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March Madness: Elite Frontcourt Clash

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CHICAGO – (Wire Service Preview) – Top-seeded Michigan and sixth-seeded Tennessee both feature playmaking guards who have shined along the path to Sunday’s NCAA Tournament Midwest Region final.

Chicago remains the “City of the Big Shoulders,” though, and the Elite Eight matchup between the Wolverines (34-3) and Volunteers (25-11) ought to oblige as two physical front lines prepare to tussle.

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“I think our frontcourt is the best frontcourt in the country,” Tennessee sophomore forward J.P. Estrella said, “and we’ve got another frontcourt coming on Sunday that we’re super excited about (facing).”

The 6-foot-11 Estrella was seated when he delivered an accurate tale of the tape on himself and teammates Nate Ament and Felix Okpara.

“We’re some big dudes,” Estrella said. “I mean, we’ve got three dudes in the starting lineup that are 6-10 and above.”

Michigan boasts similar bulk behind 6-9 forwards Yaxel Lendeborg and Morez Johnson Jr. alongside 7-3 center Aday Mara.

True to the setting, the Wolverines know they’ll have to elevate their effort to earn the program’s first trip to the Final Four since 2018 while denying the Volunteers the first berth in school history.

Collecting 23 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, the versatile Lendeborg sparked a 90-77 victory against fourth-seed Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Friday. Johnson Jr. and Mara combined for 15 points and 12 boards, a so-so contribution by their standards.

Wolverines coach Dusty May lauded the play of reserve guards Trey McKenney (17 points) and Roddy Gayle Jr. (16 points) as “incredible” before showing confidence that the Michigan frontcourt would earn more praise soon enough.

“It was a game where our front line didn’t have their best stuff, for whatever reason,” May said. “And those guys will play much better on Sunday, because they don’t ever have two bad  games.”

Tennessee handled second-seeded Iowa State in the other Midwest Region semifinal, winning 76-62 while roaring to a 43-22 advantage on the glass.

With the Cyclones missing top rebounder and second-leading scorer Joshua Jefferson (ankle), the Volunteers outmuscled them throughout the night.

Ament led the way with 18 points and guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie added 16, while Okpara (12 points, 10 rebounds) and fellow big man Jaylen Carey (11 points, 10 rebounds) both posted double-doubles.

Wolverines point guard Elliot Cadeau stressed that the team can’t stray from defensive basics against Tennessee.

“Effort. Communication. Talking a lot,” Cadeau said.

Sunday marks Tennessee’s third straight Elite Eight appearance under coach Rick Barnes, who is aiming to lead a program to the Final Four for the first time since he took Texas there in 2003.

The Volunteers underwent significant roster turnover from the second-seeded team that lost to top seed 69-50 Houston in the Midwest Region final a season ago.

“This year, we’re going to come out with fire,” said Okpara, who had four points and nine rebounds in that game. “We’re going to get the job done.”

Michigan defeated Tennessee 76-68 in a South Region second-round game in 2022.

– Field Level Media

Foster Returned to Tough Duke Team

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WASHINGTON DC – (Wire Service Preview) – After proving their mental fortitude in the Sweet 16, Cameron Boozer’s No. 1 seeded Duke Blue Devils will try to defeat this decade’s most successful program when they meet the No. 2 UConn Huskies in Sunday’s NCAA East Regional final.

Boozer has posted double-doubles in all three tournament games for Duke (35-2) to continue a season that has made the freshman forward the Naismith Award favorite.

Meanwhile, his Blue Devils teammates have gotten healthier.

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In Friday’s 80-75 victory over St. John’s, junior guard Caleb Foster willed himself back to action 20 days after sustaining a right foot fracture and scored all 11 of his points after halftime to help his team overcome a 10-point deficit.

“First time playing in a few weeks, he’s sore and recovering like you would expect, but nothing concerning,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “We want him to just continue to be himself, his leadership, his ability to get downhill, just making plays himself and really more of what he did yesterday.”

Center Patrick Ngonba II has also been able to provide minutes off the bench in the last two games after he missed about three weeks with right foot soreness.

At a program that frequently re-loads with NBA Draft Lottery-bound talent like Boozer, that duo provides precious experience from last year’s Final Four squad. So does sophomore guard Isaiah Evans, who had his best game of the tournament with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting to lead Duke’s rally against the Red Storm.

“Just being able to insert our names in history definitely means a lot,” said Evans of possibly reaching consecutive Final Fours. “Like you said, a lot of people haven’t done that. With Duke having the history it has, to be one of the people that did something different, it means a lot to me.”

As impressive as Scheyer’s three consecutive Elite Eight appearances are in four seasons as Mike Krzyzewski’s successor, it’s Dan Hurley’s Huskies (32-5) who are seeking a third national title in four years.

And to limit Boozer, Hurley will lean on senior center Tarris Reed Jr., who has stepped up a level this tournament.

“I think with Tarris or any player, I think just at some point you hope that the light switch comes on in time,” Hurley said. “Maybe it’s the life or death urgency to this time of year. … When he plays at the level that he’s capable of playing at, we can beat any team in the country, and he’s as good as any center in the country.”

TL’s Sunday Sports Notebook | Mar 29

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It’s 39-degrees and we’re expecting snowflakes this Friday for Sox opener at Fenway

 

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – For those of us who live and breath sports, those who have made a living in the high pressure world of risk and reward, and sometimes award, there is one rule to use as your North Star. That rule is the NEXT game is the big game.

We anticipate that next game as if our lives depended on it. We watch the sports pundits opine. We have our own thoughts and opinions and prognostications. It’s all about the next game.

The great coaches concentrate – not on the next game – but the next possession, the next at bat or pitch, the next defensive stop, the next set of downs, and then, the next game – the very second they’re done doing media interviews about tonight’s game.

I noticed Coach Mike Krzyzewski do that when he was the head coach of USA Basketball’s senior team. At the World Cup (formerly Championship of Basketball) in Japan, he’d have tonight’s boxscore in his hands as he did his media interviews, but the second he stepped down from the podium, he’d want the next opponent’s boxscore from their most recent game. Media interviews ended the game at hand, and he was on to the next game right away.

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I watched Friday night’s Duke vs. St. John’s game, but on Saturday, still clung to the mountain of “what ifs,” all created as the game played out – all fair and square.

As in, “what if” Duke coach Jon Scheyer didn’t have the game plan to switch to zone at crucial time in the second half of the NCAA regional semifinal game to stop the Johnnies’ momentum after a nice run that gave SJU a 10 point lead, 55-45, with 15:01 left in the game. By the 8:11 mark, after an Isaiah Evans three-pointer, Duke led, 63-62.

“What if” the Boozer twins picked another school instead of their father’s alma mater, Duke. Cameron (6-9, 250) and Cayden (6-4, 205) led the Blue Devils all year long, but “what if” they decided to criss-cross/double-cross their Dad and attend North Carolina?

The “what ifs” continue with the question, “What if, Evans had a bad night shooting?”

“What if” St. John’s guard and North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson had Evans’ shooting touch instead of going 1-for-7 from 3-point range? St. John’s guards Jackson, Oziyah Sellers and Dylan Darling (the darling of St. John’s game against Kansas) shot a combined 2-for-16 from downtown. Reserve center Ruben Prey was 4-for-4 and star forward Bryce Hopkins was 2-for-2 from 3-point land.

Evans shot 10-for-15 FG and 4-for-8 from three-point FG.

Duke shot a dismal 15-of-24 from the free throw line (63%) while St. John’s shot a horrible 4-for-8 from the line (50%). There was no beef with the discrepancy as the Johnnies were shooting jumpers while Duke took it to the rim all night long.

That was the difference between more Madness in March (and maybe even April) and, instead, March Sadness. The basketball gods spoke to the school of the Vincentians and sent St. John’s packing. The same gods who allowed the Johnnies to take that 10-point lead, pulled the rug out from underneath their Nike Air Jordans.

The basketball gods tossed this one out with a graphic embedded into the CBS Sports broadcast: For every Duke national title, the Blue Devils beat St. John’s along the way:

🔹1991: Beat St. John’s in the Regional Final (78–61)

🔹1992: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (91–81)

🔹2001: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (91–59)

🔹2010: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (80–71)

🔹2015: Beat St. John’s in the regular season (77–68)

Somehow, the Blue Devils are connected to the basketball gods.

Seems like N.I.L. now stands for Not In (my) Lifetime for St. John’s.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Continuing the March “Sadness” theme, your columnist and editor-in-chief of PGATourBrunch must opine on the “Continuing Saga of Tiger Woods.”

While news media, sports writers (and columnists), sports fans, golf fans, and everyone in between criticize Woods for his behavior, your guy, right here, must show true vibes of empathy for the golf star turned retiree.

In case you didn’t see the story – which has been pretty much impossible to overlook since Friday afternoon – here’s a quick round-up:

Tiger Woods was arrested on DUI charges Friday afternoon after being involved in a two-vehicle car crash about four miles from his home in Jupiter Island, Florida. Woods was booked in jail on three charges. The Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced Woods’ arrest at a 5 p.m. ET press conference. Woods was released around 11 p.m. ET on Friday night.

What can be said?

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First, it’s important not to speculate excessively as the police are undertaking an investigation and all the facts have not been made public. That said, the Martin County Sheriff’s department made lengthy statements in a press conference called Friday afternoon. They said a lot, especially on the description of the accident. They also released some photos, showing the Land Rover on its side.

Initial thoughts?

You have to try to flip a Land Rover, or you must’ve been driving at an incredibly high rate of speed. A Land Rover is no JEEP. It’s large, wide and grounded.

Secondly, the authorities made it clear that Woods was not arrested for drunk diving (alcohol) and they released the fact he was tested and blew a .000 on his breathalizerr tests. That led to the immediate assumption that Woods was abusing and impaired by pain killer drugs. (That is not known, at this time).

Continuing, this is not Tiger Woods’ first incident with an automobile. His past history includes:

  • November, 2009: Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a fire hydrant and a tree outside his home in Florida. He was found semi-conscious and his then-wife, Elin Nordegren, reportedly used a golf club to smash the back window to help Woods out of the vehicle. Subsequently, after the public airing of multiple trysts with several women, Woods and his wife separated and divorced. The accident resulted in a summons for careless driving and Woods was fined $164.
  • May, 2017: Woods was found asleep at the wheel in his Mercedes, stopped at a traffic light with his directional signal on. A toxicology report noted there was Vicodin, Dilaudid, Xanax, Ambien, and THC in his system at the time. He pleaded guilty to reckless driving and was placed on a one year probation period.
  • February, 2021: Woods was involved in a severe single-car rollover crash while driving a Genesis SUV. Investigators determined he was traveling between 84 and 87 mph in a 45 mph zone. Woods suffered significant injuries to his right leg and ankle, requiring multiple emergency surgeries. No criminal charges were filed as there was no evidence of impairment.

Now, Woods faces three serious charges in Martin County, all misdemeanors. The police announced charges of – DUI, Property Damage, and Refusal to Submit to a Lawful Test. While he was released on bail after the mandatory eight-hour hold, he faces significant legal consequences if convicted of the charges. Comparing the current incident to Woods’ 2017 case, there’s a more severe legal landscape due to recent changes in Florida law and the nature of his current charges.

Just last week, Woods competed with his Jupiter Links GC team against Los Angeles in the finals of the indoor TGL. He claimed to feel fine, physically, but admitted to “rust” on his overall game. There’s been speculation as to whether Woods would play at The Masters.

The main take-away from this incident is the very important need for Woods to seek help/counseling and potential rehabilitation for dependency on the v ery pain-killer drugs he tested positive for back in 2017. Multiple celebrity deaths have been reported for overdoses on combinations of prescription pain killers/opiods. Guitarist and songwriter Tom Petty, actors Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith and the death of the artist known as Prince, due to fentanyl overdoses have filled the newspapers over many years.

Woods needs to take care of himself while dealing with the consequences that will come with serious charges. One thing is clear, he will not be treated better than the average guy and he’ll face the full application of the laws.

TIGER: While being realistic and sympathetic to Woods’ situation, I cannot help but think of the amount of joy he’s brought to a generation of sports fans – all drawn to golf because of his ability and charisma. Only Jack Nicklaus can be considered as a better golfer and, maybe only Ali and Michael Jordan would be more world famous.

An anonymous NBA fan suggested a bronze depiction of Luka Doncic’s game

LUKA OR LOSA? The constant complaining done by Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has become unbearable. This weekend, Doncic was issued his 16th technical foul and it resulted in an automatic 1-game suspension. Doncic will serve the suspension during Monday’s game against the Washington Wizards. Doncic previously picked up his 16th tech last weekend for verbally sparring with Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze, but the NBA rescinded the techs after the Lakers appealed to the league.

The suspension will cost Doncic 1/174 of his annual salary, or approximately $264,000. Subsequent technical fouls during the current regular season will be cause for automatic uspension for an additional game and the financial penalty will increase to 1/145 of his salary, or approximately $317,000.

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: While March Madness marched on, the NBA had a busy week behind the scenes and off the court. Commissioner Adam Silver held a briefing after the Board of Governors meeting to discuss expansion. He was quite specific in his choice of words Wednesday afternoon when he said, that the league is “exploring expansion,” not committing to expanding. There remain many variables in play, such as who the chosen ownership groups might be, the costs and benefits of a move that could bump league membership to 32 franchises, but the thing that became clear is the fact the NBA will look at Seattle and Las Vegas as the two markets to expand.

In other business, called the Anti-Tanking dilemma, the league offered three possible solutions to the two-part issue of keeping the current Lottery system or changing it.

These are the Three Primary Anti-Tanking Solutions put forth to the NBA board for consideration and an eventual vote this spring (for implementation next season).

  • 18-Team Lottery & Flattened Odds: Expanding the lottery to 18 teams—the 10 teams missing the play-in plus the eight that qualify for it. Under one proposal, the bottom 10 teams would receive equal odds for the top pick, significantly reducing the incentive to be the absolute worst team.
  • Two-Year Lottery Records (WNBA Model): Rather than just the current season’s record, NBA Lottery odds would be calculated based on a team’s winning percentage over two seasons. This prevents teams from benefiting instantly from a single season of extreme losing and encourages sustained competence.
  • “Win-Based” Lottery Seeding: Instead of awarding the best odds to the teams with the most losses, lottery positions would be determined by the number of wins a team accumulates during the final stretch of the season. This ensures that teams continue to try winning games, even if they are far out of playoff contention.

At this point in time, I am not sure which of the three I would vote for, but looking at the two-year (WNBA model) proposal, I might wiggle it to be a three-year rule. If pushed to decide right now, I’d go with the last of the three but would need exact details as to the timing for the “final stretch.” Might they use the final 10 games? 15 games?

BC HIRED MURRAY – and – THAT”S the FACT JACK: Boston College Director of Athletics Blake James announced the hiring of Luke Murray, assistant coach of the University of Connecticut men’s basketball program, as the new Clement and Elizabeth Izzi Family head men’s basketball coach at BC. Murray, the son of comedian and motion picture star Bill Murray of Saturday Night Live fame, will head up I84 to a BC team with his decade-plus of coaching experience at the highest levels of collegiate basketball, including playing a key staff role in two national championships. Known for his offensive acumen, player development, and recruiting success, Murray became the 14th head coach in program history.

CAN’T MAKE IT UP (AGAIN): The horn struck again on Saturday during the Elite Eight of the men’s NCAA tournament. Just over a month after a stuck buzzer stopped an NBA game between the Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons, the same thing happened during No. 3 seed Illinois’ game vs. No. 9 seed Iowa at the Toyota Center in Houston. The game was stopped for over 11 minutes with 7:43 to go in the first half as the shot clock horn kept sounding. Given the importance of a working buzzer in a basketball game, the game didn’t continue after the under-eight media timeout because the horn was still going off. When the horn finally shut off, it was greeted with cheers all across the arena. At one point, CBS announcer Kevin Harlan joked that the seven-minute delay felt like 70 minutes. The NCAA said during the second half that the issue stemmed from a malfunction in the scoreboard hanging over the court and that arena staff had attempted to reset the scoreboard at halftime to no avail. Illinois won the game, 71-59, and became the first team to earn a berth in this year’s Final Four.

CRICKET ANYONE? The Royal Challengers Bengaluru sold for ~$1.78B to a consortium led by Blackstone Investment in a landmark IPL deal. The buyers include: Blackstone (first direct sports team investment); David Blitzer’s Bolt Ventures, Aditya Birla Group, and Times of India Group. The deal covers both IPL and Women’s Premier League teams.

NCAA Regional: Pitino vs Duke Madness

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WASHINGTON DC – (Staff and Wire Service Preview) – James Naismith Award favorite Cameron Boozer and Duke will continue their pursuit of the program’s sixth national title and first since coach Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement when they face coach Rick Pitino’s resurgent St. John’s in Friday night’s East Regional semifinal.

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Boozer posted his 20th and 21st double-doubles in the first two rounds of the tournament as No. 1 seed Duke (34-2) survived a scare in a 71-65 win over No. 16 Siena, then comfortably handled No. 9, TCU by a 81-58 score.

The freshman forward could have a healthier squad behind him Friday. Center Patrick Ngongba II (right foot soreness) is cleared to play a second game after returning from a 19-day layoff against TCU. Caleb Foster (right foot fracture) will be a game-time decision as he tries to play for the first time since a win against North Carolina in the regular-season finale March 7.

“Pat responded well. You never know how that’s going to go. He’s on track to play again (Friday), which is a really big deal for us,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “Then Caleb, I just go back to when he got hurt, he told me, ‘Look, if I do this and work every day, you got to promise me you’ll let me put this uniform on again with our guys.’

Pitino is in his 14th Sweet 16 appearance and first with St. John’s (30-6) during a season that has represented a renaissance for coach and program alike.

Pitino was let go by Louisville after the 2016-17 season amid multiple scandals, eventually returned to coaching college ball at Iona after a three-year layoff, and moved to St. John’s for the 2023-2024 season.

Under Pitino, No. 5 St. John’s reached its first NCAA Tournament in six years last season, and is now making its first Sweet 16 showing since 1999. At age 73, he has no intention of this being a last hurrah.

“I just missed it every single day I was out of it,” Pitino said Thursday. “So I realized there’s no reason to try and get out because I knew how much I missed it.”

Dylan Darling sank a running layup at the buzzer to decide the Red Storm’s 67-65 win over No. 4 seed Kansas in the second round last weekend.

Big East Player of the Year Zuby Ejiofor scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a 79-53 first-round victory against No. 12 Northern Iowa. He is the Red Storm’s top producer, averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

He’ll be tasked with trying to limit Boozer and Duke on the glass, where the Blue Devils have outrebounded opponents by a plus-11 margin this year.

“Obviously just a special talent coming in as a freshman, really smart player, understanding the game pretty well,” Ejiofor said. “It’s never a one-man job, especially with Boozer. Really talented, really physical. We just got to make sure he sees bodies and really just get at them, apply the pressure, press for 40 minutes.”

– Field Level Media

NCAA Basketball: Izzo in March

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WASHINGTON DC – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Repeat after me … “January (January), February (February), Izzo, April (April).

Coach Tom Izzo will attempt to coach Michigan State one step closer to his ninth Final Four when they meet a familiar UConn squad in Friday night’s NCAA Tournament East Regional semifinal.

Izzo’s third-seeded Spartans (27-7) have had a relatively comfortable trip through the tournament, easing past No. 14 North Dakota State 92-67 and outlasting No. 6 Louisville 77-69.

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And they’ve done it in an increasingly uncommon manner, relying on a core group of upperclassmen that have spent their entire collegiate career with the same program.

The starting quartet of senior forward Jaxon Kohler, senior center Carson Cooper, junior guard Jeremy Fears Jr. and junior forward Coen Carr have played 14 combined seasons under Izzo.

The 71-year-old Izzo says that adds a level of satisfaction to the journey, both for himself and his players, during an era of near-constant mobility.

“Hell yeah, it makes it exciting,” Izzo said. “I still think all these kids moving around, someday they’re going to have to come back to someplace, and they ain’t going to come back to it.

“Everybody talks about how good (the ability to switch schools easily) is for the kids. I think in the end the kids are the ones that lose. I’m not going to lose. Big deal. Have a good year, bad year, I can leave tomorrow. It’s the kids that are going to lose.”

Each member of that quartet has scored in double figures this season. Against North Dakota State, Cooper had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Against Louisville, it was Carr with 21 points and 10 boards.

In No. 2 seed UConn (31-5), the Spartans will face a similarly experienced group that starts four upperclassmen, and arguably a similarly minded coach in Dan Hurley.

It’s also a team they met back in an October preseason exhibition, although Huskies leading scorer Tarris Reed Jr. was absent with a hamstring injury.

For Hurley’s team, the lesson was the kind of physicality it would take to be competitive against elite opposition.

“Yeah, we were very intentional about trying to schedule them for that game right before the opener so we could really identify our vulnerabilities in that game,” Hurley recalled. “I think we gave up six or seven free-throw rebounds in that game, our transition defense was a joke, we got assaulted on the glass. There was a lot there in that game that we were able to show the guys this week when we got manhandled.”

Silas Demary Jr. (ankle) should be available Friday. The point guard missed UConn’s 82-71 win against Furman to open the tournament, but played 22 minutes off the bench in a 73-57 win over No. 7 UCLA in the second round.

Reed posted career bests with 31 points and 27 rebounds in the first-round win, exceeding the senior’s previous rebounding high by nine. Alex Karaban had 27 points against UCLA while Reed had 10 points and 13 rebounds for his 12th double-double.

–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media

Crochet, Red Sox Take Opener

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CINCINNATI – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston ace Garrett Crochet pitched six scoreless innings and Ceddanne Rafaela broke a scoreless tie in the seventh with an RBI single to lead the visiting Red Sox past the Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on Thursday in the season opener for both clubs.

Roman Anthony had three hits, while Trevor Story and Jarren Duran added insurance RBI singles in the ninth.

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Crochet (1-0), the 2025 American League Cy Young runner-up, allowed three hits, walked two and struck out eight to earn the win.

Marcelo Mayer opened the seventh as a pinch-hitter against new Reds reliever Pierce Johnson (0-1) with a double to left-center, just beyond the diving reach of center fielder TJ Friedl. After moving to third on a sacrifice bunt, he scored on Rafaela’s single.

Sal Stewart overcame being drilled in the left wrist by an Anthony liner in the fifth to rack up three hits, becoming the first Cincinnati rookie since 1958 (when rookie rules were established) to record three hits on Opening Day.

His two-out ground-rule double — his second two-bagger of the game — to right set up a rematch of the World Baseball Classic title game when Eugenio Suarez beat Garrett Whitlock and Team USA with a go-ahead double in the 3-2 Venezuela win. This time, Whitlock fanned Suarez to end the eighth-inning threat.

Former Cincinnati closer Aroldis Chapman came on and pitched a scoreless ninth for the save.

With a summer-like temperature of 81 degrees and a stiff 15-mph breeze blowing out to left, dueling lefties Crochet and Andrew Abbott managed to match zeros for the first six innings.

Abbott finished with six scoreless innings, scattering seven hits and one walk with four strikeouts on 83 pitches.

Crochet matched Abbott and pitched out of his biggest jam in the sixth when he fanned Eugenio Suarez and Spencer Steer with the bases loaded.

Abbott was able to work his way out of jams in the first two innings, thanks to a pair of groundball double plays, one started by Ke’Bryan Hayes at third and the other fielded by Elly De La Cruz at short.

The Red Sox totaled five hits over the first three innings against Abbott, including two by Anthony, but could not score.

–Field Level Media

March Madness Round-Up

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SAN JOSE – (Staff and Wire Service Recap) – Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped in a shot with 0.7 seconds left to give the second-seeded Boilermakers a 79-77 win over 11th-seeded Texas in the NCAA Tournament’s West Region semifinals on Thursday night.

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Purdue’s Braden Smith drove to the lane on the final possession, and his jumper bounced off, right to the hands of Kaufman-Renn, one of three starters for the Boilermakers (30-8) who were part of the team that played in the 2024 NCAA final.

Kaufman-Renn finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, making 8 of 10 shots from the floor. Fletcher Loyer scored 18 points and Smith added 16 for Purdue, which will face No. 1 Arizona in the regional final on Saturday for a trip to the Final Four.

Texas (21-15) got 29 points from Tramon Mark, the most by a Longhorn in the NCAA tourney since Kevin Durant had 30 in 2007. He hit 11 of 15 from the field and 5 of 7 from 3-point range. The Longhorns shot 51.8% overall, 55.6% in the second half.

No. 1 Arizona 109, Arkansas 88

Brayden Burries scored 23 points and fellow freshman Koa Peat added 21 as the Wildcats rolled past the Razorbacks in the West Region semifinals at San Jose.

Arizona (35-2) matched its school record for wins by shooting 63.8% from the field, advancing to its first Elite Eight since 2015.

Burries finished 7 of 11 from the field, while Peat made 8 of 11 shots.

Arkansas (28-9) got 28 points from freshman Darius Acuff Jr., who scored 88 in three tourney games. The Razorbacks were called for two flagrant fouls and two technicals, one on coach John Calipari. Billy Richmond III was ejected for a flagrant-2 foul with 7:14 left.

SOUTH

No. 3 Illinois 65, No. 2 Houston 55

David Mirkovic and Keaton Wagler produced double-doubles as the Fighting Illini parlayed a 17-0 second-half run into a victory over the Cougars in the South Regional semifinals at Houston.

Illinois (27-8) advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in three seasons. The Fighting Illini will face a Big Ten rival, ninth-seeded Iowa, on Saturday with the winner advancing to the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Mirkovic paired 14 points with 10 rebounds. Wagler posted 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Emanuel Sharp led Houston (30-7) with 17 points. Kingston Flemings added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Cougars, who shot just 34.4%.

No. 9 Iowa 77, No. 4 Nebraska 71

Bennett Stirtz scored a team-high 20 points, Tate Sage added 19 and the Hawkeyes rallied from a first-half, double-digit deficit to defeat the Cornhuskers in the South Regional semifinals at Houston.

Stirtz provided Iowa (24-12) with its first lead at 68-65 via a 3-pointer with 2:10 left. That ignited a decisive closing stretch from Iowa, which advanced to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1987 while dashing Nebraska’s bid for its first Elite Eight appearance.

Pryce Sandfort paced the Cornhuskers (28-7) with 25 points, while Braden Frager added 16. That duo combined to shoot 11 of 18 from behind the arc for the Cornhuskers, who missed 18 of 24 3-point shots in the second half after going 7 of 14 from deep before intermission.

–Field Level Media

BC Eagles Hire Murray

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CHESTNUT HILL – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston College hired Luke Murray, son of comedian and motion picture star Bill Murray.

“That’s the fact, jack,” they said.

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BC turned to a proven title-winning assistant coach with the hiring of UConn’s Murray, placing a key member of Dan Hurley’s staff in charge of a rebuild in Chestnut Hill, Mass.

Murray, 40, has been with the Huskies since 2021 and is widely credited inside the program as one of the architects of an offense that powered back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024.

Boston College athletic director Blake James framed the hire as a modern reset for the program.

“Today marks a turning point in Boston College Men’s Basketball,” James said. “In Luke Murray, we have found a leader who does not just understand the modern landscape of college basketball – he has helped define it. His role in building a national championship caliber program, his sophisticated offensive vision, and his relentless pursuit of excellence make him the perfect fit to lead our student-athletes.”

Murray is also the son of legendary comedic actor Bill Murray, who has been a regular presence around UConn basketball games in recent seasons.

“I am deeply honored and incredibly grateful to lead the Boston College men’s basketball program,” Murray said. “Boston College alumni and fans will find our program defined by a standard of excellence, and our team will play an unselfish, tough and highly competitive brand of basketball.”

Before arriving in Storrs, Murray built a long assistant-coaching resume with stops that included Louisville (2018-21) and Xavier (2015-18), along with stints under Hurley at Rhode Island (2013-15) and Wagner (2010-11). He will remain with UConn through the NCAA Tournament with the second-seeded Huskies set to face third-seeded Michigan State in the Sweet 16 on Friday in Washington, D.C.

–Field Level Media

March Madness: Sweet 16 Showdown

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SAN JOSE – The lowest-seeded team left in the NCAA Tournament will try to continue its unexpected run when No. 11 Texas faces No. 2 Purdue in the West Region semifinals on Thursday night.

The Longhorns (21-14) are the sixth team to go from the First Four to the Sweet 16, getting there by knocking off No. 11 North Carolina State, No. 6 BYU and No. 3 Gonzaga. The last two games were in Portland, Ore., making this the second trip to the West Coast in as many weeks without much downtime in between.

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“I’m incredibly proud of our group, the resiliency that we’ve shown,” Texas coach Sean Miller said. “We caught fire in about a 10-day period. We were grateful just to have the opportunity to be in the tournament, and then we kind of entered this second weekend as a dangerous team.”

Purdue (29-8) beat No. 15 Queens and No. 7 Miami (Fla.) to notch its fourth Sweet 16 appearance in five seasons and third in a row. That run includes a trip to the NCAA title game in 2024, and the Boilermakers have three starters left from the team that fell to UConn in the finals.

The Boilermakers were No. 1 in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 but dipped to as low as 18th during the regular season. They’re on a six-game win streak that includes beating Midwest Region top seed Michigan in the Big Ten tournament championship game 80-72 on March 15.

“We’ve just been collectively better defensively,” said Purdue coach Matt Painter, whose team has held the last five opponents under 48% shooting after the seven previous foes shot at least 51%.

Texas is in its first year under Miller, who previously coached at Xavier (twice) and Arizona. The Longhorns made it to the Elite Eight in 2023 under Rodney Terry, but he was fired last March following a First Four loss to Miller’s Xavier squad.

It’s been an uneven season, struggling in nonconference play and then starting 3-5 in the Southern Conference. Texas won five in a row, only to drop five of six down the stretch and end up in the First Four.

“I think the one thing about this tournament that you learn is the best team doesn’t always win in this tournament,” Miller said. “It’s the team who plays the very best on that particular day. Where we began (the season) and where we ended are two different places.”

Braden Smith, Fletcher Loyer and Trey Kaufman-Renn have each played at least 145 games for Purdue, a rarity in college sports. Smith is the NCAA career assists leader, with 1,091, breaking Bobby Hurley’s 33-year-old record in the first round, and all three Boilermakers average 14 points per game.

Texas’ leading scorer is Dailyn Swain, at 17.4 per game, but in the three NCAA Tournament games, 7-foot sophomore Matas Vokietaitis has been the main offensive weapon. He had 17 points and nine rebounds against Gonzaga after going for 23 points and 16 rebounds against BYU.

The Longhorns could be without senior guard Jordan Pope, who is dealing with an ankle injury suffered against Gonzaga. He had 17 in that game and averages 13.1 for the season.

A win for Texas would make it the second No. 11 seed in three years to reach the regional finals. North Carolina State got to the Final Four in 2024. The 2021 UCLA squad joined VCU (2011) as teams to go from the First Four to the national semifinals.

–Field Level Media

Bruins Rally for Big Win vs. Sabres

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BUFFALO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s David Pastrnak opened the scoring, then recorded his second assist on Pavel Zacha’s overtime goal as the visiting Boston Bruins rallied to cool off the Buffalo Sabres with a 4-3 victory on Wednesday.

On the rush, Pastrnak pulled back then sent a pass to Zacha, who beat Buffalo goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (27 saves) 38 seconds into overtime for his ninth goal in March.

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Boston (40-24-8, 88 points) trailed 3-2 when with six minutes remaining in regulation, former Sabre Casey Mittelstadt converted via a friendly carom from the end board of teammate Jonathan Aspirot’s shot and off the skate of Luukkonen.

Trying to better its playoff position in the Eastern Conference, Boston pushed its road point streak to six games (3-0-3).

Atlantic Division-leading Buffalo (44-20-8, 96 points), 33-7-4 since Dec. 9, trailed 2-1 after two periods and found itself killing a penalty early in the third.
Just after that Boston power play ended, Zach Benson took the puck from the Bruins’ Mason Lohrei, broke into the zone and got it past Joonas Korpisalo (22 saves) while crashing the net to tie the game 5:54 into the third.

Lohrei was whistled for cross-checking at the end of the play and the Sabres made him and the Bruins pay. Just 33 seconds later, Tage Thompson sent a pass from behind the net for Jason Zucker to chip in for his second goal of the night.

Boston opened the scoring with 8:53 remaining in the first period. Camped out at the bottom of the circle, Pastrnak successfully one-timed Fraser Minten pinpoint pass from behind the Buffalo net.

Buffalo equalized with 4:42 left before the initial intermission. On the power play, Thompson sent the puck between the legs of Boston defenseman Hampus Lindholm and onto the stick of Zucker to beat Korpisalo.

After tripping himself up on a potential breakaway earlier in the second period, Pastrnak had a hand in giving Boston the lead back with near the midway point of the frame.

Luukkonen was able to poke-check the puck away from a net-front Pastrnak, but it was backhanded in by a trailing Viktor Arvidsson.

–Field Level Media