March 2026

There were 1,682 posts published in March 2026 (this is page 57 of 169).

Clemson women’s shining March moment wiped out because clock started late ahead of buzzer-beater

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — It was a wild celebration and a moment of March bliss for Clemson, which had not enjoyed many of those the past two decades.

Mia Moore’s running 3-pointer seemingly went through in time to lift the Tigers to a buzzer-beating win over Southern California in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

Until officials cleared the floor to look at replays and determined that the clock hadn’t started when it should have when Moore took an inbound pass and dashed up the court. The referees took away the basket and the score remained 61-all. Clemson would have to play five more minutes if it hoped to advance, and the Tigers fell 71-67 in overtime to USC.

“Initially, I thought it was good, but I guess I came up short,” Moore said.

During their review, officials took a stopwatch to the video and found that Moore’s shot and a potential foul that could have sent her to the free-throw line came after the 4.4 seconds that Clemson had to work with when it inbounded the ball.

Clemson coach Shawn Poppie thought his team had a signature March Madness win. At worst, he thought Moore would head to the foul line with almost no time left on the clock.

Instead, the ruling gave new life to USC, and Clemson, which had reached the NCAA Tournament just once since 2002 before this year, had to reset.

“Everything in their mind is, ‘We have just won the first-round game,’” said Poppie, in his second year leading the Tigers. “So for them to have an emotional, again, you just have a quick timeout to motivate them and for whatever reason, we have to go back out there.”

Clemson took a 64-61 lead halfway through the extra period on Moore’s foul shot and a basket by Rachael Rose. From there, USC star freshman Jazzy Davidson took over and lifted the Trojans into the second round.

Davidson hit two of her four 3-pointers in overtime, the first to tie the game and the second to put the Trojans ahead to stay at 67-64 with 1:03 left.

“I told her you don’t ever have to get me a gift because those shots in overtime were enough,” Davidson’s teammate Kara Dunn said with a smile.

Davidson finished with 31 points and Dunn had 22, the pair combining for more than 70% of USC’s scoring.

USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said her video manager thought Moore’s shot came too late. Still, she was trying to plan for free throws by Clemson and how to respond to a potential deficit.

“Obviously, from my end, the officials did a great job going to monitor and they counted down the time from 4.4 seconds. She didn’t get it off in time,” Gottlieb said. “If that’s accurate, then that’s what it is.”

For Poppie, it will be some time before he can stop thinking about his team’s short taste of triumph.

“It was a tough, tough day for (the) Tigers,” Poppie said. “Sad locker room in there, but nothing to hang your head on.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Astros News & Notes: Burrows, Walker, Imai, Smith, Matthews 3/21/2026

SARASOTA, FL – MARCH 04: Houston Astros shortstop Brice Matthews (0) dives back into first base to avoid being picked off against the Baltimore Orioles on March 4, 2026, at Ed Smith Stadium at Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

After he went 2×4 with a 3-run HR today, Astros manager Joe Espada said he believes Christian Walker’s bat is coming around:

Espada raved about SP Mike Burrows, who has been better than advertised this spring:

Burrows also said the ball he took off the leg is of no consequence:

Did Espada hint that OF Zach Cole may need some more seasoning in Triple-A?

Cam Smith has made some adjustments to improve at the plate, both physically and mentally:

The Astros have decided to open the season in a 5 man rotation:

This may indicate that Tatsuya Imai will open up as the 3rd starter in the order based on the Astros schedule and off days. It will also lead to bullpen decisions that will likely include multiple relievers who can go multiple innings.

SS Jeremy Pena has swung a bat 2 days in a row as he tries to be ready for Opening Day:

Could Brice Matthews make the team as an outfielder?

Fight breaks out in Thunder vs. Wizards, four players ejected

This started with a lot of posturing and pushing, like almost every NBA “fight.” But, at the risk of sounding like a meme, that escalated quickly. I mean, that really got out of hand fast!

It started after a Wizards’ bucket. Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams had the ball and tried to move through Justin Champagnie to get to the baseline to inbound the ball, the two went chest-to-chest and began shoving each other under the basket. Then Ajay Mitchell took everything to the next level.

Following an extended review by the officials, Champagnie, Williams, Mitchell and Cason Wallace of the Thunder were ejected. There will be fines to follow.

The Thunder went on to win their 11th straight game, 132-111, behind 40 from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Kentucky’s versatile defensive weapon has Iowa State, T.J. Otzelberger’s attention

ST. LOUIS — Saturday’s pregame conversation, ahead of Iowa State’s round of 32 meeting with Kentucky, focused on the potential absence of one of college basketball’s most important defenders.

T.J. Otzelberger will concern himself just as much with one guaranteed to be on the Enterprise Center floor Sunday.

Otzelberger and his staff know it’s unlikely Joshua Jefferson, pound for pound as important of a two-way player as any in the country, will be able to play through an ankle injury suffered when the Cyclones advanced past Tennessee State on Sunday. His absence would make Iowa State’s March climb tangibly steeper.

CINDERELLA’S TIME: Ranking the most likely upsets in the second round

Yet with the Wildcats now in view, Otzelberger also knows there’s more to contend with than a healing timeline he can’t control. Which is why he spent time Saturday worrying about Brandon Garrison.

“He poses,” Otzelberger said, “a huge challenge.”

Kentucky’s versatile defensive weapon

The No. 2-seeded Cyclones will remember Garrison from his year in the Big 12 at Oklahoma State.

Originally from Oklahoma City, Garrison transferred to Kentucky ahead of the 2024-25 campaign and has appeared in 70 games for the Wildcats since.

At 6-10, 245 pounds, he casts an imposing defensive presence because of his positional versatility, which was on full display during Kentucky’s opening-round overtime win over Santa Clara.

It was during one of the Wildcats’ late huddles that Garrison asked to start switching the pick-and-pop actions Santa Clara had been so successful with. “Let me switch to the guard,” he said. “I’ll cover him.”

Coach Mark Pope gave Garrison the go-ahead, and Garrison repaid that faith by blocking a pair of potentially critical 3-pointers in the game’s final minutes, as Kentucky sealed its dramatic win.

“You have to be brave to speak up as a player,” Pope said. “You have to be really invested, right? You’ve got to be locked in, and you have to be really brave to do it. And then over time, you earn credibility from your teammates to be listened to.”

Pope acknowledged Garrison — like his team — has endured his share of ups and downs this season. But Garrison traded on that equity Friday, then delivered when the Wildcats needed him most.

Otega Oweh’s heroics took top billing, and understandably so. But without Garrison, Kentucky’s path to Sunday’s second-round challenge looks much more difficult.

“He did a terrific job yesterday,” Otzelberger said. “It completely changed the course of the game, his ability to switch and impact plays.”

Contending with the threat of Brandon Garrison

For Iowa State — so modern, so active, so adept at spreading the floor and exploiting screen actions for good shots — a player like Garrison is as dangerous in theory as he is in person.

There’s no doubting the value and ability of the junior forward. To get his players’ attention, Otzelberger needs only to pull up film of Garrison blocking Sash Gavalyugov’s ill-fated 3s on Saturday.

But just as challenging is what a player like Garrison inspires in an opponent, and an offense built around seeking exactly the kinds of shots Garrison affects:

Doubt.

“Oftentimes when a big gets switched onto a guard, the guard thinks it’s time to attack off the bounce or create space, isolate and be able to get to his shot,” Otzelberger said. “With Brandon, he has such great discipline defensively. Not only does he use his length to his benefit, but you always have in the back of your mind, do you really want to drive him to the rim and challenge him?

“There’s a psychological thing that happens there —  ‘Alright, he could block my shot on the perimeter or the rim, and he’s still got the mobility and agility to contain the bounce.’”

On this stage, when there is so much talent and so much pressure, and so little margin for error, even a moment’s hesitation becomes the entire difference between success and failure. What Garrison does matters, but what he can do matters more.

In a game like this, the idea of Brandon Garrison is as powerful as the player himself.

Which is why, on Sunday, when the world is asking whether Jefferson can go or not go, and how it affects Iowa State or doesn’t, there will be at least a small space reserved in the back of Otzelberger’s mind for Kentucky’s No. 10.

“It’s a veteran guy,” he said, “who’s been in the fights before, who cares about his team winning and stepping up on the biggest stage.”

Limiting him on that stage is a crucial step in Iowa State’s journey to the second weekend.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kentucky upset of Iowa State could come down to Brandon Garrison

Four players ejected after altercation in Thunder win vs. Wizards

Things got heated in the game between Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizards as four players were ejected from the contest following an altercation just before the end of the first half.

Wizards forward Anthony Gill made a floating hook shot over Thunder center Chet Holmgren with 27 seconds left in the second quarter as Oklahoma City led 68-63.

After the made field goal, Thunder forward Jaylin Williams attempted to take the ball out and put it back in play, but his path was impeded by Justin Champagnie.

Williams delivered two shoulder bumps as the ball went through the net. Champagnie took exception and shoved Williams. The two exchanged words before an official stepped between them, as teammates rushed over.

Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell approached Champagnie and seemingly said something to him. Champagnie reacted with a push and slap to Mitchell’s face.

Mitchell went stumbling into cameramen on the baseline in an attempt to go after Champagnie.

Mitchell knocked out one camera’s feed as multiple players on both teams followed their teammates into the fray.

Champagnie was the only Wizards player ejected. Three Thunder players were ejected: Mitchell, Williams and Cason Wallace.

The Thunder won the game, 132-111, to improve to 56-15. The Wizards fell to 16-54.

Game leaders include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 40 points for Oklahoma City. Holmgren notched a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds, also adding two blocks. Isaiah Hartenstein nearly had a triple-double with nine points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists. Mitchell scored 14 points before his ejection.

Washington was led by Bilal Coulibaly with 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Four players ejected in Thunder win vs. Wizards

Favorites keep winning, but number of perfect March Madness brackets keeps getting smaller

The pursuit of the perfect NCAA Tournament bracket continues, but for far fewer people than when Saturday’s second-round games tipped off.

By Saturday evening, after wins by top seeds Duke and Michigan and third-seeded Michigan State, the number of unblemished entries had dropped to 105 in ESPN’s bracket challenge and 133 in the NCAA’s contest. There were more than 25 million entries in each.

Favorites went 16-0 on Friday, and they started 3-0 on Saturday. Duke, picked to win the national championship by 23% of ESPN contestants, dominated No. 9 seed TCU in the second half and won 81-58. Michigan, the third-most popular choice to win the title, dispatched No. 9 seed Saint Louis 95-72. Michigan State beat sixth-seeded Louisville 77-69.

There was also a sharp drop-off in perfect brackets in the women’s tournament Saturday. The day started with 675,000 in the ESPN contest. After 10 games, there were 2,800 left. Two lower seeds won, with No. 10 seed Virginia knocking out No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73 and No. 9 seed Southern California beating No. 8 seed Clemson 71-67. Many more brackets would have been in a shambles had 15th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson, which was in a one-possession game with No. 2 seed Iowa midway through the fourth quarter, been able to pull an upset. Iowa won 58-48.

The odds of going 63-0 in a bracket contest are somewhere between one in 9.2 quintillion (for totally random guesses) or one in 120 billion (semi-educated ones).

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

We Have A Tie: A’s, Dodgers Share Win/Loss in 5-5 Saturday matchup

SURPRISE, ARIZONA – MARCH 12: Leo de Vries #83 of the Athletics bats against the Texas Rangers during the second inning of the spring training game at Surprise Stadium on March 12, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Enjoy these short games while they last, because this one could have gone on for hours. The A’s and Dodgers ended their Saturday afternoon contest in a tie, finishing the game after nine innings of work and tying 5-5 uner the hot sun. Who wanted those extra innings anyway?

More to come…

Mariners Spring Training Game #28: Open Game Thread

PEORIA, ARIZONA – FEBRUARY 24, 2026: George Kirby #68 of the Seattle Mariners throws a pitch during the first inning of a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by David Durochik/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images

We are down to the closest representations of real regular season baseball that Spring Training has to offer. In a televised night game, Seattle is running out a largely-accurate lineup for their big league club, with their starters likely to go as long as possible and George Kirby making his final tune-up start before the season begins.

Seattle gets to face a batch of big leaguers, but decidedly the B-team for the Cubbies. On the hill at least will be Colin Rea, a starter for Chicago’s main rotation who should provide a proper test against the M’s top lineup.

Roster Moves:

The Mariners optioned OF Rhylan Thomas to Triple-A Tacoma formally before today’s game, and functionally did the same with INF Colt Emerson. The latter move is at least a minor surprise, with J.P. Crawford still not entirely shipshape. Seattle had the option to see Emerson showcase his position while Crawford returned to health. Instead, Cole Young will get additional play, with the club’s approach seeming to be that of Young for shortstop, and a possible Ryan Bliss/Leo Rivas/Miles Mastrobuoni combination to take 2B reps until Crawford can return.

First Pitch: 6:10 pm PDT (sorry!)

TV: Mariners.TV or MLB.tv

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, MLB.com

Spring Breakout: San Diego Padres Prospects at Chicago Cubs Prospects

GOODYEAR, ARIZONA – MARCH 7: Ethan Salas #90 of the San Diego Padres stands on deck during a Spring Training game against the Cleveland Guardians at Goodyear Ballpark on March 7, 2026 in Goodyear, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images

San Diego Padres Prospects at Chicago Cubs Prospects, March 21, 2026, 6:05 p.m. PST

Watch: Padres.TV

Location: Sloan Park – Mesa, AZ

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

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LeBron James breaks Robert Parish’s record, becomes NBA’s all-time games played leader

No player in NBA history has played in more games than LeBron James. Or scored more points. Or made more All-Star teams. We could go on.

The Los Angeles Lakers star broke his latest record on Saturday simply by stepping foot on the court for his team’s game against the Orlando Magic. It was the 1,612th appearance of his career, breaking a tie with Boston Celtics great Robert Parish atop the NBA leaderboard.

James was already the record-holder when factoring in his 292 playoff appearances, which bring his total up to 1,904 games.

Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season

The games played record is hardly James’ most prestigious, but it is a testament to the longevity that has allowed him to continue performing at an All-Star level at age 41. He arrived in the NBA in 2003 at 18 years old and has performed at a standout level ever since while never missing more than half a season due to injury.

Entering Saturday, James was already the NBA’s all-time leader in points (43,229), field goals (15,884), All-Star selections (22), All-NBA selections (13 first-team and 21 total), seasons played (23), playoff games (292) and, to be fair, turnovers (5,620). He’s also fourth on the assists list, sixth on the steals list and fifth on the triple-doubles list.

James’ place in history is obviously secure. The question now is how many games he has left in him. There is rampant speculation about what he’ll do this offseason, with his choices including retirement, a return to the Lakers or perhaps a reunion with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

This season has seen James post some of the lowest numbers of his career and miss more than a few games to injury, including a 14-game stretch to open the season due to sciatica. He has already ended his All-Star starting streak, his All-NBA streak and his 10-point streak, all unprecedented in league history.