SPORTS HEADLINES

Number of perfect March Madness brackets dwindles to a precious few in Day 2

The dreams of a perfect NCAA Tournament bracket have already gone bust for the vast majority of those hoping to go an improbable 63-0. ESPN reported that fewer than 1,500 unblemished brackets remained when the second day of the tournament reached its midpoint. A good two-thirds of those who entered ESPN’s women’s bracket challenge had also seen their hopes of perfection gone with the tournament just a few hours old. Prediction market outfit Kalshi says there were 83 remaining perfect brackets as Day 2 began in its $1 billion bracket contest. The odds of not missing a pick during the tournament start at one in 120 billion.

After Santa Clara and Kentucky trade 3s in thrilling finish, ‘a tough one to swallow’ for Broncos

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Santa Clara may have lost to Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday, but few will forget the way everything unfolded at the end of regulation. The two teams each hit a 3-pointer in the last 2.4 seconds, forcing them to play another five minutes in a game that the seventh-seeded Wildcats won, 89-84. The Broncos hit the first of them to take a 73-70 lead, only for Kentucky’s Otega Oweh to answer at the buzzer from right in front of his own bench to tie the game. It was a crushing loss for Santa Clara, which was making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since Steve Nash was playing there 30 years ago.

Trump issues executive order requiring CFP to avoid broadcasting conflicts with Army-Navy game

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has issued an executive order barring College Football Playoff and other postseason games from airing during the annual Army-Navy matchup in December. Trump directed the commerce secretary and the FCC chairman to coordinate with the playoff committee, the NCAA and media rights partners to ensure an exclusive broadcasting window for the storied rivalry traditionally played the second Saturday each December. Trump’s order makes reference to potential expansion of the CFP that likely would require an earlier start for the playoff. In the first two years of the 12-team format, the first-round games were the weekend after Army-Navy.

Purdue’s Braden Smith breaks Bobby Hurley’s Division I career assist record in NCAA tourney opener

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Purdue guard Braden Smith broke former Duke star Bobby Hurley’s Division I assist record with 12:11 to go in the first half of the Boilermakers’ NCAA Tournament game against Queens on Friday night. Smith picked up his second of the game and the 1,077th of his career with a feed to Trey Kaufman-Renn. The All-American already was the only player in NCAA history with at least 1,500 points, 1,000 assists and 500 career rebounds, and Smith is one of two players along with Southern’s Avery Johnson to have had at least 300 assists in two different seasons. He was a second-team AP All-American this season.

Otega Oweh’s buzzer-beater saves Kentucky in 89-84 overtime win over Santa Clara in March Madness

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Otega Oweh rescued Kentucky with a buzzer-beater from just inside half court to force overtime, then hit the tiebreaking free throws in the extra period as the seventh-seeded Wildcats beat No. 10 seed Santa Clara 89-84 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Santa Clara’s Allen Graves drained a 3 from the right wing with 2.4 seconds left to put the Broncos ahead 73-70. Oweh took the inbound pass and got his shot off just in time, and it banked in for the tie. Oweh scored a career-high 35 points for the Wildcats, who will face No. 2 seed Iowa State, a 108-74 winner over 15th-seeded Tennessee State, in the second round in the Midwest Region.

Guardians won’t have to pay Clase, Ortiz while MLB continues gambling investigation and trial looms

NEW YORK (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians won’t have to pay indicted pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz while Major League Baseball’s investigation continues into allegations of pitch-rigging for gamblers. Ortiz was placed on paid leave last July 3 and Clase on July 28, and they received their salaries while they didn’t pitch for the remainder of the season. They were indicted on federal charges on Nov. 9 and a trial is scheduled for May 4 but could be delayed. Clase has a $6 million salary in 2026, the final guaranteed season of a $20 million, five-year contract. Ortiz does not have enough service time for arbitration and makes around the minimum salary of $780,000.

Hamstring injury keeps Ronaldo out of Portugal friendlies against US and Mexico

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — A hamstring injury will keep Cristiano Ronaldo out of Portugal’s friendlies against the United States and Mexico. The 41-year-old Ronaldo hasn’t played since Feb. 28 when he limped off the field while playing for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. Portugal coach Roberto Martínez has not included the five-time Ballon d’Or winner in his squad. Portugal plays Mexico in Mexico City on March 28 and the U.S. in Atlanta on April 1.

A landmark 7-year WNBA labor deal moves forward with a signed term sheet

NEW YORK (AP) — The WNBA and its players union have reached the next step in their new collective bargaining agreement, signing a term sheet. Now they wait for ratification by the players and approval from the league’s Board of Governors. The new seven-year CBA, which will begin this season and run through 2032, represents a transformational landmark labor deal.

March Madness crosses paths with family time for High Point coaches with mom off to work

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Family matters at High Point, enough that coach Chelsea Banbury has no problem with assistant Katie Clayman missing the Panthers’ last practice before their NCAA Tournament opener. It’s March Madness. Clayman got to watch her husband win his tournament debut Thursday as the High Point men upset No. 5 seed Wisconsin in Portland, Oregon. Clayman spent Friday traveling back across the country to Nashville for the 15th-seeded Panthers’ first-round game Saturday night against No. 2 seed Vanderbilt. Banbury said there’s no direct flights and she’s been in touch with Clayman who knows what film she needs broken down before shootaround Saturday.

Lawsuit claims negligence in death of former Yankees baseball player’s son at Costa Rican resort

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A new lawsuit blames a Costa Rica resort’s owners and operators for the carbon monoxide death of former New York Yankees player Brett Gardner’s teenage son. Gardner family members filed a negligence and wrongful death lawsuit Friday in federal court in Philadelphia. The March 2025 death of 14-year-old Miller Gardner at the Arenas Del Mar resort has been attributed to carbon monoxide poisoning. Messages seeking comment were left Friday for the defendants.