April 6, 2026 4:40 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There’s a dynasty brewing in college basketball. And UConn can cement that status by overcoming a Michigan powerhouse that is racking up historically impressive numbers, hoping itself to go down as one of the sport’s greatest teams. Those are the stakes in Monday night’s title game between the Huskies and Wolverines. UConn is trying to become the first program since John Wooden’s UCLA behemoth of the 1960s and ’70s to win three championships over a four-season span, while Michigan is trying to cap off a March Madness string of dominance, the likes of which were last seen by the very UConn program that won the title in 2023 and ’24.
April 6, 2026 4:41 am
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — J.J. Spaun delivered two crucial shots to secure a win at the Valero Texas Open. He finished with a 5-under 67, marking his first title since last summer’s U.S. Open. Spaun’s victory at TPC San Antonio was his second, but unlike four years ago, he already has a spot at Augusta National. This win was significant as he hadn’t finished in the top 20 in seven starts this year. Robert MacIntyre led much of the tournament but finished second. Spaun’s birdie and eagle on the 16th and 17th holes were key to his victory.
April 5, 2026 7:49 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Yorke singled home Bryan Reynolds in the ninth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles. Reynolds doubled against Ryan Helsley with one out. Baltimore intentionally walked Ryan O’Hearn to bring up Yorke, who had entered as a pinch runner in the eighth. Yorke lined a shot over the head of Baltimore left fielder Dylan Beavers, securing the Pirates’ fourth straight win. Jake Mangum delivered a game-tying run with an infield single in the eighth. The Orioles have dropped four of five.
April 5, 2026 7:00 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Evgeni Malkin had his 14th career hat trick to reach 1,400 career points and the Pittsburgh Penguins routed the Florida Panthers 9-4. The loss eliminated the Panthers, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, from playoff contention. Erik Karlsson had a goal and three assists for the Penguins, who inched closer to a return to the postseason following a three-year absence. Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby had two assists to move past Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman and into seventh place on the NHL’s all-time scoring list.
April 5, 2026 7:33 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Dan Hurley had UConn ready for another Final Four fight night. Once again, his Huskies scored a knockout. Fabulous freshman Braylon Mullins made another last-minute 3-pointer — his only basket of the second half — and the Huskies muscled their way past Illinois 71-62 on Saturday to reach their third national championship game in four years. Tarris Reed Jr. had 17 points and 11 rebounds and Mullins finished with 15 points as the Huskies (34-5) rode strong inside play and tough defense to their 19th straight victory in the Sweet 16 or later rounds of the NCAA Tournament. They’ll face Michigan with a chance to win their seventh national title, all since 1999, as Hurley tries to become the only active coach with more than two championships.
April 5, 2026 7:00 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Tobias Harris scored 19 points, and Daniss Jenkins added 16 points and 14 assists as the Detroit Pistons beat the Philadelphia 76ers 116-93 Saturday night to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The last time the Pistons (56-21) were the top seed in the East was in 2006-07. They have already clinched the Central Division title for the first time since 2007-08. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 23 points. Paul George scored 20 points, and VJ Edgecombe added 19.
April 4, 2026 10:41 am
PHOENIX (AP) — Dawn Staley and South Carolina are back in the NCAA Tournament title game after knocking off unbeaten UConn and Geno Auriemma in a physical contest that ended with a heated exchange between the game’s most recognizable coaches. Ta’Niva Latson scored 16 and Agot Makeer added 14 points and South Carolina played stifling defense to beat UConn, 62-48, Friday night, ending the Huskies’ 54-game winning streak. The Gamecocks have now reached the NCAA championship game in four of the last five seasons, including the past three. They will be looking to win a fourth national title Sunday when they face UCLA.
Lauren Betts hit the play button over and over, forcing herself to watch last year’s Final Four blowout loss to UConn 10 times during the offseason. The two-time All-American made sure there wasn’t a repeat performance in this year’s Final Four, swooping in for the biggest play in a game that sends the Bruins into the NCAA national championship game for the first time. Heeding her coaches’ persistent advice to sprint back on defense, Betts swatted fellow All-American Madison Booker with 20 seconds left, allowing UCLA to withstand a late charge by Texas for a 51-44 win in the Final Four on Friday night.
April 4, 2026 6:19 am
President Trump has signed an executive order aimed at fixing college sports that would give federal agencies authority to cut funding at schools that don’t comply with mandates covering transfers, eligibility and pay-for-play in the rapidly changing industry. The order is a laundry list of proposed fixes that lawmakers and college leaders have been pushing for. Among the notable parts of the order was a call to establish “clear, consistent and fair eligibility limits, including a five-year participation window.”
April 3, 2026 10:34 am
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Teenager Konnor Griffin made a splash in his major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The 19-year-old shortstop delivered an RBI double in his first at-bat to lead Pittsburgh to a 5-4 win over Baltimore. Griffin also drew a walk and handled all of his defensive chances with ease as the Pirates won their third straight. Jared Triolo had two hits and drove in a run for Pittsburgh. Mitch Keller worked six innings to pick up his first win of the season. Gunnar Henderson had three hits for Baltimore, including a solo home run in the ninth.
April 3, 2026 4:00 am
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Anthony Cirelli registered his second career hat trick, Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three points, and the Tampa Bay Lightning moved into first place in the Atlantic Division after a 6-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Zemgus Girgensons scored his 100th career goal and Brayden Point scored his second in 14 games for Tampa Bay, which improved to 7-1-2 in the past 10 games. Jake Guentzel and Gage Goncalves both had two assists while Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 21 saves. The Penguins remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division, three points ahead of the New York Islanders. Cirelli scored Tampa Bay’s first two goals and he added an empty-netter for his first hat trick since Jan. 17, 2020.
