Sports Headlines

Edwards scores 27, South Carolina cruises to win over Southern in women’s NCAA Tournament 1st round

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Joyce Edwards had 27 points and eight rebounds and No. 1 seed South Carolina won its 17th straight home women's NCAA Tournament game with a 103-34 defeat of 16th-seeded Southern on Saturday. Edwards and the Gamecocks (32-3) opened with a 15-0 burst and never let up against the Jaguars (20-14), the Southwestern Athletic Conference champions. South Carolina, already up 25 at the break, outscored Southern 32-2 in the third quarter. It took little time for South Carolina to get going with Edwards scoring the first two baskets. Ta'Niya Latson added five points in the opening run as Southern started 0-for-7 shooting with six turnovers. Latson finished with 17 points while Madina Okot and Agot Makeer had ... Read More

Vanderbilt braces for a ‘road game’ in NCAA Tournament as Nebraska fans flood Oklahoma City

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Vanderbilt coach Mark Byington expects a hostile environment when the Commodores play Nebraska on Saturday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Byington is well aware of how Nebraska's fans flooded Oklahoma City's Paycom Center for a first-round game. A sea of red witnessed history on Thursday as Pryce Sandfort led the fourth-seeded Cornhuskers (27-6) to a 76-47 victory over Troy for their first-ever tournament win. Byington said his fifth-seeded Commodores (27-8) will need to stay connected and lean on their experience to deal with the atmosphere. The arena is just a six-hour drive from Nebraska's campus in Lincoln, and Cornhusker fans took advantage by creating a caravan down Interstate 35. “I think it’s neutral ... Read More

High Point looking for an encore after pulling off one March Madness upset

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Now that No. 12 seed High Point busted brackets with a first-round NCAA Tournament victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin, the Panthers -- along with unlikely hero Chase Johnston -- will get a shot at an encore in the West Region. The Panthers (31-4) meet No. 4 seed Arkansas in the second round on Saturday at Portland's Moda Center. Third-seeded Gonzaga plays No. 11 seed Texas in the other game. As High Point's 3-point specialist, Johnston made his first 2-point basket of the season, a fast-break layup with 11.7 seconds remaining, that gave the Panthers an 83-82 victory Thursday over Wisconsin in their opening game. Johnston finished with 14 points, including four 3-pointers. The Panthers were 10 1/2-point ... Read More

Johnson and Williams pace LSU past Jacksonville 116-58 in opening round of March Madness

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Flau'jae Johnson scored 20 points, Mikaylah Williams had 18 points and 10 assists, and No. 2 seed LSU easily surpassed it's nation-leading scoring average with a 116-58 victory over 15th seed Jacksonville on Friday night in the first round of March Madness. “It was amazing. That’s what we need, and that’s who we are,” Johnson said. “When everybody’s clicking, we’re great.” LSU (28-5), which entered the game averaging 94.5 points per game, scored 100 or more for the 15th time this season, matching an NCAA Division I record set by Long Beach State during the 1986-87 season. The Tigers' point total also set a school record for an NCAA Tournament game. “The offense is not ... Read More

Michigan State rallies for 65-62 win over big underdog Colorado State in women’s NCAA Tournament

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Grace VanSlooten and Kennedy Blair each scored 18 points, and Michigan State rallied in the second half to beat Colorado State 65-62 in the first round of the women's NCAA Tournament on Friday night. VanSlooten added 10 rebounds for Michigan State (23-8), the fifth seed in the Sacramento Region. The Spartans will play either No. 4 seed Oklahoma or No. 13 seed Idaho in the second round on Sunday. “A heck of a game. Definitely all the elements of March Madness,” Michigan State coach Robyn Fralick said. “A lot of credit to Colorado State. We knew coming in they were going to be a stingy team, a team that hasn’t won or lost games by much ... Read More

Jaylen Petty scores 24 as Texas Tech beats Akron 91-71 in NCAA Tournament first round

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Texas Tech was determined to rally together after losing its best player. Jaylen Petty scored 24 points, Christian Anderson added 18 and the fifth-seeded Red Raiders beat No. 12 seed Akron 91-71 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday. Texas Tech (23-10) will face fourth-seeded Alabama in the second round in the Midwest Region on Sunday. Playing without All-America guard JT Toppin, who tore the ACL in his right knee last month, Texas Tech got double-figure scoring from five players. Josiah Moseley had 16 points, Donovan Atwell scored 15 and LeJuan Watts added 14. “We just didn't lose our intensity and competitiveness,” Petty said. Moseley said that losing an elite player “could've caused ... Read More

Maupin’s 17 points leads Texas Tech past Villanova in the first round of March Madness

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Bailey Maupin scored seven of her 17 points in the final three minutes, and No. 7 seed Texas Tech held on to defeat 10th seed Villanova 57-52 on Friday night in the first round of March Madness. “Everyone on this team knows if it’s their time, it’s their time, and they get to the basket,” said Maupin, who averaged a team-high 15.1 points per game this season. “Just happened to be me tonight.” Denae Fritz scored 13 points for Texas Tech (26-7), which went 7 of 15 from 3-point range, outshot Villanova, 44% (18 of 41) to 37% (20 of 54) and made 14 of 15 foul shots. The NCAA tournament victory was the first ... Read More

Florida begins title defense with 59-point rout of Prairie View, 2nd-biggest margin in NCAA tourney

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida began its national title defense with the second-largest victory margin in NCAA Tournament history, pounding Prairie View A&M 114-55 on Friday night. Boogie Fland scored 16 points to lead seven players in double figures for the top-seeded Gators (27-7), whose 59-point margin fell short of only Loyola Chicago's 111-42 win over Tennessee Tech in 1963. Florida advanced to face the South Region's No. 9 seed, Iowa, in the second round on Sunday. Florida went on runs of 18-0 and 17-0 in the first half to turn a 15-all tie into a 60-21 lead at the break. The Gators shot 75% before halftime and 64.3% for the game against the 16th-seeded Panthers (19-18). After top overall ... Read More

Beers’ 18 points, 10 rebounds power No. 4 seed Oklahoma in 89-59 rout of Idaho in March Madness

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Raegan Beers had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 4 seed Oklahoma overwhelmed No. 13 seed Idaho 89-59 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday night. Beers, a senior center, also had four assists and four blocks. Sahara Williams had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Aaliyah Chavez scored 15 points and Payton Verhulst added 14 for the Sooners (25-7), who stopped Idaho's win streak at 18 games. The Vandals hadn’t lost since Jan. 10. The Sooners pushed the tempo early and were intentional about being balanced. Eventually, they wore the Vandals down. “I think we’re setting the tone for how we want to play going on into March,” Williams said. Oklahoma will ... Read More

Trump issues executive order requiring CFP to avoid broadcasting conflicts with Army-Navy game

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump issued an executive order Friday barring College Football Playoff and other postseason games from airing during the annual Army-Navy matchup in December. Trump directed the commerce secretary and the FCC chairman to coordinate with the playoff committee, the NCAA and media rights partners to ensure an exclusive broadcasting window for a storied rivalry played on the second Saturday each December. Trump's order makes reference to potential expansion of the CFP, which likely would lead to an earlier start for the playoff. In the first two years of the 12-team format, the first-round games were the weekend after Army-Navy, which moved off the first Saturday in December in 2009 because of conference championship games. This ... Read More

Olivia Miles gets triple-double as TCU beats UC San Diego in 1st round of March Madness

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Olivia Miles had her 12th career triple-double with 12 points and career highs of 16 rebounds and 14 assists as third-seeded TCU beat UC San Diego 86-40 in a first-round NCAA Tournament game on Friday, giving the Horned Frogs their 43rd consecutive win at home. Taylor Bigby added a career-high 27 points for the Frogs (30-5), who got double-doubles from Clara Silva (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Marta Suarez (11 points, 10 rebounds). Miles became only the third player with multiple triple-doubles in a women’s NCAA Tournament game, with her other coming while at Notre Dame in 2022. She came out of the game right after her 3-pointer with 4:50 left for a 74-40 lead. ... Read More

Southern closes on a 14-2 run to beat Samford 65-53 in the women’s First Four

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Jaylia Reed scored 16 points, DeMya Porter had 15 points and 12 rebounds and Southern closed the game on a 14-2 run to beat fellow No. 16 seed Samford 65-53 on Thursday night in the NCAA Tournament. Southern (20-13) won a game in the First Four for the second straight season, earning a chance to play top-seeded South Carolina on Saturday in the Round of 64. It’s the Jaguars’ third appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last four years. D’Shantae Edwards began the fourth quarter by converting a three-point play to give Southern a 47-44 lead. Samford tied it twice in the next three minutes, but could not get any closer. Reed put Southern ahead ... Read More

Johnson sinks go-ahead 3-pointer and Virginia beats Arizona State 57-55 in women’s First Four

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — Kymora Johnson scored 17 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 30.6 seconds remaining, and Virginia beat Arizona State 57-55 on Thursday night in the First Four for its first NCAA Tournament win since 2018. Virginia (20-11), the No. 10 seed, will face seventh-seeded and 24th-ranked Georgia in the first round on Saturday. The Cavaliers are making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2018 and first under coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. Johnson’s key 3-pointer — Virginia’s first of the second half in 10 attempts — made it 54-51. Johnson went 1 of 2 from the free-throw line with 5.3 seconds left to cap the scoring and Arizona State guard Jyah LoVett lost control of the ... Read More

Vokietaitis has 23 as No. 11 seed Texas gets past Dybantsa and No. 6 BYU 79-71 in March Madness

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Matas Vokietaitis had 23 points and 16 rebounds, and No. 11 seed Texas knocked off sixth-seeded BYU 79-71 on Thursday in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, overcoming 35 points from Cougars forward AJ Dybantsa. After needing to beat N.C. State on Tuesday in the First Four just to reach the first round, Texas (19-14) advanced to face third-seeded Gonzaga on Saturday in the West Regional. “One word I would use to describe our group is resilient,” Texas coach Sean Miller said. “As we entered this tournament in Dayton, I think all of us up here really came to grips with, you know, let’s really go out playing at the highest level we can, sticking ... Read More

Georgia Tech hires Troy’s Scott Cross less than 2 weeks after firing Damon Stoudamire

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Tech announced on Friday that Troy’s Scott Cross will replace Damon Stoudamire, who was fired on March 8, as its men’s basketball coach. Georgia Tech athletic director Ryan Alpert moved quickly to hire Cross, who won seven conference championships and 350 games in 19 seasons at Texas-Arlington and Troy. Cross closed out his seventh season at Troy with the school’s second straight Sun Belt championship and NCAA Tournament berth. Troy suffered a 76-47 loss to Nebraska on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Trojans finished 22-12 for their fifth consecutive 20-win season under Cross, whose career record is 350-260. “We’re thrilled to name Scott Cross the 16th head coach in Georgia Tech ... Read More

David Mirkovic has 29 points and 17 rebounds to lead No. 3 Illinois to 105-70 rout of No. 14 Penn

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — David Mirkovic had 29 points and 17 rebounds, and No. 3 seed Illinois dominated No. 14 seed Penn 105-70 on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Keaton Wagler added 18 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for the Fighting Illini (25-8), who moved on to face No. 11 VCU in the second round on Saturday. Kylan Boswell had 13 points, while Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic each chipped in with 12 as Illinois shot 50% from the field, made 15 3-pointers and outrebounded the much smaller Quakers 48-25. Michael Zanoni finished with 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting for Penn (18-12), the Ivy League champion. TJ Power, who scored 44 points in the ... Read More

North Carolina blows a huge lead and makes another early March Madness exit under Hubert Davis

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — North Carolina went from rolling to a 19-point lead to struggling to make a shot, watching that margin whittled away by a VCU team that refused to quit. Just like that, the Tar Heels were one-and-done in March Madness, their latest early exit under Hubert Davis. The Rams beat the Tar Heels 82-78 in overtime in Thursday’s first round of the South Region, capping a season that showed high promise well into February only to be derailed by a major injury. It’s another postseason frustration for a blueblood program that has won six national titles but is defined these days by its inability to reach the round of 32. Davis, closing his fifth season as the ... Read More

Houston routs Idaho 78-47 in return to March Madness after losing in last year’s championship game

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Kingston Flemings scored 18 points, Emanuel Sharpe added 16 and Houston routed Idaho 78-47 Thursday night in its NCAA Tournament opener after losing in last year’s championship game. The Cougars (29-6), the second seed in the South Region, will play No. 10 seed Texas A&M in the second round on Saturday. The Aggies beat St. Mary’s 63-50 on Thursday. Freshman center Chris Cenac Jr. had a career-high 18 rebounds for Houston, which lost to Florida in last year’s final. “It’s hard to make this tournament. It’s really hard,” Houston coach Kelvin Sampson said. “There are so, so many good teams that don’t get a chance to play in this. Coach Pribble’s kids were well-coached. They had ... Read More

Saint Louis pounds Georgia 102-77 in March Madness as Dion Brown dominates at the rim with 18 points

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Dion Brown scored 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting, all on layups and dunks, and Saint Louis blew out Georgia 102-77 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night. Amari McCottry added 13 points and nine rebounds, while Robbie Avila had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists for the ninth-seeded Billikens in their first March Madness win since 2014. “I thought we played super hard,” Saint Louis coach Josh Schertz said. “We were really physical. I thought we executed well, and I thought we were connected and together.” Saint Louis (29-5) set a school record for victories in a season and advanced to meet Michigan, the Midwest Region’s top seed, on Saturday. “Certainly ... Read More

Third-seeded Gonzaga holds off No. 14 seed Kennesaw State for a 73-64 March Madness win

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Graham Ike scored 19 points and third-seeded Gonzaga held off tenacious No. 14 seed Kennesaw State 73-64 in a defensive battle that ended with some drama Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Davis Fogle added 17 points for the Bulldogs, who will face No. 11 seed Texas Saturday in the West Region. “We battled the storms,” Ike said. “This team is built for adversity from the jump, and I’m just super proud of how we handle it.” RJ Johnson and Amir Taylor each had 15 points for Kennesaw State (21-14), which made its second March Madness appearance after winning the Conference USA Tournament. Fogle’s dunk gave Gonzaga its first double-digit lead at ... Read More

Sungjae Im gets dialed in and shoots 64 to lead the Valspar Championship

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) — Sungjae Im, who missed two straight cuts upon his return from a wrist injury, found his form Thursday in the Valspar Championship with two eagles that offset a few late mistakes in his round of 7-under 64 for a one-shot lead over Brandt Snedeker. The Copperhead course at Innisbrook was the third straight stop on the Florida swing where the conditions were firm and the greens already getting that yellow sheen. Im was up to the task by giving himself ample birdie chances and converting six of them. He also holed eagle putts of 18 feet on the par-5 11th and 35 feet on the par-5 first after making the turn. Only a pair of ... Read More

Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has collapsed lung, will be evaluated in 2 weeks

All-Star guard Cade Cunningham of the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons has a collapsed left lung and will miss at least two weeks and possibly more, the team announced Thursday. The exact timeline for a return to play is still unknown. The Pistons said Cunningham would be re-evaluated at the two-week mark. “Obviously, it’s tough,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said in Washington on Thursday before Detroit played the Wizards. “Tough for Cade to go through what he’s going through now. How important he is to the team, how important being with his team is to him doesn’t make it easy. He’s a huge part of what we do from a leadership standpoint. "Obviously, the talent’s there, but just being around him ... Read More

AL West Preview: Cal Raleigh and Mariners look to defend their first division title since 2001

Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners switched things up in the American League West last season, and got as close as they ever have to making a World Series. After winning their first division title since 2001, the Mariners are looking to do it again this year with slugging switch-hitting catcher Raleigh, 25-year-old three-time All-Star center fielder Julio Rodríguez, an All-Star closer and the only rotation in the majors with three 10-win starters back from last season. Houston's incredible run of eight consecutive playoff appearances ended last year. The Astros won seven AL West crowns in that streak, went to the AL Championship Series seven years in a row, won four pennants and twice were World Series champions. The Athletics, ... Read More

Astros left-hander Bennett Sousa to open season on injured list with oblique strain

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Houston Astros left-hander Bennett Sousa will begin the season on the injured list, manager Joe Espada said Thursday. Sousa, 30, strained his left oblique in a Grapefruit League game last Thursday against the Washington Nationals. Sousa returned to Houston for further testing, but Espada said he would “be down for a while." "We’re going to not have him throw until that pain goes away,” Espada said. Last year was a breakout season for Sousa after sitting out the 2024 season due to injury. He appeared in 44 games in 2025, and posted a 2.84 ERA across 50 2/3 innings with 59 strikeouts. But Sousa landed on the injured list on Aug. 20 with left ... Read More

Wembanyama hits winner as Spurs beat Suns 101-100 to end 6-season postseason drought

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama hit a 17-foot, pull-up jumper with a second left and the San Antonio Spurs wrapped up a playoff spot to end a six-season drought, beating the Phoenix Suns 101-100 on Thursday night. Wembanyama had 34 points and 12 rebounds. His winning jumper capped a furious final-minute rally to secure the top-six finish in the Western Conference. De'Aaron Fox added 23 points and Julian Champagnie had 14 in the Spurs' fourth straight victory. Collin Gillespie scored 24 points and Devin Booker had 22 for the Suns. They remain seventh in the West. Fox’s finger-roll layup cut Phoenix’s lead to 100-99 with 26.6 seconds remaining. Suns coach Jordan Ott was forced to call a timeout when ... Read More

No. 1 overall seed Duke survives 16-seed Siena, rallies for 71-65 win in 1st round of March Madness

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Duke barely avoided a shocking upset to open the NCAA Tournament, with the No. 1 overall seed having to rally from 13 points down and going ahead for good in the final 5 minutes to beat 16th-seeded Siena 71-65 on Thursday. Cameron Boozer had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the East Region’s headliner, which hit its first four shots yet need a comeback against a fearless upstart playing just five players right up to the final seconds. And yet, the Saints took it to the Blue Devils (33-2) at every turn. The No. 1 seeds entered the week with a 158-2 record against 16 seeds in the tournament, the outliers being Virginia’s loss to UMBC ... Read More

High Point stuns Wisconsin 83-82 in March Madness on Chase Johnston’s first 2-point basket of season

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Chase Johnston made his first 2-point basket of the season, a fast-break layup with 11.7 seconds remaining that gave No. 12 seed High Point an 83-82 victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Johnston finished with 14 points, including four 3-pointers for the Panthers, who were 10 1/2-point underdogs, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. He came in shooting 64 of 136 (47.1%) from 3-point range but 0 of 4 inside the arc, and he had played more minutes (406) and scored more points (196) without making a 2-point shot than any player in the country. “I wasn’t really thinking whether it was a 2 or a 3, I was just ... Read More

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