No. 6 seed Tennessee is head back to the Sweet 16 for the fourth year in a row following a 79-72 win over No. 3 Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

But do the Cavaliers have a legitimate gripe about a late call that didn’t go their way?

March Madness scores: A buzzer-beater, highlights, more Round 2 updates

With 27 seconds left, and the Volunteers leading 73-71, Virginia missed a short shot, and in the scrum for the rebound the ball was spiked by Tennessee’s Nate Ament and bounced off some bodies before going out of bounds.

The officials gave the ball to Tennessee, which drew a coach’s challenge from UVA coach Ryan Odom after replays seemed to suggest the ball was spiked off Vols guard Bishop Boswell’s head and then out of bounds without a Virginia player touching it. UVA’s Dallin Hall was close to the ball, but pulled his hands away and didn’t seem to make contact with the ball, as it didn’t change directions.

However, the refs stuck with the original call and gave Tennessee the ball. UT’s Ja’Kobi Gillespie would add free throws, and down two possessions, the arithmetic changed and the game was ultimately affected.

Did the refs make right call in Tennessee-Virginia game? Take a look and decide for yourself:

After a challenge by UVA, the call remains Tennessee ball. pic.twitter.com/zPquRrmxrt

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 23, 2026

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Controversial late call in Tennessee-Virginia game helps Vols reach Sweet 16

In one of the final games of the first week of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, some sparks flew — and, by the looks of it, a balled-up fist.

With about nine minutes remaining in the first half of No. 9 seed Iowa’s game against No. 1 seed and reigning national champion Florida, Hawkeyes forward Alvaro Folgueiras collected a rebound off an Alex Condon miss, but Condon reached in, leading to a tie-up.

Shortly after a referee blew the whistle, signaling a held ball and the end of the play, Condon continued to pull at the ball and dragged Folgueiras to the court.

REQUIRED READING: March Madness? More like March Blandness in as NCAA Tournament has too much chalk

After the play, Iowa and Florida players rushed to the scene, with the two sides eventually separated. A replay on the TBS broadcast showed Folgueiras balling up his fist and throwing it in Condon’s direction, though it appeared that it was Folgueiras’ forearm, not his fist, that made contact with Condon’s chest, with the motion of his arm going in the direction of the tie ball.

Tensions are high in Tampa.

Iowa & Florida had to be separated after this play. pic.twitter.com/KVgBT9Bs3M

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 22, 2026

The TBS announcers working the game initially speculated that Folgueiras, a Robert Morris transfer in his first season at Iowa, might receive a flagrant-2 foul and an automatic ejection, but upon video review, referees determined that it was a double technical foul.

Florida coach Todd Golden was incensed at the call, arguing with the officials after it was made. Following the altercation between Folgueiras and Condon, Golden was also seen shouting in the direction of the Iowa bench and first-year Hawkeyes coach Ben McCollum.

Florida head coach Todd Golden just unleashed on the Iowa bench and Ben McCollum was not having it pic.twitter.com/UymMOz6mds

— Sean Bock (@SBock247) March 22, 2026

SCENES IN TAMPA BAY—

TODD GOLDEN AND BEN MCCOLLUM EXCHANGING WORDS pic.twitter.com/mAKOCXySHI

— Robbie Lastella (@RLastellaReport) March 22, 2026

“I don’t know, they were just going for the ball, and then everybody got all sensitive,” McCollum said to TBS in a sideline interview at the next timeout. “Their people got sensitive. It’s like, you’re trying to play ball. It’s whatever. We’ll compete. We’ll fight. We’ll see what happens.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras, Florida’s Alex Condon get in tussle in March Madness game

It’s the penultimate night in Peoria, er, Glendale.

Bryan Woo will get the ball in the Mariners’ next to last game of Spring Training. The next time we see him, it’ll count for real. Catching Woo today is newly appointed backup catcher Mitch Garver. The rest of the Mariners lineup is not quite what they’ll send out on Opening Day lineup, but still a group of players who will feature throughout the season.

Also expected to pitch today: Andrés Muñoz, Jhonathan Díaz, Jose Ferrer, Casey Legumina, and Cooper Criswell.

First Pitch: 6:05 pm PDT

TV: None

Radio: 710 AM Seattle Sports, MLB.com

Four, that’s right, four days to go until the games start meaning to mean! Until then, we’ll have to sate ourselves with whatever kind of scrap of news this is.

Uh, alright? Nothing wrong with a little catching depth, I suppose? Korey Lee doesn’t have any options remaining and has had a productive spring, so he’s been a lock to make the roster the moment Kyle Teel pulled up limping in the World Baseball Classic. The whole “$1.2 million” thing there, though, indicates that McGuire has a real possibility of making the roster, if it’s not already foregone. This, to me, is strange, because while I’m interested to see whether Lee’s offseason hitting work has paid off, he doesn’t need to be in the lineup almost every day like both Teel and Edgar Quero do. That would make a third catcher on the roster redundant, so I’m curious to see what it all means.

Anyhow, not a ton interesting about the lineup the Sox are running out against Seattle tonight, but the battle between Tristan Peters, Everson Pereira, and Derek Hill rages on for what may now be two open outfield spots, with Brooks Baldwin out of the picture for the opener on Thursday. It’ll also be the last time Camelback Ranch sees White Sox game action until 2027, as they’ll be on the road for their final outing of the spring season tomorrow.

Sean Burke takes the ball for one final tune-up start before they really start to count, hoping to end with a flourish to offset what to this point has been a somewhat wobbly spring. He did look solid his last time out, nearly making it through five innings against Texas last Monday while surrendering just a single run. He’s on pace to get the nod for game two of the regular season against Milwaukee, on Saturday.

Opposite Burke, Sox hitters will get a look at Seattle’s burgeoning ace in Bryan Woo, who surely wants to come into the regular season hot after injuries kept him out of the 2025 postseason rotation despite a Cy Young-caliber campaign. Outside of Woo, most of Seattle’s big names are getting the night off, as Cal Raleigh dons the tools of ignorance by his lonesome without any of Julio Rodríguez, Randy Arozarena or Josh Naylor buffering him in the lineup.

This one is scheduled to tip off at 8:05 p.m. CT, and for the first time this year, I’ll actually be able to watch a game I’m recapping, as the CHSN TV crew will be on the call like usual. Hallelujah!

Arizona Diamondbacks at San Diego Padres, March 22, 2026, 6:10 p.m. PST

Watch: None

Location: Peoria Sports Complex – Peoria, AZ

Listen: 97.3 The Fan

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
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GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

An NCAA tournament that’s been largely predictable near the end of the first weekend got some much-needed madness Sunday in one of the most anticipated games of the day.

After surrendering a late 13-point lead, Rick Pitino and St. John’s escaped with a 67-65 victory against Kansas in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament thanks to some heroics from one of its less-heralded starters.

REQUIRED READING: St. John’s vs Kansas live updates: Red Storm wins on buzzer-beater, headed to Sweet 16

With the score tied at 65 with 3.9 seconds remaining, Red Storm guard Dylan Darling received the inbounds pass near midcourt and drove to the basket, getting by his defender and making a contested layup as time expired to give his team an anxiety-inducing win.

DYLAN DARLING GAME WINNER OMG 🚨

ST. JOHN’S ADVANCES TO THE SWEET 16 🤯 pic.twitter.com/cgtCSgKHe5

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 22, 2026

The shot sent St. John’s to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999. There, it will take on No. 1 overall seed Duke.

The Red Storm largely controlled the game against the Jayhawks and potential No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson, leading for 93% of the contest and going up by as many as 14 in the second half. Until Darling’s layup, though, they had been outscored 20-7 in the final 6:29 of regulation.

The basket gave Darling his only points of the day on his only attempt from inside the 3-point arc of the afternoon. The 6-foot-1 junior had missed each of his previous four attempts from the field, all of which came from 3. He contributed in other ways, though, finishing with a team-high four assists and two steals.

And now, thanks to one determined drive to the bucket, he’ll live forever in St. John’s basketball lore.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: St. John’s buzzer-beater vs Kansas sends Red Storm to first Sweet 16 since 1999

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Alabama has a chance to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in nearly 30 years when they face Louisville in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday.

The Crimson Tide haven’t made it that far since 1998.

“We have a program that every sport is good,” senior Jessica Timmons said Sunday. “We want this time to be for women’s basketball, and I think this will be proven this year.”

Getting there means sixth-seeded Alabama (24-10) must beat Louisville (28-7), a team that nearly took down South Carolina in December. The Cardinals have all 12 Sweet 16 berths under coach Jeff Walz as one of six programs to reach the regional semifinals at least 10 times since 2011.

Coach Kristy Curry said the Crimson Tide must “be Bama.” That means win the rebounding battle limiting second-chance looks and avoiding turnovers leading to fast breaks.

Alabama played against its tendencies in beating Rhode Island 68-55 in the first round. The Crimson Tide attempted a season-low 10 3-pointers but had their best overall shooting performance in a month at 53.2% (25-for-47).

Walz isn’t changing his game plan against Alabama, which beat three AP Top 25 teams this season.

“You’ve just got to do the best you can to play one-on-one defense, try to keep them in front of you, and make them score over you,” Walz said. “Rhode Island was really trying to turn the heat up some, which was, I think, making Alabama drive more, and they did a great job of finishing.”

The relatively few 3-pointers weren’t the only difference for Alabama in its win. Junior Essence Cody scored 19 points in the first round making a trio of 3s.

Laura Ziegler said the third-seeded Cardinals will respect the 6-foot-4 post player’s perimeter abilities but not overthink things. Cody averages 11.7 points a game for second making more than 60% of her inside shots this season.

“I think whenever you go into a game like that, you also look at what would be the most dangerous, like, what are you expecting?” Ziegler said. “You see a little bit over more games than just that one.”

The 6-2 Ziegler has been a key leader for Louisville, transferring to the Cardinals after three seasons with St. Joseph’s. A three-time All-Atlantic Conference 10 honoree, she became Walz’s floor leader earning All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors on a team with several talented sophomores.

Ziegler is one of three Cardinals averaging more than 11 points a game. Tajianna Roberts called her Danish teammate “a pressure release” on the court, helping get the ball up the court.

“But off the court she has taught me to be a leader in so many different ways,” said Roberts, the sophomore guard and Louisville’s leading scorer with 11.4 points a game. “I don’t know if she knows it, but I’m going to take what she has taught me to next year.”

Hey there!

The Cardinals easily beat Vermont in the first round with sophomore Mackenly Randolph scored a career-high 20 to lead the third-seeded Cardinals and matched her career-high with 11 rebounds.

The 6-foot forward has four career double-doubles, all in the Cardinals’ last five games. Walz called her style of play as “bully ball,” with Curry describing the daughter of 17-year NBA star Zach Randolph as a “match-up nightmare,” especially on transition.

“She infuses them with the energy and just brings a lot of toughness and grit,” Curry said. “I think they’re really good around her. I mean, obviously, their versatility and depth as a team is what their size really impresses me… We’ve seen this type of size consistently. We need to draw from our experiences of competing in the SEC.”

On the line

The winner gets a trip to Fort Worth 3 Region for a game Saturday against second-seeded Michigan, a 92-63 winner over North Carolina State on Sunday.

___

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

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Amaya Battle drove toward the lane before dribbling back for more space along the baseline to launch the shot she — and everyone else who has ever picked up a basketball — has long daydreamed about.

First came the swish, immediately followed by the joyful screams.

Then after watching Mississippi’s attempt at a winner hit the front of the rim and fall short, Minnesota unleashed a celebration of the program’s first trip to the Sweet 16 in 21 years with a 65-63 victory in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday.

“I think any basketball player, when you shoot on your own, you’re like, ‘OK, three, two, one,’ throw it up there and see what happens,” said Battle, who had 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. “It was real life today.”

The women’s tournament has otherwise been lacking in upsets and buzzer-beaters, particularly since Clemson’s apparent 3-pointer at the end of regulation in the first round on Saturday didn’t count because of a clock operation error in an eventual overtime loss to Southern California.

Battle, the sister of NBA player Jamison Battle, delivered that shining moment for the highlight reels in her final game at Williams Arena. This was the first game of the tournament decided by fewer than three points, with the homecourt advantage that Minnesota made sure to secure well in advance — on the hunch this team could earn a top-16 seed — coming through loud and clear.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” coach Dawn Plitzuweit said.

The No. 4 seed Gophers (24-8), who had a crowd of 10,763 on their side, were more than happy to have their senior point guard on a team with plenty of capable shooters take the crucial final shot.

“We practice it almost every day before every game, so it’s nothing really new. She hits those shots every day in practice over our scout guys,” said Mara Braun, who led the Gophers with 17 points. “Everyone I think knew that it was in.”

Battle landed on her back after the follow-through, sat straight up and hoisted both arms straight up in the air to signal the make as her teammates swarmed her in the corner in front of the bench.

“That’s out of a Disney movie,” Mississippi coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said.

Not lost in the shuffle of the epic ending was the charge Battle drew on Cotie McMahon with 4:22 left that fouled out the Mississippi star with 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting from the floor.

“That was our best defense, not having her on the court, very honestly,” Plitzuweit said.

Said Battle: “She got a ton of buckets out of me, on us, and it was because she was powering through. I was like, ‘All right, I’m just going to try to fall and see what happens,’ and it worked out.”

McMahon, who won the Southeastern Conference newcomer of the year award after transferring from Ohio State and is widely expected to be a first-round draft pick in the WNBA draft next month, picked up her second foul early in the first quarter and was limited to 21 minutes in the game.

“I was dealt the cards that I was dealt. I just handled it and still tried to make the right plays for my team,” McMahon said.

McPhee-McCuin was a little less diplomatic, expressing her dismay with the officiating on McMahon.

“I just haven’t seen the best players get fouled out,” McPhee-McCuin said. “From my point of view, the last call was incorrect. We watched it 1,500 times. One of the things I do understand is that officials are human and environments create them to officiate in a particular type of way. I don’t think that’s why we lost the game. I just know that Cotie is our leading scorer, newcomer of the year, all of the things, and she plays 20 minutes, and it’s disappointing. These fans deserved more than that. The game deserves more than that.”

___

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

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Steve Alker won the Cologuard Classic with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff for the second straight year, beating Padraig Harrington with a 4-footer Sunday in mid-90 degree heat.

Last year at La Paloma, Alker beat Long Island club pro Jason Caron with a 12-foot putt on the first extra hole.

Alker won for the 11th time in 100 career starts on the PGA Tour Champions. The 54-year-old New Zealander was nine strokes back after opening with an even-par 71, then shot a 62 on Saturday to pull within two.

“I just made some simple mistakes the first round,” Alker said. “A couple three-putts and missed the odd green here and there, and it was kind of silly stuff. I tidied that up. I knew my game was in good shape.”

Alker closed with a 65 to post at 15-under 198. Harrington, playing behind Alker in the final group, hit his approach long and bogeyed the par-4 18th — missing a 10-foot comebacker.

Both players found the left side of the fairway on the 18th in the playoff, Harrington with a driving iron. The Irishman hit to the back of the green from 146 yards, leaving a 30-foot downhill putt that slid by on the right. Alker hit a gap wedge from 135 yards to set up the winning putt.

“Ultimately it all worked out,” Alker said. “One hundredth start, really special. I had no idea. It’s just gone so quickly, I’m having so much fun out here. To win here again is pretty special.”

Zach Johnson closed with a 67 to tie for third at 13 under in his second start on the 50-and-over tour. He won two weeks ago in Florida in his senior debut.

Tommy Gainey also was 13 under after a 68, Thongchai Jaidee (70) was 12 under. Sixty-eight-year-old Bernhard Langer (70) was another shot back with K.J. Choi (67), Thomas Bjorn (67) and Stewart Cink (67).

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf