General Sports 8-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 13, 2026, 11:59 PM ET
College Basketball Developments
A buzzer-beating jumper by Jaden Bradley lifted No. 2 Arizona past Iowa State 82-80 in the Big 12 quarterfinals, securing a spot in the conference finals. The shot, clocked at 0.1 seconds remaining, capped a wild finish where Iowa State’s late rally was stifled by Arizona’s 40-point second-half scoring surge. Meanwhile, Pitt men’s basketball coach Jeff Capel will return for a ninth season despite a 2025-26 campaign deemed “well short” of expectations, per AD Allen Greene. In contrast, Cincinnati fired head coach Wes Miller after five seasons following a season that underperformed relative to preseason projections.
Rugby Union Highlights
Ulster mounted a second-half comeback to defeat Edinburgh 34-28 in the United Rugby Championship, with a 12-point swing in the final 20 minutes preserving their top-eight playoff hopes. Wakefield Trinity stunned Leeds Rhinos 24-14 in the Challenge Cup, rallying from 10-0 down at halftime behind a 14-0 second-half surge. In Premiership Women’s Rugby, Ellie Kildunne and Sadia Kabeya returned to action as Loughborough Lightning edged Harlequins 43-33, with Kildunne contributing a try and Kabeya anchoring the scrum. Connacht clinched a five-try victory over Scarlets in Galway, advancing within striking distance of the URC play-offs.
Netball and Other Sports
Lexis Nexis Dragons cemented their winless streak with a 58-52 loss to AO Manchester Thunder in the Netball Super League, dropping to 0-3 in the competition. England’s Mark Wood reportedly considering retirement after revealing his knee injury, which has sidelined him for six months, though he noted “improving” recovery ahead of potential post-cricket plans.
Conference Updates and CBA Talks
MAC commissioner Jon A. Steinbrecher voiced confidence in securing two NCAA bids despite Miami (Ohio)’s quarterfinal loss to UMass, citing “stronger-than-expected” regular-season performances across the league. WNBPA chief Terri Carmichael Jackson highlighted progress in CBA negotiations, emphasizing “constructive dialogue” that has “chipped away” at lingering disputes over revenue sharing and player compensation. The 2026 NFL draft order was finalized, with the Raiders slated to open proceedings at No. 1 and the Broncos closing at No. 257 across all seven rounds.
Energy & Commodities
Oil futures slipped 1.3% in early Asian trade as OPEC+ signaled potential output hikes, while gold steadied near $2,340 amid a weakening dollar. A surge in aluminum prices pushed China Hongqiao’s Zhang Bo past $48 billion, solidifying his status among Asia’s wealthiest industrialists.
Fixed Income
Japanese government bonds extended gains tracking overnight Treasury rallies as traders increasingly price in a September Fed rate cut. U.S. airline bonds weakened after jet fuel costs spiked 8% on Middle East supply fears, while Chicago’s planned muni bond sale faces investor scrutiny amid geopolitical volatility.
Markets
A surge in aluminum prices fueled by Chinese infrastructure demand lifted LME inventories to a three-year high, while U.S. equity markets edged higher on optimism around AI-driven earnings revisions, with the S&P 500 rising 0.7% in early trading.