Last updated: March 20, 2026, 12:30 AM ET
NCAA Tournament Upsets & Close Calls
The opening round of the NCAA tournament delivered immediate drama, highlighted by two major upsets and a narrow escape for the overall No. 1 seed Duke dodged a scare. Eleventh-seeded VCU rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit to stun sixth-seeded North Carolina 82-78 in overtime, prompting Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis to firmly state that fatigue was not responsible for the collapse, calling the decision-making leading to the loss "my decision" UNC's Davis: Fatigue not to blame for collapse. Similarly, 12th seed High Point secured an 83-82 victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin when Chase Johnston hit his first two-point basket of the season for the decisive score. Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Duke barely survived a major scare against 16th-seed Siena, having to overcome a 13-point deficit before finally pulling ahead in the final five minutes.
Further tournament action saw seeded teams struggle to maintain control, though some favorites prevailed. Ninth seed TCU held off a furious second-half rally by eighth-seeded Ohio State, winning 66-64 after Xavier Edmonds converted a critical layup with 4.3 seconds remaining. In a matchup featuring strong individual performances, No. 11 seed Texas knocked off sixth-seeded BYU 79-71, overcoming 35 points scored by BYU forward AJ Dybantsa. On a positive note for a highly regarded program, No. 4 seed Nebraska captured its first-ever NCAA tournament win by dominating Troy 76-47, a result described as a "storybook ending" after ending a long tournament drought.
WNBA & Player Milestones
The WNBA is facing transformative changes under its new Collective Bargaining Agreement, which sources indicate will expedite the timeline for players on rookie-scale contracts to reach maximum and supermax salary tiers. This new CBA is widely considered a truly transformational agreement for both the league and its athletes regarding salary structure and earning potential Separately, in a crossover sports moment, Payton Sandfort appeared courtside to support his brother Pryce during Nebraska's tournament game, less than 12 hours after Sandfort himself had made his professional NBA debut.
International Sports & Combat Sports
In European competition, Wigan Warriors continued their perfect start in the Super League season by fighting back from a 14-0 deficit to defeat York Knights. In darts, Luke Littler staged an incredible comeback in Dublin, stunning Gerwyn Price 6-5 in the Premier League final after being down 5-0, a match that featured two separate 170 checkouts within a single game. Meanwhile, Great Britain's Kirsty Muir claimed her second consecutive World Cup victory in slopestyle skiing, securing the top spot in the overall season standings heading into the final event. In boxing, IBF welterweight champion Lewis Crocker stated that a victory over Liam Paro in his upcoming bout should open up further title opportunities for the Belfast fighter.