Update on the latest sports
NCAA TOURNAMENT
NCAA tourney hits halfway point, still the field vs. Gonzaga
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA Tournament still looks like the field versus Gonzaga.
The Bulldogs crushed Creighton, and Michigan manhandled Florida State, putting three No. 1 seeds into the Elite Eight. But joining them were two teams — No. 6 USC and No. 11 UCLA — from the underappreciated Pac-12 Conference, suggesting few selection committee members stayed up late enough to judge the caliber of basketball being played on the West Coast.
In today’s games, No. 1 Baylor — the last of seven entries from the Big 12 Conference — plays No. 3 Arkansas, and No. 2 Houston meets 12th seed Oregon State.
NCAA-ARKANSAS-BAYLOR MEN’S PREVIEW
Final Four drought will end for either Baylor or Arkansas
UNDATED (AP) — Whether it’s Baylor or Arkansas, a proud program will see its long Final Four drought come to an end. For the third-seeded Razorbacks, the opportunity may be coming a bit quicker than expected in Eric Musselman’s second season in charge.
Top-seeded Baylor, meanwhile, has been a solid program for more than a decade under coach Scott Drew. But the Bears have never reached the Final Four in the modern version of the NCAA Tournament.
The old Southwest Conference foes meet tonight in the South Region final.
NCAA-BAYLOR-UCONN-WOMEN’S PREVIEW
Powerhouses UConn, Baylor meet in women’s Elite Eight
UNDATED (AP) — UConn and Baylor have dominated women’s college basketball in recent years and will meet for a chance for one to advance to yet another Final Four.
The Huskies (27-1) will be looking for the program’s 13th straight appearance in the showcase, 21st all-time and a 12th national championship.
The Lady Bears (28-2), the defacto defending champions after winning the title in 2019, will be looking for their fifth trip to a Final Four and a fourth title.
Both teams stress defense, with Baylor allowing opponents to shoot an average of 32.3% from the field while UConn’s opposition is shooting just 33.3% from the floor.
NCAA-INDIANA-ARIZONA PREVIEW
Ali Patberg leads hard-working Hoosiers into Elite Eight
UNDATED (AP) — Ali Patberg says hard work has put Indiana’s women in the Elite Eight for the first time.
The Hoosiers will play Arizona today in the Mercado Region of the NCAA Tournament. Indiana knocked off top-seeded NC State to earn its spot, while the Wildcats beat Texas A&M.
The winner of today’s matchup will face the winner of the Baylor-UConn matchup in the Final Four.
TOKYO-TICKET REFUNDS
Overseas Tokyo ticket holders may get only partial refunds
TOKYO (AP) — Many fans living outside Japan who bought tickets for the Tokyo Olympics from Authorized Ticket Resellers will not get full refunds. The resellers are the official brokers appointed to distribute Olympic tickets.
The question of refunds came into play a week ago when local organizers and the Japanese government decided to bar most fans from abroad because of the pandemic. The resellers are allowed to tack on a 20% handling fee. This is the fee that some resellers will not be refunding.
The reseller for the United States is CoSport. It is based in New Jersey and has said it will not refund the handling fee.
