LOS ANGELES (AP) — JuJu Watkins had 28 points, 11 rebounds and five assists and top-seeded Southern California beat Kansas 73-55 to reach the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA Tournament. McKenzie Forbes hit a career-high six 3-pointers and scored 20 points for the Trojans. They will face fifth-seeded Baylor in the Portland Region 3 in Oregon. Kansas was led by freshman S'Mya Nichols with 22 points. The Jayhawks fell to 0-6 all-time when facing a No. 1 seed in the tournament. Taiyanna Jackson added 10 points and 18 rebounds for the Jayhawks.
UNDATED (AP) — March Madness arrived with visions of chaos. The only surprise so far has been the lack of pandemonium. The top two seeds from each region are still alive. One double-digit seed will join them in the Sweet 16. Top seeds UConn, North Carolina, Houston and Purdue advanced. So did No. 2 seeds Arizona, Tennessee, Marquette and Iowa State also advanced. It is just the fifth time that has happened since the start of seeding in 1979.
UNDATED (AP) — Reigning national champion Connecticut has rolled through the regular season, the Big East Tournament and now two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Huskies entered March Madness with top-tier efficiency ratings on both sides of the ball from KenPom. Those figures align with profiles of past champions and Final Four teams. The Huskies are one of seven teams in the top 25 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. That applies to 15 of the last 22 NCAA champions going back to 2001. The list includes fellow No. 1 seeds Houston, Purdue and North Carolina. There's also a strong candidate in second-seeded Arizona.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Three contestants in the ESPN Tournament Challenge went through the first two rounds of women’s NCAA Tournament without any misses. Those were the only ones of 3.25 million brackets to accomplish that feat through Monday night’s action. The tournament resumes Friday with the Sweet 16. There are 16 winless ESPN brackets that will stay that way the rest of the tournament. Just .0003% were perfect on CBS’ site through Sunday. There was no update Monday. CBS does not release totals.
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA Tournament could be heading toward expansion. The tournament field is currently set at 68. That number could bump up to 72 or 76 schools in the coming years. There are several factors at play, including how to divide up the increased number of at-large bids in an expanded field. There's a concern that expansion would lean heavily toward awarding teams from power conferences and not deserving schools from mid-major conferences. Oakland coach Greg Kampe says he's OK with the tournament growing provided it doesn't turn its back on small schools that he believes help make the tournament special.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani says he never bet on sports and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara stole money from him and told lies. Ohtani held a news conference at Dodger Stadium, five days after Mizuhara was fired by the Dodgers following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well over $1 million. Ohtani spoke for nearly 12 minutes, referring to a document in front of him. He did not take questions.
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Trea Turner’s speed and instincts helped him go perfect on the bases. The Philadelphia Phillies’ star shortstop set a major league record for most steals in a season without getting caught, going 30-for-30 on the basepaths last year. He wasn’t the only player who had a lot of success. Thanks to several rules changes, runners swiped bags more proficiently and stolen bases across the majors increased 41% from 2,486 in 2022 to 3,503 in 2023. That was the most in a season since 1987. Overall, basestealers had a success rate of 80.2%, up from 75.4% in 2022. Turner is one of only six players in MLB history to steal at least 20 bases in a season at a 100% rate.
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The NFL is eliminating the hip-drop tackle. NFL team owners on Monday unanimously approved a rule that bans players from using a swivel technique to tackle an opponent. A violation will result in a 15-yard penalty and could ultimately result in fines for players. NFL executive Jeff Miller said the hip-drop tackle was used 230 times last season and resulted in 15 players missing time with injuries. The NFL Players Association has opposed the rule.
TUESDAY SCORES
MEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
CIT Round 3
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