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Booker and the Suns host conference foe Denver

Denver Nuggets (44-28, fifth in the Western Conference) vs. Phoenix Suns (40-32, seventh in the Western Conference)

Phoenix; Tuesday, 11 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets visit Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns in Western Conference action.

The Suns are 25-20 in Western Conference games. Phoenix is at the bottom of the Western Conference scoring 42.5 points per game in the paint.

The Nuggets have gone 26-16 against Western Conference opponents. Denver is fourth in the Western Conference with 33.8 defensive rebounds per game led by Jokic averaging 9.7.

The Suns average 14.8 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.4 more made shots on average than the 13.4 per game the Nuggets allow. The Nuggets score 9.8 more points per game (120.8) than the Suns give up to opponents (111.0).

The teams meet for the third time this season. The Nuggets won 130-112 in the last meeting on Nov. 30. Jokic led the Nuggets with 26 points, and Dillon Brooks led the Suns with 27 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Booker is scoring 25.5 points per game with 3.9 rebounds and 5.9 assists for the Suns. Jalen Green is averaging 23.5 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 45.6% over the past 10 games.

Jamal Murray is averaging 25.1 points and 7.1 assists for the Nuggets. Jokic is averaging 25.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Suns: 5-5, averaging 113.7 points, 39.7 rebounds, 25.4 assists, 8.5 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.2 points per game.

Nuggets: 6-4, averaging 123.0 points, 43.7 rebounds, 31.4 assists, 6.7 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.3 points.

INJURIES: Suns: Grayson Allen: day to day (knee), Dillon Brooks: out (hand), Mark Williams: out (foot), Haywood Highsmith: day to day (knee), Royce O'Neale: day to day (knee), Amir Coffey: day to day (ankle).

Nuggets: None listed.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Charlotte takes home win streak into matchup with Sacramento

Sacramento Kings (19-53, 15th in the Western Conference) vs. Charlotte Hornets (37-34, 10th in the Eastern Conference)

Charlotte, North Carolina; Tuesday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte hosts Sacramento aiming to extend its three-game home winning streak.

The Hornets have gone 17-17 in home games. Charlotte is eighth in the league allowing just 112.1 points per game while holding opponents to 46.7% shooting.

The Kings are 6-28 on the road. Sacramento has a 3-4 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Hornets are shooting 46.0% from the field this season, 3.4 percentage points lower than the 49.4% the Kings allow to opponents. The Kings average 10.2 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.6 fewer made shots on average than the 12.8 per game the Hornets allow.

The two teams square off for the second time this season. The Hornets defeated the Kings 117-109 in their last matchup on March 12. LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with 30 points, and DeMar DeRozan led the Kings with 39 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ball is averaging 19.7 points and 7.1 assists for the Hornets. Kon Knueppel is averaging 18.2 points over the last 10 games.

Maxime Raynaud is averaging 11.9 points and 7.3 rebounds for the Kings. DeRozan is averaging 17.6 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hornets: 7-3, averaging 116.6 points, 45.1 rebounds, 25.9 assists, 8.1 steals and 5.0 blocks per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.1 points per game.

Kings: 5-5, averaging 115.7 points, 45.5 rebounds, 27.8 assists, 6.6 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 49.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.6 points.

INJURIES: Hornets: Tidjane Salaun: day to day (calf).

Kings: Domantas Sabonis: out for season (back), Russell Westbrook: day to day (foot), Killian Hayes: day to day (toe), De'Andre Hunter: out for season (eye), Zach LaVine: out for season (finger), Drew Eubanks: out for season (thumb), Isaiah Stevens: day to day (ankle), Keegan Murray: out (ankle), Daeqwon Plowden: day to day (foot).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

New York puts home win streak on the line against New Orleans

New Orleans Pelicans (25-47, 11th in the Western Conference) vs. New York Knicks (47-25, third in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: New York will try to keep its three-game home win streak alive when the Knicks play New Orleans.

The Knicks are 26-9 on their home court. New York is 8-4 in games decided by less than 4 points.

The Pelicans have gone 9-25 away from home. New Orleans is 14-21 when it wins the turnover battle and averages 13.5 turnovers per game.

The Knicks score 117.2 points per game, 2.0 fewer points than the 119.2 the Pelicans allow. The Pelicans average 11.3 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.5 fewer made shots on average than the 13.8 per game the Knicks allow.

The teams play for the second time this season. The Knicks won the last matchup 130-125 on Dec. 30, with Jalen Brunson scoring 28 points in the victory.

TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.2 points and 12 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 20.4 points over the last 10 games.

Trey Murphy III is averaging 21.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.5 steals for the Pelicans. Saddiq Bey is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 7-3, averaging 117.6 points, 48.7 rebounds, 29.4 assists, 8.0 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 107.3 points per game.

Pelicans: 6-4, averaging 117.9 points, 45.3 rebounds, 25.9 assists, 9.5 steals and 6.1 blocks per game while shooting 47.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 111.7 points.

INJURIES: Knicks: Landry Shamet: day to day (knee), Miles McBride: out (ankle).

Pelicans: Bryce McGowens: day to day (toe).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Brooklyn plays Portland, looks to stop road losing streak

Brooklyn Nets (17-54, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (35-37, ninth in the Western Conference)

Portland, Oregon; Monday, 10 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Trail Blazers -14.5; over/under is 219.5

BOTTOM LINE: Brooklyn hits the road against Portland looking to stop its three-game road losing streak.

The Trail Blazers are 18-16 on their home court. Portland ranks ninth in the Western Conference with 31.7 defensive rebounds per game led by Donovan Clingan averaging 7.1.

The Nets have gone 8-28 away from home. Brooklyn is the worst team in the Eastern Conference scoring averaging just 106.4 points per game while shooting 44.3%.

The Trail Blazers are shooting 45.1% from the field this season, 4.2 percentage points lower than the 49.3% the Nets allow to opponents. The Trail Blazers average 106.4 points per game, 10.8 fewer points than the 117.2 the Trail Blazers give up.

The teams square off for the second time this season. The Trail Blazers won 114-95 in the last meeting on March 16. Deni Avdija led the Trail Blazers with 18 points, and Chaney Johnson led the Nets with 17 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Avdija is scoring 24.2 points per game with 7.0 rebounds and 6.8 assists for the Trail Blazers. Jerami Grant is averaging 17.1 points and 3.3 rebounds while shooting 52.3% over the last 10 games.

Danny Wolf is averaging 8.9 points for the Nets. Tyson Etienne is averaging 1.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Trail Blazers: 6-4, averaging 114.1 points, 48.1 rebounds, 27.9 assists, 8.5 steals and 6.6 blocks per game while shooting 45.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.3 points per game.

Nets: 2-8, averaging 103.8 points, 39.9 rebounds, 24.1 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.6 blocks per game while shooting 43.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.0 points.

INJURIES: Trail Blazers: Jerami Grant: day to day (calf), Shaedon Sharpe: out (calf), Vit Krejci: day to day (calf), Damian Lillard: out for season (achilles).

Nets: Noah Clowney: day to day (wrist), Danny Wolf: day to day (ankle), Egor Demin: out for season (foot), Day'Ron Sharpe: out for season (thumb), Michael Porter Jr.: out (hamstring), Nic Claxton: day to day (rest).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Filipowski and Utah take on the Raptors in non-conference play

Toronto Raptors (39-31, fifth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Utah Jazz (21-50, 14th in the Western Conference)

Salt Lake City; Monday, 9 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Raptors -12.5; over/under is 230.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Utah Jazz host the Toronto Raptors in non-conference play.

The Jazz have gone 13-23 in home games. Utah ranks second in the NBA with 29.4 assists per game. Isaiah Collier leads the Jazz averaging 7.2.

The Raptors are 20-15 on the road. Toronto ranks fourth in the league with 28.8 assists per game led by Immanuel Quickley averaging 6.0.

The Jazz are shooting 46.5% from the field this season, 0.2 percentage points lower than the 46.7% the Raptors allow to opponents. The Raptors are shooting 47.5% from the field, 1.4% lower than the 48.9% the Jazz's opponents have shot this season.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Raptors won 107-100 in the last matchup on Feb. 1.

TOP PERFORMERS: Kyle Filipowski is scoring 10.6 points per game with 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Jazz. Brice Sensabaugh is averaging 18.2 points and 2.5 rebounds while shooting 48.6% over the last 10 games.

Scottie Barnes is averaging 18.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 1.5 blocks for the Raptors. RJ Barrett is averaging 22 points and 5.3 rebounds over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Jazz: 3-7, averaging 113.9 points, 43.6 rebounds, 27.4 assists, 9.7 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 45.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 119.0 points per game.

Raptors: 4-6, averaging 112.7 points, 38.8 rebounds, 26.9 assists, 8.6 steals and 4.5 blocks per game while shooting 49.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.6 points.

INJURIES: Jazz: Lauri Markkanen: out (hip), Isaiah Collier: out (hamstring), Keyonte George: out (leg), Walker Kessler: out for season (shoulder), Jusuf Nurkic: out for season (nose), Jaren Jackson Jr.: out for season (knee).

Raptors: Collin Murray-Boyles: day to day (thumb).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Thomas' 17 points propel No. 3 Duke past No. 6 Baylor 69-46 in 2nd round of women's March Madness

DURHAM, N.C. (AP) β€” Delaney Thomas had 17 points and Toby Fournier scored 13 of her 15 points in the first half, helping No. 3 Duke beat No. 6 Baylor 69-46 on Sunday in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.

Arianna Roberson had 10 points and 10 rebounds off the bench and Ashlon Jackson added 12 points for Duke (26-8), which never trailed.

The Blue Devils advanced to the Sweet 16 for the third straight season and 20th time overall. They will play No. 2 LSU, a 101-47 winner over No. 7 Texas Tech, in the Sacramento 2 Regional.

Baylor (25-9) was held to its worst offensive output of the season. The Bears managed just eight points in each of the first two quarters and finished 0-of-14 from beyond the arc, failing to make a 3-pointer for the first time this year. They shot 30.2% overall.

Taliah Scott, who scored 24 points in a season-opening 58-52 win over Duke in Paris, led Baylor with 13 points on 3-of-17 shooting.

FORT WORTH 1 REGIONAL

NO. 4 NORTH CAROLINA 74, NO. 5 MARYLAND 66

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) β€” Elina Aarnisalo had 21 points, Lanie Grant scored 20 and North Carolina used a strong fourth quarter to beat Maryland and reach the women’s Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

Nyla Harris had 14 points and eight rebounds and Indya Nivar added 11 points to help the fourth-seeded Tar Heels (28-7) advance in the Fort Worth 1 Regional.

Oluchi Okananwa, who helped eliminate North Carolina last March in the Sweet 16 when she played for Duke, scored 21 points for No. 5 seed Maryland (24-9). Addi Mack had 13 points and Mir McLean had 12 points and 14 rebounds. The Terrapins couldn’t overcome 3-for-23 shooting on 3-pointers.

After briefly falling behind, the Tar Heels used a 13-4 run, sparked by six points from Nivar, early in the fourth quarter for a 63-56 lead.

Maryland pulled within three in the final two minutes, but Nyla Brooks drained a 3-pointer from in front of the North Carolina bench. The Terrapins failed to convert as part of 30.6% shooting in the second half.

FORT WORTH 3 REGIONAL

NO. 2 MICHIGAN 92, NO. 7 NC STATE 63

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) β€” Olivia Olson had all 27 of her points in the second half and Syla Swords bounced back from a slow start to score 26 and help Michigan rout short-handed N.C. State and earn a spot in the women’s Sweet 16.

The Wolverines (27-6) will play the winner of third-seeded Louisville vs. sixth-seeded Alabama in the NCAA Tournament Fort Worth Regional semifinals.

The seventh-seeded Wolfpack (21-11) were without All-ACC guard Zoe Brooks, who had a protective boot on her right foot after being injured in Friday night’s win against 10th-seeded Tennessee.

That hurt against Michigan’s swarming and trapping defense that forced 22 turnovers, including 10 in the third quarter that helped the Wolverines take a 16-point lead into the fourth after a closely contested first half.

Zamareya Jones, who had a career-high 30 points against the Lady Vols, scored 16 and Khamil Pierre had 15 points and nine rebounds.

No. 1 TEXAS 100, No. 8 OREGON 58

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) β€” Madison Booker scored a career-high 40 points in a dazzling display of shot making and No. 1 Texas rolled past No. 8 Oregon in the second round of the women’s NCAA Tournament, sending the Longhorns back to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year.

The Longhorns’ three-time All-American was dominant from the opening tip as she created shots from all over the floor. She scored 19 in the first half, and her 3-point play early in the third quarter, when she muscled through and over three defenders for a layup, sparked a 19-4 run that turned the game into a rout.

Booker’s previous high was 31, set just a few weeks ago against Mississippi in the Southeastern Conference tournament.

Texas (33-3) ran its home win streak to 44. A No. 1 seed for the third year in a row, the Longhorns now head to Fort Worth in a bid to return to the Final Four for the second consecutive season. They will play the winner of Monday’s matchup between No. 4 West Virginia (28-6) and No. 5 Kentucky (24-10).

Katie Fiso scored 16 points to lead Oregon (23-13), which last made the Sweet 16 in 2021.

SACRAMENTO 2 REGIONAL

NO. 4 MINNESOTA 64, NO. 5 MISSISSIPPI 63

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) β€” Amaya Battle hit a tiebreaking jump shot with 0.7 seconds left, lifting Minnesota past Mississippi to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in 21 years.

Battle, who finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, took the inbound pass near the paint and dribbled out along the baseline for more space before swishing the winner and landing on her back.

The No. 4 seed Gophers (24-8) swarmed their senior point guard in a frenzied celebration, before regrouping for the final possession. Tianna Thompson’s 3-point try for the No. 5 seed Rebels (24-12) from the top of the key on the other end hit the front of the rim and fell short.

Mara Braun scored 17 points for the Gophers, including the tying 3-pointer with 1:17 remaining before helping force a shot-clock violation by the Rebels on the ensuing possession. Sophie Hart, who added 10 points, gave the Gophers their first lead since early in the third quarter with a determined drop-step to the basket for a short bank shot with 18 seconds left.

Latasha Lattimore answered Hart with the tying layup with 3 seconds remaining, before Battle sent the Gophers to Sacramento, California, to face the winner of the game on Monday between No. 1 seed UCLA and No. 8 seed Oklahoma State.

NO. 2 LSU 101, NO. 7 TEXAS TECH 47

BATON ROUGE, La (AP) β€” Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams each scored 24 points and LSU set an NCAA record for 100-point games in a season with a victory over Texas Tech.

Amiya Joyner added 11 points and 11 rebounds for LSU, which shot 56% against a Lady Raiders squad that hangs its hat on its pressing defense and had allowed just 52 points to Villanova in the first round.

Jada Richard’s 3 in the final minute pushed LSU (29-5) across the 100-point mark for the 16th time this season, a Division I record, eclipsing the mark Long Beach State had owned since the 1986-87 season.

The Tigers, who came in averaging a nation’s best 95.1 points per game, advanced to a fourth straight Sweet 16 under coach Kim Mulkey in style.

SACRAMENTO 4 REGIONAL

No. 4 OKLAHOMA 77, No. 5 MICHIGAN ST. 71

NORMAN, Okla. (AP) β€” Raegan Beers had 18 points and 14 rebounds to help No. 4 seed Oklahoma beat fifth-seeded Michigan State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Aaliyah Chavez added 18 points and six assists for the Sooners (27-7), who advanced to play in the Sweet 16 of March Madness for the second straight year. They’ll play the winner of Monday’s matchup between No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 9 seed Southern California. Oklahoma defeated South Carolina in overtime during the regular season.

Rashunda Jones scored 20 points, Kennedy Blair had 14 points and nine rebounds and Grace VanSlooten added 13 points and seven rebounds for Michigan State (23-9). The Spartans were trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.

Michigan State led 42-37 at halftime behind 47.1% shooting. The Spartans held Oklahoma to 38.9% shooting and forced the Sooners into 14 turnovers.

No. 3 TCU 62, No. 6 WASHINGTON 59, OT

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) β€” Olivia Miles had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds while adding some big assists late as third-seeded TCU finally overcame Washington for an overtime victory to send the Horned Frogs to the women’s NCAA Sweet 16 for the second year in a row.

Clara Silva had 16 points, with the go-ahead layup to start overtime after game-tying and tiebreaking baskets late in regulation on passes from Miles. Taylor Bigby scored 15 for TCU (31-5).

The Horned Frogs had never been to the Sweet 16 before last season, when they got to the Elite Eight. They are now headed to Sacramento, where the Big 12 regular-season champions will play Saturday night against second-seeded Iowa or 10th-seeded Virginia, who play their second-round game Monday night in Iowa City.

TCU won its 44th consecutive home game since February 2024, matching top seed Texas for the NCAA’s longest active streak.

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

Monday's Time Schedule

All Times EDT

Monday, March 23

MLB - Spring Training

Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia, at Clearwater, Fla., 12:05 p.m.

Atlanta vs. Pittsburgh, at Bradenton, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Baltimore vs. Washington, at Washington, DC, 1:05 p.m.

Minnesota vs. Boston, at Fort Myers, Fla., 1:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox vs. Athletics, at Mesa, Ariz., 2:05 p.m.

N.Y. Yankees vs. Chicago Cubs, at Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.

Seattle vs. San Diego, at Peoria, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.

Cincinnati vs. Milwaukee, at Milwaukee., 7:40 p.m.

Kansas City vs. Texas, at Arlington, Texas, 8:05 p.m.

Sugar Land vs. Houston, at Houston, Texas, 8:10 p.m.

Detroit vs. Colorado, at Scottsdale, Ariz., 9:10 p.m.

L.A. Angels vs. L.A Dodgers, at Los Angeles, 9:10 p.m.

Cleveland vs. Arizona, at Phoenix, 9:40 p.m.

Monterrey Sultanes vs. San Francisco, at San Francisco, 9:45 p.m.

NBA

Indiana at Orlando, 7 p.m.

L.A. Lakers at Detroit, 7 p.m.

Oklahoma City at Philadelphia, 7 p.m.

San Antonio at Miami, 7 p.m.

Memphis at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m.

Houston at Chicago, 8 p.m.

Toronto at Utah, 9 p.m.

Golden State at Dallas, 9:30 p.m.

Brooklyn at Portland, 10 p.m.

Milwaukee at L.A. Clippers, 10:30 p.m.

NHL

Ottawa at N.Y. Rangers, 7:30 p.m.

WOMEN’S COLLEGE BASKETBALL

NCAA Tournament - Second Round

At Louisville, Ky.

No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 6 Alabama, noon

At Iowa City, Iowa

No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 10 Virginia, 2 p.m.

At Columbus, Ohio

No. 3 Ohio St. vs. No. 6 Notre Dame, 4 p.m.

At Morgantown, W.Va.

No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 5 Kentucky, 5 p.m.

At Storrs, Conn.

No, 1 UConn vs. No. 9 Syracuse, 6 p.m.

At Nashville, Tenn.

No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 7 Illinois, 7 p.m.

At Columbia, S.C.

No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 9 Southern Cal, 8 p.m.

At Los Angeles

No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 9 Oklahoma, 10 p.m.

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Kansas Jayhawks and St. John's Red Storm meet in NCAA Tournament second round

St. John's Red Storm (29-6, 21-2 Big East) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (24-10, 13-7 Big 12)

San Diego; Sunday, 5:15 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Red Storm -3.5; over/under is 144.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 17 Kansas faces No. 10 St. John's in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Jayhawks' record in Big 12 play is 13-7, and their record is 11-3 against non-conference opponents. Kansas ranks second in the Big 12 in rebounding with 35.9 rebounds. Flory Bidunga leads the Jayhawks with 9.1 boards.

The Red Storm are 21-2 in Big East play. St. John's scores 81.5 points while outscoring opponents by 12.0 points per game.

Kansas makes 45.2% of its shots from the field this season, which is 3.2 percentage points higher than St. John's has allowed to its opponents (42.0%). St. John's averages 12.4 more points per game (81.5) than Kansas allows to opponents (69.1).

TOP PERFORMERS: Tre White is shooting 45.2% and averaging 13.8 points for the Jayhawks. Darryn Peterson is averaging 2.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Zuby Ejiofor is averaging 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.2 blocks for the Red Storm. Joson Sanon is averaging 1.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Jayhawks: 5-5, averaging 69.2 points, 35.4 rebounds, 11.8 assists, 5.5 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 39.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.4 points per game.

Red Storm: 9-1, averaging 74.4 points, 35.0 rebounds, 16.8 assists, 6.8 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 44.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.0 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Virginia Cavaliers and Tennessee Volunteers square off in NCAA Tournament second round

Tennessee Volunteers (23-11, 12-8 SEC) vs. Virginia Cavaliers (30-5, 17-4 ACC)

Philadelphia; Sunday, 6:10 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Volunteers -1.5; over/under is 137.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 9 Virginia faces No. 23 Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Cavaliers have gone 17-4 against ACC teams, with a 13-1 record in non-conference play. Virginia is 23-5 against opponents with a winning record.

The Volunteers' record in SEC games is 12-8. Tennessee averages 79.4 points while outscoring opponents by 10.4 points per game.

Virginia makes 46.4% of its shots from the field this season, which is 5.6 percentage points higher than Tennessee has allowed to its opponents (40.8%). Tennessee scores 10.9 more points per game (79.4) than Virginia allows to opponents (68.5).

TOP PERFORMERS: Thijs De Ridder is averaging 15.4 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Cavaliers. Malik Thomas is averaging 12.8 points over the last 10 games.

Ja'Kobi Gillespie averages 2.8 made 3-pointers per game for the Volunteers, scoring 18.3 points while shooting 34.1% from beyond the arc. Nate Ament is averaging 12.2 points and 5.6 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Cavaliers: 8-2, averaging 78.9 points, 33.2 rebounds, 15.8 assists, 6.0 steals and 8.0 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 71.4 points per game.

Volunteers: 6-4, averaging 74.7 points, 37.5 rebounds, 15.6 assists, 6.9 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.6 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Auburn plays Seattle U in NIT matchup

Seattle U Redhawks (21-13, 9-11 WCC) at Auburn Tigers (18-16, 8-12 SEC)

Auburn, Alabama; Sunday, 6:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Auburn and Seattle U meet in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Tigers' record in SEC games is 8-12, and their record is 10-4 against non-conference opponents. Auburn scores 82.6 points and has outscored opponents by 3.6 points per game.

The Redhawks' record in WCC action is 9-11. Seattle U has a 4-6 record in games decided by less than 4 points.

Auburn scores 82.6 points, 16.0 more per game than the 66.6 Seattle U allows. Seattle U's 43.8% shooting percentage from the field this season is 2.5 percentage points lower than Auburn has allowed to its opponents (46.3%).

TOP PERFORMERS: KeShawn Murphy is averaging 10.7 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Tigers. Kevin Overton is averaging 3.4 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Brayden Maldonado averages 2.3 made 3-pointers per game for the Redhawks, scoring 14.4 points while shooting 36.7% from beyond the arc. Will Heimbrodt is averaging 12.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.7 blocks over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Tigers: 4-6, averaging 78.4 points, 32.3 rebounds, 12.0 assists, 6.3 steals and 4.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 79.9 points per game.

Redhawks: 6-4, averaging 66.7 points, 29.0 rebounds, 12.4 assists, 7.4 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 41.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.4 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Tulsa plays UNLV in NIT matchup

UNLV Rebels (18-16, 12-10 MWC) at Tulsa Golden Hurricane (27-7, 14-6 AAC)

Tulsa, Oklahoma; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Tulsa takes on UNLV in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Golden Hurricane are 14-6 against AAC opponents and 13-1 in non-conference play. Tulsa scores 85.7 points and has outscored opponents by 12.4 points per game.

The Rebels are 12-10 in MWC play. UNLV ranks sixth in the MWC shooting 35.2% from 3-point range.

Tulsa averages 10.6 made 3-pointers per game, 3.3 more made shots than the 7.3 per game UNLV gives up. UNLV averages 6.0 more points per game (79.3) than Tulsa allows to opponents (73.3).

TOP PERFORMERS: Miles Barnstable is shooting 41.0% from beyond the arc with 2.7 made 3-pointers per game for the Golden Hurricane, while averaging 14.5 points. Tylen Riley is averaging 16.2 points, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals over the past 10 games.

Dra Gibbs-Lawhorn is averaging 20.4 points and 1.5 steals for the Rebels. Kimani Hamilton is averaging 14.7 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Golden Hurricane: 7-3, averaging 82.7 points, 34.9 rebounds, 15.8 assists, 6.8 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.4 points per game.

Rebels: 6-4, averaging 80.1 points, 31.5 rebounds, 14.5 assists, 6.4 steals and 5.7 blocks per game while shooting 49.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 77.9 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas Tech Red Raiders square off in NCAA Tournament second round

Texas Tech Red Raiders (23-10, 12-7 Big 12) vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (24-9, 13-6 SEC)

Tampa, Florida; Sunday, 9:45 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Red Raiders -1.5; over/under is 164.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 18 Alabama faces No. 20 Texas Tech in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Crimson Tide are 13-6 against SEC opponents and 11-3 in non-conference play. Alabama ranks sixth in the SEC with 10.3 offensive rebounds per game led by Aiden Sherrell averaging 2.5.

The Red Raiders are 12-7 against Big 12 teams. Texas Tech ranks seventh in the Big 12 with 33.6 rebounds per game led by JT Toppin averaging 10.8.

Alabama averages 12.6 made 3-pointers per game, 6.0 more made shots than the 6.6 per game Texas Tech allows. Texas Tech averages 11.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 3.3 more made shots on average than the 8.2 per game Alabama gives up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Labaron Philon is averaging 22 points and 4.8 assists for the Crimson Tide. Aden Holloway is averaging 14.6 points over the last 10 games.

Toppin is shooting 54.7% and averaging 21.8 points for the Red Raiders. Donovan Atwell is averaging 4.7 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Crimson Tide: 8-2, averaging 91.3 points, 35.7 rebounds, 15.5 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 82.3 points per game.

Red Raiders: 6-4, averaging 77.0 points, 32.5 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 4.8 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 70.5 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

UConn Huskies square off against the UCLA Bruins in second round

UCLA Bruins (24-11, 15-8 Big Ten) vs. UConn Huskies (30-5, 19-4 Big East)

Philadelphia; Sunday, 8:45 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Huskies -4.5; over/under is 136.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 7 UConn faces UCLA in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskies have gone 19-4 against Big East opponents, with an 11-1 record in non-conference play. UConn averages 77.6 points and has outscored opponents by 12.3 points per game.

The Bruins are 15-8 in Big Ten play. UCLA ranks second in the Big Ten shooting 37.9% from 3-point range.

UConn scores 77.6 points, 6.6 more per game than the 71.0 UCLA gives up. UCLA scores 12.4 more points per game (77.7) than UConn gives up (65.3).

TOP PERFORMERS: Tarris Reed Jr. is scoring 14.3 points per game and averaging 8.7 rebounds for the Huskies. Solomon Ball is averaging 2.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Eric Dailey Jr. is averaging 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds for the Bruins. Tyler Bilodeau is averaging 13.5 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Huskies: 7-3, averaging 73.5 points, 33.8 rebounds, 18.5 assists, 6.0 steals and 4.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 66.6 points per game.

Bruins: 7-3, averaging 77.0 points, 29.2 rebounds, 18.0 assists, 7.4 steals and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.3 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

West Virginia Mountaineers take on the Kentucky Wildcats in second round

Kentucky Wildcats (24-10, 10-9 SEC) at West Virginia Mountaineers (28-6, 17-4 Big 12)

Morgantown, West Virginia; Monday, 5 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Mountaineers -3.5; over/under is 127.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 11 West Virginia and No. 16 Kentucky meet in the NCAA Tournament second round.

The Mountaineers' record in Big 12 games is 17-4, and their record is 11-2 against non-conference opponents. West Virginia averages 14.6 turnovers per game and is 22-4 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents.

The Wildcats' record in SEC games is 10-9. Kentucky ranks eighth in the SEC shooting 33.1% from 3-point range.

West Virginia averages 6.7 made 3-pointers per game, 1.5 more made shots than the 5.2 per game Kentucky allows. Kentucky scores 17.5 more points per game (75.5) than West Virginia allows (58.0).

TOP PERFORMERS: Gia Cooke is averaging 14.8 points for the Mountaineers. Sydney Shaw is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Clara Strack is shooting 48.1% and averaging 16.9 points for the Wildcats. Amelia Hassett is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Mountaineers: 9-1, averaging 76.6 points, 33.3 rebounds, 16.3 assists, 9.8 steals and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 47.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 55.3 points per game.

Wildcats: 6-4, averaging 70.5 points, 34.0 rebounds, 15.9 assists, 4.5 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 64.1 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Marshall meets UMBC in NIT

UMBC Retrievers (17-14, 11-7 America East) at Marshall Thundering Herd (23-9, 13-6 Sun Belt)

Huntington, West Virginia; Monday, 6 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Marshall squares off against UMBC in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Thundering Herd's record in Sun Belt games is 13-6, and their record is 10-3 in non-conference games. Marshall is sixth in the Sun Belt scoring 72.6 points while shooting 42.4% from the field.

The Retrievers' record in America East games is 11-7. UMBC leads the America East with 12.0 offensive rebounds per game led by Alaina Williams averaging 2.2.

Marshall scores 72.6 points, 14.4 more per game than the 58.2 UMBC allows. UMBC has shot at a 37.5% clip from the field this season, 1.9 percentage points less than the 39.4% shooting opponents of Marshall have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Timaya Lewis-Eutsey is averaging 19.3 points, 3.9 assists and 3.8 steals for the Thundering Herd. Peyton Ilderton is averaging 10.5 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 35.1% over the last 10 games.

Jade Tillman is averaging 15.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and two steals for the Retrievers. Carmen Yanez is averaging 1.6 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Thundering Herd: 6-4, averaging 73.4 points, 32.2 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 11.6 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 42.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.2 points per game.

Retrievers: 6-4, averaging 60.8 points, 33.3 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 9.4 steals and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 37.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 57.9 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Ohio State Buckeyes play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in second round

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (23-10, 14-7 ACC) at Ohio State Buckeyes (27-7, 15-6 Big Ten)

Columbus, Ohio; Monday, 4 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Buckeyes -6.5; over/under is 148.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 12 Ohio State squares off against No. 22 Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Buckeyes are 15-6 against Big Ten opponents and 12-1 in non-conference play. Ohio State is 2-2 in games decided by 3 points or fewer.

The Fighting Irish's record in ACC games is 14-7. Notre Dame is second in the ACC scoring 77.9 points per game and is shooting 46.6%.

Ohio State makes 45.6% of its shots from the field this season, which is 3.2 percentage points higher than Notre Dame has allowed to its opponents (42.4%). Notre Dame has shot at a 46.6% rate from the field this season, 6.5 percentage points above the 40.1% shooting opponents of Ohio State have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jaloni Cambridge is shooting 49.3% and averaging 22.7 points for the Buckeyes. Chance Gray is averaging 17.1 points over the last 10 games.

Hannah Hidalgo is scoring 25.2 points per game with 6.5 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the Fighting Irish. Iyana Moore is averaging 14.1 points and 4.4 rebounds while shooting 41.1% over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Buckeyes: 6-4, averaging 75.7 points, 30.6 rebounds, 17.7 assists, 8.9 steals and 3.7 blocks per game while shooting 43.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 69.3 points per game.

Fighting Irish: 8-2, averaging 74.4 points, 30.7 rebounds, 13.9 assists, 11.9 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 45.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.1 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

UCLA Bruins square off against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls in second round

Oklahoma State Cowgirls (24-9, 12-7 Big 12) at UCLA Bruins (32-1, 21-0 Big Ten)

Los Angeles; Monday, 10 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: No. 2 UCLA and Oklahoma State square off in the NCAA Tournament second round.

The Bruins' record in Big Ten games is 21-0, and their record is 11-1 in non-conference games. UCLA averages 85.5 points and has outscored opponents by 28.9 points per game.

The Cowgirls are 12-7 against Big 12 teams. Oklahoma State is second in the Big 12 scoring 81.5 points per game and is shooting 46.7%.

UCLA averages 7.5 made 3-pointers per game, 1.7 more made shots than the 5.8 per game Oklahoma State gives up. Oklahoma State scores 24.9 more points per game (81.5) than UCLA allows (56.6).

TOP PERFORMERS: Gianna Kneepkens averages 2.3 made 3-pointers per game for the Bruins, scoring 13.2 points while shooting 43.5% from beyond the arc. Lauren Betts is averaging 16.5 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks over the last 10 games.

Micah Gray is scoring 13.9 points per game with 2.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Cowgirls. Achol Akot is averaging 14.7 points and 6.2 rebounds over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bruins: 10-0, averaging 82.4 points, 40.4 rebounds, 21.2 assists, 7.9 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 49.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 56.4 points per game.

Cowgirls: 6-4, averaging 71.2 points, 31.1 rebounds, 14.8 assists, 9.3 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 44.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 66.9 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

UConn Huskies face the Syracuse Orange in second round

Syracuse Orange (24-8, 13-7 ACC) at UConn Huskies (35-0, 23-0 Big East)

Storrs, Connecticut; Monday, 6 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Huskies -38.5; over/under is 139.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 1 UConn faces Syracuse in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

The Huskies are 23-0 against Big East opponents and 12-0 in non-conference play. UConn is 30-0 against opponents with a winning record.

The Orange are 13-7 against ACC teams. Syracuse is eighth in the ACC allowing 63.4 points while holding opponents to 40.2% shooting.

UConn averages 9.4 made 3-pointers per game, 4.6 more made shots than the 4.8 per game Syracuse allows. Syracuse has shot at a 42.4% clip from the field this season, 8.9 percentage points greater than the 33.5% shooting opponents of UConn have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Azzi Fudd averages 3.0 made 3-pointers per game for the Huskies, scoring 17.4 points while shooting 44.1% from beyond the arc. Sarah Strong is shooting 59.5% and averaging 16.6 points over the past 10 games.

Dominique Onu is averaging 12.6 points, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals for the Orange. Izoje Uche is averaging 19.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Huskies: 10-0, averaging 86.2 points, 34.5 rebounds, 21.4 assists, 15.8 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 50.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 50.1 points per game.

Orange: 6-4, averaging 73.4 points, 36.1 rebounds, 13.6 assists, 8.3 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 42.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.6 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Southern Indiana squares off against George Washington in NIT

George Washington Revolutionaries (16-17, 7-12 A-10) at Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles (21-10, 15-7 OVC)

Evansville, Indiana; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Southern Indiana and George Washington play in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Screaming Eagles' record in OVC games is 15-7, and their record is 6-3 against non-conference opponents. Southern Indiana has an 8-9 record against opponents over .500.

The Revolutionaries' record in A-10 action is 7-12. George Washington is 3-3 in games decided by less than 4 points.

Southern Indiana averages 5.8 made 3-pointers per game, 1.0 more made shot than the 4.8 per game George Washington allows. George Washington averages 60.9 points per game, 2.3 more than the 58.6 Southern Indiana gives up to opponents.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ali Saunders averages 2.6 made 3-pointers per game for the Screaming Eagles, scoring 18.0 points while shooting 40.1% from beyond the arc. Chloe Gannon is shooting 48.1% and averaging 14.6 points over the past 10 games.

Gabby Reynolds is averaging 14.1 points for the Revolutionaries. Sara Lewis is averaging 10.4 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Screaming Eagles: 6-4, averaging 69.3 points, 35.9 rebounds, 15.8 assists, 9.1 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 41.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 62.7 points per game.

Revolutionaries: 4-6, averaging 57.4 points, 29.9 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 5.3 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 39.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 62.1 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Arkansas State and Radford meet in NIT

Radford Highlanders (23-12, 14-5 Big South) at Arkansas State Red Wolves (24-9, 15-5 Sun Belt)

Jonesboro, Arkansas; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Arkansas State plays Radford in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Red Wolves' record in Sun Belt games is 15-5, and their record is 9-4 in non-conference play. Arkansas State ranks eighth in the Sun Belt in rebounding with 34.1 rebounds. Wynter Rogers paces the Red Wolves with 6.1 boards.

The Highlanders' record in Big South action is 14-5. Radford is second in the Big South with 24.7 defensive rebounds per game led by Georgia Simonsen averaging 4.3.

Arkansas State averages 10.3 made 3-pointers per game, 4.4 more made shots than the 5.9 per game Radford allows. Radford has shot at a 39.4% rate from the field this season, 1.9 percentage points less than the 41.3% shooting opponents of Arkansas State have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mia Tarver is shooting 34.3% from beyond the arc with 2.4 made 3-pointers per game for the Red Wolves, while averaging nine points and 1.7 steals. Zyion Shannon is averaging 11.4 points and 2.4 steals over the last 10 games.

Joi Williams is averaging 15.1 points and two steals for the Highlanders. Simonsen is averaging 15.2 points and 7.4 rebounds over the past 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Red Wolves: 5-5, averaging 72.2 points, 33.2 rebounds, 14.3 assists, 13.0 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 35.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 66.9 points per game.

Highlanders: 8-2, averaging 76.0 points, 33.7 rebounds, 14.4 assists, 8.7 steals and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 60.4 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

La Salle and Binghamton play in NIT

Binghamton Bearcats (20-12, 11-7 America East) at La Salle Explorers (18-13, 11-9 A-10)

Philadelphia; Monday, 6 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: La Salle and Binghamton meet in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Explorers are 11-9 against A-10 opponents and 7-4 in non-conference play. La Salle is ninth in the A-10 in team defense, giving up 63.7 points while holding opponents to 39.6% shooting.

The Bearcats are 11-7 against America East teams. Binghamton is sixth in the America East with 11.0 assists per game led by Meghan Casey averaging 2.5.

La Salle's average of 5.0 made 3-pointers per game is 1.0 fewer made shot on average than the 6.0 per game Binghamton allows. Binghamton averages 5.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.4 fewer makes per game than La Salle gives up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Ashleigh Connor is scoring 15.7 points per game with 5.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists for the Explorers. Aryss Macktoon is averaging 15 points, 9.3 rebounds and two steals over the past 10 games.

Kendall Bennett is averaging 14.1 points and 10 rebounds for the Bearcats. Bella Pucci is averaging 3.0 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Explorers: 7-3, averaging 64.6 points, 32.2 rebounds, 14.1 assists, 8.2 steals and 3.0 blocks per game while shooting 40.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 61.7 points per game.

Bearcats: 4-6, averaging 59.1 points, 27.2 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 6.9 steals and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 43.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 59.2 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

South Carolina Gamecocks take on the USC Trojans in second round

USC Trojans (18-13, 9-10 Big Ten) at South Carolina Gamecocks (32-3, 17-3 SEC)

Columbia, South Carolina; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: No. 4 South Carolina and USC meet in the NCAA Tournament second round.

The Gamecocks' record in SEC games is 17-3, and their record is 15-0 in non-conference games. South Carolina is 27-2 in games decided by 10 or more points.

The Trojans are 9-10 in Big Ten play. USC is fifth in the Big Ten allowing 63.0 points while holding opponents to 39.5% shooting.

South Carolina averages 6.1 made 3-pointers per game, 1.1 more made shots than the 5.0 per game USC allows. USC averages 7.4 made 3-pointers per game this season, 1.4 more made shots on average than the 6.0 per game South Carolina gives up.

The teams meet for the second time this season. The Gamecocks won 69-52 in the last matchup on Nov. 16. Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks with 17 points, and Kennedy Smith led the Trojans with 12 points.

TOP PERFORMERS: Edwards is scoring 19.8 points per game and averaging 6.3 rebounds for the Gamecocks. Madina Okot is averaging 13.9 points and 12.7 rebounds over the last 10 games.

Jazzy Davidson is averaging 18 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, two steals and two blocks for the Trojans. Kara Dunn is averaging 14.8 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Gamecocks: 9-1, averaging 83.9 points, 36.7 rebounds, 17.6 assists, 8.4 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 50.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 60.7 points per game.

Trojans: 6-4, averaging 71.9 points, 32.3 rebounds, 15.5 assists, 8.0 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 41.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 68.7 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Vanderbilt and Illinois square off in second round of NCAA Tournament

Illinois Fighting Illini (22-11, 11-10 Big Ten) at Vanderbilt Commodores (28-4, 13-4 SEC)

Nashville, Tennessee; Monday, 7 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Commodores -13.5; over/under is 153.5

BOTTOM LINE: No. 6 Vanderbilt and Illinois play in the NCAA Tournament second round.

The Commodores have gone 13-4 against SEC opponents, with a 15-0 record in non-conference play. Vanderbilt averages 85.2 points while outscoring opponents by 19.8 points per game.

The Fighting Illini are 11-10 in Big Ten play. Illinois ranks fourth in the Big Ten shooting 35.9% from 3-point range.

Vanderbilt scores 85.2 points, 19.4 more per game than the 65.8 Illinois gives up. Illinois has shot at a 45.7% rate from the field this season, 3.5 percentage points above the 42.2% shooting opponents of Vanderbilt have averaged.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mikayla Blakes is averaging 27 points, 4.5 assists and 2.8 steals for the Commodores. Aubrey Galvan is averaging 16.4 points over the last 10 games.

Berry Wallace is shooting 47.7% and averaging 18.4 points for the Fighting Illini. Cearah Parchment is averaging 15.2 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Commodores: 8-2, averaging 86.1 points, 31.7 rebounds, 17.2 assists, 9.3 steals and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 45.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.7 points per game.

Fighting Illini: 6-4, averaging 75.0 points, 29.5 rebounds, 15.1 assists, 7.1 steals and 1.4 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.1 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Middle Tennessee squares off against Saint Bonaventure in NIT matchup

Saint Bonaventure Bonnies (17-15, 7-12 A-10) at Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (16-15, 11-8 CUSA)

Murfreesboro, Tennessee; Monday, 7:30 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Middle Tennessee and Saint Bonaventure square off in the National Invitation Tournament.

The Blue Raiders' record in CUSA games is 11-8, and their record is 5-7 in non-conference play. Middle Tennessee is fifth in the CUSA at limiting opponent scoring, allowing 60.5 points while holding opponents to 39.8% shooting.

The Bonnies are 7-12 against A-10 teams. Saint Bonaventure is fifth in the A-10 with 22.9 defensive rebounds per game led by Laycee Drake averaging 5.4.

Middle Tennessee averages 61.9 points per game, 0.4 more points than the 61.5 Saint Bonaventure allows. Saint Bonaventure averages 62.3 points per game, 1.8 more than the 60.5 Middle Tennessee gives up to opponents.

TOP PERFORMERS: Alayna Contreras is shooting 37.4% from beyond the arc with 2.0 made 3-pointers per game for the Blue Raiders, while averaging 14.5 points and 1.5 steals. Blair Baugus is shooting 44.0% and averaging 14.3 points over the last 10 games.

Drake averages 1.2 made 3-pointers per game for the Bonnies, scoring 15.5 points while shooting 33.0% from beyond the arc. Aaliyah Parker is averaging 11.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 steals over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Blue Raiders: 4-6, averaging 63.9 points, 28.7 rebounds, 10.1 assists, 8.4 steals and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 38.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.3 points per game.

Bonnies: 5-5, averaging 60.6 points, 28.3 rebounds, 11.9 assists, 7.3 steals and 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 39.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 62.5 points.

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Blue Jackets play the Islanders on 4-game win streak

Columbus Blue Jackets (37-21-11, in the Metropolitan Division) vs. New York Islanders (39-26-5, in the Metropolitan Division)

Elmont, New York; Sunday, 7 p.m. EDT

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Blue Jackets -115, Islanders -104; over/under is 6.5

BOTTOM LINE: The Columbus Blue Jackets visit the New York Islanders seeking to continue a four-game win streak.

New York is 13-6-2 against the Metropolitan Division and 39-26-5 overall. The Islanders have gone 14-5-2 in games they score one or more power-play goals.

Columbus is 10-7-4 against the Metropolitan Division and 37-21-11 overall. The Blue Jackets have gone 34-4-8 when scoring at least three goals.

The teams square off Sunday for the fourth time this season. The Islanders won 4-3 in overtime in the previous matchup.

TOP PERFORMERS: Emil Heineman has scored 20 goals with eight assists for the Islanders. Matthew Schaefer has four goals and six assists over the past 10 games.

Charlie Coyle has 17 goals and 38 assists for the Blue Jackets. Adam Fantilli has five goals and six assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Islanders: 5-5-0, averaging 2.8 goals, 4.5 assists, 3.5 penalties and 9.5 penalty minutes while giving up 3.3 goals per game.

Blue Jackets: 7-0-3, averaging 3.8 goals, 6.5 assists, 3.8 penalties and 10.7 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game.

INJURIES: Islanders: Alexander Romanov: out (shoulder), Pierre Engvall: out for season (ankle), Semyon Varlamov: out for season (knee), Kyle Palmieri: out (knee), Max Shabanov: day to day (lower-body).

Blue Jackets: Brendan Smith: out (knee).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Chicago hosts Houston in cross-conference game

Houston Rockets (43-27, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Chicago Bulls (28-42, 12th in the Eastern Conference)

Chicago; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT

BOTTOM LINE: Houston plays Chicago for a non-conference matchup.

The Bulls are 17-20 in home games. Chicago is 12-8 when it turns the ball over less than its opponents and averages 14.5 turnovers per game.

The Rockets are 18-17 on the road. Houston scores 114.0 points while outscoring opponents by 4.1 points per game.

The Bulls average 14.6 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.2 more made shots on average than the 12.4 per game the Rockets allow. The Bulls average 114.0 points per game, 6.2 fewer points than the 120.2 the Bulls allow to opponents.

The teams square off for the second time this season. In the last matchup on Jan. 14 the Rockets won 119-113 led by 28 points from Kevin Durant, while Tre Jones scored 34 points for the Bulls.

TOP PERFORMERS: Matas Buzelis is averaging 16.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks for the Bulls. Josh Giddey is averaging 2.8 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Amen Thompson is shooting 52.3% and averaging 18.0 points for the Rockets. Reed Sheppard is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Bulls: 4-6, averaging 116.2 points, 48.1 rebounds, 28.3 assists, 7.8 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 118.8 points per game.

Rockets: 5-5, averaging 110.0 points, 45.5 rebounds, 25.8 assists, 8.3 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 48.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 113.3 points.

INJURIES: Bulls: Anfernee Simons: out (wrist), Jalen Smith: out (calf), Isaac Okoro: day to day (knee), Noa Essengue: out for season (shoulder), Jaden Ivey: out (knee), Zach Collins: out for season (toe).

Rockets: Fred VanVleet: out for season (acl), Steven Adams: out for season (ankle).

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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

Stamkos moves to 7th in NHL power-play goals as Predators beat Golden Knights 4-1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) β€” Steven Stamkos had two goals and an assist to lead the Nashville Predators to a 4-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday.

Stamkos opened the scoring 40 seconds in and added a power-play goal in the first two minutes of the second period as Nashville raced to an early three-goal lead. Tyson Jost and Ryan O’Reilly also scored for the Predators, who won their third straight and for the fourth time in six games. Justus Annunen made 39 saves and improved to 8-9-2.

With his second goal of the game, the 36-year-old Stamkos broke a tie with Brendan Shanahan and moved into sole possession of seventh place in the NHL with 238 career power-play goals. Phil Esposito is sixth overall with 246 man-advantage goals. Stamkos has 33 goals and 55 points this season.

Shea Theodore scored for Vegas, which lost its third in a row and for the sixth time in eight games. Akira Schmid stopped 16 shots.

Vegas carried the play throughout, outshooting Nashville 40-20. But, the Predators made the most of their shots with leads of 3-0 and 4-1 in the second period. The Golden Knights had a 20-4 edge in shots in the first period and a 10-5 advantage in the scoreless third.

Stamkos scored in the opening minute after Ryan O’Reilly won a faceoff and delivered a perfect feed in the slot.

Stamkos scored his 33 of the season on the power play at 1:24 of the second, with assists going to Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula. Tyson Jost made it 3-0 with the Predators’ third short-handed goal of the season at 11:56. O’Reilly has the team’s other short-handed scores this season.

PENGUINS 5, JETS 4, SO

PITTSBURGH (AP) β€” Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell scored in a shootout and Pittsburgh beat Winnipeg.

Pittsburgh, which is jockeying for playoff positioning, earned an extra point in the shootout for the second time this season. The Penguins have points in seven of their last eight games and 21 of their last 25.

Arturs Silovs, who made 21 saves, stopped Jonathan Toews and Gustav Nyquist in the shootout.

Erik Karlsson scored two goals and has five in his last three games. Karlsson, who has four straight multi-point games, now has seven goals and 19 points in his last 12 games.

Egor Chinakhov earned his 100th NHL point with a goal and Rakell scored to continue a career-best eight-game point streak.

Parker Wotherspoon had two assists, while Bryan Rust, playing in his 700th NHL game, continued a six-game point streak with an assist.

Cole Koepke scored a short-handed goal, while Morgan Barron also scored for the Jets.

Brad Lambert had a goal and an assist, while Neal Pionk scored in his return after missing the last 23 games because of injury.

WILD 2, STARS 1, OT

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) β€” Vladimir Tarasenko scored 3:06 into overtime and Minnesota beat Dallas in what could be a first-round playoff preview.

Bobby Brink also scored and Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves for the Wild, improving to 9-2-0 in his past 11 starts.

It is Minnesota’s second win in six games, a stretch that included three straight home losses. The Wild are in third place in the Central Division β€” five points behind Dallas and 14 up on Utah.

Jason Robertson scored and Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots for Dallas. The Stars moved within three points of Colorado, which clinched a playoff spot on Friday. Dallas is 1-1-1 in their last three games after a 14-0-1 run. Dallas beat the Avalanche 2-1 Wednesday in a shootout.

In overtime, a bounce off the half wall went to Brink, who quickly sent a pass across to Tarasenko alone in the right circle. His wrist shot found the far top corner and the Wild won its 15th game that has gone to extra time. Minnesota has played an NHL-high 28 overtime games.

SABRES 4, KINGS 1

LOS ANGELES (AP) β€” Zach Benson had a goal and an assist and Buffalo continued their white-hot play with a win over Los Angeles.

Tage Thompson, Sam Carrick and Rasmus Dahlin also scored for the Sabres.

Carrick and Dahlin scored 59 seconds apart midway through the third period, and Benson added an empty-netter to give the Sabres their fourth straight win and 12th in the past 13 outings. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 26 saves.

Buoyed by significant and vocal support despite being the visitors, the Sabres continued their push for an Atlantic Division title as they are on their way to ending a 14-year playoff drought, the longest in the NHL.

Artemi Panarin scored, picking up a point for the fifth straight game. Anze Kopitar tied Marcel Dionne for the Kings franchise record for points on home ice, and Anton Forsberg made 28 saves.

Los Angeles came into the day as the second wild card in the Western Conference but dropped behind the Nashville Predators, who won 4-1 over the Vegas Golden Knights.

FLYERS 4, SHARKS 1

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) β€” Christian Dvorak scored a tiebreaking goal early in the third period and added an assist, Dan Vladar made 24 saves and Philadelphia beat San Jose to complete a three-game West Coast sweep.

Owen Tippett scored in the second period and defenseman Travis Sanheim and Noah Cates added empty-net goals in the final two minutes as the Flyers won their third straight and for the fifth time in six games. Philly was coming off a 3-2 overtime win over Anaheim on Wednesday and 4-3 shootout victory over Los Angeles on Thursday. The Flyers completed a California sweep for the second time in franchise history and extended their road winning streak to seven games.

Dmitry Orlov scored for San Jose, which lost its fourth in a row and for the seventh time in nine games. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 24 of 26 shots.

After a scoreless first period, Tippett got the Flyers on the board with his 24th of the season 2:26 into the second. Tippett took a pass from Trevor Zegras, got past the Sharks’ Nick Leddy and beat Nedeljkovic with a shot to the glove side.

Orlov evened the score with his third of the season on a power play at 13:12 with a shot from the slot off a feed from William Eklund. Macklin Celebrini also assisted.

Dvorak put the Flyers ahead 1:47 into the third, scoring on the power play after San Jose’s Mario Ferraro was sent off for roughing. The assists went to Travis Konecny and Matvei Michkov, who picked up the 100th point of his NHL career.

BLUE JACKETS 5, KRAKEN 2

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) β€” Columbus scored three times in the first period and beat Seattle, extending the Blue Jackets’ point streak to 12 games.

Danton Heinen, Damon Severson and Mathieu Olivier scored in the opening frame, and Zach Werenski assisted on all three. Cole Sillinger had a goal and two assists, Kent Johnson added a goal, and Elvis Merzlikins made 15 saves as Columbus won its fourth straight.

Kaapo Kakko had a goal and an assist, and Vince Dunn also scored for Seattle, which has lost three straight and fell two points behind Nashville for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Joey Daccord stopped 23 shots.

CANADIENS 7, ISLANDERS 3

MONTREAL (AP) β€” Cole Caufield scored three goals to push his season total to 43 and added two assists to help Montreal beat New York.

Caufield is second in the NHL in goals, two behind Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon.

The Canadiens are third in the Atlantic Division, while the Islanders are a point behind Detroit for the second wild card in the tight Eastern Conference.

Juraj Slafkovsky had two goals and two assists, and Nick Suzuki had four assists to bring his season total to 61. Kaiden Guhle added a goal and two assists, Alex Newhook also scored and Jacob Fowler made 19 saves.

Emil Heineman, Simon Holmstrom and Matthew Schaefer scored for New York.

SENATORS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 2

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) β€” Ottawa had a dominant game against their provincial rivals beating Toronto.

Anthony Stolarz was expected to get the start but took a puck to the throat during warm-ups and was sent to hospital for precautionary imaging putting Joseph Woll back in action. Woll had faced 36 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to Carolina on Friday night.

Tim Stutzle, Claude Giroux, Warren Foegele, Michael Amadio and Ridly Greig scored for Ottawa. Tyler Kleven and Jordan Spence added two assists each, and Woll stopped 38 shots.

John Tavares and Easton Cowan scored for the Maple Leafs, who were without captain Auston Matthews who had knee surgery on Thursday. Linus Ullmark made 12 saves.

BLUES 3, CANUCKS 1

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) β€” Pius Suter and Pavel Buchnevich scored in a 1:19 span in the second period and St. Louis beat NHL-worst Vancouver to end a two-game losing streak.

St. Louis is six points behind Nashville for the final wild-card playoff berth in the Western Conference. The Blues have are 7-1-2 in their last 10.

Jordan Kyrou scored into an empty net on a power play with 48 seconds left to seal it. Jordan Binnington stopped 14 shots for St. Louis, allowing only defenseman Filip Hronek’s third-period goal on a power play.

Kevin Lankinen made 18 saves for the Canucks.

BRUINS 4, RED WINGS 2

DETROIT (AP) β€” Defenseman Nikita Zadorov broke a tie at 9:42 of the third period and Boston beat Detroit in an Eastern Conference wild-card showdown.

Jeremy Swayman made 41 saves to help Boston move two points ahead of Detroit for the first wild-card spot. David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm and Marat Khusnutdinov also scored for the Bruins.

Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat scored for Detroit. John Gibson stopped 23 shots.

Zadorov put the Bruins ahead with a long wrist shot that seemed to surprise Gibson as it sailed past his blocker. The defenseman has two goals this season.

Favorites keep winning, but number of perfect March Madness brackets keeps getting smaller

The pursuit of the perfect NCAA Tournament bracket continues, but for far fewer people than when Saturday's second-round games tipped off.

By Saturday evening, after wins by top seeds Duke and Michigan and third-seeded Michigan State, the number of unblemished entries had dropped to 105 in ESPN's bracket challenge and 133 in the NCAA's contest. There were more than 25 million entries in each.

Favorites went 16-0 on Friday, and they started 3-0 on Saturday. Duke, picked to win the national championship by 23% of ESPN contestants, dominated No. 9 seed TCU in the second half and won 81-58. Michigan, the third-most popular choice to win the title, dispatched No. 9 seed Saint Louis 95-72. Michigan State beat sixth-seeded Louisville 77-69.

There was also a sharp drop-off in perfect brackets in the women's tournament Saturday. The day started with 675,000 in the ESPN contest. After 10 games, there were 2,800 left. Two lower seeds won, with No. 10 seed Virginia knocking out No. 7 seed Georgia 82-73 and No. 9 seed Southern California beating No. 8 seed Clemson 71-67. Many more brackets would have been in a shambles had 15th-seeded Fairleigh Dickinson, which was in a one-possession game with No. 2 seed Iowa midway through the fourth quarter, been able to pull an upset. Iowa won 58-48.

The odds of going 63-0 in a bracket contest are somewhere between one in 9.2 quintillion (for totally random guesses) or one in 120 billion (semi-educated ones).

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

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