By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Mick Cronin raised a plastic cup to another NCAA Tournament victory for UCLA with an energy drink he brought with him to the podium. "I'm not Coach Pitino," he said. The Bruins coach laughed in a nod to Rick Pitino of St. John's and the ...
By FRED GOODALL Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Florida began its national title defense with the second-largest victory margin in NCAA Tournament history, pounding Prairie View A&M 114-55 on Friday night. Boogie Fland scored 16 points to lead seven players in double figures for ...
By ROB MAADDI AP Sports Writer TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Texas Tech was determined to rally together after losing its best player. Jaylen Petty scored 24 points, Christian Anderson added 18 and the fifth-seeded Red Raiders beat No. 12 seed Akron 91-71 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament ...
By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer PHILADELPHIA (AP) — With Virginia burdened by years of early exits in the NCAA Tournament, first-year coach Ryan Odom played for his team the 2019 "One Shining Moment" highlight package from the Cavaliers' national championship season. Odom had one more ...
By JEFF LATZKE Associated Press ST. LOUIS (AP) — Braden Smith scored 26 points and became the Division I career leader in assists, guiding No. 2 seed Purdue to a 104-71 win over Queens University on Friday night in the NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers seized control with a pair of 10-0 ...
By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — Rick Pitino is now in his sixth decade of coaching, and he claims he had never studied more film of an opponent than he did this week to prepare St. John's for Northern Iowa. The 73-year-old coach is still putting in the effort he ...
By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — While a couple of other No. 1 seeds got tested by their first-round matchups in classic March Madness fashion this week, Arizona started its title quest with a breezy, businesslike win. Brayden Burries hit four 3-pointers while scoring 18 ...
By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Chase Johnston made his first 2-point basket of the season, a fast-break layup with 11.7 seconds remaining that gave No. 12 seed High Point an 83-82 victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA ...
By JONAH BRONSTEIN Associated Press BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Carson Cooper matched his career high with 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as Michigan State routed North Dakota State 92-67 on Thursday to reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the 22nd time in 28 consecutive ...
By RAUL DOMINGUEZ Associated Press t. SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama hit a 17-foot, pull-up jumper with a second left and the San Antonio Spurs wrapped up a playoff spot to end a six-season drought, beating the Phoenix Suns 101-100 on Thursday night. Wembanyama had 34 points and 12 ...
By ERIK GARCIA GUNDERSEN Associated Press PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Darius Acuff Jr. had 24 points and seven assists, and No. 4 seed Arkansas continued its strong play after winning the Southeastern Conference Tournament, beating No. 13 seed Hawaii 97-78 on Thursday in the first round of the ...
By JOHN WAWROW AP Sports Writer BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Isaac McKneely scored 23 points, and Louisville hung on to beat South Florida 83-79 on Thursday to win its first NCAA Tournament game since Rick Pitino's final season as coach. Ryan Conwell scored 11 of his 18 points in the second ...
By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — For most of Thursday, Duke looked nothing like the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Not with 16th-seeded Siena challenging the Blue Devils at every turn, determined to pull off the rarest of March Madness upsets. And ...
By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — David Punch provided some bulletin-board material this week when he told the Columbus Dispatch that TCU would beat Ohio State "nine times out of 10" because of its athleticism. On Thursday, Punch and the Horned Frogs backed up his ...
By TIM WILLERT Associated Press OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tyler Tanner had 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Vanderbilt rallied to beat McNeese 78-68 on Thursday for its first victory in the NCAA Tournament since 2012. The Commodores (27-8), the No. 5 seed in the South Region, ...
By JANIE McCAULEY AP Baseball Writer SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Dave Roberts spent much of spring training thinking about how to manage the health of his two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers so they can play for the long haul once again. That's what happens when a club competes ...
By NOAH TRISTER AP Baseball Writer The AL East hasn't produced a World Series champion since 2018, equaling the longest drought in the history of this powerful division. The breakthrough almost came last year, when the Toronto Blue Jays led by two runs in the eighth inning of Game 7 of ...
By JAY COHEN AP Baseball Writer CHICAGO (AP) — Alex Bregman, welcome to the NL Central. Welcome back, Eugenio Suárez. Bregman is hoping to lead the Chicago Cubs to their first Central title since 2020 after signing a $175 million, five-year contract with the North Siders in free ...
By MIKE FITZPATRICK AP Baseball Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Still powered by Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper, the Philadelphia Phillies are bringing back mostly the same team that won its second consecutive NL East title last season and made a fourth straight playoff appearance. Time to take ...
By STEPHEN HAWKINS AP Baseball Writer Cal Raleigh and the Seattle Mariners switched things up in the American League West last season, and got as close as they ever have to making a World Series. After winning their first division title since 2001, the Mariners are looking to do it again ...