WASHINGTON (AP) — Braylon Mullins sank a desperation 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to give UConn an astonishing 73-72 victory over top-seeded Duke, earning the Huskies a spot in the Final Four after they rallied from a 19-point first-half deficit. The Blue Devils led by three before UConn’s Silas Demary Jr. made one of two free throws with 10 seconds left. With Duke playing keep-away to prevent the Huskies from fouling, Cayden Boozer’s pass near midcourt was deflected, and after UConn came up with the ball, Mullins made a shot from well behind the 3-point line. It’s the second straight season to end in a huge collapse for Duke, which was the top overall seed in this year’s tournament.
The Final Four is set. Illinois will face UConn and Michigan will take on Arizona next Saturday, with the winners squaring off two nights later for the national title. The Arizona-Michigan game is a matchup of top seeds. UConn, after a 19-point comeback for a 73-72 win over Duke, is seeded second and will play No. 3 seed Illinois. Arizona is the early favorite to take the title next Monday night in Indianapolis, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, followed closely by Michigan. The Huskies beat Duke with a 3-pointer from the logo with 0.4 seconds left by Braylon Mullins, who grew up just outside of Indianapolis.
HOUSTON (AP) — Gary Woodland is a winner again just 30 months after brain surgery. Woodland produced a moment as big as his U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach when he won the Houston Open. He led by as many as seven shots and shot 67 to win by four. Woodland had surgery in September 2023 to remove a lesion on a part of the brain that caused unfounded fears of dying. And then two weeks ago he chose to go public with his harrowing struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder in an emotional Golf Channel interview. The win gets him in the Masters.
PHOENIX (AP) — The NFL is moving forward with plans to begin hiring and training replacement officials in the next several weeks because negotiations with the referees’ union have been unsuccessful, two people with knowledge of the discussions told The Associated Press. Both people spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because the conversations are private. The league and the NFL Referees Association have been negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement since the summer of 2024. The current CBA expires on May 31. The NFL has increased its offer to a 6.45% annual growth rate in compensation over a six-year labor deal, but the NFLRA wants 10% plus $2.5 million for marketing fees, the people said.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Bruce Cassidy is out as coach of the Vegas Golden Knights, who fired him Sunday and replaced him with John Tortorella. General manager Kelly McCrimmon announced the move a day after the team lost three in a row and six of its past seven games. Tortorella joins Vegas for his 24th NHL season as a head coach. He was not in the league this year and was an assistant for the U.S. at the Milan Cortina Olympics when it won gold. He coached Tampa Bay to the Stanley Cup in 2004. Cassidy led the Golden Knights to the Cup in 2023 and was fired less than three years later.
NEW YORK (AP) — St. John’s says Hall of Fame basketball coach Rick Pitino has signed a new agreement that will keep him under contract with the school through the end of this decade. Pitino was hired in March 2023 and given a six-year contract through 2029. Several outlets, citing anonymous sources, reported Sunday his restructured deal includes an additional year through the 2029-30 season and a raise that will make him the second-highest paid coach in the Big East behind Dan Hurley at UConn. In three seasons with the Red Storm, the 73-year-old Pitino has led a remarkable resurgence, coaching the Johnnies to consecutive Big East regular-season and tournament championships. St. John’s reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament this year for the first time since 1999.
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — Jannik Sinner rolled to a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Jiri Lehecka to capture the Miami Open title and complete the “Sunshine Double’’ a day after Aryna Sabalenka accomplished the same feat in a win over Coco Gauff. The last male player to complete the double — winning Indian Wells followed by Miami in the same season — was Roger Federer in 2017. Sinner became the first male to do so without dropping a set in either tournament on Sunday. The second-seeded Sinner didn’t let either of the two 90-minute rain delays slow him. He notched 10 aces in the final, and 70 in the tournament.
CHICAGO (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg scored 27 points, Elliot Cadeau had 10 assists and Michigan rolled into the Final Four by overwhelming Tennessee for a 95-62 victory in the NCAA Tournament. Morez Johnson Jr. added 12 points as top-seeded Michigan posted its 11th victory this season by at least 30 points. Aday Mara had 11 points and blocked two shots in the Midwest Region final. Making the most of its size and athleticism on both sides of the court, Michigan advanced to the Final Four for the first time since 2018 and ninth time overall. Next up is a national semifinal against Arizona on Saturday.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Geno Auriemma and defending national champion UConn are going to their 25th Final Four in the women's NCAA Tournament. All-America forward Sarah Strong scored 21 points and Blanca Quiñonez added 20 for the 38-0 Huskies in a 70-52 win over Notre Dame on Sunday in the Fort Worth Regional 1 final. UConn has won 54 games in a row, and is going for its 13th national championship. Azzi Fudd, UConn’s other first-team AP All-America pick, had 13 points. Hannah Hidalgo had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the 25-11 Fighting Irish.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Lauren Betts had 23 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks to help UCLA rally from a rare halftime deficit and beat Duke 70-58, advancing to the women’s Final Four for the second straight season. The top-seeded Bruins will play either Texas or Michigan in Phoenix on Friday in the national semifinals. UCLA is two wins away from the program’s first NCAA title. Third-seeded Duke tested UCLA like few teams had done this season. Taina Mair scored 21 points to lead Duke, which also lost in a regional final last year.
Finals
INTERLEAGUE
Final Kansas City 4 Atlanta 1
Final Texas 8 Philadelphia 3
Final Cincinnati 3 Boston 2
Final Tampa Bay 11 St. Louis 7
Final Milwaukee 9 Chicago White Sox 7
AMERICAN LEAGUE
Final Toronto 5 Athletics 2
Final Baltimore 8 Minnesota 6
Final Houston 9 L.A. Angels 7
Final Seattle 8 Cleveland 0
NATIONAL LEAGUE
Final Miami 4 Colorado 3
Final Pittsburgh 4 N.Y. Mets 3
Final Washington 6 Chicago Cubs 3
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final N-Y Rangers 3 Florida 1
Final Montreal 3 Carolina 1
Final Tampa Bay 3 Nashville 2
Final SO Boston 4 Columbus 3
Final New Jersey 5 Chicago 3
Final OT Philadelphia 2 Dallas 1
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (7)UConn 73 (1)Duke 72
Final (3)Michigan 95 (23)Tennessee 62