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Luka Dončić game-winner lifts Lakers over Nuggets in overtime

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 14: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket during the game against the Denver Nuggets on March 14, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images

The Lakers beat the Nuggets 127-125 in an overtime thriller. LA now owns the tiebreaker over Denver.

Clutch plays by LeBron and Reaves sent the game into OT. While both teams played the extra five minutes with tired legs, Deandre Ayton’s four points helped Los Angeles heavily in the period. Luka put the icing on the cake with a clutch game-winning fadeaway jumper.

The game began with Jamal Murray draining a 3-pointer, but soon after, the Lakers started heating up with Marcus Smart draining one himself. Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves converted on two triples each, leading to an early seven-point lead for LA.

Denver called a timeout, and out of the break, Nikola Jokić turned the ball over, leading to Reaves scoring in the paint on the other end.

Los Angeles lead started to fade as the Nuggets scored five in a row, but LA’s hot shooting continued as they went on an 8-0 run. Rui Hachimura had a nice start with four points off the bench. 

Reaves and Luka combined for 20 of the 29 points the Lakers had on the board with 2:18 left in the quarter. Tim Hardaway Jr. drained a three and Smart responded with his second of the quarter. 

At the end of the first, the purple and gold were up by eight. 

Smart opened the second period with another 3-pointer for Los Angeles. LeBron James then exploded for five points, further expanding a big lead for LA. After a wide-open bank shot in the paint for Reaves, Denver called a timeout. 

Out of the break, Bruce Brown scored on a layup.

The Lakers were shooting an impressive 47% from behind the arc and a total of 58% from the field. LeBron was up to seven points in the quarter. A quick 5-0 run from Denver made it a 14-point game with 4:53 left. 

Luka turned the ball over leading to Christian Braun scoring on a dunk, pushing their run to seven in a row. Smart responded with a floater in the paint to stop the run. The Lakers then went on their own 7-0 run to keep a big lead. 

At halftime, LA was up by 11.

The third period began just as the second did, with Smart draining a three for the Lakers. Aaron Gordon responded on the other end with a midrange jumper. Gordon scored again on a jumper, giving him an early four points in the quarter. After they had gotten the deficit down to 10, LA took charge and extended their lead to 14.

Deandre Ayton finally looked more engaged, scoring four points.

Hardaway Jr. was up to 12 points off the bench. Cam Johnson knocked down his fourth 3-pointer of the night. Denver cut the deficit to nine. The Nuggets were shooting 61% in the third, while Los Angeles was shooting 47%. 

The Lakers suddenly found themselves up by just three, after six in a row from Jokić. 

LA had their response with Reaves and Luka combining for four, but Denver countered with six more to make it a three-point game again. Los Angeles had 1:31 left to build more cushion on their small lead. 

A surge of five points from Bruce Brown tied the game at the end of the third. 

Hardaway Jr. put the Nuggets in the lead to start the final frame with a triple. Reaves responded with a runner down the paint. Hardaway Jr. scored again, pushing his total to 17 for the game. The Lakers went back up by two after scoring five in a row. 

Both teams kept taking turns with tying and taking the lead. 

Gordon, who also had 17, drained a 3-pointer to put the Nuggets back in the lead with 7:27 left in the game. Denver pushed their lead to eight, but Los Angeles cut it to four on the shoulders of Reaves and free throws from Jaxson Hayes. 

Another three from Gordon pushed the lead back to seven with 3:28 left. Hayes was sent to the line once more, converting on one of two free throws. Luka drained a much-needed 3-pointer to make it a three-point deficit. 

Luka was then fouled from behind the arc, converting on all three free throws to tie it at the 1:57 mark. Gordon then knocked down another three to put the Nuggets up by three. Reaves scored on a layup to make it a one-point game with 1:11 left.

Smart then put his incredible defensive presence on full display, stealing the ball and going straight to the basket for the layup. The Lakers were now in the lead by one with 46 seconds left.

Hardaway Jr. then drained another 3-pointer, putting Denver up two. LA had the opportunity to score, but the Nuggets stole the ball, and Gordon was fouled, converting on one free throw only. 

With 9.9 seconds left, Los Angeles would have a chance to either tie or put up a quick two to end up playing the foul game. Reaves was fouled and made both free throws.

Johnson was sent to the charity stripe and converted on both free throws with 6.4 left. Denver fouled Reaves, and he converted on one free throw and missed the second. He grabbed the rebound and swished a jumper, tying the game. The Nuggets had no time to score, so the game went into overtime. This is LA’s first overtime game of the year. 

The overtime began with Jamal Murray, who had an atrocious game, fouling out. Ayton scored the first points for LA with a jumper. Braun was fouled and converted on both free throws for Denver’s first points of OT with 2:36 left. There were lots of tired legs running back and forth for each team.

Ayton then scored on a hook shot in the paint to put the Lakers back up by two with 57 seconds left. Gordon knocked down a triple to put Denver back up by one. Smart responded with a 3-pointer on the other end to put LA back in the lead by two with 30 seconds left. 

Jokić tied the game with a layup with 15 seconds left in OT. Luka converted on a fadeaway jumper that gave the Lakers the win!

Key Player Stats

Luka finished with a triple-double of 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. Reaves notched 32 points with seven rebounds and six assists. Lebron had 17 points with six rebounds, five assists and two steals. 

Smart pitched in with 21 points, three rebounds, two assists and five steals. Hachimura scored six points off the bench. Ayton pitched in with nine points, nine rebounds and two assists.

The Lakers’ next matchup will be against the Houston Rockets on Monday at 6:30 PM PT.

You can follow Karin on Twitter at @KarinAbcarians.

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Tai Baribo scores winner on PK in stoppage time to lift D.C. United to 2-1 victory over Fire

CHICAGO (AP) — Tai Baribo scored on a penalty kick in the fifth of 18 minutes of second-half stoppage time to rally D.C. United to a 2-1 victory over Chicago on Saturday night after Hugo Cuypers drilled a late PK to give the Fire a brief lead.

Neither team scored until the 81st minute when Cuypers sent a PK into the net after a foul on DC United midfielder Jackson Hopkins.

The lead last three minutes until defender Matti Peltola sent shot from the middle of the box through traffic and into the net. It was his first career goal in his 61st appearance.

Baribo's PK winner came after a foul on Fire defender Johnny Dean. It was his third goal in his first four matches with the club after netting 25 goals in 55 appearances over three seasons with the Philadelphia Union.

Sean Johnson saved one shot for DC United (2-2-0) in his first season with the club. It was his 435th career start.

Chris Brady finished with one save for the Fire (1-2-1). He was coming off back-to-back clean sheets.

Baribo had a goal waived off in the 43rd minute after Hopkins was caught offside.

DC United leads the all-time series 28-24-22.

Up next

DC United: At Atlanta United on Saturday.

Chicago: At Philadelphia Union on Saturday.

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

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Petar Musa has hat trick for FC Dallas in 3-3 tie with San Diego

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Petar Musa scored three goals — his second career hat trick and second multi-goal game this season — Saturday night for FC Dallas in a 3-3 tie with San Diego FC.

Musa capped the scoring in the fifth minute of stoppage time. Bernard Kamungo intercepted a pass near midfield, raced down the left side and then tapped a pass to Musa for a first-touch finish from the left corner of the 6-yard box.

Onni Valakari scored two goals — his first multi-goal game in MLS — and Marcus Ingvartsen also scored a goal for San Diego (3-0-1).

Dallas (1-1-2) had just 40% possession but outshot San Diego 13-5, 8-4 on target.

Musa, who had two goals in a season-opening win over Toronto, put away the rebound of his own shot in the 41st minute — the first goal conceded by San Diego this season — and converted from the spot in the 54th.

Valakari and Ingvartsen made penalty kicks in the 21st and 31st minutes, respectively, to give San Diego a 2-0 lead.

Valakari made it 3-1 in the 51st minute. Alex Mighten, at the left edge of the penalty box, played a low entry to Valakari for a first-touch finish from a few yards in front of the penalty spot. It was the 23-year-old Mighten's first career assists.

Michael Collodi had one save for Dallas.

Pablo Sisniega made his first start this season and finished with five saves for San Diego.

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

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No. 2 Arizona beats No. 5 Houston 79-74 behind 21 from Brayden Burries

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Brayden Burries scored 21 points, including a pair of free throws with 8.3 seconds left, and second-ranked Arizona held off No. 5 Houston 79-74 on Saturday night in a rematch of last year’s Big 12 Tournament title game won by the Cougars.

Koa Peat also had 21 points and Jaden Bradley followed his semifinal game-winner against Iowa State with 13 for the No. 1 seed Wildcats (32-2), who head into the NCAA Tournament having won nine straight games — six against ranked opponents.

Joseph Tugler had 20 points and 10 rebounds for the second-seeded Cougars (28-6). Mercy Miller added 13 points.

Houston, which beat the Wildcats 72-64 in its title game debut a year ago, trailed 75-66 with just over a minute to go before Miller and Milos Uzan hit 3-pointers on consecutive possessions.

But when Peat missed a jumper with 22 seconds to go, Arizona big man Motiejus Krivas gathered the rebound and was fouled under the bucket. The 7-foot-2 junior from Lithuania calmly made both free throws to extend the Wildcats’ lead.

Kingston Flemings and Miller missed layups at the other end for Houston, and by the time Miller was fouled and made two free throws, there was just 13.2 seconds to go. Burries was fouled on the inbound pass and put away the game.

NO. 1 DUKE 74, NO. 10 VIRGINIA 70

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Isaiah Evans scored 20 points, Cameron Boozer made two free throws with 3.9 seconds to seal the game and Duke defeated Virginia for its second straight Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship under coach Jon Scheyer and its third title in the past four years.

Cayden Boozer had 16 points, and Cameron Boozer finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and eight assists as the Blue Devils (32-2) extended their winning streak to 11 games heading into the NCAA Tournament as the likely No. 1 overall seed.

Malik Thomas had 18 points and Sam Lewis had 17 for Virginia (29-5) in a game in which neither team led by more than seven points and featured 16 lead changes.

Ugonna Onyenso had nine blocks and finished with an ACC Tournament record with 20 over three games. Tim Duncan had the previous record of 14 in 1995.

The Cavaliers came into the game 1-32 all-time against No. 1-ranked opponents — and 0-17 against top-ranked Duke teams — and were blown out by the Blue Devils 77-51 two weeks ago at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

NO. 3 MICHIGAN 68, NO. 23 WISCONSIN 65

CHICAGO (AP) — Yaxel Lendeborg made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining, and Michigan beat Nick Boyd and Wisconsin to advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship.

Aday Mara scored 16 points and Elliot Cadeau had 15 as top-seeded Michigan (31-2) avenged its only conference loss from the regular season, a 91-88 setback against Wisconsin on Jan. 10. Mara also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked five shots.

Michigan is going for its second straight Big Ten Tournament title and fifth overall. It will play No. 18 Purdue on Sunday after the Boilermakers eliminated UCLA with a 73-66 win.

Lendeborg got off to another slow start after he had just six points in Friday’s quarterfinal victory over Ohio State. But the Big Ten player of the year began to assert himself right before halftime, and he connected on the biggest shot of the game.

Lendeborg grabbed an offensive rebound and passed to Cadeau for a 3 with 45 seconds left, giving Michigan a 65-62 lead. But Boyd responded with a tying 3 for Wisconsin.

With the United Center crowd standing in anticipation, Michigan tried to find Lendeborg inside on its last possession. But Lendeborg ended up coming back outside before getting a pass from Cadeau and drilling the winning 3.

NO. 22 VANDERBILT 91, NO. 4 FLORIDA 74

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tyler Tanner scored 20 points as Vanderbilt beat Florida, ending the defending national champion’s bid to win a second straight Southeastern Conference Tournament title and possibly hurt the Gators’ bid for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

The fourth-seeded Commodores won their fourth straight game. Vanderbilt (26-7) will play No. 17 Arkansas on Sunday as it goes for its first tournament title since 2012.

Four other Vanderbilt players scored in double figures, with Jalen Washington adding 17, Duke Miles 15, Devin McGlockton 12 and AK Okereke 11. Six different Commodores made at least one 3-pointer, and everyone who played scored at least a bucket.

The Gators (26-7) saw their 12-game winning streak end. Thomas Haugh led them with 19 points, Boogie Fland had 15, Alex Condon 13 and Rueben Chinyelu 12.

Florida had been dominant during its streak, winning by an average of 21.7 points to end the regular season. On Saturday, it never led by more than 2 early on. The nation’s top rebounding team dominated the boards (38-23) again, but the Gators struggled to find the basket, missing 12 of 13 shots in the first half.

NO. 13 ST. JOHN'S 72, NO. 6 UCONN 52

NEW YORK (AP) — Zuby Ejiofor had seven blocks, nine rebounds and three steals to anchor a tenacious defensive performance that carried St. John’s to its second straight Big East Tournament championship with a blowout of UConn at Madison Square Garden.

Ejiofor and Bryce Hopkins each scored 18 points for the top-seeded Red Storm (28-6), who became the first team to win consecutive Big East Tournament titles since Villanova took three in a row from 2017-19.

Adding to their resurgent rise under Hall of Fame coach Rick Pitino, the Johnnies joined UConn in 1998 and ’99 as the only Big East programs to win both the regular-season and tournament crowns in back-to-back years.

Oziyah Sellers scored 14 points for St. John’s, which never trailed in the tournament and has won all six of its games in this event by double digits the past two years. The Johnnies opened a 17-point cushion in the first half and took two of three meetings this season between the conference powerhouses.

The second-seeded Huskies (29-5) were held nine points below their previous season low.

Tarris Reed Jr. scored 13 of his 17 points in the second half for UConn. Point guard Silas Demary Jr. was helped off the floor late with an apparent left ankle injury, which could be costly heading into the NCAA Tournament.

NO. 17 ARKANSAS 93, MISSISSIPPI 90, OT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Darius Acuff Jr. scored five of his 24 points in overtime and Arkansas held off Mississippi to reach the Southeastern Conference Tournament championship game for the first time since 2017.

The third-seeded Razorbacks (25-8) will play No. 22 Vanderbilt, which routed No. 4 Florida earlier Saturday.

Acuff, the SEC’s scoring leader and league’s player and freshman of the year, also had seven assists. Meleek Thomas led Arkansas with 29 points, Trevon Brazile had 16 points with 10 rebounds along with the final free throw and Malique Ewin added 14.

Ole Miss (15-20) ends its improbable run after the 15th-seeded Rebels became the second double-digit seed to win three games at this event, joining Auburn in 2015.

The Rebels, who held off a furious rally in stunning No. 15 Alabama on Friday night, forced overtime by outscoring the Razorbacks 8-1 with AJ Storr’s layup tying it at 79 with 1.1 seconds left.

Ewin put Arkansas ahead to stay with a dunk 10 seconds into overtime. Ole Miss had a chance to take the lead with 3 seconds left, but Storr’s 3 clanked off the front rim.

NO. 18 PURDUE 73, UCLA 66

CHICAGO (AP) — Oscar Cluff had 17 points and 14 rebounds, and Purdue beat short-handed UCLA to advance to the Big Ten Tournament championship game.

Cluff scored eight points as Purdue (26-8) outscored UCLA (23-11) 11-4 over the final 3:41. Fletcher Loyer scored 14. Braden Smith contributed nine more assists, giving him 1,064 in his career. He needs 13 to break Bobby Hurley’s NCAA record of 1,076 for Duke from 1989-93.

Trey Kaufman-Ren added 12 points and 10 rebounds, helping Purdue advance to the conference final for the first time since winning the tournament in Chicago in 2023. The Boilermakers will meet No. 3 Michigan. The Wolverines, seeking a championship repeat, beat No. 23 Wisconsin 68-65 when Yaxel Lendeborg made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds remaining.

Already missing star Tyler Bilodeau after he exited Friday’s win over No. 8 Michigan State with a right leg injury, UCLA had to get by in the second half without guard Donovan Dent. He tweaked something in his lower leg and was limited to two points in 10 minutes after scoring 23 and dishing out 12 assists against the Spartans.

Trent Perry led UCLA with 15 points. Xavier Booker scored 12, and Eric Dailey Jr. had 11 points and 10 rebounds.

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Harris, Taylor lead Kennesaw State 71-60 over Louisiana Tech for first Conference USA Championship

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (AP) — Jaden Harris and Amir Taylor combined to score 35 points and No. 6 seed Kennesaw State defeated No. 4 seed Louisiana Tech to win their first Conference USA championship and clinch a berth to the NCAA Tournament.

Harris posted 18 on 4 of 6 from behind the arc. Taylor had 17, going 9 for 11 from the free-throw line, while tallying six rebounds and two steals. RJ Johnson added 13 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

The Owls (21-13) led 35-32 at the half, and used a 10-2 run starting with 8:42 left in the game to build up an 11-point lead inside the final four minutes.

This is the Owls’ second 20-win season in school history, and their first title game in the second year in the conference. They were the third-lowest seed to win the Conference USA tournament. It's their second trip ever to the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs (20-14) were led by Avery Thomas II's 10-point, 10-rebound performance. Scooter Williams Jr. had 10 points. Kaden Cooper had 10 rebounds. AJ Bates had eight assists.

The Bulldogs were done in by 7% shooting from behind the arc (2 for 28). They shot 31% from the field (22 for 72). They entered Saturday's contest with a 35-year NCAA Tournament drought.

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McAvoy’s 2 goals, Minten’s 9th-round shootout winner lift Bruins past Capitals 3-2

WASHINGTON (AP) — Charlie McAvoy scored twice and Fraser Minten had the shootout winner as the Boston Bruins beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Saturday.

Minten beat Washington’s Logan Thompson with a backhand shot in the ninth round of the shootout to give the Bruins their third win in five games and help Boston gain ground in the Eastern Conference wild-card race.

Rasmus Sandin had a goal and an assist and Matt Roy also scored for the Capitals, who have lost two of their last three.

After a scoreless first period, the Capitals picked up their pressure to open the second, and it paid off. Just 1:15 minutes into the middle period, Roy fired an 86-mph slap shot past Boston’s Jeremy Swayman and into the top corner to give Washington the lead. It was Roy’s his first goal since Nov. 17, ending a 45-game scoring drought.

Minutes later, McAvoy fired a one-timer through traffic and past Thompson to even the score at 1. McAvoy has points in six straight games and 15 of his last 16 contests overall.

Sandin became the third defenseman to get on the board when his shot from point knuckled past Swayman, giving the Caps a 2-1 edge.

Following a couple of power-play chances for the Bruins, including a 5-on-3 opportunity halfway through the third, McAvoy tied the game by deflecting Pavel Zacha’s shot past Thompson and eventually forcing overtime.

Swayman had 25 saves in the win. Thompson stopped 32 shots in the loss.

SENATORS 2, DUCKS 0

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — Linus Ullmark made 23 saves for his second shutout of the season and Ottawa blanked Anaheim.

Michael Amadio and Thomas Chabot scored for Ottawa. Shane Pinto had two assists. It was the 14th shutout of Ullmark’s career. The Senators have won four of five.

Ville Husso stopped 27 shots for Anaheim.

Nick Cousins won a battle along the boards at center which sprung Pinto down the ice. Pinto fed Amadio on a 2-on-1 and he made no mistake, beating Husso short-side 3:54 into the second period.

At the 9:21 mark of the second, the Senators capitalized on a turnover. Pinto intercepted a pass and found Chabot in the high slot for his seventh of the season and second career short-handed goal.

Anaheim challenged for goaltender interference but was unsuccessful.

JETS 3, AVALANCHE 1

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor reached 30 goals for a franchise-record eighth time and added an assist, Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves and Winnipeg beat NHL-leading Colorado.

Connor broke a tie with Ilya Kovalchuk for the most 30-goal seasons in Thrashers/Jets history. Connor has reached the 30-goal mark in every season of his nine-year NHL career except for the 56-game COVID-19 shortened campaign when he had 26.

Alex Iafallo and Cole Perfetti, with an empty-netter, also scored for the Jets. Mark Scheifele had to two assists for push his season total to 51, one more than his previous best.

Martin Necas ended Hellebuyck’s shutout bid with 1:16 left.

Mackenzie Blackwood made 15 saves for the Avalanche. They had won six in a row on the road.

RANGERS 4, WILD 2

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Igor Shesterkin made 46 saves and Vladislav Gavrikov had a goal and two assists as New York extended its winning streak to four games with a win over Minnesota.

Noah Laba, Jaroslav Chmelar and Vincent Trocheck also scored for New York, which won for the fifth time in six games despite being outshot 48-18.

Matt Boldy and Danila Yurov scored for the Wild, who dropped their second straight and lost for the third time in four games. Filip Gustavsson had 14 saves.

New York had a 9-6 edge in shots in the opening period and led 2-0. The Wild carried play the rest of the way, outshooting the Rangers 42-9 over the final two periods — including 21-1 in the third, but were unable to solve Shesterkin.

HURRICANES 4, LIGHTNING 2

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov each had a goal and an assist and Carolina defeated Tampa Bay.

Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour coached his 600th career game for the franchise and picked up his 367th career win, the most for a head coach at the 600-game mark, besting Tampa Bay’s Jon Cooper, who set the previous record of 364.

Jordan Martinook broke a third period tie and Frederik Andersen stopped 17 shots. Logan Stankoven added an empty-net goal.

Yanni Gourde and Charle-Edouard D’Astous scored for Tampa Bay, which fell to 3-7 since the Olympic break. Andrei Vasilevskiy finished with 31 saves.

ISLANDERS 3, FLAMES 2

NEW YORK (AP) — Simon Holmstrom scored twice and New York raced to an early lead and held on to beat Calgary.

Casey Cizikas also scored for New York and David Rittich made 30 saves as the Islanders won for the third time in four games.

Mikael Backund and Blake Coleman scored for Calgary, which slipped to 2-5-1 in its last eight games. Devin Cooley started in the net for the Flames and allowed three goals on 10 shots in the first period. Dustin Wolf replaced Cooley to start the second period and finished with 17 saves.

Holmstrom gave the Islanders a 2-0 lead with his first goal of the game when he collected a pass from Luke Schenn and scored on a shot over Cooley’s blocker at 16:35 of the first. It was Schenn’s first assist at UBS Arena since being acquired by the Islanders from St. Louis at the trade deadline.

DEVILS 6, KINGS 4

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jack Hughes scored the go-ahead goal with 2:29 to play and Jake Allen made 27 saves as New Jersey edged Los Angeles.

Hughes put the Devils ahead 5-4 in the seesaw game with a power-play goal. Nico Hischier scored twice and Cody Glass, Arseny Gritsyuk and Timo Meier — with a last minute empty-netter — also scored.

Anze Kopitar scored twice for Los Angeles — to establish a Kings franchise points record — and Artemi Panarin and Taylor Ward also scored.

Ward had put the Kings ahead 3-2 at 11:43 of the middle period after Kopitar and Panarin scored in less than two minutes as Los Angeles battled back from an early 2-0 deficit.

But Gritsyuk tied the contest just 25 seconds into the third.

Hischier’s second goal put New Jersey ahead at 12:42 of the third before Kopitar scored to tie it again.

Glass scored his career-best 15th goal at 7:56 of the first, beating Anton Forsberg with a fluttering shot. Hischier made it 2-0 at 11:04. Forsberg had 22 saves.

SABRES 3, MAPLE LEAFS 2, SO

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Jack Quinn scored the tying goal and also connected in a shootout, Alex Tuch ended the tiebreaker and Buffalo beat Toronto to rebound from its first loss since the Olympic break.

Buffalo was coming off a 2-1 home loss to Washington on Thursday night that ended an eight-game winning streak. The Atlantic Division-leading Sabres stretched their advantage over second-place Tampa Bay to four points and remained two points behind Carolina in the Eastern Conference.

Toronto played its first game since captain Auston Matthews’ season-ending knee injury. Matthews tore the medial collateral ligament in his left knee Thursday night at home in a 6-4 victory over Anaheim on a knee-on-knee hit from Radko Gudas. Gudas was given a major penalty and ejected, then suspended five games for kneeing.

Defenseman Owen Power also scored for Buffalo, and Alex Lyon stopped 16 shots.

Max Domi scored for Toronto in his 800th NHL game. Dakota Joshua also scored, and Joseph Woll made 30 saves.

SHARKS 4, CANADIENS 2

MONTREAL (AP) — Macklin Celebrini had two goals and an assist to lead San Jose to a win over Montreal.

Collin Graf had a goal and two assists and Mario Ferraro also scored for San Jose, which ended Montreal’s three-game winning streak. John Klingberg finished with two assists, and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots.

Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki scored for Montreal, and Noah Dobson had two assists. Jakub Dobes made 17 saves.

The Canadiens held third place in the Atlantic Division, four points behind the division-leading Buffalo Sabres with two games in hand, heading into Saturday’s games.

The Sharks were one point shy of the Los Angeles Kings for the Western Conference’s second wild-card spot, with two fewer games played.

BLUE JACKETS 2, FLYERS 1, SO

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Kirill Marchenko scored his 25th goal and lifted a backhander over Dan Vladar in the third round of a shootout to give Columbus a victory over Philadelphia.

The Blue Jackets extended their points streak to nine games as they fight Detroit for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. They are 5-0-4 during the streak.

Marchenko opened the scoring on a wrist shot 4:21 into the first period. Alex Bump tied it on a tip with 9:36 left in the period.

Jet Greaves made 18 saves for Columbus. Vladar stopped 27 shots.

STARS 3, RED WINGS 2, OT

DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Thomas Harley scored 2:05 into overtime to give streaking Dallas a win over Detroit.

Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist, and Michael Bunting also scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 22 of 24 shots. Harley scored his seventh OT goal in regular-season games.

The Stars are 14-0-1 in their last 15 games, matching the longest point streak in club history. Their 1998-99 Stanley Cup team had a streak of 12 wins and three ties.

Simon Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond scored for the Red Wings, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period but dropped their third straight (0-2-1). John Gibson made 21 saves.

Bunting’s goal, on a power play for a 2-0 lead in the second period, was his first since being acquired from Nashville on March 5.

Dallas has won four straight and owns the second-most points in the league, three behind Central-leading Colorado.

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Mateusz Bogusz scores short-handed goal in stoppage time to rally Dynamo past Timbers 3-2

HOUSTON (AP) — Mateusz Bogusz scored a short-handed goal in the 15th minute of second-half stoppage time and the Houston Dynamo rallied to beat the Portland Timbers 3-2 on Saturday night.

Houston (2-1-0) shook off a red card on Nicholas Markanich for his foul on Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis in the fourth of 18 minutes of stoppage time. Jack McGlynn's second assist of the match set up the winner. It was the first goal for Bogusz in his first season with the Dynamo after scoring 18 times in two seasons with Los Angeles FC.

Portland (1-3-0) took a 1-0 lead into halftime when Gage Guerra scored his first career goal — unassisted in the fourth minute of stoppage time after Jonathan Bond got a hand on a penalty kick by Kristoffer Velde but couldn't corral it. Guerra sent the deflection off the inside of the right post and into the net.

Houston answered with the equalizer in the 62nd minute when Guilherme Santos used assists from Bogusz and McGlynn to score for the third time in his first three MLS matches. Bogusz's assist was his first with the Dynamo after notching seven in 60 appearances with LAFC. McGlynn has three assists this season. Half of his 22 career assists have come in 29 matches with Houston — all starts.

The Dynamo took a 2-1 lead in the 77th minute when Santos set up defender Felipe Andrade's first goal this season with his first assist. Andrade had four goals in 23 appearances with the Dynamo last season.

Velde scored his first career goal in his 12th appearance thanks to Finn Surman's first career assist to pull the Timbers even in the 80th minute. It was Surman's 36th appearance — all starts.

Bond saved six shots for the Dynamo.

Pantemis had three saves for the Timbers.

Up next

Houston: At FC Dallas on Saturday in first road match of season.

Portland: Hosts Los Angeles Galaxy on Sunday.

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

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McGuire and Ojeda score goals, Orlando City beats Montreal in interim coach Mark Perelman's debut

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Duncan McGuire and Martín Ojeda each scored a goal on Saturday, Javier Otero had four saves, and Orlando City beat CF Montreal 2-1 to snap a three-game losing streak in interim coach Mark Perelman's debut.

Orlando City (1-3-0) and long-time coach Oscar Pareja mutually parted ways Wednesday.

Ojeda put away a first-touch shot from just beyond the penalty spot to make it 2-1 in the 31st minute. Iván Angulo ran onto a through ball played ahead by Marco Pasalic and tapped a pass backward to Ojeda for the finish.

McGuire's first goal of the season opened the scoring in the 19th minute. Angulo's shot from the left side of the area bounced off the near post and McGuire tapped the rebound into a wide-open net from the edge of the 6-yard box.

Prince Owusu went up high for a header off a corner kick played by Wikelman Carmona for Montreal (1-3-0) in the 24th minute.

Montreal's Thomas Gillier had four saves.

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

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Red Wings Fall To Stars In OT, But Gain Huge Point Thanks To Third Period Comeback

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The shorthanded Detroit Red Wings appeared headed for another damaging regulation loss on Saturday evening against the Dallas Stars, having registered just eight shots on goal and trailing 2–0 through 40 minutes.

However, what followed was a gutsy comeback effort that, while it did not ultimately result in a victory, is something Detroit can feel good about as they return home.

Goals from Simon Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond knotted the score for the Red Wings in the third period, helping them gain a huge point in the standings.

But they couldn't quite complete the comeback effort, as Stars defenseman Thomas Harley ripped a shot past goaltender John Gibson, giving Dallas a 3-2 overtime win at American Airlines Center. 

The Red Wings are still in the second Wild Card position with 80 points; the Boston Bruins, who defeated the Washington Capitals on Saturday, also have 80 points but are in the first Wild Card spot. 

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Already playing without Dylan Larkin and Andrew Copp, the Red Wings announced on Saturday morning that both Michael Rasmussen and Michael Brandsegg-Nygård would be unavailable. 

However, veteran David Perron made his second debut with Detroit since being re-acquired last week from the Ottawa Senators after being activated from Injured Reserve. 

The Red Wings were rather listless through 40 minutes, as the Stars got goals from both Wyatt Johnston and the newly-acquired Michael Bunting. 

Detroit showed signs of life in the third period, and got a gift when Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger accidentally knocked the puck through his own five-hole while trying to cover up a rebound from Simon Edvinsson's shot a moment earlier. 

Minutes later, with time becoming a factor for Detroit, Lucas Raymond tied the score after he capitalized on a nifty backhand feed from Emmitt Finnie and knocked the puck out of the air into the net. 

The comeback effort fell just short thanks to Harley's overtime goal seconds after Oettinger stopped chances from both Moritz Seider and Marco Kasper.

Gibson finished with 21 saves, while Oettinger stopped 22 shots. 

The Red Wings will return home for critical matchups beginning Monday against the Calgary Flames and then the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

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Harley's overtime goal gives streaking Stars a 3-2 win over the Red Wings

DALLAS (AP) — Defenseman Thomas Harley scored 2:05 into overtime to give the streaking Dallas Stars a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.

Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist, and Michael Bunting also scored for the Stars. Jake Oettinger stopped 22 of 24 shots. Harley scored his seventh OT goal in regular-season games.

The Stars are 14-0-1 in their last 15 games, matching the longest point streak in club history. Their 1998-99 Stanley Cup team had a streak of 12 wins and three ties.

Simon Edvinsson and Lucas Raymond scored for the Red Wings, who rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the third period but dropped their third straight (0-2-1). John Gibson made 21 saves.

Bunting’s goal, on a power play for a 2-0 lead in the second period, was his first since being acquired from Nashville on March 5.

Dallas has won four straight and owns the second-most points in the league, three behind Central-leading Colorado.

Oettinger is 11-0-1 in his last 12 games, his longest career point streak. His 28 wins rank third in the league.

The 15-game run ties for the second-longest point streak in the NHL this season with Tampa Bay, behind a 17-game effort by Colorado.

Johnston has career highs with 36 goals and 73 points. He has seven goals and 14 points in Dallas’ nine games following the Olympic break.

The Stars, with the best home power play in the league, have scored with the man advantage in 12 consecutive games.

The Red Wings played their fourth consecutive game without captain Dylan Larkin and second straight without fellow forward Andrew Copp, sidelined with leg injuries that will keep them out for weeks. To have enough skaters on Saturday, Detroit called up John Leonard from Grand Rapids of the AHL and activated David Perron off injured reserves.

Up next

Red Wings: Open a four-game homestand on Monday against Calgary.

Stars: Host Utah on Monday, completing a six-game homestand that is their longest of the season.

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

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Kings Rally Falls Short To Devils, Despite Kopitar's Historic Night

The Los Angeles Kings (27-24-15) put together a valiant effort in the second period, scoring three goals after trailing 0-2, but came up just short against the New Jersey Devils (33-31-2), falling 6-4 on Saturday. 

Anze Kopitar once again made history today, officially surpassing Marcel Dionne for the most points scored in the Kings' franchise history with 1,308, but still couldn't win the game. 

After trailing in the first period 0-2, the Kings came back in the second period and took a 3-2 lead, looking to be in control heading into the final period. Despite improved defensive and offensive efforts the rest of the way, LA ran out of steam down the stretch. 

LA lost key face-off moments in the clutch and gave up two power-play goals in the closing minutes of the final frame, a recurring problem for them all season. 

Devils Strike Early

It was a hot offensive start for the Devils early on. Devils forward Cody Glass finished a play from the slot after receiving a backhand pass from Arseny Gritsyuk at 12:02, beating Kings goaltender Anton Forsberg for the one-timer shot to give New Jersey a 1-0 lead.

Just over three minutes later, New Jersey extended their lead 2-0, after Nico Hischier finished the rebound, cleaning off the Kings' attempt to get on the boards. The Devils outshot the Kings 14-11 in the opening frame. Despite trailing, Los Angeles was still in it, but was making costly errors. 

Although the Kings were competitive in the period, unforced turnovers and failed clears allowed the Devils to capitalize early. New Jersey to hold their commanding 2-0 lead. 

King's Storm Back

The Kings immediately looked much better on offense and defense to start the second period. 

Five minutes into the period, Anze Kopitar scored for LA on the power play, tying Marcel Dionne's record for most points in Kings history, immediately shifting the momentum to Los Angeles' favor. 

Less than two minutes later, the Kings continued to build on their momentum, this time Artemi Panarin taking it himself, skating around the back of the net and creating open space on the slot to tie the game 2-2. 

Los Angeles continued to play excellent defense in the period, holding the Devils to just four shots. Brandt Clarke provided energy by doing the dirty work, with three assists and three points, including one to Taylor Ward, who scored on a one-timer to give the Kings their first lead. 

The Kings flipped the switch in this period, dominating the second and looking like the much better team after that slow start.

Los Angeles had a chance to extend its lead to 4-2 after a 2-on-1 led by Panarin and Kopitar, but Kopi's shot just rang off the crossbar, and the lead would remain 3-2, ending the second. 

Devils Clutch It Out

The Devils responded very quickly in the final frame, just 25 seconds in after the puck dropped in the third period. Arseni Gritsyuk tied the game 3-3 after a great pass by  Lenni Hämeenah, bringing the Devils back into it. 

Hischier would get it going again, scoring his second goal of the day as the Devils converted on the power play, regaining the lead for New Jersey. The Kings were having trouble again winning faceoffs and stopping the power play. 

But the Kings had one more push, and Kopitar delivered once more, finishing off the assist from Panarin and Clarke to pass the franchise record for most points in Kings history. 

The play was immediately stopped, as the entire Kings bench swarmed the ice for Kopitar, hugging him and congratulating him for making history. 

But all of that didn't mean a thing to the Devils, who weren’t concerned at anything but winning the game.

After a penalty was called against the Kings, the Devils capitalized on another power play, this time from Jack Hughes, who scored at 2:29, restoring New Jersey’s lead at 5-4. 

All the great energy and effort the Kings had built was an afterthought as they looked drained in the final minutes of the final frame. 

Los Angeles tried to get another run, but an empty-net goal scored by the Devils capped off the 6-4 victory for New Jersey, holding off late. 

Key Stats

Kopitar finished with two goals and set the record for the most points scored in the Kings' history. 

Panarin recorded a goal, three points, and two assists, while Clarke contributed three assists in one of his most productive playmaking games of the season.

Not a good loss for the Kings because the San Jose Sharks won today and are now one point ahead of Los Angeles. The Kings had an opportunity to move closer to the Edmonton Oilers and the Vegas Golden Knights, but failed to capitalize late. 

The Kings will end their five game road trip on Monday at 4:00 PM PT against the New York Rangers. 

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Scott's deep 3-point bomb sends Akron past Toledo, 79-76 for 3rd straight MAC crown

CLEVELAND (AP) — Reserve Shammah Scott scored 12 points and his 25-foot, 3-point basket with six seconds left helped Akron to a 79-76 win over Toledo in the Mid-American Conference title game on Saturday.

Austin Parks' desperation 3-point attempt for Toledo bounced off the back of the rim and fell to the floor as time expired.

Amani Lyles scored 15 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, Tavari Johnson scored 15 and Bowen Hardman 12 for Akron (29-5).

Leroy Blyden Jr. scored 21 points, Parks and reserve Kyle Vanderjagt scored 13 apiece and Sean Craig 10.

Toledo appeared poised to knock off the conference's second-best regular season team — after Miami, Ohio — by building a 42-30 halftime lead.

The Rockets built their lead on the strength of 53% (17 of 32) shooting including 53% (8 of 15) from 3-point range.

But Akron regrouped early in the second half and outscored Toledo 21-6 in a 7-minute span — which also included a 15-0 run — and turned a 48-36 deficit into a 57-54 lead with 10:17 remaining.

In earning the conference's automatic NCAA Tournament berth, the No. 2-seed Zips earned their third-straight tournament championship and fourth in its last five years.

It's the first time a MAC program has earned three-straight conference championships.

Toledo made its eighth MAC championship game with its lone win in 1980.

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Carlos Mendoza feels Mets’ Mark Vientos is in a ‘good place’ offensively despite lack of spring results

It’s been a tough spring thus far for Mark Vientos. 

Competing for his share of playing time in camp, the right-handed hitting infielder got off to about as rough a start you could see before leaving the Mets for the World Baseball Classic. 

Vientos went hitless over his first 12 Grapefruit League at-bats before lining an opposite-field double off the fence in his final game with the club. 

He recorded a knock in an exhibition against the Mets, but wasn’t able to carry the success over to pool play, going just 2-for-15 with six strikeouts in Nicaragua’s four games. 

And after another hitless showing on Saturday night against the Astros, the slugger is now a combined 0-for-8 with two strikeouts since rejoining the team.  

Put together both stat lines, and Vientos is just 3-for-36 on the spring. 

While the results haven’t been there, Carlos Mendoza actually likes he’s seen, as he feels Vientos has been hitting the ball hard just into some tough luck. 

“Yesterday he had an 0-for with two balls hit at 100 mph, the first at-bat today it was 105 off the bat -- I think he’s in a good place, he’s just not getting the results,” the skipper said postgame Saturday. 

While he has been mashing the ball, this is getting to be an familiar picture for Vientos and the Mets. 

The former first-round pick homered 27 times and shined during the playoffs in his first full year with the club, but he ultimately saw his numbers drop off last season.

Vientos hit just .233 with 17 homers, a .289 OBP, and a .702 OPS. 

With much more competition for at-bats this time around, he’ll have to start finding grass over the next few weeks to carveout a regular role. 

The 26-year-old is aware, and he isn't too concerned.

"This isn't anything new," Vientos recently told Max Goodman of NJ.com. "Coming into the league, it was an earn your stripes type of situation -- I earned them, I was playing every day. I feel like this year might be the same thing -- it’s just earn at-bats and that’s fine, I’ll earn them, I’m ready."

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Padres Reacts Survey Results: Walker Buehler is top choice of fans to win fifth rotation spot

TEMPE, ARIZONA - MARCH 10: Walker Buehler #10 of the San Diego Padres throws against the Los Angeles Angels during the second inning of a spring training game at Tempe Diablo Stadium on March 10, 2026 in Tempe, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Padres fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

German Marquez did not look good his last time on the mound and Marco Gonzales followed today with a tough showing when the San Diego Padres took on the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium in Surprise, Ariz. Both pitchers are vying for the fifth and final rotation spot, which could be two spots with the latest news about Joe Musgrove, who is having difficulties recovering from throwing with the intensity that comes from competing on an MLB field – even in Spring Training.

The remaining potential starters after Marquez and Gonzales are Walker Buehler, JP Sears, Matt Waldron and Triston McKenzie. Buehler appears to be the most consistent of the group, while Sears continues to struggle allowing home runs, Waldron just resumed throwing after hemorrhoid surgery and McKenzie, despite his most recent outing, has had trouble locating his pitches.

The Padres Reacts Survey on Gaslamp Ball this week asked respondents to select who they thought would win the final spot in the rotation and the overwhelming majority said Buehler. He has been the most consistent of the group competing for the job and his track record, despite multiple arm surgeries, says he knows how to pitch in the big leagues and can be successful.

When Buehler came into MLB he was known as a fastball pitcher, who could reach the mid- to high-90s. Since the surgeries, his velocity has dropped to the low- to mid-90s as we have seen him touch 94 mph in his spring outings to this point. Buehler is having to learn how to use his pitch-mix to keep hitters off balance and get outs. With Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla as a resource, there is no reason to think Buehler cannot have success. He seems to be the front runner for the job, and the Friar Faithful expect him to be in the rotation on Opening Day.

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Arkansas men, Georgia women take home titles at NCAA Indoor Track Championships

FAYATTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Tyrice Taylor and Rivaldo Marshall finished 1-2 in the 800 meters to help Arkansas run away with the men's team title, while Georgia freshman Adaejah Hodge won the 200 meters in a facility-record 22.22 seconds as the Bulldogs won the women's team crown Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Track Championships.

Arkansas clinched the men's team crown — it's first since 2013 — with two events (the 3,000 meters and 400-meter relay) remaining and finished with 73.5 points, 7.5 more than Oregon (40 points) — which also finished second on the women's side — and third-place Florida (26) combined.

Georgia, last year's women's runner-up, finished with 53 points to win its first indoor championship since 2018. The Ducks had 44 points and Illinois was third with 42 points. Georgia coach Caryl Smith Gilbert also led Bulldogs women to 2025 outdoor title.

Dejanea Oakley ran a personal-best 50.47 to win to 400 meters for the Bulldogs. Alabama's Samuel Ogazi ran a 44.57 — the fourth-fastest time in the world — to claim the men's title.

Taylor finished the 800 meters in 1:46.00, 0.12 seconds faster than Marshall. Clemson's Gladys Chepngetich ran a 2:00.01 to beat the Arkansas duo of Sanu Jallow-Lockhart (2:00.54) and Analisse Batista (personal-best 2:00.57).

Auburn’s Ja’Kobe Tharp defended his title in the 60-meter hurdles, finishing in 7.32 seconds to break Grant Holloway’s NCAA record of 7.35 set in 2019. Aaliyah McCormick of Oregon, who also won the 100-meter hurdles at the 2025 outdoor championships, ran a personal-best 7.86 to win the women's title.

BYU’s Jane Hedengren, who won the women’s 5,000 meters Friday, ran a meet-record 8:36.61 to win the 3000 meters. Colin Sahlman of Northern Arizona won a wild men's race in 7:41 after New Mexico's Habtom Samuel — who it appeared had edged Sahlman by 0.005 seconds — was disqualified for contact on the final curve. Oregon’s Simeon Birnbaum finished a fraction of a second behind Sahlman.

Tarik Robinson-O’Hagan of Mississippi became the fourth thrower in Division I history to win three consecutive indoor shot put titles with a throw of 65 feet, 9 inches. The senior joins Karl Salb (Kansas, 1969-71), Hans Hoglund (UTEP, 1973-75) and Ryan Whiting (Arizona State, 2008-10). Nebraska's Axelina Johansson broke the NCAA indoor shot put record and the Swedish national record with a throw of 64-8 1/2 to win on the women's side.

USC’s Garrett Kaalund ran a collegiate-record 19.95 to win the men’s 200 meters. Kaalund has two of the three fastest times in NCAA history.

Temitope Adeshina of Texas Tech won her second consecutive high jump title, clearing 6-feet, 5 1/2 inches to tie her own Nigerian record. Tito Alofe of Harvard won the men's high jump, clearing a personal-best 7-4 1/4.

Auburn’s Kanyinsola Ajayi won the men's 60 meters in 6.45 seconds, which tied the collegiate record he set at the SEC Championships at the end of February. Shenese Walker of Florida State ran a 7.08 to beat Hodge (7.15) for the women's crown.

Kansas State's Daniela Wamokpego claimed the triple-jump crown with a personal best of 45-4 3/4. Texas Tech's Jonathan Seremes — a Missouri transfer — won his second consecutive men's title with a personal best of 56-7.

BYU's Carter Cutting won the mile in 3:58.94 to secure his first national championship. Oregon's Wilma Nielsen timed her kick perfectly and finished in 4:40.06 to beat Rosemary Longisa of Washington State and North Carolina State's Sadie Engelhardt (4:40.21 each) for her second consecutive title.

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports