Well the men’s NCAA basketball final four matchups are set…
Top seed Kentucky punched its ticket to the Big Easy, knocking out third-seed Baylor 82-70. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist led the way with 19 points. The Wildcats will play fourth-seed Louisville in the tournament’s semifinals on Saturday. The Cardinals reached the Final Four by beating seventh-seed Florida 72-68.
Meanwhile in St. Louis, Tyshawn Taylor poured in 22 points, as second-seed Kansas bounced former coach Roy Williams and top-seed North Carolina 80-67. The Jayhawks will face second-seed Ohio State on Saturday in New Orleans. The Buckeyes reached the Final Four by upending top-seed Syracuse 77-70.
In the women’s NCAA tournament, second-seed Maryland ousted defending national champion Texas A&M 81-74 to reach the Elite Eight.
U-Conn has also advanced to its regional final after routing Penn State 77-59. It’s the Huskies seventh straight Elite Eight.
Notre Dame has advanced to the Raleigh Regional final after blowing out St. Bonaventure 79-35.
And Kentucky dumped Gonzaga 79-62 to reach the East Regional finals.
To the NBA, last night in Boston, Avery Bradley scored a career-high 23 points, Paul Pierce added 21, as the short-handed Celtics dumped Washington 88-76.
Elsewhere, Memphis downed the Lakers 102-96, Oklahoma City cruised past Miami 103-87, Portland edged Golden State 90-87, Phoenix routed Cleveland 108-83, Minnesota dropped Denver 117-100, San Antonio beat Philadelphia 93-76, and Atlanta outlasted Utah 139-133 in quadruple overtime.
To the ice, last night in Pittsburgh, Sidney Crosby scored in his second straight game, as the Penguins pummeled New Jersey 5-2.
In Florida, Frans Nielsen scored the only goal of the shootout, as the Islanders tripped up the Panthers 3-2.
In Anaheim, Brian Rolston’s third-period tally lifted the Bruins over the Ducks 3-2.
Elsewhere, Washington blanked Minnesota 3-0, Nashville blew out Chicago 6-1, St. Louis skated past Phoenix 4-0, and Edmonton doubled up Columbus 6-3.
In golf, "Pure joy" – That was Tiger Woods' reaction to winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational, which snapped a 30-month PGA Tour title drought. The former world No. 1 fired a 2-under-70 to finish 13 under, five strokes better than runner-up Graeme McDowell, who closed with a 74. This was Woods' 72nd PGA Tour victory.
And sad news out of Mount Kisco, NY… Bert Sugar, an iconic boxing writer and sports historian who was known for his trademark fedora and ever-present cigar, died yesterday of cardiac arrest. He was 75. Sugar had been battling lung cancer.