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NCAA Basketball: Izzo in March

March 27, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

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

Filed Under: March Madness, NCAA, NCAA Basketball Tagged With: Danny Hurley, Michigan State, NCAAB, Tom Izzo, UConn

Crochet, Red Sox Take Opener

March 27, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

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

Filed Under: Boston Sports, MLB, Red Sox Tagged With: 2026 MLB Opening Day, Boston Red Sox, Cincinnati Reds, MLB, MLB Opening Day, Opening Day

March Madness Round-Up

March 27, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

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

Filed Under: March Madness, NCAA, NCAA Basketball Tagged With: March Madness, NCAAB

Illinois to Face Iowa for Final Four Berth

March 26, 2026 by Terry Lyons

HOUSTON – (Staff and Wire Serice Report) –  David Mirkovic and Keaton Wagler produced double-doubles as third-seeded Illinois parlayed a 17-0 second-half run into a 65-55 victory over second-seeded Houston on Thursday in the South Regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

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The Fighting Illini (27-8) advanced to the Elite Eight for the second time in three seasons. They will face a Big Ten rival, ninth-seeded Iowa (24-12), on Saturday with the winner advancing to the Final Four in Indianapolis.

Wagler responded to a driving layup from Joseph Tugler that pulled the Cougars (30-7) to within 27-26 by sinking a second-chance layup at the 17:37 mark of the second half. That ignited the decisive rally for Illinois, with Jake Davis and Mirkovic adding layups off dribble penetration before Davis knocked down a second-chance 3-pointer that extended the lead to 36-26.

Mirkovic and Ben Humrichous later added 3-pointers as the Illini extended their lead to 44-26. The Cougars went six-plus minutes without scoring before Milos Uzan hit a trey with 11:18 left.

Mirkovic paired 14 points with 10 rebounds. Wagler posted 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Andrej Stojakovic scored 13 points off the bench, including nine in the first half to keep the Illini afloat.

Emanuel Sharp led the Cougars with 17 points and led a furious rally that closed the deficit to seven in the waning moments. Kingston Flemings added 11 points, six rebounds and four assists for Houston, which shot just 34.4%.

Only Stojakovic appeared able to play through the first-half slog.

Houston missed its first seven shots yet pulled even at 3-3 when Sharp drilled a 3-pointer at the 15:12 mark, thanks in part to Illinois’ 1-for-10 start. Mirkovic lifted the Illini to a 14-10 lead when he followed his trey with a layup, only for Tugler to tie it with consecutive hook shots.

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Stojakovic sank a difficult turnaround jumper that beat the shot-clock buzzer, giving Illinois a 21-14 lead. Wagler pushed the Illini to their largest advantage of the first half at 24-16 with a 3-pointer at the 3:23 mark.

The Cougars cut that deficit to 24-22 entering the break when Flemings beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer. Houston shot 27.3% and committed five turnovers in the first half, but the Illini countered with 35.7% shooting and scored only two points from seven offensive rebounds.

– Field Level Media

Filed Under: March Madness, NCAA, NCAA Basketball Tagged With: Fighting Illini, Houston, March Madness

PGA Tour: Waring Leads at Houston

March 26, 2026 by PGA Tour Brunch

By TERRY LYONS, Editor: Digital Sports Desk

HOUSTON – Forty-one year old Paul Waring (1st/-7), playing on a Major Medical Extension, posted a bogey-free, career-low 7-under (63) to take the lead in the 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open. Waring previously shot (65) twice on TOUR, most recently during the first round of the 2025 RBC Canadian Open.

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His round included a career-best 161’ 10” of putts made with his previous best: 136’ 9” at the 2025 Genesis Scottish Open/R1. Waring leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (5.342) and T1 in Scrambling (4/4). He holds the lead/co-lead for the first time after any round on TOUR

Waring made his second start at Texas Children’s Houston Open (MC/2025; 76-72).

Gary Woodland (2nd/-6) equalled the best opening-round score of his career with a (64) – the seventh occasion for that score and most recently at the 2024 Sanderson Farms Championship).

Woodland is bidding to become the first player to finish runner-up and then win the same tournament the next season since Robert MacIntyre (2023, 2024 Genesis Scottish Open).

Sam Burns (T3/-5) posted a 5-under (65) in his fifth start at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. He had back-to-back T7 finishes at Memorial Park Golf Course in 2020 and 2021.

Defending champion Min Woo Lee (T31/-2) shot a 2-under (68) as he seeks to become the second player to successfully defend a Texas Children’s Houston Open title (Vijay Singh/2005/GC of Houston).

Three of the four past Texas Children’s Houston Open champions in the field sit T11 or better: Stephan Jaeger (T6/-4), Adam Scott (T11/-3), Tony Finau(T11/-3), with Min Woo Lee (T31/-2) further back after 18 holes.

Aaron Rai (neck injury) WD prior to the first round and was replaced by Taylor Moore (T11/-3)


Houston Open Leaderboard | After 18 Holes

1 Paul Waring 63 (-7)

2 Gary Woodland 64 (-6)

T3 Sam Burns 65 (-5)

T3 Michael Brennan 65 (-5)

T3 Tom Hoge 65 (-5)

Full Leaderboard: (link)

Filed Under: PGA TOUR Tagged With: Houston Open, PGA Tour

BC Eagles Hire Murray

March 26, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

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

Filed Under: Boston Sports, NCAA, NCAA Basketball Tagged With: BC Eagles, Boston College, NCAAB

March Madness: Sweet 16 Showdown

March 26, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

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

Filed Under: March Madness, NCAA, NCAA Basketball Tagged With: March Madness

March Madness: Big Ten Showdown

March 26, 2026 by PGA Tour Brunch

HOUSTON – For Nebraska coach Fred Hoiberg, there was ample familiarity in reviewing how the fourth-seeded Cornhuskers’ next opponent, Iowa, dispatched both Clemson and Florida en route to the South Region semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

For the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes (23-12), imposing their will comes via exerting control. While film study reveals what Iowa aims to accomplish, the Cornhuskers have firsthand knowledge of the Hawkeyes’ preferred style of play.

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When the teams meet for a third time this season on Thursday, the onus will fall on Nebraska to prevent the Hawkeyes from doing what they do best.

“When you look at the two games that we played earlier this year — Iowa with the way that they controlled pace and controlled tempo, I thought they did a great job with that in those first two (NCAA Tournament) games,” Hoiberg said. “They get up 10 early on Clemson and did the same thing, got a double-digit lead against Florida, and they were able to control pace and tempo for the entire game.

“That was the story, I thought, in our two games as well. They do as good a job as anybody.”

The Hawkeyes and Cornhuskers (28-6) split a pair of Big Ten conference games during the regular season, with Iowa claiming a 57-52 home victory on Feb. 17 before Nebraska closed the conference slate with an 84-75 overtime win three weeks later in Lincoln.

There will be few secrets between Iowa and Nebraska when the rubber match tips off. Throughout the season, teams add wrinkles to their approaches, often deleting those that prove unsuccessful. The team best able to execute something new might have the advantage in pursuit of an Elite Eight berth.

“We’ve kind of opened the entire playbook,” Cornhuskers forward Rienk Mast said. “Throughout the season, we’ve added new sets, we’ve gone away from some things that teams scouted.

“So, yeah, just everything’s open, and we got a bunch of guys with a high basketball IQ, so that definitely helps with just having a huge amount of sets that we can go to.”

Bennett Stirtz scored 25 points, including 10 of the Hawkeyes’ final 14 points, in the triumph over Nebraska. He shot 4 of 10 and totaled 11 points in the rematch. While Stirtz, an Associated Press All-America honorable mention, is the linchpin for Iowa, the senior guard fully grasps that his influence on the game goes beyond simply scoring. His assertiveness against the Cornhuskers will be paramount.

“They obviously did a great job, and I wasn’t on my A game that game,” Stirtz said. “So unfortunately, I didn’t play well at all, but that’s a testament and credit to them. Their defense was ready to go, and I didn’t really get many looks, many clean looks at the rim or from 3.

“So it’s not a big worry because even if I don’t get any looks and lots of eyes are on me, then Cam (Manyawu) or Kael (Combs) or any of the other guys on the team will get looks. So, yeah, just trying to get everyone involved, and if I need to go score a bucket, hopefully, I can do that (Thursday).”

Three of the four South Region semifinalists represent the Big Ten. The Iowa-Nebraska winner could face third-seeded Illinois, which will take on No. 2 Houston, for a spot in the Final Four. The chore of preparing for a familiar foe would be revisited in that event.

The challenge required to advance this far for the six remaining Big Ten teams is a badge of honor.

“I think the night-in, night-out grind prepared us,” Iowa coach Ben McCollum said. “I do think sometimes it can hurt you, too. Meaning you get exposed a lot, and if you get exposed too much, eventually it can break you.

“Fortunately, we’ve got a really tough team, and so it didn’t break us when we got exposed quite often. It just sharpened us up a little bit and got us ready for the postseason.”

–Field Level Media

Filed Under: March Madness, NCAA, NCAA Basketball Tagged With: March Madness

PGA Tour: Preview of Texas Children’s/HOU Open

March 26, 2026 by PGA Tour Brunch

By TERRY LYONS, Editor: Digital Sports Desk

HOUSTON – The Texas Children’s Houston Open is being played in the spring for the third consecutive season after a four-year stint in the Fall from 2019-2022. The tournament is being hosted at Memorial Park Golf Course for the sixth consecutive time after the course underwent a renovation in 2019 led by the Astros Golf Foundation to prepare it for PGA TOUR competition.

This week’s field includes 18 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking, headlined by No. 10 Chris Gotterup. Thirty players in this week’s field are qualified for the Masters Tournament. The Top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking through the Texas Children’s Houston Open will qualify for the Masters Tournament if not already exempt.

The winners of the next two PGA TOUR events will also qualify for the Masters, if not otherwise exempt. Next week is the Valero Texas Open.

Players in the field between Nos. 40-65 in the OWGR who have not qualified for the Masters: Jake Knapp (No. 42), Nicolai Højgaard (No. 47), Pierceson Coody (No. 51), Michael Thorbjornsen (No. 56), Rickie Fowler (No. 61) and Jordan Smith (No. 65).

Should he go on to qualify, Plano, Texas native Pierceson Coody, grandson of 1971 Masters champion Charles Coody, would become the first grandson of a Masters champion to compete in the major tournament. After finishing the 2025 calendar year No. 96 in the world, Coody opened the 2026 season with four consecutive Top-20 finishes, highlighted by back-to-back Top-10s at the Farmers Insurance Open (T2) and WM Phoenix Open (T10).


Tournament Fact Sheet

THIS WEEK on the PGA Tour: Texas Children’s Houston Open

COURSE: Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas

TOURNAMENT SITE: (link)

TOURNAMENT OVERVIEW: (link)

HOUSTON OPEN PAST RESULTS: (link)

ARCHITECT: John Bredemus

YARDS/PAR: 7,475 yards/Par 70

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $9,900,000/$1,782,000

DEFENDING Champion: Min Woo Lee

FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 500


Filed Under: PGA TOUR Tagged With: Houston Open, PGA Tour

Bruins Rally for Big Win vs. Sabres

March 25, 2026 by Digital Sports Desk

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

Filed Under: Boston Sports, Bruins, NHL Tagged With: Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, NHL

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2 months ago

Welcome to Boston (on a beautiful, cold, overcast, freezing, freezing-rain meets snow flakes day). The 20th rendition of this conference is beginning as I type with the Opening remarks by conference co-founders Daryl Morey (Phil 76ers) and Jessica Gelman (Kraft Analytics). ... Here's a preview:

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MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conf '26 - Digital Sports Desk

digitalsportsdesk.com

The influx of ESPNers improved the conference make up, including everything from moderating panels to in-depth interviews conducted on stage. The influx of ESPNers improved the conference make up, inc...
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