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Adrian Day, president of Adrian Day Asset Management, shares his latest thoughts on what’s moving the gold price, emphasizing that its bull run isn’t over yet.

‘It’s monetary factors that are driving gold — that’s what’s fundamentally driving gold,’ he said. ‘Monetary factors, lack of trust in governments and particularly lack of trust in fiat currencies.’

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

The Government of New Brunswick announced a new comprehensive mineral strategy on Tuesday (March 3), at the 2026 Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada conference in Toronto.

The plan calls for a streamlined permitting process that will ensure clear communication and transparent timelines. Additionally, it promises a collaborative partnership with First Nations, science-based decision-making and a community-based approach to jobs, procurement and infrastructure.

Oil prices jumped significantly this week following the start of the US-led war against Iran. West Texas Intermediate has surged more than 25 percent since March first, climbing to over US$90 per barrel in trading on Friday, the first time since October 2022.

The most significant gains came on Friday, after Iran effectively stopped traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. More than 20 percent of the world’s liquefied natural gas and 25 percent of oil shipments travel through the strait.

The price rise has had a downstream effect on gas prices in Canada and the US, increasing by up to C$0.10 per liter and US$0.27 per gallon, respectively.

Over the past week, US producers have activated four additional rigs, bringing the total rig count to 411, although that total is down by 75 from the same period last year. Most companies are unlikely to rush to restart operations shuttered due to low oil prices until there is a more sustainable rise in oil prices.

Meanwhile, the war caused turmoil in bond markets as concerns over inflation and rising central bank interest rates seeped into the market. US two-year bonds rose by 18 basis points, while Britain’s rose by 43 basis points.

For more on what’s moving markets this week, check out our top market news round-up.

Markets and commodities react

Canadian equity markets were largely down this week.

The S&P/TSX Composite Index (INDEXTSI:OSPTX) fell 3.87 percent over the week to close Friday (March 6) at 33,083.72, while the S&P/TSX Venture Composite Index (INDEXTSI:JX) slipped 4.54 percent to 1,057.04.

However, the CSE Composite Index (CSE:CSECOMP) gained 1.27 percent to 178.51.

The gold price fell 3.31 percent to close at US$5,170.63 per ounce on Friday at 4:00 p.m. EST. The silver price fared worse, closing the week down 6.4 percent at US$84.30 on Friday.

In base metals, the Comex copper price recorded a 2.01 percent decrease this week to US$5.85 per pound.

The S&P Goldman Sachs Commodities Index (INDEXSP:SPGSCI) was up 16.14 percent to end Friday at 700.62.

Top Canadian mining stocks this week

How did mining stocks perform against this backdrop? Take a look at this week’s five best-performing Canadian mining stocks below.

Stocks data for this article was retrieved at 4:00 p.m. EST on Friday using TradingView’s stock screener. Only companies trading on the TSX, TSXV and CSE with market caps greater than C$10 million are included. Mineral companies within the non-energy minerals, energy minerals, process industry and producer manufacturing sectors were considered.

1. Adex Mining (TSXV:ADE)

Weekly gain: 100 percent
Market cap: C$128.67 million
Share price: C$0.19

Adex Mining is an exploration company that holds a 100 percent stake in the Mount Pleasant project in Southwest New Brunswick, Canada. The property contains two main deposits: the Fire Tower zone, which hosts tungsten and molybdenum mineralization, and the North zone, which hosts tin, zinc and indium.

The asset consists of 102 mineral claims covering 1,600 hectares, as well as equipment and facilities from historic mining operations conducted by BHP (ASX:BHP,NYSE:BHP,LSE:BHP) between 1983 and 1985.

According to its most recent investor presentation released on June 11, the property hosts the world’s largest indium reserve and North America’s largest tin deposit. Indicated resources for the North zone demonstrate contained metal values of 47 million kilograms of tin, and 789,000 kilograms of indium from 12.4 million metric tons with average grades of 0.38 percent tin and 64 parts per million indium.

Adex Mining has not released news since it published its interim management discussion and analysis on November 18.

In a mid-February interview, New Brunswick Natural Resources Minister John Herron revealed that a deal “is due imminently with a well-known company in the Canadian mining community” for Adex’s Mount Pleasant project.

While the company did not release news this week, the project may benefit from the freshly announced New Brunswick Comprehensive Mineral Strategy. The report highlights Mount Pleasant’s indium, tin and tungsten mineralization.

2. Southern Energy (TSXV:SOU)

Weekly gain: 91.67 percent
Market cap: C$29.3 million
Share price: C$0.115

Southern Energy is an oil and gas company with assets located in Mississippi, US. The majority of its production is natural gas.

Its operations are centered around the state’s Interior Salt Basin, in the northeastern Gulf Coast Region. Southern has an interest in producing wells spread across several assets, including Gwinville, Mechanicsburg and Mount Olive East.

According to a February 2026 corporate presentation, current production from the company’s wells is about 11 million cubic feet of natural gas equivalent per day, with 27.9 million barrels of oil equivalent in reserves.

The company’s most recent news came on February 12, when Southern closed a non-brokered private placement that generated proceeds of US$23.5 million. The company said the funds will be used to repay the balance of a US$12.9 million senior credit facility, with the rest being directed to development capital, including the completion of two wells in Gwinville.

The share price gains also come amid volatility in the energy market.

3. Africa Energy (TSXV:AFE)

Weekly gain: 86.67 percent
Market cap: C$165.31 million
Share price: C$0.42

Africa Energy is a South Africa focused oil and gas exploration and development company.

Its flagship asset is Block 11B/12B located approximately 175 kilometers off the south coast of South Africa. The block covers an area of 18,734 square kilometers and depths between 200 meters and 1,800 meters.

It holds a 4.9 percent interest in the asset through its investment in Main Street 1549, a 49/51 joint venture with Arostyle Investments. The three other partners in the asset announced plans to withdraw from the Block 11B/12B joint venture in July 2024, and announced a definitive agreement for the new ownership structure of the Block 11B/12B asset in May 2025.

The restructuring would result in Africa Energy owning a direct 75 percent stake in the block, with Arostyle holding the remainder. This is contingent on the asset being granted the production rights, which itself requires approval of its environmental and social impact assessment. The report must be submitted by May 2026.

Shares of Africa Energy posted gains this week amid energy market volatility.

The company has not released any news since January 26, when it announced the resignation of Dr. Phindile Masangane as Director and Head of Strategy and Business Development. She will still assist Africa Energy as a consultant.

4. Gabriel Resources (TSXV:GBU)

Weekly gain: 60 percent
Market cap: C$41.58 million
Share price: C$0.16

Gabriel Resources is a precious metals explorer and developer focused on advancing its Rosia Montana gold project. Based in Transylvania, Romania, Rosia Montana is in a region that has seen significant historic mining. Covering 2,388 hectares, the site is host to a mid-to-shallow epithermal system containing deposits of gold and silver.

The most recent resource estimate from a 2012 technical report shows proven and probable quantities of 10.1 million ounces of gold and 47.6 million ounces of silver. Gabriel has invested more than US$760 million into Rosia Montana, but has undertaken little development at the site since the early 2010s, as Romania blocked further development.

In 2015, the company entered into arbitration through the World Bank’s International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) over permitting at the site and suggested that Romania was in violation of bilateral investment treaties. In March 2024, Gabriel issued a press release with an update saying that its case against Romania had been dismissed by the ICSID, which also awarded Romania US$10 million in legal fees and expenses. Gabriel said it would review the decision with its legal team and evaluate its options.

In March 2025, Gabriel announced that the committee had ruled that a stay of enforcement of the Award would continue if Gabriel guaranteed the proven solvency of the US$10 million.

The committee was scheduled to hold hearings on January 22 and 23 of this year, but on January 19, Gabriel reported that the hearings would be postponed to a later date. A new date for the hearing has not been announced.

The company did not release news in the past week.

5. Rio Silver (TSXV:RYO)

Weekly gain: 48.05 percent
Market cap: C$41.58 million
Share price: C$1.14

Rio Silver is an exploration company advancing its Maria Norte project in Peru. The property changed hands several times in the 18 years prior to Rio Silver’s acquisition in March 2025, but saw little exploration during that time.

However, in a February 5 release, the company noted that historic mining occurred as the site hosts a reclaimed waste dump. In that announcement, the firm said it plans to advance surface mapping and sampling in the third quarter of 2026.

Throughout January, Rio Silver made several announcements regarding its exploration and development timeline. On January 6, the company reported results from technical work at the site, confirming the presence of silver mineralization with grades up to 991 g/t in a 0.7 meter channel sample.

To end the month, the company said it was launching a metallurgical program at the site to assist in determining the project’s potential value.

The most recent news came last week in a pair of releases.

The first on February 25, the company announced a new private placement to raise proceeds of up to C$3 million. Funds will be used to advance work at the Maria Norte project. The placement is being led by Sprott (TSX:SII,NYSE:SII) Founder Eric Sprott.

The second release came on February 26 when Rio reported it secured permission from the local community to begin site activities at Maria Norte. The company said it will continue working with the community to develop a formal definitive agreement for long-term exploration and mining activities.

FAQs for Canadian mining stocks

What is the difference between the TSX and TSXV?

The TSX, or Toronto Stock Exchange, is used by senior companies with larger market caps, and the TSXV, or TSX Venture Exchange, is used by smaller-cap companies. Companies listed on the TSXV can graduate to the senior exchange.

How many mining companies are listed on the TSX and TSXV?

As of December 2025, 898 mining companies and 71 oil and gas companies are listed on the TSXV, combining for more than 60 percent of the 1,531 total companies listed on the exchange.

As for the TSX, it is home to 175 mining companies and 51 oil and gas companies. The exchange has 2,089 companies listed on it in total.

Together, the TSX and TSXV host around 40 percent of the world’s public mining companies.

How much does it cost to list on the TSXV?

There are a variety of different fees that companies must pay to list on the TSXV, and according to the exchange, they can vary based on the transaction’s nature and complexity. The listing fee alone will most likely cost between C$10,000 to C$70,000. Accounting and auditing fees could rack up between C$25,000 and C$100,000, while legal fees are expected to be over C$75,000 and an underwriters’ commission may hit up to 12 percent.

The exchange lists a handful of other fees and expenses companies can expect, including but not limited to security commission and transfer agency fees, investor relations costs and director and officer liability insurance.

These are all just for the initial listing, of course. There are ongoing expenses once companies are trading, such as sustaining fees and additional listing fees, plus the costs associated with filing regular reports.

How do you trade on the TSXV?

Investors can trade on the TSXV the way they would trade stocks on any exchange. This means they can use a stock broker or an individual investment account to buy and sell shares of TSXV-listed companies during the exchange’s trading hours.

Article by Dean Belder; FAQs by Lauren Kelly.

Securities Disclosure: I, Dean Belder, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

Securities Disclosure: I, Lauren Kelly, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Listen up, flyers: United Airlines said it will start removing passengers from flights who refuse to wear headphones while listening to content on their personal devices, and such behavior could lead to a permanent ban.

The airline revised its contract of carriage on Feb. 27 to include the new provision, which sits under the ‘refusal of transport’ section that outlines the instances in which United can boot its passengers from flights.

According to the document, United reserves the right to refuse transport — on a permanent basis — to any passenger who listens to their entertainment on speaker.

It also states that any passenger who causes United ‘any loss, damage or expense of any kind,’ may be responsible for reimbursing the airline.

‘We’ve always encouraged customers to use headphones when listening to audio content — and our Wi-Fi rules already remind customers to use headphones,’ United said in a statement. ‘With the expansion of Starlink, it seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage.’

Passengers who forgot their headphones at home can request a free pair on their flight, if they’re available, according to United’s in-flight entertainment information.

The move inspired a strong reaction online.

‘One would think this is common sense and airlines would have in their rules,’ said one Reddit user. ‘Now let’s have the same rule for airline lounges.’

Others complained that this has become increasingly common on flights, especially among those with small children.

‘As a flight attendant; we have to tell people literally every flight,’ another person said on Reddit. ‘It makes our jobs harder when we’re stuck policing common courtesy instead of just focusing on service & safety.’

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS

Another record-setting night for LeBron James featured a late injury scare, as he briefly received treatment on the bench in the fourth quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers’ game against the Denver Nuggets.

James drove and hit a layup with just over 4 minutes to go, but he came down hard and immediately grasped at his elbow. The Amazon Prime cameras captured James saying ‘elbow’ and using some NSFW language as he was checked on.

Jaxson Hayes subbed in for James after the ensuing timeout and James received treatment from trainers while sitting on the bench, working his elbow area.

James’ basket had cut the Lakers’ deficit to 110-106 late. He returned to the court about two minutes later, with 2:05 on the clock and the Lakers trailing 112-111. James was removed for good with 22.3 seconds left

The Nuggets held on to win, 120-113.

Earlier in the contest, James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s NBA record for most made field goals.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fastDownload for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

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  • Former Green Bay Packers President and CEO Bob Harlan died at the age of 89.
  • Harlan’s key decisions included hiring GM Ron Wolf and spearheading the Lambeau Field renovation.
  • He is credited with remaking the franchise and setting it up for decades of success.
  • Harlan also made the tough call to end the tradition of playing home games in Milwaukee.

GREEN BAY, WI − Bob Harlan was the architect of today’s Green Bay Packers. His decisions during 18½ years as leader of the organization remade the franchise on and off the field.

Robert E. “Bob” Harlan died March 5 at age 89 at St. Mary’s Hospital in Green Bay.

He came across as an avuncular friend to everyone, but behind the genial façade was a leader who did not hesitate to make hard decisions, such as when he decided the team would no longer play games in Milwaukee, decided at the last minute that John Jones should not lead the organization because of medical reasons, and stripped general manager and head coach Mike Sherman of his GM duties.

His most controversial move was to seek a 0.5% Brown County-only sales tax to renovate Lambeau Field. The project, completed in 2003, made the Packers one of the NFL’s elite franchises on and off the field.

Before that, his decision in 1991 to give general manager Ron Wolf control of football operations led to two Super Bowl appearances and one victory, and set the model for football operations for 27 years, during which the Packers were one of the most successful teams in the NFL.

Harlan joined the Packers on June 1, 1971, as a player-contract negotiator after six years with the World Series-winning St. Louis Cardinals. Before that he was sports information director for his alma mater, Marquette University in Milwaukee, which included one year with legendary coach Al McGuire. Harlan might be the only person to have both World Series and Super Bowl championship rings.

Harlan’s duties with the Packers increased year to year until he was named president and CEO on June 5, 1989. His first significant move was to fire Tom Braatz in mid-season in 1991 and hire Wolf as general manager and undisputed head of football operations.

Wolf hired Mike Holmgren as coach, traded for Brett Favre and signed free agent Reggie White.

The team won a Super Bowl in 1997 and lost one in ’98. The Packers were 261-154-1, a 63% winning percentage, from 1992-2017.

“The Packers family was saddened to learn of the passing of Bob Harlan,” Packers president and CEO Ed Policy said in a release. “Bob was a visionary leader whose impact on the franchise was transformational. From his inspired hiring of Ron Wolf to turn around the club’s on-field fortunes to his tireless work to redevelop Lambeau Field, Bob restored the Packers to competitive excellence during his tenure and helped ensure our unique and treasured flagship NFL franchise was on sound footing for sustained generational success.

“We send our deepest sympathies to his wife, Madeline, and the entire Harlan family.”

Tom Murphy, vice president and former archivist for the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, said Harlan would be near the top of his list for most influential Packers executives.

“Bob Harlan and Ron Wolf have to be right up there with Lambeau and Lombardi,” he said. “I don’t know why he’s not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

Murphy said Harlan’s hiring of Wolf and his work in getting the sales tax passed for the 2003 renovation of Lambeau Field were among the most important actions in franchise history.

“He did that, probably, at the peril of his own health. He was under great pressure and that was a pretty close vote,” Murphy said.

Harlan said in his 2007 memoir, “Green and Golden Moments, Bob Harlan and the Green Bay Packers,” that winning the 1997 Super Bowl was his proudest football moment “because even some diehard Packers fans in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s thought it was never going to happen again.”

Harlan was humble and self-effacing, but anyone who misread that for softness was badly mistaken. Professionally, Harlan always made the best interests of the Green Bay Packers a priority. He made the tough decisions, probably none more difficult than his last-minute decision to recommend that John Jones, his chosen successor as Packers president, be replaced for health reasons.

In June 2006, Jones underwent heart surgery to correct a dissected aorta, during which he suffered a stroke that affected his short-term memory and physical stamina.

The Packers made Mark Murphy president and CEO, instead, after asking Harlan to remain at the helm for one year beyond the mandatory retirement age of 70.

Harlan said his greatest accomplishments were hiring Wolf and Ted Thompson as general managers and passing the Lambeau Field renovation sales tax.

“People talk about a window of opportunity for a football team to succeed,” he wrote in his memoir. “Well, we had a window of opportunity to get the stadium done. I think God tapped me on the shoulder one day and said, ‘You’d better do it right now and get it over with.’ And we did. Now it’s in place for the future, and we can move forward. If we didn’t have the stadium, there wouldn’t be a future.”

Harlan said passing the 0.5% sales tax to pay for the 2003 renovation of Lambeau field saved the Packers, but it was also the hardest thing he’d ever done. So hard, he started his memoir talking about how his wife, Madeline, told him to stop reading letters to the editor on the subject. In that regard, he was fortunate that window opened before the advent of social media.

Harlan said the referendum campaign, which the Packers won with 53% of the vote, was a nightmare.

“… you can’t imagine how bad a nightmare it is until you live through it. People kept saying to me, ‘Bob, you’re the only one who can win this for us.’

“And I kept thinking, ‘Well, if we lose it, I’m also the guy who’s going to lose it for the franchise.’ That weighed on me a great deal.”

He also directed the Packers fourth-ever stock sale in 1997, which aided in the 2003 renovation.

Because of that renovation, the Packers could expand Lambeau Field and launch the Titletown District, the total of which cost more than the 2003 renovation and was done without taxpayer dollars.

Harlan was born in Des Moines, Iowa, on Sept. 9, 1936. His father, Sy Harlan, was the president of a trucking company, but died at age 56. Harlan said his mother, Alice, was a huge influence in his life because his dad traveled a lot and she was the one guiding his upbringing.

Harlan was a tough character when he needed to be, but when his mother died in 2000, he was unwilling to return to his family home, as his wife Madeline explained in his book.

“He was exceptionally close to his mother. Whereas his father was extremely successful and someone to emulate, his mother was probably the one who had more to do with forming his values,” she wrote. “Then there was the selling of her house after the funeral. Bob never went back to that house.”

Harlan was known for personally answering his phone at Lambeau Field and returning all calls, especially if they were from fans or stockholders. Those calls often enough resulted in Harlan getting an earful about something the Packers allegedly were doing wrong, but he believed it was his responsibility to hear them out.

“When I talk to one fan there’s a good chance that he’ll go tell 20 other people about it,” Harlan wrote. “So I’m not just talking to one fan, I’m talking to 21 … Public relations is very important to the Green Bay Packers, and there’s never going to be a day when it’s not important.”

Harlan made the decision to play all Packers home games at Lambeau Field, after three regular-season games were played in Milwaukee for decades. He worked on the plan alone for months before he started telling people, including his own executive committee. Harlan said it was a hard decision, but came off with much less controversy than he expected.

When Harlan made decisions, he often did so on his own. He said that when he took a decision to the executive board, he looked for its support, not its permission.

Harlan, by nature and position as Packers president, could be persuasive. When he appointed his first new executive committee members in 11 years, the Packers suggested the new members would be available for interviews. One of them, however, had a long-running dispute with the Press-Gazette and vowed to never again talk to its reporters, a position he maintained for four years. Harlan said he’d take care of it, and he did. The interview was done, without rancor, and that board member ever after was a good source and available for interviews.

In his book, Harlan made the astounding claim at the beginning of one chapter that he never paid for a ticket to a Green Bay Packers game, even when he was in college at Marquette University. He would sneak through a hole in the fence at County Stadium in Milwaukee and once in Green Bay placed himself in the middle of a group of people and just walked into the stadium.

After retiring from the Packers, Harlan served on the board of directors of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame.

Harlan is survived by his wife, Madeline, and three sons, Kevin, Mike and Bryan. Kevin is an award-winning sports broadcaster, and granddaughter Olivia Harlan Dekker is a college and NFL reporter.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

March Madness is ramping up in the women’s college basketball conference tournaments.

The 2026 NCAA Tournament begins on March 18 and the conference tournaments will go a long way in figuring who is in and who is out. Conference tournament winners get an automatic an bid. Every other team will have to sweat it out on Selection Sunday on March 15 to see if they received at-large bid.

Thursday saw a boatload of upsets, but none bigger than Maryland’s loss to Oregon and Michigan State’s to Illinois. Both teams had been projected to be in the top 16 seeds and host first- and second-round games. Being upset in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament leaves to door ajar for Kentucky, WVU and UNC to host instead.

USA TODAY Sports is following along with the Power Four conference tournaments. Follow along for live updates, highlights and results here:

Final: Colorado 55, Kansas 48

Colorado was the only high seed to advance in the Big 12 Tournament on Thursday in Kansas City. The Buffs did it by defeating Kansas in a low-scoring affair.

Neither team shot the ball particularly well, with Kansas at 36% from the field and Colorado 39%. The difference came from behind the arc, where the Buffs were 6-of-14, compared to 2-of-11 for the Jayhawks.

Logyn Greer and Desiree Wooton scored 10 points each for Colorado, which advances to play Baylor in the quarterfinals at 9 p.m. ET Friday.

S’Mya Nichols had 14 points to lead the Jayhawks. −Heather Burns

Final: Oregon 73, Maryland 68

Oregon is the second double-digit seed to advance to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, following in No. 10 Illinois’ lead.

Oregon and Maryland traded the lead for much of the second half before Oregon got a six-point advantage with four minutes left. Maryland had multiple opportunities to take the game, including a transition layup off a steal with to tie the game with two minutes left, but a massive block from Ehis Etute kept the Ducks in the lead. 

Etute finished the game with a team-leading 20 points, along with 10 rebounds and three blocks.

Maryland was the No. 13 seed in the NCAA’s latest top-16 seed, slated to host the first rounds of the NCAA Tournament in College Park. This loss could affect the Terrapins’ standing as a host.

Oregon will now play No. 4 Michigan at 9 p.m. ET on Friday. The Ducks will be playing their third game in three days, while Michigan will be playing for the first time since Feb. 28. −Chloe Peterson

Halftime: Colorado 26, Kansas 18

Colorado held Kansas to 18 points in the first half and have an eight point lead at halftime.

The Jayhawks are shooting a dismal 25% from the field and 1-of-4 from the 3-point line. S’Mya Nichols has a team-high nine points, recording half of Kansas’ points in the first half. Libby Fandel added four points, while Sania Copeland has three.

Tabitha Betson and Anaelle Dutat each have five points for Colorado, who is shooting 41% from the field and 3-of-8 from the 3-point line. − Cydney Henderson

Final: Alabama 76, Tennessee 64

Jessica Timmons scored 23 points and Ta’Mia Scott had 20 as the Crimson Tide defeated the Lady Vols in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday night in Greenville, South Carolina.

No. 11 Alabama (23-9) moves onto the quarterfinals and will face No. 2 Texas on Friday night (8:30 p.m. ET, SEC Network).

It’s the seventh consecutive loss for No. 6 Tennessee (16-11) which looked disjointed throughout the game, committing 18 turnovers and shooting 38% from the floor. Kim Caldwell’s squad isn’t in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament — it’s still 21st in NET, 30th in WAB and has five Quad 1 wins — but this loss could give the selection committee a reason to demote them in seeding.

The win for Alabama is in Quad 1, making them 5-7 in such games this season. The Crimson Tide also got 10 points from Essence Cody in the win.

Janiah Barker led Tennessee in scoring with 20 points. Tennessee’s press generated four steals and defensive mistakes put Alabama on the free throw line 19 times where it sank 16 attempts.

The Crimson Tide never trailed and led by as much as 17 points. − Mitchell Northam

Halftime: Maryland 32, Oregon 31

It’s been back and forth between Maryland and Oregon in the first half; the lead has changed hands six times. Both teams have had issues taking care of the ball, too, with 18 combined turnovers.

Avary Cain is leading the Ducks with 10 points, while Oluchi Okananwa has 10 points for the Terrapins. − Chloe Peterson

Final: Virginia Tech 62, Georgia Tech 54

The Hokies only scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, but it was enough to advance to the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, where they will take on North Carolina. Carleigh Wenzel’s late 3-pointer with two minutes left effectively sealed the Hokies’ 10-point lead, which became too much for Georgia Tech to overcome. Wenzel lead Virginia Tech with 15 points. Mackenzie Nelson added another 14 points, nine rebounds, six assists, two steals and a block.

The Yellow Jackets, who had a ‘super seven’ rotation, ran out of steam late. At one point, Georgia Tech didn’t score for more than five minutes. Having La’Nya Foster in foul trouble didn’t help, either. Talayah Walker’s 20 points, 12 of which came in the third quarter,  also weren’t enough. Making matters worse, Georgia Tech also had 17 turnovers, which gave Virginia Tech 24 points.

Georgia Tech says they would accept any opportunities to play in the WBIT or WNIT. “They deserve an opportunity to get a postseason experience. I hope they can,” Georgia Tech coach Karen Blair said. − Meghan L. Hall

No. 11 Kansas vs. No. 6 Colorado, 9:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Kansas starting lineup

Head coach: Brandon Schneider

  • 12 S’Mya Nichols | G 6-0 – Junior
  • 13 Libby Fandel | G 6-1 – Freshman
  • 22 Sania Copeland | G 5-7 – Senior
  • 25 Jaliya Davis | F 6-2 – Freshman
  • 52 Lilly Meister | F 6-3 – Senior

Colorado starting lineup

Head coach: JR Payne

  • 1 Zyanna Walker | G 5-11 – Junior
  • 13 Maeve McErlane | G 5-11 – Junior
  • 14 Jade Masogayo | F 6-3 – Senior
  • 15 Anaelle Dutat | F 6-0 – Senior
  • 17 Tabitha Betson | F 6-2 – Sophomore

Halftime: Alabama 39, Tennessee 29

Jessica Timmons has 12 points as the Crimson Tide lead the Lady Vols at halftime on Thursday night in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina.

Tennessee is staring at what would be its seventh straight loss at the break. Kim Caldwell’s squad isn’t in danger of missing the NCAA Tournament — it’s still 21st in NET, 30th in WAB and has five Quad 1 wins — but another loss would certainly give the selection committee a reason to slot the Lady Vols at a worse seed.

The Lady Vols have turned the ball over 12 times, which Alabama has flipped into 12 points. The Crimson Tide are also outscoring Tennessee in the paint, 24-10.

No. 3 Texas will face the winner of this game at 8:30 p.m. ET on Friday night. − Mitchell Northam

Georgia Tech still competing against Virginia Tech, closes gap

Georgia Tech won the third quarter 23-21, closing Virginia Tech’s once 11-point lead in the period to four points. The Yellow Jackets shot 44% from the field to close the game before the fourth quarter, led by 12 points from Talayah Walker. −Meghan L. Hall

Binghamton wins on buzzer-beater in America East Tournament

Binghamton survived an upset bid from Bryant in the America East Tournament on Thursday night thanks to Bella Pucci, who sank a floater at the buzzer to give the Bearcats a 45-44 victory.

Pucci caught an inbounds pass near the top of the key with 5.8 seconds remaining, drove left around one defender and then hard into a second, then created some space and lofted up a shot. The buzzer sounded as the ball fell through the net and the Bearcats dogpiled on the court as fans rushed the floor.

Binghamton is seeded third in the America East Tournament and Bryant was the No. 6 seed. Pucci — a 5-foot-9 junior guard from Rochester, New York — finished with nine points, five rebounds and four assists.

The Bearcats’ next opponent is to be determined, as the America East Tournament reseeds teams in the semifinal round. − Mitchell Northam

Final: Arizona State 77, Iowa State 68

Arizona State needed a win on Thursday to keep their March Madness hopes alive. The Sun Devils entered the Big 12 women’s basketball tournament on the bubble as one of the first four teams out, according to USA TODAY Sports’ latest bracketology.

A win is what they got. Arizona State staved off Iowa State’s comeback and defeated the Cyclones in a wire-to-wire victory on Thursday in Kansas City.

Arizona State led by as many as 16 points in the fourth quarter, but Iowa State cut its deficit to singe digits with 5:10 remaining in the game. A 3-pointer from Addy Brown brought Iowa State within six points with 1:41 remaining.

Gabby Elliot fouled out with 31 seconds remaining, but finished with a near triple-double for the Sun Devils. She had a game-high 22 points, shooting 7-of-17 from the field and 2-of-3 from the 3-point line, in addition to 10 rebounds and eight assists. Heloisa Carrera added 17 points, while McKinna Brackens recorded 16 points and six rebounds in the win.

Arizona State can credit its defense just as much as its offense for the win. They held Audi Crooks in check in the first half with only four points. She broke out and scored 17 of her 21 points in the second half, but couldn’t pull off the comeback. Brown added a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Kenzie Hare 12 points. − Cydney Henderson

No. 11 Oregon vs. No. 6 Maryland, 9 p.m. | Big Ten Network

Oregon starting lineup

Head coach: Kelly Graves

  • 2 Katie Fiso | G 5-11 Sophomore
  • 14 Ari Long | G  6-0 Junior
  • 3 Sofia Bell | G 6-0 Junior
  • 1 Mia Jacobs | F 6-2 Senior
  • 35 Ehis Etute | F 6-0 Freshman

Maryland starting lineup

Head coach: Brenda Frese

  • 3 Addi Mack | G 5-9 Freshman
  • 6 Saylor Poffenbarger | G 6-2 Senior
  • 7 Oluchi Okananwa | G 5-10 Junior
  • 10 Mir McLean | G 5-11 Graduate student
  • 12 Yarden Garzon | G 6-3 Senior

No. 11 Alabama vs. No. Tennessee, 8:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network

Alabama starting lineup

Head coach: Kristy Curry

  • 21 Essence Cody | F 6-4 Junior
  • 20 Diana Collins | G 5-9 Junior
  • 15 Ta’Mia Scott | G 6-0 Senior
  • 22 Karly Weathers | G 5-11 Senior
  • 23 Jessica Timmons | G 5-8 Senior

Tennessee starting lineup

Head coach: Kim Caldwell

  • 0 Janiah Barker | F 6-4 Senior
  • 1 Nya Robertson G 5-7 Senior
  • 11 Zee Spearman | F 6-4 Senior
  • 33 Alyssa Latham | F 6-2 Junior
  • 55 Talaysia Cooper | G 6-0 Junior

Final: Illinois 71, Michigan State 69

No. 10-seed Illinois has won two games in two days and is on its way to the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals. 

Illinois beat Wisconsin on the opening day of the tournament Wednesday, then took down No. 7 Michigan State, a team projected to host the NCAA Tournament, Thursday.

Illinois led by seven points  at halftime and fended off multiple Michigan State runs throughout the second half. Michigan State had the ball, down two points with 9.5 seconds left and attempted to run a set play to tiee. An errant pass, however, gave Michigan State an unforced turnover at the worst time.

Illinois got the ball back with 1.6 seconds left and managed to avoid a foul for long enough to seal a two-point win. Kennedy Blair had 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting for the Illini.

Illinois will now play No. 2 Iowa in the quarterfinals at 6:30 p.m. on Friday − Chloe Peterson

Halftime: Virginia Tech 29, Georgia Tech 23

Virginia Tech scored 22 points in the second quarter to take a 29-23 lead at halftime. Over the course of nearly seven minutes, the Hokies went on a 17-2 run to erase Georgia Tech’s 10-point lead. The Yellow Jackets scored six points in the period, and let Virginia Tech score 15 points off nine turnovers.

Virginia Tech’s Carleigh Wenzel and Carys Baker lead all scorers with seven points each. −Meghan L. Hall

Addy Brown in foul trouble

Iowa State junior forward Addy Brown is headed to the bench with two seconds remaining in the third quarter after picking up her fourth foul. Brown was called for a foul as Arizona State’s Gabby Elliot drove to the basket. Elliot made the layup through contact and converted the and-one free throw to go up 60-46 over Iowa State. Brown has 10 points, while Elliott has 20 in the Big 12 Tournament matchup. − Cydney Henderson

Final: Ole Miss 73, Auburn 57

Christeen Iwuala scored 18 points to lead the Rebels over the Tigers on Thursday night in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina.

Iwuala also grabbed nine rebounds and shot a perfect 8-of-8 from the floor for the Rebels (22-10), who snapped a four-game losing streak. Cotie McMahon added 13 points and six assists for Ole Miss.

Ole Miss won comfortably despite 22 turnovers. The Rebels won the rebounding battle by 17, shot 7-of-13 from 3-point land and outscored Auburn 36-26 in the paint.

No. 2 Vanderbilt will face Ole Miss at 6 p.m. ET Friday on the SEC Network. − Mitchell Northam

Georgia Tech has 10 point lead after first quarter vs. Virginia Tech

The Yellow Jackets are 47% from the field and held the Hokies to 17% shooting. Georgia Tech already has 10 paint points and leads 17-7 after the first quarter quarter at the ACC Tournament. −Meghan L. Hall

Syracuse coach says Orange will play through injuries

During its win over Cal, the Orange suffered two injuries. Dominique Darius collided with Cal’s Mjracle Sheppard in the third quarter, and late in the fourth, Olivia Schmitt had to be helped off the court after she got caught under a flare screen. Syracuse Felisha Legette-Jack says the team will be prepared to play Louisville on Friday.

‘I told [Dominique Darius] she’s got two hands; play with the other one. She’s going to have to play, and she will play. [Olivia Schmitt] is going to have to play, and we’ll figure it all out,’ Syracuse coach Felisha Legette-Jack said.

‘It’s just next person up. My prayer is that they’re healthy enough to go again against an incredibly good team in Louisville. If not, we’re just going to have to give Louisville our best effort with the people that can go.’ −Meghan L. Hall

Gabby Elliott scores eight straight points

Arizona State senior guard Gabby Elliott is heating up. She scored eight points against Iowa State in less than a minute, including back-to-back 3-pointers. Elliot is up to 15 points and her shooting spree gave Arizona State a 41-20 advantage over Iowa State with 7:33 remaining in the third quarter. − Cydney Henderson

Halftime: Arizona State 33, Iowa State 25

Arizona State led by as many as 15 points in the first half after an explosive start, but Iowa State settled in and cut its deficit to eight by halftime.

Sophomore forward Heloisa Carrera was the hot hand early for Arizona State and recorded 12 points in the first quarter, but she was limited to seven minutes in the first half with two fouls.

Arizona State’s defense has smothered Iowa State center Audi Crooks, holding her to four points at the free throw line. Crooks (0-of-1) is looking for her first field goal of the day. Addy Brown has a team-high eight points and seven rebounds, but it hasn’t been pretty. Brown is shooting 2-of-9 from the field and 1-of-7 from the 3-point line.

Iowa State must take care of the ball if they want to get back into this game. Ten Cyclones turnovers have led to 14 points for the Sun Devils. Arizona State is 22-4 this season when leading at halftime. − Cydney Henderson

Halftime: No. 10 Illinois 36, No. 7 Michigan State 29

Cearah Parchment is leading the charge for Illinois, putting up 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half.

Michigan State was dismal beyond the arc in the first, going 0-for-7 from 3-point range. Kennedy Blair is keeping the Spartans in the game with 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting. − Chloe Peterson

No. 11 Georgia Tech vs. No 6 Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m. ET | ACCN

Virginia Tech Hokies starting lineup

Head coach: Megan Duffy

  • 0 Kilah Freelon | F 6-1 – Senior
  • 1 Carleigh Wenzel | G 6-0 – Junior
  • 2 Leila Wells | G 5-9 – Sophomore
  • 3 Mackie Nelson | G 5-8 – Sophomore
  • 10 Carys Baker | F 6-2 – Junior

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets starting lineup

Head coach: Karen Blair

  • 3 Erica Moon | G 5-6 – Sophomore
  • 21 Talayah Walker | G 5-10 – Sophomore
  • 23 La’Nya Foster | G 5-10 – Junior
  • 0 Brianna Turnage | G 6-1- Senior
  • 20 Ariadna Termis | C 6-6 – Senior

Final: Syracuse 70, Cal 59

Syracuse dominated the first half and Cal fought back in the third quarter and parts of the fourth, but they couldn’t pull out the win. After getting Syracuse’s once 21-point lead down to four, Uche Izoje delivered with huge baskets to push the lead back up to eight. Izoje finished with 23 points. The Orange survived to advance to the ACC Tournament quarterfinals against No. 2 Louisville on Friday.

Despite 21 turnovers, Syracuse finished with a 47% shooting percentage from the field and 40% from deep.

The win did yield some injuries. At the 6:43 of the third quarter, Dominique Darius collided with Cal’s Mjracle Sheppard and would not return to the game. Then, with 18 seconds remaining in regulation, Olivia Schmitt had to be helped off the court after she got caught under a flare screen. Schmitt was visibly crying and could not put any weight on her legs. She was carried off by Syracuse staff. As Schmitt was being helped, Syracuse fans in the crowd screamed ‘Do your job!’ toward the officiating crew.

Cal finished the matchup shooting 38% from the field with 21 turnovers. Sakima Walker led the Golden Bears with 19 points and five rebounds. Lulu Twidale added 14 points. Cal says they would accept WBIT/WNIT invitation. −Meghan L. Hall

Arizona State has 17-2 lead vs. Iowa State

Iowa State opened the Big 12 tournament with a second round matchup against Arizona State and the Cyclones appeared to have some early jitters. Iowa State started the game 1-of-7 from the field and gave up six early turnovers, which led to nine points for the Sun Devils. Iowa State quickly found themselves in a 17-2 hole with 3:14 remaining in the first quarter. Heloisa Carrera has 12 of Arizona State’s 17 points. − Cydney Henderson

Halftime: Ole Miss 48, Auburn 20

Behind 11 points from Cotie McMahon, Ole Miss was running away from Auburn at halftime of their second round SEC Tournament clash on Thursday evening in Greenville, South Carolina.

Ole Miss made 6-of-9 3-pointers in the first half and was winning the rebounding margin 23-7. Christeen Iwuala also has 10 points for the Rebels, while no Tigers have reached double figures yet.

The winner of this game will face No. 2 Vanderbilt at 6 p.m. ET. on Friday. − Mitchell Northam

Raegan Beers reaches milestone in Oklahoma’s win over Florida

Oklahoma center Raegan Beers tallied 18 points and seven rebounds on Thursday afternoon in the Sooners’ 82-64 victory over Florida in the second round of the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina. The senior reached two milestones with 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in her career.

Beers is the third Oklahoma player to reach those marks, joining Courtney Paris and Molly McGuire, but she is the only active player in Division I women’s college basketball this season to own at least 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career. The win over the Gators also marked the 100th start of Beers’ career.

She was quick to credit her teammates for helping her eclipse the historic scoring total.

“It’s really, really cool. It’s sometimes seen as an individual achievement. But I’m a post, so I don’t necessarily create a lot of my own shots. So all of my shots come from great passes from my guards,” Beers said. “I’m so thankful for the group that I got to achieve that with, and excited for our run that we’re going to keep going on.”

While Beers was answering that question in the postgame news conference, Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk just smiled.

“Yeah, that’s Raegan,” Baranczyk said. “Sometimes you don’t get to see that with Raegan, right? Because you see her as this fierce player on the floor, and she’s posting up, and she’s strong. You don’t always get to see her heart, but her heart is a pretty amazing heart.”

Beers, who started her career at Oregon State before joining the Sooners via the transfer portal, is averaging 16.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game this season. She ranks seventh nationally in shooting with a 61.7% mark from the field.

No. 5 Oklahoma will face No. 4 LSU in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals on Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. − Mitchell Northam

No. 10 Arizona State vs. No. 7 Iowa State, 6:30 p.m. | ESPN+

Arizona State Sun Devils starting lineup

Head coach: Molly Miller

  • 0 Gabby Elliott | G 5-10 – Senior
  • 11 Marley Washenitz | G 5-7 – Senior
  • 13 Last-Tear Poa |  G 5-11 – Senior
  • 14 Heloisa Carrera | F 6-2 – Sophomore
  • 21 McKinna Brackens | F 6-1 – Junior

Iowa State Cyclones starting lineup

Head coach: Bill Fennelly

  • 2 Arianna Jackson | G 5-9 – Junior
  • 8 Jada Williams | G 5-8 – Junior
  • 12 Kenzie Hare |  G 5-9 – Junior
  • 24 Addy Brown | F 6-2 – Junior
  • 55 Audi Crooks | C 6-3 – Junior

Cal fights back against Syracuse

Syracuse’s lead was as high as 21 in the third quarter. But after the period finished, the Orange cut it to 10 points, thanks a barrage from Sakima Walker and AliyahnaPuff’ Morris. Walker leads the Golden Bears with 13 points. −Meghan L. Hall

No. 10 Illinois vs. No. 7 Michigan State, 6:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network

Illinois starting lineup

Head coach: Shauna Green

  • 1 Aaliyah Guyton | G 5-7 Sophomore
  • 2 Destiny Jackson | G 5-6 Freshman
  • 8 Jasmine Brown-Hagger | G 5-9 Junior
  • 23 Berry Wallace | F 6-1 Junior
  • 30 Cearah Parchment | F 6-3 Freshman

Michigan State starting lineup

Head coach: Robyn Fralick

  • 1 Rashunda Jones | G 5-8 Junior
  • 23 Jalyn Brown | G 6-1 Senior
  • 35 Kennedy Blair | G 5-9 Sophomore
  • 14 Grace VanSlooten | F 6-3 Senior
  • 10 Ines Sotelo | C 6-3 Sophomore

Syracuse, Cal starters exit ACC matchup after on-court collision

At the 6:43 mark of the third quarter, Syracuse’s Sophie Burrows was advancing the ball up the court. Burrows tried to pass the ball to Dominique Darius, but it was intercepted by Cal’s Mjracle Sheppard. As Sheppard stole the ball, she collided with Darius in midair. The collision sent both players to the floor. Darius and Sheppard were both in clear pain as they lay on the floor, attended to by training staff.

It’s unclear what injuries may have occurred from the collision, but Darius said her finger and knee hurt. Both Darius and Sheppard exited the court moments later, after being helped to their feet by training staff.

Sheppard returned to the bench for Syracuse. Darius was ruled out for the rest of the game. −Meghan L. Hall

No. 15 Auburn vs No. 7 Texas A&M, 6 p.m. ET | SEC Network

Auburn Tigers starting lineup

Head coach: Larry Vickers

  • 1 Mya Petticord | G 5-9 Senior
  • 2 Ja’Mia Harris | G 5-11 Junior
  • 3 Harissoum Coulibaly | G 5-10 Freshman
  • 4 Kaitlyn Duhon | G 5-10 Junior
  • 6 Khady Leye | F 6-2 Sophomore

Ole Miss Rebels starting lineup

Head coach: Yolett McPhee-McCuin

  • 21 Debreasha Powe | G 6-1 Senior
  • 35 Tianna Thompson | G 5-10 Sophomore
  • 4 Jayla Murray | F 6-1 Senior
  • 12 Christeen Iwuala| F 6-3 Senior
  • 32 Cotie McMahon | F 6-0 Senior

Halftime: Syracuse 37, Cal 16

The California Golden Bears might not want to remember the first half of their matchup against Syracuse. After eight turnovers alone in the first period, Cal did not hit 10 points until the 7:04 mark of the second quarter. By the time halftime arrived, the Bears were shooting 25% from the field and had 10 turnovers.

Syracuse’s defensive intensity was a problem for Cal from the opening tip, and its punishing shots on the other end made for a very long first half for the Golden Bears. At halftime, the Orange are shooting 53% from the field and already have two players in double figures. Uche Izoje leads all scorers with 12 points, five rebounds, three blocks and a steal. −Meghan L. Hall

Syracuse felt good ahead of ACC matchup with Cal

Syracuse was feeling light and jovial before its Thursday matchup against Cal. The team broke out a ‘Remember The Titans’ inspired stroll before arriving at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. −Meghan L. Hall

Syracuse off to hot start vs. Cal

Syracuse started Thursday’s matchup against Cal with intensity and pace. The Orange went on a 9-0 run to open the game, and were up 13-4 before a timeout was called at the 4:39 mark in the first quarter. Syracuse’s run was powered by Sophie Burrows (five points) and ACC Rookie of the Year Uche Izoje (six points). −Meghan L. Hall

Final: BYU 70, Utah 52

It was a tale of two halves. The first half belonged to Utah, but the second half was all BYU on Thursday at the Big 12 Tournament.

Utah outscored BYU 36-27 in the first half and had a nine point lead at halftime, but the Cougars settled in and turned it on in the second half. BYU outscored Utah 43-16.

BYU’s Delaney Gibb scored 12 of her team-high 19 points in the second half. She rounded out her stat line with eight assists, five rebounds and four steals. Brinley Cannon and Lara Rohkohl each added 12 points.

Lani White was the only Utes player to reach double digits with 20 points. Maty Wilke added eight points in the loss. −Cydney Henderson

Final: No. 5 Ohio State 83, No. 13 Indiana 59

After a slow start, Ohio State methodically built up a commanding lead through the final three quarters against Indiana in the Big Ten Tournament.

Jaloni Cambridge finished with 19 points, eight rebounds, and six assists for the Buckeyes, while Chance Gray added 16 points.

The Hoosiers had to fight through foul trouble for most of the game, as Lenee Beaumont picked up four fouls in the first half. She still managed to finish with six points and seven rebounds, going the entire second half without a foul.Ohio State will move on to play No. 4 Minnesota at 2:30 p.m. on Friday. −Chloe Henderson

No. 10 Cal vs. No. 7 Syracuse – 5 p.m. ET | ACC Network

Syracuse Orange starting lineup

Head coach: Felisha Legette-Jack

  • 20 Dominique Darius | G 5-10 – Senior
  • 5 Laila Phelia | G 6-0 – Senior
  • 14 Shy Hawkins | G 6-2 – Sophomore
  • 2 Journey Thompson | F 6-3 – Senior
  • 44 Uche Izoje | C 6-3 – Freshman

California Golden Bears starting lineup

Head coach: Charmin Smith

  • 1 Mjracle Sheppard | G 5-10 – Junior
  • 10 Lulu Twidale | G 5-10 – Junior
  • 21 Gisella Maul | G 5-11 – Junior
  • 22 Claudia Langarita | F 6-4 – Senior
  • 35 Sakima Walker | C 6-5 – Senior

BYU goes on 15-0 run vs. Utah

Back and forth we go. BYU trailed by as many as 11 points in the third quarter, but the Cougars responded with a 15-0 run to retake the lead, 51-45. BYU’s run was capped off by a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Olivia Hamlin. BYU outscored Utah 24-7 in the third quarter and the Utes find themselves down eight points heading into the fourth quarter. −Cydney Henderson

Final: Oklahoma 82, Florida 64

Oklahoma’s Reagan Beers and Aaliyah Chavez combined for 35 points in the Sooners’ 82-64 win over Florida on Thursday at the SEC Tournament. Zya Vann (14) and Brooklyn Stewart (12) also reached double-digits for the Sooners.

Oklahoma shot a dismal 4-of-19 from the 3-point line, but they didn’t need the long ball for the win over Florida. Instead, the Sooners dominated the paint, where they outscored the Gators 48-32. Oklahoma also took advantage 24 Florida turnovers, which the Sooners converted to 23 points.

Florida’s Liv McGill had a game-high 28 points in the losing effort. Me’Arah O’Neal added 10 points and three rebounds. − Cydney Henderson

Halftime: Utah 36 , BYU 27

Utah closed the first half on a 17-2 run to take a nine-point lead over BYU into halftime, the largest by either team so far.

Lani White has led the charge for Utah. She’s up to 16 points, shooting 5-of-10 from the field and 2-of-5 from the 3-point line. Maty Wilke added six points and Chyra Evans seven rebounds. Utah outscored BYU 19-5 in the second quarter.

Brinley Cannon has a team-high nine points for BYU, while Kambree Barber and Delaney Gibb each have seven points.  − Cydney Henderson 

Final: Notre Dame, 69 Miami 54

Notre Dame and Miami both shot 46% on Thursday, but Miami’s 18 turnovers were the difference. The Fighting Irish capitalized on the giveaways by the Hurricanes, scoring 23 points. Defense and a 28-point outing from Hannah Hidalgo helped Notre Dame move on to the quarterfinals on Friday against No. 4 NC State.

For Miami, early foul trouble from leading scorer Ra Shaya Kyle didn’t help the Hurricanes’ woes. Kyle scored her standard double-double, which she averages of 11 points and 15 rebounds, but it was not enough to get past Notre Dame. Teammate Gal Raviv tried her hardest to help, too, but her 15 points fell short as well. −Meghan L. Hall

Halftime: Ohio State 36, Indiana 24

Ohio State recovered from a slow start for an explosive second quarter to open a double-digit lead over Indiana at halftime. 

The Buckeyes have 11 offensive rebounds that they’ve turned into 14 second-chance points, and they’re outrebounding the Hoosiers 25-18. Chance Gray has 11 points for Ohio State, and second-team All-American Jaloni Cambridge has 10.

Indiana, which is running a right six-player rotation, is trying to work through significant foul trouble. Lenee Beaumont already has four fouls, which she picked up in 15 minutes, and Nevaeh Caffey has three fouls in 16 minutes.

Shay Ciezki is leading the Hoosiers with 10 points on 5-of-12 shooting.

USC hopeful Jazzy Davidson will ‘be OK with some rest’

Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson went down with an apparent arm injury early in USC’s Big Ten Tournament loss to Washington on Thursday afternoon.

Five minutes into the game, Davidson was hit in front of the USC bench while running up the backcourt in transition. She was immediately surrounded by USC coaches and medical staff as she grabbed her shoulder, looking to be in pain.

She then went to the locker room, holding her right arm, as officials reviewed the play and deemed it incidental. Davidson returned to the bench just one minute of game time later, talking quickly with coach Lindsay Gottlieb before going to check back into the game.

“She took a pretty significant hit,” Gottlieb said. “She’s a really tough kid. She wants to play through it. But I was just checking with her to make sure there wasn’t anything that was getting worse, and also at times trying to settle her down. She plays so hard and wants to win.”

Davidson played through most of the game, but she was shaking out her right arm multiple times after shots. She shot 2-of-13 from the floor for eight points.

Eventually, the medical staff made the decision in the fourth quarter to sit her for the rest of the game; Davidson subbed out for the final time with seven minutes left.

“I trust our medical staff when they said she was okay to go back in,” Gottlieb said. “But then I thought it was bothering her and nagging her, and when someone can’t be at their best, you’re not mentally as present. And I was told, collective decision, down the stretch there, let’s shut her down for the rest of the game. But the hope is that she will be okay with some rest.’

Gottlieb is hopeful that Davidson will be good to go by the start of the NCAA Tournament, which will come in just over two weeks. USC is projected to be a No. 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and Gottlieb doesn’t expect the Trojans’ positioning to change after their early exit from the Big Ten Tournament.

“There were eight teams that finished above us in our league. Seven of them in the last reveal are hosting, and the other one here is obviously a tournament team that now we’ve split with,” Gottlieb said. “Yeah, I don’t think it’s in question. It becomes about matchups in the tournament. Send us wherever. You usually get what you earn. We earned our way into the 8-9 game here, and we’ll do the same with the NCAA Tournament.” − Chloe Peterson

Hannah Hidalgo breaks ACC single-season steals record

Back-to-back ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year Hannah Hidalgo now has another record on her resume: single-season steals in the conference. On Thursday, during her matchup against Miami, Hidalgo’s four steals for 166 total to help her surpass Donna Holt (164) for the most steals in a single season. Lamar University’s Chastadie Barrs has the single season national steals record with 192 steals, set in 2018-19. −Meghan L. Hall

No. 9 BYU vs. No. 8 Utah | 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

BYU Cougars starting lineup

Head coach: Lee Cummard

  • 2 Sydney Benally | G 5-9 – Freshman
  • 11 Delaney Gibb | G 5-10 – Sophomore
  • 13 Lara Rohkohl | F 6-3 – Senior
  • 14 Kambree Barber | G 6-0 – Sophomore
  • 24 Brinley Cannon | G/F 6-1 -Sophomore

Utah Utes starting lineup

Head coach: Gavin Petersen

  • 0 Lani White | G 6-0 – Senior
  • 2 LA Sneed | G 5-6 – Freshman
  • 12 Chyra Evans | F 6-3 – Junior
  • 20 Reese Ross | F 6-1 – Junior
  • 23 Maty Wilke | G 5-10 -Senior

Halftime: Oklahoma 40, Florida 38

Liv McGill has already piled up 19 points for the Gators as their NCAA Tournament hopes are on the line in this second-round matchup in the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina.

Aaliyah Chavez has 13 points for the Sooners.

Florida has stayed in the game by going 11-of-13 from the foul line in the first half.

The winner will face No. 4 LSU on Friday on ESPN.

Halftime: Notre Dame 37, Miami 23

Miami is playing with a ton of pace, but Notre Dame is matching it and causing a lot of problems defensively. Notre Dame has 12 points off 11 Miami turnovers. The Fighting Irish have switched between zone and man-to-man looks, and both have been successful. At the half, the Hurricanes are shooting 38% overall, after they shot just 18% in the second.

Notre Dame, which is shooting 50% from the field, is led by Hannah Hidalgo’s non-stop energy. The junior guard leads all scorers with 14 points, five rebounds and three steals. Cassandre Prosper is right behind Hildago with nine points and one block.

No. 13 Indiana vs. No. 5 Ohio State | 2:30 p.m. Big Ten Network

Indiana starting lineup

Head coach: Teri Moren

  • Shay Ciezki | G 5-7 Senior
  • Nevaeh Caffey G 5-10 Freshman
  • Lenee Beaumont | G 6-1 Sophomore
  • Maya Makalusky | F 6-3 Freshman
  • Edessa Noyan | F 6-3 Junior

Ohio State starting lineup

Head coach: Kevin McGuff

  • Jaloni Cambridge | G 5-7 Sophomore
  • Ava Watson | G 5-8 Sophomore
  • Chance Gray | G 5-9 Senior
  • Kennedy Cambridge | G 5-8 Junior
  • Elsa Lemmila | C 6-6 Sophomore

Final: Kansas State 58, Texas Tech 51

Texas Tech led by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, but Kansas State went on a 21-0 run to not only take their first lead of the game with 2:39 remaining, but defeat the Red Raiders 58-51 in the second round.

The Lady Raiders’ nearly eight-minute scoring drought and the Wildcats’ subsequent run was fueled by Texas Tech turnovers. Texas Tech finished with 16 turnovers, with three coming in the fourth quarter. Texas Tech was held to four points in the fourth quarter and finished the game shooting 29% from the field and 6-of-23 from the 3-point line.

Junior forward Nastja Claessens led the way for Kansas State with 14 points. Tess Heal scored eight of her 10 points in the second half, including a pair of clutch free throws to ice the game.

It marked Kansas States fifth straight victory over Texas Tech.

Texas Tech’s Snudda Collins finished with 14 points in the loss. She was the only Red Raider to reach double digits. Gemma Nuñez had nine points and Bailey Maupin had eight points.

Final: Washington 76, USC 64

Elle Ladine scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting to lead Washington over USC in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Washington controlled the entire game, shooting 50% from the field as a team and finishing with four players in double figures.

USC shot 31% from the field (18-of-58).

Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson scored eight points on 2-of-13 shooting for USC, but she was seemingly hampered by a right arm injury. She briefly went to the locker room holding her shoulder early in the first quarter and returned to the court, but she was shaking out her right arm after shots for the rest of the game.

‘I did not get a good look at the replay, and I trust our medical staff when they said she was OK to go back in. But then I thought it was bothering her and nagging her, and when someone can’t be at their best, you’re not mentally as present,’ USC coach Lindsey Gottleib said. ‘And I was told, collective decision, down the stretch there, let’s shut her down for the rest of the game. But the hope is that she will be OK with some rest.’

Washington will advance to play top-seeded UCLA on Friday at noon.

Hannah Hidalgo is cashing in early against Miami

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo is the first player in the game to score in double figures. At the 4:46 mark of the second quarter, she has 11 points on 50% shooting, four rebounds and two steals.

ACC teams make NCAA Tournament cases

Following Clemson’s 63-50 win over Virginia, both head coaches made cases for their teams to make the NCAA Tournament.

‘Super, super proud of this group. I thought that was a gritty, hard-fought, tough win. In my opinion, that’s an NCAA Tournament game with two NCAA Tournament teams,’ Clemson coach Shawn Poppie said.

‘We kind of took this as our season is on the line. We felt like a win today would get us in the NCAA Tournament no matter what happens the rest of the way out. That’s how they focused and fought and competed. But ultimately that’s just basketball. How you start and how you finish quarters.’

Before Thursday’s win, Clemson was on the bubble, but still needed help to get in the Big Dance. Now, the victory over Virginia all but guarantees the Tigers will go dancing.

For Virginia, the loss to Clemson makes their NCAA Tournament bid a bit more unclear. The Cavaliers will likely be nervous come Selection Sunday, now all but assuredly on the bubble. Virginia head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton also made a case for the NCAA tournament.

‘We’ve got to take ownership of our part today. We didn’t compete. We weren’t urgent for 40 minutes. We didn’t stick to the gameplan. We didn’t do the things we could do to control the outcome of that game,’ Agugua-Hamilton said.

‘But if you’re talking about the course of the season, there’s been a lot of ups and downs due to some adversity. I do think that we’ll be ready to go, come NCAA Tournament. We’ve got a little bit of a break where we can get better and get more connected and be on the same page.’

Agugua-Hamilton also added she wasn’t ready to throw in the towel on the season, given all that Virginia has accomplished, including 11 wins in the ACC regular season for the first time in 26 years.

‘There’s so many highlights of the season, but to me, it can’t be done yet,’ Agugua-Hamilton said. −Meghan L. Hall

Kansas State goes on 11-0 run vs. Texas Tech

Not so fast. After trailing by as many as 14 points in the fourth quarter, Kansas State went on a 11-0 run to cut their deficit to three points with 5:22 remaining. Texas Tech has not scored in over two minutes.

Texas Tech takes double-digit lead vs. Kansas State

Texas Tech women’s basketball took a commanding 14-point lead over Kansas State with 7:42 remaining in the game after Snudda Collins made a wide-open layup. Collins leads all scorers with 14 points off the bench. Can Kansas State muster a comeback? The Wildcats have struggled to find any offensive rhythm and are shooting 31% from the field and 5-of-24 from the 3-point line, one day removed from setting a Big 12 Tournament record with 17 made 3-pointers in their win over Cincinnati on Wednesday.

No. 12 Florida vs. No. 5 Oklahoma, 1:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network

Florida Gators starting lineup

Head coach: Kelly Rae Finley

  • 13 Laila Reynolds | G 6-1 – Junior
  • 23 Liv McGill | G 5-9 – Sophomore
  • 8 Me’Arah O’Neal | F 6-4 – Sophomore
  • 9 Alexa Dizeko | F 5-111- Senior
  • 14 Caterina Piatti | F 6-4 – Freshman

Oklahoma Sooners starting lineup

Head coach: Jennie Baranczyk

  • 2 Aaliyah Chavez | G 5-10 – Freshman
  • 3 Zya Vann | G 5-9 – Sophomore
  • 6 Sahara Williams | F 5-11 – Junior
  • 12 Payton Verhulst | G 6-1 –  Senior
  • 15 Raegan Beers | C 6-4 – Senior

Halftime: Washington 32, USC 20

USC survived an injury scare when Big Ten Freshman Jazzy Davidson briefly went back to the locker room with an apparent shoulder injury, but returned to the court just a minute of game time later.

The Trojans still have some work to do if they want to extend their stay in Indianapolis.

USC shot just 25% (6-of-24) from the field and 20% (2-of-10) from 3-point range in the first half.

Washington is dominating the boards, pulling down 24 compared to USC’s nine. The Huskies have 10 offensive rebounds alone, with six second-chance points. 

Elle Ladine is leading Washington with 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Avery Howell has 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. Davidson and Kennedy Smith are leading the Trojans with five points each.

Miami vs. No. 5 Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m. | ACC Network

Notre Dame Fighting Irish starting lineup

Head coach: Niele Ivey

  • 3 Hannah Hidalgo | G 5-6 – Junior
  • 2 Vanessa De Jesus | G 5-8 – Senior
  • 23 Iyana Moore | G 5-8 – Senior
  • 8 Cassandre Prosper | G 6-3 – Senior
  • 5 Malaya Cowles | F 6-3- Senior

Miami Hurricanes starting lineup

Head coach: Tricia Cullop

  • 0 Ra Shaya Kyle | C 6-5 – Senior
  • 33 Amarachi Kimpson | G 5-8 – Junior
  • 12 Natalie Wetzel | F 6-3 – Freshman
  • 5 Ahnay Adams | G 5-6 – Sophomore
  • 14 Gal Raviv | G 5-9 – Sophomore

Final: Kentucky 76, Georgia 61

Clara Strack scored a career-high-tying 33 points to power the Wildcats to a second straight victory at the SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday afternoon.

Strack, a 6-foot-5 junior, made a career-best five 3-pointers in the victory for Kentucky (23-9) and collected eight rebounds, three blocks and two assists. The Wildcats also got 14 points and 12 boards from Teonni Key, and 14 points and seven assists from Tonie Morgan.

Morgan’s final assist came on a 3-pointer to Amelia Hassett, which highlighted a 14-2 fourth quarter run for the Wildcats.

Dani Carnegie led Georgia (22-9) with 18 points in the loss.

Kentucky will face top-seeded South Carolina on Friday at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN. The Wildcats and Gamecocks met in the regular season finale for both teams last Sunday, with South Carolina winning by four points. −Mitchell Northam

Final: Clemson 63, Virginia 50

After a grind-it-out matchup, the Clemson Tigers move on to the third round of the ACC Tournament. Clemson will play No. 1 seed Duke on Friday. Tigers guard Mia Moore had a game-high 20 points on 87.5% shooting in 22 minutes of play. Unsurprisingly, the Tigers also finished the matchup shooting 50% from deep with 10 triples.Paris Clark led the Cavaliers with 15 points, while Kymora Johnson added 12. Clemson’s defense overwhelmed Virginia down the stretch, holding the Cavaliers to 33% shooting as the game wound down. Additionally, Virginia finished with 11 bench points to Clemson’s 25. −Meghan L. Hall

Halftime: Texas Tech 34, Kansas State 29

Texas Tech scored 11 points off eight Kansas State turnovers in the first half of a defensive battle. The Red Raiders are also leading the battle of the boards, outrebounding the Wildcats, 14-11.

Snudda Collins is leading Texas Tech with 10 points off the bench. Gemma Nuñez has nine points and five rebounds.

Clemson extends lead over Virginia

In the third quarter, Virginia scored 10 straight points to bring a bit closer to the Tigers, but since the 2:15 mark of the third, it’s been all Clemson. The Tigers built their lead to as high as 12 with 3:38 to go in the fourth. With the lead at 12, the Clemson faithful cheered even louder.

Jazzy Davidson leaves game briefly with apparent shoulder injury

Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson briefly went back to the locker room holding her right shoulder in the first quarter of No. 9 USC’s game against No. 8 Washington, but quickly checked back in after one minute of game time and two reviews.

Davidson was running up the court on offense when she was hit in the backcourt. The play was reviewed for a potential upgrade, but officials deemed the contact incidental.

Davidson, who looked to be in pain, was surrounded by coaches and medical staff on the USC bench. She briefly went back to the locker room with a trainer, but returned to the bench then checked back in after a quick chat with USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

Officials reviewed a separate play off of a USC challenge while Davidson was in the locker room. USC lost that challenge. −Chloe Peterson

No. 12 Kansas State vs. No. 5 Texas Tech, 12 p.m. | ESPN+

Kansas State starting lineup

Head coach: Krista Gerlich

  • 4 Nastja Claessens | G 5-8 Sophomore
  • 6 Gina Garcia | G 5-10 Freshman
  • 3 Brandie Harrod | G 6-1 Freshman
  • 11 Taryn Sides | G 5-7 Junior
  • 34 Tess Heal | G 5-10 Senior

Texas Tech starting lineup

Head coach: Jeff Mittie

  • 11 Sarengbe Sanogo | F 6-3 Senior
  • 1 Jalynn Bristow | G 6-2 Junior
  • 2 Gemma Nuñez | G 5-7 Senior
  • 20 Bailey Maupin | G 5-10 Senior
  • 5 Denae Fritz | G 5-11 Senior

Clemson hot from the 3-point line vs. Virginia

The Clemson Tigers are red hot from beyond the arc. As a team, the Tigers are shooting 44% from deep and have seven triples.

Halftime: Georgia 36, Kentucky 35

Trinity Turner has 12 points and Dani Carnegie has scored 10 as the Bulldogs lead Wildcats at the break in the second round of the SEC Tournament on Thursday in Greenville, South Carolina.

Clara Strack is powering Kentucky with 18 points, but Georgia is winning the rebounding margin by three and has made one more free throw.

The two teams are even in many statistical categories at halftime, which could make for a closely contested second half and an exciting finish. There have been six lead changes so far. The winner will face top-seeded South Carolina on Friday morning. − Mitchell Northam

Halftime: Clemson 28, Virginia 26

Thursday’s matchup between the Tigers and Cavaliers is a defensive battle at halftime. Clemson has three steals, but Virginia has three blocks in a virtual tug-of-war that left both teams shooting under 30% in the first quarter. During the second quarter, Clemson found itself in a slump, shooting as low as 16%, but its defense helped the Tigers stay in it, and scoring from seven players has them out in front.

On Virginia’s side, the Cavaliers are shooting 33% and have given up the ball eight times. Still, their shooting keeps them within an arm’s length of Clemson. The Cavaliers have 10 points in the paint and scoring from seven players.Virginia’s Paris Clark leads all scorers with seven points.  Rusne Augustinaite leads Clemson with six points. −Meghan L. Hall

No. 8 Washington vs. No. 9 USC, 12 p.m. ET | BTN

Washington Huskies starting lineup

Head coach: Tina Langley

  • 0 Sayvia Sellers | G 5-7 Junior
  • 1 Hannah Stines | G 5-11 Senior
  • 2 Avery Howell | G 6-0 Sophomore
  • 24 Elle Ladine | G 5-11 Senior
  • 21 Brynn McGaughy | 6-3 F Freshman

USC Trojans starting lineup

Head coach: Lindsay Gottlieb

  • 6 Laura Williams | F 6-1 Freshamn
  • 9 Jazzy Davidson | G 6-1 Freshman
  • 11 Kennedy Smith | G 6-1 Sophomore
  • 25 Kara Dunn | G 5-11 Senior
  • 3 Londynn Jones | G 5-4 Senior

Wake Forest expected to retain head coach Megan Gebbia

Wake Forest’s regular season came to an end on Wednesday in Duluth, Georgia, when it lost 75-52 to Cal in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.

Despite this being the third consecutive losing season for the Demon Deacons under coach Megan Gebbia, multiple sources told USA Today Sports that Wake is expected to retain its head coach for at least one more season. Gebbia is 47-79 in four seasons in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Formerly the coach at American where she won five Patriot League titles and went to three NCAA Tournaments, Gebbia was hired in May 2022 after athletic director John Currie fired longtime head coach — and Wake alum — Jennifer Hoover at the ACC’s spring meetings. Wake has only been to the NCAA Tournament twice, and Hoover was a player on one of those teams and head coach for the other. Hoover is now an assistant coach at Virginia Tech.

Wake had an up-and-down season, opening it with a nine-game win streak, but also suffering eight straight losses in ACC play between January and February. Because Wake Forest is a private school, it’s unclear what Gebbia’s contract length is. She signed an extension after a 17-17 season in 2023. − Mitchell Northam

Clemon’s leading scorer in foul trouble

Clemson’s leading scorer, Mia Moore, already has two fouls at the 5:49 mark of the first quarter. Moore has played just four minutes. Head coach Shawn Poppie was not happy over the second foul and gave a nearby official an earful. −Meghan L. Hall

UConn sweeps Big East awards

UConn sophomore forward Sarah Strong was named the 2025-26 Big East Player and Defensive Player of the Year. Strong leads the top-ranked Huskies in points, rebounds, blocks and steals this season. She ranks seventh nationally in steals (97), 15th in assist-turnover ratio (2.37) and 15th in field goal percentage (59.5). Strong is averaging 18.6 points per game on a .595/.407/.881 shooting split.

Forward Blanca Quiñonez was named the conference’s Freshman and Sixth Woman of the Year. Strong and graduate student guard Azzi Fudd were unanimously selected first-team All-Big East. Junior guard KK Arnold joined thema on the first team. 

Head coach Geno Auriemma was selected as the Big East Coach of the Year. −Heather Burns

No. 9 Kentucky vs No. 8 Georgia, 11 a.m. ET | SEC Network

Kentucky Wildcats starting lineup

Head coach: Kenny Brooks

  • 5 Tonie Morgan | G 5-9 Senior
  • 8 Asia Boone | G 5-8 Junior
  • 7 Teonni Key | F 6-5 Senior
  • 32 Amelia Hassett | F 6-4 Senior
  • 13 Clara Strack | F 6-5 Junior

Georgia Bulldogs starting lineup

Head coach: Katie Abrahamson-Henderson

  • 0 Trinity Turner | G 5-6 Sophomore
  • 2 Savannah Henderson | G 6-3 Junior
  • 3 Dani Carnegie | G 5-9 Sophomore
  • 14 Rylie Theuerkauf | G 5-9 Junior
  • 33 Mia Woolfolk | F 6-3 Sophomore

Texas A&M has NCAA Tournament hopes, but would play in WBIT

Despite losing to Auburn in the first round of the SEC Tournament on Wednesday night, Texas A&M still believes it is a team worthy of inclusion in the NCAA Tournament. Before losing to the Tigers, the Aggies had won five games in a row.

“I think we have done everything that we can do to put ourselves in this position to be a NCAA Tournament team, considering the conference that we’re playing in,” Texas A&M coach Joni Taylor said. “There should be 12 teams in the NCAA Tournament from the SEC.”

The Aggies are 33rd in WAB, a perfect 5-0 in Quad 2 games and have the fourth-best strength-of-schedule in the country, based on the average NET ranking of their opponents. But Texas A&M is also just 2-9 in Quad 1 games and has a NET ranking of 61. The reality is that getting into the field of 68 this year is a longshot for Taylor’s team.

However, should Texas A&M be excluded from the NCAA Tournament field, Taylor says they would still entertain an invitation from a lower-tier tournament, like the WBIT.

“Absolutely, we’re going to play postseason basketball,” Taylor said. “This team deserves that. They’ve earned the right to do that.” − Mitchell Northam

No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 Virginia, 11:00 a.m. | ACC Network

Clemson Tigers starting lineup

Head coach: Shawn Poppie

  • 12 Mia Moore | G 5-6 – Senior
  • 11 Rusne Augustinaite | G 6-0 – Junior
  • 14 Rachel Rose | G 5-7 – Senior
  • 25 Demeara Hinds | F 6-2- Senior
  • 32 Raven Thompson | F 5-10 – Senior

Virginia Cavaliers starting lineup

Head coach: Amaka Agugua-Hamilton

  • 21 Kymora Johnson | G 5-7 – Junior
  • 1 Paris Clark | G 5-8 – Senior
  • 23 Romi Levy | G 6-3 – Senior
  • 12 Caitlin Weimar | F 6-4- Senior
  • 7 Tabitha Amanze | F 6-4 – Senior

SEC Tournament schedule, bracket, scores

Wednesday, March 4 – First round

  • #9 Kentucky 94, #16 Arkansas 64
  • #12 Florida 86, #13 Mississippi State 68
  • #15 Auburn 50, #10 Texas A&M 49
  • #11 Alabama 65, #14 Missouri 48

Thursday, March 5 – Second round

  • Game 5 | #9 Kentucky vs. #8 Georgia | 11 a.m. ET | SEC Network
  • Game 6 | #12 Florida vs. #5 Oklahoma | 1:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network
  • Game 7 | #15 Auburn vs. #7 Ole Miss | 6 p.m. ET | SEC Network
  • Game 8 | #11 Alabama vs. #6 Tennessee | 8:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network

Friday, March 6 – Quarterfinals

  • Game 9 | G5 winner vs. #1 South Carolina | 12 p.m. ET | ESPN
  • Game 10 | G6 winner vs. #4 LSU | 2:30 p.m. ET | ESPN
  • Game 11 | G7 winner vs. #2 Vanderbilt| 6 p.m. ET | SEC Network
  • Game 12 | G8 winner vs. #3 Texas | 8:30 p.m. ET | SEC Network

Saturday, March 7 – Semifinals

  • Game 13 | G9 winner vs. G10 winner | 4:30 p.m. ET | ESPN2
  • Game 14 | G11 winner vs. G12 winner | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN2

Sunday, March 8 – Championship

  • Game 15 | G13 winner vs. G14 winner | 3 p.m. ET | ESPN

ACC Tournament schedule, bracket, scores

March 4

First round

  • Game 1: No. 12 Miami 83 vs. No. 13 Stanford 76
  • Game 2: No. 10 Cal 75 vs. No. 15 Wake Forest 52
  • Game 3: No. 11 Georgia Tech 72 vs. No. 14 Florida State 60

March 5

Second round

  • Game 4 No. 9 Clemson vs. No. 8 Virginia (11:00 a.m.; ACCN)
  • Game 5: Miami vs. No. 5 Notre Dame (1:30 p.m.; ACCN)
  • Game 6: Cal vs. No. 7 Syracuse (5:00 p.m.; ACCN)
  • Game 7: Georgia Tech vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech (7:30 p.m.; ACCN)

March 6

Quarterfinals

  • Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. No. 1 Duke (11:00 a.m.; ESPN2)
  • Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. No. 4 NC State (1:30 p.m.; ACCN)
  • Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. No. 2 Louisville (5:00 p.m.; ESPN2)
  • Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. No. 3 UNC (7:30 p.m.; ACCN)

March 7

Semifinals

  • Game 12: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 8 (Noon ET; ESPN2)
  • Game 13: Winner Game 11 vs. Winner Game 10 (2:30 p.m. ET; ESPN2)

March 8

  • Championship: Winner Game 12 vs. Winner Game 13 (1:00 p.m. ET; ESPN)

Big Ten Tournament schedule, bracket, scores

The 2026 Big Ten women’s basketball tournament unfolds over five days during March, with all games played in Indianapolis.

Here’s the daily schedule:

Wednesday, March 4 – First round

  • #13 Indiana 72, #12 Nebraska 69
  • #10 Illinois 82, #15 Wisconsin 70
  • #11 Oregon 71, #14 Purdue 65

Thursday, March 5 – Second round

  • Game 4 | #8 Washington vs. #9 USC | 12 p.m. ET | BTN
  • Game 5 | #5 Ohio State vs. #13 Indiana | 25 minutes following Game 4 | BTN
  • Game 6 | #7 Michigan State vs. #10 Illinois | 6:30 p.m. ET | BTN
  • Game 7 | #6 Maryland vs. #11 Oregon | 25 minutes following Game 6 | BTN

Friday, March 6 – Quarterfinals

  • Game 8 | #1 UCLA vs. G4 winner | 12 p.m. ET | BTN
  • Game 9 | #4 Minnesota vs. G5 winner | 25 minutes following Game 8 | BTN
  • Game 10 | #2 Iowa vs. G6 winner | 6:30 p.m. ET | BTN
  • Game 11 | #3 Michigan vs. G7 winner | 25 minutes following Game 10 | BTN

Saturday, March 7 – Semifinals

  • Game 12 | G8 winner vs. G9 winner | 2 p.m. ET | BTN
  • Game 13 | G10 winner vs. G11 winner | 4:30 p.m. ET | BTN

Sunday, March 8 – Championship

  • Game 14 | G12 winner vs. G13 winner | 2:15 p.m. ET | CBS

Big 12 Tournament schedule, bracket, scores

All times Eastern

March 4

First Round

  • Game 1: No. 12 Kansas State 91, No. 13 Cincinnati 66
  • Game 2:No. 9 BYU 76, No. 16 Houston 66
  • Game 3: No. 10 Arizona State 54, No. 15 Arizona 51
  • Game 4: No. 11 Kansas 56, No. 14 UCF 35

March 5

Second Round

  • Game 5: No. 12 Kansas State vs. No. 5 Texas Tech | noon (ESPN+)
  • Game 6: No. 9 BYU vs. No. 8 Utah | 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
  • Game 7: No. 10 Arizona State vs. No. 7 Iowa State | 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
  • Game 8: No. 11 Kansas vs. No. 6 Colorado | 9 p.m. (ESPN+)

March 6

Quarterfinals

  • Game 9: Winner of Game 5 vs. No. 4 Oklahoma State | noon (ESPNU)
  • Game 10: Winner of Game 6 vs. No. 1 TCU | 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
  • Game 11: Winner of Game 7 vs. No. 2 West Virginia | 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
  • Game 12: Winner of Game 8 vs. No. 3 Baylor | 9 p.m. (ESPN+)

March 7

Semifinals

  • Game 13: Winner of Game 9 vs. Winner of Game 10 | 4:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
  • Game 14: Winner of Game 11 vs. Winner of Game 12 | 6:30 p.m. (ESPN+)

March 8

  • Championship: Winner of Game 13 vs. Winner of Game 14 | 5:00 p.m. (ESPN+)
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

On the fifth day of March, men’s college basketball got its first true moment of madness during the sport’s trademark month.

In the quarterfinals of the Patriot League tournament, Lehigh guard Nasir Whitlock sank a half-court heave as time expired to lift the Mountain Hawks to a 69-66 victory against Holy Cross on Wednesday, March 5.

The basket served as an exclamation mark on a night in which Whitlock had 29 points on 11-of-24 shooting, including a 4-of-6 effort from 3-point range.

Even before his buzzer-beater, Whitlock had been the star of the game’s final minutes. He made a driving layup to tie the score at 66 with 11 seconds remaining and forced a turnover on Holy Cross’ ensuing possession, giving Lehigh the ball back near the opposing basket with 2.1 seconds remaining.

After leading by five at halftime, the Mountain Hawks trailed 64-58 with 2:43 remaining before finishing the game on an 11-2 run, with all 11 points coming from Whitlock.

At a school that’s had its share of excellent guards — most notably, NBA standout CJ McCollum — Whitlock has been a revelation for Lehigh this season, averaging 20.8 points per game and shooting 43.1% from 3. The 6-foot-2 junior from Minnesota has nearly doubled the 10.8 points per game he averaged last season.

With the victory, Lehigh advances to the semifinals of the Patriot League tournament, where it will host Colgate on Sunday, March 8. The Mountain Hawks are the event’s No. 2 seed. Colgate, the No. 3 seed, has won the conference and earned its automatic berth to the NCAA tournament in five of the past seven seasons.

No. 1 seed Navy will host No. 4 seed Boston University in the other semifinal.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Australia managed to get the best of Czechia in Tokyo for its second win in as many days to start the World Baseball Classic.

Curtis Mead broke the game open with a home run that gave Australia a 3-1 lead in the third inning.

Australia added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth, after Alex Hall and Jarryd Dale both scored.

Australia produced nine hits in the game, while Czechia produced four. Coen Wynne was tabbed as the winning pitcher.

Wynne allowed just one hit in two innings pitched. Starting pitcher Josh Hendrickson allowed two hits, an earned run and a walk. He struck out two during his three innings pitched.

Check out the top moments from the Australia-Czechia game:

Final: Australia 5, Czechia 1

Alex Hall added an insurance run with a solo home run in the top of the ninth to increase Australia’s lead to 4-1.

Robbie Perkins singled on a pop-up to right field, bringing in Jarryd Dale to score. Australia now leads the game 5-1.

Australia leads Czechia after seven innings

Australia still leads Czechia 3-1 after 6½ innings of play.

Czechia has leaned on Tomáš Ondra and Ondrej Satoria on the mound throughout the game. The duo has allowed four hits, three earned runs and two walks in seven combined innings pitched. They have struck out five total batters.

Ky Hampton entered the game to start the bottom of the seventh for Australia.

Australia has used three other pitchers during the game, including Josh Hendrickson. Hendrickson allowed two hits, an earned run and a walk. He struck out two during three innings pitched.

What do Czechia baseball players do for a living?

Czechia is well represented on one of the biggest stages in baseball, but most of its players spend the majority of the year working a ‘normal’ job. Here’s what they do.

Curtis Mead helps Australia jump ahead

Curtis Mead hits a home run to left center field to give Australia a 3-1 lead in the top of the third inning.

Martin Červenka provides Czechia with early lead

Martin Červenka scored the first run of the game, giving Czechia the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning. Vojtech Mensik’s sacrifice fly to center field provided Červenka with the opportunity to score from third.

Czechia and Australia scoreless early

Australia and Czechia were scoreless through the first inning of play. Martin Červenka produced the first hit of the game for a double in the second inning against Josh Hendrickson.

Czechia’s starting lineup vs. Australia

DH – Milan Prokop

3B – Martin Červinka

SS – Terrin Vavra

C – Martin Červenka

CF – Marek Chlup

1B – Martin Mužík

2B – Vojtěch Menšík

LF – William Escala

RF – Max Prejda

Australia’s starting lineup vs. Czechia

2B – Travis Bazzana

3B – Curtis Mead

CF – Aaron Whitefield

DH – Alex Hall

SS – Jarryd Dale

1B – Rixon Wingrove

C – Robbie Perkins

LF – Chris Burke

RF – Tim Kennelly

Who is Australia’s WBC starting pitcher vs. Czechia?

Josh Henderickson will serve as the starting pitcher for the Australian team. He spent some time playing at the minor league level but never played in an MLB game. He was originally drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 28th round of the 2019 MLB draft from the University of San Diego.

Who is Czechia’s WBC starting pitcher vs. Australia?

Tomas Ondra will serve as the starting pitcher for Czechia on Thursday against Australia.

How to watch Australia vs. Czechia: WBC TV channel, stream

  • Time: 10 p.m. ET
  • Location: Tokyo Dome
  • TV: FS1
  • Streaming: FOX One App

Stream the World Baseball Classic on Fubo

Australia WBC roster

Pitchers

  • Kieren Hall, Ky Hampton, Josh Hendrickson, Sam Holland, Jon Kennedy, Connor MacDonald, Cooper Morgan, Mitch Neunborn, Jack O’Loughlin, Warwick Saupold, Blake Townsend, Todd Van Steensel, Alex Wells, Lachlan Wells, Coen Wynne

Catchers

  • Mitchell Edwards, Alex Hall, Robbie Perkins

Infielders

  • Travis Bazzana, George Callil, Jarryd Dale, Robbie Glendinning, Curtis Mead, Logan Wade, Rixon Wingrove

Outfielders

  • Ulrich Bojarski, Chris Burke, Max Durrington, Tim Kennelly, Aaron Whitefield

Czechia WBC roster

Pitchers

  • Jeff Barto, Filip Čapka, Tomáš Duffek, Lukáš Ercoli, Lukáš Hlouch, Filip Kollmann, Michal Kovala, Marek Minařík, Jan Novák, Tomáš Ondra, Daniel Padyšák, Ondřej Satoria, Martin Schneider, Ondřej Vank, Boris Večerka

Catchers

  • Matouš Bubeník, Martin Červenka, Martin Zelenka

Infielders

  • Martin Červinka, Ryan Johnson, Vojtěch Menšík, Martin Mužík, Jan Pospíšil, Milan Prokop, Terrin Vavra

Outfielders

  • Marek Chlup, William Escala, Marek Krejčiřík, Max Prejda, Michal Šindelka

What WBC pool are Czechia and Australia in?

Czechia and Australia are two of the five teams playing in Pool C of the World Baseball Classic. The rest of the group includes Japan, Korea and Chinese Taipei.

WBC Pool C standings

  1. South Korea: 1–0 (1.000) | +7 Run Diff
  2. Australia: 1–0 (1.000) | +3 Run Diff
  3. Japan: 0–0 (—) | 0 Run Diff
  4. Chinese Taipei: 0–1 (.000) | -3 Run Diff
  5. Czechia: 0–1 (.000) | -7 Run Diff
This post appeared first on USA TODAY

Chen Lin of Lin Asset Management weighs in on silver and gold, as well as the critical minerals market, which is his favorite sector for 2026.

He also discusses how conflict in the Middle East could impact the resource sector.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com

Lobo Tiggre of IndependentSpeculator.com shares his thoughts on how gold, silver and oil could be impacted by the developing situation in the Middle East.

He cautioned investors not to chase these commodities if prices run.

Securities Disclosure: I, Charlotte McLeod, hold no direct investment interest in any company mentioned in this article.

This post appeared first on investingnews.com