U.S./World Sports category, Page 59
Hijab-wearing players in women’s NCAA Tournament hope to inspire othersVideo
N.C. State’s Jannah Eissa and UC Irvine’s Diaba Konate are bringing visibility and inspiration to some Muslim women by wearing hjiabs while they play basketball. They aren’t the first women to do it in NCAA Tournament play, but with record viewership and attendance they are certainly getting noticed. “Representation really...
Illinois finishes off Iowa State to earn Elite Eight date with UConn
BOSTON — Terrence Shannon Jr. scored 29 points and Illinois reached the Elite Eight for the first time since 2005, beating Iowa State, 72-69, in an East Region semifinal on Thursday night. Shannon had 20 points in the first half for the third-seeded Illini (29-8), who never trailed. He broke...
Alabama knocks off top-seeded North Carolina to reach Elite Eight for 2nd time
LOS ANGELES — Grant Nelson converted a go-ahead three-point play with 38 seconds remaining, and Alabama beat top-seeded North Carolina, 89-87, on Thursday night to reach the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history. Nelson finished with a season-high 24 points, 19 in the...
Top-seeded Houston preps for Duke in Sweet 16 matchup
DALLAS — Houston is home in the Lone Star State, playing as a No. 1 seed in the South Region and in the Sweet 16 for the fifth NCAA Tournament in a row. With All-America point guard Jamal Shead, big man J’Wan Roberts and coach Kelvin Sampson, the Cougars are...
For Gonzaga, Sweet 16 means guarding Purdue’s Zach Edey — again
DETROIT — For most teams, facing a 7-foot-4, 300-pound force of nature like Zach Edey is uncharted territory. Fortunately, or maybe unfortunately, for the Gonzaga Bulldogs, Edey is no mystery to them. Twice over the past 16 months, the Zags have faced Edey and Purdue, and twice they have lost...
Top-seeded UConn blows through another opponent, beating San Diego State to reach Elite EightVideo
BOSTON — Stephon Castle had 16 points and 11 rebounds for top-seeded UConn, and the defending NCAA champion advanced to the Elite Eight with another double-digit victory, beating San Diego State, 82-52, on Thursday night in a rematch of last year’s title game. Cam Spencer scored 18 points, and Tristen...
Clemson upsets No. 2 Arizona, reaches Elite Eight for 1st time since 1980Video
LOS ANGELES — When Clemson has encountered rough stretches this season, coach Brad Brownell has told his team, “We’re built for this, we can handle this.” In their biggest game of the season Thursday night, the Tigers proved their coach correct. Chase Hunter scored 18 points, and Clemson advanced to...
‘Good likelihood’ injured Embiid will be back before playoffs, 76ers’ Nurse says
PHILADELPHIA — Philadelphia 76ers coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday there is a “good likelihood” reigning NBA MVP Joel Embiid will be back on the court before the postseason. “I think there’s a very good likelihood that he will return before the playoffs,” Nurse said before the Sixers took on the...
Top-seeded North Carolina, Clemson looking to move ACC beyond Sweet 16
LOS ANGELES — Armando Bacot and his North Carolina teammates heard the bashing about the ACC’s quality this season, and they’ve added it as a chip on their broad shoulders. Ever since Zion Williamson left Duke for the NBA in 2019 after one season, “I feel like the respect for...
UConn, San Diego State set for title-game rematch in Sweet 16
BOSTON — Connecticut coach Dan Hurley won’t shy away from the notion that his team has consistently been the best in college basketball this season. The Huskies’ 33-3 record and the dominant manner in which they’ve won along the way have proven that. He also knows that means next to...
NCAA President Charlie Baker urges states with legal wagering to ban prop bets on college athletesVideo
In the midst of March Madness, the NCAA is pushing for states with legal wagering on sporting events to ban prop bets on college athletes. “Sports betting issues are on the rise across the country with prop bets continuing to threaten the integrity of competition and leading to student-athletes getting...
Be like Caitlin: Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is inspiring a younger generation of players
CHANDLER, Ariz. — Caitlin Clark makes pulling up from the midcourt logo look easy, routinely hitting shots most players would consider a heave. The Iowa star’s deep range has expanded the scope of possibilities for up-and-coming women’s basketball players, much the way NBA star Stephen Curry changed the men’s game...
Kentucky AD: John Calipari will return as coach, despite calls for his firing after early NCAA exit
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart confirmed on social media that John Calipari will return as men’s basketball coach despite calls for his firing following the Wildcats’ third consecutive early exit from the NCAA Tournament. Barnhart posted Tuesday night on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he and...
Next on the Tee: Former pros Bill Mallon, Scott Gump talk about amateur, Tour competition
On this episode of Next on the Tee, host Chris Mascaro is joined by former PGA Tour pros Bill Mallon and Scott Gump. Mallon played on Tour in the mid to late 1970s during the Golden Age of the PGA Tour. After winning 43 amateur titles he earned his way...
Dutcher’s Aztecs face UConn in the Sweet 16 in a rematch of their painful national title game lossVideo
SAN DIEGO — The UConn Huskies pretty much wrecked every team they faced in the NCAA Tournament on the way to last year’s championship, and the first two games this March Madness look awfully familiar. Up next is a wrinkle: A rematch with a San Diego State team that was...
Caitlin Clark, Iowa claim another record with most-viewed first-round game in women’s NCAA tourney history
BRISTOL, Conn. — Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes can claim another record — the most-viewed first-round game in women’s NCAA Tournament history. The Hawkeyes’ 91-65 win over Holy Cross on Saturday averaged 3.23 million viewers on ABC, according to Nielsen. The viewership surpassed the 2.50 million who watched last...
All top 8 seeds advance to NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in chalky March Madness
March Madness arrived with visions of chaos. Based on last year’s bracket, there was little reason to doubt it. The only surprise so far has been the lack of pandemonium. The top two seeds from each region are headed to the Sweet 16 for just the fifth time. One double-digit...
Big East remains unbeaten in NCAA Tournament after only 3 bids
NEW YORK — Since a disappointing Selection Sunday for the Big East, when all its bubble teams got left out of the NCAA field, the conference has not lost a game in the tournament. Defending national champion UConn, Marquette and Creighton advanced to the Sweet 16, the Huskies rounding out...
Stanford hires Washington State’s Kyle Smith to take over men’s basketball programVideo
STANFORD, Calif. — Stanford hired Kyle Smith away from Washington State to take over its struggling men’s basketball program. Athletic director Bernard Muir announced Monday that Smith had agreed to take over the Cardinal after Jerod Haase was fired earlier this month. “The opportunity to serve as the head men’s...
Another Byron win has Hendrick on a roll heading toward NASCAR team’s 40th anniversary partyVideo
AUSTIN, Texas — Hendrick Motorsports has a lot to be happy about as the team barrels toward its big 40th anniversary celebration in two weeks. William Bryon dominated Sunday in his second win of the NASCAR season, which came at the Circuit of the Americas. Alex Bowman earned his third...
Washington lands Danny Sprinkle as head coach with family ties and Big Ten futureVideo
Washington hired Utah State’s Danny Sprinkle as its men’s basketball coach Monday hoping his success at smaller schools and lineage to the university can revitalize the program as it moves into the Big Ten starting next season. Sprinkle’s hiring came one day after Utah State was eliminated from the NCAA...
U.S. beats Mexico on goals by Adams and Reyna, wins 3rd straight CONCACAF Nations LeagueVideo
ARLINGTON, Texas — Tyler Adams scored from about 35 yards in his first start in more than a year for club or country, Gio Reyna added a second-half goal and the United States beat Mexico 2-0 on Sunday night for its third straight CONCACAF Nations League title. Adams put the...
William Byron dominates NASCAR’s 1st road race of season, wins at COTA
AUSTIN, Texas — William Byron won the Daytona 500 with an agonizing final lap under a caution flag. He took the checkered flag Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas at full throttle. Byron started from pole position and delivered a dominant drive in NASCAR’s first road course race of...
Peter Malnati wins Valspar Championship with big break, great shot
PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Peter Malnati got a great break with the tournament on the line and followed that with an even better shot, making a late birdie on his way to a 4-under-par 67 to win the Valspar Championship on Sunday and earn his first trip to the Masters....
No. 2 seed Marquette holds off No. 10 Colorado 81-77 in March Madness to reach Sweet 16
INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Kolek had 21 points and 11 assists, and David Joplin made two free throws with 7.4 seconds left to help Marquette finally beat Colorado 81-77 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In their third season under coach Shaka Smart, the second-seeded Golden Eagles...
