Update on the latest sports
NHL-RANGERS-CAPITALS
Capitals hold on to beat Rangers for 10th win in 11 games
WASHINGTON (AP) — Tom Wilson had two goals, Alex Ovechkin scored the 724th of his career and the Washington Capitals held on to beat the New York Rangers 5-4 for their 10th victory in 11 games.
Ovechkin has 11 goals in those 11 games and leads the team with 18 this season.
The Capitals led 4-0 early in the third period on a goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov (kooz-NET’-sahv) before a Rangers scoring flurry made things interesting. T.J. Oshie’s (OH’-sheez) deflection goal with 8:14 left that gave him a three-point game proved crucial as it stood up as the game-winner.
The Rangers have lost two one-goal games in a row after a three-game winning streak.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT-WOMEN
Oregon vs. Louisville headlines women’s regional semis
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Zia Cooke scored 17 points to lead top-seed South Carolina to a 76-65 win over fifth-seeded Georgia Tech and reach the Elite Eight.
It’s the third time in the past four women’s NCAA Tournaments that the Gamecocks have at least reached the regional finals. South Carolina won the national championship in 2017.
After going scoreless in the first half, Aliyah Boston had the first seven points in the third quarter as South Carolina went on a 14-6 run to start the period. That lengthened a four-point halftime lead to double digits. The Yellow Jackets made a run in the fourth quarter to get within 69-63, but five consecutive points — the last coming on a 3-pointer from Cooke with 3 minutes left — sealed the win.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NIT CHAMPIONSHIP-MEN
Memphis wins NIT title with 77-64 win over Mississippi State
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Boogie Ellis scored 23 points and Memphis beat Mississippi State 77-64 in the NIT championship game.
The Tigers have a title in Penny Hardaway’s third season coaching his alma mater after just missing out on the NCAA Tournament. They also were NIT champs in 2002.
Landers Nolley II opened the second half with a jumper and a 3-pointer that put 20-8 Memphis ahead to stay. The Tigers won 11 of their last 13 games, the only losses being one-possession setbacks six days apart against NCAA Elite Eight team Houston. Cameron Matthews scored 19 points to pace Mississippi State.
MLB-NEWS
Brewers’ Topa undergoes MRI, will start year on injured list
UNDATED (AP) — Milwaukee Brewers reliever Justin Topa will open the season on the injured list after undergoing an MRI on his elbow.
Brewers manager Craig Counsell says Topa threw just three pitches in a simulated game Saturday before leaving with elbow discomfort. The Brewers are awaiting results on an MRI. The 30-year-old Topa made his major league debut last season and went 0-1 with a 2.35 ERA and 12 strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings.
Counsell also says the Brewers have re-signed reliever Brad Boxberger to a minor league contract and that first baseman Daniel Vogelbach has made the team.
In other MLB news:
— Corey Kluber (KLOO’-bur) will follow ace Gerrit Cole in the New York Yankees’ rotation and Jameson Taillon (TY’-ahn) will be skipped the first time through as the team builds him up slowly in his return following Tommy John surgery. Cole will start Thursday’s opener against Toronto at Yankee Stadium and Kluber, returning from two injury-filled seasons, will start Saturday against the Blue Jays. Domingo Germán (hehr-MAHN’) will start the series finale against the Blue Jays on April 4 in his first appearance in two years following a suspension under MLB’s domestic violence policy. Taillon is to make his Yankees debut against the Orioles on April 7.
— Logan Allen has earned a spot in Cleveland’s starting rotation with a strong camp, but the left-hander’s role is still not quite finalized. President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti says Allen, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill all made the club’s opening day roster. Antonetti said Allen will pitch in the Indians’ fourth game — the home opener on April 5 — but the team is still working through how he’ll be used. Quantrill will pitch out of the bullpen while McKenzie is expected to be used primarily as a starter.
— Veteran pitchers Ian Kennedy and Matt Bush will break from the Texas Rangers spring training camp as top options in the back end of the bullpen. The 36-year-old Kennedy went to camp on a minor league deal. Bush has had surgery twice on his right elbow since his last big league appearance in 2018. Manager Chris Woodward says both will be on the team and fit nicely into those late-inning roles since they have done it before. One-time closer José Leclerc and Jonathan Hernandez will both miss the start of the season with potential long-term elbow issues.
NASCAR-BRISTOL
NASCAR worried about first Bristol dirt race
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) — NASCAR’s hyped return to dirt is instead a muddy mess on hold at least until Monday. Torrential rains have flooded campgrounds and parking lots surrounding Bristol Motor Speedway, forcing NASCAR officials to postpone the first Cup Series dirt race since 1970.
NASCAR.com says the 250-lap feature, initially slated to start Sunday at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time, has been rescheduled for Monday at 4 p.m. EDT.
F1-BAHRAIN GP
Hamilton holds off Verstappen to win tense F1 season-opener
SAKHIR, Bahrain (AP) — Lewis Hamilton just managed to hold off Max Verstappen to win the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix and clinch the 96th F1 win of his career.
The race was effectively decided when Verstappen overtook Hamilton but went too wide on a turn and off track limits. He was told by his team to give Hamilton the position back as he risked a time penalty. Verstappen still had a few laps to catch Hamilton and he almost did. He finished .74 seconds behind the Mercedes driver.
Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas took third but was way behind the front two. Fernando Alonso failed to finish the race on his F1 comeback with Alpine.
TENNIS-MIAMI OPEN
Isner, Osaka advance to 4th round
MIAMI (AP) — John Isner (IHZ’-nur) won a match that had no break points, sweeping two tiebreakers to edge No. 11-seeded Felix Auger-Aliassime in the third round of the Miami Open. That made it four consecutive sets Isner has won by tiebreaker against Auger-Aliassime in Miami. The score was also 7-6, 7-6 when they met in the 2019 semifinal.
On the women’s side, Naomi Osaka advanced to the fourth round for the first time in her career when qualifier Nina Stojanovic withdrew from their match shortly before the scheduled start because of a right thigh injury. Osaka, ranked No. 2, has won 22 consecutive matches since her most recent defeat in February 2020, and she earned her fourth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open last month. But in Miami, where she is making her fifth appearance, she has previously made early exits.
