U.S./World Sports category, Page 58
12.3 million: Iowa’s victory over LSU is the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record
BRISTOL, Conn. — Caitlin Clark can claim another highlight — the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record. Iowa’s 94-87 victory over LSU in Monday night’s Albany 2 Region final averaged 12.3 million viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen. Clark scored 41 points as the Hawkeyes avenged last year’s loss...
Analysis: For Nelly Korda, this could be the start of a special yearVideo
Nelly Korda finally gave herself a break from the high stress, thrill-a-minute golf that has produced the best start on the LPGA in more than a decade and returned the 25-year-old American to No. 1 in the world. All she had to do for her third straight win — the...
N.C. State’s Final Four double has Wolfpack fans howling with March Madness delightVideo
RALEIGH, N.C. — The grave sits perched on a hill in the historic 72-acre Oakwood Cemetery near downtown. It bears “Valvano” carved in large letters on polished black stone, honoring N.C. State’s charismatic coach who sold big dreams then lived them in an unforgettable run to the 1983 national championship....
March Madness: Tournament ratings up after most-watched Elite Eight Sunday in 5 years
NEW YORK — The Elite Eight game between N.C. State and Duke produced the largest audience for an Easter Sunday telecast on any network in 11 years. The Wolfpack’s 76-64 victory over the Blue Devils in the South Region final averaged 15.1 million viewers on CBS, according to Nielsen. The...
The women’s NCAA Tournament had center stage. The stars, and the games, delivered in a big way
There were plenty of people at a movie theater in central Iowa on Monday night, though very few of them were watching an actual movie. They were there to see Caitlin Clark. And they weren’t alone. Not even close. Millions of people — the preliminary viewing numbers are expected sometime...
Paige Bueckers lifts UConn back to the Final Four with win over JuJu Watkins, USCVideo
PORTLAND, Ore. — After being a spectator a year ago, Paige Bueckers is headed back to the Final Four after scoring 28 points and lifting UConn to a 80-73 win over Southern California in the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night. Bueckers outdueled fabulous USC freshman All-American JuJu Watkins, sparking...
Caitlin Clark scores 41 as Iowa gains revenge on LSU, earns trip to Final Four
ALBANY, N.Y. — Caitlin Clark made nine 3-pointers and finished with 41 points and 12 assists in a sensational performance as Iowa knocked defending national champion LSU out of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a 94-87 victory Monday night, advancing the Hawkeyes to their second straight Final Four. Top-seeded Iowa...
Joe Gibbs has good problem after Denny Hamlin’s pit crew steals win from Martin Truex
RICHMOND, Va. — Joe Gibbs probably expects the organizational meeting of his four NASCAR Cup Series teams to be somewhat challenging this week, even after a weekend sweep at Richmond Raceway. After Chandler Smith led a 1-2-3 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Xfinity Series race Saturday, the owner...
UConn, Purdue, Alabama, N.C. State ride transfers into Final Four
Connecticut and Purdue needed the right fit. Alabama needed more bodies. N.C. State had big holes to fill in the backcourt. They all mined the transfer portal effectively enough that those pieces are key reasons that they’ve reached the Final Four, headed to Glendale, Ariz., with a chance to hoist...
Tall Final Four task: Beating reigning champion UConn will not be an easy task in the desert
The 2024 version of March Madness has apexed with a trio of streak busters in the desert. N.C. State is in the Final Four for the first time since Jim Valvano ran around trying to find someone to hug after the 1983 national championship. Purdue and big man Zach Edey...
Late caution gives Denny Hamlin a 2nd chance to beat Joe Gibbs teammate Martin Truex Jr. at Richmond Raceway
RICHMOND, Va. — Denny Hamlin won the race off pit road with Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Martin Truex Jr. after a caution with two laps to go and won in overtime at Richmond Raceway on Sunday night. Truex dominated the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series race — he...
Nelly Korda rallies to win 3rd straight LPGA Tour start at Ford ChampionshipVideo
GILBERT, Ariz. — Nelly Korda won her hometown event in a playoff after closing eagle-birdie. She withstood brutal wind in Southern California to win in another playoff last week. The world No. 1 made it three straight by staying steady through a soggy Sunday in the desert. Korda became the...
NCAA women’s roundup: Undefeated South Carolina tops Oregon State, advances to Final 4
ALBANY, N.Y. — Tessa Johnson scored 15 points, Kamilla Cardoso added 12 and undefeated South Carolina advanced to the Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a 70-58 win over Oregon State on Sunday. South Carolina made it to the national semifinals unbeaten for the second straight season. The...
N.C. State headed to 1st Final Four since 1983 after upsetting Duke
DALLAS — Bruising big man DJ Burns Jr. scored a season-high 29 points, DJ Horne had 20 and 11th-seeded N.C. State reached its first Final Four in four decades, beating ACC rival Duke, 76-64, in the South Region final Sunday. N.C. State (26-14) is back in the national semifinals for...
Zach Edey goes big, sends Purdue past Tennessee and into Final Four
DETROIT — By the time all the scrapping and scratching and diving on the floor was over, it felt like a shame that both those teams, and both those players, weren’t moving onto the Final Four. Just don’t expect Purdue to feel bad about it. Boilermakers big man Zach Edey...
Iowa, LSU women ready to meet again in rematch of 2023 national championship game
ALBANY, N.Y. — Iowa and LSU would rather not be playing each other Monday night. It’s not that they don’t relish the challenge of a rematch of last year’s national championship game, but both teams wish the stage was just a little bit bigger. “We talk about growing the game,”...
Newspaper edits its column about LSU-UCLA game after Tigers coach Kim Mulkey blasted it as sexist
ALBANY, N.Y. — The Los Angeles Times has edited a column it published last week about the LSU women’s basketball team ahead of its game against UCLA following criticism from Tigers coach Kim Mulkey, who blasted it as sexist and hurtful. Mulkey defended her players after they were referred to...
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are a major part of the rise of women’s college basketball
ALBANY, N.Y. — Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have been catalysts for the rapid rise of women’s college basketball because of their play on the court that has drawn millions of new fans to the sport and their success off of it. The pair has brought comparisons to what Magic...
Alabama rides wave of 3-pointers to beat Clemson, reach 1st Final Four
LOS ANGELES — Mark Sears made seven 3-pointers and Alabama recovered from its early long-distance shooting woes with 16 treys to beat Clemson, 89-82, on Saturday night, sending the Crimson Tide to the Final Four for the first time. The Tide (25-11) will face defending national champion UConn in Glendale,...
Donovan Clingan, UConn power back into Final Four in rout of Illinois
BOSTON — Defending national champion UConn powered its way back into the Final Four behind a 30-0 run led by Donovan Clingan, who finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds as the Huskies crushed Illinois, 77-52, on Saturday night. It was a March Madness record 10th straight double-digit victory for...
Scottie Scheffler overcomes late double bogey for 66 in Houston
HOUSTON — Scottie Scheffler made double bogey from what he thought was a good shot, responded with back-to-back birdies and finished with a 4-under-par 66 on Saturday to be part of a five-way tie for the lead in the Houston Open. Scheffler is trying to become the first player since...
William Byron, Kyle Larson: Richmond Raceway challenges confidence
RICHMOND, Va. — William Byron already has a pair of victories just six races into the NASCAR Cup Series season, and Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson has one, too. Neither comes to Richmond Raceway brimming with confidence. “It’s just one of those places we go to that we just don’t...
In search of 1st Final Four trip, Tennessee takes care of Creighton
DETROIT — Dalton Knecht had 24 points, six rebounds, five assists and two steals, and Tennessee moved within a victory of its first trip to the Final Four, beating Creighton, 82-75, in a Midwest Region semifinal Friday night. Zakai Zeigler added 18 points and six assists for the second-seeded Volunteers....
After key injury to Houston point guard, Duke earns spot in Elite Eight
DALLAS — Kyle Filipowski had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Duke advanced to the Elite Eight with a 54-51 win over top-seeded Houston, which played the final 26 minutes Friday night without All-America point guard Jamal Shead after he turned his right ankle. Even with Shead on the bench,...
Sweet 16 nets another big win for Purdue and big man Zach Edey, 80-68 over GonzagaVideo
DETROIT — Purdue big man Zach Edey withstood all the abuse Gonzaga could lay on him Friday night, finishing with 27 points and 14 rebounds to lift the Boilermakers to an 80-68 victory and move them one win from the Final Four. Gonzaga leaned on, swatted and grabbed at the...
