Geno Auriemma takes aim at the NCAA over the women's double-regional format in March Madness
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — UConn coach Geno Auriemma is ripping the double-regional format being used in the women’s NCAA Tournament. The 12-time national champion coach says it doesn’t make sense for the teams still playing or in efforts to grow the game. Even before taking questions Saturday from reporters, Auriemma brought up attendance, bad shooting percentages and teams having to come to the arena early and late on the same day when taking aim at the format that's in place for the fourth year. The format is set to continue for at least five more years.
Arizona reaches its first Final Four in 25 years with 79-64 win over Purdue
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Arizona is headed back to the Final Four for the first time in 25 years after the top-seeded Wildcats got 20 points from freshman Koa Peat to beat Purdue 79-64 in the NCAA Tournament's West Region final. After years of disappointment in March, coach Tommy Lloyd has gotten Arizona back to being a championship contender. The Wildcats showed they can win in almost any style. They used a nearly flawless performance on offense to beat Arkansas in the Sweet 16 and then shut down one of the nation’s most efficient offenses against Purdue.
Less than 2 weeks after his mother's death, Dominic Smith delivers a historic Braves walk-off
ATLANTA (AP) — Braves designated hitter Dominic Smith’s mother died less than two weeks ago. He said the team has picked him up the last few weeks, and he returned the favor Saturday night. Smith became the first player in MLB history to hit a walk-off grand slam in his debut with a new team, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. He finished off the Braves’ six-run ninth inning in a 6-2 win over the Kansas City Royals. Smith said the Braves were supportive during spring training.
Illinois powers its way to its first Final Four in 21 years, beating Iowa 71-59
HOUSTON (AP) — Freshman Keaton Wagler scored 25 points and Illinois ended Iowa’s underdog March Madness run by dominating in the frontcourt, beating the Hawkeyes 71-59 to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2005. This will be the sixth trip to the Final Four for Illinois, which has never won a national title. The Fighting Illinio will face either Duke or UConn next weekend in Indianapolis. The much taller Illini outrebounded Iowa 38-21 in the South Region final. David Mirkovic led the way with 12 rebounds. Wagler was named MVP of the region. Bennett Stirtz scored 24 points for the Hawkeyes, who made an impressive run under first-year coach Ben McCollum.
Tiger Woods is facing an uncertain future off the golf course after his DUI arrest in Florida
Tiger Woods is out of jail and headed for more uncertainty. The first step are legal issues stemming from his Friday arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence after a car crash in Florida. Authorities said they determined he was impaired by medication and Woods was jailed when he refused to take a urine test. The arrest comes at a bad time. Woods is deeply involved in reshaping the PGA Tour. He was days away from deciding whether to be Ryder Cup captain. And he's scheduled to appear with Masters chairman Fred Ridley on April 5 to celebrate the opening of a golf course project.
Belgium blows out United States 5-2 in World Cup warmup that exposes American defenders
ATLANTA (AP) — Belgium blew out the United States 5-2 in a World Cup warmup that exposed the Americans’ defensive difficulties, rallying from a late first-half deficit on two goals by Dodi Lukébakio and one each from Zeno Debast, Amadou Onana and Charles De Ketelaere. Weston McKennie put the U.S. ahead in the 39th minute with his 12th international goal but Debast and Onana began Belgium’s rally with their first international goals on a frustrating afternoon for Matt Turner, the former No. 1 American goalkeeper who made his first appearance since last June.
Ilia Malinin bounces back from Olympic nightmare with 3rd straight world figure skating title
PRAGUE (AP) — Ilia Malinin reeled off one huge jump after another, and a backflip for good measure, to retain his world championship title for the third year running. Malinin landed five high-scoring quadruple jumps but not his pioneering quad axel, a jump he didn’t attempt at the Olympics. Malinin scored 218.11 in the free skate for a total 329.40 on Saturday, far ahead of silver medalist Yuma Kagiyama of Japan on 306.67. Another Japanese skater, Shun Sato, was third on 288.54. Ice dance was the only event at the world championships where the Milan Cortina Olympic champions were competing and France’s Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron added a world title to their collection.
Buzzer sounds nonstop for about 7 minutes, causing delay in Iowa-Illinois March Madness game
HOUSTON (AP) — A buzzer malfunction caused a delay — a very loud, very unpleasant delay — of about 10 minutes in the first half of the NCAA Tournament’s South Region final between Iowa and Illinois. When the buzzer sounded with 7:43 left in the first half, it kept blaring uninterrupted for about seven minutes. Players stood on the court ready to play for a couple of minutes before both teams started to warm up as the buzzer continued to sound. It was finally silenced, but then the main scoreboard and video screen that hangs over the middle of the court went dark. The game ultimately resumed with the big scoreboard still off.
Aryna Sabalenka beats Coco Gauff in the Miami Open final to complete the 'Sunshine Double'
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Aryna Sabalenka beat Coco Gauff in the Miami Open women’s singles final 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. The world No. 1 overpowered fourth-ranked Gauff in the first and third sets with sizzling groundstroke winners and became the first player to accomplish the “Sunshine Double” — winning Indian Wells followed by Miami in the same season — since Iga Swiatek in 2022. The win on Saturday was Sabalenka’s second straight title at the Miami Open, Gauff’s hometown tournament, and put her ahead of Gauff in their head-to-head record 7-6.
Gary Woodland stays in front in Houston as he goes for 1st win since US Open
HOUSTON (AP) — Gary Woodland is one round away from winning for the first time since brain surgery. The former U.S. Open champion shot a 65 to stay one ahead of Nicolai Hojgaard. The Dane now has gone 62-63 the last two days for a chance at his first PGA Tour victory. Woodland has become a popular figure in golf for going through brain surgery in 2023 and then sharing his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder in a recent Golf Channel interview. Woodland says he just has to take a deep breath and realize he's in this position from playing good golf.
