General Sports 24-Hour Briefing
×Last updated: March 15, 2026, 5:52 AM ET
College Basketball
No. 1 Duke clinched its second straight ACC title with a victory over No. 10 Virginia, extending its dominance under coach Jon Scheyer to three championships in four years. In the Big, No. 6 Arizona avenged last season's loss to Houston with a 79-74 win in the tournament final, securing a nine-game winning streak heading into the NCAA tournament. Meanwhile, No. 13 St. John's defended its Big East crown with a dominant 72-52 blowout of sixth-ranked UConn, powered by a tenacious defensive performance at Madison Square Garden. Michigan advanced to the Big Ten final when Yaxel Lendeborg buried a game-winning three with 0.4 seconds left against No. 23 Wisconsin. In the America East, UMBC reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since its historic UVA upset, led by DJ Armstrong Jr.'s career-high 33 points.
Selection Sunday Implications
UCLA's Tyler Bilodeau is expected back for the NCAA tournament despite a mild right knee strain, bolstering the Bruins' tournament hopes as analysts debate whether they've leapfrogged UConn for the top overall seed. The Red Hawks and Tigers remain bubble conversation pieces as the men's selection committee weighs five key questions before Sunday's bracket reveal. Texas Tech received positive news with Christian Anderson available for the tournament after an apparent groin injury sidelined him in the Big 12 quarterfinals.
Winter Sports
The Winter Paralympics in Milan-Cortina faced mounting criticism as sunshine dominated over snow, intensifying calls to move the Games to a different calendar slot. British skier Menna Fitzpatrick finished fifth in the visually impaired slalom, using the result to focus her sights on the 2030 Games after a challenging Milan-Cortina campaign. Scotland's women's hockey team qualified for the World Cup for the first time in 24 years with a tense play-off victory over Italy, ending a 22-year absence from the tournament.
European Football
Ireland secured its fourth Triple Crown in five years with a ruthless 43-21 dismantling of Scotland, head coach Andy Farrell praising his team's "ruthless edge" in the decisive victory. The win proved bittersweet as France retained the Six Nations title with a last-gasp victory over England, snatching the championship from Ireland's grasp despite their dominant performance. Wales ended a three-year Six Nations drought in emphatic fashion, claiming a bonus-point win over Italy in Cardiff. Scotland's bid for championship glory faltered again, with BBC Scotland's chief sportswriter Tom English analyzing another Six Nations defeat in Ireland that denied them a shot at history.
Combat Sports
Belfast's Anthony Cacace claimed the WBA super-featherweight title with a unanimous decision victory over James 'Jazza' Dickens at Dublin's 3 Arena, adding a second world championship to his collection. In cricket, Pakistan's Salman Agha received a reprimand for his angry reaction to a controversial run-out against Bangladesh in Friday's ODI, highlighting ongoing tensions in the match.
Golf
Sweden's Ludvig Aberg extended his lead to three shots heading into the final round of the Players Championship, serenely navigating TPC Sawgrass despite a fatal shooting near the course delaying spectator entry. The incident created unusual circumstances for the tournament's third round as police investigated the nearby fatal shooting.
Other Sports
Hendrix Hart, son of comedian Kevin Hart, committed to Tennessee track with personal bests of 10.68 seconds in the 100-meter dash and 21.35 in the 200-meter dash, stating he "wants to earn it" at the collegiate level. In rugby union's Premiership Women's competition, Exeter Chiefs remained third after Cliodhna Moloney-Macdonald's first-half hat-trick powered a 47-14 thrashing of Trailfinders Women. Glenavon climbed off the bottom of the Irish Premiership with a 3-0 victory over Crusaders, who now occupy the automatic relegation spot. Jockey Sam Twiston-Davies and trainer Paul Nicholls combined for victory in the Midlands Grand National at Uttoxeter with Isaac Des Obeaux. Finally, Oklahoma coach Porter Moser will return next season after athletic director Roger Denny confirmed his status, with player NIL upgrades reportedly part of the agreement.