General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 14, 2026, 11:55 PM ET
College Basketball Tournament Finals
Defensive mastery propelled No. 13 St. John's to a 72-52 victory over sixth-ranked UConn at Madison Square Garden, securing its second consecutive Big East tournament championship. The Red Storm held the Huskies to a mere 29% shooting from the field. In the Big 12 final, avenging last season's loss, Arizona withstood a late charge from Houston to win 79-74, carrying a nine-game winning streak into the NCAA tournament. In the Big Ten semifinals, Yaxel Lendeborg drained a tiebreaking three-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to lift No. 3 Michigan past No. 23 Wisconsin, 68-65, setting up a title game appearance. Meanwhile, a concern for the Bruins emerged as leading scorer Tyler Bilodeau suffered a mild right knee strain; he is expected to be available for the NCAA tournament despite being forced to sit out UCLA's subsequent 88-84 win over No. 8 Michigan State.
NCAA Tournament Seeding and Upsets
The women's NCAA tournament field was finalized, with North Carolina and West Virginia among the top 16 seeds, earning them the right to host first- and second-round games. On the men's side, a historic run continued as UMBC, led by DJ Armstrong Jr.'s career-high 33 points, captured the America East title with a 74-59 win over Vermont, securing its first NCAA tournament berth since its famous 2018 upset of Virginia.
Six Nations Rugby Concludes
France retained the Six Nations championship with a win over England, a result that overshadowed Ireland's 43-21 triumph over Scotland. Ireland's victory, which Andy Farrell described as showcasing a ruthless edge, secured the team a fourth Triple Crown in five years. Wales ended a three-year losing streak in the competition with a bonus-point victory over Italy in Cardiff. England's campaign, however, ended in disappointment with a loss in Paris, leaving coach Steve Borthwick backed up to the brink and facing intense scrutiny. Scotland's tournament concluded with a loss to Ireland, a result analyzed as a failed bid for history amid Irish ferocity.
Golf and Incident at The Players
At TPC Sawgrass, Sweden's Ludvig Aberg serenely extended his lead to three shots entering the final round of The Players Championship, navigating the course with precision. The tournament was marked by a fatal shooting near the course on Saturday, which delayed spectator entry for day three and cast a shadow over the event.
Boxing and Track & Field
Belfast's Anthony Cacace became the new WBA super-featherweight champion, winning a unanimous decision over James 'Jazza' Dickens in Dublin. In recruiting news, Tennessee landed a commit from Hendrix Hart, son of actor Kevin Hart, whose personal bests include 10.68 seconds in the 100m and 21.35 in the 200m.
Motorsports and Rugby Union
Indy Car practice at Texas Motor Speedway was interrupted when three catering workers were spotted on the track, prompting a red flag to slow the cars exiting pit lane. In Formula, Mercedes secured a front-row lock-out for the Chinese Grand Prix, though the team showed early signs of vulnerability ahead of the 2026 regulations. In Premiership Women's Rugby, Cliodhna Moloney-Mac Donald's first-half hat-trick sparked a 47-14 win for Exeter Chiefs over Trailfinders, keeping Exeter in third place.
Other Sporting Results
In the Irish Premiership, Glenavon climbed off the bottom with a 3-0 win over Crusaders, who now occupy the automatic relegation spot. In harness racing, Sam Twiston-Davies and Paul Nicholls combined to win the Midlands Grand National with Isaac Des Obeaux. Pakistan's Salman Agha received a reprimand for his angry reaction to a controversial run-out during an ODI against Bangladesh. Scotland's women's field hockey team qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 2002 after a tense play-off win over Italy. British Paralympic skier Menna Fitzpatrick, after finishing fifth in her visually impaired slalom, said her Milan-Cortina experience will fortify her life with MND. Rally Kenya saw championship leader Elfyn Evans forced to retire with suspension damage. In cycling, Dorian Godon won a shortened stage seven of Paris-Nice, with Jonas Vingegaard poised for overall victory. Finally, Kawhi Leonard equaled a 51-year-old franchise record by scoring at least 20 points for the 44th consecutive game in the Clippers' win.