Update on the latest sports
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT-MEN
Sweet 16 tips off
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Oregon State’s stunning run in the NCAA Tournament will continue.
The 12th-seeded Beavers have reached the regional finals for the first time in 39 years by downing Loyola Chicago, 65-58.
Ethan Thompson scored 20 points, including a pair of clinching foul shots with 35 seconds left. Warith Alatishe (WAHR’-ihth al-ah-TEE’-shee) added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the Beavers, who were picked to finish last in the Pac-12 but won the conference tournament to reach the NCAA Tourney.
The eighth-seeded Ramblers missed 12 of their first 13 3-point attempts and scored just 16 points by halftime. All-America forward Cameron Krutwig led Loyola with 14 points.
Top-seeded Baylor overcame some frigid outside shooting to move into the Elite Eight, getting 16 points from Adam Flagler in a 62-51 victory over No. 5 Villanova.
The Bears came in as the nation’s leading 3-point team before making just only 3 of 19 in this one, unable to find room or get into a comfort zone against the Wildcats’ mix of 2-3 zone and man.
Davion (DAY’-vee-ahn) Mitchell went 0 for 3 in a 14-point night after entering the game shooting 46% from downtown.
The Wildcats led by seven at halftime before committing an inordinate amount of turnovers.
The Bears took a six-point lead with a 14-2 run during which not a single point came from outside the arc.
Like Baylor, Arkansas overcame a seven-point, halftime deficit to beat No. 15 seed Oral Roberts, 72-70.
Davonte Davis hit a short jumper with 2.9 seconds left to send the Razorbacks to the Elite Eight for the first time in 26 years.
Jalen Tate dropped in 22 points to help Arkansas overcome a poor shooting night by Moses Moody, who was 4-for-20 in scoring 14 points.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT-WOMEN
Williams, Bueckers lead UConn
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — UConn will make another appearance in the NCAA women’s basketball regional finals.
Christyn Williams scored 27 points and Paige Bueckers added 18 to lead No. 1 UConn to a 92-72 win over fifth-seeded Iowa.
The Hawkeyes’ Caitlyn Clark was shadowed on defense by Williams on almost every possession. Clark managed to score 21 points but was just 7-for-21 from the field.
The game marked the return of UConn coach Geno Auriemma (aw-ree-EH’-muh), who missed the opening two rounds because he was recovering from the coronavirus.
In other NCAA women’s Sweet 16 action:
— Ali Patberg contributed 17 points to help fourth-seeded Indiana beat No. 1 North Carolina State, 73-70, sending the Hoosiers to the regional final for the first time in school history. Indiana hit seven of its first eight shots in the period after scoring the last six points of the opening half to go ahead by one.
— NaLyssa Smith scored 24 points on 11 of 11 shooting and Queen Egbo made two big plays in the final seconds of overtime, helping No. 2 Baylor beat No. 6 Michigan 78-75. Egbo gave Baylor a 78-75 lead with a foul shot with 19 seconds left and later picked up an assist on Moon Ursin’s wide-open layup.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NEWS
Craig Smith hired as Utah coach
UNDATED (AP) — Utah has hired Utah State’s Craig Smith as its men’s basketball coach. The school says Smith will replace Larry Krystkowiak (kris-TOH’-vee-ak), who was fired this month.
Smith turned Utah State into one of the nation’s best mid-major programs in a short span, leading the Aggies to the NCAA Tournament twice in three years.
In other college basketball news:
— Duke senior Jordan Goldwire plans to leave the Blue Devils as a graduate transfer. He will enter into the transfer portal to take advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted to players due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Knights top Avs in OT
UNDATED (AP) — The Vegas Golden Knights are in sole possession of first place in the NHL’s West Division once again.
Max Paccioretty (pash-uh-REH’-tee) scored 1:56 into overtime to give the Golden Knights a 3-2 victory and a split of their two-game series with the Avalanche in Colorado.
Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 22 shots and blanked the Avs after Jonathan Toews (tayvz) beat him late in the first period.
Alec Martinez had a power-play goal and William Carrier tied the game 2-2 early in the second.
Joonas Donskoi (YOH’-nuhs DAHN’-skoy) opened the scoring 76 into the game, but Colorado had to settle for just one point and one point behind the division-leading Knights.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— Martin Necas (NAY’-chas) capped his four-point performance by scoring with 3:53 remaining, giving the Hurricanes a 4-3 win over the Lightning. Necas finished with two goals and two assists as Carolina pulled within one point of Tampa Bay for the Central Division lead.
— Pittsburgh is within two points of the East Division lead after Bryan Rust got his fourth career hat trick and Tristan Jarry stopped 29 shots in the Penguins’ 6-3 rout of the Islanders. Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist as the Pens beat the Isles for the fifth time in seven meetings.
— Sam Morin scored his first NHL goal with 4:27 left to lead the Flyers to a 2-1 win over the Rangers. Nolan Patrick also scored for the Flyers, who lost their previous two meetings with the Blueshirts by scores of 9-0 and 8-3.
— The Sabres lost their 17th consecutive game, twice blowing a one-goal lead before Craig Smith scored with 3:50 left to give the Bruins a 3-2 victory. Matt Grzelcyk (GRIHZ’-lihk) and Nick Ritchie each had a goal and an assist, and third-stringer Daniel Vladar (vlah-DAHR’) stopped 25 shots for Boston.
— Adam Erne and Robby Fabbri (FAB’-ree) scored 29 seconds apart in the first period of the Red Wings’ 3-1 verdict over the Blue Jackets. Anthony Mantha also tallied and Calvin Pickard made 21 saves in his first start of the season.
— The Maple Leafs erased a 3-1 deficit in the third period and earned a 4-3 win over the Oilers on Auston Matthews’ goal 54 seconds into overtime. William Nylander (NEE’-lan-dur) set up John Tavares to start the comeback before scoring about four minutes later to knot the score.
MLB-NEWS
Yanks’ Voit needs knee surgery, giving chance for Jay Bruce
UNDATED (AP) — Major league home run champion Luke Voit needs knee surgery to repair a partial meniscus tear, an injury that opened a New York Yankees roster spot today for Jay Bruce on as a converted first baseman.
Manager Aaron Boone says Voit will not have any baseball activities for three weeks after the operation. He is expected back in May.
In other MLB news:
— The Red Sox say closer Matt Barnes has tested positive for COVID-19 and won’t be ready for opening day. Manager Alex Cora said Saturday that Barnes is asymptomatic.
— The Brewers have re-signed pitcher Jordan Zimmermann to a minor-league contract one day after releasing him. The move enables the Brewers to send the 34-year-old right-hander to their alternate site in Appleton, Wisconsin.
— David Bote has won the second-base job with the Chicago Cubs, and Trevor Williams and Adbert Alzolay will round out the team’s rotation at the beginning of the season. The Cubs cleared the way for Bote when they optioned infielder Nico Hoerner to Triple-A Iowa.
— Pablo Sandoval has made the opening day roster for the Braves. Atlanta also selected the contracts of nonroster players Ehire (AY’-ray) Adrianza and Nate Jones. Former All-Stars Jason Kipnis and Jake Lamb were released.
— The Rockies placed right-handed reliever Scott Oberg on the 60-day injured list after he underwent surgery to dissolve blood clots in his pitching arm. Oberg was steadily working his way back to the mound after missing all of the 2020 pandemic-shortened season due to a blood clot.
— The Nationals sent their expected starting third baseman, Carter Kieboom, to the minor leagues along with infielder Luis Garcia, pitchers Sam Clay and Kyle McGowin, and outfielder Yadiel Hernández. Surprising additions to the team’s major league roster were infielder Jordy Mercer and utility man Hernán Pérez.
NFL-RAVENS-WATKINS
Ravens adding wide receiver Sammy Watkins in 1-year deal
OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP) — The Baltimore Ravens have worked out a one-year deal with former Kansas City Chiefs receiver Sammy Watkins, a contract that’s pending a physical.
Watkins has been a solid target for Buffalo, the Los Angeles Rams and the Chiefs over seven NFL seasons. He had 52 catches for 673 yards and three touchdowns to help Kansas City win the Super Bowl following the 2019 season.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-OBIT-SCHNELLENBERGER
Former Miami, Louisville coach Schenellenberger dies
MIAMI (AP) — Former college football coach Howard Schnellenberger has died at age 87.
Schnellenberger revived football at the University of Miami and Louisville and started the program at Florida Atlantic during a coaching career that spanned half a century. Schnellenberger led the Hurricanes to the first of their five national championships in 1983, and coached Louisville to a Fiesta Bowl win over Alabama to cap the 1990 season.
PGA-MATCH PLAY
Surprising Scheffler reaches Match Play semis
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler has worked himself into the semifinals of the Dell Technologies Match Play semifinals.
The 24-year-old Scheffler advanced by defeating Ryder Cup stalwart Ian Poulter in the fourth round and then Spanish dynamo and world No. 3 Jon Rahm in the quarterfinals. Scheffler made 15 birdies in 31 holes for a 5-and-4 victory over Poulter and a 3-and-1 win against Rahm.
Matt Kuchar (KOO’-chur) beat Jordan Spieth (speeth) in the morning and Brian Harman in the afternoon to reach the semis against Scheffler. Billy Horschel made it three Americans in the semifinals for the second time in the last three trips to Austin.
Horschel will face Victor Perez of France, who beat Sergio Garcia in 15 holes.
LPGA-KIA CLASSIC
Park has huge lead
CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Inbee Park opened a five-stroke lead Saturday in a bid to finally win the Kia Classic.
The three-time tournament runner-up and Hall of Famer shot a 3-under 69 to reach 12-under 204 at Aviara Golf Club.
Playing partner Mel Reid lipped out a birdie try from off the green on 18 in a 71 that left her tied for second with Mi Jung Hur and Minjee Lee.
FIGURE SKATING-WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Chen wins 3rd straight worlds, beating Olympic champ
STOCKHOLM (AP) — Nathan Chen has put himself in the company of history’s best figure skaters, becoming the first American since Scott Hamilton to win a third consecutive World Figure Skating Championships men’s title.
Chen was dynamic in easily surpassing two-time Olympic champ Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan in the free skate in Stockholm and stamp himself as the man to beat at next year’s Beijing Olympics.
CAR-NASCAR-BRISTOL
What a Mess: NASCAR worried about first Bristol dirt race
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — NASCAR made a flurry of procedural changes ahead of its first Cup race on dirt since 1970. Bristol Motor Speedway converted its facility into a dirt track in an experiment on a revamped 2021 schedule.
The stock cars proved too heavy for the dirt and tire wear dipped to dangerous levels during practices.
NASCAR said it was making pro-active moves to save the Sunday show.
