General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 2:30 AM ET
NCAA Women's Basketball: Second Round Drama
The women's March Madness field narrowed to 32 teams espn.com entering the weekend, featuring several dramatic second-round contests. No. 1 seed South Carolina dominated espn.com their opener, with Joyce Edwards dropping 27 points and eight rebounds in a 103-34 demolition of Southern, while the top seeds generally held strong on Day, going a perfect 16-0 espn.com. However, upsets were not absent; No. 10 seed Virginia authored the first upset espn.com of the tournament, taking down No. 7 Georgia 82-73 on Saturday, a result that placed them firmly among the teams ESPN analysts were ranking in the second round espn.com. In another tight contest, USC advanced to the second round espn.com only after a crucial video review nullified a Clemson buzzer-beater at the end of regulation, allowing the Trojans to ultimately secure a 71-67 overtime victory.
NCAA Men's Basketball: First Round Shocks & Sweet 16 Bound
The men's tournament saw significant movement as the field cut down, with several lower seeds achieving improbable runs. Texas became the first team in five years espn.com to advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16 after upsetting No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68 on Saturday, though coach Sean Miller rejected the Cinderella label espn.com afterward. Meanwhile, No. 4 seed Nebraska secured its first-ever NCAA tournament win with a 76-47 drubbing espn.com of Troy on Thursday, while No. 12 seed High Point stunned No. 5 Wisconsin 83-82 thanks to Chase Johnston's first two-pointer of the season espn.com. For the victors pushing forward, Michigan, the Midwest Region's top seed espn.com, handled Saint Louis behind a 25-point effort from Yaxel Lendeborg, setting up a Sweet 16 matchup against TCU, whose coach Dusty May has frequently exchanged scouting notes with Josh Schertz espn.com.
NCAA Basketball Personnel & Records
Coaching changes and individual milestones peppered the college basketball news cycle across the first few rounds. Purdue's Braden Smith broke Bobby Hurley's NCAA all-time assists record espn.com, reaching 1,077 career assists during a first-round game against Queens University. In contrast to the success stories, UNC officials are discussing Hubert Davis's future espn.com following another first-round exit, despite Davis asserting that fatigue was not to blame for the 82-78 overtime loss to VCU espn.com. On a somber note off the court, Tuskegee coach Benjy Taylor filed a $1 million federal lawsuit espn.com against two police officers and Morehouse College stemming from his postgame detainment in January. Furthermore, Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey received prestigious recognition, winning the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award espn.com as the top player in college women's hockey.
UFC London Showdown & MMA Updates
The UFC London card delivered significant movement in the featherweight division, as Movsar Evloev delivered a gritty performance to stifle Lerone Murphy's title aspirations bbc.com via a majority decision victory. This outcome followed extensive pre-fight discussion regarding matchmaking fairness, as Murphy was preparing for a high-profile bout against Evloev in London espn.com. Elsewhere in combat sports, Mason Jones secured a Fight of the Night bonus bbc.com at the same London event, marking a redemption arc nearly four years after his previous professional defeat in that venue. In PFL news, champion Costello van Steenis retained his middleweight title bbc.com by stopping Fabian Edwards in the third round, continuing a pattern of denying Edwards a world title shot.
Global Sports: Track & Field, Cycling, and Cricket
International competitions provided several standout performances. Josh Kerr reclaimed his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com in thrilling fashion, marking a successful return to the global podium following an injury layoff. In swimming, Australia's Cameron McEvoy shattered Cesar Cielo's long-standing 50m freestyle world record bbc.com, which had stood since the 'supersuit' era. Meanwhile, Great Britain's Mia Brookes claimed her fifth World Cup title bbc.com in slopestyle snowboarding in Flachnau, Austria, allowing her to top the season's standings ahead of the final event. In cricket, Rwanda's Fanny Utagushimaninde achieved a historic milestone espn.com, becoming the youngest woman to record a T20 international century at just 15 years and 223 days old.
Football & Rugby Results
The weekend brought decisive action across global football and rugby leagues. In Super League action, Kelepi Tanginoa scored four tries as Warrington Wolves overcame Castleford bbc.com, propelling them into second place in the standings. Wigan Warriors maintained their 100% start bbc.com by fighting back from a 14-0 deficit to defeat York Knights. In Premiership Rugby, Exeter moved into the play-off positions bbc.com following a 26-14 victory over Sale at Sandy Park, while the league prepares to resume after an eight-week hiatus, with Northampton leading and six teams competing for the top four spots bbc.com. In United Rugby Championship fixtures, Connacht delivered a powerful second half to secure a statement victory bbc.com over Ulster, though Ulster will now cope without Ireland international Rob Baloucoune for three months due to an elbow injury bbc.com.
Other Headlines: Tennis Tech, Golfers, and League Matters
News outside the major spring tournaments included technological updates and individual career decisions. Wimbledon officials announced that video review technology will be deployed bbc.com for the first time this year on the grounds. In professional cycling, Tadej Pogacar captured his first Milan-San Remo title bbc.com after a grueling battle with Tom Pidcock, though the women's race saw Italian rider Debora Silvestri taken to the hospital following a serious crash bbc.com. In golf, Jon Rahm dropped his appeal against DP World Tour sanctions bbc.com for playing in conflicting LIV Golf events, though he simultaneously refused to pay the outstanding fines levied against him. Finally, in the NBA, the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder confirmed they will not make a White House visit espn.com, citing "timing" issues during their East Coast road trip.