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🚨 Headlines
⚽️ Saved by a miracle: The USMNT trailed Jamaica, 1-0, in Thursday’s Nations League semifinal before netting a miraculous equalizer in the 95th minute en route to a 3-1 win in extra time.
🏀 Women’s First Four: Arizona beat Auburn, 69-59, to set up a meeting with No. 6 Syracuse; Holy Cross routed UT Martin, 72-45, to set up a meeting with No. 1 Iowa.
⚾️ Seoul Series: The Padres beat the Dodgers, 15-11, in a slugfest to close out the two-game series abroad. Mookie Betts (four hits, six RBI and the season’s first home run) was excellent in defeat.
🏀 G League Ignite shuttering: The NBA is shutting down its developmental G League Ignite team after this season.
🏀 16 games down, 47 to go
Jack Gohlke spent five years at D-II Hillsdale College. On Thursday, he torched D-I’s winningest program on national TV. How can you not love this tournament?
ICYMI: Gohlke, a 24-year-old grad transfer, tied an NCAA tournament record with 10 three-pointers in No. 14 Oakland’s 80-76 win over No. 3 Kentucky.
“I know they have draft picks, and I know I’m not going to the NBA … but on any given night I can compete with those type of guys.” – Gohlke
The end of the John Calipari era? Kentucky hasn’t advanced past the first weekend since 2019 and that’s now two losses in three years to massive underdogs in the first round (also lost to No. 15 St. Peter’s in 2022).
More close games:
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Kansas 93, Samford 89: The 13th-seeded Bulldogs nearly stunned the Jayhawks, and perhaps they would have if the refs didn’t call a foul on this clean block.
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Duquesne 71, BYU 67: The 11th-seeded Dukes earned their first tournament win since 1969. Keith Dambrot’s coaching career lives on.
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Dayton 63, Nevada 60: The seventh-seeded Flyers overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half to stun the Wolf Pack.
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Washington State 66, Drake 61: The seventh-seeded Cougars advance for the first time since 2008.
Elsewhere: The other 11 games were decided by double-digits.
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(1) UNC def. (16) Wagner, 90-62
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(2) Iowa State def. (15) SDSU, 82-65
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(2) Tennessee def. (15) St. Peter’s, 83-49
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(2) Arizona def. (15) Long Beach State, 85-65
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(3) Creighton def. (14) Akron, 77-60
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(3) Illinois def. (14) Morehead State, 85-69
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(5) Gonzaga def. (12) McNeese, 86-65
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(7) Texas def. (10) Colorado State, 56-44
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(9) Michigan State def. (8) Mississippi State, 69-51
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(11) Oregon def. (6) South Carolina, 87-73
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(11) NC State def. (6) Texas Tech, 80-67
Where it stands: Only 116 brackets (0.1%) on Yahoo Sports are still perfect
🏀 The Madness continues
Day 2 gets underway at noon with another 16 games in Brooklyn, Memphis, Spokane and Indianapolis.
Early afternoon:
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No. 8 FAU (-3.5) vs. No. 9 Northwestern (12:15pm ET, CBS): The Owls returned their entire starting five from last year’s surprise Final Four team.
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No. 3 Baylor (-13.5) vs. No. 14 Colgate (12:40pm, truTV): The Raiders seek their first-ever tournament win, which won’t come easy against the Bears’ sixth-ranked offense.
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No. 5 San Diego State (-6.5) vs. No. 12 UAB (1:45pm, TNT): The Aztecs returned eight players from last year’s national runner-up, including All-American forward Jaedon LeDee.
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No. 2 Marquette (-14.5) vs. No. 15 WKU (2pm, TBS): All-American point guard Tyler Kolek (oblique) is expected to return after missing the Golden Eagles’ last six games.
Late afternoon:
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No. 1 UConn (-26.5) vs. No. 16 Stetson (2:45pm, CBS): The Huskies hope to become the first back-to-back title winners since Florida in 2006-07.
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No. 6 Clemson (+2.5) vs. No. 11 New Mexico (3:10pm, truTV): 11-seeds have won seven of their last eight games when favored over 6-seeds, and the Lobos’ confidence is sky-high after winning the Mountain West.
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No. 4 Auburn (-12.5) vs. No. 13 Yale (4:15pm, TNT): The Tigers might be underseeded given they won the SEC tournament and are ranked fourth overall by KenPom.
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No. 7 Florida (-1.5) vs. No. 10 Colorado (4:30pm, TBS): The Gators, who’ll be without center Micah Handlogten (broken leg), must contend with a surging Buffs squad that’s won nine of 10.
Primetime:
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No. 8 Nebraska (-1.5) vs. No. 9 Texas A&M (6:50pm, TNT): The Huskers are the only power conference team without a tournament win. Is this the year they finally break through?
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No. 4 Duke (-11.5) vs. No. 13 Vermont (7:10pm, CBS): Can the Blue Devils (3-3 to end the year) right the ship against the Catamounts (10 straight wins)?
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No. 1 Purdue (-27.5) vs. No. 16 Grambling (7:25pm, TBS): Purdue has lost to a 13-seed or lower in three straight years, including to No. 16 Fairleigh Dickinson last March.
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No. 4 Alabama (-9.5) vs. No. 13 Charleston (7:35pm, truTV): Prepare for points: the Tide are first in scoring offense and 346th in scoring defense; the Cougars are 34th and 200th.
Late night:
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No. 1 Houston (-24.5) vs. No. 16 Longwood (9:20pm, TNT): The Cougars and their top-ranked scoring defense hope to improve on last year’s Sweet 16 exit.
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No. 5 Wisconsin (-5.5) vs. No. 12 James Madison (9:40pm, CBS): The Dukes bring the nation’s longest winning streak (13 straight) into their matchup with the Badgers.
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No. 8 Utah State (+3.5) vs. No. 9 TCU (9:55pm, TBS): First-year coach Danny Sprinkle led the Aggies back to the dance despite not returning a single player who scored last season.
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No. 5 Saint Mary’s (-5.5) vs. No. 12 Grand Canyon (10:05pm, truTV): The Gaels swept the WCC regular season and tournament for the first time since 2012, but the 29-win Antelopes pose a serious threat.
How to stream: All CBS games are available on Paramount+; all truTV, TBS and TNT games are available on Max.
🏀 Women’s tourney begins
The women’s NCAA tournament gets underway today with 16 games in eight cities.
Early afternoon:
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No. 8 UNC (+3.5) vs. No. 9 Michigan State (11:30am ET, ESPN2): The Tar Heels will have little margin for error against a team with the nation’s second-best assist-to-turnover rate.
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No. 2 Ohio State (-27.5) vs. No. 15 Maine (12pm, ESPN): The Buckeyes (seventh-best title odds at BetMGM) look poised for another deep run after last year’s trip to the Elite Eight.
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No. 6 Louisville (-5.5) vs. No. 11 MTSU (1:30pm, ESPN2): Can the Cardinals (five straight Elite Eights) stop the red-hot Blue Raiders (19 straight wins)?
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No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Presbyterian (2pm, ESPN): The Gamecocks, overwhelming title favorites, hope to become the 10th undefeated national champions.
Late afternoon:
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No. 7 Duke (-10.5) vs. No. 10 Richmond (2:30pm, ESPNews): It’s the young Blue Devils (eight underclassmen) against the hot-shooting Spiders (38% from deep ranks seventh).
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No. 1 Texas (-34.5) vs. No. 16 Drexel (3pm, ESPNU): Freshman and All-American Madison Booker led the Longhorns to their first 30-win season since 2016.
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No. 4 Virginia Tech (-11.5) vs. No. 13 Marshall (3:30pm, ESPN2): The Hokies got terrible news on Thursday: three-time reigning ACC POY Elizabeth Kitley (knee) will miss the tournament.
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No. 3 LSU (-28.5) vs. No. 14 Rice (4pm, ESPN): The defending champion Tigers scored more points per game this season than every team except Iowa.
Early evening:
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No. 4 Kansas State (-21.5) vs. No. 13 Portland (4:30pm, ESPNews): The rim will be well protected between the Wildcats’ Ayoka Lee (2.7 blocks ranks ninth) and the Pilots’ Lucy Cochrane (3.1 blocks ranks third).
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No. 8 Alabama (-3.5) vs. No. 9 FSU (5:30pm, ESPN2): The Tide have a not-so secret weapon in senior sniper Aaliyah Nye, whose 104 made threes rank third in the nation.
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No. 5 Baylor vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt (6pm, ESPNU): If the Bears channel the team that started the year 14-0 and ended it 6-1, watch out.
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No. 5 Colorado (-8.5) vs. No. 12 Drake (7pm, ESPNews): The Buffs were ranked as high as No. 3 this year but limped into the tournament, losing six of their last eight games.
Nightcap:
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No. 7 Iowa State (-1.5) vs. No. 10 Maryland (7:30pm, ESPN2): The Cyclones lost program legend Ashley Joens to the WNBA but reloaded with freshmen Audi Crooks and Addy Brown, their scoring and rebounding leaders.
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No. 3 Oregon State (-18.5) vs. No. 14 Eastern Washington (8pm, ESPNU): The Beavers have nearly doubled last year’s win total behind All-American forward Raegan Beers.
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No. 2 Stanford (-35.5) vs. No. 15 Norfolk State (10pm, ESPN2): Few teams can match up with the Cardinal’s Cameron Brink, the likely second pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.
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No. 6 Nebraska (-3.5) vs. No. 11 Texas A&M (10:30pm, ESPNU): Don’t be surprised if the Huskers, who beat Iowa in February and took them to OT in the Big Ten title game, make a run.
Further reading: Seven players to watch in the women’s star-studded bracket
📸 Behind the lens
Each week, we go “Behind the Lens” with Getty Images to get the backstory on the best photographs in sports.
This week’s photo: Scottie Scheffler tosses his putter after missing a birdie putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Players Championship. That left him just one stroke clear of the groups behind him, forcing him to watch three players attempt birdie putts that would have sent it to a playoff.
Behind the lens: Here’s photographer Mike Ehrmann…
When covering golf, you’re continually thinking of scenarios that could play out and making sure those scenarios are covered. We had someone with Scottie the whole back 9 and I teamed up with another one of our staff photographers, Jared Tilton, who was following him on 17.
Knowing he’d be close to if not in the lead, I took him up 18 so I’d be ahead as Scottie was five groups ahead of the final group. This allowed me to guide the rest of the team as their groups came up 18 for what turned out to be a thrilling finish.
Scottie had a putt for birdie that would’ve put him two shots clear of the groups behind him. I was in a bit of a tough spot as I had a fixed 400 2.8 or an 85 1.2. The 400 was a little tight but the 85 was too wide. I then went back and forth with a friend right next to me about going vertical or horizontal. Going vertical fit his whole body but left me no room if something crazy happened.
I trusted in my decision to stay horizontal (landscape), and when he lipped out the putt and tossed his putter, it all came together. The putter didn’t get cut off and I had room to frame it up. I can’t begin to explain how many decisions like this we all make throughout the day. I was very happy this one worked out and Scottie still won.
📆 Mar. 22, 1969: UCLA’s three-peat
55 years ago today, UCLA completed college basketball’s first and only three-peat*, beating Purdue in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s (then Lew Alcindor) final college game.
What a career: In Kareem’s three years on varsity, he averaged 26.4 points and 15.5 rebounds, powering the Bruins to an 88-2 record. And during his first year? He led the freshman team to victory over a varsity squad that had won 58 of its last 60 games.
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🏒 1894: Montreal beat Ottawa, 3-1, in the first official Stanley Cup game.
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⛳️ 1934: The first annual Augusta National Invitation Tournament began. It kept that official name for the first five years, but had been called something else informally from the start: the Masters.
*They weren’t finished: The Bruins went on to win another four straight national titles for a record seven championships in a row.
⚾️ MLB trivia
J.D. Martinez, who signed with the Mets on Thursday, has the sixth-most home runs (315) among active players.
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Question: Which five have more?
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Hint: Two are teammates, two are in the AL, one just played in Korea.
Answer at the bottom.
👋 See you tomorrow!
We’ll be back with a special edition tomorrow to recap today’s action and preview Saturday’s slate. Enjoy the couch! Talk soon.
Trivia answer: Giancarlo Stanton (402), Mike Trout (368), Paul Goldschmidt (340), Nolan Arenado (325), Freddie Freeman (321)
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