General Sports 24 Hours

Last updated: March 28, 2026, 8:30 PM ET

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

The Women's Elite Eight matchups are set following dominant performances across the weekend, highlighted by top-seed South Carolina powering past Oklahoma 94-68, driven by Ta'Niya Latson’s 28 points and Raven Johnson’s 18. Elsewhere in the regional finals, No. 2 seed Michigan advanced behind Olson's 19 points, defeating Louisville 71-52, while No. 1 UConn overwhelmed North Carolina 63-42 to secure their 30th Elite Eight berth. The Huskies now prepare for a clash with Notre Dame, with the Irish asserting they will not be 'starstruck' again facing UConn after an earlier season blowout loss, while Iowa’s deep tournament run continues, thanks in part to coaches Ben McCollum and Bennett Stirtz, who guided their team from Division II success to this deepest tournament run yet. Coach Geno Auriemma added his voice to the administrative discussion, questioning the NCAA's tournament setup and seeking greater input from coaches NCAA Men's Tournament Upsets & Aftermath

The men's bracket saw significant drama as UConn squeaked past Michigan State, with Tarris Reed Jr. scoring 20 points and both he and Alex Karaban hitting crucial late free throws in a tight 67-63 victory, despite Michigan State coach Tom Izzo scoffing at retirement rumors following their Sweet 16 exit. Duke narrowly survived St. John's, rallying from a 10-point second-half deficit as Caleb Foster proved 'incredible' in his return from a broken foot to win 80-75, setting up their Elite Eight match against a motivated Tennessee squad that upset Iowa State 76-62 for their third consecutive trip to the regional finals. Furthermore, Illinois officials took preemptive action regarding crowd control, limiting alcohol sales on campus ahead of their own Elite Eight game, while Iowa's coach McCollum confirmed he will remain with the Hawkeyes despite the team's deep tournament success.

International Figure Skating & Athletics

In figure skating, Ilia Malinin claimed the world championship title in Prague, delivering a commanding performance that firmly established him as the world's best skater following a disappointing showing at the 2026 Winter Olympics. However, the ice dance competition yielded a tough result for Great Britain, where Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson finished fourth after receiving a two-point penalty that kept them off the podium. On the track front, Great Britain’s Josh Kerr stated his ambition to bring the mile world record home when he targets the mark at the London Diamond League meeting in July, while in global skiing, Kirsty Muir secured historic World Cup titles, becoming the first British woman to win both the slopestyle and overall titles.

European Rugby Union Action

The United Rugby Championship saw mixed fortunes for the U.K. sides; a struggling Ulster team secured a needed 28-12 victory over bottom-placed Zebre in Parma, while Edinburgh's play-off aspirations were nearly extinguished following a comprehensive 33-14 loss against the Stormers in Cape Town. In the English Premiership, league leaders Northampton Saints staged a comeback win over Saracens, sealed by a dramatic late try from Archie McParland at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, contrasting with Harlequins who ended a six-game losing streak by defeating Bristol 18-14, simultaneously damaging Bristol's top-four chances. In South Africa, the Lions overpowered the Dragons in Johannesburg, though the Welsh visitors managed to secure a four-try bonus point in the 34-31 loss to the Bulls over Munster in Pretoria in a thrilling URC encounter.

Cricket & Other Global Sports

In the opening matches of the Indian Premier League, Virat Kohli anchored an impressive victory for Royal Challengers Bengaluru with an unbeaten 69 as they cruised past Sunrisers Hyderabad to start their title defense. Expanding the reach of elite cricket, Indian legend Ravichandran Ashwin is set to join Major League Cricket, signing with the San Francisco Unicorns for the upcoming season, marking the first time a former Indian national team star will compete in the U.S. league. Meanwhile, in the NBA, the James father-son duo made history as teammates, recording the first instance of an assist being exchanged between a father and son in league history when LeBron found his son for a three-pointer. In motorsports, Red Bull's Max Verstappen and Formula 1 executives face numerous considerations following tight qualifying sessions at the Japanese Grand Prix, while British cyclist Tom Pidcock withdrew from the Volta a Catalunya after suffering a "horror" fall down a ravine during stage five.