General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 5:30 AM ET
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Action
The second round of the men's March Madness tournament delivered stunning upsets and dramatic finishes bbc.com as the field narrowed toward the Sweet. No. 11 seed Texas completed an improbable run espn.com by advancing from the First Four to the Sweet 16 for the first time in five years after upsetting No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68 on Saturday, a result Coach Sean Miller insisted does not make them a Cinderella team despite their improbable trajectory bbc.com. In another tight contest, No. 4 seed Nebraska survived a thrilling finish espn.com against Vanderbilt, winning 74-72 when Tyler Tanner's half-court heave at the buzzer rimmed out, securing the program's first-ever NCAA tournament victory in a storybook moment espn.com. Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Michigan, powered by Yaxel Lendeborg's 25-point effort, handled Saint Louis to secure its spot in the Sweet 16 espn.com, setting up a matchup between coaches Dusty May and Josh Schertz who have a history of exchanging scouting notes adding intrigue to the regional semifinal espn.com.
The opening rounds also saw strong performances from top seeds, though not without scares, as Duke barely dodged an upset bid espn.com by rallying from a 13-point deficit against 16th-seed Siena, though Duke remains "hopeful" that center Patrick Ngongba II can return from injury for the second round against TCU espn.com. UConn's Tarris Reed Jr. delivered an exceptional outing, posting 31 points and 27 rebounds to help the No. 2 seed stave off Furman 82-71 espn.com, while Purdue's Braden Smith broke Bobby Hurley's NCAA all-time assists record, reaching 1,077 career assists during his first-round win over Queens University espn.com. On the coaching carousel, Georgia Tech announced the hiring of Scott Cross espn.com from Troy to take over the men's basketball program, while Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning NBA champion, cited "timing" issues for its decision not to make a White House visit espn.com during its D.C. road trip.
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Contenders
The women's tournament field was reduced to 32 teams espn.com, prompting immediate re-rankings as the competition moves into the second round following the first weekend's action espn.com. No. 2 seed South Carolina asserted its title defense credentials with a 114-55 demolition of Prairie View A&M, marking the second-largest margin of victory in tournament history, fueled by Joyce Edwards’ 27 points and eight rebounds against Southern espn.com. In the first round's biggest shock so far, No. 10 seed Virginia defeated No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73 espn.com, while USC advanced to the second round after a review nullified a Clemson buzzer-beater, allowing the Trojans to ultimately win in overtime 71-67 advancing them past the first round espn.com. Elsewhere, No. 7 seed NC State ended Tennessee's season with an eighth consecutive loss, prompting Lady Vols coach Kellie Caldwell to take the blame for the collapse espn.com, while UCLA guard Skyy Clark shook off losing a piece of her front tooth late in the game to help the Bruins secure a 75-71 victory over UCF espn.com.
UFC London & Combat Sports Updates
The UFC London event saw significant movement in the featherweight division, as Movsar Evloev secured a majority decision victory over Lerone Murphy, effectively crushing Murphy's aspirations for a title shot bbc.com. This performance revived the ongoing debate about fighter compensation, which was laid bare at the London card amid several career-defining undercard wins bbc.com. Mason Jones earned the fight of the night bonus for his performance, achieving redemption in the same arena where he sustained his last professional defeat nearly four years prior aiming for a top 15 ranking bbc.com, while Paddy Pimblett is already targeting a return in July during the UFC's international fight week to continue his momentum bbc.com. In PFL news, Costello van Steenis successfully retained his middleweight title by stopping Fabian Edwards in the third round, denying the Briton another world title opportunity bbc.com, while eight compelling fights are slated over the next five weeks across the PFL slate featuring Van Steenis and Paul Hughes espn.com.
Global Football & Rugby Developments
In European football, Tadej Pogacar claimed his maiden Milan-San Remo title after outdueling Britain's Tom Pidcock in a thrilling sprint finish bbc.com, though the women's one-day classic saw Italian rider Debora Silvestri suffer a serious crash resulting in the breaking of five ribs bbc.com. On the rugby pitch, Exeter moved into the Premiership play-off positions following a 26-14 dispatching of Sale at Sandy Park aiding their push for postseason inclusion espn.com, while in the United Rugby Championship, Connacht achieved a statement second-half performance to defeat Ulster, even as Ulster prepares to miss star wing Rob Baloucoune for three months due to an elbow injury ruling him out of the URC run-in bbc.com. Meanwhile, in Super League, Kelepi Tanginoa's four-try haul propelled Warrington Wolves into second place after they overpowered a sorry Castleford Tigers side bbc.com, as league leaders Wigan maintained their 100% start by fighting back from a 14-0 deficit to edge past York Knights bbc.com.
Other Sports Headlines & Personnel Moves
Frank Lampard expressed hope that midfielder Matt Grimes' "very classy" refusal to celebrate his goal against Swansea City would help quell the sustained abuse bbc.com he receives upon returning to his former club. In international rugby union, new England Women's head coach John Mitchell has named seven uncapped players in his Six Nations squad as he works to build upon the team's recent World Cup success with Meg Jones set to captain in Zoe Stratford's absence bbc.com. Elsewhere, the NCAA filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against Draft Kings accusing the operator of improperly using March Madness terminology espn.com, while Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey received the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award as the top player in college women's hockey recognizing her dominant season espn.com. Finally, in international cricket, Rwanda's Fanny Utagushimaninde made history by becoming the youngest woman to score a T20 international century at just 15 years and 223 days old describing the achievement as a dream bbc.com.