15 stories
On April 18, the Cavaliers beat the Toronto Raptors 126-113 to take a comfortable Game 1 lead in their NBA playoff series. Cleveland's offense was firing on all cylinders, while Toronto couldn't keep pace.
On April 18, the Magic crushed the Hornets 121-90. Orlando's defense choked Charlotte, and their offense clicked early, leaving no comeback chance.
Duke edged Kansas 78-72 in overtime to clinch its sixth NCAA men's basketball championship. Cooper Ellis poured in 34 points and hit the clutch three in OT, while Marcus Teel's heave sent regulation into overtime. Around 67,000 fans at the Alamodome witnessed the drama.
UCLA routed South Carolina 79-51 in the title game to win its first NCAA women's basketball championship ever. Gabriela Jaquez put up 21 points, Lauren Betts dominated inside and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
UConn beat Illinois 71-62 behind Braylon Mullins's late three and Tarris Reed Jr.'s 17 points and 11 rebounds. Michigan dismantled Arizona 91-73, led by Aday Mara's career-high 26 while Yaxel Lendeborg played through a sprained ankle.
St. Johns point guard Dylan Darling, scoreless all game, drove the lane and banked in a lay-in with 3.9 seconds left to beat Kansas 67-65. That shot punched the Red Storm's ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1999.
Kentucky built an early lead, but Iowa State chipped away and seized control in the second half, ultimately beating the Wildcats 82-63 to end Kentucky's NCAA run.
Arkansas rolled past Hawai'i 97-78 in their NCAA Tournament opener, riding momentum from winning the SEC Tournament and showing off as a No.4 seed. The Razorbacks keep the ball rolling toward Round of 32.
With 4.3 seconds on the clock, Xavier Edmonds converted a lay-in after a slick entry pass from David Punch, lifting No.9 seed TCU to a 66-64 win over Ohio State. The Horned Frogs had built a big lead, then survived a Buckeyes comeback attempt.
SDSU's men's team failed to make the 2026 NCAA Tournament after losing the Mountain West title game, snapping a streak since 2019. Meanwhile UCSD women claimed the Big West Championship and secured their second straight berth.
At the Ivy Madness tournament held March 13-14 at Cornell's Newman Arena, Princeton captured its sixth title and an automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
On March 10, 2026, Adebayo poured in 83 points in a 150-129 win over Washington, obliterating records and Kobe's legendary 81-point mark.
Florida beat Kentucky 84-77 to vault ahead of UConn for a No.1 seed, thanks in part to a dominant fastbreak performance. Meanwhile Ohio State's senior Bruce Thornton scored 25 points versus Indiana to become the Buckeyes' all-time leading scorer.
Down 30-points with 5:30 to go in the first half, Duquesne stormed back to beat Richmond 79-77 on a buzzer-beater tip-in by David Dixon. It became only the fourth Division I team to erase a 30-point deficit and win.
Marquette, underdog with just 12 wins, knocked off No.4 UConn 68-62 as the Huskies shot just 3-for-24 from three. At Purdue, Wisconsin hit a school-record 18 threes en route to a 97-93 road win, marking the first time Purdue scored 90+ points and lost in decades.