WASHINGTON (AP) — Logan Thompson made 30 saves, losing his shutout bid with just 43 seconds remaining, and the Washington Capitals beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Friday night.

Ryan Leonard scored midway through the first period, and Aliaksei Protas added an empty-netter with 1:43 remaining.

Jesper Bratt scored for the Devils, extending his point streak with three goals and four assists over his last seven games. Jake Allen stopped 26 shots.

It was the third meeting between the teams and the first that didn’t require extra time. The Devils beat the Capitals in a 3-2 shootout win on Nov. 15, but lost 4-3 in overtime on Dec. 27. Thompson and Allen covered the net in all three games. They will conclude their season series on April 2 in Newark.

HURRICANES 4, MAPLE LEAFS 3, OT

TORONTO (AP) — Alexander Nikishin scored 41 seconds into overtime to give the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina a victory over Toronto.

Nikishin fired a shot beyond goalie Joseph Woll’s blocker.

Eric Robinson scored on a penalty shot for Carolina, K’Andre Miller and Jordan Staal also had goals, and Brandon Bussi made 23 saves. Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho each had two assists.

John Tavares, William Nylander and Dakota Joshua scored for Toronto. Woll stopped 32 shots, and Matias Maccelli had two assists.

AVALANCHE 4, BLACKHAWKS 1

CHICAGO (AP) — Nathan MacKinnon had three assists in Colorado’s victory over Chicago, helping the Avalanche become the first NHL team to clinch a playoff spot this season.

Martin Necas had a goal and two assists for Colorado, which had lost four of five. Nazem Kadri, Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin also scored.

The league-leading Avalanche (45-13-10) moved four points ahead of idle Dallas for the top spot in the Western Conference.

Wyatt Kaiser scored for Chicago (26-31-12), and Arvid Soderblom stopped 45 shots.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Skyy Clark flashed a gap-toothed smile and said there was only one place to put a chunk of the top front tooth that he lost during UCLA's NCAA Tournament win over UCF.

Under the pillow, of course.

There was no telling what Clark would find there in the morning — though if anyone in the Philadelphia area had the name of an oral surgeon, the Bruins guard would gladly take one.

In the locker room after UCLA beat UCF 75-71 — a win that Clark secured when he shook off throbbing pain to sink a free throw — Clark said he was at about a nine on a scale of 10.

“It definitely hurt,” he said. “I have a little lisp going on.”

Clark indeed spoke differently — teammate Eric Dailey Jr. compared him to boxer Mike Tyson — in the aftermath of the incident.

“He looked so good in the locker room,” coach Mick Cronin said. “Looks like a boxer. Keep trying to talk to these guys about my old days. He just looked tough. Looks tough. In the locker room, smiling. There’s blood.”

Clark lost the tooth late in the game when he dived for a loose ball and took an elbow to the face from a UCF defender. The tooth went flying and members of the UCLA staff scurried around to try and find it.

UCLA walk-on Jack Seidler found the tooth.

Seidler's role on the Bruins is simple: “Whatever they ask me to do, I’ll do it. Whatever helps the team.”

In this instance, Seidler — who didn't even play — had the assist of the night.

“Somebody’s got to get it, somebody’s got to get it,” Seidler said his teammates and other staff yelled as Clark got up off the court.

Seidler got it. He said his cellphone blew up with social media posts and direct messages about his 15 minutes of fame.

He gave all the credit to Clark for staying in the game and helping the Bruins hold off a late push by UCF.

“That’s toughness right there,” Seidler said. “Losing half a tooth and coming back into the game to help us get the win.”

As for that foul shot, Clark said it was all part of the game.

“I had my adrenaline going so I really didn't feel it,” he said.

Clark is part of a toothless trend of late. New Jersey Devils star Jack Hughes had some teeth knocked out before he won Olympic gold in hockey for the United States.

Cronin and the Bruins — they are no March Madness Cinderellas but could still use a tooth fairy — are on to the second round. He'd like everyone to have a full mouth of teeth when they play Sunday against either UConn or Furman.

“(We) need — what is it? The dental stuff. An oral surgeon,” Cronin said. “We need a late-night oral surgeon.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Tennessee barely extended its streak of March Madness appearance and the Lady Vols' trip to the NCAA Tournament didn't last very long.

No. 7 North Carolina State ended the 10th-seeded Lady Vols’ season with a 76-61 victory in the first round Friday night.

Tennessee which has played in every NCAA Tournament since its creation in 1982 had only been knocked out twice previously in the first game of the tourney – in 2009 by Ball State and in 2019 by UCLA.

“Really not the season we wanted, but it doesn't really help us to get into that right now," said second-year Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell when asked about what happened this season. “Trying to enjoy our seniors for the last little bit that we have them.”

It was an uncharacteristic season for the Lady Vols (16-14), who closed the year with the school’s first eight-game losing streak in the modern era and went winless in March. Their last victory was Feb. 12 against Missouri.

“It was the worst year of my professional career,” Caldwell said. “Our players deserve better than that from me, and you learn from that going forward.

“There was never clear leadership on my part of hey, this is exactly what we're going to do. This is why we're going to do it. We never got consistent rotations.”

Players, some with tears in their eyes, expressed their disappointment of how the year ended.

“Of course it sucks to lose any game, but this game our season is over and it sucks even more,” said Tennessee junior forward Alyssa Latham. “We tried our best today to extend our season but it didn’t go the way we wanted to.”

Pat Summitt, who won eight NCAA championships with the Lady Vols, had 23 seasons with six or less losses. This year’s team equaled the most defeats since the 2015-16 season and had the fewest wins for an at-large team since 2018, which led to Tennessee’s worst seeding since 2019.

The Lady Vols fell behind by 19-4 early in the game and clawed back to within 48-46 late in the third quarter but that was as close as they could get the rest of the way.

“We just had a rough patch,” said senior Zee Spearman. “We just couldn't get out of it. Honestly, we tried our best. But at the end of the day, this didn't work out the way we wanted it to.”

On the eve of their first-round game, Caldwell called out her players and staff.

“Our players are very spoiled,” Caldwell said. “Our coaching staff is very spoiled. The way we do things is first class, it’s high class. It’s really remarkable at how quickly anyone can get spoiled and used to it.”

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BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Bailey Maupin scored seven of her 17 points in the final three minutes, and No. 7 seed Texas Tech held on to defeat 10th seed Villanova 57-52 on Friday night in the first round of March Madness.

Denae Fritz scored 13 points for Texas Tech (26-7), which went 7 of 15 from 3-point range, outshot Villanova, 44% (18 of 41) to 37% (20 of 54) and made 14 of 15 foul shots.

Fritz and Maupin both hit 3-pointers in the final 4:22 to help Tech carry a 53-47 lead into the final two minutes.

Villanova guard Jasmine Bascoe's jumper cut the Wildcats' deficit to four with 52 seconds left. But Bascoe, a slashing point guard who led all scorers with 21 points, turned the ball over when she lost her dribble off her leg with 21 seconds left.

After Maupin hit two free throws, Bascoe hit a 3 to make it a one possession game with 14 seconds left.

A Texas Tech turnover on an offensive foul by Maupin gave the Wildcats (25-8) a chance to tie it, but Denae Carter's 3-point attempt missed, Maupin rebounded and hit two more free throws to seal it.

Neither team led by more than seven points in what was a physical, defensive-oriented game.

Kelsey Joens scored 14 points and Brynn McCurry had 13 points and nine rebounds for Villanova.

The first half ended tied at 26, with both teams shooting below 42%

With Tech defenders swarming Bascoe early, Joens took shots decisively, hitting five of her first six shots, including her first four 3-point shots. But Joens attempted just two shots in the second half — both missed 3s.

Up next

Texas Tech moves into the second round on Sunday against LSU, the site host and No. 2 seed in the Sacramento 2 region, which routed Jacksonville 116-58 on Friday. The winner advances to the Sweet 16.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren scored 23 points as the Detroit Pistons beat the Golden State Warriors 115-101 on Friday night in a game missing two of the NBA’s biggest stars.

The Pistons beat the Warriors in the first matchup of the season between the teams on Jan. 30, but that was the last game Golden State’s Steph Curry (knee) has played this season. Now, Detroit’s Cade Cunningham (chest) has joined him for an extended absence.

Golden State’s injury situation got worse in the first half when Kristaps Porzingis left the game with lower back soreness.

Daniss Jenkins, starting for Cunningham, had 22 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for Detroit, which has won six of its last seven games. Paul Reed added 15 points for the Pistons, who won despite shooting 23.8% (5 for 21) on 3-pointers.

Golden State, which has lost seven of eight, turned the ball over 26 times, leading to 32 Pistons points. Brandin Podziemski had 15 points to lead Golden State.

KNICKS 93, NETS 92

NEW YORK (AP) — Karl-Anthony Towns had 26 points and 15 rebounds, and New York outlasted the Brooklyn for their fourth consecutive victory.

Jalen Brunson scored 17 points and OG Anunoby finished with 16 for the Knicks, who trailed by 13 points in the first half, then blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.

Ben Saraf had a chance to win it for the Nets at the buzzer but missed a 45-footer.

The Knicks beat the Nets for the 14th straight time, the longest winning streak for either team in the local rivalry. The Nets’ last victory over the Knicks was on Jan. 28, 2023, shortly before trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

Josh Minott scored 22 points and Ziaire Williams added 17 for the Nets, who have lost six straight games.

ROCKETS 117, HAWKS 95

HOUSTON (AP) — Kevin Durant scored 25 points, Jabari Smith Jr. added 23 and Houston snapped Atlanta’s 11-game winning streak.

Alperen Sengun had 15 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds for Houston, which was just 4-6 in its previous 10 games and was coming off back-to-back losses to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker led Atlanta with 21 points, but the Hawks shot just 42% from the field and 26% (9 for 35) from 3-point range. Houston shot 51% overall and 47% (14 of 30) from deep.

CJ McCollum had 17 points and Zaccharie Risacher had 16 for Atlanta, which was riding its longest winning streak in over a decade that had positioned the team for a play-in berth.

The Rockets outrebounded the Hawks 51-37.

CELTICS 117, GRIZZLIES 112

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Jaylen Brown scored 30 points, Luka Garza added a season-high 22 points and Boston used a fourth-quarter rally to defeat Memphis.

Payton Pritchard added 19 points for the Celtics, who have won four straight. The win kept Boston in second place in the East, 1 1/2 games ahead of the New York Knicks who held on for a 93-92 victory over Brooklyn earlier Friday night.

Tyler Burton, who signed a 10-day contract with Memphis on March 12, led the Grizzlies with 23 points, a career-high. Ty Jerome added 16 points and seven assists. Javon Small and DeJon Jarreau finished with 13 points each.

SHENZHEN, China (AP) — Olympic and world champion swimmer Cameron McEvoy has broken the men’s 50-meter freestyle world record which had stood for 17 years.

The 31-year-old Australian posted a time of 20.88 seconds on Friday at the China Open in Shenzhen, taking 0.03 second off Brazilian César Cielo’s previous mark.

Cielo set his world record of 20.91 during swimming’s so-called “super suit” era in 2009. Those suits were later banned because they increased buoyancy and reduced drag, resulting in nearly 150 world records falling in 2009 before being prohibited in 2010.

“I knew I had a chance to do a PB (personal best),” McEvoy said. “My old PB was 21.06, so maybe 20.99? But doing ⁠20.88 is unreal. It’s crazy."

Cielo was quick to congratulate McEvoy on social media, tweeting: “Congrats, Cam. Lightning fast swim! Incredible!"

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The NCAA filed a complaint in federal court Friday seeking an emergency restraining order to stop online sportsbook DraftKings from using registered trademarks associated with the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments.

The complaint for trademark infringement was filed in the Southern District of Indiana and requests that DraftKings stop using terms including “March Madness,” “Final Four,” “Elite Eight” and “Sweet Sixteen" or variations of them in sports betting products, promotional campaigns or marketing.

A message seeking comment was sent after business hours to DraftKings' general media relations address.

The NCAA said in the complaint its trademarks are used to identify, brand, advertise and distinguish the tournaments across broadcast media, digital platforms, merchandise, sponsorships and licensed commercial activities.

“On the eve of the Tournaments, DraftKings deliberately adopted and prominently began using the NCAA’s iconic NCAA Basketball Marks, including confusingly similar variations thereof, to trade on — and usurp — the immense goodwill, recognition, and consumer trust embodied in those Marks at the precise moment of peak public attention,” the complaint said.

Screenshots of DraftKings wagering platforms were included in exhibits attached to the complaint.

“DraftKings’s unlawful use quickly proliferated across its consumer-facing websites and mobile applications, embedding the marks and logos into betting menus, promotional graphics, and marketing publications, to deliberately exacerbate consumer confusion and reinforce a false association with or sponsorship by the NCAA in order to continuously capitalize on the goodwill of the NCAA,” the complaint said.

The NCAA said it avoids any appearance of affiliation with gambling companies and has declined sportsbook sponsorships, banned sports betting by athletes and staff and publicly opposed prop bets and micro-bets. The NCAA noted it has launched initiatives to prevent harassment and improper influence in college sports and preserve the integrity of its competitions.

"Every day that DraftKings continues to use these marks, millions of sports fans — and, critically, college students and young adults who are particularly susceptible to gambling harm — are exposed to the false suggestion that the Association has authorized or endorsed DraftKings’ gambling platform,” the NCAA said in a statement.

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AP March Madness: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Former Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas reached an agreement to extend his contract for another year with Pumas UNAM in the Mexican first division on Friday.

Navas turns 40 this year and his contract with the Mexico City-based club was set to end in June.

“There were three very quick talks, where there was a club and a player who really wanted to continue, so it was more about prioritizing contracts and then signing, which is what gives us peace of mind," Navas said at a press conference.

Pumas, one the four most popular teams in Mexico, is trying to win its first league title since the 2011 Clausura. In the current tournament, the team ranks in fifth place after 11 of the 17 regular season rounds.

“My family is doing well, ‘Efra’ (the coach) and I are doing well, it’s an incredible group to work with," the Costa Rican goalkeeper added.

Pumas did not disclose the financial terms of the contract. The extension is for one year with an option for another one.

“Big projects don’t happen overnight. I’ve been involved in some myself, and I know what it takes,” the goalkeeper said. “You always dream of being a champion, and hopefully we can give it to the fans, who deserve it.”

Navas made his professional debut with Saprissa in Costa Rica in 2005 and began his European career four years later at Albacete. He moved to Levante and signed with Real Madrid in 2014. At Real Madrid, Navas won a league title and a Super Cup, as well as three Champions Leagues. He also featured in three World Cups for Costa Rica.

He played four seasons in a successful first stint at PSG, helping the club secure two French league titles.

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DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — Taliah Scott scored 15 points and Baylor rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter, making 11 of 14 free throws down the stretch, to beat Nebraska 67-62 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

After leading 19-11 after the first quarter, the sixth-seeded Bears (25-8) went cold and were down 50-41 with 9:33 to play in their March Madness opener. Baylor then turned up the full-court press and forced six turnovers by Nebraska in the final quarter.

The turning point came on a jump ball with the game tied at 53 with 3:48 to play. Baylor coach Nicki Collen appealed for officials to review the play for a flagrant foul on Nebraska junior forward Jessica Petrie.

Baylor won the appeal, and Scott made two free throws to give Baylor the lead for good. Petrie, who had 10 points for the Cornhuskers, fouled out on the next play.

Darianna Littlepage-Buggs scored 13 points. Jana Van Gytenbeek added 12, including two critical 3-pointers in the second half.

Britt Prince had 27 points for the 11th-seeded Cornhuskers (26-8), who fell short in trying to become only the second team to advance from the First Four to the second round since the women’s field was expanded to 68 teams in 2022.

Up next

Baylor will play third-seeded Duke on Sunday. The Bears beat the Blue Devils 58-52 in their Nov. 2 season opener.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Olympic gold medal-winning boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan has been cleared to return to competition at the Asian Boxing Championships following a review of her sex eligibility.

World Boxing, the sport's Olympic-level governing body, announced its decision Friday ahead of the Asian championships, which begin March 29 in Mongolia.

Lin and Imane Khelif of Algeria won gold medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics amid international scrutiny and misconceptions over both boxers' sex. While both met the eligibility rules followed at the time by the IOC, which ran the Paris tournament, the two fighters' success sparked a politically charged debate over those standards.

World Boxing took over as the sport's governing body last year, and it implemented a sex eligibility policy last August requiring all fighters to take a one-time genetic test designed to identify the presence of a Y chromosome.

Lin has been absent from several international competitions since World Boxing introduced the test last summer. World Boxing didn't specify the results of Lin's test, but said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Boxing Association had mounted an appeal process for one of its boxers following a test last year.

“We recognize that this has been a difficult period for the boxer and the CTBA and appreciate the way they have approached the appeal process and their acknowledgement of World Boxing’s requirement to ensure that its eligibility policy, which is designed to deliver safety and sporting integrity, has been correctly implemented and followed,” World Boxing secretary general Tom Dielen said in a statement.

Khelif also has not competed in World Boxing-sanctioned events since the implementation of the test, but has periodically indicated she would like to return to the Olympic-level sport. Khelif also plans to make her professional boxing debut in April, but pro fighters are now allowed to compete in the Olympics.

Chromosome testing was common in Olympic sports during the 20th century, but was largely abandoned in the 1990s because of numerous ambiguities that couldn’t be easily resolved by the tests, collectively known as differences in sex development.

Along with its appeal process, World Boxing said it offers additional analysis and evaluation for athletes with Y chromosome genetic material who wish to compete in the women’s categories, including genetic screening, hormonal profiles, anatomical examination and further evaluation of endocrine profiles by medical specialists.

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AP boxing: https://apnews.com/boxing

MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — Ball State named former SMU associate head coach Chris Capko as its head coach Friday, just two days after the Mustangs were eliminated in March Madness.

It's the first head coaching job for the 42-year-old Capko, who spent nearly two decades working his way through the ranks of college assistant. He replaces Michael Lewis, who was fired two weeks ago after four sub-par seasons with the Cardinals.

“Chris Capko is an exceptional basketball coach,” athletic director Jeff Mitchell said in a statement released by the athletic department. “His breadth of experience at the NCAA Division I level, combined with his elite recruiting acumen and expertise in player development, set him apart from an incredibly strong pool of candidates and made him the best coach to lead our program.”

Capko spent the past two seasons as SMU's top assistant to coach Andy Enfield and was widely regarded as one of the nation's best assistant coaches.

The Mustangs capped a 44-25 run over the last two seasons by earning their first NCAA Tournament at-large bid since 1993 while making their first tourney appearance since 2017.

SMU's season ended with Wednesday's 89-79 loss to Miami (Ohio) in a First Four game at Dayton, Ohio, on Wednesday.

Capko also worked on Enfield's staff the previous eight seasons at Southern California, the last three as associate head coach. His coaching career began as a graduate assistant at Marshall prior to his stops at Stetson, Georgia Southern and Florida International before joining Enfield at USC.

During his tenure with the Trojans, eight players made the NBA — the fourth highest total of any Division I school, trailing only Duke (20), Kentucky (19), Kansas (9) and Michigan (9).

He takes over the Cardinals immediately and outlined how he intends to overhaul the program in Muncie.

“We will build this program on a foundation of character, toughness and accountability — developing young men who represent this university the right way on and off the court," Capko said. "I’ve been fortunate to be part of building winning programs in my previous tenures, and will bring that same level of discipline, drive and competitive edge to Muncie. Our vision is clear: Build a program our community is proud of and compete for championships.”

A native of Lakeland, Florida, Capko started his college playing career at Florida under coach Billy Donovan, then transferred to South Florida where he played three seasons, was elected a team captain and was the school's nominee for Big East Student-Athlete of the Year in 2007. He finished fifth in the league in assists as a junior.

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NEW YORK (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians won't have to pay indicted pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz while Major League Baseball's investigation continues into allegations of pitch-rigging for gamblers.

Ortiz was placed on paid leave last July 3 and Clase on July 28, and they received their salaries while they didn't pitch for the remainder of the season. They were indicted on federal charges on Nov. 9 and a trial is scheduled for May 4 but could be delayed.

“As the legal proceedings involving Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz continue to move forward, MLB and the MLBPA have agreed that both players will remain on non-disciplinary leave from the club without pay until further notice," Major League Baseball said in a statement Friday.

“This agreement is not an admission of any wrongdoing by Clase or Ortiz," the statement added. "MLB has been closely monitoring the matter since alerting federal law enforcement at the outset of its investigation and will have no further comment until its investigation has been completed.”

Clase has a $6 million salary in 2026, the final guaranteed season of a $20 million, five-year contract. Ortiz does not have enough service time for arbitration and makes around the minimum salary of $780,000.

Clase and Ortiz are charged by federal prosecutors with accepting several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two gamblers from their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 by placing more than 100 in-game prop bets and parlays on the velocity and the outcome of certain pitches. Charges include wire fraud conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests.

They entered not guilty pleas in Brooklyn federal court.

Clase is a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year.

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HINWIL, Switzerland (AP) — Team principal Jonathan Wheatley has left the Audi Formula 1 team just two races into its rebranding from Sauber, following reports Aston Martin was seeking to sign him as it tries to turn around a troubled season.

Audi said Friday that Wheatley, who took charge of what was then the Sauber team in April 2025, was leaving “with immediate effect for personal reasons," and suggested there's more change to come.

Mattia Binotto, a former Ferrari and Sauber team principal who was in charge of the transformation into the Audi works team, including building its own engines, will now replace Wheatley as well ahead of next week's Japanese Grand Prix.

“The team’s future structure will be fully defined at a later stage, as the organization continues to adapt to the evolving environment of Formula One,” Audi said in a statement.

The announcement came a day after media outlets, including the BBC, reported that Aston Martin had approached Wheatley about a potential move.

Any move to Aston Martin would reunite Wheatley with former colleague Adrian Newey, the Formula 1 car-design great who took on team principal duties in what's been a woeful start to 2026 for the team.

Newey and Wheatley previously worked together at Red Bull when it was F1's dominant team.

Aston Martin owner and executive chairman Lawrence Stroll issued a statement Friday which didn't name Wheatley but expressed confidence in Newey in his role as “managing technical partner", and said the team doesn't follow “the traditional team principal role that you see elsewhere.”

Stroll added: “We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumor or speculation.”

Aston Martin has lacked pace at the start of a new engine partnership with Honda and struggled with vibrations which damage the car's battery and affect the drivers.

Fernando Alonso retired from last week's Chinese Grand Prix because of “discomfort” caused by the vibrations, the team said, and Newey previously warned of the risk of nerve damage.

Audi has had reliability issues of its own with two failures to start races, but showed stronger pace with a ninth-place finish for Gabriel Bortoleto at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

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Pep Guardiola was given the platform to engage in pre-match mind games with rival coach Mikel Arteta ahead of Manchester City’s meeting with Arsenal in the English League Cup final on Sunday.

He didn’t bite.

“Look what’s happened around the world,” Guardiola said Friday. “We have an incredible chaos and nobody moves one finger. Everything is behind the scenes. The world is going to collapse and still we are here talking about dark arts.”

Guardiola’s reference to “dark arts” recalled a flashpoint between the teams that reared up after a Premier League match in September 2024, when Arsenal’s tactics drew criticism from a number of City players following a 2-2 draw.

Midfielder Bernardo Silva said Arsenal’s players pushed “the limits of what was possible to do.” Defender John Stones said they “break up the game which upsets the rhythm.” It was full back Kyle Walker, no longer at City, who described Arsenal’s perceived tactics as “dark arts.”

Those comments prompted Arteta to respond rather cryptically, saying he has “all the information” about City owing to his time there as an assistant to Guardiola from 2016-19.

Guardiola in turn called on Arteta to be "more clear exactly what does he mean.”

A year and a half later, Guardiola wasn’t in the mood to reignite that argument.

“There are officials to deal with these kind of things,” he said.

Indeed, the City manager praised the evolution and “solidarity” of Arsenal, which is in contention to win four trophies this season as the Premier League leader by nine points and having advanced to the quarterfinals of the Champions League and FA Cup.

“Exceptional team,” he said. “It’s a big challenge for us to see how our level is.”

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BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain’s soccer team has made light of its and Argentina’s failure to find an alternative venue to play the canceled “Finalissima” match after the original site of Qatar was made untenable by the Iran war.

Instead of playing Argentina on March 27 in Doha, Spain quickly arranged to play Serbia on the same day back home in Villarreal.

A video posted on Friday on the Spanish team's X account includes a short sketch depicting a fictional Argentine couple bickering about the husband’s apparently hairbrained idea to send an audio message to Spain coach Luis de la Fuente to ask him for tickets to see Spain vs. Serbia. The husband’s plan pays off when the coach responds positively.

“Of course, count on the ticket, or rather tickets for you and your friends,” De la Fuente tells the Argentine fan. “Although I would have liked to have seen you at a different game, I am sure this will be a great match as well.”

The game between the European and South American champions was called off on Sunday because of the widening of Iran’s attacks on neighboring Arab states in retaliation to ongoing bombardments by the United States and Israel.

But the two teams and European and South American soccer officials were unable to agree on an alternative venue.

Upon its cancellation, the Spanish federation said that it and UEFA had tried “every possibility” to play the game, either at home or at another site, to no avail.

UEFA said all other feasible alternatives it explored “ultimately proved unacceptable to the Argentinian Football Association," including playing it in Madrid, where there is a large Argentine community.

The option of staging the event over two legs — one in Madrid on March 27, the other in Buenos Aires before the Euros and the Copa America in 2028 — was also rejected. Argentina had proposed to play the match later this year after the World Cup but Spain had no available dates.

South American soccer body CONMEBOL said in a statement on Sunday that Argentina’s federation (AFA) received an offer from UEFA to play the match in Italy on March 27, but the defending World Cup and Copa America champion countered that the game take place on March 31.

It would have pitted Lionel Messi against Lamine Yamal in a showcase World Cup warmup.

Also on Friday, Spain announced that it will play Egypt in a friendly on March 31 in Barcelona.

Spain started using creative videos of their coaches to announce squad lists under Luis Enrique, the current Paris Saint-Germain manager who preceded De la Fuente.

García and Mosquera in squad for first time

Barcelona goalkeeper Joan García and Arsenal defender Cristhian Mosquera were included on a Spain squad for the first time.

They both helped the under-23 side win the gold medal at the 2024 Olympics. García moved to Barcelona from Espanyol this season, while Mosquera joined the Premier League leader from Valencia.

Instead of choosing which goalkeeper to drop, De la Fuente took four goalies with García joining regular starter Unai Simón, David Raya and Alex Remiro.

Osasuna winger Víctor Muñoz and Real Sociedad forward Ander Barrenetxea also made their first Spain squad.

Zubimendi and Rodri

De la Fuente included Rodri and Martín Zubimendi in his squad, setting up an interesting choice.

Rodri was a pillar of the team that won the 2024 European Championship, but he is not back at top form since returning from a leg injury last season. So, it will be interesting to see if De la Fuente sticks with the in-form Zubimendi as his starter with June's World Cup looming.

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Georgia Tech at Pittsburgh — ACCNX, ESPN Unlimited

Army at Lafayette — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

Dartmouth at Pennsylvania — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

Holy Cross at Lehigh — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

Bucknell at Navy — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

Boston College at Pittsburgh — ACCNX

Philadelphia at Baltimore — MASN

Philadelphia at Utah — KJZZ 14, NBCS Philadelphia, Jazz+, NBA League Pass

Winnipeg at Pittsburgh — NHLN, SportsNet Pittsburgh

MLS: Chicago Fire vs. Philadelphia Union — Apple TV

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Dartmouth at Pennsylvania — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

California at Boston College — ACCNX

Holy Cross at Lehigh — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

Dartmouth at Pennsylvania — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

Louisville vs. Vermont at KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, KY) — ESPN

Notre Dame vs. Fairfield at Value City Arena (Columbus, OH) — ESPN

Alabama vs. Rhode Island at KFC Yum! Center (Louisville, KY) — ESPNews

UConn vs. UTSA at Gampel Pavilion (Storrs, CT) — ABC

Boston College at Pittsburgh — ACCNX

UConn at Arkansas — SECN+

Boston at Detroit — ABC, ESPN Unlimited

MLS: New England Revolution vs. St. Louis City — Apple TV

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

Bucknell at Navy — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

Duke at Virginia Tech — ACCNX

Bucknell at Navy — ESPN Select, ESPN Unlimited

Wake Forest at Virginia — ACCNX

Ohio State vs. Howard at Value City Arena (Columbus, OH) — ESPN2

Kentucky vs. James Madison at WVU Coliseum (Morgantown, WV) — ESPNU

NC State at Virginia Tech — ACCNX

Virginia at Syracuse — ACCNX

Philadelphia at Baltimore — MASN

MLS: D.C. United vs. Atlanta United — Apple TV

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive TV listings provided by LiveSportsOnTV.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Dion Brown scored 18 points on 9-of-10 shooting, all on layups and dunks, and Saint Louis blew out Georgia 102-77 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday night.

Amari McCottry added 13 points and nine rebounds, while Robbie Avila had 12 points, five rebounds and five assists for the ninth-seeded Billikens.

Saint Louis (29-5) set a school record for victories in a season and advanced to meet Michigan, the Midwest Region's top seed, on Saturday.

Jeremiah Wilkinson scored 30 points for No. 8 seed Georgia. This was the most lopsided loss of the season for the Bulldogs (22-10), who had the most regular-season wins in program history.

The Billikens shot 58% from the field and surpassed 100 points for the eighth time this season. On the other end, Saint Louis limited Georgia to 35% shooting with a suffocating defense that leads the country in opposing field goal percentage.

The Billikens bullied their way to 11 baskets at the rim during a 23-0 run that began just before halftime and ballooned their lead to 67-32 with just over 15 minutes to play.

Avila excited the crowd with a spinning layup during a 12-0 run that put Saint Louis ahead 37-18 with 5:42 remaining in the first half.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Alex Lyon made 23 saves for his 10th straight road victory as the Buffalo Sabres scored three times in a span of less than two minutes in the second period to beat the San Jose Sharks 5-0 on Thursday night.

Sam Carrick scored twice, Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist, and Noah Ostlund and Tage Thompson also scored to help the Sabres win for the 11th time in 12 games. Buffalo moved into a tie with Carolina for the most points in the Eastern Conference.

Lyon posted his seventh career shutout and moved within one road win of the longest streak in NHL history. San Jose's Evgeni Nabokov and Minnesota's Devan Dubnyk each won 11 straight on the road.

Alex Nedeljkovic made 11 saves — but none in the three-goal second period — as the Sharks dropped their third straight and remained just outside playoff position in the Western Conference. San Jose became the second team in at least 11 seasons to allow at least three goals in a period without making a save, with Boston doing it last season against Chicago.

San Jose had some good chances to open the scoring with Will Smith hitting the cross bar on one shot and Kiefer Sherwood coming close on another opportunity.

The Sabres buried their chances shortly after that, taking control by scoring three goals in a span of 1:43 of the second period to silence the sellout crowd at the Shark Tank.

The first came on a fortunate bounce when Josh Doan's shot went wide and deflected off the end boards tight to Ostlund, who scored from a tight angle.

Dahlin then set up the next goal 36 seconds later on a drop pass to Carrick and scored his own 1:07 after that when he drove to the net and deflected a pass from Jason Zucker passed Nedeljkovic.

Up next

Sabres: At Los Angeles on Saturday.

Sharks: Host Philadelphia on Saturday.

___

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Kingston Flemings scored 18 points, Emanuel Sharpe added 16 and Houston routed Idaho 78-47 Thursday night in its NCAA Tournament opener after losing last year's championship game.

The Cougars (29-6), the second seed in the South Region, will play No. 10 seed Texas A&M in the second round on Saturday. The Aggies beat St. Mary's 63-50 on Thursday.

Chris Cenac Jr. had a career-high 18 rebounds for Houston, which lost to Florida in last year's final.

Kolton Mitchell scored 14 points for 15th-seeded Idaho, a heavy underdog making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1990.

The Vandals (21-15) qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning four games in five days to win the Big Sky championship, despite being seeded seventh in the conference tournament.

Houston fell behind 10-7, then outscored Idaho 41-14 over the next 15 minutes for a 48-24 lead at the break. Flemings, who made all six of his shots from the field, led the Cougars' attack with 14 points while Sharp (12 points) made four of five shots, including 3-pointers.

The Vandals made eight of 30 shots (26%) and didn't score for nearly 10 minutes of the first half. Houston extended the lead to 67-38 on a short jumper by Flemings with 7:12 left in the game.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — North Carolina went from rolling to a 19-point lead to struggling to make a shot, watching that margin whittled away by a VCU team that refused to quit.

Just like that, the Tar Heels were one-and-done in March Madness, their latest early exit under Hubert Davis.

The Rams beat the Tar Heels 82-78 in overtime in Thursday's first round of the South Region, capping a season that showed high promise well into February only to be derailed by a major injury. It's another postseason frustration for a blueblood program that has won six national titles but is defined these days by its inability to reach the round of 32.

Davis, closing his fifth season as the successor to retired Hall of Famer Roy Williams, wasn't ready to talk about whether something is missing that would keep his program among the country's elite.

“Yeah, that’s a big-thinking question, and I apologize, I’m just not there right now,” Davis said. "Just really sad that we’re not continuing to play and to move forward because I have loved and enjoyed this team. I enjoy and love all of them, but I’ve just really enjoyed coaching this team.

“I really wanted this group and these kids to experience more. But other than that, it’s I’m just thinking about these guys and the rest of the guys that are in the locker room.”

Davis' up-and-down ride

Davis is the only coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history to win 20 or more games in each of his first five seasons. Yet sustained postseason success, long a hallmark of the UNC program, has eluded Davis since an unforgettable ride to the 2022 NCAA title game in his debut season, which included a Final Four win over rival Duke that ended the career of rival Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski.

In 2023, the Tar Heels became the first team ranked No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 to miss the NCAA Tournament. UNC bounced back to win the ACC regular-season title a year later and earn a No. 1 seed, only to fall in the Sweet 16.

Last year, the Tar Heels squeaked into the First Four and blew out San Diego State, then lost in the first round to Ole Miss.

They were poised for more this time around, with top recruit and high-end NBA prospect Caleb Wilson proving to be an immediate star. The Tar Heels beat Kansas and Kentucky, made a huge comeback to win at Virginia, then gave Duke one of its two losses all year on Seth Trimble's last-second 3-pointer.

But Wilson broke his left hand days later at Miami. Then, when he was on the verge of returning in early March, Wilson — later chosen an AP second-team All-American — broke his right thumb in a during a non-contact drill and was lost for the season.

The Tar Heels didn't win again.

They lost at Duke, fell behind by 18 before falling short in a frantic comeback against Clemson in the ACC Tournament, then faded against VCU after leading 56-37 on Trimble's layup with 14:58 left.

“I feel like we were at a really good spot and then obviously Caleb's injury, I think that affects our season,” big man Henri Veesaar said. “But I don't want to put it on that. ... I think he's done a hell of a job of putting us in the right spots, giving us belief, trust everything.”

UNC falters with a short rotation

The Tar Heels faded badly in the VCU game, with Davis shortening his rotation to keep four players on the floor for the entire second half while another played 15 minutes. By the end, UNC couldn't make a shot or a free throw while committing costly turnovers.

The Tar Heels missed their last nine shots, including all six in overtime. And they went 12 of 20 at the foul line, including three missed free throws in OT to continue season-long troubles.

Davis said he didn't sense his players got fatigued, though Trimble said he thought it was a factor during earlier interviews. When asked why he mostly played a six-man rotation after halftime, Davis responded: “Because that was my decision.”

That came shortly after Trimble sat in a corner of the locker room surrounded by reporters and fighting back tears. A rarity in today's transfer-portal era, Trimble had just finished playing all four years for Davis at UNC, a run that included him briefly entering the portal after his sophomore year before opting to return.

He backed his coach, who signed a two-year extension through 2029-30 last year.

“Everybody has their flaws,” Trimble said. "Coach Davis, he isn't a perfect coach. But he's a coach who's made me better, he's a coach who's made guys better. He's shown that he can win here.

"I know he gets hate. Over the last four years I know he's gotten a lot of it. But I'm going to continue to ride with him.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — David Mirkovic had 29 points and 17 rebounds, and No. 3 seed Illinois dominated No. 14 seed Penn 105-70 on Thursday night in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Keaton Wagler added 18 points, seven assists and seven rebounds for the Fighting Illini (25-8), who moved on to face No. 11 VCU in the second round on Saturday.

Kylan Boswell had 13 points, while Ben Humrichous and Tomislav Ivisic each chipped in with 12 as Illinois shot 50% from the field and made 15 3-pointers while outrebounding the much smaller Quakers 48-25.

Michael Zanoni finished with 20 points on 9-of-18 shooting for Penn (18-12), the Ivy League champion.

TJ Power, who scored 44 points in the Quakers' overtime win over Yale that got them into the tournament, finished with six points on 2-of-8 shooting in 30 minutes after missing the previous two practices with an illness that left his status for the game uncertain.

Mirkovic set the tone for Illinois with a huge first half, with his 17 points and 10 rebounds helping the Fighting Illini build a 40-30 lead.

Illinois didn't let off the gas in the second half, stretching the lead to 23 with 10 minutes remaining after Mirkovic came up with a steal and fed Zvonimir Ivisic for a transition alley-oop dunk.

After the game, the Quakers walked in unison over toward their fans and applauded them. The fans applauded and cheered back, with one yelling, “Next year, boys!”

Up next

Illinois beat VCU 62-46 in the only meeting between the schools in 2016.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

SALEM, Va. (AP) — NYU's record 91-game winning streak is over after a 60-52 loss to Scranton in the Final Four of the Division III NCAA Tournament on Thursday night.

The Violets (29-1) had the second-longest winning streak in NCAA history, only trailing UConn's 111-game run.

The two-time defending champion Violets got off to a slow start and trailed 30-18 at the half to Scranton (32-0). NYU rallied in the second half, cutting the Lady Royals' lead to three early in the third quarter, but Scranton answered.

Down 13 in the fourth, NYU got within 56-52 with 46 seconds left, but could get no closer as Scranton hit free throws down the stretch, including two by Meghan Lamanna to seal the win.

The Violets last loss was March 11, 2023, when they were beaten by Transylvania in the Elite Eight. Senior Caroline Peper was the only player on the team who had lost a game in her career. She had 19 points in the loss and is the lone senior on the squad.

NYU had been winning by an average of more than 35 points a game this season. The Violets broke the Division III record for most consecutive wins, held by Washington University of St. Louis, on Feb. 8 with their 82nd consecutive win.

Scranton had beaten Pitt in an exhibition game earlier this year.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Reserve Coby White had 27 points and led the Charlotte Hornets’ 3-point barrage in a 130-111 rout of the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.

White shot 5 of 8 from beyond the arc and was one of four players with three or more 3-pointers, joining Brandon Miller (5 of 10), Kon Knueppel (4 of 9) and LaMelo Ball (3 of 8) as the Hornets finished 21 of 46 overall to win their fourth game in their last five.

Miller had 25 points and eight assists, Knueppel scored 23 points and Ball added 20 for Charlotte, which improved to 36-34. It’s the first time the Hornets have been two games over .500 since late in the 2021-22 season when the franchise had its last winning record at 43-39.

Desmond Bane had 24 points and Paolo Banchero 20 to lead Orlando.

PISTONS 117, WIZARDS 95

WASHINGTON (AP) — Jalen Duren had 24 points and 11 rebounds and Detroit never trailed in a victory over Washington, the Pistons’ first game since All-Star guard Cade Cunningham was ruled out for at least two weeks with a collapsed left lung.

Duren got his 37th double-double in just 25 minutes, two nights after scoring a career-high 36 points for Eastern Conference-leading Detroit in their 130-117 win over Washington.

Paul Reed added 17 points, while Duncan Robinson, Caris LeVert and Kevin Huerter each had 14 for the Pistons.

Detroit outrebounded Washington 55-33 and led 66-26 in points in the paint.

Tristan Vukcevic scored 21 for the Wizards, who lost their season worst-tying 14th consecutive game. With the NBA’s second-worst record at 16-53, Washington is two games from matching a franchise-record slide of 16 losses, most recently in March 2024.

LAKERS 134, HEAT 126

MIAMI (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 60 points, LeBron James had a triple-double on a night where he tied the NBA record for games played, and Los Angeles pushed their season-best winning streak to eight games with a win over Miami.

It tied the second-most points Doncic ever scored in a game, behind a 73-point night against Atlanta in 2024 and matching a 60-point night against New York in 2022. Doncic also broke the record for a Heat opponent, topping the 58-point effort from James Harden for Houston on Feb. 28, 2019.

Doncic — the NBA’s scoring leader — has now scored at least 30 points in eight consecutive games, and reached 50 for the second time in his last five games. James finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and Austin Reaves scored 18 for the Lakers.

Bam Adebayo had 28 points for Miami, which has dropped two straight. Tyler Herro scored 21 points and Norman Powell had 20 for the Heat, which led by as many as 15 in the early going.

CAVALIERS 115, BULLS 110

CHICAGO (AP) — James Harden scored 36, Evan Mobley added 26 points and 14 rebounds and Cleveland hung on to beat Chicago even though Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell missed the game because of a bruised left eye.

Harden nailed seven 3-pointers. Jaylon Tyson chipped in with 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Cavaliers hung on after a 29-point lead in the third quarter dwindled to one in the game’s closing minutes.

Chicago’s Tre Jones cut it to 103-102 when he made two free throws with 3:33 remaining. Sam Merrill answered with a 3 for Cleveland.

The Cavaliers were up 110-107 when Jones missed a potential tying 3 and Leonard Miller missed a layup with about a minute left. Harden hit a pull-up jumper to make it a five-point game with 33 seconds left and Cleveland hung on for the win.

PELICANS 105, CLIPPERS 99

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Trey Murphy III scored 27 points and New Orleans extended their home winning streak to seven games with a victory over Los Angeles.

Saddiq Bey had 20 points and Zion Williamson added 15 for the Pelicans, who swept the two-game set against the Clippers after 124-109 win, also at home, on Wednesday night.

Dejounte Murray was held out to rest as part of his comeback from a ruptured Achilles tendon. He had 17 points and a season-high 11 assists Wednesday night in his ninth game since making his season debut last month.

Derrick Jones Jr. scored 22 points, John Collins had 18 and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 for the Clippers, who lost their fourth in a row.

SPURS 101, SUNS 100

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama hit a 17-foot, pull-up jumper with a second left and San Antonio wrapped up a playoff spot to end a six-season drought, beating Phoenix.

Wembanyama had 34 points and 12 rebounds. His winning jumper capped a furious final-minute rally to secure the top-six finish in the Western Conference.

De’Aaron Fox added 23 points and Julian Champagnie had 14 in the Spurs’ fourth straight victory.

Collin Gillespie scored 24 points and Devin Booker had 22 for the Suns. They remain seventh in the West.

Fox’s finger-roll layup cut Phoenix’s lead to 100-99 with 26.6 seconds remaining.

Suns coach Jordan Ott was forced to call a timeout when Fox and Dylan Harper trapped Booker between the sideline and halfcourt with 11.7 seconds remaining. San Antonio immediately fouled on the ensuing inbounds, and Rasheer Fleming missed both free throws.

Wembanyama then dribbled the clock down to its final seconds before pulling up to hit the winner on Oso Ighodaro.

MIAMI (AP) — Luka Doncic scored 60 points, LeBron James had a triple-double on a night where he tied the NBA record for games played, and the Los Angeles Lakers pushed their season-best winning streak to eight games with a 134-126 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday night.

It tied the second-most points Doncic ever scored in a game, behind a 73-point night against Atlanta in 2024 and matching a 60-point night against New York in 2022. Doncic also broke the record for a Heat opponent, topping the 58-point effort from James Harden for Houston on Feb. 28, 2019.

Doncic — the NBA's scoring leader — has now scored at least 30 points in eight consecutive games, reached 50 for the second time in his last five games and did so on the second night of a back to back. James finished with 19 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists, and Austin Reaves scored 18 for the Lakers.

Bam Adebayo had 28 points for Miami, which has dropped three straight. Tyler Herro scored 21 points and Norman Powell had 20 for Miami, which led by as many as 15 in the early going.

James didn't miss a shot until early in the fourth quarter, meaning he connected on 21 of 22 in a span of just over seven quarters. He made his last shot attempt in Monday's win at Houston, then went 13 for 14 in Wednesday's win over the Rockets, followed by a 7-for-7 start against the Heat.

But Doncic was the story, getting 39 of his 60 after halftime. He finished 18 of 30 from the field, 9 of 17 from 3-point range and 15 of 19 from the foul line.

The Heat were without Jaime Jaquez Jr. (left hip tightness) and Andrew Wiggins (toe).

Up next

Lakers: Visit Orlando on Saturday.

Heat: Visit Houston on Saturday.

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The return of veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and the first call-up of midfielder Álvaro Fidalgo are the highlights of the 26-man roster announced on Thursday by coach Javier Aguirre to face Portugal and Belgium in warm-up matches for the World Cup.

The Mexicans will host the Portuguese on March 28 in the reopening of Azteca stadium and three days later they will face Belgium at Soldier Field in Chicago.

The 40-year-old Ochoa had not been called up since last year’s Gold Cup, where he was a substitute throughout the tournament behind Luis Malagón, who ruptured his Achilles tendon last week and will miss the World Cup.

Ochoa, who is seeking his sixth World Cup, has not started since November 2014, when El Tri lost 2-0 to Honduras.

Fidalgo, who was born in Spain, received his Mexican citizenship earlier this year.

The 28-year-old midfielder, who was key in helping Club América win three consecutive championships, has been a regular starter for Real Betis since signing with that club early last month.

Aguirre also called up 20-year-old midfielder Obed Vargas, who signed with Atlético Madrid last month.

Fidalgo and Vargas will help Aguirre cover absences due to injury to Marcel Ruiz, who tore his ACL, and Edson Álvarez, who had ankle surgery earlier this year.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When Sophie Hart decided about three years ago to transfer home to Minnesota, her then-teammates at North Carolina State sent her off with a clever nickname.

Soph the Goph.

Hart's father liked it so much he spearheaded a T-shirt line. The merch has been a hot item during her final college season, culminating with the program's resurgence and return as a March Madness host.

The 6-foot-5 Hart has helped the Gophers, who are ranked 18th in the latest Associated Press poll, reach the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. They're the No. 4 seed in their quartile of the bracket and will play Green Bay in the first round at Williams Arena on Friday.

Hart, who was Minnesota's winner of the Big Ten sportsmanship awards, is averaging 10.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, both career highs. Her drop-step move on the low block and finishing touch at the basket has become a vital part of a balanced Gophers offense, and her ball skills have continued to be sharpened.

“When I’m about to pass it, I always yell her name and she whips her head around, so I'm thinking it might not get there, but then she always comes up with it," guard Tori McKinney said. “I’m so thankful for her. I honestly love having her on the team, I'm super sad it’s her last season, but she’s been doing everything to her best ability.”

Hart has become a deft passer out of the post, too, finding backdoor cutters and spot-up shooters with ease.

“I love to see her doing more than one thing. You can’t really guard that,” McKinney said Thursday. “It makes it a lot more challenging, so it works great for us.”

Hart, who was a standout at Farmington High School about 30 miles south of the university, played sparingly at North Carolina State before departing during the 2022-23 season and committing to Minnesota under then-coach Lindsay Whalen. When Whalen left in March 2023 and Dawn Plitzuweit was hired, Hart stuck with her decision and has since enjoyed three years of on-court development and off-court delight.

“This group is so fun to play with,” Hart said. “Coming home, it’s neat to be able to go home for all those little moments. I was able to go to my sister's bachelorette party, go home for dad’s birthday. Then you go to games, and my elementary school nurse comes, my third grade teacher comes. It’s a community behind you.”

Plitzuweit was well aware of Hart, having recruited Minnesota heavily when she was the coach at South Dakota. She talked to Hart about coming to West Virginia when she was there, before taking the Minnesota job. Plitzuweit's daughter even played against Hart on the summer tournament circuit.

“Just her resilience, her toughness, her awareness has continued to get better all along,” Plitzuweit said, noting Hart's eye for details and penchant for delivering feedback to the coaching staff.

When the Gophers, for example, were handed the official scouting report for Green Bay, Hart needled Plitzuweit for making the margins on the page too small.

“I was like, ‘But the font is bigger than normal,’” Plitzuweit said, with only mild protest. “So evidently I messed that up this time. I'm working on that. She makes sure that she keeps us in check.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers has one last chance to reach the Final Four.

The 6-foot-4 senior has been one of the nation’s best post players the past three years, a third-team AP All-American as a sophomore and an All-SEC first-team selection as a junior and senior. She reached the Elite Eight as a sophomore at Oregon State, and the Sweet 16 last season as a junior at Oklahoma.

This season, she averages 15.7 points on 61.5% shooting and grabs 10.4 rebounds per game. She heads into this tournament having to depend on young players such as freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez to help her make the most of her final run. Fourth-seeded Oklahoma (24-7) will open against No. 13 seed Idaho (29-5) on Friday in Norman, Okla.

“Obviously, March Madness is the time that you all work for all season,” Beers said. “All the prep in the offseason, in the summertime, all those extra workouts — this is what it has led to. To do it with this group is really special.”

It’s not the most convenient opening matchup — the Sooners play at 9 p.m. local time. Beers will start her last push against an Idaho program that hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2016 and has never won a March Madness game.

Neither the time nor the opponent's history matters to Beers.

“A basketball game is a basketball game,” she said. “I feel like because it’s March, we’re going to be ready regardless of what time it’s at because we’re going to be so excited."

Winning streak

Idaho won the Big Sky Tournament and is on an 18-game win streak, and the Vandals plan for it to continue. Arthur Moreira, the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, said he doesn’t want his team to play timid.

“You have to go at them,” he said. “I think games like this, that’s what you have to do. You can’t respect too much who’s across from you. I have a lot of respect for Jen (Baranczyk) and her program, but in those 40 minutes that we’re going to play against each other, we got to play our game, and that’s what brought us here so far.”

Opposites collide

Two very different styles will clash when No. 5 seed Michigan State and No. 12 seed Colorado State meet on Friday.

Colorado State (27-7) allows just 54.9 points per game, seventh-lowest in the nation, and holds opponents to 35% shooting — also seventh nationally. The Rams have held 24 of their 34 opponents to 60 or fewer points.

Michigan State (22-8) averages 83.9 points per game, 10th-best nationally. The Spartans have five players who average double figures, led by Grace VanSlooten. The 6-3 center averages 15 points and 6.6 rebounds. Kennedy Blair adds 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. The Spartans shoot 48.1% from the field.

“We have to have a level of patience,” Michigan State coach Robyn Fralick said. “One of the phrases we’ve been using is ‘aggressive patience.’ We still have to play the way we love to play, but we also have to understand there’s a discipline and a patience to the possessions.”

Out with injury

Colorado State will be without star guard Lexus Bargesser in the tournament.

She left the Mountain West semifinal against UNLV in the second quarter with a season-ending knee injury. The senior guard averaged 15.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

The Rams still beat UNLV, then defeated Air Force in the tournament final to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s been neat to see the kids kind of evolve into, although a short period, just different roles,” Colorado State coach Ryun Williams said. “And everybody is going to be asked to do something a little different either offensively or defensively in this tournament because of how valuable she was for us.”

Fralick still respects what the Rams can do.

“Colorado State is a really good team,” she said. “I mean, 27 wins is a lot of wins over the course of a season. What stands out about them is their patience, their discipline. You know, they do a really good job of executing on both sides of the ball.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — From tears, to praise, to a touch of anger.

South Florida’s Brian Hodgson ran the gamut of emotions in making his NCAA Tournament head coaching debut not far from where he grew up, and following an 83-79 first-round loss to Louisville on Thursday.

The Bulls' first-year coach’s eyes began to well when senior forward Izaiyah Nelson referred to Hodgson as a father figure.

“Really right now I’m just honestly struggling to picture myself coaching this game without him,” Hodgson said of Nelson, who followed the coach to South Florida this year after spending two seasons together at Arkansas State. “Just to hear what he said about me, I feel the same way about him times a million.”

Hodgson also paid tribute to his parents, Rebecca and Larry Hodgson, who adopted and raised him in Jamestown, New York.

The game marked the first time Hodgson’s parents got to see him in person in three seasons as a head coach. His father has dementia, making it difficult for him to travel to Florida and Arkansas. Buffalo, meantime, is only a 60-mile drive from Jamestown.

“Someone sent me a picture of my mom and dad with a big smile on their face,” Hodgson said, before crediting his players for clinching the program’s fourth tournament berth, and first since 2012.

“I’ll never be able to repay these young men, because I didn’t know if or when that would happen for my dad to be able to be here and see me in person and how excited he was,” he added.

Hodgson was abused as a child and placed in foster care at the age of 2 before being adopted. He wasn’t the only one taken in by his parents, who also fostered more than 100 children.

“They never did that to get recognition, but they deserved it because they’re phenomenal human beings,” Hodgson said. “I’m very fortunate to have them as my parents.”

As for the anger, Hodgson’s ire was raised upon hearing Louisville coach Pat Kelsey question South Florida players for apparently disrespecting the Cardinals.

“Our guys heard what they said,” Kelsey said, following the win. “It was definitely something we heard. We internalized. We don’t have a bunch of guys that are like, but I could tell it was simmering in them and it bothered them. But I do have a lot of respect for (South Florida).”

Kelsey didn’t specify what was said or when, except refer to a Bulls player saying: “We’re going to pop them and something, something.”

Hodgson was in the interview waiting area and didn’t like what he overheard.

“I’ve heard all the nonsense about how our young men spoke heading into the game. What are we even talking about? Do you want these young men to not talk confidently about how they’re going to play against their opponent?” Hodgson said.

He then defended guard Wes Enis, who caused a stir among Louisville fans by saying he believed South Florida — the East Region’s No. 11 seed — was the better team after the matchup was announced on Sunday.

“I don’t really care,” Enis said, referring to the seedings. “I wouldn’t really call it an upset.”

Hodgson didn’t consider his player’s comment as a swipe.

“Did we want Wes Enis to sit in that press conference and say, ‘No, we can’t beat Louisville?’ No,” Hodgson said.

“We instill that in these young men to carry themselves with confidence every day,” he added. “We could have won this game. Louisville won the game today. I wouldn’t mind playing Louisville again."

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews had surgery Thursday in New York to repair the torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee.

The team said he's expected to need about 12 weeks of recovery time.

Matthews was injured March 12 in a home victory over Anaheim on Radko Gudas' knee-on-knee hit that drew a major penalty, game misconduct and five-game suspension.

The captain of the winning U.S. Olympic team, Matthews finished the season with 27 goals and 26 assists in 60 games. He’s Toronto's career leader with 428 goals.

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AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Chase Johnston made his first 2-point basket of the season, a fast-break layup with 11.7 seconds remaining that gave No. 12 seed High Point an 83-82 victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin on Thursday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Johnston finished with 14 points, including four 3-pointers for the Panthers, who were 10 1/2-point underdogs, according to BetMGM Sportsbook. He came in shooting 64 of 136 (47.1%) from 3-point range but 0 of 4 inside the arc, and he had played more minutes (406) and scored more points (196) without making a 2-point shot than any player in the country.

“I wasn’t really thinking whether it was a 2 or a 3, I was just trying to put it in and win the game,” Johnston said.

Rob Martin had 23 points and 10 assists for the Panthers, who will face either 13th-seeded Hawaii or No. 4 seed Arkansas in the second round of the Midwest Region on Saturday.

Nick Boyd finished with 27 points and John Blackwell added 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Badgers (24-11), who have lost to a lower-seeded team in each of their last four NCAA Tournament appearances. They fell to No. 11 seed Iowa State in 2022 and No. 12 seed James Madison in 2024 and lost in the second round last year as a 3 seed to sixth-seeded BYU.

This latest upset was responsible for ending the hopes of the vast majority of entrants who tried to complete a perfect 2026 bracket.

“You get sent home when you don’t take care of the things you need to take care of,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said.

After Johnston’s bucket gave High Point the lead, Owen Aquino blocked a driving layup by Boyd. The Panthers’ Cam’Ron Fletcher was fouled and missed a free throw, giving the Badgers a chance with 1 second left, but Andrew Rohde’s long pass was stolen by Terry Anderson and the celebration was on for High Point and first-year coach Flynn Clayman.

High Point earned a spot in the tournament by winning the Big South title for the second straight season. This was the first March Madness win for the Panthers, who lost to Purdue in the first round last year.

NO. 1 DUKE 71, NO. 16 SIENA 65

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Duke barely avoided a shocking upset to open the NCAA Tournament, with the No. 1 overall seed having to rally from 13 points down and going ahead for good in the final 5 minutes to beat Siena.

Cameron Boozer had 22 points and 13 rebounds for the East Region’s headliner, which hit its first four shots yet need a comeback against a fearless upstart playing just five players right up to the final seconds.

And yet, the Saints took it to the Blue Devils (33-2) at every turn.

The No. 1 seeds entered the week with a 158-2 record against 16 seeds in the tournament, the outliers being Virginia’s loss to UMBC in 2018 and Purdue’s loss to Fairleigh Dickinson in 2023.

And Duke — a blueblood with five NCAA titles — spent much of Thursday in serious danger of being added to that list before finally wrestling away control of the game in the last 8 minutes.

Gavin Doty scored 21 points to lead the Saints (23-12), with his third 3 giving Siena a 61-56 lead with 7:53 left. But Duke ran off 11 unanswered points to finally push ahead for good, securing a date against TCU in the second round.

NO. 4 NEBRASKA 76, NO. 13 TROY 47

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Pryce Sandfort scored 23 points and Nebraska rolled to its long-awaited first NCAA Tournament victory, beating Troy.

The Cornhuskers (27-6), the No. 4 seed in the South Region, entered March Madness as the only school from a power conference without a tournament win — they were 0-8, with many of the losses coming as the higher seed. Sandfort helped the Huskers end the drought by making seven 3-pointers.

Braden Frager and Jamarques Lawrence each scored 13 points and Rienk Mast added 11 points, seven assists and six rebounds for the Huskers, who will play either No. 5 seed Vanderbilt or 12th-seeded McNeese in the second round on Saturday.

Victor Valdes scored 14 points for 13th-seeded Troy (22-12), the Sun Belt Tournament champion.

Nebraska opened this season on a 20-game win streak and was ranked as high as No. 5 in the AP Top 25, giving fans hope that this would be the year for a breakthrough. Paycom Center, which seats 18,203 for Oklahoma City Thunder games, was filled with boisterous Nebraska fans. The Lincoln campus is a 6-hour drive away.

NO. 5 VANDERBILT 78, NO. 12 MCNEESE ST. 68

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Tyler Tanner had 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and Vanderbilt rallied to beat McNeese in an NCAA Tournament game.

The Commodores (27-8), the No. 5 seed in the South Region, will play No. 4 seed Nebraska in the second round on Saturday.

Duke Miles scored 13 points and Devin McGlockton and Tyler Nickel each added 12 for Vanderbilt, which trailed by 12 points in the first half and then took control after the break.

The Commodores shot 51% (26 of 51) from the field and made 17 of 20 free throws.

Garwey Dual scored 16 points and Larry Johnson added 15 for No. 12 seed McNeese, which was trying to knock off a No. 5 seed for the second straight year. The Cowboys beat Clemson in the first round last year under Will Wade, who then left for N.C. State.

McNeese led for much of the first half before Vanderbilt, which lost to Arkansas in the SEC Tournament championship game, got untracked. Nickel’s 3-pointer with 4:09 left in the half gave the Commodores a 30-28 lead, their first since it was 3-2.

NO. 6 LOUISVILLE 83, NO. 11 SOUTH FLORIDA 79

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Isaac McKneely scored 23 points, and Louisville hung on to beat South Florida to win its first NCAA Tournament game since Rick Pitino’s final season as coach.

Ryan Conwell scored 11 of his 18 points in the second half and backup forward Sananda Fru had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Cardinals.

Louisville (24-10) showed signs of struggling without starting point guard Mikel Brown Jr., who missed his fifth straight game with back issues. It was evident in the Cardinals’ issues against South Florida’s press in nearly squandering a 22-point lead over the final 11:25.

Brown is not expected to return for the second round on Saturday. That’s when the East Region’s sixth seed Louisville plays the winner of the game between third-seeded Michigan State (25-7) and North Dakota State (27-7).

Joseph Pinion scored 27 points for South Florida (25-9) in a game in which the Bulls missed 20 of their first 21 3-point attempts. The Bulls were making just their fourth tournament appearance and first since reaching the Sweet 16 in 2012.

Louisville had lost three straight tournament games since an 89-75 first-round win over Jacksonville State in 2017.

NO. 9 TCU 66, NO. 8 OHIO ST. 64

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Xavier Edmonds converted a layup to beat the shot clock with 4.3 seconds left, and TCU held off a furious second-half rally by Ohio State for a victory to open the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Bruce Thornton’s half-court heave at the buzzer hit all backboard, and the Buckeyes’ standout senior leaned forward and put his hands on his knees in dismay near midcourt as TCU began its celebration.

Micah Robinson scored 18 points for TCU, Edmonds finished with 16 and David Punch had 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Horned Frogs (23-11) will play Saturday against either No. 16 seed Siena or Duke, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament.

John Mobley. Jr. scored 15 points to lead Ohio State (21-13), which was making its first March Madness appearance since 2022.

TCU built a 15-point halftime lead and appeared in control, only to miss 18 of its first 22 shots to start the second half and fall behind 55-50 with seven minutes left.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness