GREEN MAG

Fresh off a pair of resounding victories, No. 21 Arkansas looks to avenge its most decisive loss of the season against slumping Auburn in Fayetteville, Ark., on Saturday.

The Razorbacks went "back to the basics" defensively in a 91-62 victory at LSU on Tuesday, according to coach John Calipari, in their second straight win by at least 20 points.

Arkansas (18-6, 8-3 SEC) could benefit from a similar effort in the rematch against Auburn, which shot 56.7% from the field in a 95-73 home victory Jan. 10.

"We were so bad defensively two-three weeks ago that some of this stuff is going back to the basics," Calipari said. "How do I get us to take unbelievable pride defensively. We've just got to get there.

"We go from here. We've got seven (SEC) games (remaining). We could lose all seven. We'll see if we are getting better."

The Razorbacks are one game behind SEC-leading Florida and tied with Kentucky for second, one game ahead of five 7-4 teams that are fighting for the four double-byes in the league tournament.

Auburn (14-10, 5-6) has lost three in a row after a four-game winning streak that included victories over then-No. 16 Florida and Texas. The Tigers fell to Vanderbilt 84-76 at home Tuesday.

"People are going to be panicking right now," first-year Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. "While the results haven't been there, this team has continued to get better."

NCAA Freshman of the Year candidate Darius Acuff Jr. scored 28 points and five assists in the win at LSU, four days after contributing 24 points and eight assists in an 88-68 victory at Mississippi State.

Acuff tied a season high with 13 field goals against LSU, and his 22 attempts were a season high. He was 1 of 4 from distance.

"Which meant either a mid-level shot, which I like him to shoot because he can make them, or he shot layups," Calipari said. "You don't have to live and die with the threes."

Forward Trevon Brazile had 14 points and 12 rebounds against LSU, his fifth double-double of the season. He has averaged 16.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in the last three, his best stretch in SEC games.

"It makes us different," Calipari said of Brazile's impact. "For him, it's a mindset."

DJ Wagner (ankle) and Karter Knox (knee) have missed the last two Arkansas games, tightening Calipari's rotation and providing more minutes for Billy Richmond III, who has scored in double figures in four of his last five games.

Reserve center Malique Ewin took four stitches in his forehead after being struck by an elbow late in the LSU game but is expected to play.

Auburn established control early in the first meeting, opening a 14-point lead with nine minutes left in the first half. The Razorbacks were never closer than 13 in the second half.

Tigers' leading scorer Keyshawn Hall (20.7 points) scored 32 points in the first meeting, tying a season high. He was 11 of 14 from the field and 4 of 5 from deep.

Hall was not a factor against Vanderbilt, going 3 of 13 from the field and playing only 26 minutes. He sat the final 12:38 as Auburn cut the Commodores' lead to 70-66 on Tahad Pettiford's layup with 2:42 left.

"I just went with the guys that I thought put us in the best position to get back in the game," Pearl said. "Our offense wasn't really in sync when he was on the floor, so wanted to give us a different look."

Pettiford, who averages 14.1 ppg, has scored 46 points the last two games, 21 against Vanderbilt and 25 in a 96-92 loss to Alabama last Saturday.

--Field Level Media

Surging, third-ranked Houston will look to build on its 17-game home winning streak and continue its recent stretch of dominating play when it hosts reeling Kansas State on Saturday afternoon in a Big 12 Conference game.

The Cougars (22-2, 10-1 Big 12) moved up five spots in the most recent AP poll and justified that jump with a 66-52 win at Utah on Tuesday. Emanuel Sharp led the charge for Houston with 27 points and a career-high eight 3-pointers that gave him 277 and propelled him past Marcus Sasser (276) as the school's career leader in made 3-point field goals.

"I was just shooting," Sharp said. "It was really no complicated science behind it. I've been blessed with having two great point guards on this team with Kingston (Flemings) and Milos (Uzan). They are so unselfish. They always find me in great spots."

No other Houston player scored in double figures on Tuesday, but that didn't stop the Cougars from building a 22-point lead in the second half and waltzing to their fifth straight victory and their 16th in the past 17 outings. Houston's defense held Utah to just 2-of-17 shooting (11.8%) from beyond the arc and its lowest point total of the season.

After the win, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson lauded Sharp and his continued contribution to the program's success.

"Every team Emanuel has played on has won a conference championship, whether it's the American or Big 12," Sampson said. "He's played in Final Fours, Elite Eights, Sweet 16s. All he's done is win. He's made this program better. Emanuel has been around. He's seen a lot of winning. He's been a huge part why this program has been successful."

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Sharp is averaging 16.3 points per game, second on the team to mercurial freshman Flemings (16.6 ppg).

It's into this gauntlet that the struggling Wildcats step. Kansas State (10-14, 1-10) heads to the Bayou City carrying a five-game losing streak after a 91-62 defeat at home against Cincinnati on Wednesday. The Wildcats shot 40.3% from the floor and made only 6 of 25 shots (24%) from 3-point range vs. the Bearcats.

P.J. Haggerty, the nation's second-leading scorer at 23.3 points per game, amassed 24 points for the Wildcats in the setback but got little help. Kansas State trailed by 22 points at halftime and by 32 in the second half.

Kansas State has dropped 10 of its past 11 games, and coach Jerome Tang took his team to task for a lack of effort and hustle on both ends of the floor in the latest loss.

"They got to have some pride," Tang said. "It means something to wear a K-State uniform. It means something to put on this purple. These dudes do not deserve to wear this uniform. There will be very few of them in it next year. I'm embarrassed for the university, I'm embarrassed for our fans, our student section. It is just ridiculous."

The 1-10 record through 11 conference games equals the Wildcats' worst start in the Big 12 era, a mark also posted by 1999-2000 and 2020-21 teams.

--Field Level Media

Santa Clara is enjoying a memorable season, but it can boost its success to another level when it hosts No. 12 Gonzaga on Saturday night in a battle for first place in the West Coast Conference.

The Broncos have won nine straight games since losing 89-77 to the Bulldogs on Jan. 8 in Spokane, Wash. This contest also marks the last regular-season battle between programs that have been in the same conference for the past 46 seasons and first met in 1959.

"We'll keep it straightforward," Santa Clara guard Sash Gavalyugov said. "It's our last game against Gonzaga in the WCC, so we look to beat them for a goodbye. We look to be undefeated for the rest of the season."

The Broncos (22-5, 13-1 WCC) stand a half-game ahead of the Bulldogs (24-2, 12-1) with Saint Mary's (22-4, 11-2) looming close behind in third place.

Gonzaga coach Mark Few feels Santa Clara shouldn't have any trouble being part of March Madness despite the school last qualifying in 1996.

"They're an NCAA Tournament team," Few said. "They pass the eye test."

The Steve Nash-era Broncos went to the tournament three times in the 1990s and went 2-3, including the still-talked about upset of No. 2 seed Arizona in 1993.

Santa Clara is 13-0 at home entering the clash with Gonzaga, and coach Herb Sendek is doing his best to downplay the hype.

"It's the next game on our schedule," Sendek said after the Broncos' 84-72 home win over Seattle University on Wednesday. "We don't look at the name on the jersey or the tip time or the weather or whether it's a holiday or any other thing that can enter someone's mind.

"When it's time to play, our conference schedule demands the best of us."

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Gavalyugov, a freshman, made five 3-pointers and scored 21 points against Seattle. He had scored in single digits seven straight times since his explosive 37-point outing against Loyola Marymount on Jan. 10.

One game ahead of his career-best outing, he had eight points on 2-of-7 shooting against Gonzaga. Bulldogs star Graham Ike scored 34 points on 13-of-17 shooting and collected 11 rebounds in the Gonzaga win.

"We guarded them really, really good and rebounded the ball well," Few said of the contest that was tied at halftime and saw the Bulldogs lead by as many as 23 in the second half.

Ike has scored 30 or more in three of his past six appearances and has made 21 of 28 field-goal attempts over the past two games. He matched his career best of 35 points while making 13 of 18 shots in an 81-61 rout of Oregon State on Feb. 7, and he followed up with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting in an 83-53 home shellacking of Washington State on Tuesday.

Freshman Davis Fogle added 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting off the bench vs. the Cougars and was lauded by Few for his defense. Fogle had a season-high three blocked shots and matched his high of three steals in 23 minutes.

"I think on the defensive end, the game's slowed down a lot," Fogle said. "... Still working on it every day in practice and taking all the advice I can from coaches."

Despite the Broncos splitting the regular-season series with the Bulldogs the past two campaigns, this is another one of those WCC rivalries long owned by Gonzaga.

The Bulldogs had won 26 straight matchups and 35 of 36 prior to the recent splits.

Gonzaga has won 22 of the past 24 meetings at Santa Clara. The Broncos won in 2011 and 2024.

Gonzaga will move into the rebuilt Pac-12 next season.

--Field Level Media

MERAUX, La. (AP) — Across the calm waters behind a pumping station near Lake Borgne, hundreds of saplings stand out in the mist, wrapped in white plastic cylinders.

Climate Wetland Restoration Tree Planting

To get there and to other sites like it, organizers have ferried dozens of volunteers week after week in airboats. They have a trailer equipped with supplies. Rubber boots in all different sizes. Bins full of snacks for the end of a hard day's work.

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One day, they hope to see 30,000 fully grown trees like bald cypress and water tupelo at this and other sites that restore the natural barrier ofwetlandsinto the protective forest it once was. The goal is for the roots of these native trees to hold the earth around New Orleans in place as it slips further below sea level, create habitat for wildlife and help shield the city from storms.

Much of that natural barrier was lost afterHurricane Katrina, which killed over 1,000 people and caused over $100 billion in damage in 2005. But many have been working since then to restore the land, and near the end of a long effort run by local environmental groups, organizers are reflecting on the roots they've helped put down — a more solid ecosystem, so different from the degraded marsh they started with.

"We're one part of a larger movement to resist this sort of 'doomerism' mindset, and to show that recovery is possible," said Christina Lehew, executive director ofCommon Ground Relief, one of the organizations working on the tree planting. "When we use our imaginations to envision the past and the vast amount of wetlands landscapes that we have lost, we know that likely we'll never return to that pristine image of the past. But we can gain something back."

Why organizations have joined forces to plant trees in wetlands

In other locations around New Orleans, cypress trees planted years ago tower over dense thickets rich with other native plants. They tell the story of what could have been, and what restorers are trying to bring back.Before the logging industry, before the oil and gas industry, before anyone built levees to contain the Mississippi River, the Delta naturally ebbed and flowed and flooded as the river deposited sediment on the Gulf Coast. The plants that thrived in that ecosystem formed protective estuaries.But then the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 burst through levees in dozens of places. Hundreds of people died and the water caused catastrophic damage across several states. After that, the government initiated a new era of levee building. By the mid-1960s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had also constructed a shipping channel called the Mississippi River—Gulf Outlet Canal (MRGO), which ultimately became a path for Katrina's storm surge into the city of New Orleans.Those engineering decisions worsenedKatrina's destruction. They allowed saltwater into freshwater ecosystems around the city, poisoning many of the trees. And so the city was exposed to future hurricanes, and lost the living guardians whose roots held the land in place.In 2009, the MRGO was shut down to cut off further saltwater intrusion, and environmental groups started reforesting. Eventually, about five years ago, several organizations came together as acollectiveto apply for federal and state funding for a bigger project. Spreading two large grants across different volunteer bases, planting in different areas and using different techniques, they're getting closer to that 30,000-tree goal. One of the largest groups, theCoalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, has planted about 10,000 of its 15,000-tree quota, said Andrew Ferris, senior coordinator for their native plants program. They'll finish by next year, he said."In our wildest dreams we never thought we'd be able to plant some of the areas that we are now planting," said Blaise Pezold, who started planting trees around 2009 and is now coastal and environmental program director for theMeraux Foundation, one of the partner organizations. "It was thought to be too low, too salty, Katrina messed it up too much, and we would have to focus on areas that were easier to get into."The closing of the MRGO and the drop in salinity levels changed all that. "The Central Wetlands Reforestation Collective has kind of allowed us to be very adventurous in the sites we choose," Pezold added.A way of processing grief, and rebuilding for the futureFor many of the organizers in Louisiana who have been helping with restoration and recovery efforts, the project has been a way to cope with living in the wake of a natural disaster.Katrina hit the day after Ashe Burke's 8th birthday. "It still affects everybody that went through it, and ... it changed us all. I mean, we had our lives ripped out from underneath us in a day," said Burke, the wetlands restoration specialist for Common Ground Relief, where Lehew also works. "It still does hurt in some ways, you know? But we gotta keep going on and the sun rises in the morning."That's also something important to teach the next generation, said Rollin Black, who works with theCenter for Sustainable Engagement and Development, one of the tree-planting partner organizations. He also has family in New Orleans, and he said restoring the environment has been a way to act on the problems he saw. Seeing kids participate helps."That brings a little bit of joy to my heart that they're actually inspired by what we're doing. So maybe they could come back or maybe they have some reason to live in New Orleans," he said.___Follow Melina Walling on X@MelinaWallingand Bluesky@melinawalling.bsky.social. Follow Joshua A. Bickel onInstagram,BlueskyandX@joshuabickel.___The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

In other locations around New Orleans, cypress trees planted years ago tower over dense thickets rich with other native plants. They tell the story of what could have been, and what restorers are trying to bring back.

Before the logging industry, before the oil and gas industry, before anyone built levees to contain the Mississippi River, the Delta naturally ebbed and flowed and flooded as the river deposited sediment on the Gulf Coast. The plants that thrived in that ecosystem formed protective estuaries.

But then the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 burst through levees in dozens of places. Hundreds of people died and the water caused catastrophic damage across several states. After that, the government initiated a new era of levee building. By the mid-1960s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had also constructed a shipping channel called the Mississippi River—Gulf Outlet Canal (MRGO), which ultimately became a path for Katrina's storm surge into the city of New Orleans.

Those engineering decisions worsenedKatrina's destruction. They allowed saltwater into freshwater ecosystems around the city, poisoning many of the trees. And so the city was exposed to future hurricanes, and lost the living guardians whose roots held the land in place.

In 2009, the MRGO was shut down to cut off further saltwater intrusion, and environmental groups started reforesting. Eventually, about five years ago, several organizations came together as acollectiveto apply for federal and state funding for a bigger project. Spreading two large grants across different volunteer bases, planting in different areas and using different techniques, they're getting closer to that 30,000-tree goal. One of the largest groups, theCoalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana, has planted about 10,000 of its 15,000-tree quota, said Andrew Ferris, senior coordinator for their native plants program. They'll finish by next year, he said.

"In our wildest dreams we never thought we'd be able to plant some of the areas that we are now planting," said Blaise Pezold, who started planting trees around 2009 and is now coastal and environmental program director for theMeraux Foundation, one of the partner organizations. "It was thought to be too low, too salty, Katrina messed it up too much, and we would have to focus on areas that were easier to get into."

The closing of the MRGO and the drop in salinity levels changed all that. "The Central Wetlands Reforestation Collective has kind of allowed us to be very adventurous in the sites we choose," Pezold added.

A way of processing grief, and rebuilding for the future

For many of the organizers in Louisiana who have been helping with restoration and recovery efforts, the project has been a way to cope with living in the wake of a natural disaster.

Katrina hit the day after Ashe Burke's 8th birthday. "It still affects everybody that went through it, and ... it changed us all. I mean, we had our lives ripped out from underneath us in a day," said Burke, the wetlands restoration specialist for Common Ground Relief, where Lehew also works. "It still does hurt in some ways, you know? But we gotta keep going on and the sun rises in the morning."

That's also something important to teach the next generation, said Rollin Black, who works with theCenter for Sustainable Engagement and Development, one of the tree-planting partner organizations. He also has family in New Orleans, and he said restoring the environment has been a way to act on the problems he saw. Seeing kids participate helps.

"That brings a little bit of joy to my heart that they're actually inspired by what we're doing. So maybe they could come back or maybe they have some reason to live in New Orleans," he said.

Follow Melina Walling on X@MelinaWallingand Bluesky@melinawalling.bsky.social. Follow Joshua A. Bickel onInstagram,BlueskyandX@joshuabickel.

The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP'sstandardsfor working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas atAP.org.

By Ariba Shahid

Neon padel party in Karachi

KARACHI, Feb 13 (Reuters) - Under neon lights at an indoor sports club in Karachi, twenty-somethings drifted between glowing courts and a DJ booth, dancing with coffee cups and iced tea in hand.

No alcohol. No drugs. And the music ended promptly at 10 pm.

In Pakistan, a ‌growing number of Gen Z are opting for "sober socialising", joining a global trend as young people increasingly opt for healthier lifestyles.

Here, though, the shift carries ‌an added appeal: Drinking alcohol is illegal for Muslims, who make up the vast majority of Pakistan's population.

PARTYING WITHOUT THE POUR

They are increasingly turning their backs on the party scene of the past, which often ​involved underground venues because of the presence of alcohol and drugs, and the risk of running afoul of authorities.

"In Karachi, we don't have many places to just exist socially," said Zia Malik, a software entrepreneur attending the event. "This gives you that without having to hide."

"I have visited some underground parties," he added. "You cannot feel secure."

At the sports club, crowd numbers were capped. Between breaks in dancing, revellers played padel, a cross between squash and tennis popular in Pakistan.

The event's organiser, experiential platform 12xperience, had local government approval to host a public ‌party without alcohol.

CREATING A SAFE SPACE

Cameras - both wall-mounted and ⁠on drones - monitored the crowd to enforce the no-alcohol policy and to deter fights or harassment, organisers said.

"Without guardrails, you're just recreating the same risks people are trying to escape," said Mohammed Usman, founder of 12xperience.

"This is about creating a space where people feel safe," ⁠he said. "Without alcohol, without drugs, without chaos."

Events like this are popping up across the city of nearly 19 million in growing numbers, mainly at sports facilities and coffee shops, but also at venues such as art galleries and co-working spaces.

Euromonitor data shows Pakistan's soft drinks market grew more than 27% between 2020 and 2025, and hot drinks - a category that includes coffee - expanded ​by ​a similar margin.

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While that mirrors a global trend in young people drinking less, Pakistan's shift has ​outpaced mature markets such as the United States and Britain, where ‌non-alcoholic beverage volumes have grown only modestly.

PARTYING WITHIN ISLAMIC BOUNDARIES

Sociologist Kausar Parveen said the change shows how young Pakistanis have put a modern spin on adapting to the country's Islamic norms, rather than being a sign they are rejecting them.

"They are not going beyond religion, but reframing how social life happens," said Parveen, an associate professor at the University of Karachi.

Women-only events are also increasing in popularity, in a country where gender mixing carries cultural stigmas.

"For a lot of women, nightlife comes with conditions of who's there, how late it runs, how visible it is," said comedian and influencer Amtul Bajwa, who was hosting the women-only desi music night at her cafe in Karachi, Third ‌Culture Coffee.

"This was about creating a space where women could relax without negotiating those things."

OPTIONS OPEN ​ONLY TO WOMEN

Pakistani and Indian music played as women danced without reservations to desi tracks, and ​the event ended at 9pm sharp.

"You don't have to worry about who's watching," ​said Fatima, who did not share her last name because her parents did not know she was attending. "Ending early makes it easier ‌to get home."

Bajwa has also hosted a number of coffee raves for ​both genders, and recently held a silent ​disco at her cafe, but said there is particular demand for women-only events.

Price is something of an issue: Tickets typically cost between 3,000 and 7,000 Pakistani rupees ($10.73 to $25.04) in a country where entry-level monthly salaries tend to be 30,000 to 40,000 rupees, making a single night out a significant expense.

Even so, sober ​raves have become a significant - and very visible - outlet for ‌Pakistan's youth.

At the sports club, well-dressed lifestyle bloggers and social media influencers posted photos and videos in real time, something unlikely at parties involving ​alcohol.

"It's more available to the masses," said Shah Zaib, a 27-year-old data analyst attending his third such event.

"I love the fact that it's not ​underground anymore."

($1 = 279.5000 Pakistani rupees)

(Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi: Editing by Kevin Buckland)