Category: Basketball

WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Kyle Connor reached 30 goals for a franchise-record eighth time and added an assist, Connor Hellebuyck made 28 saves and the Winnipeg Jets beat the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche 3-1 on Saturday.

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.

Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns played in his 990th consecutive NHL game, surpassing Keith Yandle for the second-longest streak in league history. Phil Kessel is the leader at 1,064.

Up next

Avalanche: Host Pittsburgh on Monday night.

Jets: Host St. Louis on Sunday.

___

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

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Zennia Thomas scored 15 points, Nile Miller had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Howard defeated Norfolk State 53-46 on Saturday to claim the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship for the first time since 2022.

The Bison defeated the team that beat them in the last three MEAC championship games. Saturday was the fifth consecutive time that the Bison and Spartans squared off in the championship game.

Howard and Norfolk State's dominance of the MEAC was evident during the regular season. Top-seeded Howard went 13-1 in the regular season and now has a 14-game winning streak. Second-seeded Norfolk State won 12 of its final 15 games, with each loss at the hands of Howard.

Ariella Henigan's mid-range jumper gave Howard a 51-45 lead with 2 1/2 minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Norfolk State managed one free throw the rest of the way and the Spartans missed their last seven shots. Henigan made two free throws with 22 seconds left to set the final margin.

Henigan scored 11 points for Howard (26-7).

Jasha Clinton scored 11 points and Anjanae Richardson added 10 for Norfolk State (18-14).

Howard scored the last eight points of the first quarter to take a 16-9 lead but Norfolk State came right back in the second quarter, scoring seven points in the first 1 1/2 minutes to tie it up. A 3-pointer by Cire Worley put the Spartans up 23-20 in midway through the quarter and they held the lead until a jumper by Howard's Sa’lah Hemingway tied it at 27 heading to halftime.

Howard built a 42-33 lead through three quarters, despite shooting only 24% in the third quarter. Norfolk State shot 13% in the third.

Up next

NCAA Tournament pairings will be announced on Sunday.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball.

March Madness upsets don't start when the games begin.

In fact, much of the anger and anxiety for some programs and fans begins several weeks before the tournament's 68-team field is announced. That's the nature of the beast with a 31-game regular season with 364 Division-I men's basketball programs competing for limited spots in the NCAA Tournament.

Perceived snubs are inevitable. Anger over where a team is seeded is expected. If the selection committee uses advanced metrics, fans will scream about the "eye test." However, if the eye test is used, fans will scream about the metrics.

The committee uses a mixture of both to select the full field for the 68-team field. The seven metrics used by the committee are a combination of predictive metrics and results-based.

The NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET), KenPom, ESPN's BPI and the Torvik rankings are the predictive rankings that measure a team's strength on its offensive and defensive efficiency, adjusting for opponents and location.

Meanwhile, KPI, ESPN's Strength of Record (SOR) and Wins Above Bubble (WAB) are more results-based rankings, ones that can judge how the difficulty of achieving its record and resume for March.

While some teams have similar metrics abound by the end of the season, others have a wider range of outcomes, depending on how games were won and lost. The selection committee has to weigh those and figure out the best 68-team field.

This inevitably leaves some fans and programs angry about a snub.

Here's a look at the most polarizing teams ahead of Selection Sunday based on the metrics used for the men's NCAA Tournament:

March Madness 2025: NCAA Tournament metrics' most polarizing teams

All rankings as of Saturday, March 14

Miami (Ohio) (31-1)

• NET: 64
• KenPom: 93
• BPI: 93
• Torvik: 87
• KPI: 53
• SOR: 29
• WAB: 38

The RedHawks could ill afford to lose the MAC tournament championship game without debate if they belonged in the NCAA Tournament. Losing in the quarterfinals to a 15-loss UMass team is definitely not going to help Miami (Ohio)'s case.

Despite a perfect 31-0 regular season, being one-and-done in the conference tournament places them right on the bubble, and it's hard to say it's on the right side of it. Their Wins Above Bubble ranking, though, should be enough to get them in as an at-large.

Auburn (17-5)

• NET: 39
• KenPom: 38
• BPI: 28
• Torvik: 41
• KPI: 46
• SOR: 43
• WAB: 44

The dropoff from a Final Four appearance to a bubble team is hard to swallow for Auburn nation. However, the Tigers have a win over Mississippi State, but fell to No. 25 Tennessee in the SEC Tournament.

Southern Methodist (20-13)

• NET: 37
• KenPom: 42
• BPI: 42
• Torvik: 42
• KPI: 41
• SOR: 49
• WAB: 46

The Mustangs looked like a tournament lock on Feb. 21 with a 19-8 record. However, SMU would win one more time in its final six games, dropping them to the bubble and potentially out of the tournament with a loss to Louisville in the NCAA Tournament.

SMU started the season 8-0, but finished 12-13 the rest of the way.

Central Florida (21-10)

• NET: 50
• KenPom: 52
• BPI: 57
• Torvik: 54
• KPI: 28
• SOR: 37
• WAB: 36

The Knights likely needed a couple of wins in the Big 12 Tournament to have a chance to sneak into the picture. However, they could not hang with No. 1 Arizona in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

UCF, like SMU, opened the season blisteringly hot with a 17-4 record following an impressive win over then-No. 11 Texas Tech on Jan. 31. However, the Knights finished with a 3-6 in their final nine games, which included a pair of three-game losing skids.

Indiana (18-14)

• NET: 41
• KenPom: 45
• BPI: 38
• Torvik: 34
• KPI: 69
• SOR: 50
• WAB: 52

The Hoosiers seemed like a safe bet to make the 68-team field as recently as a month ago, with a 17-8 record, but they lost six of their final seven games, including a pair of losses to a 15-19 Northwestern squad.

Because of that, Indiana's probably on the outside looking in at the end of Darian DeVries' first season as coach. Thankfully it's a football school now.

New Mexico (22-9)

• NET: 46
• KenPom: 49
• BPI: 56
• Torvik: 52
• KPI: 44
• SOR: 64
• WAB: 58

Like Indiana, the Lobos faltered down the stretch, losing four of their final six games after a 21-6 start. The slide was capped off by a 64-62 loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West tournament semifinals, denying them a shot at the league's automatic berth.

Barring a surprise, they're likely not to hear their name called on Selection Sunday.

Texas (18-14)

• NET: 42
• KenPom: 37
• BPI: 39
• Torvik: 45
• KPI: 66
• SOR: 44
• WAB: 47

The Longhorns — stop me if you've heard this before — faltered in the final weeks of the regular season, losing five of their final six games, all but one of which was decided by at least 10 points. That included a 10-point loss in the first round of the SEC tournament to a Mississippi team that was 12-19 entering the matchup.

The predictive metrics still like Sean Miller's team, but they're still widely viewed as one of the first four teams to miss the tournament cut.

South Florida (24-8)

• NET: 49
• KenPom: 50
• BPI: 52
• Torvik: 51
• KPI: 36
• SOR: 53
• WAB: 59

The Bulls are one of the hottest teams in the country, with 10 consecutive wins after into their American Conference tournament semifinal victory against Charlotte. Given their statistical profile, they'll likely need to win the conference tournament to earn the American's automatic berth.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA bracketology 2026: March Madness metrics unsure of eight men's teams

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Griffin Lake won the individual title Saturday, taking second in both smallbore and air rifle, to help West Virginia claim the 2026 NCAA rifle championship, the 21st in program history.

The Mountaineers entered the final day of competition in fourth place, then tied the NCAA record for air rifle score with 2,395 Saturday and finished with an aggregate of 4,748, seven more than second-place TCU, for their second consecutive national title. Mississippi (4,738) was third ahead of Kentucky — last year's runner-up — and Nebraska with 4,736 each.

TCU was second in air rifle with 2,387 and Kentucky (2,383) finished third.

First-year head coach Will Shaner led Ole Miss to its first smallbore team title with a score of 2,356 and the Rebels tied for the best overall finish in program history.

Lake finished with a score of 1,194 with 101 centers. Audrey Gogniat (1,192, 95 centers) of Ole Miss was second and TCU's Katie Zaun, who led the competition with 103 centers, finished tied with Océanne Muller (1,191) for third.

Lake became the fifth person in program history to be named the championship's Most Outstanding Performer.

Kentucky's Braden Peiser won the smallbore crown with a score of 596 and 37 centers. Lake (595, 44 centers) was second while Zaun and Gracie Dinh of Ole Miss tied for third with 593. Zaun led the smallbore competition with 48 centers.

Gogniat scored a perfect 600 with 54 centers to win the individual air rifle for the second consecutive year. Lake, Muller, Nebraska's Katlyn Sullivan and West Virginia's Jennifer Kocher tied for second with 599 apiece.

___

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

With the Men's NCAA Tournamentbracket set to be revealed in one day, teams on the bubble are really starting to sweat if they’ll make it. On Saturday, March 14, there’s only one thing that could make it an even more stressful 24 hours: bid stealers.

In conferences where it’s clear who is going to the Big Dance, the whole picture can be flipped by teams not projected to be in, who battle their way to a conference tournament crown to earn an automatic spot in the field.

March Madness bracketology: NCAA tournament bubble picture gets shakeup

Hayes: Don't be fooled by Miami Ohio 31-1 record. It's built on cupcakes

It’s the worst thing a bubble team could see, and it was in effect on Saturday.

The Atlantic 10 was the first source when top-seeded Saint Louis was stunned by a last-second tip-in from Dayton in the semifinals. The Billikens are a tournament lock and there was uncertainty if another A-10 team would qualify, but now it’s a certainty, which will come at the expense of those on the fringe of the field. 

Now, the bubble conversation gets even more intriguing, and shows why it’s so important to get those critical wins in the final week. The picture is shifting, highlighting the winners and losers before Selection Sunday.

March Madness bubble winners

VCU and Atlantic 10

With Saint Louis falling, the Atlantic 10 will now get two teams in with the winner of Dayton vs. VCU earning the automatic bid.

There was uncertainty if the conference could get two teams in since VCU was on the bubble. Now it is the favorite since it will face a Dayton team it has beaten twice, paving the way for the Rams to win the tournament title for the second straight time.

Regardless of the result, it’s good news for the Atlantic 10 as its prestige in the sport has dwindled. There was a real chance it could’ve been back-to-back years as a one-bid league for the first time in more than 40 years. Now, the conference will get two teams similar to 2024, when Duquesne earned itself a spot by taking the tournament crown. 

And who knows, maybe VCU has done enough in the committee's eyes and the A-10 could get three teams in if Dayton wins Sunday.

Think you can beat our expert? Join USA TODAY’s Bracket Challenge today!

Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today!

Every bubble team when Ole Miss lost

There won’t be a magical run to the NCAA Tournament with the SEC’s 15th-place team Ole Miss falling to Arkansas in the conference tournament semifinal.

It was a run that came out of nowhere considering Ole Miss entered the week 12-19 with four conference wins, but the Rebels had put together three wins in three days. The conference title was the only way it could get in, and it put up another strong fight against the Razorbacks to force overtime. However, Ole Miss couldn't keep the magic going and lost to end the March Madness hopes.

The Rebels stealing the automatic bid would have truly altered the bubble in the craziest of ways, but luckily every team hanging in the balance didn’t see a preposterous result happen.

March Madness bubble losers

SEC

The SEC has a good chance to send the most teams in the field with 10, but it’s getting harder to envision it getting any more in. 

The conference had teams in Oklahoma and Auburn on the bubble, with the Sooners making a late push and the Tigers collecting major wins over the season despite a questionable record.

To make matters worse, it also affects Texas; a bad end of the season has pushed the Longhorns toward the possibility of playing in the First Four. It’s not a comfortable position to be in as it could easily end up being left out of the field.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness bubble winners, losers: Bid stealers changing tournament

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — Rebecca Leslie scored 2:59 into overtime to lead the Ottawa Charge to a 3-2 win against the Vancouver Goldeneyes on Saturday.

Leslie’s snipe to win the game was her 11th of the season, tied for first in the PWHL.

The Charge moved past New York and into fourth place in the standings, with the Sirens having a game in hand.

Fanuza Kadirova and Sarah Wozniewicz, with the game-tying goal, also scored for Ottawa. Gwyneth Philips made 34 saves.

Sarah Nurse and Sophie Jaques scored for Vancouver, which lost its fourth straight game. Kristen Campbell stopped 14 shots.

The Goldeneyes threatened in the first two periods with three power-play opportunities and outshooting the Charge 21-8, but Ottawa’s defense kept the scoresheet blank.

Kadirova’s power-play goal with 35 seconds left in the second period opened the scoring to give the Charge their first and only lead of the game.

The goal was reviewed for possible goaltender interference, and after a lengthy review by the officials, the goal stood, giving Kadirova her seventh of the season.

The equalizer came from Nurse’s unassisted effort as she skated through the Charge defense and scored at 9:50 in the third period.

Jacques put the Goldeneyes ahead with 5:22 left in regulation as she shot the puck from the left center circle for her fifth goal of the season.

Wozniewicz knotted the game with 54 seconds remaining in regulation when she came flying in from the neutral zone, made a move to the middle and wired a shot past Campbell for her fourth of the year.

Up next

Charge: Visit Minnesota on Wednesday.

Goldeneyes: Host New York on Wednesday.

___

AP women’s hockey: https://apnews.com/hub/womens-hockey

PARIS (AP) — France won back-to-back Six Nations titles after beating England 48-46 on a last-second penalty kick by Thomas Ramos in a thriller for the ages on Saturday.

England scored its seventh try in the 77th minute and converted for 46-45. If the score held for a few more minutes Ireland would have been crowned the champion.

But France pressed yet again with 14 men, lost possession, regained it, and earned two simultaneous penalties after the fulltime siren. Captain Antoine Dupont debated with referee Nika Amashukeli where the penalty spots were. Ramos, who didn't miss a goalkick all night, finally lined up his seventh shot from more than 40 meters out.

He nailed it, seemingly without any nerves, in the 83rd and leaped into the arms of teammates, back-to-back champions for the first time in 19 years.

Of the title-winning goalkick, Ramos said, "It's in my top three, and not just third. I love moments like that. This title rewards our very strong start to the tournament. I’m very happy. It would have been so tough, when you think about the scenario, to lose it at home in the 76th minute.”

In a bewildering and breathless match including 13 tries and six lead changes, Ramos was the difference as France scored only six tries, four to wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

England put up its highest ever score against France on French soil on the 120th anniversary of Le Crunch, but suffered a fourth loss in a single championship for the first time in 50 years.

“We are disappointed to lose but we showed the spirit of this team,” England capain Maro Itoje said.

“You don't want to go through what we have in the last four games but I truly believe we are going places and will be better for it. We knew we had to attack the game more, our conversion of territory into points had to get better and it paid dividends.”

Ireland beat Scotland 43-21 to move to the top of the standings earlier Saturday, leaving the championship closer at the Stade de France as the title decider.

England came into the game under fire for its kick-heavy approach, but ran hard at France and was constantly rewarded. England scored four tries in the first half but suffered a major turning point right on halftime while leading 27-17.

Prop Ellis Genge was sin-binned for collapsing a maul — England's eighth yellow card in the tournament — and France was awarded a penalty try. While Genge was off the field, France rallied from 27-17 down to lead 38-27.

England came back with tries by standout lock Ollie Chessum from an intercept and replacement back Marcus Smith for 39-38.

Then Bielle-Biarrey scored his fourth try of the match, his ninth in the tournament breaking his own record of eight last year. They also extended his own record try-scoring streak in the championship to 10 matches.

But while leading 45-39, France prop Demba Bamba was sin-binned and the defense cracked when center Tommy Freeman finished a counterattack from a goalline dropout. Marcus Smith converted for 46-45 after replacing Fin Smith, who slotted only three of his six goalkicks.

Just over two minutes were left and France didn't hold back. Just as it didn't at the start.

Bielle-Biarrey connected with grubber kicks by Ramos and Matthieu Jalibert to get France away to 14-5. But England drew level on 17 after tries by its own wingers, Tom Roebuck and Cadan Murley, and Chessum's first of the match.

England then led after an Alex Coles try, converted with a drop kick by Fin Smith with players charging after the ball off the tee. England was bossing the game up front at 27-17 until Genge was sin-binned and France pounced.

___

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

MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Athletics catcher Shea Langeliers homered in all three of his three plate appearances in a spring training game Saturday against the Kansas City Royals.

Langeliers was subbed out after five innings. By then he'd hit three solo shots as the A's took a 5-0 lead. All three were off Royals starter Ryan Bergert.

The 28-year-old Langeliers homered to left in the first, hit one to center in the third and completed the trio with a drive to center in the fourth.

Langeliers hit a career-high 31 home runs last season for the Athletics in 123 games. He has had two three-homer games in the regular season — on April 9, 2024, at Texas and on Aug. 5, 2025, at Washington.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The Cleveland Cavaliers could be getting back some much-needed reinforcements for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Mavericks. Max Strus, who suffered a Jones fracture in his foot back in August, could be making his season debut. He is listed as probable for Sunday’s game.

Strus has been an integral part of the Cavaliers since coming over in a sign-and-trade from the Miami Heat in 2023. Strus has appeared in 120 games with the Cavaliers, starting in all but 13 of those outings. In that time, he’s averaged 11 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game on .426/.364/.802 shooting splits.

Strus is known as an off-ball three-point shooter. He has a knack for creating havoc with his movement and screen setting away from the play. That has helped open up what could be a stagnant starting lineup before he came to Cleveland. But to limit his game to three-point shooting would be a disservice to how complete a basketball player he is.

The Cavaliers have benefited from Strus’s ability to initiate offense as a second-side playmaker, run pick-and-rolls, and do the dirty work on defense. Despite being just 6’5”, he’s held up well in matchups with bigger opposing wings, which is useful for a team that has been lacking wings during most of his tenure in Cleveland.

More than that, Strus plays with an edge that this team has oftentimes lacked. He’s not afraid to mix it up with opponents and is quick to hold players accountable. This has happened even when he’s been held out of games, as he’s often seen instructing players during timeouts.

Despite the good news, the Cavaliers will not be fully healthy on Sunday, even if Strus plays. They will still be without Jarrett Allen (knee), Sam Merrill (hamstring), Craig Porter Jr. (groin), and Tyrese Proctor (quad). Jaylon Tyson is questionable for the game with a hamstring injury.

Strus’s probable return on Sunday will undoubtedly help the Cavs, but it does present some good problems for head coach Kenny Atkinson to figure out.

The Cavaliers have been trying to work in new faces into the lineup after the trade deadline, and haven’t been able to nail down rotations. That task has been made more difficult due to recent injuries to Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, and Allen. It’s not easy to gauge what units work best together with so many people out of the lineup. Trying to figure out where Strus fits in doesn’t make Atkinson’s job easier, even if it should help the Cavs in the long run.

PARIS (AP) — France wins back-to-back Six Nations titles are beating England 48-46.

DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) — Tarik Skubal struck out seven in 4 2/3 innings for the Detroit Tigers in a 6-1 spring training game win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday rather than make a second start for the United States at the World Baseball Classic.

Winner of the last two AL Cy Young Awards, Skubal and the Tigers agreed in January that he would be limited to one WBC outing, and he allowed one run and two hits in a 9-1 group stage win over Britain on March 7.

He discussed making another start for the U.S. and decided not to after the 29-year-old left-hander consulted with Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, agent Scott Boras and teammates.

Skubal, eligible to become a free agent after the World Series, threw 44 of 61 pitches for strikes in his third spring training outing for the Tigers, matched up with three-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. He will likely have one more outing before Detroit's opener at San Diego on March 26.

Scherzer, a 41-year-old right-hander, allowed two hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings with five strikeouts and two walks, throwing 42 of 65 pitches for strikes.

He agreed two weeks into spring training on a one-year contract guaranteeing $3 million and made his first exhibition appearance on March 7. Scherzer has allowed two hits over 8 2/3 scoreless innings.

___

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

SHANGHAI (AP) — Formula 1 and its governing body FIA said the Grand Prix races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia will not happen in April because of safety concerns related to the Iran war.

Both countries have been struck during Iran’s response after the United States and Israel launched a wave of attacks on Iran.

The announcement was made early Sunday morning in Shanghai ahead of the Chinese Grand Prix.

“Due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East region, the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix will not take place in April,” F1 said. “While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April.”

F1 was due to race in Bahrain on April 12 and in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah on April 19.

“While this was a difficult decision to take, it is unfortunately the right one at this stage considering the current situation in the Middle East," said Stefano Domenicali, president and CEO of F1.

The FIA said the two races “will not take place in April” and that no replacements would be organized.

“The FIA will always place the safety and well being of our community and colleagues first. After careful consideration, we have taken this decision with that responsibility firmly in mind,” FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said.

The FIA didn’t explicitly rule out rescheduling the races and, along with F1, did not use the words "cancel" or "postpone" in announcing the series would not be in Bahrain or Saudi Arabia next month.

Ben Sulayem said: “Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are incredibly important to the ecosystem of our racing season, and I look forward to returning to both as soon as circumstances allow.”

The promoters of the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia said they supported the decision.

F1’s packed schedule doesn’t have any obvious open dates for rescheduled races this year.

Calling off the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian races means there will be a five-week gap from the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the next race, the Miami Grand Prix on May 3. Without any rescheduling, the 22-race schedule would be the shortest since 2023.

The two Middle East races weren’t until next month but F1 faced making a decision earlier because it typically flies in the first staff and cargo to tracks weeks in advance. F1 was also faced with the difficulty of selling tickets at short notice, which make it almost impossible to set up a replacement race in other countries.

Kimi Antonelli, the Mercedes driver who qualified on pole position for Sunday’s race in Shanghai, said his thoughts were “with the ones that are suffering from this situation” and that safety needed to be the priority, adding of the FIA and F1: “I’m sure they will do the right thing.”

The schedule is a joint matter for the FIA and for F1’s commercial rights holder and teams had signaled a willingness to follow their lead.

“I think we follow the guidance of the FIA and Formula 1, as we always do. They’ve always led us in the right direction,” Audi team principal Jonathan Wheatley said Friday. “Nobody’s going to compromise on anything that would put teams into an uncomfortable situation.”

Bahrain had already hosted two preseason F1 tests this season before Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. A smaller-scale test of wet-weather tires was called off in the immediate aftermath of those strikes.

A travel shutdown affecting major airports in the Middle East also caused disruption for Europe-based F1 and team staff heading to Melbourne for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

The last time a scheduled F1 race was canceled was in 2023, when the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in northern Italy was called off at short notice due to deadly floods in the area.

In 2022, F1 continued with its race weekend in Saudi Arabia even after Yemen’s Houthi rebels attacked an oil depot during a practice session, with black smoke visible from the Jeddah circuit.

The same year, F1 canceled the Russian Grand Prix’s contract after Russia invaded neighboring Ukraine.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

ATLANTA (AP) — Emmanuel Latte Lath had a goal and an assist and Miguel Almirón had three assists to spark Atlanta United to a 3-1 victory over Philadelphia on Saturday, extending the Union's worst start in club history.

Latte Lath staked Atlanta United to a 1-0 lead in the 28th minute when he used assists from Almirón and defender Elías Báez to score. It was Latte Lath's first goal this year after scoring seven times last season — his first in the league. Báez, a 21-year-old rookie, notched his second assist.

Tomás Jacob made it 2-0 with a goal two minutes into the second half. It was the first goal for the 21-year-old rookie defender. Almirón and Matías Galarza had assists. Galarza contributed in his debut for the club after being signed on March 2 from Argentina's River Plate.

Alexey Miranchuk scored for the third time in the last two matches to make it 3-0 in the 68th minute. Latte Lath and Almirón had assists. Almirón set a club record with his 38th career assist in his 97th appearance, topping the 37 assists of Brooks Lennon.

Philadelphia spoiled rookie goalkeeper Lucas Hoyos' shot at his first clean sheet in the 87th minute when rookie midfielder Agustín Anello scored his first career goal. Defender Frankie Westfield earned his first assist this season after collecting five of them as a rookie last year. Alejandro Bedoya also assisted on the score, his first this season and his 34th in 271 career appearances — all with the Union.

Hoyos saved two shots for Atlanta United (1-3-0) in his fourth league start.

Andre Blake finished with two saves in his 270th career start for the Union (0-4-0) since 2014.

Atlanta United improves to 5-1-4 all time at home against the Union, outscoring them 18-8.

Coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino earns his first victory in his return to Atlanta United after coaching Inter Miami in 2023-24. He led Atlanta United to the MLS Cup in 2018.

Up next

Philadelphia: Hosts Chicago Fire on Saturday.

Atlanta United: Hosts D.C. United on Saturday.

___

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

CHICAGO – Condolences to anyone who draws Wisconsin in the Men’s NCAA Tournament.

At 24-10, with regular-season losses to Oregon, USC and Indiana, the Badgers might not show up on many lists of projected Final Four teams. But after watching them handle Illinois and then punch Michigan in the mouth at the Big Ten tournament, don’t be surprised if Wisconsin makes a deep run over the next three weeks.

March Madness: Bubble watch one day before bracket is unveiled

“We’ve all grown,” Austin Rapp said after scoring 18 points, all on 3-pointers, in the last 10 minutes as Wisconsin erased a 15-point deficit before falling to Michigan 68-65 on a last-second 3-pointer by Yaxel Lendeborg.

“We’re starting to show we can compete with anyone in the country.”

Just ask the Wolverines.

Michigan is outscoring opponents by more than 18 points a game, and all but seven of its 31 wins were by double figures. It has a player of the year candidate in Lendeborg, and the Big Ten defensive player of the year in Aday Mara.

But the Wolverines had already lost to Wisconsin once before Saturday’s Big Ten semifinals, its only conference loss during the regular season, and the Badgers almost made it two.

“We know we're a pretty good team,” Lendeborg said. “We haven't had many opportunities or games like this where we felt that kind of game pressure.”

No one is ever going to call Wisconsin flashy. They don’t have a roster of All-Americans. All anythings, actually. They didn’t even have experience at the beginning of the year, with seven of the eight players on the floor against Michigan in their first seasons at Wisconsin.

But the Badgers are also not easily containable.

They have slick guards, yes, with Nick Boyd and John Blackwell making a case for the best backcourt in the country. But they also have big guys who can shoot, which can make them a nightmare to defend.

Besides the six 3s from Rapp, who is 6-10, Wisconsin got three 3s from Aleksas Bieliauskas, who is also 6-10. Nolan Winter, a 7-footer who missed his fourth game with an ankle injury, went 3-of-4 from long range in the regular-season win over Michigan.

“I think we probably make a lot of teams uncomfortable because of that attribute to our team,” Wisconsin coach Greg Gard said.

Think you can beat our expert? Join USA TODAY’s Bracket Challenge today!

Ready to win March Madness? Join USA TODAY’s Survivor Pool today!

The Badgers have had big shooters before. That team that went to back-to-back Final Fours in 2013 and 2014 was led by Frank Kaminsky. But the difference is this Wisconsin offense is more versatile than the typically stodgy Badgers.

Take away the paint, and the bigs can light you up from outside. Don’t let them get good looks, and Boyd and Blackwell will tag you for 50.

“That's one thing we try to embed in these guys is you've got to keep shooting. You've got to stay with your confidence,” Gard said. “I don't want them gun shy. I don't want them overthinking it and becoming hesitant because when we are spraying 3s, it opens up so much more and then the guards can get downhill.”

They also can score a lot in a hurry. In the first half, it took about 2½ minutes for the Badgers to turn a tie game into a seven-point lead. Rapp made five 3-pointers in a row in just three minutes.

Gard and his players are the first to acknowledge they wouldn’t have put a scare in NCAA Tournament opponents earlier in the season. Heck, maybe even a few weeks ago. But their three games at the Big Ten tournament were invaluable, especially for younger players like Rapp and Bieliauskas.

Wisconsin opened the conference tournament with a win over Washington.

“I think this group understands how good they are, but you get to this point and time of the year, they're all good,” Gard said. “So just understanding and keeping in mind what makes us good and stay true to that and do it better and keep getting better.

“That's what I said a week ago when we won at Purdue, this group has gotten better,” he added. “I think we can still get better.”

So spare a thought for anyone who sees Wisconsin in their path Selection Sunday. They’re going to need it.  

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Anyone who faces Wisconsin in NCAA Tournament should be wary

The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to back up Friday’s impressive performance with another win over the Dallas Mavericks.

The Cavs handled business in their last outing. Evan Mobley set the tone earlier, tying a season-high with 29 points. The Cavaliers kept their foot on the gas all game, never really allowing the Mavs to think they could win the game.

We’ll see if the Cavaliers can assert the same level of control in their second and final meeting of the season against Dallas.

Who: Cleveland Cavaliers (41-26) at Dallas Mavericks (21-45)

Where: Rocket Arena – Cleveland, OH

When: Sun. March 14 at 3:30 PM

TV: FanDuel Sports Network Ohio, FanDuel Sports App, WUAB 43, NBA TV, NBA League Pass

Point spread: Not yet set

Cavs injury report: Sam Merrill – OUT (hamstring), Jarrett Allen – OUT (knee), Tyrese Proctor – OUT (quad), Max Strus – PROBABLE (foot), Olivier Sarr – OUT (G League), Craig Porter Jr. – OUT (groin), Jaylon Tyson – QUESTIONABLE (ankle)

Mavs injury report: Klay Thompson – DOUBTFUL (rest), Daniel Gafford – DOUBTFUL (illness), P.J. Washington – QUESTIONABLE (ankle), Caleb Martin – PROBABLE (finger), Kyrie Irving – OUT (knee), Dereck Lively II – OUT (foot), Moussa Cisse – QUESTIONBLE (G League), John Poulakidas – QUESTIONABLE (G League), Tyler Smith – QUESTIONABLE (G League)

Cavs expectedstarting lineup: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Keon Ellis, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley

Mavs expected starting lineup: Ryan Nembhard, Naji Marshall, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, Marvin Bagley III

Previous matchup: The Cavs defeated the Mavs 138-105 on Friday

Here’s a look at both teams’ impact stats via Cleaning the Glass.

	Offensive Rating	Defensive Rating	Net Rating
Cavs	118.25 (6th)	114 (11th)	+4.5 (7th)
Mavs	110.6 (27th)	115.8 (16th)	-5.2 (25th)