No. 16 Louisville's winning streak continues with a dominant victory over No. 17 Tennessee

NEW YORK (AP) — Jeff Walz and his Louisville Cardinals are heading into a holiday break on a roll.

The 16th-ranked Cardinals have won six straight games, including an 89-65 rout of No. 17 Tennessee on Saturday at the Women's Champions Classic. This was the Cardinals' fourth consecutive win over Tennessee, with the previous one coming in the Sweet 16 of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

“We are playing some pretty good basketball,” Walz said. “I wish we weren't going on break right now. But just how we’re passing the basketball, how we’re sharing the ball. Everybody’s involved.”

Louisville (12-3) doesn’t play again until facing Atlantic Coast Conference opponent SMU on Jan. 1. The Cardinals' three losses this season have come against ranked opponents — No. 1 UConn, No. 3 South Carolina and No. 12 Kentucky.

During its current streak, the Cardinals had a big ACC win, topping North Carolina in overtime on the road. That was the team's first win over an AP Top 25 team this season. Now the Cardinals have another one after knocking off a Southeastern Conference opponent. The ACC had struggled against the SEC in the challenge last month, dropping 13 of the 15 games.

“Some of it was matchups,” Walz said. “Getting this win definitely helps the conference.”

Louisville has played in the Women's Champions Classic in both years and Walz joked after the win that hopefully it did enough to get invited back again. The Cardinals were blown out last year by UConn in the inaugural doubleheader.

Louisville has a favorable schedule toward the end of the season, with five of its final six ACC games at home.

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Louisville's Mackenly Randolph (4) celebrates as Tennessee's Alyssa Latham (33) looks away after Reyna Scott (1) scored during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Louisville's Tajianna Roberts (22) gestures after making a three-point shot during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Tennessee Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Louisville's Elif Istanbulluoglu (11) celebrates with Reyna Scott (1) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against the TennesseeSaturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces on Saturday stopped a vessel off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

The move, which was confirmed by two U.S. officials familiar with matter, comes days after Trump announced a “blockade” of all sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of the South American country and follows the Dec. 10 seizure by American forces of an oil tanker off Venezuela’s coast.

The officials were not authorized to discuss publicly the ongoing military operation and spoke on condition of anonymity. The action was described as a “consented boarding,” with the tanker stopping voluntarily and allowing U.S. forces to board it, one official said.

The Pentagon and White House officials did not immediately respond to a requests for comment.

Trump earlier this month announced that Coast Guard had seized an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea and vowed that the U.S. would carry out a blockade of Venezuela. It all comes as Trump has ratcheted up his rhetoric toward Maduro and warned that the longtime Venezuelan leader’s days in power are numbered.

Trump this week demanded that Venezuela return assets that it seized from U.S. oil companies years ago, justifying anew his announcement of a “blockade” against oil tankers traveling to or from the South American country that face American sanctions.

Trump cited the lost U.S. investments in Venezuela when asked about his newest tactic in a pressure campaign against Maduro, suggesting the Republican administration’s moves are at least somewhat motivated by disputes over oil investments, along with accusations of drug trafficking. Some sanctioned tankers already are diverting away from Venezuela.

"We’re not going to be letting anybody going through who shouldn’t be going through,” Trump told reporters. “You remember they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil not that long ago. And we want it back. They took it — they illegally took it.”

President Donald Trump walks to speak with reporters while departing the White House as chief of staff Susie Wiles, right, looks on, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)