General Sports 3d Briefing
×Last updated: March 22, 2026, 7:35 AM ET
NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
The second round of the women's NCAA Tournament delivered significant drama, with No. 10 seed Virginia authored the first upset espn.com of March Madness this year, downing No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73 in the first round, while South Carolina established dominance, with Joyce Edwards' 27 points and eight rebounds espn.com powering a massive 103-34 first-round rout of Southern. In other action, USC was saved by a review espn.com that overturned a Clemson buzzer-beater in regulation, allowing the Trojans to ultimately win 71-67 in overtime and advance, following a first day where chalk reigned supreme espn.com, with all 16 higher seeds winning their opening games. As the field narrowed to the Sweet, UConn remained the odds-on favorite espn.com to win the championship, though the field of 32 teams entering Saturday action required careful ranking of the remaining teams espn.com, signaling intense competition ahead.
NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament Upsets & Records
The men's bracket saw major upsets and record-breaking performances as the field progressed to the round of, exemplified by Texas, which became the first team in five years espn.com to advance from the First Four to the Sweet 16 after defeating No. 3 seed Gonzaga 74-68 on Saturday. Coach Sean Miller of Texas asserted his team is not a Cinderella despite the run espn.com, while top seeds faced unexpected challenges; No. 2 seed UConn survived a scare when Tarris Reed Jr. delivered a historic 31-point, 27-rebound performance to stave off Furman's upset bid espn.com. Elsewhere, Nebraska survived Vanderbilt's final heave espn.com in a tight 74-72 contest, securing their first-ever NCAA tournament win, while Purdue's Braden Smith eclipsed Bobby Hurley's assists record espn.com Friday night, accumulating 1,077 career assists during a first-round victory. Furthermore, coaching futures were being discussed, as UNC officials entered talks espn.com with Hubert Davis following another first-round exit, contrasted by VCU's dramatic 82-78 overtime victory after erasing a 19-point second-half deficit to knock out North Carolina espn.com.
UFC London Developments & Fighter Focus
The recent UFC London event brought significant results and reignited discussions regarding fighter compensation, as the debate over fighter pay was laid bare bbc.com following several career-defining performances on the undercard. Movsar Evloev dealt a major setback to Lerone Murphy's featherweight aspirations, securing a majority decision victory that crushed Murphy's title hopes bbc.com, though Evloev's opponent Murphy is now as Mason Jones earned the fight of the night bonus in his own London redemption arc nearly four years after his last professional loss in the same arena Jones aims for a top 15 ranking bbc.com. Meanwhile, Paddy Pimblett confirmed his intention to target a July return bbc.com during the UFC's international fight week, even as analysts questioned the matchmaking process that led to highly anticipated bouts like Evloev versus Murphy Is matchmaking fair bbc.com.
Global Golf, Cycling, & Tennis News
In international sports, Australian golfer Hannah Green secured her third successive tournament win bbc.com at the Australian WPGA Championship on the Gold Coast, demonstrating exceptional current form. Cycling saw a thrilling return to the top for Josh Kerr, who reclaimed his world indoor 3,000m title bbc.com after a significant injury layoff, completing a "world crown" comeback story. Over on the track, Great Britain's Jeremiah Azu finished fourth in the 60m at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in a race described as "one of the best 60m races of all time," narrowly missing a medal bbc.com. Adding to GB success, Mia Brookes claimed her fifth World Cup gold bbc.com in slopestyle snowboarding, putting her atop the season's standings ahead of the final event.
Rugby Union & League Updates
European rugby saw several key results, with Exeter moving into the Premiership play-off places bbc.com following a 26-14 victory over Sale at Sandy Park, while Trailfinders narrowly defeated Harlequins 21-17 in the Premiership Women's Rugby competition thanks to a late Abi Burton try Burton's try clinched the victory bbc.com. In the United Rugby Championship, Connacht produced a strong second half to secure a statement win bbc.com over Ulster, while Scarlets dominated Zebre in a basement battle, running in six tries for a bonus-point victory Scarlets swept aside Zebre bbc.com. In Rugby League Super League action, Warrington Wolves' Kelepi Tanginoa scored four tries bbc.com as the Wire moved to second place in the standings after overpowering Castleford Tigers.
Soccer & Football Managerial/Player News
Football saw major movement in the coaching ranks and on the pitch; Georgia Tech formally named former Troy coach Scott Cross espn.com as their new men's basketball head coach, while South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri departed midway through his second season espn.com, unable to match his prior success at LSU. In European football, Tadej Pogacar claimed his inaugural Milan-San Remo title bbc.com after a tight sprint against Tom Pidcock, though the women's race saw Italian rider Debora Silvestri suffer a serious crash, resulting in five broken ribs bbc.com. The football player market saw Kenny Pickett explaining his decision to join Carolina, stating he was drawn to the Panthers by coach Dave Canales in hopes of achieving his ultimate goal of an NFL starting job espn.com, while the UK's Thomas Tuchel named an expanded England squad that offers chances but also reveals pre-World Cup problems bbc.com.
Athlete Milestones & Miscellaneous Sports News
In a remarkable display of longevity and record-breaking, Australian swimmer Cameron McEvoy shattered the long-standing 50m freestyle world record bbc.com, beating a mark set during the 'supersuit' era. Meanwhile, in international cricket, 15-year-old Fanny Utagushimaninde of Rwanda became the youngest woman to score a T20 international century, achieving the feat at just 15 years and 223 days old bbc.com. In combat sports, Chinese Taipei's Olympic boxing champion Lin Yu-ting was cleared to resume competing bbc.com after successfully undergoing the sport's new sex testing protocol. College hockey saw Wisconsin defender Caroline Harvey voted as the Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award winner espn.com for the top player in women's college hockey. Finally, the NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder confirmed they will not make a White House visit espn.com during their road trip, citing "timing" issues.