NCAAMBKB – Men’s College Basketball – NCAA First Four
UD Arena, Dayton, OH (Seeds in superscipt)
Last Night
16 Wright State 93, 16 Bryant 82 South Region – First Four
11 Notre Dame 89, 11 Rutgers 87 – 2 OT West Region – First Four
Notre Dame 89, Rutgers 87 – 2 OT – Notre Dame beats Rutgers in double-OT to cap First Four
Paul Atkinson Jr.’s putback layup with 1.4 seconds left in the second overtime gave Notre Dame an 89-87 win over Rutgers in a wild First Four game. Ron Harper Jr. tied it with a long 3-pointer with 22 seconds left in the second OT. Notre Dame’s Blake Wesley then missed a shot before Atkinson grabbed the rebound and put back the winner. Atkinson finished with 20 points, Nate Laszewski 18 and Cormac Ryan 16 to lead the Irish who as the No. 11 seed advance to face sixth-seeded Alabama in a first-round game Friday in San Diego. Caleb McConnell had career-high 23 points and Ron Harper Jr. 22 for the Scarlet Knights.
Today (local teams)
11 Michigan vs. 6 Colorado State, 12:15 p.m. Indianapolis News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 11:45
Other games
4 Providence vs. 13 South Dakota State, 12:40 p.m. Buffalo, New York
8 Boise State vs. 9 Memphis, 1:45 p.m. Portland, Oregon
1 Baylor vs. 16 Norfolk State, 2:00 p.m. Fort Worth, Texas
3 Tennessee vs. 14 Longwood, 2:45 p.m. Indianapolis, Indiana
5 Iowa vs. 12 Richmond, 3:10 p.m. Buffalo, New York
1 Gonzaga vs. 16 Georgia State, 4:15 p.m. Portland, Oregon
8 North Carolina vs. 9 Marquette, 4:30 p.m. Fort Worth, Texas
5 UConn vs. 12 New Mexico State, 6:50 p.m. Buffalo, New York
2 Kentucky vs. 15 Saint Peter’s, 7:10 p.m. Indianapolis, Indiana
5 Saint Mary’s (CA) vs. 12 Indiana, 7:20 p.m. Portland, Oregon
8 San Diego State vs. 9 Creighton, 7:27 p.m. Fort Worth, Texas
4 Arkansas vs. 13 Vermont, 9:20 p.m. Buffalo, New York
7 Murray State vs. 10 San Francisco, 9:40 p.m. Indianapolis, Indiana
4 UCLA vs. 13 Akron, 9:50 p.m. Portland, Oregon
1 Kansas vs. 16 Texas Southern, 9:57 p.m. Fort Worth, Texas
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Utah Jazz 125, Chicago Bulls 110
Jazz 125, Bulls 110 – Mitchell scores 25 of 37 points in 3rd, Jazz beat Bulls
Donovan Mitchell scored 25 of his 37 points in the third quarter, Jordan Clarkson added 26 and the Utah Jazz beat the Chicago Bulls 125-110 on Wednesday night. Mitchell made a franchise-record seven 3-pointers in the third period on nine attempts. He broke Karl Malone’s team mark of 22 points in a quarter. Mitchell finished with nine 3-pointers, besting his previous career best of seven. Chicago’s Zach LaVine, who has been affected by a sore left knee, made five 3s and had 33 points in tying his highest scoring output in four months. DeMar DeRozan added 25 points. The Bulls have dropped seven of nine.
Tonight
Detroit Pistons at Orlando Magic, 7:00 p.m.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Detroit Red Wings at Vancouver Canucks, 10:00 p.m.
NHL – NHL trade deadline could be full of last-minute deals
The combination of jumbled standings in the Western Conference and a flat salary cap has stalled much of the trade market around the NHL. Most teams are waiting until close to the deadline Monday before making major moves. General managers say things are quiet now but expect activity to pick up this weekend. West titans Colorado and Calgary have already made substantial additions. The Avalanche and Flames might not be done dealing. Calgary acquired forward Calle Jarnkrok from Seattle on Wednesday.
MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Today
Chicago White Sox (ss) at Chicago Cubs (ss), 4:05 p.m.
Chicago Cubs (ss) at Chicago White Sox (ss), 4:05 p.m.
MLB – AP source: Cubs, Seiya Suzuki agree to $85M, 5-year deal
A person familiar with the situation says the Chicago Cubs and star Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki have agreed to an $85 million, five-year deal. The person was confirming several reports and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical. Chicago will pay an additional $14,625,000 as a posting fee to Suzuki’s club, the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Japan’s Central League. Suzuki was a five-time All-Star and Gold Glove winner over nine seasons with the Carp. He batted .317 with 38 home runs and 88 RBIs in 132 games last season.
MLB – Eduardo Rodriguez heads young Tigers’ pitching staff
Eduardo Rodríguez is the highest-paid and most experienced pitcher on the Detroit Tigers after signing a $77 million, five-year contract. Yet, manager A.J. Hinch doesn’t believe in labeling someone a No. 1 starter. Rodríguez, a 29-year-old left-hander, will start Friday’s exhibition opener and perhaps the Tigers’ opener against the Chicago White Sox on April 8. Rodríguez has 153 career starts. Casey Mize, Matt Manning and left-handers Tarik Skuba and Tyler Alexander, the four pitchers likely to join him in Detroit’s rotation have a combined 116, most of them last season.
MLB – White Sox finalize $5.5M, 2-year deal with Josh Harrison
Two-time All-Star Josh Harrison has finalized a $5.5 million, one-year contract with the Chicago White Sox. Harrison has a $4 million salary this year, and the White Sox have a $5.5 million option for 2023 with a $1.5 million buyout. The option price can escalate by up to $500,000 based on plate appearances this year: $125,000 each for 400, 450, 500 and 550. Harrison has played second base, third base, shortstop and all outfield positions over 11 seasons with Pittsburgh, Washington, Detroit and Oakland.
MLB – MLB drops regular COVID tests, can move games for health
Major League Baseball is dropping regular COVID-19 testing for all but symptomatic individuals while maintaining an ability to move games if the public health situation in an area deteriorates. MLB and the players’ association finalized their 2022 COVID-19 protocols. Restrictions such as wearing facemasks in dugouts were eased during the 2021 season when a team reached 85% vaccination among players, coaches and other staff with field and clubhouse access. Six of the 30 teams did not reach 85% last year: Arizona, Boston, the Chicago Cubs, Kansas City, the New York Mets and Seattle.
NCAAWBKB – Michigan women enter NCAA Tournament at hoops program’s peak
Kim Barnes Arico left her close-knit family in New York and New Jersey a decade ago to turn Michigan’s women’s basketball program into a consistent winner for the first time. The former St. John’s coach has pulled off the feat. She is leading Michigan to the NCAA Tournament for a fifth time. The program’s previous eight coaches combined for just four appearances in the top-tier tournament. Third-seeded Michigan plays 14th-seeded American at home on Saturday in the NCAA Tournament.
NCAA – 9 dead in Texas crash involving U. of Southwest golf teams
The Texas Department of Public Safety says nine people were killed in a head-on collision in West Texas, including six New Mexico university students and a coach returning from a golf tournament, as well as a 13-year-old boy. Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt. Steven Blanco says a pickup truck crossed the center line of a highway and crashed into a van carrying members of the University of the Southwest men’s and women’s golf teams. They had been playing in a tournament in Midland, Texas. Blanco says six students were killed, along with a faculty member. The two occupants of the pickup, including the 13-year-old, also died. Blanco says two students were taken to a hospital in critical condition.
NFL – New Chargers defender Mack happy to be reunited with Staley
Khalil Mack was watching the television show “Bel-Air” with his fiancéé and son last Thursday when he got a call from his agent that the Chicago Bears were trading him. In a strange coincidence Mack’s new team is close to the real Bel Air. Mack met with reporters on Wednesday after his trade to the Los Angeles Chargers became official with the start of the new league year. The Chargers sent a second-round pick this year and a 2023 sixth-round selection to the Bears for one of the league’s top pass rushers and a three-time All-Pro defender. Chargers coach Brandon Staley was Mack’s linebacker coach when the Bears acquired Mack from the Raiders during the 2018 preseason.
NFL – Bears sign Bengals DT Ogunjobi to 3-year contract
The Chicago Bears have added a disruptive force, signing Cincinnati Bengals stalwart defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to a three-year contract. The Bears also finalized a two-year deal with Green Bay offensive lineman Lucas Patrick and a one-year contract with Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Nicholas Morrow. Ogunjobi played an important part in Cincinnati’s big jump in his lone year with the Bengals. And he figures to play a key role as Chicago switches from a 3-4 to a 4-3 scheme. Ogunjobi set career highs with seven sacks, 16 quarterback hits and 12 tackles for loss before suffering a season-ending foot injury in the first-round playoff win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The Bengals went 10-7 and reached the Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history.
NFL – Buck, Aikman going from Fox to ESPN’s ‘Monday Night’ booth
On the first day of the new league year, one of the NFL’s top broadcasting teams is moving from Fox to ESPN. ESPN announced on Wednesday a move that has been in the works for nearly a month — Joe Buck and Troy Aikman will be broadcasting “Monday Night Football.” Buck and Aikman have been doing games together since 2002, when they became Fox’s top crew. They will tie Pat Summerall and John Madden’s record for the longest NFL booth pairing this year at 21 seasons.
AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Grand Rapids Griffins 5, Texas Stars 4 – OT
ECHL – ECHL Hockey
Yesterday
Kalamazoo Wings 3, Cincinnati Cyclones 2
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball – Regional Championships
Division 1 at Battle Creek Central
Kalamazoo Central 70, Okemos 62 – 2 OT
-Kalamazoo Central will face Grand Rapids Northview at Middleville Thornapple Kellogg on Tuesday at 7:00 in the quarterfinals
Division 2 at Three Rivers
Benton Harbor 76, Edwardsburg 58
-Benton Harbor will face Grand Rapids Catholic Central at Calvin University on Tuesday at 7:00 in the quarterfinals
Division 3 at Centreville
Schoolcraft 45, Watervliet 31
-Schoolcraft will face Pewamo-Westphalia at Kalamazoo Central on Tuesday at 7:00 in the quarterfinals
Division 4 at New Buffalo
Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian 57, New Buffalo 40
-Tri-Unity will face Adrian Lenawee Christian at Portage Northern on Tuesday at 7:00 in the quarterfinals
Today
Girls Basketball – Semifinals
Division 3 at Michigan State University
Maple-City Glen Lake vs. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep, 12:00 p.m.
Kent City vs. Madison Heights Bishop Foley, 2:00 p.m.
Division 4 at Michigan State University
Baraga vs. Fowler, 5:30 p.m.
Plymouth Christian Academy vs. Adrian Lenawee Christian, 7:30 p.m.