AP National Sports

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Lamont Butler hit the biggest shot in San Diego State history, putting the Aztecs in the national championship game for the first time. The next step, in Monday’s title game, will be a difficult one. UConn has been the dominant team all through the bracket, delivering

By SUSIE RANTZ Associated Press Sophia Smith’s first National Women’s Soccer League hat trick propelled the defending league champion Portland Thorns to a 4-1 road victory over the Kansas City Current on Saturday. The rematch of the 2022 NWSL championship was played in front of 11,301 fans at Children’s Mercy Park, a home-opening record for

By TIM BOOTH AP Sports Writer SEATTLE (AP) — Pheonix Copley made 25 saves, Sean Durzi, Carl Grundstrom and Kevin Fiala scored, and the Los Angeles Kings moved to the cusp of clinching a playoff spot with a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Durzi scored at 11:45 of the second period thanks to a

By JACK THOMPSON Associated Press TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Noah Gregor scored three goals, Kyle Criscuolo and Danil Guschin scored their first NHL goals and the San Jose Sharks routed the Arizona Coyotes 7-2 Saturday. Criscuolo and Gushchin were recalled from the minors Saturday and helped the Sharks to their third straight victory after a

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Miami earned its way to the Final Four in part by having one of the nation’s best offenses with multiple options for hitting big shots. That unit never got going in time to extend the Hurricanes’ terrific postseason run to the final Monday night of the

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Luis Amarilla scored on a second-half penalty kick and Minnesota United snapped the five-match win streak of expansion St. Louis City with a 1-0 victory. Amarilla’s goal came after a tripping foul on St. Louis City’s Kyle Hiebert in the 78th minute. St. Louis City (5-1-0) ends with the third longest

By EDDIE PELLS AP National Writer HOUSTON (AP) — Nobody was guarding UConn’s best player. So Adama Sanogo spun the ball to get his fingers just right, set his feet behind the 3-point line and splashed in the shot. Then, less than a minute later, he did it again. It was as much basketball clinic

WASHINGTON (AP) — American basketball star Brittney Griner and her wife are concerned about the detainment in Russia of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and said “we must do everything in our power to bring him and all Americans home.” “Every American who is taken is ours to fight for and every American returned

The Associated Press The mid-majors of March Madness continue to produce all kinds of high drama. San Diego State’s Lamont Butler hit a mid-range jumper at the buzzer to beat Florida Atlantic 72-71 on Saturday night, sending the Aztecs to their first national championship game. San Diego State clawed back from a 14-point deficit to

By BERNIE WILSON AP Sports Writer SAN DIEGO (AP) — Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run homer and Matt Carpenter added a two-run double to back fellow newcomer Michael Wacha and lead the San Diego Padres to their first victory this season, 8-4 against the Colorado Rockies. Petco Park was already in a festive mood after

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Basketball Writer MIAMI (AP) — Jimmy Butler had 35 points and 12 assists, Cody Zeller added 20 points and the Miami Heat held off the Dallas Mavericks 129-122 on Saturday night to snap a three-game losing streak. Max Strus and Kevin Love each scored 18 and Tyler Herro added 15 for

By JOHN MARSHALL AP Basketball Writer HOUSTON (AP) — San Diego State’s vaunted defense staggered well into the second half as free-flowing Florida Atlantic breezed to a 14-point lead. The Aztecs found their teeth again to get back into the game. Then Lamont Butler delivered at the very end. Butler hit a buzzer-beating jumper for

By MATT CARLSON Associated Press CHICAGO (AP) — Dougie Hamilton, Erik Haula, Jesper Boqvist and Timo Meier each had a goal and an assist and the New Jersey Devils beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3 on Saturday night for their second straight victory. Ryan Graves also scored and Dawson Mercer added a empty-netter for the Devils.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Yerson Mosquera scored during first-half stoppage time and Roman Celentano made it stand up as FC Cincinnati blanked Inter Miami 1-0. Cincinnati (4-0-2) has won three straight at home for the first time in club history. Inter Miami (2-4-0) is the third club in league history — joining the Chicago Fire (1998)

By MARK DIDTLER Associated Press TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Andrei Vasilevskiy made 38 saves, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos scored 1:48 apart midway through the second period, and the Tampa Bay Lightning earned their sixth straight playoff berth with a 5-0 win over the New York Islanders. Tampa Bay will play Toronto in the first

By AARON BRACY Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alex Tuch had his second career hat trick, Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3. Jordan Greenway and Kyle Okposo also scored, and Casey Mittelstadt added three assists for Buffalo in its fourth win in five games.

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Fafà Picault scored in the first half, reigning MVP Hany Mukhtar added some second-half insurance and Nashville SC defeated Orlando City 2-0. Picault took a pass from Mukhtar and scored in the 28th minute to give Nashville (3-2-1) a 1-0 lead at halftime. Mukhtar picked up his first goal of the

By NICOLE KRAFT Associated Press COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe scored four goals to reach 40 for the season, Alex Lyon made 21 saves for his first shutout and the Florida Panthers beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-0 on Saturday night to move into the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Sam Reinhart added a

By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — FAU’s debut at the Final Four ended in the most excruciating manner imaginable. The Owls led for the last 27 minutes, 25 seconds of Saturday night’s game against San Diego State, only to watch their dream of a title become a nightmare when Lamont Butler’s jumper