review Page 3 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Oklahoma State facing roster questions ahead of NIT game vs. Wichita State
Oklahoma State is seeking a trip to the quarterfinal round of the NIT for the second consecutive year.,But its hopes for victory could hinge on who is on the court for the second-seeded Cowboys (20-14) Sunday night against third-seeded Wichita State (23-11) in Stillwater, Okla.,Three players, includ...

Fresh off historic blowout, No. 1 Florida takes aim at No. 9 Iowa
Florida began pursuit of a second straight national championship by trouncing Prairie View A&M by a whopping 59 points, the second-largest winning margin in NCAA Tournament history.,That margin of victory couldn't have been comforting for Iowa.,The ninth-seeded Hawkeyes take aim at a major upset whe...

Expect a grind when No. 2 UConn, No. 7 UCLA face off in East Region
PHILADELPHIA -- Sweat, spittle and even a tooth flew Friday night in UConn's and UCLA's NCAA Tournament openers, setting up a second-round battle of blue bloods.,Two no-nonsense head coaches in Dan Hurley and Mick Cronin are preparing their teams for another tough battle Sunday night when No. 2 seed...

No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Texas Tech keep winning without star players
Alabama and Texas Tech both had concerns regarding their roster makeup entering the NCAA Tournament.,Now one of them is guaranteed a spot in the Sweet 16.,The teams meet in Sunday night's Midwest Region second-round game in Tampa, Fla.,Fifth-seeded Texas Tech (23-10) was looking like a national cham...

Arizona eyes 3rd straight Sweet 16, but Utah St. feeling confident
SAN DIEGO -- West Region No. 1 seed Arizona can advance to its third consecutive Sweet 16, but must first get past a ninth-seeded Utah State team on a "revenge tour" heading into Sunday's second-round matchup. ,Using what it viewed as a slight about its seeding for motivation, Utah State (29-6) made...

Coaches in elite company clash when Kansas faces St. John's
SAN DIEGO -- Only three active head coaches in Division I college basketball have won multiple national championships. Two of them meet for a berth in the Sweet 16 when Bill Self's No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks face Rick Pitino's No. 5 St. John's Red Storm on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournamen...

Celtics' Luka Garza filling key role as unfocused Wolves visit
Nikola Vucevic will remain unavailable with a broken finger when the Boston Celtics face the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, but that doesn't mean Boston won't have a quality center.,Luka Garza has given the Celtics (47-23) more offense since Vucevic was injured on March 6. Garza av...

Predators look to further cement playoff position in Chicago
The streaking Nashville Predators moved into a Western Conference wild-card spot on Saturday.,On Sunday, they'll aim to strengthen their playoff positioning.,Winners of three straight and four of six, Nashville (32-28-9, 73 points) is set to visit the slumping Chicago Blackhawks (26-31-12, 64 points...

No. 2 Purdue knows No. 7 Miami's top two players well
Second-seeded Purdue may not necessarily be familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of No. 7 seed Miami ahead of the teams' meeting in West Region second-round play on Sunday in St. Louis.,But the Boilermakers certainly know what to expect from the Hurricanes' top two scorers, having played them ...

Auburn's home streak presents tall task for visiting Seattle in NIT
Soon after his Seattle University squad defeated St. Thomas in the opening round of the NIT, Redhawks coach Chris Victor was asked about facing top-seeded Auburn in its next matchup.,At that moment, Victor wasn't concerned about how his team is one step away from the quarterfinals.,"I haven't though...

Ryan Odom strives for another shining moment as Virginia faces Tennessee
PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Odom engineered a massive one-year turnaround at Virginia. Seven years removed from the program's only national title, Odom has his players visualizing their own shining moment.,The third-seeded Cavaliers are on the verge of the Sweet 16 but first must handle Ja'Kobi Gillespie a...

No. 2 Iowa State likely without Jefferson, leans into depth vs. Kentucky
ST. LOUIS -- Iowa State insists it has enough to claim a ticket to the Sweet 16, but No. 7 seed Kentucky already delivered a dose of March magic. ,The Cyclones (28-7) scored 108 points and won their first-round matchup with Tennessee State despite losing All-American forward Joseph Jefferson to a le...

Lowly Nets, Kings trying to finish season strong
Turning positive signs into wins will be the focus for both the Sacramento Kings and visiting Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.,Sacramento (18-53) is anchored to the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but the Kings have shown steady improvement recently with four wins in their past seven games.,Broo...

Blazers hope road test could be helpful vs. Nuggets
Tanking is an issue for the NBA, but the Portland Trail Blazers are not guilty of jockeying for a better draft position.,Portland (35-36) has won three of four on its current road trip to move into eighth in the Western Conference entering Saturday, and can finish the trip 4-1 when it visits the Den...

Illinois State, Wake Forest battle for NIT quarterfinal spot
Another prolific scoring performance by Juke Harris allowed Wake Forest to keep its season alive and the best game of Landon Wolf's career enabled Illinois State to continue playing.,Both players are hoping for another big showing Sunday when Harris and top-seeded Wake Forest host Wolf and No. 4 see...

James Rodriguez set for Minnesota home debut vs. Sounders
Former World Cup star James Rodriguez will make his home debut Sunday when Minnesota United host the Seattle Sounders in Saint Paul, Minn., ,Rodriguez, a 34-year-old midfielder who became an international superstar when he won the Golden Boot for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, signed with...

Galaxy, Timbers square off amid early-season lulls
The Los Angeles Galaxy and Portland Timbers both opened the MLS season with positive results.,But it has gone downhill from there.,The Galaxy (1-2-1, 4 points) and Timbers (1-3-0, 3 points) will be looking to snap losing streaks when they meet in a Western Conference showdown Sunday afternoon in Por...

NYCFC out to continue hot start vs. Inter Miami
Inter Miami want to turn the page while host New York City FC want to keep things rolling as the two Eastern Conference contenders meet Sunday afternoon in the Bronx, N.Y.,Inter Miami (2-1-1, 7 points) would love to move past the bitterness stemming from last Wednesday's elimination from the CONCACA...

Real Salt Lake bring 3-match win streak to San Diego
Real Salt Lake seek their first four-match winning streak since June 2013 when they visit San Diego FC on Sunday night.,Real Salt Lake (3-1-0, 9 points) were blanked while losing their season opener against the Vancouver Whitecaps before scoring seven goals during the three consecutive wins.,RSL not...

Nathan MacKinnon, playoff-bound Avalanche set sights on Caps
Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche will look to continue their stellar season on Sunday afternoon when they take on Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals in Washington, D.C.,MacKinnon leads the NHL in goals (45) and rating (plus-57) entering play on Saturday. He collected two goals and an assist t...