NCAA
Caitlin Clark scored 32 points and No. 1 seed Iowa survived one of its worst offensive performances of the season to beat No. 8 seed West Virginia 64-54 on Monday night in a women’s NCAA Tournament second-round game. The Hawkeyes (31-4) advanced to play No. 5 seed Colorado in Saturday’s Albany 2 Regional semifinal. Sydney Affolter’s three-point play with 2:03 to play, the Hawkeyes’ lone field goal of the fourth quarter, gave Iowa a 55-52 lead. Clark and Hannah Stuelke closed the game with nine free throws to clinch the win. As time ran out on the final home game of her career, Clark, who became the NCAA’s Division I all-time scoring leader this season, circled the court, making a heart-shaped symbol with her hands as the sellout crowd cheered.
JuJu Watkins had 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and top-seeded Southern California beat Kansas 73-55 to reach the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA Tournament. McKenzie Forbes hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Trojans. They will face fifth-seeded Baylor in the Portland Region 3 in Oregon. Kansas was led by freshman S'Mya Nichols with 22 points. The Jayhawks fell to 0-6 all-time when facing a No. 1 seed in the tournament. Taiyanna Jackson added 10 points and 18 rebounds for the Jayhawks.
Maddy Westbeld scored 20 points and Hannah Hidalgo added 19 to help No. 2 seed Notre Dame beat seventh-seeded Mississippi 71-56 on Monday in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. Sonia Citron added 17 for the Fighting Irish (28-6), who advanced to the Sweet 16 where they will play No. 3 seed Oregon State in the Albany Regional. Kennedy Todd-Williams and Madison Scott led Ole Miss with 15 points each.
Kiki Rice scored 24 points, Lauren Betts had 20 points and 10 rebounds and second-seeded UCLA rallied in the second half for a 67-63 victory over seventh-seeded Creighton in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night. The Bruins, who trailed by 10 points early in the third quarter, will face third-seeded LSU in an Albany 2 Regional semifinal Saturday afternoon. Top-seeded Iowa and fifth-seeded Colorado are in the other semi. Lauren Jensen scored 20 points and Morgan Maly added 18 for the Bluejays.
All-American Paige Bueckers tied her season high with 32 points, freshman Ashlynn Shade added 19 and No. 3 seed UConn held off Syracuse 73-64 Monday to earn a 30th straight trip to the Sweet 16. It was Bueckers fifth straight game with at least 25 points, and seventh in her last eight games. Third-team All-American Dyaisha Fair scored 18 of her 20 points in the second half as Syracuse came back from as many as 12-points down to cut the deficit to two with just under two minutes left. Sophie Burrows and Georgia Wooley each had 18 points for the Orange. After Syracuse cut the lead to 65-63, UConn closed the game on an 7-1 run. The Huskies will face 7-seed Duke Saturday night.
Aziaha James scored 22 points and No. 3 seed North Carolina State blew nearly all of a 20-point lead before holding off No. 6 seed Tennessee 79-72 in Monday’s second round of the NCAA Tournament. That sent the Wolfpack back to the Sweet 16. Saniya Rivers added 20 points for the Wolfpack. Rickea Jackson had 33 points and 10 rebounds to lead Tennessee. The Lady Vols got within a single basket in the fourth quarter before James led the Wolfpack's finishing kick. N.C. State next faces No. 2 seed Stanford.
Kayleigh Truong scored 21 points, Yvonne Ejim added 17 points and 13 rebounds, and fourth-seeded Gonzaga advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly a decade beating No. 5 seed Utah 77-66 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Zags used a barrage of 3-point shooting in the second and third quarters to overcome an early deficit and advanced to their first regional semifinal since 2015. Gonzaga won its 36th consecutive game at home and will face top-seeded Texas in the Portland 4 Regional semifinal on Friday in Portland, Oregon. Alissa Pili led Utah with 35 points, her fifth 30-point game of the season, in her final game for the Utes.
Mackenzie Holmes scored 29 points, including six in a row in a crucial stretch, and No. 4 seed Indiana rallied past fifth-seeded Oklahoma 75-68 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Sydney Parrish added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists for the Hoosiers, who advanced to their second Sweet 16 in three years. Next up is undefeated South Carolina in Albany, New York. Big 12 Player of the Year Skylar Vann led the Sooners with 20 points and eight rebounds, but the Sooners lost their fourth straight second-round game. Oklahoma led most of the night but never could pull away — or put Indiana away — and Holmes came up big late.
The job of coaching in college sports has drastically changed. Switching schools is easier than ever via the transfer portal and the lure of better compensation deals can now be a factor for athletes looking to cash in on their celebrity. That has left many coaches frustrated and some even contemplating leaving the profession. Before the NCAA Tournament began last week, the portal opened up and the floodgate was open: Some 748 Division I men and 594 Division I women entered in just the first week, even while many teams were still playing games.
MLB
Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani says he never bet on sports and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole money from him and told lies. Ohtani held a news conference at Dodger Stadium, five days after Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1 million. Ohtani spoke for nearly 12 minutes, referring to a document in front of him. He did not take questions.
Trea Turner’s speed and instincts helped him go perfect on the bases. The Philadelphia Phillies’ star shortstop set a major league record for most steals in a season without getting caught, going 30-for-30 on the basepaths last year. He wasn’t the only player who had a lot of success. Thanks to several rule changes, runners swiped bags more proficiently and stolen bases across the majors increased 41% from 2,486 in 2022 to 3,503 in 2023. That was the most in a season since 1987. Overall, base stealers had a success rate of 80.2%, up from 75.4% in 2022. Turner is one of only six players in MLB history to steal at least 20 bases in a season at a 100% rate.
NBA
Donte DiVincenzo made a franchise-record 11 3-pointers and scored a career-best 40 points, leading the New York Knicks to a 124-99 rout of Detroit for their 15th straight victory over the Pistons. DiVincenzo broke the Knicks’ single-game record of 10 that was held by J.R. Smith and Evan Fournier, and moved into third in the NBA in 3-pointers made this season. He would have had one more, but one of his 3s in the third quarter was later overturned because he had first stepped out of bounds. Jalen Brunson added 28 points and Josh Hart had 11 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists in his sixth triple-double this season.
Dennis Schroder scored 19 points against his former team, Trendon Watford had 11 of his season-high 19 in the second quarter and the Brooklyn Nets snapped a six-game losing streak by beating the short-handed Toronto Raptors 96-88. Mikal Bridges scored 13 points and Jalen Wilson had 12 as the Nets won for the first time since March 10 at Cleveland. Gary Trent Jr. scored 18 points and Javon Freeman-Liberty had 15 for Toronto. The Raptors have lost 11 straight and are winless since a home victory over Charlotte on March 3.
De’Andre Hunter scored 24 points, including a clinching 3-pointer with 9.2 seconds remaining, and the patched-together Atlanta Hawks rallied from a 30-point deficit for a stunning 120-118 victory over the NBA-leading Boston Celtics. The Celtics had won 20 of 22 and brought a nine-game winning streak into State Farm Arena. Their run certainly appeared in no jeopardy when Al Horford’s 3-pointer put Boston up 68-38 with just under 4 1/2 minutes left in the first half. But the Hawks launched a comeback out of nowhere with All-Star guard Trae Young and three other key players sidelined by injuries. Dejounte Murray put the Hawks ahead to stay at 117-116 on a reverse layup with a minute left. Boston lost despite despite 37 points from Jayson Tatum.
Domantas Sabonis had his NBA-leading 25th triple-double of the season on a milestone night, leading the Sacramento Kings to a 108-96 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. Sabonis had 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists to become the fifth player in NBA history with at least 25 triple-doubles in a season, joining Nikola Jokic, Russell Westbrook, Wilt Chamberlain and Oscar Robertson. Sabonis also posted his 54th consecutive double-double, breaking a tie with Kevin Love for the longest streak since the 1976-77 merger between the NBA and ABA. Tyrese Maxey scored 29 points to lead the Sixers.
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen each scored 17 points, and Cleveland bounced back from an embarrassing loss at Miami 24 hours earlier by beating Charlotte 115-92. Mobley also had a career-high eight assists and seven rebounds in 25 minutes in his second game back after he was sidelined by a sprained ankle. Allen grabbed 13 boards. The Cavs were blown out by 37 on Sunday by the Heat, who were up 45 at one point. Brandon Miller scored 24 points for the Hornets, who have lost five straight and 12 of 14.
Jeremy Sochan hit a key 3-pointer in the final minute and finished with 26 points and a career-high 18 rebounds as San Antonio beat the Phoenix Suns 104-102 on Monday night with Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama sidelined due to injury. Devin Vassell added 26 points for San Antonio. Devin Booker scored 36 points and Kevin Durant added 29 as Phoenix split a two-game set in San Antonio. Wembanyama sat out with a sprained left ankle. He was injured in Saturday’s loss to Phoenix.
Jalen Green scored 27 points to lead the Houston Rockets to a 110-92 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. It was the Rockets’ ninth straight win, their longest winning streak since 2019. At 36-35, Houston is now just a half game behind Golden State for the final spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament. Dalano Banton led the Blazers with 28 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, while Scoot Henderson added 15 points.
Jordan Poole scored 23 points and the Washington Wizards won their season-high third straight game, beating the Chicago Bulls 107-105. Corey Kispert added 19 points and 12 rebounds. Marvin Bagley III scored 16 and the Wizards — owners of the NBA’s second-worst record — got some payback for a 29-point blowout in Chicago last week. DeMar DeRozan led Chicago with 27 points. Coby White scored 22 as the Bulls lost their third in a row.
Luka Doncic had 29 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Utah Jazz 115-105. Kyrie Irving scored 27 points for the Mavericks, who earned their fourth consecutive victory. P.J. Washington had 16 points, and Daniel Gafford finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Lauri Markkanen made six 3-pointers and scored 34 points for Utah. Markkanen ranks third among NBA 7-footers with 1,001 made 3-pointers for his career in his seventh season. John Collins added 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost to Dallas for the second time in five days. Collin Sexton had 20 points.
Nikola Jokic had 29 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, Christian Braun scored 17 and the Denver Nuggets beat the Memphis Grizzlies 128-103. Jokic, who exited with 27 seconds remaining in the third quarter and Denver leading by 21, finished two assists shy of his 23rd triple-double this season. Lamar Stevens matched a season high with 19 points for the Grizzlies. Scotty Pippen Jr. added 17. In the last two games between the teams, both in Denver, the Nuggets have won by a combined 62 points. Denver improved to 15-2 since the All-Star break.
Pascal Siakam scored 31 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 133-116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Myles Turner had 24 points and seven rebounds, helping the Pacers to their sixth win in their last seven road games. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and nine assists. Los Angeles dropped its fifth consecutive home game. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 26 points for the Clippers, and Russell Westbrook had 14 points and seven assists in his return after missing 12 games because of a fractured left hand.
The NBA has opened an investigation into Toronto two-way player Jontay Porter amid gambling allegations. Raptors coach Darko Rajakovic says he learned of the probe shortly before the team's game on Monday night. ESPN first reported the investigation, which it said included Porter’s performance in games on Jan. 26 and March 20. Porter was not with the team on Monday and the Raptors said that was because of personal reasons.
NHL
Jonathan Marchessault scored 49 seconds into overtime and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the St. Louis Blues 2-1 for their third straight win. Pavel Dorofeyev also scored and Logan Thompson stopped 30 shots to help Vegas win for the sixth time in its last eight games. The Golden Knights moved five points ahead of the Blues for the final Western Conference wild card. Brandon Saad scored and Jordan Binnington finished with 32 saves for St. Louis, which had won two straight games and five of its last seven. Just 19 seconds after the Blues’ Pavel Buchnevich was stopped on a penalty shot, Marchessault picked up a loose puck behind the Blues’ net, brought it out on the left side and settled it before firing his 39th goal of the season past Binnington.
Pascal Siakam scored 31 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 133-116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. Myles Turner had 24 points and seven rebounds, helping the Pacers to their sixth win in their last seven road games. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and nine assists. Los Angeles dropped its fifth consecutive home game. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 26 points for the Clippers, and Russell Westbrook had 14 points and seven assists in his return after missing 12 games because of a fractured left hand.
NFL
The NFL is eliminating the hip-drop tackle. NFL team owners on Monday unanimously approved a rule that bans players from using a swivel technique to tackle an opponent. A violation will result in a 15-yard penalty and could ultimately result in fines for players. NFL executive Jeff Miller said the hip-drop tackle was used 230 times last season and resulted in 15 players missing time with injuries. The NFL Players Association has opposed the rule.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. plans to announce his running mate as he races to secure a place on the ballot for his independent campaign for president. He's holding an event Tuesday in Oakland to name his vice presidential pick. Kennedy is picking a running mate now because about half of states require him to designate one before he can apply for ballot access. Kennedy and his aides have circulated the names of several contenders, including NFL quarterback Aaron Rodgers and former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura. Speculation most recently has centered on Nicole Shanahan, a lawyer and philanthropist who bankrolled a Super Bowl ad for Kennedy.The NCAA Tournament could be heading toward expansion. The tournament field is currently set at 68. That number could bump up to 72 or 76 schools in the coming years. There are several factors at play, including how to divide up the increased number of at-large bids in an expanded field. There's a concern that expansion would lean heavily toward awarding teams from power conferences and not deserving schools from mid-major conferences. Oakland coach Greg Kampe says he's OK with the tournament growing provided it doesn't turn its back on small schools that he believes help make the tournament special.
MIAMI OPEN
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff have been knocked out of the Miami Open. Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2 on Monday night, hours after the third-seeded Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2. In the men’s draw, top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the round of 16 with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Gael Monfils.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray said he sustained a serious ankle injury at the Miami Open and expects to be out an extended time. The 36-year-old posted his status on Instagram on Monday, a day after losing in three sets to Tomas Machac. Murray said he damaged a pair of ligaments in his ankle and will see a specialist when he returns home. He said he plans to return to the courts when healthy. Murray has won two Wimbledon titles and the U.S. Open.
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