Basketball Page 400 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Thunder cruise to victory over skidding Raptors
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 points in his homecoming and the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a slow start to defeat the short-handed Toronto Raptors 123-103 on Friday....

No. 4 Duke puts away Vermont with strong second half
NEW YORK — Mark Mitchell and Jared McCain scored 15 points apiece to lead four Duke players in double figures Friday night as the No. 4 Blue Devils pulled away in the second half to beat No. 13 Vermont 64-47 in a NCAA Tournament South Region first-round game....

Celtics roll past Pistons for 8th consecutive win
Jaylen Brown poured in 33 points and the visiting Boston Celtics extended their winning streak to eight games with a 129-102 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night....

Virginia Tech, Ohio State displaying resiliency in NIT
When No. 3 seed Virginia Tech plays at No. 2 Ohio State in the second round of the NIT on Saturday, each team feels its ability to overcome adversity has helped reach this point....

Dana Altman, No. 11 Oregon face emotional test against Creighton
PITTSBURGH — Dana Altman keeps saying it, but only because it's true, because of where he calls home: Oregon is No. 1 for him, but Creighton is "1A."...

Gritty Rockets look to stay hot against fading Jazz
Midway through the third quarter on Thursday, after Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan knocked Rockets guard Jalen Green to the ground with a hard foul near midcourt, what happened next felt inevitable....

Women's NCAA Tournament Portland 4 roundup: Texas drills Drexel
Shaylee Gonzales' 21 points led five Texas scorers in double figures, and the top-seeded Longhorns cruised at home to an 82-42 rout of No. 16 seed Drexel in the first contest of the Women's NCAA Tournament's Portland 4 Regional on Friday in Austin, Texas....

John Poulakides leads No. 13 Yale to shocker over Auburn
John Poulakidas made six 3-pointers and scored 28 points and Samson Aletan made a key blocked shot in the final seconds as 13th-seeded Yale notched a 78-76 upset of fourth-seeded Auburn on Friday afternoon in a West Region first-round game at Spokane, Wash....

Colorado stuns Florida 102-100 on KJ Simpson's dramatic winner
INDIANAPOLIS — KJ Simpson capped a wild second half with a baseline jumper that hit the rim five times before rattling in with one second left to lead No. 10 Colorado to a dramatic 102-100 win over No. 7 Florida in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Friday....

Angel Reese grabs 19 boards as LSU beats Rice in tourney opener
Angel Reese had 10 points and 19 rebounds and LSU began the defense of its national championship by shaking off Rice 70-60 in the first round of the Women's NCAA Tournament on Friday in Baton Rouge, La....

Jaedon LeDee powers San Diego State past UAB
Jaedon LeDee recorded 32 points and eight rebounds to lead San Diego State to a 69-65 victory over UAB in East Region first-round play Friday at Spokane, Wash....

No. 6 Clemson rolls to easy victory over New Mexico
MEMPHIS — What happened in Las Vegas stayed in Las Vegas....

No. 1 UConn steamrolls Stetson to begin title defense
NEW YORK — Donovan Clingan scored 12 of his 19 points in the first half for top-seeded UConn, which began the defense of its national championship with a wire-to-wire 91-52 win over No. 16 Stetson in an East Regional first-round game Friday afternoon at Barclays Center....

One win down, upstart Duquesne aims to slay No. 3 Illinois
Illinois and Duquesne most recently faced off in the NCAA Tournament during the Truman administration....

Kings hobble into matchup vs. surging Magic
The Sacramento Kings look to bounce back from one of their most surprising losses of the season when they visit the Orlando Magic on Saturday....

Tyler Kolek sharp in return as No. 2 Marquette beats Western Kentucky
INDIANAPOLIS — Tyler Kolek returned from a three-week absence and fell just four rebounds shy of a triple-double to help South Region No. 2 seed Marquette pull away in the second half for a 87-69 win over No. 15 Western Kentucky on Friday....

Chloe Kitts, No. 1 South Carolina jolt Presbyterian
COLUMBIA, S.C. —- Even without two starters, No. 1 South Carolina looked like a well-oiled machine in its NCAA Tournament opener....

Women's NCAA Tournament Albany 2 roundup: No. 11 Middle Tennessee upsets No. 6 Louisville
No. 11 Middle Tennessee 71, No. 6 Louisville 69...

Women's NCAA Tournament Portland 3 roundup: Ohio State rocks Maine
No. 2 Ohio State 80, No. 15 Maine 57...

Hawks, Hornets meet in clash of injury-riddled teams
The Atlanta Hawks will try to improve their situation in the Eastern Conference playoff race when they host the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday....