HOUSTON — As Illinois freshman guard Keaton Wagler dribbled out the final seconds Thursday night at the Toyota Center, Tomislav Ivišić walked down the court with his arms raised in triumph at making it through the heavyweight fight.

The No. 3 seed Illini survived a gritty defensive battle in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament to top No. 2 seed Houston 65-55. It was Illinois’ lowest-scoring output in a win this season.

Illinois advances to its sixth NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance since 1975 and second in three years. Since 2000, the Illini also made it to a regional final in 2001, in 2005 during the run to the national title game and in 2024.

The Illini will play No. 9 seed Iowa, which beat No. 4 seed Nebraska 77-71 in the first game in the South Region on Thursday night to advance to its first Elite Eight since 1987. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:09 p.m. Saturday in Houston.

Illinois turned a two-point halftime lead into a 44-26 advantage with a 17-0 run. David Mirković and Ben Humrichous made back-to-back 3-pointers to punctuate it, and the Illini jumped and danced off the bench into a timeout.

Houston went nearly seven minutes without a basket before Milos Uzan broke it with a 3-pointer with 11:20 to play. The Cougars clawed back within nine points on back-to-back 3-pointers by Chase McCarty with 6:32 to play. But Ivišić and Keaton Wagler followed with 3s to counter.

Houston made another late run, with Emanuel Sharp’s drive with 42 seconds to play cutting it to seven points. Illinois hadn’t scored a field goal since lengthening its lead to 58-41 with 3:41 to play, though Kylan Boswell made 6 of 10 free throws after that. But the Illini held on for the win.

Mirković led Illinois with 14 points and 10 rebounds and Wagler added 13 points, 12 rebounds and three assists.

The Illini led just 24-22 at halftime against the nation’s fourth-rated defense, according to KenPom, the lowest-scoring half of this year’s NCAA Tournament.

The Cougars made every shot a battle in the early going. Through four minutes, Illinois shot 1-for-10 from the field and Houston 0-for-7.

Illinois found a little cushion when wing Andrej Stojaković hit a turnaround jumper at the shot-clock buzzer and then a corner 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions to give the Illini a seven-point lead with 4:23 to play in the half.

A Wagler 3-pointer made it eight points with 3:23 left in the half. But the Illini didn’t score again before halftime. Kingston Flemings’ 3-pointer with 1 second to play before halftime cut it to two.

Flemings, considered one of the nation’s top freshman guards, led Houston with seven points at halftime and finished with just 11 points. Sharp scored 17 for the Cougars.

The Illini, known for the nation’s No. 2 offense, used its defense to stay ahead in the first half. The Cougars shot 9-for-33 from the field and 4-for-17 from 3-point range.

Iowa, which knocked off top-seeded Florida in the second round, continued its surprise tournament run behind 20 points and four assists from senior guard Bennett Stirtz.

Playing in front of a crowd packed with Nebraska fans, Stirtz gave Iowa its first lead of the game with a 3-pointer with 2:10 to play, and freshman Tate Sage followed with another 3 to make it 71-65 with 1:18 left.

Nebraska’s Braden Frager cut it to three with his own 3-pointer. But after a Nebraska timeout, Iowa’s Alvaro Folgueiras got behind Nebraska’s press with only four Cornhuskers players on the court for a dunk and a free throw after a foul. He had another big dunk with 34 seconds to play, and Iowa hung on from there.

Nebraska started the game off hot, making 6 of 10 3-point attempts in the first nine minutes. That included three from Frager and two from Pryce Sandfort, who finished with 25 points.

But Nebraska’s three-minute scoring drought late in the first half allowed Iowa to pull within 40-38. Sage hit a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer to cut Nebraska’s lead to 46-43, and the Hawkeyes mounted the comeback win from there.

Illinois won its only meeting with Iowa during the regular season 75-69 on Jan. 11 in Iowa City behind a balanced performance from its guards. Boswell helped hold Stirtz to 12 points in the game.

Point guard Aaron Hunkin-Claytor of the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal next month, his father confirmed today.

Mario Claytor, a former Hawaii Hilo basketball player, said his son “loves Hawaii” and has a good relationship with his teammates and UH coaches. But Claytor said his son wants to seek his “value” through the portal. Claytor said the “door is open” to a possible return to the Rainbow Warriors.

The transfer portal opens April 7 for NCAA basketball players. Coaches from other schools cannot have direct contact with players who are not officially in the portal. But third-party representatives, such as agents, may have conversations. Claytor said about 15 schools have inquired about his son.

UH coaches and Hunkin-Claytor declined requests to discuss the situation.

Hunkin-Claytor, who grew up in Wahiawa and Laie, was a standout guard at ‘Iolani for two years through 2022. As a sophomore, he was named to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Fab 15 All-State team. He moved with his family to California in 2022.

In two years with Salesian College Prep in Richmond, Calif., Hunkin-Claytor led the Pride to Tri-County Athletic Conference titles. In both seasons, he was named the conference’s Player of the Year.

Hunkin-Claytor reportedly turned down 17 offers to sign with the ’Bows in 2024. He played in 29 games, starting the final 11, as a UH freshman in 2024-25.

This past season, he started 17 games before suffering a season-ending toe injury. The ’Bows were 13-4 in games in which he started.

If Hunkin-Claytor departs, Isaac Finlinson, Isaiah Kerr, Tanner Cuff and AJ Economou would be the returning players from a team that won the 2026 Big West Tournament and competed in the NCAA Tournament.

The Claremore boys golf team continues to show it belongs among the state’s contenders.

The Zebras turned in a strong performance Monday at the Miami Invitational, finishing second out of 16 teams at Peoria Ridge Golf Course with a team score of 325, trailing only tournament champion Poteau [316].

Claremore’s one-two punch of Tate Dunlap and Jack Williams once again paced the lineup, both finishing inside the top four of an 86-golfer field.

Dunlap carded a 73 to place third, and his round was defined by a blistering stretch on the front nine.

After opening with a bogey on the par-5 first, he settled in quickly with pars on Holes 2 and 3 before igniting his round. Dunlap birdied the par-4 third and delivered another on the par-3 fourth to jump well under par early. He added another birdie on No. 7 and made the turn at 1-under 35.

On the back nine, Dunlap stayed steady.

He opened with consecutive pars on Holes 10 and 11 before a bogey on No. 12. He responded with consistent play down the stretch, limiting damage and closing with a 38 on the back to secure his top-three finish.

Williams followed closely with a 75 to place fourth, putting together a round that featured flashes of brilliance, particularly on the back nine.

He played the front side in 38, recording pars on seven of nine holes while avoiding any major mistakes.

His round came alive after the turn.

Despite a tough start to the back nine that included a double bogey on 10 and 11, Williams bounced back with birdies on 14, 15 and 18, showing resilience and shot-making ability down the stretch.

He finished with a 37 on the back, using that late surge to lock in a top-five finish.

Claremore’s depth rounded out the scoring.

Blake McCuan placed 23rd with an 86, delivering a solid middle-of-the-lineup round, and Tristan Fuller added a 91 [38th] while Kavan Smith finished with a 92 [44th].

Verdigris also competed in the field, placing 11th with a 377.

Hunter Pope led the Cardinals with a 90 [37th], followed by Tate Roller [91], Jensen Underwood [95] and Charter Zeimet and Pierce Roller, who each shot 101.

Poteau's Garrison Whitworth won the individual title with a 71.

Claremore will return to action Tuesday at the Tahlequah Invitational at Cherokee Springs Golf Course.

GIRLS

On the girls side, Claremore competed Monday at the Bishop Kelley Invitational at LaFortune Park in Tulsa, finishing 10th out of 12 teams with a score of 411.

Brooklyn Babbitt led the Lady Zebras with a 93, placing 18th in a competitive 78-golfer field. She put together a steady round with consistent play across both nines to pace Claremore.

Ava Pettus followed with a 98 [30th], while Kate Merriman finished with a 101 [37th]. Harper Rooney rounded out the lineup with a 119.

Metro Christian captured the team title with a 322, while Tahlequah’s Kylie Fisher earned medalist honors with a 71.

The Claremore girls will look to build on the experience when they return to the course Monday at the Coweta Invitational at Indian Springs Country Club in Broken Arrow.

Boys soccer coach Tom Hage knew he had something special when Cooper Ball first hit the practice pitch at Bishop Moore at the beginning of the 2025-26 season.

“Honestly, from Day 1 … and I don’t know if it’s just because he’s a bigger kid or more mature than his 14 or 15 years old … but the stage was never too big for him,” Hage said of Ball, who has been selected as the Sentinel’s boys soccer Player of the Year. “He’s such a likable kid and not a cocky kid. He may be goofy, but every kid is goofy at that age. But when it came to soccer, it was business all day, every day. He set the bar very high.

“Obviously we were rewarded with a phenomenal first-year player joining the program.”

Ball is definitely special and took a leadership role, helping lead the Hornets to the Class 4A state championship  That’s storybook quality, but it’s no fairy tale.

Hage, head coach at Bishop Moore for 19 seasons said he doesn’t remember having a player step on campus and dominate the way Ball did as a ninth grader.

“It was very early we realized and I want to say he scored the first goal of the season,” Hage said. “It just kept going and going, his success on the field and his work ethic.”

He definitely stands out on the pitch. He’s 6 feet 2, 195 pounds of passion and enthusiasm, and is constantly in the vicinity of the ball. His ability to handle the ball makes him seem like a veteran, and his soccer IQ is off the charts.

Ball scored a team-high 15 goals. He also led the team in assists with 14.

Bishop Moore boys win 4A soccer crown for 19th-year coach Tom Hage

“He literally said, from Day 1, every day, he was like, ‘Coach, we’re gonna win state, we’re gonna win state,'” Hage said. “To the point where I said, ‘You gotta leave me alone. When it’s school time, I’m Mr. Hage, not Coach Hage.’ But he legit had that vision from Oct. 13, the first day of tryouts and he delivered on the grandest stage.”

His passion for the game is real.

“He loves to play, loves the game and loves the camaraderie of the team. He brought energy to the team as a group,” Hage said. “And he loves to celebrate. A lot of passion, a lot of energy and enthusiasm. But he not only talked the talk, he walked the walk. He embraced a leadership role as a young player and it became contagious. They all kind of fed off of it.”

It culminated in a season to remember for Hage, giving the coach his first state championship.

Retirement was an option for Hage, after finally reaching the top, but perhaps Ball arriving on the scene has the coach thinking a little differently.

“I’m already planning the schedule for next season,” Hage said.

2026 Boys All-Area Soccer

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Cooper Ball, Bishop Moore, Fr., Midfielder

FIRST TEAM

Javier Brown, Winter Springs, Sr., Defender

Seminole County player of the year scored 15 goals.

Renzo Candioto, South Lake, Soph., Forward

26 goals, 7 assists for first-time district champions.

Nate Farrow, Seminole, Jr., Goalkeeper

Led Seminoles to improbable state final-four appearance.

Kostantino Frangias, Innovation, Sr., Midfielder

5A district Player of the Year had 10 goals, 9 assists.

Jordan Hernandez, Lake Minneola, Sr., Midfielder

Scored 24 goals and had 10 assists.

Brooks Jaffe, Lake Highland Prep, Jr.,  Forward

Posted 13 goals and 13 assists in 18 games.

J.C. Lewis, West Orange, Jr., Midfielder

Led the state in scoring with 47 goals (per MaxPreps).

Miles Olavarria, Lake Highland Prep, Jr., Midfielder

Scored 25 goals and had 8 assists in 14 games.

Ricardo Ramirez, Olympia, Jr., Midfielder

Scored 18 goals and had 19 assists.

Winston Weibel, Bishop Moore, Sr., Midfielder

“Heart and soul” of state title team scored 11 goals.

Cooper Welch, Bishop Moore, Jr., Defender

Played key role in Hornets’ run to state championship

SECOND TEAM

David Bustamante, South Lake, Jr., Midfielder

Jose Luis Fernandez, Olympia, Sr., Forward

Andres Grisanti, Windermere, Sr., Midfielder

Jake Guevara, Lake Mary, Sr., Midfielder

Isaac Liptai, Seminole, Sr., Defender

Mohamad Mutawe, Hagerty, Sr., Defender

Colin Norton, Bishop Moore, Sr., Goalkeeper

Logan Prebensa, Bishop Moore., Jr., Defender

Preston St. Louis, Seminole, Sr., Midfielder

Brek Smigelski, East Ridge, Jr., Midfielder

Rafael Tomoirette, Sr., West Orange, Defender

HONORABLE MENTION

Boston Armstrong, Mount Dora Christian, Soph., Forward

Gianlucca Beradinelli, Lake Mary, Sr., Midfielder

Zachary Blacher, Winter Park, Jr., .Midfielder

Roman Cilento, Oviedo, Jr., Midfielder

Estephano Espinoza, Innovation, Sr., Striker

Youseff Faid, Seminole, Sr.,  Forward

JJ Gareecharun, Lake Highland, Sr., Defender

Ian Morales, Cypress Creek, Sr., Forward

Lucas Quinones, Timber Creek, Sr.., Forward

Mathias Rojas, Freedom, Sr.,  Midfielder

Caden Scramoncin, Windermere, Sr., Midfielder

Brendon Valentin, Hagerty, Sr.,  Goalkeeper

(Selections made with input from area soccer coaches)

Chris Hays can be found on X.com@OS_ChrisHays.

The New Mexico Junior College women’s basketball team knocked off top-ranked Butler Community College 82-79 in overtime on Thursday to advance to the Elite Eight of the NJCAA DI Women's Basketball Championship.

The 16th-seeded Thunderbirds (25-6) will play the winner of No. 8 Walters State Community College and No. 9 State Fair Community College on Saturday in Lake Charles, Louisiana. The game tips off at 10 a.m. MDT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.

NMJC stormed back from 16 points down with eight minutes to go, executing clutch plays at the end of regulation and overtime, to beat Butler (32-2).

Butler led 70-67 when Luisa Amaral stole the ball and took it down court for a layup with 11 seconds to go to close the gap for the Thunderbirds. After an NMJC foul, the Grizzlies hit one of two free throws. Thunderbirds star Jada Graves drove for a layup to tie the game with 8 seconds remaining.

In overtime, Butler rallied late to tie it at 79-79 with 22 seconds to go. On the ensuing possession, Graves drove to the basket and passed out of the double-team to Amaral, who nailed the go-ahead three-pointer with 5 seconds to go.

DOWN GOES #1 IN OVERTIME

THE 16-SEED @NMJCTbirds WITH THE GAME WINNER TO PULL OFF A 16 POINT COMEBACK & BEAT BUTLER IN OVERTIME@ESPNAssignDesk | #SCTop10 pic.twitter.com/ioHQUQRU1F

— NJCAA Network (@NJCAANetwork) March 26, 2026

Graves scored 33 points and dished out 10 assists to pace the Thunderbirds. She leads the NJCAA in points per game (19.3) and is second in assists (7.0).

Amaral came off the bench to score 21 points.

Mya Mayberry scored 19 points, going 6-of-12 from the three-point line, to lead the Grizzlies.

Here are the local scores from Wednesday, March 25.

SOFTBALL

SB Riley 13, Goshen 2

Goshen opened up its season with a loss to South Bend Riley. The RedHawks were led by Emily Diaz, who struck out six batters in seven innings pitched and also connected on an inside-the-park home run. Harper Syslo had the team's lone other RBI. Goshen falls to 0-1 to open the spring.

Tippecanoe Valley 17, Wawasee 8

Wawasee jumped out to a 3-0 lead through three innings but an eight-run fourth and seven-run seventh blew the doors open in favor of Tippecanoe Valley in the Warriors home loss. Ashlynn Corn batted 2-of-4 in the four-spot in the order while Tatum Thorn and Abbagail Willey drove in two runs each. Wawasee drops to 0-2.

BOYS TRACK AND FIELD

Penn 92, Concord 40

Concord opened up the boys track and field outdoor season with a loss to Penn Wednesday night. The Minutemen that stood out and won events included Donovan Arnold (first in discus with a throw of 172'5"), Jack Yoder, Daniel Montiel, Jaxson Meyer and Jacob Hernandez in the 4x800-meter relay, Bo Brunner, DaiBrian Emerson, Mason Sheely and Deangelo Lucas in the 4x400-meter relay, Yoder in the 800-meter dash and Brunner in the 400-meter dash.

The Indiana Basketball Coaches Association (IBCA) has released its list of 2025-26 girls and boys basketball honorees. The girls' list of recipients were awarded at the start of March while the boys were honored this week.

Eight different boys basketball players (from five schools) and five girls (from two schools) from our coverage area were honored.

Northridge brother-sister Brady and Lily Scholl received the highest honors, as well as Westview's Austin Schlabach. Brady received a spot on the Senior Supreme 15 list and should be an easy selection to be an Indiana All-Star in April.

Lily and Austin both received spots on their respective Underclass Supreme 15 classes. Lily was named an Indiana All-Star earlier this month.

Westview senior Kaden Grau made it to the Senior Small School All-State team while Goshen's Braxton Cline and Levi Sawatzky, Northridge's Hayden Johnson, NorthWood's Mason Pearson and Wawasee's Stephen Akase were Senior Honorable Mentions.

On the girls' side, Cam Conley (Northridge) and Eva Herbert (Fairfield) made the Senior Honorable Mention All-State teams and Alli Ambers (Northridge) and Madison Jones (Fairfield) were named to the Underclass Honorable Mention All-State team.

A summary of all local winners by the IBCA are listed below.

------------

IBCA LOCAL HONOREES

Boys Senior Supreme 15

Brady Scholl, Northridge

Boys Senior Small School All-State

Kaden Grau, Westview

Boys Senior Honorable Mention All-State

Stephen Akase, Wawasee

Braxton Cline, Goshen

Hayden Johnson, Northridge

Mason Pearson, NorthWood

Levi Sawatzky, Goshen

Boys Underclass Supreme 15

Austin Schlabach, Westview

Girls Senior Honorable Mention All-State

Cam Conley, Northridge

Eva Herbert, Fairfield

Girls Underclass Supreme 15

Lily Scholl, Northridge

Girls Underclass Honorable Mention All-State

Alli Ambers, Northridge

Madison Jones, Fairfield

NEW CASTLE — Northridge girls basketball has been selected to join one of the more prestigious winter events this upcoming December.

The Doug Springer-led Raiders will participate in the 2026 Henry Community Health Hall of Fame Classic Monday, Dec. 21, at New Castle Fieldhouse. It's the 43rd edition of the event for the girls.

Northridge will play Franklin Central following the 11 a.m. opener between Pendleton Heights and McCutcheon. The loser of each game will meet in the consolation game at 6 p.m. followed by the championship.

The Raiders and Flashes met last year in the 2026 Interra Classic finale. Northridge won 64-57 as Franklin Central finished 1-3 against the most talented field to be constructed in Middlebury.

Franklin Central, which has played at the Hall of Fame Classic once before, went on to finish the season 13-10 but bring back most of their contributors, including 6-foot-3 Payton Duvall (12.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.1 blocks) and 5-foot-9 Ashlee Baker (11 points, 3.9 assists).

Northridge will be making the school's first-ever appearance in December. The Raiders finished 20-8 this past season with a run to the semistate semifinal. Lily Scholl will be back after averaging 18.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, three steals and three assists a game in 2025-26. She'll be joined by sharpshooter Alli Ambers and post player Zoe Yeater.

The event has long succeeded in bringing down four of the top teams in the state. Twenty-one teams that have played in the tournament have gone on to win state titles.

New Castle Fieldhouse is the largest high school gymnasium in the United States, seating over 8,400 people. It was built in 1959 and regularly hosts postseason events on both the boys and girls side.

------------

2026 Girls Henry Community Health Hall of Fame Classic

New Castle Fieldhouse - Monday, December 21, 2026

* 11 a.m. - Pendleton Heights vs. McCutcheon

* Following - Franklin Central vs. Northridge

* 6 p.m. - Consolation game

* Following - Championship game

SUNRISE, Fla. – After seeing a pair of multi-goal leads slip away a few nights earlier, the Minnesota Wild survived seeing a two-goal lead slip away Thursday night in South Florida.

They took a two-goal lead into the third period at Amerant Bank Arena only to see the Florida Panthers tie it up. But Joel Eriksson Ek’s dramatic game-winner with 4.4 seconds on the clock made for a 3-2 win as the Wild downed the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.

The Wild, who have now won three of their last five, got second period goals from Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman, which were among the byproducts of sending 49 shots at the Florida net. Minnesota goalie Jesper Wallstedt finished with 18 saves, improving to 15-8-6 in his rookie season.

The win came despite a busy night for Panthers goalie Daniil Tarasov, who had 46 saves in the loss. The teams split their two-game season series, with the Panthers grabbing an overtime win in St. Paul on Hockey Day Minnesota in January.

But the two points may have come at a cost for the Wild, after captain Jared Spurgeon was injured in the third period and did not return.

Minnesota got the game’s first power play and the second unit did everything but score, with Vladimir Tarasenko hitting the post with a long-range shot, and Marcus Johansson’s swipe at the rebound foiled by a sprawling arm save. It was one of 19 shots Daniil Tarasov turned away in the opening period.

Less busy, but equally vital, in the other end of the rink was Wallstedt, who foiled Mtthew Tkachuk’s solo rush to the net with a shoulder save to keep the game scoreless at the first intermission.

But their 20th shot counted when Foligno – playing in his first game back after missing 14 of the previous 16 games – slipped a low shot past the goalie after linemate Yakov Trenin had fought off a challenge from a Florida defender to get Foligno the puck.

It stayed that way until there were 95 seconds left in the middle frame and Hartman found the puck loose at the side of the net after a Panthers turnover below the goal line. With Tarasov down and scrambling to get back into position, Hartman flipped the puck into the mostly empty net.

The Panthers got on the board in the opening minute of the third when Matthew Tkachuk delivered a perfect deflection from the top of the crease.

Things got worse for the Wild a few shifts later when Spurgeon foiled a Florida rush to the Minnesota net, but went down at full speed and slid hard into the goalpost, knocking the net off the moorings. Trainers and a teammate helped Spurgeon off the ice and down the tunnel immediately.

With Tarasov on the bench for an extra attacker and the Wild’s quintet stuck on the ice after a pair of icings, the Panthers tied it with 1:13 to play.

The Wild conclude their current three-game road trip on Saturday, making their only visit to Boston this season for a 4 p.m. Central start versus the Bruins.

Briefly

Wild defenseman Jeff Petry, who was playing in his second game since being acquired from Florida at the trade deadline, was welcomed back by the Panthers during a first period TV timeout. He had played 58 games for Florida prior to the trade. Petry assisted on the Wild’s first goal for his first point with Minnesota.

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Mar. 26—PULLMAN — Brandyn Thompson was barely done with one celebration before he had to jump into another. Washington State's cornerbacks coach was hyping up safety Jeremiah Bernard, who had just picked off a pass during Thursday's spring practice opener, prompting a host of teammates to mob him along the sideline.

Then, just as the hooting and hollering and swarming under the Taylor Sports Complex roof began to dissipate, another pass came whirring down the field. This time, third-year sophomore safety Kayo Patu won his 1-on-1 drill and picked it off.

Thompson turned away from Bernard and embraced Patu. Several of his teammates did, too.

"I thought those guys in 1-on-1s did a really good job competing, really sticky in terms of playing on the tight ends in the slots, and that's what we want to see," WSU head coach Kirby Moore said, moments after his first practice at the program's helm wrapped up. "Coach Brandyn does a really good job of designing opportunities for our defensive backs to challenge guys."

On the first day of WSU's spring practice slate, which took place indoors because of the chilly morning temperatures in Pullman, that kind of scene best described things. It was something of a wobbly day for the Cougars' offense, which experienced a handful of drops in 1-on-1 drills and team periods, while their defense took control with plays like those from Bernard and Patu.

Otherwise, the rest of the Cougs' spring opener went about as expected. UC Davis transfer quarterback Caden Pinnick took reps with what appeared to be WSU's first-team offense, which included expected faces like running back Kirby Vorhees, wide receiver Tony Freeman and offensive linemen Ashton Tripp, Johnny Lester, Kyle Martin, Noah Dunham and Washington transfer Maximus McCree.

This spring (and potentially fall) Pinnick is competing for the starting job with returners Owen Eshelman and Julian Dugger. Asked what he saw from that group, one word came to Moore's mind immediately: "Efficiency."

"I saw them take care of the football in terms of decision making," Moore said, referring to one of his key criteria. "There were some scramble drill opportunities. I feel like they made good decisions in terms of when to run, when to find windows, and so it's a good first day to build on."

That first-team unit also included a few surprise faces, including redshirt freshman wide receiver Noah Westbrook and Missouri transfer wideout Daniel Blood, both of whom are part of what is suddenly a crowded room at receiver. Also competing for snaps in that department will be Florida transfer Tank Hawkins, Oregon State transfer Darrius Clemons, junior college transfer Ryan McKendry and others.

On Thursday, the Cougars' first-team defense included defensive ends Linus Zunk and Matyus McLain, the former a transfer from Vanderbilt and the latter a transfer from nearby Idaho. It also featured linebackers DJ Warner and Nylan Brown, which came as no surprise, as well as safety Jack Bal, cornerback Jalil Tucker, defensive tackle Paul Hutson III and cornerbacks Jshawn Frausto-Ramos and Khamari Terrell.

Those lineups can fluctuate from day to day, so while they're often informative on coaches' evaluations, they don't necessarily indicate anything long-term.

On offense, perhaps the most noticeable trend belonged to WSU's tight ends. On several occasions, they found themselves on the receiving end of passes, both in the flat and farther downfield: UCLA transfer Jack Pedersen, returners Cash Landau and Peyton Read, plus others. It's clear that in the Cougs' new offense, which will be manned by offensive coordinator Matt Miller and the offensive-minded Moore, tight ends will be more than just blockers.

With redshirt junior Trey Leckner expected to miss the entirety of spring ball with a foot injury, other Cougar tight ends are getting chances to shine.

"You saw some of the younger guys," Moore said, "whether it was Peyton, Cash, I know Jack Pedersen had a play there down the field. So I thought they did a nice job. We gotta build on it. I thought there were some run game opportunities for him to be at the point of attack as well."

That will be one trend worth watching during this WSU spring slate, which continues on Saturday with an 11:45 a.m. practice in Pasco, about a 30-minute drive from Moore's hometown of Prosser. Can the Cougars turn their tight ends into versatile weapons? Last season, Leckner hauled in 24 catches for 186 yards and three touchdowns, doing what he does best in the open field.

But otherwise, WSU's tight ends combined for six catches for 28 yards and one touchdown, which came courtesy of former TE Ademola Faleye. He established himself as an effective blocker in the run and pass games, which turned into a real plus for the Cougars. But they used Leckner as a pass-catcher and Faleye as a run-blocker.

This season, does Washington State have a tight end who can do both? The jury is still out on that. But if opening days of spring practice can serve as any type of barometer, you can do worse than what the Cougars turned in on Thursday morning.

"It's a lot different," Freeman said of Moore's practice structure. "It's like more compared to my first year (under former coach Jake Dickert). A lot of tempo. Like, it's just go, go, go, go. So I feel like it's a good thing. Gotta get back in shape. It's great."

Mar. 26—As recently as Feb. 6, when they allowed the last-place Vancouver Giants to snap an eight-game losing streak, the Spokane Chiefs were on the outside of the playoff picture looking in.

But after an ultimately successful run of 11 games against teams in the bottom half of the Western Conference, the Chiefs finished in sixth with 74 points, one point behind fifth-place Kamloops.

That earned them a first-round matchup against third-place Prince George, a team 16 points ahead of them in the standings. And the Cougars had the Chiefs' number this season, with two consecutive wins in Spokane in October and back-to-back home wins in early March. PG outscored the Chiefs 16-8 in the four games.

But a six-game win streak from Feb. 15-28 kick-started a change in momentum for the Chiefs, giving them renewed optimism for their first-round series, which starts with two games in Prince George on Friday and Saturday. The series shifts to the Arena on Monday and Wednesday for Games 3 and 4. Game 5, if necessary, will be at the Arena on Thursday.

"With this group this year, we've had a lot of adversity. I think that's a good thing for a group to go through," Chiefs coach Brad Lauer said earlier this week. "Our expectations this year were extremely high for us and I don't think we got off to the right start. But it's good to see and watch your team go through situations, and watch them figure it out and understand the importance of it and come out on the other side."

"We've had some ups and downs," Chiefs general manager Matt Bardsley said. "But I think our guys are kind of accustomed to it. I think going into the playoffs now they've had that experience and know how to manage the adversity — within a shift, within a game, within the series. We're able to use last year's experience and throughout this year and that's gonna enable us to have some success.

"The last month and a half our game has really grown. It's been consistent, we've had some success. We can certainly feed off that going into playoffs. I feel good about our group."

Last year's experience was significant. Fueled by stars Berkly Catton, Andrew Cristall, Shea Van Olm, Rasmus Ekström and Brayden Crampton, the club reached the Western Hockey League championship series, falling in five games to Medicine Hat.

All those players moved on to pro or college hockey, but 15 players on last year's roster returned this season, bringing with them more than 300 combined games of playoff experience.

"I think a lot of us have some playoff experience now, which is huge, compared to going in last year where we only had four games (of experience) in the playoffs," captain Will McIsaac said. "I've kinda given advice to some of the younger guys who haven't been in that spot. And trying to lead by example a little bit."

And what was that advice?

"The biggest thing about playoffs is you can't leave anything out there — whether that's blocking a shot or an extra hit. You've gotta be doing all that stuff."

Chiefs third-leading scorer Chase Harrington is a native of Prince George.

"I'm just super excited. This is why I play the game, for the playoffs," he said. "A lot of my family still lives around there so they'll definitely be at the games."

In addition to the returners, Bardsley acquired several players with extensive playoff experience during the offseason, including second-leading scorer and former Lethbridge captain Logan Wormald.

"My first three years weren't the best obviously — we got swept three years in a row," Wormald said. "That takes a toll on you. It makes you want to get better. Last year was obviously the strongest of my four years that I've played in the league and we made it to the (Eastern) conference finals there. I learned a lot and played against some good teams. It was a fun experience and something I obviously want to do again this year."

The difference in speed, intensity and physical play between the regular season and playoffs can be immense.

"It's a very fast switch," Wormald said. "I feel like right from the puck drop in Game 1 it's gonna be very fast-paced. We know that that's what's gonna happen, and we have to be prepared for that. There's gonna be lots of hits and a very fast game and we have to be prepared."

"It definitely gets a little bit tighter checking," Harrington added. "The details in the systems really matter. If you're not dialed in, it shows. I think really just being prepared is the most important thing.

The organization likes where the Chiefs sit going into the first round after playing some of their best hockey down the stretch.

"We've been skating very well," Wormald said. "I feel like everyone on this team is a very good skater and I feel like our forecheck has been amazing and I feel like that's where we succeed. That's where our game ramps up and where our (offensive) zone play comes in. We shoot the puck a lot and I feel like for the playoffs we're going to have to be around the net. We're facing a great goalie and we're going to have to be around the net all series."

"I think our guys finally figured out what we need to do as a group, our style of play we need to play and the way we need to play," Lauer said. "And now, our guys the last two months have done that. Going through that experience definitely helps you. ... We're going to run into some areas of the game, those situations and we've been there before. It's going to be important that our guys recognize it, understand it and learn from it from last time."

Mar. 26—DETROIT — Jacob Bernard-Docker signed with the Detroit Red Wings as a free agent last summer.

Apparently, the Red Wings like what they've seen.

Bernard-Docker signed a two-year extension with the Red Wings this week, taking him through the 2027-28 season. His contract is worth $3.2 million.

Bernard-Docker has played in 55 games for Detroit this season, tallying four assists, a plus-5 rating and averaging 15:00 of ice time per game.

The Canmore, Alta., product is in his sixth NHL season.

He debuted with the Ottawa Senators in 2021 after his junior season at UND ended.

Bernard-Docker, 25, was traded from Ottawa to Buffalo last season. He played 15 games for the Sabres, who did not send him a qualifying offer, making him an unrestricted free agent.

Bernard-Docker signed a one-year, $875,000 contract with Detroit for this season. That will jump to $1.6 million next season, when his new contract begins.

Bernard-Docker came to UND in 2018 from the Okotoks Oilers in the Alberta Junior Hockey League.

He played three seasons for the Fighting Hawks, suiting up in 95 games. He tallied 15 goals and 60 points. The first-round, No. 26 overall draft pick of the Senators was named the National Collegiate Hockey Conference's Defensive Defenseman of the Year in 2020-21.

Bernard-Docker helped the Fighting Hawks win back-to-back Penrose Cups as NCHC regular-season champions in 2020 and 2021.

Bernard-Docker is scheduled to play in his 200th NHL regular-season game on Friday against Buffalo.

Micah Grenz, over the years, has proven himself to be one of the top soccer coaches in Middle Tennessee. He and his staff have worked hard to try and make Stone Memorial High School an elite boys program.

The 2026 campaign may prove to be one of Grenz’s toughest coaching jobs yet. Not including players that graduated from last year’s 15-5 squad, Grenz is competing this year without eight players who are either injured or have chosen to pursue future goals in another sport.

Such was the case Tuesday night in Crossville when the Panthers dropped a 5-1 decision to Concord Christian.

“We improved, but we're missing, from who we anticipated being here at the beginning of the year, we're missing eight starters,” Grenz said after the match. “So, when you only have 11 players on the team it can be tough.

“This gives us a chance to give some of our freshmen a great opportunity to grow up a little bit.”

The first half of the action went back and forth. Stone played well, Grenz said, but Concord was able to slip one by the goalkeeper to take a 1-0 advantage into halftime.

“We were honestly doing a lot of great things in the first half. It was probably the best we’ve played all year,” Grenz said. “But, it's teaching these students how the game is 80 minutes for a reason. It's not just 40 minutes.”

Concord Christian opened the second half of action with an early goal to make it 2-0, and then tacked on three more goals in the final period to take a 5-0 advantage.

Stone’s lone goal late in the game came off the foot of Jeffrey Perez.

“We talk about being ready to attack a challenge rather than letting a challenge attack us,” Grenz said. “We are telling them bad things are going to happen, but what are you going to do about it. When Concord scored at the beginning of the second half, you could see a couple of guys drop their heads. As a staff, we’re like ‘Let’s go.’”

Grenz said Concord Christian played a similar style to Stone, so it was a completely foreign concept to the Panthers. Both teams moved the ball tactically.

“With so many young guys, you can’t really change a lot at halftime,”Grenz said. “Those guys are still trying to grasp what you told them at the beginning of the game. Their minds are spinning and the game is already going fast.”

Stone Memorial will now turn its attention to the Smoky Mountain Soccer Classic March 27-29 at Rocky Top Sports World in Gatlinburg. The Panthers will play Dickson County at 5:40 p.m. CST. Stone will battle Lakeway Christian Saturday at 11:40 a.m. and then close out the day with a game against William Blount at 5:10 p.m.

“I know some teams use this as a bonding time for the team. But I feel that could be done in the preseason,” Grenz said. “I go into every match expecting to win, but I would like to see them becoming smart about being ready to play three games so close together. If I need to sprint, being calculated about when we’re going to do that, while not giving up any of that intensity.”

MIDDLEBURY — Doug Springer has spoke of taking the Northridge girls basketball program to a different level.

Just before Christmas this year, the Raiders will get that opportunity, as a veteran Northridge team has been chosen to play in the prestigious Hall of Fame Classic in New Castle.

Northridge, which reached the Class 4A Elite Eight this season, will face Franklin Central in the second game on Dec. 21st at the New Castle Fieldhouse.

The first game at 11 a.m. will feature McCutcheon against Pendleton Heights. McCutcheon beat the Raiders to knock them out of the state tournament in February.

The consolation game will take place at 6 p.m. and the championship contest will follow.

Northridge loses only one senior starter from the tournament run (point guard Macey Riegsecker). The Raiders finished 20-8 last season, beating Warsaw in the sectional finals and Valparaiso at the Jimtown Regional. It was just the program’s second regional title.

Among the returning players are standouts Lily Scholl (18.3 points-per-game), Alli Ambers (12.5) and Zoe Yeater (9.9). Scholl will play for the Indiana Junior All-Stars this summer.

Franklin Central finished 13-10 last year, while Pendleton Heights was 22-4 with a Class 4A sectional title, McCutcheon closed the season at 23-6 with 4A sectional and regional titles and a berth in the LaPorte Semistate title game.

“This is just an unbelievable opportunity for our program and our school to play in the most prestigious tournaments in Indiana,’’ Springer said. “When you have the chance to play in the largest fieldhouse in the nation and have the opportunity to showcase the girls we have coming back, I think it puts our program at the state level.

“I’m just thrilled for our players, our coaching staff, our entire program and of course our community.’’

After the difficult loss to McCutcheon at the semistate, a disappointed Springer spoke about wanting to build the Northridge program so it can play at the semistate and state level every season.

“We have revamped our schedule next season so it will prepare us for the state tournament,’’ Springer said. “We want to play the best teams in Indiana to get ready.

“In my 19 years here, this will be an important moment to show where we are as a program. I’ve never put tremendous importance on wins and losses, but to play on this kind of stage – as the second smallest Class 4A team in the state – is a great opportunity.

“Now we need to do things to get ready ... hitting the weight room this off-season will be very important for the challenges we’ll face.’’

Springer has a record of 341-130 in 19 years at Northridge and 393-148 in 22 years overall.

Fourteen of the past 18 Miss Basketball winners have played in the Hall of Fame Classic, while 12 players have gone on to play in the WNBA, including Notre Dame alums Skylar Diggins and Jackie Young.

The boys teams will play on December 22nd, with Oak Hill (17-7 this year) facing Terre Haute North (21-6, 4A sectional and regional titles) at 11 a.m. and Homestead (22-6, 4A sectional and regional titles) playing New Albany (19-4) in the second game. The consolation game begins at 6 p.m. and the title contest will follow.

Mar. 26—MOSES LAKE — The Big Bend Community College Vikings (8-12) split their home doubleheader against Wenatchee Valley in the first game of conference play for the season. The Vikings fell 3-8 in the first game but came back to win 7-5 in the second.

"It was nice to see the response in game two," said Vikings Head Coach Chase Tunstall. "Karter Wilson came out and gave us his best outing of the year so far."

In the first game, the Vikings got on the board in the first inning, scoring off a single from Isaiah Aliksa, sending Ricardo Leon Guerrero II and Kevin Garcia home. Big Bend increased their lead in the second quarter when Leon Guerrero hit a sacrifice fly, scoring Rylan Osjornsen to lead 3-0 at the top of the third.

Wenatchee Valley chipped away at the Vikings' lead in the third and fourth inning, scoring two runs to put the score at 3-2. The Vikings maintained their lead until the top of the eighth when Wenatchee scored six runs to put the game at 3-8. BBCC was unable to respond in the final two at-bats and Wenatchee Valley claimed victory.

Chase Fleming pitched seven innings for the Vikings, throwing seven strikeouts, followed by Cole McKinnon and Dayton Shimatsu, who threw one strikeout.

"We started off hot the first couple innings, had a phenomenal outing from Chase Fleming; we had the lead in the top of the eighth and ran into some good hitting by Wenatchee," said Tunstall. "We kind of gave it away toward the end there and they beat us."

BBCC was slower to start in the second game as Wenatchee Valley was first on the board with a run in the second inning. The Vikings began to gain offensive momentum in the fourth inning as Alex Hirai walked with bases loaded, scoring Ryley Doig and Jaime Ruelas grounded out to score Isaiah Aliksa to gain a 2-1 lead.

Wenatchee Valley evened the score in the top of the sixth, but the Vikings regained the lead with a walk from Kevin Garcia that scored Kaiden Weakley. Wenatchee gained the lead in the top of the eighth 4-3, but in the bottom of the eighth Big Bend had their best scoring inning with runs from Jaime Ruelas, Joseph Valenzuela, Garcia and Doig.

One more run was scored in the top of the ninth as Wenatchee's Malikhi Emery-Henderson homered, but the Vikings put the game away for a 7-5 victory.

Karter Wilson pitched five innings for the Vikings with four strike outs followed by Nelson Ahumada who pitched two innings, Alex Hirai who pitched one inning with two strike outs and Leon Guerrero who pitched one inning with two strike outs.

The coach said game two's victory game from timely hitting from the Vikings and having players like Leon Guerrero, who stepped up to close the door at the end of the day.

"Good things in game two to build off of game one and hopefully we'll keep it rolling into game three and four on Saturday," he said.

A key takeaway from this game as the Vikings enter conference play is the knowledge that anyone can beat any other team any given day, said Tunstall. With that the key to victory all comes down to which team can show up and play all nine innings.

This lesson was learned from game one Wednesday afternoon as they came in hot and then allowed the opposition to catch up and overtake them late in the game, said the coach.

This season he said that the Vikings have been focused on setting goals for the present.

"Obviously everybody shoots for the same thing; they shoot for the (Northwest Athletic Conference) championship, the east title and everything," said Tunstall. "I think sometimes it's more important to set short term goals to reach that long term goal and I think our biggest goal moving forward is just trying to go 1-0 in the first game and taking it one game at a time."

This season, the Vikings roster is made up of the usual 50/50 split of freshmen and sophomores with 16 returning sophomores. The coach said everyone on the team has been stepping up when necessary this season and expects that to continue as the season progresses.

"I think this team has the capability of being really good, but we just have to put it all together and continue to move forward and play the pitch," said Tunstall.

The Vikings head on the road to face Wenatchee Valley again in another doubleheader Saturday, with the first game starting at 1 p.m.

BOX SCORE

GAME ONE

WVCC: 0-0-1-1-0-0-0-6-0: 8

BBCC: 2-1-0-0-0-0-0-0-0: 3

GAME TWO

WVCC: 0-1-0-0-0-1-0-2-1: 5

BBCC: 0-0-0-2-0-1-0-4-x: 7

Mar. 26—SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Ten years ago today, I sat in a hotel room in Cincinnati and had an idea.

With the unpredictability of the NCAA men's hockey tournament, I wondered if I could even predict the results better than a coin. The answer was a resounding no.

In Year 1, the coin correctly predicted UND would win the NCAA national title. I did not. The battle was on.

I've now beaten the coin five years in a row. But an NCAA rules change last summer allowed Canadian Hockey League players to retain their NCAA eligibility, and it has led to even more parity this season in college hockey and a deep tournament field.

We'll see what 2026 brings.

Schlossman's picks: Michigan State over UConn. Dartmouth over Wisconsin. Michigan State over Dartmouth.

Comments: Michigan State has just about everything you want in a team — high-end skill, tenacity, scoring ability, tough defending, elite goaltending and a good mix of younger/older players. Although UConn is playing well, that's going to be a tough matchup. Dartmouth is coming into the tournament hot; Wisconsin is not. We'll see if that matters. Beware of Dartmouth's Hayden Stavroff. He has one of the best releases in the country. The Badgers, meanwhile, need their goaltenders to play better to make a run.

The coin's picks: Michigan State over UConn. Wisconsin over Dartmouth. Wisconsin over Michigan State.

Schlossman's picks: North Dakota over Merrimack. Providence over Quinnipiac. North Dakota over Providence.

Comments: Like Michigan State, North Dakota has just about everything you want in a playoff hockey team. This is a hard, direct team. When the Fighting Hawks are at their best, they're an extremely difficult out. They've lost one regulation game in two months, two in the last four months. Providence isn't flashy, but when NHL teams are trying to sign your fourth-line center, you know you've got impressive depth up the middle.

The coin's picks: North Dakota over Merrimack. Quinnipiac over Providence. Quinnipiac over North Dakota.

Schlossman's picks: Minnesota State over Western Michigan. Denver over Cornell. Denver over Minnesota State.

Comments: There will not be many goals scored in this regional. All four teams are impressive on the defensive end. Whoever comes out of this regional will be battle-tested. Western Michigan is a contender to win back-to-back NCAA titles, but losing defensemen Joona Väisänen and Cole Crusberg-Roseen to season-ending injuries hurts big-time. In 17 of the last 19 NCAA tournaments, at least one No. 4 seed has beaten a No. 1 seed. So, I've got to pick at least one. Denver, meanwhile, is red hot with Johnny Hicks in net.

The coin's picks: Western Michigan over Minnesota State. Cornell over Denver. Western Michigan over Cornell.

Schlossman's picks: Michigan over Bentley. Minnesota Duluth over Penn State. Minnesota Duluth over Michigan.

Comments: This regional features an interesting contrast in styles. Michigan and Penn State are high-flying offensively. Bentley and Minnesota Duluth will counter with structured defensive teams. The Bulldogs could give a lot of fits to the Big Ten squads, especially if Adam Gajan is at the top of his game. Penn State and Michigan rank 1-3 in most penalty minutes per game. Minnesota Duluth has the No. 2 power play in the country. The Plante brothers will feast if Penn State is undisciplined.

The coin's picks: Bentley over Michigan. Penn State over Minnesota Duluth. Penn State over Bentley.

Schlossman's picks: Michigan State over North Dakota. Denver over Minnesota Duluth. Michigan State over Denver.

Comments: Michigan State was our preseason pick to win it all, and we don't feel there's any reason to change that. The Spartans were the last Big Ten team to win an NCAA title 19 years ago in St. Louis. Could they end the Big Ten drought in Las Vegas?

The coin's picks: Wisconsin over Quinnipiac. Western Michigan over Penn State. Wisconsin over Western Michigan.

Mar. 26—The calendar just flipped to spring, but the Washington State football team is already thinking about the fall.

For the first time under coach Kirby Moore, the Cougars will hit the practice field and engage in traditional football activities just about an hour after sunrise today for the first of 15 spring football practices.

Today's practice begins at 7:45 a.m., as will the eight practices to follow on Tuesdays and Thursdays and one Friday.

WSU's Saturday practices will take place at 11:45 a.m. with some notable exceptions, including the annual Crimson and Gray Game at 2 p.m. April 25 at Gesa Field, which will be open to fans.

The Cougars will also hit the road for two satellite practices. The first one will be this Saturday in Pasco, Wash., and the other will be the following weekend in Spokane. Both will be open to the public.

Entering his first spring camp as a head coach at any level, Moore said that he is excited to begin this stage of his debut season.

"That's why you get into this. We're teachers first," Moore said in a Wednesday video call with reporters. "Really excited about getting on the field, in between the lines with our guys tomorrow (and) seeing what it looks like. There's gonna be some good, there's gonna be some learning moments and (I) can't wait to see where we're at when we're at the end of this thing."

Who will be the Cougars' QB?

WSU once again has a quarterback question and Moore confirmed it will be a three-way battle between UC Davis transfer Caden Pinnick, redshirt freshman Owen Eshelman and sophomore Julian Dugger.

Pinnick earned Big Sky Freshman of the Year honors this past season and was the runner-up for the Jerry Rice Award, recognizing the best player in the Football Championship Subdivision.

At UC Davis, Pinnick completed 240-of-345 passes for 3,206 yards, with 32 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He made opposing defenses pay on the ground, too, running the ball 125 times for 437 yards and three TDs.

Eshelman, one of former coach Jimmy Rogers' recruits, redshirted last year.

In an appearance on the Puck Sports podcast, Moore praised Eshelman's accuracy and said that he was dicing up WSU's No. 1 defense when Moore visited leading up to the team's bowl game.

Dugger was the Cougars' backup/gadget QB for all of last year, being brought into the game to run the football. He was rarely asked to pass and did not complete a pass until the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, but broke free for a 34-yard touchdown run in that same game.

The three will rotate between WSU's No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 offenses and receive plenty of opportunities to show what they can do, Moore said.

"The best way to figure out how to get better at quarterback is to play," Moore said.

The QBs will each be learning and implementing a new offensive system on top of sharpening their fundamentals and building chemistry with their teammates.

Moore said that, between seven-on-seven, mixed-group drills and situational exercises, the QBs will learn to play under pressure.

"It really comes down to production," the former Missouri offensive coordinator said. "The two things we can control every play are our feet and our eyes and we've got to make sure that those are confident and then it comes back to completion percentage and taking care of the football."

Moore said that his staff will pay attention to how many explosive plays — generally defined as passes or runs of 20-or-more yards — that each QB creates against the No. 1 defense as opposed to what they do against the No. 2 defense.

Similar to previous seasons, when Jaxon Potter and Zevi Eckhaus competed last year and Eckhaus and John Mateer contended for the job before that, WSU likely won't pick a starter until well into fall camp in August.

Moore declined to specify an exact timeline.

"I think the quarterback competitions — they decide themselves by what's going on on the field," Moore said. "And I am in no hurry for that to happen."

Who's on the team?

There are a fair number of new faces in the Cougar football locker room, but not nearly as many as the 75 newcomers from last season.

Moore said his staff retained 11 of the 14 Potato Bowl starters who had eligibility.

With some of the marquee defenders, such as defensive end Isaac "Bobby" Terrell and Bryson Lamb following Rogers to Iowa State, Moore and his staff recruited 38 new players to Pullman who are on campus this semester via the transfer portal and high school recruiting. Additional true freshmen will join the team over the summer.

WSU's retention turned heads among vocal fans on social media, with guys such as linebacker Keith Brown, wide receiver Tony Freeman (590 receiving yards and 415 punt return yards in 2025) and the Cougars' top three running backs with eligibility — Kirby Vorhees, Maxwell Woods and Leo Pulalasi — returning to WSU.

The Cougars also retained the bulk of their offensive line, with three regular starters from last year returning in left tackle Ashton Tripp, left guard Jonny Lester and right guard Noah Dunham.

Returning tackle Jaylin Caldwell, who started a handful of games before a season-ending injury, and center Kyle Martin, who started the Potato Bowl, are also back.

Standout transfers include sixth-year offensive tackle Maximus McCree (6-foot-6, 296-pound former Washington Husky), senior defensive end Linus Zunk (6-6, 262 Vanderbilt transfer from Berlin, Germany) and sophomore safety Jaylen Thomas (San Jose State).

There are sure to be plenty more players who will emerge over the course of camp.

When can fans watch the Cougars this spring?

The first of WSU's two satellite practices will be at 11:45 a.m. Saturday at Edgar Brown Memorial Stadium in Pasco, Wash., close to Prosser, where Moore grew up.

The second roving practice will be at 11 a.m. April 4 at Union Stadium in Spokane.

Player and coach-led kids clinics will follow both practices.

Moore said his staff is still working through what exactly fans will see at the end of April during the spring scrimmage.

However, Moore said that he would like the first two quarters "to be a true game," with a running clock. The specifics and structure, such as whether it's an offense-versus-defense set up or a split squad arrangement where either side has an offensive and defensive unit, will be finalized later in camp.

Taylor can be reached at 208-848-2260, staylor@lmtribune.com, or on X or Instagram @Sam_C_Taylor.

The Nets spent Wednesday night at Chase Center doing just about everything that usually wins games and still walked out with another loss.

Brooklyn forced a season-high 26 turnovers, set a season high with 17 steals and got a massive lift from its bench. None of it was enough. The Nets fell to the Golden State Warriors 109-106, dropped to 17-56 and lost their ninth straight despite an incredibly active defensive performance. The loss also pushed Brooklyn into second place in the NBA draft lottery standings, per Tankathon, one game behind the Indiana Pacers for the worst record in the league.

Ziaire Williams led the Nets with 19 points and a career-high six steals, continuing what’s been a tear lately. Jalen Wilson scored 15 points; Malachi Smith had 12 in the first game of his second 10-day contract and Chaney Johnson added 11 before fouling out with 55 seconds left. Brooklyn’s bench outscored Golden State’s 51-18, but possessions didn’t go the Nets’ way late.

Gui Santos carried the Warriors with 31 points on 11-for-16 shooting. Golden State played without Stephen Curry for the 22nd straight game. Brooklyn was missing Michael Porter Jr., Noah Clowney, Nolan Traoré, Egor Dëmin, Day’Ron Sharpe and Danny Wolf.

The game had a strange feel from the opening tip. Golden State scored efficiently, shooting 52.9% in the first quarter, but couldn’t hold onto the ball. Brooklyn turned 10 Warriors turnovers into eight extra points in the first, which is how the Nets carried a 30-25 lead into the second quarter even while the Warriors were making shots. Williams and Josh Minott had two steals apiece, and Williams, back in his home state of California, set the early tone by living at the line and scoring nine first-quarter points to lead all scorers.

As the Warriors kept giving it away, Brooklyn’s lead grew. The Nets went up 13 with 5:11 left in the half after Johnson knocked down his first 3-pointer of the night. Golden State chipped away at the line and Brandon Podziemski’s 7-footer cut it to four with 54.4 seconds left, but Minott answered with his second 3 of the half. After Kristaps Porzingis split a pair at the stripe, Smith raced coast to coast, finished at the rim and beat the buzzer, sending Brooklyn into halftime up 58-50.

The Nets shot 52.6% and made seven 3-pointers in the first half. They also forced 15 turnovers while committing nine. They were also getting crushed on the glass, 22-12, but they had built an eight-point cushion anyway.

Then things got tight.

With 8:04 left in the third, Podziemski found Gary Payton II for a transition lob that cut Brooklyn’s lead to four, and Jordi Fernández burned his first timeout of the half. The Nets re-established control with back-to-back 3s from Drake Powell, but the third quarter still turned into a shootout where one matchup mattered more than the turnovers. Santos poured in 15 points in the period and Golden State kept finding him. Brooklyn narrowly won the quarter 28-27, and the Warriors still turned it over nine more times, which the Nets converted into 13 points. That was enough for Brooklyn to take an 86-77 lead into the fourth.

Then Golden State erased it almost instantly. A heavy dose of Podziemski buckets and free throws made it a two-point game with 9:57 left. Payton laid it in with 8:10 remaining to tie it, forcing another Fernández timeout.

The game turned into a possession-by-possession test, and Smith kept bailing Brooklyn out when it needed a shot. He drilled a huge 3 at the 4:08 mark to break a 97-97 tie, then hit an impossible one-legged 20-footer at 3:15 to put the Nets up 102-100. Then it was Ben Saraf’s moment, throwing down a left-handed slam over Draymond Green with 46 seconds left to tie it at 106.

And then it ended poorly for Brooklyn. Jalen Wilson fouled De’Anthony Melton with 24.5 seconds left, and Melton split a pair. Saraf missed a go-ahead layup. Green hit two free throws to make it a three-point game. The Nets never got a tying attempt because Minott threw an errant full-court pass for a turnover.

Williams didn’t play in the final frame.

Brooklyn closes its road trip Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena.

In baseball, the NCAA calls the second phase of its tournament  a “Super Regional.” No such moniker exists for March Madness, but it would be apt for the men’s basketball drama about to unfold in Washington this weekend.

UConn vs. Michigan State, Duke vs. St. John’s on Friday, the winners play for the East Regional’s portal to the Final Four on Sunday. It doesn’t get much bigger, or better, than this.

“It’s pretty brutal on Twitter,” said UConn coach Dan Hurley, who favors the graphic analogy, after the matchups were set. “And socials between (UConn and St. John’s) fan bases, but I think we have to try to come together Friday night against our opponents so we can have a blood bath on Sunday.”

This Date In UConn March Madness History: Huskies lose heartbreaker despite Allen’s 36 points

If these four teams were in different regionals, they might all be gathering in Indianapolis next week for the Final Four without busting too many brackets, but the metrics dictated this grouping as far as the selection process went. It put St. John’s and UConn, the two best teams in the Big East, already having met three times, in the same bracket. Duke, the No. 1 seed, and Michigan State, No. 3, will have their say in this, but it’s safe to say this quadrant of the country is itching for Coach-a-mania IV between Hurley and Rick Pitino.

In a way, it is vindication for the Big East, which got only three teams in the Field of 68, largely because of out-of-conference performances four months ago. UConn assembled a tough schedule and went 5-1 against nonconference opponents, positioning itself for a No. 2 seed. The Johnnies did not fair well out of conference, but dominated the league, won two of three against the Huskies and were put on the No. 5 line.

“I think it speaks to the quality of what us and St. John’s are this year,” Hurley said. “I think they’re a great team. I think we’re a great team. I think it was much needed. I think with coming off of a three-bid year, obviously, Seton Hall was close. They did their part in the nonconference. Seton Hall got hurt by the overall league this year. I just think us and St. John’s are two of the best teams in the country.”

UConn, after beating Furman and UCLA in its subregional in Philadelphia, and St. John’s, which survived the second round in San Diego with a dramatic, high-degree-of-difficulty winning shot from Dylan Darling to beat Kansas, have major obstacles still separating them. Michigan State, the only program ever to deny UConn at a Final Four, in 2009, have a Hall of Fame coach in Tom Izzo and come out of the formidable Big Ten. Duke, ultimate ACC blue blood and, one might argue, the one school UConn fans love to hate more than any conference rival, stands in Pitino’s way.

St. John’s, despite their seeding, are one of the “it” teams in the field. Pitino, 73, also in the Hall of Fame, has taken Providence, Kentucky and Louisville to Final Fours, winning championships with the latter two, and has few demons left to wrestle. But Duke is one. In 1992, he was knocked out of the Final Four on a game-winning shot by Christian Laettner, two years after Laettner broke UConn’s heart in the school’s first Elite Eight. UConn eventually slayed Duke on the way to championships in 1999 and 2004. So UConn and St. John’s have common ground, hating on Laettner … but then again, didn’t everybody?

Hurley will join Pitino and Izzo in the Hall of Fame one day, as virtually every coach with at least two championships is inducted eventually. This third trip in four years to the Round of 16 only adds to his body of work, but he’s aiming for select company in his quest for three championships, as is captain Alex Karaban, the remaining starter from the 2023 and ’24 champions.

“I definitely don’t want my career to end so doing everything in my power to help lead this team to make sure that happens and get the win,” Karaban said, after scoring his career high 27 points vs. UCLA. “Do anything possible to make sure I get the win. …  I don’t go into a game thinking what if we lose? That’s the worst mentality to have. Think about winning nonstop, and just helping this team out.”

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So let’s make the large leap and assume it comes down to UConn vs. St. John’s.

Here’s the storyline: What teams can you remember playing three times in a season with such wildly different results? St. John’s won handily at Madison Square Garden on Feb. 6, and even more handily in the Big East final on March 14, with star center Zuby Ejiofor dominating the Huskies both times. In between, Ejiofor was a nonfactor as UConn won by 32 in Hartford on Feb. 25. Anyone who tries to predict what would happen Sunday, what new wrinkle Pitino might pull out of the sleeve of his fancy suit, what adjustment Hurley and his staff might use to counter the last game, is giving you a snow job. If that’s where we land, let it play out and enjoy it.

The only thing that could make this super regional even more epic would be if Duke were still coached by Mike Krzyzewski, but his replacement, Jon Scheyer, has not gone the way of others who replace such legends. He’s kept Duke, top overall seed, in the national conversation. But no matter how hot St. John’s is, losing to a No.5 won’t sit well in Durham, N.C.

Next up for UConn men on rugged road to Final Four? A showdown between Dan Hurley, Tom Izzo

What we’re about to see are clashes of college basketball’s titans, colorful personalities, personal rivalries, traditional rivalries, conference rivalries, storied programs, drama, pressure, intensity and intrigue — was somebody looking to prevent two Big East teams reaching the Final Four? — and all in one place. It would’ve made a hell of a Final Four, and it’s no garden variety regional. It is, indeed, the super regional.

“It stinks a little bit that they threw us both in the same region,” Hurley said. “It feels like the combination of St. John’s being underseeded, as well as putting us both in same region. It’s probably a little bit early, but obviously, I think we’ve got to … support each other.”

En route to the locker room following Minnesota’s dramatic overtime win over Houston, at least one Timberwolves player reportedly could be heard saying “That (stuff) didn’t work, Scott Foster.”

Foster was the crew chief of the officiating crew for a Wolves-Rockets tilt that featured its share of officiating controversy re: calls that were and were not made.

Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said his players “were certainly frustrated,” adding the overtime affair “should’ve ended at regulation.”

He said Julius Randle “clearly” was fouled on his gather during his move to the bucket in the closing seconds of the knotted contest. Finch noted Minnesota attempted 63 shots in the paint, yet received only 10 free-throw attempts to Houston’s 25.

The Rockets, meanwhile, received key whistles in the final five seconds of both regulation and overtime that afforded them the opportunity to tie the game at the free-throw line. However, Durant missed the first attempt of a trip to the stripe with three seconds to play in the extra session with the Rockets trailing by two.

Finch said he’s “never seen” a call like the flagrant whistled on Randle for running through a screener with three minutes to play in regulation.

“They said he sought him out to run him over,” Finch said. “I’ve never seen a flagrant like that. He goes through a screen, they call a foul, fine. That’s clearly a foul. Play on. But a flagrant? I don’t know.”

The call opened the door for a four-point Rockets possession that helped Houston lower its deficit from nine to five.

“Randle was deemed to have run through the screen with force making no attempt to avoid the contact, which was deemed unnecessary,” Foster said in a postgame interview with a pool reporter.

In overtime, Minnesota challenged an offensive foul call against Reid in which Alperen Sengun appeared to still be moving laterally when Reid connected with him, with Reid’s foot also landing on that of the Rockets’ center.

Yet the call stood on the floor, which didn’t surprise Finch – “that one was close … I didn’t think we were going to win it,” he said. But immediately after the replay ruling, the ESPN broadcast appears to show Reid simply saying “he was moving” in regards to Sengun, which induced a quick technical foul call from Foster, which resulted in an ejection.

Foster said Reid “made a statement that questioned the integrity of the crew.”

It wasn’t Foster’s first controversial encounter with the Timberwolves this season. The referee also ejected Anthony Edwards in overtime of Minnesota’s Christmas night loss to Denver.

Yet Finch and the Wolves players were proud of how any gripes with the whistle didn’t affect the team’s approach on the floor. They continued to attack the rack on offense while playing a physical brand of defense.

“Just try to believe in the basketball gods,” Wolves center Rudy Gobert said. “Just keep trying to compete, play winning basketball and control what you can control.”

“Just not worry about the refs, just going to play,” Jaden McDaniels said. “You see, we weren’t worried about them in overtime and came back and won.”

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It suits her.

Abby Zawadzki is a four-year varsity player for St. Charles North, but opponents used to seeing her playing at first base will be getting a new look this spring from the senior right-hander.

The 6-foot Zawadzki was listed as a pitcher/first baseman her previous three seasons, but opportunities in the circle were limited with stars Ava Goettel and Paige Murray ahead of her.

“I’ve taken on a new role this year,” said Zawadzki, who came into the season with only 25 2/3 innings pitched in her entire high school career. “Paige was fantastic last year.

“The past few years, playing first has been my role and I’d do what I had to do.”

Now, she’s spreading her wings.

Zawadzki made her first start of the season Wednesday and looked to be in midseason form, shutting down Burlington Central by firing a one-hitter in an 8-0 nonconference victory.

Zawadzki, who struck out eight and walked one, helped her own cause with two hits for the North Stars (2-0). Her highlight was a two-run double during a six-run second inning.

Junior third baseman Julianna Kouba also went 3-for-3 as the North Stars took advantage of five errors by the Rockets (1-3).

“I just love that she came out here and pitched like she pitched,” St. Charles North coach Tom Poulin said. “We’ve got two girls who’ve been waiting for Paige Murray to graduate.

“We miss Paige, don’t get me wrong, but Carrigan Rich steps in and throws a four-inning no-hitter (Tuesday) and Abby a one-hitter (Wednesday).”

Rich, a senior right-hander who worked 32 innings last season, was the winner in a 15-0 victory over visiting West Chicago in the season opener and Zawadzki backed her with a three-run homer.

Some things never change, indeed.

Zawadzki started the season with 50 career hits, with 26 going for extra bases, featuring 14 homers, 11 doubles and a triple.

Junior shortstop Mei Shirokawa was Burlington Central’s lone baserunner Wednesday, beating out a grounder to lead off the fourth that junior first baseman Olivia Galliart ranged to her right to field.

Zawadzki, who was perfect through three innings, also yielded a two-out walk to Shirokawa in the sixth.

Galliart, a lefty, will also pitch this season for the North Stars. Senior catcher Miranda Quigley, a Missouri-St. Louis commit, is a travel teammate with Zawadzki on the Dennison Silver Hawks.

“I caught her all fall, which was really good to prepare us for the high school season,” Quigley said. “We’ve got a good connection. She’s really good at working the ball in and out, has a good screwball and curveball and then she’s willing to go up on hitters with her rise.

“Her length really helps, along with big hands that help her spin.”

Zawadzki remains uncommitted but has several Division I programs recruiting her.

“She throws hard, has good movement,” Poulin said. “It feels like she’s on top of you when she delivers the ball. That’s what our girls who hit against her in practice say.”

Zawadzki prepared for the season by working out with Geneva-based pitching coach Kristie Spielman-Phillip and St. Charles-based hitting coach Marc Mantucca.

“Honestly, I’m just throwing as hard as I can,” Zawadzki said. “That’s my main thing. That and throwing to spots and relying on my defense, which always has my back.”

Her velocity has topped out at 67 mph, according to Quigley, who catches her during lessons.

In 47 innings pitched in the fall, Zawadzki struck out 55, posted a 1.64 ERA and .936 WHIP, which is walks plus hits per Innings pitched.

“She’s an athlete,” Poulin said of Zawadzki. “She’s our fastest around the bases when we time them. She’s second or third fastest home to first, but home to home, she’s our fastest.”

PHILADELPHIA — In the waning days of this Chicago Bulls season, Patrick Williams has begun to fade out of focus.

The forward is hardly playing. When he makes it onto court, he often flashes a brief, promising display of the same talent that lured the Bulls to select him with the No. 4 draft pick nearly six years ago — a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer, a sudden lurch toward the rim for an offensive rebound. Then, just as quickly, Williams dissolves into the background. Easy to miss. Hard to explain. A question that the Bulls seem incapable of answering.

The trade deadline was supposed to offer a change. Or, at the least, an opportunity. The Bulls traded away seven of their most important players, clearing the runway for the remaining young core to earn significant playing time. But even in that environment, Williams can’t win.

Since the All-Star break, Williams has spent 240.8 total minutes on the court. Only five players have logged fewer minutes in that span: two-way players Yuki Kawamura and Lachlan Olbrich, and injured teammates Jaden Ivey, Jalen Smith and Anfernee Simons. Williams tallied five blocks and 25 rebounds in that span. And new addition Leonard Miller — a second-year forward who barely cracked the rotation in Minnesota — has nearly doubled his playing time.

How does the forward handle his plummet down the team’s list of priorities?

“I just try to learn from all of it,” Williams told the Tribune. “That’s where I’m at.”

Williams couldn’t offer a clear-cut reason for his lack of playing time. The forward said he hasn’t talked with the coaching staff or the front office about his role reduction. He’s trying to learn from each game, make the most of the minutes he receives and absorb the feedback given by the coaching staff.

But coach Billy Donovan had a simple explanation: nothing has changed.

In his sixth season, Williams is still struggling with the same weaknesses that plagued the first years of his career. The forward is the longest-tenured player on the Bulls roster. He was the first player drafted under Donovan, the first project to which the coach fully committed himself in Chicago. And six years later, Donovan is still prodding and cajoling the forward to crash the boards and control his dribble and contribute physically to the game.

“It bothers me because there are things I see in him that I want to see him do more consistently,” Donovan said. “I wouldn’t say I’m disappointed. … But when someone shows signs of being able to do something, you feel like you want to try to get him to do it more consistently. He’s just got to take ownership of those minutes and just try to make them as valuable as possible.”

More often than not, Donovan and his staff find themselves mulling over the same questions: What do we need to do to motivate Williams to play this way more consistently? What are we missing? What does he need?

Those questions have not changed since his rookie season. They’ve grown more flustered, more confounding. Donovan doesn’t fully understand why Williams doesn’t pursue offensive rebounds at a higher rate. He can’t wrap his head around the forward’s lack of finishing ability as a dunker. He doesn’t know why this player — big, strong, smart, dedicated — can’t get this thing to click after years of trying.

Internally, the Bulls coaching staff has reached a point of bafflement with the forward. To those who work with Williams, none of this makes sense. As a one-and-done who mostly came off the bench at Florida State, it’s not as if the forward was never a surefire guarantee as a top-5 pick. Still, Williams always had the makings to meet a baseline of physicality and finishing that he’s simply never reached in Chicago.

Stardom is more nuanced than height and weight and wingspan, but Williams clearly has the physical gifts and general profile of a solid NBA player. His teammates often marvel at his strength both in the weight room and in team drills. He has a yawning reach, deft hands and light feet. So why has that never translated into consistency — of any kind — on the court?

This is the worst season of Williams’ career. He is averaging the fewest points (6.8) and rebounds (2.8) of his six years in the league. He logs less than one offensive board per game. His 2-point shooting percentage has dropped below 40%. His assist-to-turnover ratio is nearly 1-to-1.

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As a result, Williams’ career trajectory has stalled out to a standstill. There are still three years left on the forward’s five-year, $90 million deal. The Bulls did not seriously pursue trade options for Williams at the deadline due to a lack of interest on the market, per a source. Perhaps that will change once he nears the end of his contract. But in the meantime, Williams is treading water — and retreading the same talking points that have defined the last three years of his development.

“I kind of look at it as — whenever I do get out there, what can I learn from it?” Williams said. “To be completely honest, we’re not competing for a championship this year. So when I’m out there, I’m trying to learn different things. I’m trying to work on things in a game. It might look a little bit crazy, but that’s kind of what the development part of it is for me.”

Williams still talks like a young player at the start of his career. When he thinks about this season in the big picture, the forward points to foundational aspects of his game that he hopes to improve — playing at a higher pace, filling in the gaps in an undersized frontcourt.

“I hope that in Year 10, Year 12, Year 15, these lessons will start to come back around again,” Williams said. “I’ll say, ‘OK, I learned that early on when I was in Chicago.’”

There’s some sense to this outlook. After all, Williams is only 24 years old. Life is long.

But NBA careers are not. And as he fails to fight for minutes even on a floundering Bulls roster, Williams is only adding to the stagnation of his career — and the team as a whole.

The New Mexico Ice Wolves are wrapping up the season and the organization says it’s ready to celebrate.

“It’s the final home games of the regular season and the party is going to be huge,” the team said in a news release.

This Friday and Saturday, the Ice Wolves host South Division rival the Oklahoma Warriors — puck drops both nights at 6:30 p.m.

HAPPY GILMORE: On Friday, festivities will include a fan celebration of the spirit of Happy Gilmore.

“The team strongly suggests fans watch Happy Gilmore 2 on Netflix to prepare for this special evening as there will be specialty jerseys, a putting contest, a lookalike contest and more,” the team says.

Players will wear specialty jerseys for the fan celebration evening with all game-worn custom jerseys and surprise celebrity signed jerseys from celebrities that had fun cameo appearances in the recent movie available on DASH Auctions with 100% of proceeds going to youth hockey through NM Ice Hockey Foundation and disabled hockey through NM Blade Runners in Albuquerque.

JUNIOR HOCKEY: Saturday’s game will honor and celebrate all players who are aging out of junior hockey at the end of the season, some of whom are off to play college hockey at top programs.

RECORD: Currently, the team is in second place in the rough and tumble South Division with a 32-18-4-1 record.

YOUTUBE: The NM Ice Wolves are also on YouTube where fans can watch every episode of the “We Are Ice Wolves” series taking viewers inside the pack following the team through this season, and previous seasons, showing the life of junior hockey players developing within the NM Ice Wolves organization and community.

CLEVELAND – Considering the torment of the five-game losing streak the Miami Heat carried into the night – from the buzzer-beating loss in Houston, the Luka Doncic 60 for the Lakers to the fourth-quarter blitz by the Hornets – there likely was going to be no easy way out for Erik Spoelstra’s team.

So what had stood as a 21-point first-half lead Wednesday night against the Cleveland Cavaliers was gone in the second half.

Still, this time the Heat found a way, pushing back in the fourth quarter to a 120-103 victory at Rocket Area.

So one step forward in the win column and two in the standings, the victory moving the Heat to No. 8 in the Eastern Conference amid the scramble in the play-in/playoff race.

With Spoelstra shaking up his starting lineup, the Heat found salvation through 19 points from Norman Powell and 18 from Tyler Herro , as well as 17 points and 10 rebounds from Bam Adebayo and 13 points and 11 rebounds from Kel’el Ware.

In all, eight players scored in double figures for the Heat.

Five Degrees of Heat from Wednesday night’s game:

1. Game flow: The Heat led 28-19 after the first period and 63-46 at halftime, after moving to their 21-point lead in the second period.

The Heat season-long third-period issues then fully resurfaced, with the Cavaliers, playing on the second night of the back-to-back set against a Heat team that was idle Tuesday, tying it 83-83 going into the fourth.

The Cavaliers then moved to a two-point lead early in the final period before the Heat pushed their way back to a nine-point advantage midway through the fourth.

The Heat nursed the lead from there, as Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell fouled out with 3:39 left in the game, after scoring 28.

2. Side by side: Playing apart for most of the season due to injury absences, and then more recently by Spoelstra’s choosing, Powell and Herro were reunited in the starting lineup, with positive early results.

Powell was up to 13 points at halftime, with Herro with 11 at that stage, each with three first-half 3-pointers.

But then the chemistry was lost, each with just two points in the third period, the Heat’s big men taking over late to put it away.

Powell closed 7 of 12 from the field, Herro 6 of 11.

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3. Quality Ware: Limited in his minutes while offering limited contributions in recent games, Ware had a solid eight-minute initial stint, with six points and seven rebounds, the Heat outscoring the Cavaliers by 15 in those minutes.

Ware was part of an uptempo second unit that included Pelle Larsson, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kasparas Jakucionis, with Herro cycled back into that unit.

Ware then did not return in the second half until 1.7 seconds remained in the third period, but made his presence felt in the fourth.

4. Uneven night: Among the reasons Ware’s second-half minutes were limited was a 12-point third period by Adebayo after a two-point first half.

Against the quality defense of Evan Mobley Jr., Adebayo took his game to the perimeter, through three quarters 1 of 8 on 3-pointers while 4 of 9 otherwise from the field.

Adebayo also added seven assists to his stat line.

5. And another one: The teams meet again on the Cavaliers’ court on Friday night to close out the four-game season series that also included consecutive matchups earlier this season at Kaseya Center, where the teams split.

This is the fifth of the six times this season the Heat face the same opponent in consecutive games (including one run of three in a row against the Chicago Bulls).

The Heat’s final such set is April 7 and April 9 in Toronto.

CLEVELAND – Observations and other notes of interest from Wednesday night’s 120-103 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers:

– Desperate measure for a desperate time?

– Perhaps not.

– But the five-game losing streak the Heat carried into the night seemingly called for change.

– So Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed.

– Norman Powell back as a starter.

– Where most All-Stars prefer to be.

– And Pelle Larsson to the bench.

– Through no fault of his own.

– It was the first time Larsson did not start when available since Jan. 13.

– The starting lineup was rounded out by Bam Adebayo, Andrew Wiggins, Tyler Herro and Davion Mitchell.

– With the Heat 3-3 entering the night with that lineup.

– So this now the approach going forward?

– Spoelstra, of course, not one to tip his hand.

– Spoelstra, in fact, was asked pregame about whether he is closer to formulating a stable rotation for the postseason.

– “We’re forging ahead,” he said. “I mean, I’m not planning my playoff rotations right now. No, we have work to do. Obviously, we’re trying to move up and that’s keeping us all occupied. But we feel encouraged that we’re finally healthy and it’s coming at a good time. We need it.”

– That left unsaid whether there even will be a set rotation or more matching up with the opposition.

– “Number one. I’m not telling you. All right?” Spoelstra said with a grin. “But we’ll have our rotation out there. We feel very good about having all of our guys available, and that’s a big strength of our roster, is our depth and our versatility throughout the rotation. What we need is consistency of play.”

– The Cavaliers, without Dean Wade, Jarrett Allen and Max Strus, among others, opened with a lineup of Evan Mobley Jr., Keon Ellis, Sam Merrill, James Harden and Donovan Mitchell.

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– It was Harden’s 1,000th career regular-season start, one of nine active players at that figure.

– With Allen out, it made it easier for the Heat to start smaller.

– Larsson and Jaime Jaquez Jr. entered together first off the Heat bench.

– Kel’el Ware followed.

– With Kaspras Jakucionis making it nine deep.

– Again leaving previous rotation components Dru Smith and Simone Fontecchio out of the mix.

– With again not a sniff of rotation time for Nikola Jovic.

– Spoelstra’s catchphrase going in again was “competitive will.”

– Noting, “Defensively, it hasn’t been to our standards. We’ve played some good teams. They’ve raised their level, and we weren’t able to do that.”

– With faith, he said, enduring.

– “We believe in our defense,” he continued, “We think that fuels so much more, even for us offensively. If we get some more stops, it’ll all fall in line.”

– Spoelstra believes the messaging is resonating, even if the results are not always there.

– “The thing about our group is they’re echoing the message to each other, even starting before I even have to meet with the team,” he said. “We’ve fought extremely hard to have a top-five defense. We’ve grinded through games and take a lot of pride on that side of the floor. But it’s an explosive offensive league. You let up on your mentality at all, the offensive talent that you face can get to you.”

– Spoelstra was asked at the morning shootaround of Myron Gardner as an energizer.

– “Energy, effort is a talent in this league,” Spoelstra said. “Because not everybody does it, certainly not to the extent that he does. And what he can provide sometimes is a bolt of inspiration, Through that relentless energy.”

– Spoelstra added, “And he’s getting better with the details, too. Defensively, so he’s not fouling as much with his aggressiveness. And offensively, he’s really improved. He’s very good as an open shooter. And he can play within our principles on drives. And you feel pretty confident he’ll make the right play.”

Mar. 25—MANKATO — Natalie Bremer has reached the pinnacle of Division II women's basketball. The Lake City graduate and Minnesota State University, Mankato senior guard was named the WBCA NCAA Division II Player of the Year.

Bremer was named an All-American on Tuesday, then received the top award Wednesday. She became the first player in the history of Minnesota State, Mankato to be named the Player of the Year.

One year ago, Bremer was honored as a WBCA Honorable Mention All-American. This year, her best of four terrific seasons at Mankato, she took things to the top.

"It is very cool to see that all the hard work I've put into basketball my entire life has now reaped this kind of reward; it is awesome," Bremer said. "I think I was able to win the award because I've been able to grow all aspects of my game over the years. It's not just the stats, but that I've been showing up in other areas of the game. I've impacted the game in lots of ways."

The school's all-time leading scorer (2,371 career points) averaged 21.8 points per game this season while shooting 49% from the field, 37% from 3-point range and 88% from the free-throw line. She also grabbed 4.7 rebounds per game.

Bremer had 21 games of 20 or more points, including four times scoring in the 30s. She became the Mavericks' all-time leading scorer this season with 2,371 career points.

Minnesota State, Mankato finished 29-3 this season, including 21-1 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference. The Mavericks lost to Minnesota Duluth, 72-63, in the NCAA Central Region Tournament.

Besides being the Mavericks' first national Player of the Year, she became just the fifth Mankato player to be named All-American. There, she joined Elsie Ohm, Lisa Walters, Heather Johnson and Joey Batt.

Mavericks coach Emilee Thiesse lauded her for her success and commitment.

"Natalie has cemented herself as one of the very best in all of Division II Women's Basketball," Thiesse said. "She is a proven leader and performer who has left an indelible mark on our program. Natalie has fully embraced the values of Mavericks women's basketball and her continued growth and development as a player reflect her outstanding work ethic and competitive drive. We are extremely proud of Natalie for this honor; she is truly deserving of this incredible recognition."

Bremer has determined that she will not try to play professional basketball, meaning her playing career is officially over.

That is a strange thought for her, but she is gradually beginning to wrap her mind around it.

"I think I first picked up a basketball when I was 2 years old," Bremer said. "And I've been competitive in it for as long as I can remember. So now that I'm done playing here in Mankato, it will be different."

MOOSIC — Shelley Duncan knows the nature of Triple-A baseball. The roster he currently has with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders could be completely different in two weeks.

For now, though, Duncan — back for his fourth season as manager — likes what he sees about this year’s team.

“We’ve got a really good group of guys in that locker room,” Duncan said Wednesday at Media Day at PNC Field. “The roster put together for us has a ton of talent, a ton of experience and a lot of things to look forward to. We’re really excited about this group. The chemistry they’ve built in spring training, the way they get along, is exciting.

“You still have to play the games and take things one day at a time. Our goal here is to make every single one of those players a better baseball player and get them to the big leagues. We love the way the roster is right now, but everyone knows it could be completely different in two weeks. You just have to appreciate the moment, appreciate what we’ve got right now. There’s some very fun baseball players to watch in that locker room. It should be exciting for the fans, exciting for us and something to really look forward to.”

Headlining the roster are outfielders Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones.

Dominguez, a.k.a. “The Martian,” spent all of last season in the majors with the New York Yankees. He is back in Triple-A because of the crowded outfield situation in the Bronx with a chance to play every day and continue to work on his game.

Jones, meanwhile, totaled 35 home runs and 80 RBIs in the minors last season, including 19 homers and 48 RBIs in 67 games with the RailRiders.

Also expected to be with the RailRiders is infielder Oswaldo Cabrera, who continues to work his way back from a fractured left ankle suffered during a slide into home plate in a game in Seattle last May.

Infielder Braden Shewmake and outfielder Duke Ellis are expected back. Shewmake played 85 games with the RailRiders last season and batted .244 with four home runs and 29 RBIs. Ellis appeared in 68 games with the RailRiders and batted .322 with three home runs, 22 RBIs and 36 stolen bases.

Some of the newcomers include infielders Ernesto Martinez Jr., who played for the Nashville Sounds last season; Jonathan Ornelas, who split time with the Round Rock Express and Gwinnett Stripers last season and also appeared in six major league games with the Texas Rangers (4) and Atlanta Braves (2); Max Schuemann, who played 101 games with the Athletics last season; outfielder Seth Brown, who appeared in 38 games with the Athletics; and catcher Payton Henry, who played last season with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

“Our defense is amazing,” Duncan said. “All the infielders are shortstops except for the first baseman, so we’re going to move those guys around. As a manager, you’re getting to play a shortstop at second, short and third every single day, that’s lucky. Our outfield is extremely fast. Right now, it’s lined up that we can win games in multiple ways. That’s what you love to see. Very solid right now. You just hope it lasts.”

On the mound, two of the top prospects in the Yankees system are expected to be part of the staff. Righthander Carlos Lagrange is ranked No. 2 and earned the James P. Dawson Award as the most outstanding Yankees rookie in spring training. Fellow righty Elmer Rodriguez is No. 3 and coming off a season that saw him win 11 games and strike out 176 batters at three levels and be named by Baseball America as the Yankees’ 2025 Minor League Player of the Year.

Brendan Beck, the Yankees’ No. 22 prospect, returns after going a combined 13-5 last season with Double-A Somerset and the RailRiders with a 3.36 earned-run average and 123 strikeouts.

Beck has the honor of being the Opening Day starter when the RailRiders begin their season Friday at 1:05 p.m. at Buffalo.

A newcomer is Dom Hamel, who spent last season with Syracuse and was 4-6 with one save, a 5.32 ERA and 75 strikeouts in 31 games (11 starts).

“I’m fired up to be here,” said Hamel, who is expected to start the second game of the season Saturday in Buffalo. “It was a good offseason back home in Arizona. Worked on some stuff that I feel is going to contribute in the long run. It’s been awesome meeting all the new faces with the new org. Had a good time in camp meeting those varsity-level guys, obviously a lot of big names. Pickin’ brain from them. Just ready to get it going.”

Among the familiar faces back in the bullpen, which features no lefthanders, are Harrison Cohen, Zach Messinger and Eric Reyzelman.

“I’m super excited and super honored to be a part of this team,” Messinger said. “You look around at the names in the clubhouse and this team is going to be a really good one to be a part of. Lineup, pitching staff, bullpen, it’s shaped up to be a really good one.”

The RailRiders’ final roster will be released Friday at noon.

Last season, the RailRiders went 87-60. They won the second-half title, but lost in the International League final in three games to the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp.

“That will never be taken out of the memory bank,” Duncan said. “But the focus will never be back on that. The focus is right now.”

After playing the first three games in Buffalo, the RailRiders head to Rochester for six games against the Red Wings on March 31-April 5. They return to PNC Field for their home-opening series against the Durham Bulls on April 7.

“We have a really, really good team on paper to start,” Duncan said. “But when I look around the league, this is probably, in all my years of Triple-A baseball, the strongest with teams across the board. It’s going to be a challenge. It’s not going to be easy for anyone. You’re going to face good pitching. Pitchers are going to face good hitters. It’s going to be really exciting.”

Mar. 25—Carol Perroz was a softball standout among the three sports she played at Freeport, and she continued in softball in college at Slippery Rock.

Though she was dedicated to her school teams in the spring, her diamond exploits didn't end when her scholastic seasons came to a close.

Many of her summer days, starting in the late 1970s and into the early '80s, were full of softball for amateur club teams locally and throughout the region.

With more than 45 years of competition under her belt, Perroz, now 63, doesn't expect to slow down any time soon.

Her love of the game and her passion drives her desire to still play.

"It is just a part of me. I enjoy it so much," said Perroz, who grew up the youngest of seven siblings.

"It's been a part of our family for as long as I can remember. My brother, Dick, and my brother, Bill, still play in their senior league. I also play in a guys league Mondays and Fridays in the summer at Kunkle Park (in Washington Township). That also keeps me competitive and keeps me going."

Her longstanding, dedicated, and accomplished career as a shortstop and her success at the plate has earned her many accolades, and USA Softball of Pennsylvania recently celebrated her with induction into its hall of fame for an "outstanding ability as demonstrated in softball competition, sportsmanship, integrity, character and contribution to the sport of softball."

"Growing up, you never expect something like this," Perroz said of the hall-of-fame honor.

"I just played the sport because I loved it. To get that call and to have people recognize you for what you've done, it was just a wonderful feeling."

Perroz's Amateur Softball Association experience continued to take off while playing locally for Wiegands Brothers from 1982 to 1984. She helped Wiegands win multiple state titles.

"I joined the Wiegands team because of a girl I played with in college," Perroz said. "We were a team all from around here. It was a fun time meeting up with college friends in the summer and playing with them."

Perroz continued to rise up the amateur ranks to the Major level and played for the Pittsburgh Debs after graduating from Slippery Rock in 1985.

"Major was the top level you could play," Perroz said. "The Debs' storied history went back a long way, and I came along at the end of it. They were 'the team' in Pittsburgh back in their heyday. Those were the ladies you looked up to and wanted to be like. It was what you knew. When I played for Wiegands, we would play Debs. From my standpoint, they carried themselves differently."

When the Debs closed operations in 1988, Perroz joined the Conneaut Lake Lakerettes and enjoyed more than a decade and a half of success which included Class A national titles in 1998 and 1999 and championships in the 35-and-over league from 1999 to 2004 and also in 2006.

Perroz twice was named nationals Most Valuable Player, first in 1999 and again in 2004.

"Back then, the seasons were from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and some seasons, we would play a total of 100 games, just on weekends, because of all the local and regional tournaments we went to," she said.

"There were times where we would get home at 12:30 or 1 in the morning after a long tournament and have to get up and go to work the next day. The next weekend, we would do it all over again."

Perroz is a member of the ASA All-Time team, received numerous ASA All-American honors and was named to the ASA All-Decade team for the 1990s. She was part of a 2010 Class C national championship team.

Perroz now plays for Homegrown Legends, a senior tournament team based in Arkansas.

"We have players from Ohio, Michigan, Texas, all over," she said. "We have our next tournament in two weeks in Alabama. Our tournaments are all over the country as opposed to local travel. We have to do what we can to get there."

The USA Softball of Pennsylvania Hall of Fame enshrinement comes 13 years after her softball accomplishments were honored with induction into the Alle-Kiski Valley Sports Hall of Fame.

At that time, Perroz was in her ninth season as Valley's coach while closing in on 30 years of coaching area athletes in multiple sports, including basketball and volleyball. She led the Vikings to several section titles and WPIAL playoff appearances. Valley captured WPIAL titles in 2007 and 2010 with the crown jewel being a PIAA state title in 2011.

She stepped away from coaching in 2023.

"I really appreciated my time as a coach and working with all the kids, but I try to stay away from the fields because I know I would be right back there because it's just something that is in me," Perroz said.

"I am definitely enjoying just playing the game right now. It is a lot less stressful and demanding."

Michael Love is a TribLive reporter covering sports in the Alle-Kiski Valley and the eastern suburbs of Pittsburgh. A Clearfield native and a graduate of Westminster (Pa.), he joined the Trib in 2002 after spending five years at the Clearfield Progress. He can be reached at mlove@triblive.com.

Growing up in Maywood, Ill., Magic guard Jevon Carter played on an outdoor court at “Tenth Park,” where he discovered his love for the game of basketball.

Last summer, Carter and other community leaders from the village located in the Chicago area helped refurbish that same court he used in his youth.

So, it wasn’t surprising when Carter, who signed with Orlando on Feb. 6 after spending the better part of the last three seasons with the Bulls, agreed to help the Magic and AdventHealth unveil a newly refurbished outdoor basketball court at Oak Ridge High School on Wednesday.

“Our team, we are so fortunate to have players who get it,” Magic executive vice president of marketing and social responsibility Shelly Wilkes said. “They truly understand the necessity of connecting with the community they play in. They see the value of being around the fans that support them, and Jevon, it was not a hard ask.

“We said, ‘We’re doing this event, would you be interested?’ and it was an immediate yes,” Wilkes added. “And that just shows the character of who he is as a player on and off the court.”

Carter, who’s averaged 8.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists during 21.3 minutes per night across 20 games since he joined Orlando, explained why it was important for him to attend Wednesday’s event despite only being with the Magic for less than two months and playing the past two nights.

“It’s very important,” he said. “Being a face in the community is dope and then being able to come and interact with the kids is even doper. This was stuff I was able to do as a kid that helped me chase my dreams. So, just coming out and being a face for the kids, it’s always dope to come out do stuff like this.”

Wilkes and Carter were joined by AdventHealth East Orlando chief operating officer Paul Adeogun, school representatives and other community leaders to open the Magic-themed court that was completed as a collaborative effort between the Magic, AdventHealth, and Oak Ridge High School.

The Magic and AdventHealth also teamed up with local artist “Swishh Dreams,” ACE Courts, and GAF to provide sustainable and heat-resistant paint for longevity of the court, the team said. It was the seventh of 20 courts the Magic and AdventHealth plan to refurbish in the Central Florida area.

Roughly 30 Oak Ridge students, who were provided lunch and some team swag by the Magic, got to join Carter on the court for various basketball drills after the ceremony.

While some of the students were flying through the sky for dunks and layups, the impact of the courts goes beyond hoops, too.

“For one, it can definitely keep you out of trouble,” Carter said. “Coming having fun with kids and just playing, having fun playing ball, doing what you love. … And then just building community. Coming in, staying together, give afterschool activities. It’s always dope.”

And it’s meaningful that the Magic themselves helped the local project come to fruition.

“That is beyond huge,” Adeogun said about the franchise’s involvement. “I was once a kid. I played a lot of basketball. I never had an NBA team behind me. I can only imagine the excitement that these kids have just having the support of the NBA, being so close to them.

“When you think about the NBA, it’s a professional sport,” he added. So, usually they seem kind of far off. You only see them from the stadiums and on TV. But to have them here in your community, that’s huge. It helps our community as a whole do better.”

Carter, who brought his one-year old daughter with him to the event, shared advice for the high school students he got to interact with during the event.

“Just don’t give up,” he said. “There’s going to be a lot of trial and tribulation you’re going to go through in life. There’s going to be a lot of people telling you stuff that you can’t do. And I would just say, don’t give up.

“Just keep chasing your dreams no matter how hard things may seem,” he added.

From a small town outside of Chicago to now in his eighth year in the NBA, Carter is proof of his own advice.

Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com

Mar. 25—FREEMAN, S.D. — It's been a banner year for high school sports in Freeman.

Last weekend, the Flyers claimed their first boys basketball state title since 1975. However, most of the players on the Flyers' rosters were already state champions from this academic year, having played for the Freeman/Marion/Freeman Academy football cooperative that steamrolled to a Class 9AA title back in November.

That football-basketball championship double from the same academic year puts Freeman among select company in South Dakota high school sports history.

"If you ask me, it's generational. I don't know the last team I heard of that did something like this," said senior Tate Sorensen. "It's just a blessing to take home a state championship in football for Freeman and now take one in basketball. That is something you just don't see. I really think the bond we made in football carried over to basketball."

Since 1981, the beginning of playoff-era high school football in the state, only 11 teams have won a football title in the fall and gone on to win a boys basketball title in the winter. Only two of those instances had occurred in Class B for boys basketball before Freeman joined the club on March 21, the most recent being Arlington in 2005-06. Prior to that, only Wakonda had done it in 1995-96, doing so in a co-op with Gayville for football.

"We won one in football, and now we've got one in basketball," said sophomore David Walter. "It's the first time in school history that happened. We're ecstatic."

The most recent instance across all classes occurred in 2019, when both Brandon Valley in Class AA and Tea Area, then in Class A, won football and basketball titles in the same year. In Class A, Madison (2017-18) and West Central (2000-01) are also in the club, as are Sioux Falls Lincoln (twice, 2014-15 and 2008-09), O'Gorman (2005-06) and Huron (1992-93) from Class AA.

There are also a handful of instances where a school won a basketball title in the winter and added a football title the following fall during the same calendar year, most recently with Hamlin and Howard in Class A and Class B, respectively, in 2024, plus Brandon Valley in 2025.

Both Freeman title runs were marked by consistency and dominance. The Flyers went 24-2, ending on a 22-game win streak that was capped by a championship victory over the defending champions from Castlewood. They amassed 14 wins over teams with winning records, the most of any team in Class B. Freeman's only loss to another Class B team came in its season opener, a double overtime affair with Viborg-Hurley, which went on to be the No. 1 overall seed in the Class B postseason field.

"They are obviously some really talented humans when it comes to sports," said boys basketball coach Lance Friesen. "They know how to play together, and they're big-time players who know big-time moments."

Back in the fall, the FMFA Phoenix football program went unbeaten at 12-0 and largely unchallenged en route to its title. Playing the most difficult schedule in Class 9AA, nine of FMFA's wins came against winning teams, while no other team in the class was better than 5-2 in such games. The Phoenix won by an average score of 48-10 for the season and controlled runner-up Elkton-Lake Benton twice, first in the regular season and then again at the DakotaDome.

Perhaps the boys from Freeman aren't done, either. Senior Luke Peters believes the Flyers' track and field team is capable of challenging for a state title, while the Freeman/Canistota/Marion baseball team could make a run, too.

It's all part of what everyone involved agrees is a special collection of athletes and personalities in the town of approximately 1,500 people.

"We're just winners," said Peters, who noted he and some of his basketball teammates have won three baseball state titles as they've risen through the ranks together, too. "I feel that we're talented and we want to win. We come out, we just play our game, and it's just who we are, what we do."

Jacksonville State’s baseball team carried the momentum from its three-game weekend sweep of Western Kentucky into Tuesday’s mid-week contest against UAB.

Steve Bieser’s squad scored six runs against the Blazers in the top of the first inning, but the Gamecocks’ pitching and defense didn’t travel to Young Memorial Field in Birmingham.

UAB took advantage of 11 walks and three errors to score a 16-11 win over Jax State that Bieser called “one of the uglier games that I've seen in my lifetime.”

Jax State starting pitcher James Wilson took the ball after Ace Williamson staked the Gamecocks to a 6-0 lead with a three-run homer. The junior right-hander couldn’t find the strike zone, hitting the first UAB batter he faced before walking three straight.

Things didn’t get much better for the Jax State pitching staff after that. UAB put up crooked numbers with three runs in the first inning, four in the third and four more in the fifth.

“I thought we got off to a good start. You score six runs in the first inning, you should never lose a ballgame," Bieser said. "Very frustrated at how we came out on the mound after scoring six. We just didn't have a lot of life on the mound, and it looked like we forgot how to throw a strike."

Jaxon Pate led the Gamecocks at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a double, one run and one RBI. The redshirt freshman from Calhoun, Ga., extended his hitting streak to 12 games. He leads all Conference USA hitters with a .418 batting average.

Cooper Blauser went 2-for-3 with a double against the Blazers, stealing one base, scoring two runs and driving in one run.

Grayson Ashe finished 2-for-4 with a double, two runs and two RBIs.

Trey King went 2-for-3 and walked twice. The Georgia transfer stole one base, scored two runs and drove in one.

Jax State (21-5, 6-0 CUSA) will look to bounce back when it travels to Ruston, La., for a three-game weekend series against Louisiana Tech (15-11, 4-2). The teams are scheduled to play at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday, and 1 p.m. Sunday.

"Hopefully we can flush this and get back to playing some good baseball," Bieser said.

Malachi Smith is sticking around a little longer.

The Nets announced Wednesday they’ve signed Smith to a second 10-day contract, keeping the 26-year-old guard in Brooklyn after a productive first stint that included one of his best nights yet as a pro.

Smith signed his first 10-day on March 14. In six games with the Nets, he averaged 6.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals in 19.6 minutes per game while shooting 50.0% from the field and 50.0% from 3-point range.

The highlight came March 22 at Sacramento, when Smith posted a career-high 18 points, added two rebounds and four assists, and set a career high with three steals in 29 minutes. For a player who arrived as a call-up, it was a noteworthy performance and an impressive stretch.

Smith’s path to Brooklyn has been the typical G League grind. He joined the Nets from Long Island, where he played 39 Tip-Off Tournament and regular-season games, including 18 starts. He averaged 14.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 28.7 minutes per game, production that put him on the short list for a midseason opportunity.

“Yeah, I don’t want him to overthink it,” Nets head coach Jordi Fernández said of Smith. “I mean, he knows enough of what we’re trying to do. He’s a great, great guy. He’s been in the system, very good teammate, played really hard, played the right way, so I just don’t want him to think too much. His first experience was very positive. That group was great — down 28 to taking the lead is very impressive, how connected they were, how they competed, and that’s the brand of basketball we’re going to play.”

That opportunity has also reflected well on Long Island coach Mfon Udofia, who has now had three players earn NBA call-ups this season, including Smith and Grant Nelson with Brooklyn, and Jeenathan “Nate” Williams, who landed a two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors.

Smith has bounced around the G League before settling into this shot. He spent the previous two seasons in the NBA G League with the Rip City Remix in 2023-24, the Wisconsin Herd in 2024 and the Memphis Hustle in 2024-25. He came to pro basketball after going undrafted in 2023 following a final college season at Gonzaga, where he earned West Coast Conference Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Before Gonzaga, Smith played two seasons at Tennessee Chattanooga from 2020-22 and was named Southern Conference Player of the Year as a junior. He began his college career at Wright State in 2018-19 and made the Horizon League All-Freshman Team.

For the Nets, the second 10-day is simple. Smith produced in his minutes, defended with activity and gave them reliable ballhandling while the roster has churned through injuries and constant rotation experiments. The first deal got him in the door. In his second deal, he has a chance to potentially carve out a future role.

Mar. 25—Rhianna Pigman smacked three doubles in three at bats and drove in seven runs to lead Miamisburg softball Tuesday in a 15-14 win against Middletown Madison.

Miamisburg plated three runs in the bottom of the sixth for the rally win.

Pigman struck out seven in six innings.

Softball

Springboro 17, Edgewood 5: Bella Miller went 4-for-5 with a pair of doubles and five RBIs for Springboro (2-0). Riley Lucas and Ava Palcic each added a home run in the win.

Lakota West 10, Talawanda 6: Jordan Beimesche and Paige Kopp plated a pair of runs apiece to lead Lakota West.

Badin 9, Monroe 4: Phebe Kiefer struck out 10 over seven innings and went 2-for-3 with a double and triple for Badin (3-0).

Ross 12, Butler 1: Paige Baker smacked two doubles and drove in five to lead Ross. Taylor Bertram picked up the win with eight strikeouts.

Troy 11, Wayne 1: Troy picked up a second win in as many days, each over a GWOC opponent.

Ben Logan 7, Sidney 2: Nevaeh Fogle and Brielle Kline batted in two runs apiece to help Ben Logan win its season opener.

Urbana 4, Tri-County North 3: Urbana rallied with three runs in the bottom of the seventh to win in walk-off fashion.

Greeneview 13, Hillsboro 3: Gabbie Burkett struck out seven for the win and helped her cause by driving in two runs. Greeneview improved to 2-0.

Covington 12, Northmont 5: Whitney Burns, Emalyn Johnson, Jayda McClure and Kylie Palsgrove each swatted a home run for Covington.

Twin Valley South 17, New Miami 2: Paityn Cross hit for the cycle for Twin Valley South, going 4-for-4 and driving in six runs.

PREP RESULTS

Boys Basketball

STATE TOURNAMENT

Finals

Division I

Princeton 59, Hilliard Bradley 28

Division II

Massillon Washington 68, Westerville North 63, OT

Division III

Trotwood 48, Steubenville 47: T: Dennis 17, Reaves 10, Taylor 9, Shumate 6, Dawson 2, Trigg 2, Arnold 2.

Division IV

Wyoming 73, Cle. Glenville 48

Division V

Lutheran East 50, Col. Academy 36

Division VI

Berlin Hiland 54, Marion Local 51, 2OT: ML: Kremer 22, Moeller 9, Hess 7, Ahrens 7, Mescher 6.

Division VII

Delphos St. John's 56, Kalida 47: DSJ: C. Elwer 28, A. Elwer 9, E. Elwer 6, Klaus 5, McClain 4, Kroeger 2, Wiechart 2.

Softball

Tuesday's Results

Badin 9, Monroe 4: B: Kiefer W 10 K, 2-3 2B 3B RBI, Ponatoski 1-2 HR 2 RBI, Canupp 2-4 2B 2 RBI.

Bellefontaine 10, Riverside 8: R: Robinson 2-3 3 RBI.

Ben Logan 7, Sidney 2: BL: Fogle 1-2 2 RBI, Kline 2-4 2 RBI, Gregg W 7 K.

Celina 3, Marion Local 2

Covington 12, Northmont 5: C: Palsgrove 3-3 2B HR 4 RBI, Burns 3-4 2B HR 2 RBI, Johnson 2-3 HR RBI, McClure 2-3 3B HR 2 RBI.

Eaton 5, Dixie 4

Fairbanks 10, Elgin 0

Fort Loramie 6, Coldwater 3

Greeneview 13, Hillsboro 3: G: Burkett W 7 K, 1-3 2 RBI, Sutton 2-3 3 RBI, Christian 1-4 2B 2 RBI.

Greenville 13, Stebbins 0

Houston 9, Lehman Catholic 0

Indian Lake 6, Minster 5: M: Schmiesing HR. IL: Miller 3-4 2B 3 RBI, Rapp 2-3 2B RBI.

Kenton Ridge 4, Miami East 0: KR: Cammon 1-3 HR 2 RBI, Fincham 1-3 RBI, Fyffe 2-4 RBI.

Lakota East 7, Little Miami 4: LE: Offner 1-4 2B 2 RBI, Sudnik 1-2 RBI, Damen 1-3 RBI.

Lakota West 10, Talawanda 6: T: Cobb 2B 2 RBI, Porchowsky 2B 2 RBI.

London 14, Miami Trace 4

Miamisburg 15, Middletown Madison 14: Mia: Pigman 3-3 3 2B 7 RBI, Johnson 2-3 3 RBI, Siney 1-3 2 RBI.

North Union 23, Mechanicsburg 1

Ross 12, Butler 1: R: Bertram W 8 K, Baker 4-4 2 2B 5 RBI, Webb 1-2 3 RBI.

Southeastern 13, Xenia 0

Spencerville 5, New Knoxville 4

Springboro 17, Edgewood 5: S: Miller 4-5 2 2B 5 RBI, Lucas 1-4 HR 2 RBI, Palcic 2-5 2B HR 3 RBI. E: Clemmons 2-3 2B 3B 4 RBI.

St. Henry 3, Anna 2: A: McClain HR.

Tri-Village 20, Russia 1

Troy 11, Wayne 1

Twin Valley South 17, New Miami 2: TVS: Cross 4-4 2B 3B HR 6 RBI, Suggs 4-4 5 RBI.

Urbana 4, Tri-County North 3: U: Fox 1-2 2B RBI, Packer 1-2 3B RBI, Wooten W 11 K.

Valley View 11, National Trail 1

Versailles 11, Mississinawa Valley 5

Waynesfield-Goshen 12, Jackson Center 2

Monday's Results

Badin 15, Middletown 0: B: Kent 3-4 2B 3B 6 RBI, Albrinck 2-3 RBI, Canupp 2-3 RBI.

Belmont 23, Trotwood 3

Brookville 17, Dixie 2: B: Eagle W 5 K, 3-4 3 2B 5 RBI, Hemmerich 1-3 2 RBI, Brooks 2-4 2B 2 RBI.

Clinton Massie 13, Cin. Christian 3: CM: Sandlin 3-4 HR 6 RBI, Penewit 2-3 3 RBI, Jodrey W 7 K.

Covington 8, Arcanum 5: A: Hein 2-3 RBI, Laux 2-3 RBI. C: Hartwig 2-5 2B 3 RBI, Johnson 3-5 HR 3 RBI, McClure 2-5 2 2B 2 RBI.

Greeneview 7, Fairfield Leesburg 6: G: Burkett W 3 K, Sutton 2-3 3 RBI, Christian 2-4 RBI.

Lakota East 8, Western Brown 2: LE: Crawford W 3 K, 2-3 HR RBI, Damen 1-4 HR 2 RBI, Morath 1-4 HR RBI.

Lakota West 7, Colerain 2: LW: Gilbert W 15 K, 2-2 3B RBI, Anderson 3-3 RBI, Guth 1-1 2B RBI.

Minster 8, Elida 7: M: Wolf HR, Schmiesing HR.

New Miami 28, Deer Park 15

Riverside 11, West Liberty-Salem 6: R: Manahan W 4 K, Robinson 3-3 2B 2 RBI, Carman 1-3 2B 2 RBI.

Ross 5, Fairfield 4: R: Commins 1-1 HR 2 RBI, Gorsuch 2-2 RBI, Baker W 3 K.

Springboro 26, Butler 0

Stivers 23, Meadowdale 17

Talawanda 9, Sycamore 2: T: Hilbert 2-4 2B HR 4 RBI, Cox 2-4 2 2B 3 RBI, Griffin 2-3 2 RBI.

Troy 10, Northmont 6

Boys Volleyball

Tuesday's Results

Carroll 3, Chaminade Julienne 1

McNicholas 3, Badin 2

Monday's Results

Badin 3, Lakota West 0

Boys Lacrosse

Tuesday's Results

Lakota East 15, Sycamore 6

Lakota West 10, Oak Hills 5

Monday's Results

Xenia 16, Monroe 6: X: Kerschbaum 8 goals, Janowiecki 4 goals.

REPORTING RESULTS

Contact Dayton Daily News, Springfield News-Sun and Journal-News with scores and results as soon as possible after varsity high school athletic contests by email only at COPSports@coxincn.com. Please include any details from your contest that you would like published along with a contact name and phone number.

Here are some notes, quotes, stats, trends and other odds & ends I emptied out of the old notebook after Tuesday's 84-69 UNM Lobos win over Saint Joseph's in the quarterfinal round of the NIT in the Pit:

Buljan blows up

If Tomislav Buljan's games in the Pit are over — and based on his transfer portal value to a deep-pocketed power conference team now that it sounds assured he will get another year of eligibility, they very well could be — the 23-year-old first-year college player from Split, Croatia, went out with a bang.

Not just Tuesday — 27 points, 11 rebounds — but over the three-game NIT stretch for the Lobos.

In UNM's three wins, the 6-foot-9 forward hat the following averages:

*

Points: 21.0

*

Rebounds: 10.0

*

2-pt FGs: 62.9% (22-35)

*

3-pt FGs: 75.0% (3-4)

LOUD NOISES!!! #GoLobos

ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/voPNNUbqdd

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) March 25, 2026

He started his season off brilliantly in the Pit back in November and ended it brilliantly in the Pit in March.

Tuesday, his 27 points/11 rebound double-double was against the A-10 co-Defensive Player of the Year, Saint Joseph's Justice Ajogbor and Sunday's 14 points, nine rebounds and seven drawn fouls game was against A-10 All-Defensive team big man Rafael Castro.

And in both cases, things got pretty physical in the post for Buljan, leaving him with some visible marks on his arms and face while doing a postgame press conference on Tuesday.

"I mean, when you play rough like that, you get some (scratches and bruises) from couple games," Buljan said. "I mean, they foul sometimes. Sometimes they don't call it, but you should rather play through everything. Doesn't matter, scratch or whatever."

In all three games, Buljan didn't just sit back and let the physical play come to him. He attacked the rim regularly.

Charging Buljan! #GoLobos

ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/YO3TmaTeqI

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) March 25, 2026

Buljan even got to show off his improved outside shot over the past week, hitting three 3-pointers after having hit just 4-of-19 of them from beyond the arc over the first 31 games he played.

Second 3⃣ of the night for the Croatian! #GoLobos

ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/jTIryDSrUF

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) March 25, 2026

"Right now, I feel like very confident," Buljan said of his 3-point shooting. "I got to give the shout out to our assistant coach, Mikey (Howell), who I've been working with lately."

The gamer

Here's the gamer I filed from the Pit on Tuesday night:

• UNM surges past Saint Joseph's and into NIT semifinals

Up next/Updated NIT bracket

Onward!

The Lobos are on to the NIT semifinals — the "Final Four" term is trademarked, of course, by some other college basketball tournament going on right now.

UNM will play Tulsa next Thursday, April 2, in historic Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

We will see you in Indy, @UNMLoboMBB! pic.twitter.com/73k2Xf0tAl

— NIT (@NITMBB) March 25, 2026

The winner of that game plays in the April 5 NIT championship in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of the Indiana Pacers.

Here is the updated NIT bracket through half of the quarterfinal games — the ones played Tuesday and before the Wednesday quarterfinals, which include fellow Mountain West program Nevada with former Lobo coaches Steve Alford and Craig Neal, who would certainly be warmly welcomed back to Indiana where they were high school stars.

UNM's NIT semifinal game history

*

2026: Semifinals vs. Tulsa on April 2

*

1990: UNM lost to Saint Louis, 80-72 (March 26, 1990)

*

1964: UNM beat NYU, 72-65 (March 19, 1964)

An April first (on April 2)

No, this isn't an April Fool's joke. When the Lobos next take the court, in the April 2 semifinal game against Tulsa, it will be the first game the UNM Lobo basketball program has ever played in the month of April.

(h/t Steve Kirkland for letting me know that one!)

Jake's latest record

Another game, another record for Jake Hall.

The Lobos freshman guard's 3-pointer (naturally) with 18:22 left in the first half were his third, fourth and fifth points of the game, and 564th, 565th and 566th of the season. That set a new freshman season scoring record for the Mountain West, breaking the old mark of 564 set by UNLV's Anthony Bennett in the 2012-13 season.

(All that guy did was go on to become the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft a few months later)

The @MountainWest has a new king of freshman scorers! With 566 points (and counting) @jake_hall7 has broken Anthony Bennett’s record of 564 points by a MW freshman! #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/jufX3HTRWV

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) March 25, 2026

Hall ended the game with 24 points and now has 585 points this season through UNM's 36 games (16.3 points per game). That's now more than 100 points more than any other Lobo has ever scored in their freshman season (Kenny Thomas had 484 points in 33 games in the 1995-96 season).

Mountain West: Most points scored by a freshman

585* — Jake Hall, New Mexico (2025-26)

564 — Anthony Bennett, UNLV (2012-13)

559 — Brandon McCoy, UNLV (2017-18)

511 — Cameron Oliver, Nevada (2015-16)

464 — Dedan Thomas, UNLV (2023-24)

UNM: Most points scored by a freshman

585* — Jake Hall (2025-26)

484 — Kenny Thomas (1995-96)

445 — JT Toppin (2023-24)

449* — Tomislav Buljan (2025-26)

406 — Kendall Williams (2010-11)

*NOTE: UNM has one or two more games to play.

On FIRE @UNMLoboMBB

ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/Al87kVBoJY

— NIT (@NITMBB) March 25, 2026

And here's the latest update on the star-studded list of most 3-pointers ever scored by a freshman:

NCAA D-I made 3-pointers

*

132 — Antoine Davis, Detroit (2018-19)

*

122 — Stephen Curry, Davidson (2006-07)

*

118 — Trae Young, Oklahoma (2017-18)

*

116* — Jake Hall, New Mexico (2025-26)

*NOTE: UNM has one or two more games to play.

A Halluva day for the Halls

Big brother couldn't let his little bro have just one day to get all the love?

Jake Hall's big win Tuesday night and breaking the Mountain West freshman scoring record wasn't the only huge hoops news of the day for the Halls.

Dax Hall, Jake's younger brother and a UNM Lobo recruit who has been offered a scholarship by Eric Olen, was named on Tuesday the San Diego Section Player of the Year for his standout season for Santa Fe (California) Christian.

BREAKING:

2026 G Dax Hall (Santa Fe Christian) has been named San Diego Section Player of the Year. @Daxhall_1 pic.twitter.com/t1PVMogfFe

— Aaron Burgin (@FullTimeHoops1) March 25, 2026

Those scores!

The Lobos' three NIT scores:

*

UNM 107, Sam Houston 83 (24 points)

*

UNM 86, George Washington 61 (25 points)

*

UNM 84, Saint Joseph's 69 (15 points)

The Lobos are the first team since the San Diego State Aztecs in 2016 to advance to the NIT semifinals with three-consecutive 15 points or more.

Those starts!

Last Wednesday, in the first round of the NIT, the Lobos outscored Sam Houston 16-7 in the first four minutes of the game. It was the most points UNM had scored by the 16:00 mark of the first half all season.

Tuesday, they almost matched it.

The Lobos led 15-9 at the 16:00 mark against Saint Joseph's, the second most points UNM has had in the first four minutes of a game all season.

UNM's most points at 16:00 1H

*

16 — March 18 vs. Sam Houston (16-7)

*

15 — Tuesday vs. Saint Joseph's (15-9)

*

12 — Jan. 27 at UNLV (12-4)

*

10 — five times

NIT kill shot counter!

Just for good measure, the Lobos started the second half on Tuesday even better than that first half mentioned above.

After the Hawks scored the first bucket of the second half, UNM went on a 10-0 kill shot run, the fourth kill shot in the NIT for UNM.

NIT kill shots for UNM

*

vs. Sam Houston: 1 (0 for the Bearkats)

*

vs. George Washington: 2 (0 for the Revolutionaries)

*

vs. Saint Joseph's: 1 (0 for the Hawks

That kill shot early in the second half was actually part of a larger game-changing 34-12 mid-game run from the 2:17 mark of the first half when the Hawks led 39-31 to the 9:31 mark of the second half when a Jake Hall 3-pointer made it 66-51, Lobos.

No bull: It's bull riding time

As I was pounding away on my laptop in the Pit media room on Tuesday night, the sounds of fork lifts, front end loaders, work crews and more were buzzing on the Pit ramp, breaking down the court and starting the prep of the PBR Ty Murray Invitational bull riding event that makes its highly-popular stop in Albuquerque this week.

Initially, it was believed the handover of the Pit to the PBR was going to prevent UNM from hosting a quarterfinal round game, but Assistant AD Matt McKernan (and a lot of people working their tails off to make the overnight transition work so tons of dirt can start getting dumped in first thing Wednesday) and the PBR made it happen, giving the Lobos, and their fans, one last hoops treat on Tuesday night.

And that wasn't something overlooked in the postgame press conference by UNM coach Eric Olen after he thanked fans for showing up for three games the past week.

"Also, in addition to the fans, our administration and all the people who — I'm not even sure I can understand all the work that's going into pushing the rodeo back and and that setup that's allowing us to play here today," Olen said. "We would have been in Philadelphia if they hadn't done that. I think that's part of what makes this place special, is the kind of support that our program gets and the willingness to do anything to help us and put us in position to be successful.

"So we couldn't be more appreciative of another opportunity to play here at home. Not every place in the country is going to make that effort to get us a home game here and not have to fly across the country. This was a community effort to get this done, and we just are really appreciative of everyone and all their efforts to make that happen for us."

Rick is Wright!

One last game in the Pit for the season, a return to the NIT semifinals for the first time in 36 years and second in 62 years.

What do all three have in common?

Rick Wright was along for the ride for all three! (well, sort of).

He was a fan of the 64 team as a youngin, writer at the Journal for the 1990 team and has been, to all of our benefit, a pretty regular columnist once again the latter part of this season sharing perspective only he can on a fun Lobos ride to the NIT semifinals.

Here is his column from Tuesday's quarterfinals win:

• WRIGHT: A remarkable season just gets more fun-damental — 'Smart wins,' as Olen put it

I love what Olen said in the postgame presser, as an answer to Rick's question about where in overall recruiting picture he and his staff place the importance of fundamentals.

"We’re always looking for that. Just knowing how to play. It’s described a lot of different ways. Feel, basketball IQ. There a lot of adjectives for it.

"We try to evaluate that. It’s hard, because it’s not something that’s objective. ... I think smart wins, and I think we have a smart basketball team."

Uriah finding ways

The statline wasn't as glowing has the last couple games for Uriah Tenette, but make no mistake he was still playing high-level point guard on Tuesday night.

He had seven points, four rebounds, drew five fouls, one assist, one turnover and one steal.

And this beauty of an and-1...

The @uriahtenette spin-and-one! #GoLobos

ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/nw8yT1erup

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) March 25, 2026

Steve Kirkland Stat of the Night

In this edition of the world famous Steve Kirkland Stat of the Night...

Tomislav Buljan's 27 points and Jake Hall's 24 combined for 51. That is the most points by a Lobo duo in a postseason tournament (NCAA or NIT) since 1987 when Hunter Greene (29) and Kelvin Scarborough (29) combined for 58 in a first-round NIT loss to Oregon State.

Pit stop for two former Lobos

Lobo legend Donovan Dent, who took a pit stop this season at UCLA, made a more fitting Pit stop on Tuesday night and was at the Lobos game.

UNM honored him during a first-half media timeout as new Athletic Director Ryan Berryman presented him with his 2025 Mountain West championship ring from last year.

UNM Lobo legend Donovan Dent, who took a pit stop this season at UCLA, is taking a more natural Pit stop tonight in ABQ where AD @RyanDBerryman just presented him with a 2025 Mountain West championship ring. pic.twitter.com/MdB3T3IR85

— Geoff Grammer (@GeoffGrammer) March 25, 2026

Braden Appelhans, Dent's close friend and former Lobo teammate, was also at the game and was given his championship ring by UNM earlier in the day.

UNM chose not to do a public ceremony for him at the game because Appelhans, who played at Drake this past season, has another year of eligibility and has announced he plans to enter the transfer portal when it opens April 7 and UNM did not want any potential compliance issues to come up as a result.

2x Mountain West Champion has a nice ring to it!

Congrats @AppelhansBraden! pic.twitter.com/85Ne77X2xj

— Nolan Murphy (@papamurph42) March 24, 2026

He said it

Saint Joseph's head coach Steve Donahue on the Pit:

"I think I've been here five times. I was here as an assistant at Penn, head coach at Cornell, head coach at Penn, and now. I told them, it's arguably the best — outside of, I love the Palestra (Penn's home arena in Philadelphia, known as the "CaCathedral of College Basketball"). Part of the Pit's charm is the people are nuts about Lobo basketball. That's part of it. And then I talked about the Final Four game here, Jim Valvano running around after they beat Phi Slamma Jamma and all the history.

"And obviously it hurts right now. It stings that we lost. But they're going to remember that experience."

Faces in the crowd

I love zooming in on crowd shots at sporting events and seeing what I can find, what reactions are caught on people's faces, who's looking at their phones, or whatever. I'm a dork like that, but it's fun and me and my 6-year-old daughter enjoy it.

So, I thought I'd share one from Tuesday's game for no journalistic reason whatsoever. (this does require some zooming in, so good luck with that depending on what device you're reading this ETN).

Attendance...

The announced attendance for Tuesday's Saint Joseph's at New Mexico NIT game in the Pit: 8,054

Cya in The Pit next season. Go Lobos! pic.twitter.com/VlAtCIzqWv

— Eric Romero (@evromer1) March 25, 2026

UNM Lobos's three NIT games:

*

9,207 — Sunday vs. George Washington

*

8,054 — Tuesday vs. Saint Joseph's

*

7,286 — Last Wednesday vs. Sam Houston

That's a three game total of 24,547. The 23 other games in the NIT thus far (there are two quarterfinal games on Wednesday) have had total of 54,644.

NIT attendance comparison

*

8,182 — UNM 3-game NIT average

*

2,376 — NIT's other 23 games average

Series notes

The Lobos now lead the Hawks 2-1, all-time. All three games have been played in the Pit, and here's a look at the previous two, both of which were in the now defunct Lobo Invitational:

*

Dec. 19, 1969 — UNM 78, Saint Joseph’s 77: Lobo legend Willie Long went off for 36 points, 10 rebounds and hit 14 of 16 free throws, and they needed every one of them to hold off the combined 55 points scored by Saint Joseph's dynamic one-two punch of Dan Kelly (27 points, four rebounds) and Mike Hauer (28 points, 13 rebounds).

*

Dec. 30, 1999 – Saint Joseph’s 81, UNM 76: Four Hawks scored in double figures, led by 17 from Marvin O'Connor, who hit four of Saint Joseph’s 11 3-pointers to beat first-year Lobos coach Fran Fraschilla's squad. UNM hit 26 of 38 2-point shots (68.4%) but just 3 of 17 3-pointers (17.6%) and squandered a 10-point halftime lead and a 20-point, eight-rebound, three-blocked shot game from Damion Walker.

Plus/minus...

Here are the plus/minus numbers for Tuesday's game with minutes in parenthesis:

NEW MEXICO

*

+20 Tomislav Buljan (31:33)

*

+12 Jake Hall (37:55)

*

+12 Uriah Tenette (34:27)

*

+11 Deyton Albury (15:13)

*

+10 Antonio Chol (14:47)

*

+10 Tajavis Miller (19:20)

*

+6 Luke Haupt (34:35)

*

-1 Timeo Pons (3:43)

*

-5 JT Rock (8:27)

SAINT JOSEPH'S

*

+3 Jaden Smith (5:37)

*

+3 Khaafiq Myers (23:54)

*

0 Jaiden Glover-Toscano (28:26)

*

-1 Mekai Johnson (00:43)

*

-6 Dasear Haskins (30:59)

*

-13 Justice Ajogbor (32:26)

*

-15 Anthony Finkley (13:31)

*

-18 Derek Simpson (37:16)

*

-28 Austin Williford (27:08)

Line 'em up...

The UNM Lobos played nine players and used 13 unique lineup combinations on Tuesday. The Hawks played nine players and used 14 unique lineup combinations.

Here's a look at some of the Lobos lineup combinations, starting with the starters.

The final starting 5⃣ in The Pit this season. #GoLobos pic.twitter.com/zZzAJX4B5V

— Lobo Basketball (@UNMLoboMBB) March 25, 2026

STARTING LINEUP

*

WHO: Uriah Tenette, Deyton Albury, Jake Hall, Luke Haupt, Tomislav Buljan

*

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +7 (27-20)

*

TIME ON COURT: 9:40

*

NOTE: Deyton Albury was back in the starting lineup and so, too, was the Lobos super fast start to the game (and the second half). Three of the team's 10 turnovers wasn't great by the starters, but three steals, four assists, efficient offense — it was a good run for the starters, for sure.

BEST LINEUP

*

WHO: Uriah Tenette, Jake Hall, Tajavis Miller, Luke Haupt, Tomislav Buljan

*

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: +6 (21-15)

*

TIME ON COURT: 9:00

*

NOTE: I went with this combination as the "best" of the game even though this and the starting five were both quite good for essentially 19 of the 40 minutes of the game. This grouping didn't have any turnovers, though, and was scoring at a 1.35 points per possession clip, so I gave it the nod, but really we're splitting hairs. The only difference here between the starters and this group was Tajavis Miller in here for the ailing Deyton Albury, who started and played well despite that illness.

WORST LINEUP

*

WHO: Uriah Tenette, Jake Hall, Tajavis Miller, Luke Haupt, JT Rock

*

POINT DIFFERENTIAL: -4 (2-6)

*

TIME ON COURT: 1:50

*

NOTE: Not a ton of court time here, but it was enough to see that the offense wasn't clicking with this group. Any sample size under two minutes isn't worth looking too deeply at.

AND THEM?

*

NOTE: The Hawks' starting five, which has played a ton of minutes in the past week of NIT games, looked like a group that had played a ton of minutes in the past week. Saint Joseph's starting five — Derek Simpson, Dasear Haskins, Jaiden Glover-Toscano, Justice Ajogbor and Austin Williford — was outscored 28-18 in the 10:23 they shared the court together. In that time, more than 25% of the game, they had four turnovers, scored under a point per possession and allowed UNM's quick starts to both halves.

VIDEO: UNM coach/players; St. Joe's coach/players

Here's the postgame press conference with UNM coach Eric Olen, Lobo players Tomislav Buljan and Luke Haupt, Saint Joseph's coach Steve Donahue and Hawks players Derek Simpson and Justice Ajogbor:

Pregame from the Pit

Here's a look back at the pregame show, for those interested in watching/hearing how wrong I probably was about everything that was about to happen in the game.

Around the NIT

Here are the quarterfinal NIT scores and schedule:

TUESDAY

*

Tulsa 83, Wichita State 79

*

New Mexico 84, Saint Joseph's 69

WEDNESDAY

*

Illinois State at Dayton, 5 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

*

Nevada at Auburn, 7 p.m. MT (ESPN2)

Stats and stats...

Here is the postgame stat sheet I posted after Tuesday's game: New Mexico 84, Saint Joseph's 69

Final stat sheet: New Mexico 84, Saint Joseph's 69 pic.twitter.com/CAsXkl69zj

— Geoff Grammer (@GeoffGrammer) March 25, 2026

And if you prefer the digital version, here you go: New Mexico 84, Saint Joseph's 69

So long, Pit...

It was a 17-3 season in the Pit for the UNM Lobos. Not bad. Not the best ever, but not bad at all and getting a chance for the team and fans to do a unique one-week, three-game send off they way things turned out with the three NIT wins was pretty special, too.

And, for the last time this season, video of the second half light show, something that's become a cool little UNM tradition in the Pit (they do it at University Stadium, too, but the Pit version is the best, even here when it was 8K in attendance and not the more customary 14K of the regular season.

Announced attendance for Tuesday's Saint Joseph's at New Mexico NIT game in the Pit: 8,054 pic.twitter.com/soZkT8LRp4

— Geoff Grammer (@GeoffGrammer) March 25, 2026

Reach Geoff Grammer at ggrammer@abqjournal.com or follow him on Twitter (X) @GeoffGrammer.

The line that composer Herman Hupfeld penned back in 1931, then was sung by Sam to a pensive Elsa 11 years later in “Casablanca” before Rick so rudely cut him off, is as true now as it was then.

The fundamental things still do apply.

The New Mexico Lobos defeated Saint Joseph’s 84-69 Tuesday night at the Pit, sending UNM to the National Invitation Tournament’s final four (note the lower case; it’s nice, but it’s still only the NIT and not the Big Dance).

Big Dance? Back in November, Lobo fans had no reason, maybe even no right, to expect this team to be within sniffing distance of the NCAA Tournament — or to be 26-10 and one of 14 Division I teams (out of 365) still playing as of this writing. First-year coach Eric Olen, the new kid in school, had to assemble a completely new roster.

Yet, here they are.

How have they done it?

Clearly, the roster Olen assembled bristles with talent. Just as clearly, Olen and his staff have coached them well.

So, yes, the Lobos are good at basketball. They can shoot, run, jump, bang bodies in the paint. All of that — but there’s more.

What’s that sound I hear? It’s there, if you listen carefully.

It’s the sound of fundamentals.

Let’s start with Tomislav Buljan, UNM’s principle low-post threat. Buljan’s tenacity in the paint, combined with the sophisticated low-post moves he likely developed back home in Croatia, produced the majority of his season-best 27 points against St. Joe’s.

But Buljan, who was 5-of-23 shooting 3-pointers this season before Tuesday — hoisting them only as a last resort — was 2-of-2 on 3s vs. the boys from Back East. He also hit a nice little turnaround “jumper” that gave the Lobos a 13-point lead, 72-59, with 5:43 left in the game.

“Jumper” is in quotation marks here advisedly, because Buljan’s feet barely left the floor when he took those shots.

Essentially, they were one-hand set shots — the shot that coach Jerry Maier taught us in fifth grade at Sandia Base Elementary in the ‘50s; the man was a stickler for fundamentals. It was the shot that ruled college basketball back when Mr. Hupfeld was writing his songs in the ‘30s.

Whatever works, fundamentally speaking.

“Right now I feel very confident,” Buljan said. “I have to give a shout out to our assistant coach, Mikey (Howell). He’s been working with me (on shooting from outside the paint).”

Correct me if I’m wrong — I’m not — but European basketball players tend to be more fundamentally sound than their American counterparts. Nikola Jocic is Exhibit A, but Buljan’s gaining ground.

After the game, I asked Olen where he’s placed fundamentals in the overall picture of recruiting a roster, whether this season at UNM or in past years at UC San Diego.

“We’re always looking for that,” he said. “Just knowing how to play. It’s described a lot of different ways. Feel, basketball IQ. There a lot of adjectives for it.

“We try to evaluate that. It’s hard, because it’s not something that’s objective … I think smart wins, and I think we have a smart basketball team.”

Lobos senior Luke Haupt, after all, is a coach’s son. Freshman Jake Hall plays like one.

Hall, a record-setting 3-point shooter, was 3-of-7 on 3s Tuesday. It was a 3-pointer he didn’t make, though, that stands out in this discussion.

With the Lobos up by 10 with 1:54 left, almost in the barn but not quite, Hall was being guarded on a defensive switch by 6-foot-10 St. Joe’s shot-blocking phenom Justice Ajogbor.

Hall, trapped on the baseline, gave Ajogbor one of his patented shot fakes — can’t get much more fundamental than that— put up a shot that hadn’t a prayer of going in but drew a foul and hit three free throws. Game over.

The season isn’t over, and that’s a tribute to all concerned — the players, the coaches, the 24,547 Pit fans who put aside their NCAA Tournament longings and came to watch three NIT games.

As time goes by, this team just gets fundamentally more interesting.