the outlet mall for players. I personally love the Grand Prairie outlet mall off I-20 and Highway 360 because I find some great deals there.

A day after hosting him on a free-agent visit, the Cowboys have agreed to terms with wide receiver Randall Cobb on a one-year deal for a reported five million dollars. He will turn 29 in late August.

He should be the Cole Beasley replacement as the slot wide receiver.

Beasley wisely took the Buffalo Bills offer of four years and $29 million. That was too rich for the Cowboys because they don’t pay retail.

Cobb comes to Big D with some issues. He was limited to just nine games in 2018 for Green Bay because of hamstring injuries and a late-season concussion. He caught just 38 passes for 383 yards and two touchdowns, all lows since his 91-catch, 1,287-yard, 12-touchdown season of 2014.

Last week, the Cowboys also agreed to a one-year deal with speedy receiver Tavon Austin, who appeared in seven games as a space player and punt returner. They will have Pro Bowler Amari Cooper in the fold and tight end Jason Witten is coming out of retirement to give quarterback Dak Prescott another weapon.

I give the Cowboys a thumbs up on the Cobb signing. If he is healthy, then Prescott will be able to have a target Aaron Rodgers was able to rely on for eight seasons and amassed 470 career catches for 5,524 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Alexander Radulov had two goals in the third period to lift the Dallas Stars to a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.

Coach Jim Montgomery reunited the Stars' three top scorers on the first line during the first period. In addition to Radulov's two goals and an assist, Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists and Tyler Seguin assisted on all four goals.

The Stars remained in position for the Western Conference's first wild-card spot and stayed within two points of third-place St. Louis in the Central Division.

Midway through the third period, Seguin reached up to keep the puck inside the blue line. He then passed to Benn for a 2-on-1 break. Benn passed across to Radulov, who beat Panthers rookie goalie Sam Montembeault with a snap shot to make it 3-2.

Radulov was awarded the empty-net goal, his 24th of the season because a Florida player threw his stick at the puck.

John Klingberg scored on the power play in the second period to give Dallas a 2-1 lead.

Dallas goalie Ben Bishop extended his winning streak to six games, but his franchise-record scoreless streak ended at 2:33:04 at 2:11 of the first period.

Aleksander Barkov deflected Jonathan Huberdeau's shot from the right-side boards over the goalie and Barkov added a power-play goal that tied the game at 2 late in the second period.

Klingberg had given Dallas a lead for the first time in three games at 10:38. His wrist shot from above the top of the slot beat Montembeault. It was the Stars' first power-play goal in four games and only the second in the past 19 opportunities.

Barkov made it 2-2 at 16:57 of the second. His wrist shot inside the left post came against a Dallas penalty-killing unit that had been successful in 20 of the previous 21 opportunities.

NOTES: Barkov has 17 points (four goals, 13 assists) in a seven-game scoring streak. The 23-year-old has career highs of 32 goals, 53 assists and 85 points. ... The Panthers' Jonathan Huberdeau has five points (one goal, four assists) in the past three games. ... Stars C Jason Spezza was a healthy scratch for only the second time in his 16-year career. ... Tyler Seguin's four assists increased his season total to 42. He has reached 40 five times in his nine NHL seasons. In the past nine games, he has not scored a goal but has nine assists.

UP NEXT

Panthers: Begin a two-game homestand on Thursday against Arizona.

Stars: Play Colorado on Thursday in the third of a five-game homestand.

The Angels' Mike Trout is close to signing the largest contract in North American sports history, according to reports.

Main Event Entertainment has signed on as an official sponsor of Special Olympics but the partnership has been underway in the Plano location for a while now.

"When they come right through the door, they know our names. We know their names,” said Main Event Plano general manager Keith Clark. “They come up to the desk. We give them high fives and fist bumps. We know their shoe sizes and you just see the smiles on their face."

The Special Olympics athletes are happy to be bowling in a place that’s warm and welcoming. It’s a place where keeping score isn’t the most important thing.

"Giving our athletes opportunity like this is once in a lifetime to experience these great things that they do in this community,” said Special Olympics Texas associate executive director Alex Hubbard.

Among the inspirations for Main Event's involvement with Special Olympics is one of the company's district managers who has a son and daughter who are competitors.

"The son and daughter competed recently in Seattle in the World Games and both of them won gold medals,” said Main Event Entertainment marketing director Corey Will.

Perhaps one day, one of the bowlers will follow in their footsteps. After all, the bulbs that light the lanes at Main Event aren’t the only things lighting up.

"We have one Special Olympics athlete and he'll be bowling and he'll come run up to the bull desk and he'll be like, 'I just got two strikes in a row' and starts high fiving everybody,” said Clark.

It’s that kind of enthusiasm that has the staff at Main Event looking forward to the next time these bowlers return.

The San Francisco District Attorney's Office will not be charging San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer in the public altercation involving his wife.

The DA's Office was reviewing the findings of San Francisco Police Department's investigation.

“After a careful review of the relevant evidence, including multiple videos, statements from several witnesses and the parties themselves, the evidence does not support filing criminal charges,” said Alex Bastian, SF DA's Office spokesman.

San Francisco police earlier this month submitted their findings into the altercation that took place in San Francisco's Hayes Valley to prosecutors for review.

Larry Baer's attorney released the following statement on Tuesday:

"That is clearly the right decision based on the evidence, and we appreciate the thorough and professional investigation conducted by the police department and the district attorney.”

The incident garnered national attention after a video posted on TMZ Sports showed the two in a heated argument during which Baer appears to pull his cell phone from his wife, Pam, as she clings to the device and is seen tipping over in her chair and falling to the pavement.

Sources say the DA's decision came after review of a 40 minute video that shows about a 25 minute long conversation that became an argument over her demand to see his phone. She eventually wrests the phone away and then she refuses to give his phone back. He asks and then twice grabs for the phone.

A source confirms her prior injury may have played a role in her fall. There is also no history of domestic incidents, a source tells NBC Bay Area.

Police interviewed both Pam and Larry Baer as part of the investigation.

After the incident Pam Baer released a statement saying she took his cell phone, and then didn’t want to return it.

She wrote, in part, “I started to get up and the chair I was sitting in began to tip. Due to an injury I sustained in my foot three days ago, I lost my balance. I did not sustain any injury based on what happened today. Larry and I always have been and still are happily married.”

Larry Baer, who is now on leave from his role as the SF Giants Chief Operating Officer, said in a statement that he was sorry for the pain that he “brought to my wife, children and to the organization. It is not reflective of the kind of a person that I aspire to be, but it happened and I will do whatever it takes to make sure that I never behave in such an inappropriate manner again.”

A Coppell teenager is one of only a dozen grandmasters invited to play at the 2019 U.S. Chess Championship.

Jeffery Xiong, 18, accepted a bid to compete in the 12-player, 11-round Round-Robin tournament held at the U.S. Chess Capital of St. Louis with a grand prize of $50,000 and qualification into the World Championship cycle.

According to the World Chess Federation, Xiong, with a std ranking of 2663, is ranked 7th in the US and 83rd worldwide. U.S. Chess said he is the highest rated Junior player in the United States and the third highest rated Junior player in the world.

Xiong began playing chess at the age of 7, became a master at age 10, an international master at 13 and a grandmaster at 15. His round one match has him facing-off against 31-year-old Timor Gareev, a master of blindfold chess who attended The University of Texas at Brownsville.

"The U.S. and U.S. Women's Championships represent the best of American chess during the two-week event," added Carol Meyer, US Chess Executive Director. "The Championships will showcase the deep chess talent pool within the United States and will provide for daily battles that will be history-making."

During the matches, players receive 90 minutes for their first 40 moves followed by 30 minutes for the rest of the game, with a 30-second increment from move one. Draw offers are not allowed before move 30.

The entire prize pool is $194,000 with payouts ranging from $50,000 to $4,000. Any player that finishes with a perfect 11-0 score will also qualify for a $64,000 Fischer Bonus Prize. If two or more players tie for first, a playoff will be held to determine the champion.

The matches will take place March 20 through April 1 at the Saint Louis Chess Club in St. Louis, Missouri.

The Angels' Mike Trout is close to signing the largest contract in North American sports history, according to reports.

The ESPN report, citing sources familiar with the negotiations, said the 12-year deal is worth more than $430 million. The same figure was reported by the Los Angeles Times, which also cited sources familiar with the deal. The Associated Press reported that it would be the largest deal in North American sports history.

NBC4 has not confirmed details of the deal.

The 27-year-old center fielder, who has won two AL MVP awards, would pass up the previous record average of $34.4 million signed by former Dodger Zack Greinke when he joined Arizona. It also passes the $330 million deal reached earlier this year by the Phillies and Bryce Harper.

As for whether it's the most lucrative contract in the world, that's difficult to determine. Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi earned $84 million from the Spanish club in 2017-2018, according to Forbes, but specifics of his deal are not known. Cristiano Ronaldo, now with Juventus, earned $61 million last season with his former club, Real Madrid, according to Forbes.

Trout's reported deal means the Angels' star will remain in Anaheim through 2030. Trout would set a baseball record for career earnings at about $513 million, surpassing the roughly $448 million Alex Rodriguez took in with Seattle, Texas and the New York Yankees from 1994-2017.

There was speculation during the off-season that Trout, a New Jersey native, would be heading to an East Coast team, likely the Phillies. 

Trout was a first-round draft pick by the Angels in 2009. He made his big league debut in 2011. In his only post-season appearance with the team, the Angels were swept by the Kansas City Royals in the 2014 AL Division Series.

The team won 98 games that season, but went 80-82 last year and fell well short of the playoffs.

Trout has a .307 average with 240 home runs, 648 RBIs, 189 steals and 693 walks in eight big league seasons. He won AL Rookie of the Year in 2012, followed by the AL MVP award in 2014 and 2016. He finished second in MVP voting four times.

The Angel last big money splash was Albert Pujols, who joined the club in 2012 on a 10-year, $240 million contract. Josh Hamilton signed with the Angels for five years and $125 million in 2013. Both players fell short of their production with previous teams.

Amanda Imes, a senior at Harvest Christian Academy in Watauga, won the 1-A/2-A Division at the Texas High School Women's Powerlifting Association.

A Dallas Cowboys great is stepping up and investing in a North Texas neighborhood. A redevelopment project looks to revitalize the Lancaster Road Corridor and southern sector of Dallas.

The long-dormant former Urban League of Dallas building along South Lancaster Road is breathing new life thanks to Emmitt Smith.

Smith's social infrastructure development company E. Smith Communities teamed up with investor American South Real Estate Fund to purchase the 30,000 square foot building, according to E. Smith Communities.

"The site at the corner of South Lancaster Road and Ann Arbor Avenue (near the DART rail station and regional VA Medical Center) is in a designated Opportunity Zone with high poverty and significant need for economic development and job creation. Such projects are a high priority for E Smith Communities to support the Grow South Initiative," stated a press release.

"I believe [Smith] is committed to growing people and growing the community and he has his heart in the community," said Dallas City Councilwoman Carolyn King Arnold. "It means so much and it's going to take us a long, long way in this community."

King Arnold said current plans call for adding workforce training and retail space inside the building which sits on nearly three acres.

"We're looking forward to a workforce which means jobs," she said. "Job skills and the ability to perhaps work in our community and also just excitement about having an economic boom with retail."

The councilwoman said improving the Lancaster Road Corridor is key.

The area is home to the VA Hospital, new apartment homes but also empty or rundown buildings.

"Hooray, we are very excited," said Phil Foster with the Adelaide Neighborhood Association in East Oak Cliff.

"We didn't want just anything here," he said. "To know that Mr. Emmitt Smith, former Cowboys player, has purchased this building here, we're excited about it."

Foster said the area still needs more restaurants and quality food stores.

"It's time," said King Arnold. "It's time for the southern sector to get benefits that they so royally deserve to boost their quality of life and I think we're going to start here with the Smith Communities."

E. Smith Communities is currently looking for tenants. The project aims at creating up to 200 jobs in the neighborhood.

For more information, visit esmithcommunities.com.

Two college football players from Texas who were robbed and shot while in Miami on spring break over the weekend are considered "clinically stable" and continue to recover at a South Florida hospital, officials said.

Jay Bias and Xavier Morris, who attend Texas A&M University-Commerce, were shot just before 5:30 a.m. Saturday, Miami Police said. Both were taken to Jackson Memorial Hospital in stable condition.

Police said they were still gathering details on the shooting and couldn't confirm an address where it happened.

The families of the students and the university released a joint statement Monday, saying they're focusing on their recovery and return to Texas.

"Our families are so grateful for the outpouring of support and prayers that continue for Jay and Xavier," the statement read. "As they continue their remarkable progress and recovery from this unthinkable act of violence, we ask everyone to please respect our families and our focus on their support and recovery, as they are both clinically stable."

"As an institution, we continue to focus on supporting the Bias and Morris families and all those associated with this horrific incident," the university's statement read.

NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth/KXAS will air Eyes to the Future: NBC 5’s 2019 Texas Rangers Season Preview on Saturday, March 23 at 6:30 p.m.

Sports anchor and reporter Pat Doney will host this special, offering baseball fans an inside look into the organization’s fresh approach as new players and a new manager try to lay the foundation for championship runs in the seasons ahead.

Join us for an in-depth and personal look at the team’s new manager, Chris Woodward. Find out how the Texas Rangers plan to rebuild in 2019 and catch up with former players raising a new generation of talent right here in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

Eyes to the Future: NBC 5's 2019 Texas Rangers Season Preview
Saturday, March 23, 2019
6:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. CT

Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas Tech are among the six Big 12 teams to earn a spot in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, the tournament's committee announced Sunday.

With the No. 3 seed in the West Region, Texas Tech is league's highest-seeded team and will take on No. 14 seed Northern Kentucky in the first round.

The Red Raiders, led by Big 12 Player of the Year Jarrett Culver and Coach of the Year Chris Beard, went 14-4 in league play to win a share of the Big 12 regular season title.

The Sooners are the No. 9 seed in the South Region, and will play No. 8 seed Ole Miss. Baylor is the No. 9 seed in the West Region, earning a first-round matchup with No. 8 seed Syracuse.

Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State also made the tournament out of the Big 12.

TCU was on the NCAA Tournament committee's list of last four schools not to make the field, while Texas was considered a bubble team by many bracketologists.

The Horned Frogs, made the tournament in 2018 for the first time since 1998. If they had made this year's field, it would have been the first time since 1952-53 they'd been to consecutive tournaments.

The Longhorns didn't make the tournament for the third straight season. They missed the tournament just once from 1999-2016.

Three hours a day, six days a week, 12-year-old Bella Nasser trains at Ohana Warrior ahead of her first national Muay Thai match.

Bella found out about the sport, which uses fists, elbows, knees and shins, sometime last year after she learned not all combat sports are ready to open the door to girls.

"She's always loved wrestling," Bella's mom Angela Harrison said.

For years, Bella spent at least a day out of the week curled up in bed watching wrestling on repeat. So when she asked to join, her mom agreed. Though it wasn't as easy as they expected.

"In my area they would only have a boys wrestling team, which was hard because, like, we're in the 21st century and I feel like women can do whatever they put their mind to," Nasser said.

Instead, she turned to boxing, though it didn't fill the void of the passion she'd hoped to pursue. That's when she found Muay Thai, along with a coach who knows a thing or two about breaking the status quo.

"For awhile there, I was the only girl coach," Monalutta Albiola said.

Albiola now has several girls on her team. Nasser is one of two under the age of 18 that she'll take to a national competition next month.

There, women will make up only a quarter or so of the competitors. In Nasser's age group, there's only one other girl to compete against in her weight division.

It's a fact she's used to, usually sparring against boys and even men at her gym. But she's never used it as an excuse, only a reason to fight harder.

"It's taught her that you can achieve absolutely anything. And that you can do anything that you put your heart to. And if you want something bad enough, you'll go and get it," Harrison said.

After all, fighting is something Bella's done from day one when she was born 10 weeks early, weighing in at just two pounds.

"She was so small that she didn't even open her eyes," Harrison said.

In the NICU, Bella fought several serious complications before she got strong enough to head home.

"I think God created her as a fighter. It's just what she's supposed to do," Harrison said.

Beyond her first national fight, Bella's setting her sights on the Olympics, which she hopes will soon include Muay Thai. She hopes her sport can take her all over the world to show everyone that girls can fight too. 

"Women, they can work just as hard as men do, and they just do so good. They're strong, they're independent, it just amazes me," Nasser said.

Nasser competes the last weekend of April in Arizona. 

On this school year's final edition of Wingstop Inside High School Sports, five different North Texas high schools claim boys basketball state titles, the winner of the MVP Bobblehead for boys basketball player of the year is revealed and a look ahead to baseball season at Colleyville Heritage High School.

Ryan Reaves scored the tiebreaking goal early in the third period, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Dallas Stars 2-1 Friday night.

Max Pacioretty scored in the opening minute of the game for Vegas, and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 40 shots -- including 16 in the third period -- for his 35th win. The Golden Knights have won seven of eight to remain third in the Pacific Division.

Roope Hintz scored for Dallas and Anton Khudobin finished with 35 saves and also stopped a penalty shot by William Karlsson in the second period. The Stars lost for just the second time in eight games but fell from third in the Central Division behind St. Louis. Each team has 79 points, but the Blues have a game in hand.

On the go-ahead goal, Reaves put a wrist shot inside the left goal post at 2:37 of the third. He took the rebound of a shot by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare off Khudobin's save and the deflection off a defender's skate. It was Reaves' ninth of the season and first in 26 games.

Pacioretty put Vegas ahead just 18 seconds into the game, scoring on a snap shot from between the faceoff circles.

Hintz tied it at 4:04 as he stole the puck from Derek Engelland in the Vegas zone, skated to the right of the goal and put in a backhander.

Khudobin made a pad save on Karlsson's penalty shot at 1:37 of the second period. Esa Lindell was called for holding on a breakaway.

DeSoto native Errol Spence Jr. and Mikey Garcia weighed-in for their upcoming title fight at AT&T Stadium.

The two boxers will go toe-to-toe for the IBF Welterweight crown at the home of the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday night.

Spence Jr., who is the reigning champion, tipped the scales at 146 1/4 pounds while Garcia came in slightly lighter at 145 1/2 pounds.

Both fighters are undefeated in their professional careers. Spence is 24-0 and Garcia has yet to lose in 39 trips inside the ring.

Someone's perfect record will come to an end on Saturday night.

Jarron Cumberland had two late three-point plays and finished with 26 points to help No. 24 Cincinnati beat SMU 82-74 on Friday night in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals.

Justin Jenifer and Tre Scott added 17 points, with Jenifer making all six shots -- five from 3-point range -- for the second-seeded Bearcats. Scott also had 12 rebounds. Cincinnati (26-6) will face Temple-Wichita State winner in the semifinals.

Jimmy Whitt Jr. led the Mustangs (15-17) with a career-high 24 points. Jahmal McMurray added 18.

Tied at 66 with 4:53 remaining, the Bearcats steadily pulled away with Cumberland taking over. His three-point plays came with 3:46 remaining and 2:21. The Mustangs missed shots and were left to foul in hopes of cutting into the lead.

The Mustangs, coming off a 74-65 victory over Tulsa on Thursday, shot 51.7 percent, while Cincinnati made 50.8 percent of its shots.

Habitat for Humanity staff and volunteers thought they were surprising a family with a bench in Dallas. Instead former Dallas Cowboys player Herschel Walker drove up in a custom truck to donate to the organization.

"Go Heavy or Go Home" is the goal as Lingleville High School coach James Boyle and his Iron Cardinals head to a state competition in Waco today.

Three of his 14-member powerlifting team are the only ones to make it this far. All are girls: freshman Leslie Juarez, 15; junior Ana Maldonado, 17; and senior Aubrey Kellar, 17.

"We just worked so hard. We all three wanted it, and we get to show what we're made of," Kellar says.

Kellar has shown what she's made of for the past two years following a car wreck that injured her and two friends.

"I blacked out during the wreck and don't remember anything until I woke up in ICU thinking this was a dream. It didn't really happen," Kellar says. "I broke both arms, then got skin grafts. They're not really sure what happened, but the motor came through the vehicle and they think I laid against the motor."

Kellar was 15, yet instinctively knew recovering from the wreck on April 1, 2017, would test her like never before.

"There were many points where I felt overwhelmed. I felt like I wanted to throw in the shoe and give up," she said.

She credits people and prayers for holding her up on the long road to recovery.

"My little brother, he was a big pusher," she says with a smile. "He helped through recovery, whether it was feeding me, getting me water, making sure I took medicine on time; having the push from other people got me through my rough days."

Eventually, Kellar and her two friends who were also hurt in the wreck got back to high school life. And, Kellar found herself in the weight room with a coach who came with an offer she had to take.

"He told us, weights is how you're gonna get back," Kellar recalled.

"I told her this is gonna be hard," said Boyle. "We totally rebuilt Aubrey's muscle development."

And along the way, Kellar's confidence was rebuilt, too.

"We went to that first meet, and that's where I got that first medal, and I was like ‘Yeah, I'm doing it!," she said.

At the regionals of the Texas High School Powerlifting Association two weeks ago, Kellar benched 165 pounds, deadlifted 260 and another 260 on squats. The total weight of 655 pounds made her one of the strongest young woman in Texas. She'll try for heavier at the state championship today.

Powerlifting gave Kellar the place to strengthen not just her body, but her mind, too.

"It's kinda my place to get away from everything going on. School work gets stressful and just life in general," she said. "And the weight room is an escape from it."

While weights without doubt make Kellar stronger, it's what's in her heart that shapes her and what she shares with others.

"There's power in determination and prayer and trying your hardest. That's what I want to give to people. Don't give up," is her message to anyone going through a tough time.

Big games demand big plays, and one of those big moments happened in a basketball game between Rowlett and Grand Prairie high schools.

One of the Rowlett players made an incredible half-court shot to send the game into overtime. His uncle sent NBC5 video of his nephew and his three-point magic. The story of Gabe Pagaduan is something good.

The Pagaduans are a loving family of five - two dedicated parents and thee talented kids.

"I tell people I'm just the driver and bodyguard," Glenn Pagaduan said. "They're the stars of the family."

The brightest star of the family may be the middle child, son number two, Gabe.

"Everything he does is an accomplishment and we celebrate," his father said.

The Senior Plus at Rowlett High School does a lot to celebrate - band, National Honor Society, sports, Special Olympian and now with the half-court shot as his claim to fame.

"Happy," Gabe said about his shot. "Proud of myself."

Gabe's three points in the final seconds sent the game into overtime, and his dad into a frenzy.

"I couldn't wait to get down there, give everybody a high five and this guy, put him up on my shoulders like we won a championship," Glenn Pagaduan beams.

Gabe and his Special Olympian teammates took third place that night. They got that far because Gabe took a chance. He trusted himself to come through with the big play when it was needed the most.

Fans in the stands saw what Gabe's team at home knows. In him, beats the heart of a champion.

R.J. Hampton is the 2018-2019 Gatorade Texas Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

The Little Elm standout is the first student-athlete from his school to win this prestigious award, which, according to Gatorade, "recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field."

The 6-foot-6 junior guard averaged 32.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 3.9 steals per game this past season, and led the Lobos (24-10) to the second round of the Class 5A, Region 1 tournament.

Off the court, Hampton is a member of the Little Elm High Athletic Council, while maintaining a 3.88 GPA in the classroom and volunteering locally at youth basketball events.

Gatorade has also named Hampton one of three finalists for its National Boys Basketball Player of the Year honor.