General Sports 3d Briefing
×College Basketball
No. 3 Duke espn.com stunned No. 1 Michigan espn.com 68-63 behind Cameron Boozer's 18 points, handing the Wolverines another neutral-site loss. The victory propelled Duke espn.com back to No. 1 in the AP men's poll. No. 4 Arizona espn.com also claimed a share of first place in the Big 12 by beating No. 2 Houston espn.com 73-66, while No. 14 Kansas espn.com rebounded from a loss to hand Houston its third straight defeat. Charles Bediako espn.com is asking the Alabama Supreme Court for interim relief to play this season as a legal dispute continues. The AP Top 25 espn.com saw Oklahoma, Iowa and TCU rise, while Tennessee fell out. UCLA espn.com authored a program-record 23-point comeback to beat No. 10 Illinois 95-94 in overtime. St. John's espn.com extended its longest winning streak in 41 years to 13 games.
T20 World Cup
England bbc.com began their Super 8 campaign with a dominant 51-run win over co-hosts Sri Lanka, bowling them out for. Phil Salt bbc.com fell for a first-ball duck in Pakistan's reply, but Liam Dawson bbc.com took back-to-back wickets and Jamie Overton bbc.com showed "terrific athleticism" with a catch as Pakistan slumped to 27-2 and later 146-7. Harry Brook bbc.com then led England's chase with a 50-ball century, becoming the second English player to score a hundred in a T20 World Cup run chase. Will Jacks bbc.com, called England's "Jack of all trades" by Brook, delivered crucial contributions again. Pakistan made a "perfect start" with Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissing Salt immediately.
Rugby Union
France bbc.com moved four points clear at the top of the Six Nations bbc.com table with a bonus-point 33-8 win over Italy in Lille, with Antoine Dupont's "huge influence" highlighted. Scotland bbc.com stunned Wales 27-13 in Cardiff, with a quick-thinking try from Darcy Graham proving pivotal; pundits debated whether the try should have stood bbc.com. Ireland bbc.com centre Garry Ringrose praised the in-form Stuart Mc Closkey after their 42-21 win over England, though wing James Lowe bbc.com is a doubt for the Wales game with a groin injury. Wales bbc.com coach Steve Tandy released players for the United Rugby Championship but ruled out Rhys Davies. The Welsh Rugby Union bbc.com faces an EGM with a vote of no confidence in chair Richard Collier-Keywood.
Winter Olympics Wrap-Up
The 2026 Winter Olympics espn.com closed in Verona, with IOC president Kirsty Coventry declaring the Games "a place for everyone" as the flame was handed to France bbc.com for 2030. Team GB bbc.com equalled their record-best medal haul with three golds, though the men's curling team of Grant Hardie and Bruce Mouat bbc.com missed a second consecutive gold, losing to Canada. Eileen Gu espn.com defended her halfpipe gold and revealed her grandmother had died. Lindsey Vonn espn.com said surgery saved her from leg amputation after a Milan-Cortina crash. Davy Zyw bbc.com, believed to be the first snowsport athlete with MND to compete at a Winter Paralympics, spoke of the "tragic beauty" of his experience. Menna Fitzpatrick bbc.com, Britain's most decorated Winter Paralympian, returned from a knee injury to make the team.
Coaching & Administration News
Sacked All Blacks coach Scott Robertson bbc.com will lead the Barbarians this summer. Cardiff coach Corniel van Zyl bbc.com held talks with Benetton about their head coach role. Wales bbc.com hired former Scotland full-back Stewart Murchie as defence coach. The WNBA espn.com set a March 10 deadline for a new CBA to protect the 2026 schedule, and the players union espn.com claims the league generated enough revenue for sharing. A new WNBA proposal espn.com includes guaranteed housing for all players in 2026. Sources told ESPN the league aims to avoid schedule disruption.
Combat Sports & WWE
Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao espn.com will meet in a September 19 rematch at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Sean Strickland espn.com scored his first stoppage in over two years, finishing Anthony Hernandez and calling out Khamzat Chimaev. Sandy Ryan bbc.com became a two-weight world champion with a points win in Nottingham. Carlos Alcaraz bbc.com maintained his 2026 unbeaten streak, thrashing Arthur Fils in 50 minutes to win the Qatar Open. WWE Raw espn.com set Elimination Chamber matches and announced AJ Styles for the Hall of Fame. The Elimination Chamber's origin espn.com was revisited from its 2002 debut.
Other Sport Highlights
England captain Harry Brook reached his first T20I century. Italian biathlete Tommaso Giacomel bbc.com had minor heart surgery after an Olympic withdrawal. Snooker's Zhao Xintong bbc.com beat John Higgins 10-7 for the Players Championship title, while Jiang Jun bbc.com upset defending Welsh Open champion Mark Selby. Chang Bingyu bbc.com hit four consecutive centuries in a "utterly extraordinary" display. Loughborough