DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Kansas’ best two players were neutralized for long stretches, its point guard played on a sprained ankle in the second half, and the Jayhawks once again were without their Hall of Fame coach, Bill Self. It was all too much to overcome for a No. 1 seed desperately trying to keep alive its bid for a second straight national championship. The Jayhawks’ 72-71 loss to No. 8 seed Arkansas marked the third time in four NCAA Tournaments they have failed to make it out of the first weekend. Kansas will need to reload with Jalen Wilson and Gradey Dick likely heading to the NBA.
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Dylan Disu had a season-high 28 points and Texas advanced to its first Sweet 16 in 15 years with a 71-66 victory over Penn State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The second-seeded Longhorns made just one of 13 shots from 3-point land. Disu turned this one into a mid-range game. He went 5 for 5 over the final 4 1/2 minutes and grabbed 10 rebounds for good measure. Texas will play the Pittsburgh-Xavier winner on Friday in the Midwest Region semifinals. Camren Wynter scored 16 points for Penn State.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Blake Peters made five 3-pointers in the second half and Princeton shocked another power conference team to reach the regional semifinals for the first time in 56 years by beating Missouri 78-63. The No. 15 seeded Princeton followed up a first-round win over Pac-12 tournament champion Arizona by dominating the 10th seeded Missouri of the SEC from the start. Princeton has reached the round of 16 for the first time since 1967 when only 23 teams even made the tournament. DeAndre Gholston 17 points and Noah Carter added 14 for Missouri, which was seeking its first berth in the Sweet 16 since 2009.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Quinesha Lockett scored 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as Toledo knocked off No. 5 seed Iowa State 80-73 Saturday for the second win by a 12 seed in the opening round of the women’s NCAA Tournament. Toledo joined Florida Gulf Coast as the second 12 seed to win Saturday. Toledo now will play No. 4 seed Tennessee on Monday night for a spot in the Sweet 16 in the Seattle 3 region. The Rockets won a record 17th straight game in fine fashion. This was their first NCAA win since 1996 in their ninth tournament appearance overall and first since 2017. Iowa State goes home after reaching the Sweet 16 last year.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Shaylee Gonzales scored 20 points and No. 4 Texas rolled to a 79-40 win over No. 13 East Carolina on Saturday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on the Longhorns’ home court. Texas rallied from a poor start to the season to earn the role of host for the first two rounds and made quick work of the Pirates. Taylor Jones had 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks for Texas. The Longhorns led 45-24 by halftime with Rori Harmon’s eight assists in the first half driving the Texas offense.
STORRS, CONN. (AP) — Ja’Mee Asberry scored 26 points, including some key foul shots in the final minute, and No. 7 seed Baylor overcame an early 18-point deficit to beat Alabama 78-74 in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Sarah Andrews and Caitlin Bickle each added 14 for the Bears (20-12), who tied for the third biggest comeback in tournament history, and closed the game on a 7-0 run, all from the foul line.The Bears will face No. 2 seed UConn in the second round on Monday night. Brittany Davis tied a career high with 33 points for Alabama (20-11), which closes its season on a five-game losing streak. The Crimson Tide led 22-4 after a quarter and by 11 at halftime.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Aubrey Joens and Taylor Robertson each scored 14 points and fifth-seeded Oklahoma took control in the third quarter to defeat No. 12 seed Portland 85-63 Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Madi Williams added 13 points for the Sooners, who will face the winner of No. 4 seed UCLA and 13th-seeded Sacramento State in Monday’s second round. The winner will advance to the Greenville 1 regional. Alex Fowler led Portland with 18 points while Emme Shearer and Lucy Cochrane had 12 apiece.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — Miami guard Haley Cavinder scored 12 of her 16 points in the second half and made what proved to be the decisive free throw with 8.9 seconds left to seal a 17-point second half comeback and a 62-61 victory over eighth-seeded Oklahoma State. It was tied for the fifth-largest comeback in tourney history. But it wasn’t over until Naomie Alnatas’ 10-footer rolled off the rim at the buzzer following a 5-second call on the Hurricanes. Miami faces top-seeded Indiana Monday. Anna Gret Asi led Oklahoma State with 16 points.
MIAMI (AP) — Trea Turner hit a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning that lifted the United States over Venezuela 9-7 and into the World Baseball Classic semifinals. The defending champion Team USA will face Cuba on Sunday night for a spot in the WBC championship. Venezuela second baseman and Houston Astros star Jose Altuve left the game in the fifth with a right hand injury after he was hit by a pitch. The Astros said there would be an update on his status Sunday.
MIAMI (AP) — Jose Altuve left Venezuela’s 9-7 quarterfinal loss to the United States with a possible broken right thumb after getting hit by a pitch. The Houston Astros second baseman, an eight-time All-Star and the 2017 American League MVP, fell to the field after he was struck by the 95.9 mph sinker from Colorado reliever Daniel Bard in the fifth inning. A Houston athletic trainer was concerned Altuve’s thumb was broken but had not received a scan to confirm a break, a person familiar with the incident said on condition of anonymity.
SATURDAY NCAA TOURNEY SCORES
NCAA Second Round
SOUTH
Final San Diego St. 75 Furman 52
Final Princeton 78 Missouri 63
Final Alabama 73 Maryland 51
MIDWEST
Final Houston 81 Auburn 64
Final Texas 71 Penn St. 66
EAST
Final Tennessee 65 Duke 52
WEST
Final UCLA 68 Northwestern 63
Final Arkansas 72 Kansas 71