COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MEN'S NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP

UNDATED (AP) — The Baylor men's basketball program was in shambles when Scott Drew took over 18 years ago, ridden with scandal following the murder of a player by a teammate. On Monday, Drew was cutting down the nets after the Bears earned the first NCAA championship in program history.

Baylor opened with an 11-1 run and led 29-10 midway through the first half before celebrating an 86-70 pounding of previously-unbeaten Gonzaga. Jared Butler poured in 22 points and had seven assists for the Bears, who shot 10-for-23 from 3-point range and outrebounded the Bulldogs, 38-22. Mark Vital led Baylor's board dominance by grabbing 11.

MaCio Teague (MAY'-see-oh) Teague chipped in 19 points and Davion (DAY'-vee-ahn) Mitchell added 15 while trying to keep Jalen Suggs in check.

The Zags were attempting to become the first team since the 1976 Indiana Hoosiers to go undefeated in Division I men's hoops. Instead, they are the first team to end a perfect run in a title game since Larry Bird's Indiana State team against Magic Johnson and Michigan State in 1979. 

Suggs had a team-high 22 points for the Bulldogs, but Drew Timme (TIH'-mee) scored just two of his 12 points after halftime. Corey Kispert also had a quiet night with 12 points.

UNDATED (AP) — North Carolina has reached an agreement with assistant coach Hubert Davis to take over the storied men's basketball program.

The 50-year-old Davis played for the Tar Heels under Dean Smith before a long NBA career, and he had spent the past nine seasons working under Roy Williams. The Hall of Fame coach retired last week after 18 seasons at his alma mater, ending a career that also included 15 years at Kansas, 903 overall victories and three national championships with the Tar Heels.

In other coaching news around men's college basketball:

— Loyola Chicago has promoted assistant Drew Valentine to head coach, hoping he can build on the success the Ramblers experienced under Porter Moser. The 29-year-old Valentine helped Loyola make two deep NCAA Tournament runs in four seasons as an assistant under Moser, who left to take over Oklahoma's program. The Ramblers went 99-36 overall and 56-16 in the Missouri Valley Conference the past four years, winning three regular-season league championships.

— Texas Tech is promoting top assistant and school alumnus Mark Adams to replace Chris Beard as head coach. Adams was the associate head coach under Beard all five of those seasons at Lubbock, including a loss in the national championship game in overtime to Virginia two years ago after going to the Elite Eight in 2018.

UNDATED (AP) — The Utah Jazz have fallen just short of their second double-digit winning streak of the season.

Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) scored 31 points and Dorian Finney-Smith added a season-high 23 as the Dallas Mavericks stopped Utah's nine-game run, 111-103. Jalen Brunson scored 20 points and the Mavs led by as many as 18 in their season-high fifth win in a row.

Mike Conley scored 28 points to lead the Jazz, who fell to an NBA-best 38-12.

— Devin Booker scored 18 of his 36 points in the fourth quarter of the Suns' 133-130 victory over the Rockets. Deandre Ayton matched a season high with 27 points as Phoenix won its sixth in a row. Mikal Bridges had 20 points, and Chris Paul finished with 19 points and 11 assists in the win.

— Kyrie Irving scored 40 points and Jeff Green made two free throws with 3.7 seconds left to send the Nets past the Knicks, 114-112. Green scored 23 points and Joe Harris added 16 for the Nets, who won their eighth straight at home despite playing the last three quarters without James Harden due to his nagging hamstring. Harden had missed Brooklyn's previous two games and played just four minutes in this one.

— The Cavaliers knocked off the Spurs, 125-121 behind Darius Garland's career-high 37 points. Collin Sexton added 22 points as Cleveland ended a five-game skid. San Antonio finished the longest homestand in franchise history at 2-7, dropping from seventh to ninth in the Western Conference. 

— Gary Trent Jr. beat the buzzer with a long 3-pointer and the Raptors rallied from a 19-point, second-half deficit to beat the Wizards, 103-101. Pascal Siakam had a team-high 22 points for Toronto, which won consecutive games for the first time since Feb. 19-21. Washington lost its fourth in a row despite Russell Westbrook's 23 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists. 

— Jerami Grant scored 21 points against his former team to lead the Pistons' 132-108 rout of the Thunder. Grant made 7 of 15 shots and added five rebounds and five assists in just 23 minutes. Frank Jackson and Sekou Doumbouya scored 14 points apiece for Detroit, which was coming off a 125-81 home loss to the Knicks on Saturday. 

— The Timberwolves earned a 116-106 win over the Kings as D'Angelo Russell scored 25 points in his return from knee surgery. Karl-Anthony Towns had 23 points and 13 rebounds to help Minnesota hand Sacramento its fourth loss in a row. Anthony Edwards scored 19 points for Minnesota and started the Timberwolves' push in the fourth.

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A North Korean website says the country won't participate in the Tokyo Olympics because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sports in DPR Korea website said the decision was made during a national Olympic Committee meeting on March 25 where members prioritized protecting athletes from the "world public health crisis caused by COVID-19."

Reports: Tokyo Olympics to call off water polo test event

TOKYO (AP) — Reports in Japan say Tokyo Olympic organizers have called off a water polo test event set for this weekend.

National broadcaster NHK and national news agency Kyodo both cited unnamed officials. Organizing committee officials declined to confirm the reports.

Reports say technical officials were unable to go to Japan because of strict procedures to enter the country. The news comes less than four months before the opening the postponed Olympics and could be a setback as organizers and the IOC attempt to hold the Tokyo Games in the middle of a pandemic. The Olympics are to open on July 23.

NEW YORK (AP) — The major league All-Star game is coming back to Coors Field.

A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that MLB will relocate the All-Star Game to Denver's Coors Field after pulling the Midsummer Classic from Atlanta over objections to sweeping changes to Georgia's voting laws. The league is expected to announce Tuesday that the Rockies will host the game.

Coors Field last hosted the All-Star Game in 1998, the fourth season for the stadium and sixth for the Rockies franchise.

UNDATED (AP) — An announced crowd of over 38,000 attended the Texas Rangers' home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays. The governor was not among them.

The Rangers were the first team to approach capacity with their stadium since the coronavirus shutdown of sports more than a year ago. All 40,518 seats at Globe Life Field were for sale, and the game was played under an open roof. Infectious disease experts are mixed on the view of the club's decision. 

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott opted not to throw the ceremonial first pitch, announcing the decision hours before gametime. The Republican governor said he made his decision after Major League Baseball moved the MLB All-Star Game from Atlanta in response to Georgia's sweeping new voting laws. 

As for the game, Marcus Semien and Cavan Biggio (KA'-van BIH'-zhee-oh) hit back-to-back homers as the Blue Jays posted a 6-2 win over the Rangers. 

Steven Matz was sharp in his Toronto debut, striking out nine while limiting Texas to a run and two hits over 6 1/3 innings.

— Giancarlo Stanton hit a 471-foot grand slam over the visitors' bullpen in leading the Yankees over the Orioles, 7-0. Aaron Judge also homered and Jordan Montgomery allowed four hits in six innings as New York handed Baltimore its first loss.

— Pinch-hitter Mike Yastrzemski (ya-STREHM'-skee) hit a go-ahead home run in the seventh inning to send the Giants past the Padres, 3-2. Darin Ruf and Evan Longoria also went deep against San Diego, which lost star shortstop Fernando Tatis (tah-TEES') Jr. to a partially dislocated left shoulder.

— Corey Seager and Zach McKinstry drove in three runs apiece and Will Smith homered off the left field foul pole as the Dodgers pounded the winless Athletics, 10-3. Justin Turner also went deep as the defending World Series champions provided plenty of support for starter Dustin May, who struck out eight and allowed just two hits over six shutout innings.

— Yermín Mercedes continued his early season tear with three hits and Carlos Rodon (roh-DAHN') struck out nine as the White Sox three-hit the Mariners, 6-0. Mercedes is the first player since at least 1900 to collect 12 hits in his first four career starts, doing it since the season opener on Thursday. 

— Mike Trout hit his first home run of the season and Shohei Ohtani (SHOH'-hay oh-TAH'-nee) came off the bench to score the go-ahead run during an eighth-inning rally that sent the Angels past the Astros, 7-6. Los Angeles scored four times in the eighth to hand Houston its first loss of the year following a four-game sweep at rival Oakland. 

— Xander Bogaerts (BOH'-gahts) provided four of the Red Sox's 16 hits in their first win of the season, an 11-2 thumping of the Rays. Boston scored two more in the sixth and four in the eighth, when J.D. Martinez banged a three-run homer halfway up the Pesky Pole.

— The Phillies are 4-0 after erupting for five runs in the eighth inning of a 5-3 victory over the Mets. A throwing error by Mets third baseman Luis Guillorme (gee-OHR'-may) allowed the go-ahead runs to score after Jacob deGrom blanked Philadelphia on three hits over six innings and 77 pitches.

— Mike Moustaskas (moos-TAH'-kahs) smacked a tying homer and Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH'-noh) followed with the go-ahead blast as the Reds topped the Pirates, 5-3. Jose De Leon tied a career high with nine strikeouts and allowed two runs, three hits and two walks over five innings to help the Reds secure a third straight win.

— Willson Contreras, Javier Báez and David Bote (BOH'-tee) homered during a four-run fourth that sent the Cubs past the Brewers, 5-3. Trevor Williams pitched perfectly until Omar Narváez singled leading off the sixth, one inning before hitting a three-run homer and two days after breaking up a no-hitter in the eighth inning.

— Yadier Molina laced a two-run double while the Cardinals scored three times in the first inning of a 4-1 victory against the Marlins. Daniel Ponce de Leon allowed one run and three hits in five innings for St. Louis.

— Whit Merrifield drove in Kansas City's runs with a homer and a sacrifice fly in a 3-0 win over the Indians. Danny Duffy Duffy threw two-hit ball over six innings to beat the Indians for the third time in four starts.

— Nelson Cruz hit a grand slam, a solo homer and a double for the Minnesota Twins in a 15-6 pounding of the Tigers in Detroit. Winning pitcher Matt Shoemaker held the Tigers hitless until Wilson Ramos homered with two out in the fifth. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves will play a doubleheader Wednesday to make up Monday's series opener that was postponed because of Washington's coronavirus outbreak. 

Four players on the Nationals have tested positive for COVID-19 and seven more have been placed under quarantine after contact tracing determined they potentially were exposed. The Nats had their season-opening series against the Mets postponed entirely. 

In other virus-related developments in baseball:

— Some Mets players have hesitated to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, causing the team to set up education efforts. Players on several teams started to get the vaccine last week during the final week of spring training, when they became eligible. 

— The Brewers say the team received the COVID-19 vaccine over the weekend but wouldn't disclose what percentage of players and staffers participated. Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns 

UNDATED (AP) — Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH'-nohs) has been suspended for two games and fined for his role in an on-field brawl during the season's opening weekend. 

Castellanos was hit by a pitch from Jake Woodford on Saturday and offered to toss the ball back to the St. Louis pitcher. Castellanos later made contact with Woodford at the plate after scoring on a wild pitch, touching off a benches-clearing incident.

Castellanos appealed the penalty and won't serve the suspension while the appeal is pending.

— The Braves have brought back relievers Carl Edwards Jr. and Jesse Biddle on minor league contracts. They also signed former Gold Glove-winning infielder Yolmer Sanchez to a minor league deal. 

NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Jets have traded quarterback Sam Darnold to the Carolina Panthers. 

It ends a stint in New York for Darnold that was marked by a few flashes of brilliance, inconsistent play and unfortunate injuries. And with the Jets holding the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL draft, they're moving on to another young signal-caller who might deliver the team back to respectability. New York announced acquired a sixth-round pick in this year's draft and second- and fourth-round picks in the 2022 draft. 

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia Flyers are a little closer to the Boston Bruins as they battle for the final playoff berth in the NHL's East Division.

The Flyers had dropped their previous five meetings with Boston before Travis Sanheim scored 3:08 into overtime to give Philly a 3-2 victory over the Bruins. 

Travis Konecny (kah-NEHK'-nee) and Sean Couturier (koo-TOOR'-ee-ay) each scored and Brian Elliott stopped 27 shots as the Flyers won for just the third time in their last nine games.

Boston is three points ahead of Philadelphia.

— The Avalanche have extended their point streak to 15 games at 13-0-2 by scoring four unanswered goals in the second period to beat the Wild, 5-4. Nathan MacKinnon, Andre Burakovsky (bur-ah-KAHV'-skee), Brandon Saad (sahd) and J.T. Compher provided the second-period goals, the first two coming in a 71-second span and the second two coming 2:04 apart. Gabriel Landeskog (LAN'-dehs-kahg) also scored, and Philipp Grubauer stopped 21 shots for the West-leading Avs.

— Alec Martinez and William Carrier highlighted the Golden Knights' 6-1 rout of the Blues in St. Louis. Martinez scored twice and Carrier added a goal and an assist as Vegas ended an 0-2-1 skid. The Blues have scored just eight goals in their last seven games, going 0-6-1 to fall into fifth place in the West.

— The Coyotes have a three-game winning streak after Michael Bunting scored three times in a 5-2 verdict over the Kings. Bunting had two of Arizona's season-high three power-play goals. Derick Brassard and Christian Dvorak also scored and Adin (AY'-dihn) Hill made 36 saves to improve to 6-1-0 as a starter. 

— Pierre-Luc Dubois (doo-BWAH') scored twice to lead the Jets to a 4-3 victory over the Senators. Adam Lowry and Kyle Connor also scored for the Jets, who had dropped three of four.

— The Maple Leafs knocked off the Flames, 5-3 as NHL goal leader Auston Matthews scored twice and Jack Campbell made 26 saves to tie a franchise record with his ninth straight win. John Tavares furnished a goal and an assist in Toronto's fourth straight win and seventh in eight games.

— Eric Staal scored in overtime in his Montreal debut, giving the Canadiens a 3-2 come-from-behind win over the Oilers. Edmonton led, 2-0 until Josh Anderson and Tomas Tatar scored for the Habs in their third-period comeback. 

NHL official says league expects Canucks to finish season

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP) — National Hockey League deputy commissioner Bill Daly says the COVID-19 outbreak on the Vancouver Canucks is concerning from a health standpoint. However, he says in an email to The Canadian Press the league believes the Canucks will return and conclude their 56-game schedule. Daly also says the league will not change its COVID protocols in the aftermath of the Canucks' situation. 

Seventeen of the 22 players on the team's active roster were on the NHL's protocol list as of Monday. 

So far, the Canucks have had four games postponed because of the virus. Their next scheduled game is Thursday in Calgary against the Flames. 

Boston Bruins goalie Jaroslav Halak (YAH'-roh-slahv hah-LAHK') also entered the protocol, Dallas goalie Anton Khudobin (koo-DOH'-bihn) was cleared after one day and Los Angeles forward Brendan Lemieux was also cleared after a seven-day stint.

Death of 'Miracle on Ice' standout Pavelich ruled suicide

ANOKA, Minn. (AP) — A Minnesota medical examiner says last month's death of "Miracle on Ice" Olympic hockey player Mark Pavelich was ruled a suicide. 

Sports Headlines for Tuesday

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There was another team out there that was marching through the season undefeated, that looked unstoppable at times, that had all arrows pointing toward a national title.

COVID-19 put a halt to the undefeated dream. Nothing could stop Baylor from cutting down the nets.

The fresh-as-can-be Bears obliterated wobbly-legged Gonzaga’s march to its own undefeated season Monday night. It was an 86-70 runaway that brought this once-downtrodden program’s first national title back home to Waco, Texas.

Jared Butler scored 22 points and MaCio Teague had 19 for the Bears (28-2), who were ranked second or third in the AP poll all year long. But never first. That was because of one team and maybe, just maybe, because of a three-week break that put a halt to a 17-0 start and sapped some of Baylor’s burgeoning momentum.

“Prior to COVID, us and Gonzaga were on the track to being undefeated,” coach Scott Drew reminded everyone in the socially distanced arena, during a TV interview, while brushing off confetti.

So maybe this blowout in one of the most-anticipated finals in memory — a meeting between teams whose own regular-season matchup in December was scrapped because of a coronavirus outbreak — shouldn’t come as such a shock.

The two losses that came after Baylor’s COVID-19 break in February felt like a far-off memory come March. Then came April, and the feeling grew even stronger.

Baylor outscored all six of its opponents in the tournament by an average of 15 points. It beat Houston by 19 in the semifinal. Less than 5 minutes into the final, the Bears were ahead of Gonzaga by double digits.

Pounding the offensive glass — Baylor won that battle 16-5 — and winning the lion’s share of the 50-50 balls, the Bears weren’t about to let this one come down to a Jalen Suggs miracle. The Gonzaga freshman’s buzzer-beater from near the half-court logo got the Zags to the final in a game that stood as their first true test of the season.

They passed against UCLA. Against Baylor? Not even close.

“When you come against a team that’s just firing on all cylinders for 40 minutes, it’s kind of hard to compete with,” Zags forward Corey Kispert said.

After running to a 19-point lead early, the Bears never let Gonzaga get any closer than nine. Butler made four 3-pointers and added seven assists, and was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player.

“I knew at some point, we were up big,” said Butler, who insisted his team wasn’t focused on the scoreboard. “We were scoring, they weren’t scoring. It was just electrifying.”

Guard Davion Mitchell — nicknamed “Off Night” because so many opponents encounter one when they go against him — finished with 15 points and did the best he could on Suggs. The freshman finished with 22 points, most of them after this game was out of hand, and likely will be heading to the NBA draft next.

Gonzaga’s first loss in 32 games this season — 36 dating to 2019-20 — leaves Indiana’s 1975-76 team as the last to go undefeated.

Baylor was up 9-0 after 2 1/2 minutes, and the Bulldogs faced only their fourth double-digit deficit of the season at 11-1. They faced their biggest deficit of the season — 15 points — with 7:10 gone. By then, Suggs had two fouls and was watching from the bench.

After the game, he was crying — burying his head on the shoulder of one teammate, then another.

“He’s a winner and he lost for the first time in college basketball,” Zags coach Mark Few said. “He’s highly competitive and doesn’t like losing. In his mind, he saw us cutting down nets.”

But more than anything he did in the title game, it was Suggs’ memorable basket two nights earlier that laid the groundwork for Gonzaga in this one. His bank shot at the buzzer vs. UCLA capped one of the most riveting college basketball games ever. Back on the floor about 46 hours after that emotional roller coaster, it was clear the Zags were gassed.

The sequence that best illustrated the energy gap came about six minutes into the contest when Baylor’s Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua slapped the ball out of Drew Timme’s hands and the Bears worked the ball ahead to Mitchell. He missed a layup, but Tchamwa Tchatchoua got the offensive rebound and fed Adam Flagler for a 3.

Gonzaga was practically just standing there for it all.

Few, now 0-2 in title games, gave full credit to Baylor, and didn’t blame his own team’s fatigue.

“Obviously, it’s a tough turnaround, but it was more just the aggressiveness and athleticism of Baylor,” Few said. “They deserved it. Quite frankly, they were terrific.”

Gonzaga briefly pulled within nine early in the second half, and saw a glimmer of hope when Tchamwa Tchatchoua joined another Baylor big man, Flo Thamba, on the bench with four fouls.

But Baylor answered with a 9-2 run punctuated by Mark Vital’s rejection of Kispert, then a fast break that led to an easy 3 from Flagler.

After that, it was over. Yes, Gonzaga might have been the year’s most watchable team with its dramatic run at perfection, to say nothing of the shot of the tournament.

But it was Baylor, not Suggs, jumping on top of the scorer’s table and cheering for the fans at the end. And those were the Bears cutting down the nets.

“When the fans are happy, that’s what makes our players happy and proud,” Drew said. “They stuck with us, they’ve been with us through the lean years. They deserve this.”

In 2003, Drew took over a roster with only seven scholarship players and a team staring at years of NCAA probation in the wake of the murder of player Patrick Dennehy by a teammate.

Drew’s introductory news conference was trending after the title game. That day, formal in his coat and tie, he stood behind the lectern and proclaimed: “I did not come to go to the NCAA Tournament. We came to win games at the NCAA Tournament. We came with the chance to win a national championship at Baylor University.”

Eighteen years later, Drew found himself behind a different mic.

He was sitting at a table, answering questions on Zoom in front of a background with a Final Four logo.

He was smiling wide, drenched in sweat, with a cut-down net hanging around his neck.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — There was another team out there that was marching through the season undefeated, that looked unstoppable at times, that had all arrows pointing toward a national title.COVID-19 put a halt to the undefeated dream. Nothing could stop Baylor from cutting down the nets.Not even Gonzaga.The fresh-as-can-be Bears obliterated wobbly-legged Gonzaga’s march to its own undefeated season Monday night. It was an 86-70 runaway that brought this once-downtrodden program’s first national title back home to Waco, Texas.Jared Butler scored 22 points and MaCio Teague had 19 for the Bears (28-2), who were ranked second or third in the AP poll all year long. But never first. That was because of one team and maybe, just maybe, because of a three-week break that put a halt to a 17-0 start and sapped some of Baylor’s burgeoning momentum.“Prior to COVID, us and Gonzaga were on the track to being undefeated,” coach Scott Drew reminded everyone in the socially distanced arena, during a TV interview, while brushing off confetti.So maybe this blowout in one of the most-anticipated finals in memory — a meeting between teams whose own regular-season matchup in December was scrapped because of a coronavirus outbreak — shouldn’t come as such a shock.The two losses that came after Baylor’s COVID-19 break in February felt like a far-off memory come March. Then came April, and the feeling grew even stronger.Baylor outscored all six of its opponents in the tournament by an average of 15 points. It beat Houston by 19 in the semifinal. Less than 5 minutes into the final, the Bears were ahead of Gonzaga by double digits.Pounding the offensive glass — Baylor won that battle 16-5 — and winning the lion’s share of the 50-50 balls, the Bears weren’t about to let this one come down to a Jalen Suggs miracle. The Gonzaga freshman’s buzzer-beater from near the half-court logo got the Zags to the final in a game that stood as their first true test of the season.They passed against UCLA. Against Baylor? Not even close.“When you come against a team that’s just firing on all cylinders for 40 minutes, it’s kind of hard to compete with,” Zags forward Corey Kispert said.After running to a 19-point lead early, the Bears never let Gonzaga get any closer than nine. Butler made four 3-pointers and added seven assists, and was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player.“I knew at some point, we were up big,” said Butler, who insisted his team wasn’t focused on the scoreboard. “We were scoring, they weren’t scoring. It was just electrifying.”Guard Davion Mitchell — nicknamed “Off Night” because so many opponents encounter one when they go against him — finished with 15 points and did the best he could on Suggs. The freshman finished with 22 points, most of them after this game was out of hand, and likely will be heading to the NBA draft next.Gonzaga’s first loss in 32 games this season — 36 dating to 2019-20 — leaves Indiana’s 1975-76 team as the last to go undefeated.Baylor was up 9-0 after 2 1/2 minutes, and the Bulldogs faced only their fourth double-digit deficit of the season at 11-1. They faced their biggest deficit of the season — 15 points — with 7:10 gone. By then, Suggs had two fouls and was watching from the bench.After the game, he was crying — burying his head on the shoulder of one teammate, then another.“He’s a winner and he lost for the first time in college basketball,” Zags coach Mark Few said. “He’s highly competitive and doesn’t like losing. In his mind, he saw us cutting down nets.”But more than anything he did in the title game, it was Suggs’ memorable basket two nights earlier that laid the groundwork for Gonzaga in this one. His bank shot at the buzzer vs. UCLA capped one of the most riveting college basketball games ever. Back on the floor about 46 hours after that emotional roller coaster, it was clear the Zags were gassed.The sequence that best illustrated the energy gap came about six minutes into the contest when Baylor’s Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua slapped the ball out of Drew Timme’s hands and the Bears worked the ball ahead to Mitchell. He missed a layup, but Tchamwa Tchatchoua got the offensive rebound and fed Adam Flagler for a 3.Gonzaga was practically just standing there for it all.Few, now 0-2 in title games, gave full credit to Baylor, and didn’t blame his own team’s fatigue.“Obviously, it’s a tough turnaround, but it was more just the aggressiveness and athleticism of Baylor,” Few said. “They deserved it. Quite frankly, they were terrific.”Gonzaga briefly pulled within nine early in the second half, and saw a glimmer of hope when Tchamwa Tchatchoua joined another Baylor big man, Flo Thamba, on the bench with four fouls.But Baylor answered with a 9-2 run punctuated by Mark Vital’s rejection of Kispert, then a fast break that led to an easy 3 from Flagler.After that, it was over. Yes, Gonzaga might have been the year’s most watchable team with its dramatic run at perfection, to say nothing of the shot of the tournament.But it was Baylor, not Suggs, jumping on top of the scorer’s table and cheering for the fans at the end. And those were the Bears cutting down the nets.“When the fans are happy, that’s what makes our players happy and proud,” Drew said. “They stuck with us, they’ve been with us through the lean years. They deserve this.”In 2003, Drew took over a roster with only seven scholarship players and a team staring at years of NCAA probation in the wake of the murder of player Patrick Dennehy by a teammate.Drew’s introductory news conference was trending after the title game. That day, formal in his coat and tie, he stood behind the lectern and proclaimed: “I did not come to go to the NCAA Tournament. We came to win games at the NCAA Tournament. We came with the chance to win a national championship at Baylor University.”Eighteen years later, Drew found himself behind a different mic.He was sitting at a table, answering questions on Zoom in front of a background with a Final Four logo.He was smiling wide, drenched in sweat, with a cut-down net hanging around his neck.

🏀 Baylor beatdown: Bears win title, hang 86-70 loss on Gonzaga

CLEVELAND (AP) — Danny Duffy pitched six innings of two-hit ball to beat a longtime nemesis and Whit Merrifield drove in all of Kansas City’s runs with a homer and sacrifice fly, leading the Royals over the Cleveland Indians 3-0. The Indians played their home opener in front of fans for the first time since 2019. The announced attendance was 8,914. The Indians are allowing 30% of ballpark capacity. Last season, fans couldn’t attend due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health protocols. Merrifield hit a two-run homer off starter Logan Allen in the second and added a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The Indians managed just three hits.

CLEVELAND (AP) — Danny Duffy pitched six innings of two-hit ball to beat a longtime nemesis and Whit Merrifield drove in all of Kansas City’s runs with a homer and sacrifice fly, leading the Royals over the Cleveland Indians 3-0. The Indians played their home opener in front of fans for the first time since 2019. The announced attendance was 8,914. The Indians are allowing 30% of ballpark capacity. Last season, fans couldn’t attend due to the COVID-19 pandemic and health protocols. Merrifield hit a two-run homer off starter Logan Allen in the second and added a sacrifice fly in the seventh. The Indians managed just three hits.<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DWYM3wV-0EA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>

🎥 ⚾ Duffy dazzles, Merrifield's 3 RBIs lift Royals past Indians

NORMAN, Ok.—Porter Moser is expected to turn to an assistant coach with strong Texas ties to his Oklahoma staff.

K.T. Turner, Texas’ associate head coach during the 2020-21 season, will join Moser’s staff, according to a report by college basketball insider Jeff Goodman from The Stadium.

Turner spent seven years as an assistant at SMU prior to his lone season in Austin. He’s also coached under Tim Jankovich and Larry Brown in Dallas.

Turner spent one year (2011-12) as an assistant coach at Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi under head coach Willis Wilson (2011-12). He also worked for two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11) as an assistant for Steve Eck at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. While at Hutchinson, Turner helped the Blue Dragons post a 53-13 overall record, and Hutchinson reached the NJCAA Division I Region VI semifinals in both of his two years. This marked the first time since the 2003-04 season that Hutchinson had advanced that far in the national tournament.

Prior to his time in Hutchinson, Turner was an assistant under Eck at Cowley (Kan.) College during the 2008-09 season. Cowley posted a 29-5 record, shared the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division championship, reached the NJCAA Division I Region VI title game and ended the year ranked No. 17 in the final NJCAA poll. Turner earned his first Division I coaching job as an assistant for Mike Adras at Northern Arizona University in 2007-08, when the Lumberjacks registered a 21-11 record and finished second in the Big Sky Conference with an 11-5 mark.&nbsp;

Turner served as an assistant coach for Eck at Redlands (Okla.) Community College during the 2006-07 season, and Redlands posted a 29-2 record. He started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at Panola (Texas) Junior College in 2005-06.&nbsp;

Turner began his collegiate playing career at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, where he earned all-conference honors in both the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons while playing under coach Tim Jankovich. He paced the Blue Dragons to a 50-14 record during his two seasons in Hutchinson. Turner then spent his junior season at UT-Arlington (2000-01) before completing his collegiate career at Oklahoma City University in 2001-02. In his senior year at OCU, he helped the Stars claim the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles and advance to the NAIA quarterfinals.

Turner also was the Longhorns’ interim coach due to Shaka Smart’s COVID-19 prognosis when Texas hosted OU on Jan. 26. The Sooners won that game 80-79.

Turner’s departure from UT comes after Chris Beard was named Smart’s successor at Texas.

NORMAN, Ok.—Porter Moser is expected to turn to an assistant coach with strong Texas ties to his Oklahoma staff.K.T. Turner, Texas’ associate head coach during the 2020-21 season, will join Moser’s staff, according to a report by college basketball insider Jeff Goodman from The Stadium.Turner spent seven years as an assistant at SMU prior to his lone season in Austin. He’s also coached under Tim Jankovich and Larry Brown in Dallas.Turner spent one year (2011-12) as an assistant coach at Texas A&amp;M-Corpus Christi under head coach Willis Wilson (2011-12). He also worked for two seasons (2009-10 and 2010-11) as an assistant for Steve Eck at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College. While at Hutchinson, Turner helped the Blue Dragons post a 53-13 overall record, and Hutchinson reached the NJCAA Division I Region VI semifinals in both of his two years. This marked the first time since the 2003-04 season that Hutchinson had advanced that far in the national tournament.Prior to his time in Hutchinson, Turner was an assistant under Eck at Cowley (Kan.) College during the 2008-09 season. Cowley posted a 29-5 record, shared the Jayhawk Conference Eastern Division championship, reached the NJCAA Division I Region VI title game and ended the year ranked No. 17 in the final NJCAA poll. Turner earned his first Division I coaching job as an assistant for Mike Adras at Northern Arizona University in 2007-08, when the Lumberjacks registered a 21-11 record and finished second in the Big Sky Conference with an 11-5 mark.&nbsp;Turner served as an assistant coach for Eck at Redlands (Okla.) Community College during the 2006-07 season, and Redlands posted a 29-2 record. He started his collegiate coaching career as an assistant coach at Panola (Texas) Junior College in 2005-06.&nbsp;Turner began his collegiate playing career at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College, where he earned all-conference honors in both the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons while playing under coach Tim Jankovich. He paced the Blue Dragons to a 50-14 record during his two seasons in Hutchinson. Turner then spent his junior season at UT-Arlington (2000-01) before completing his collegiate career at Oklahoma City University in 2001-02. In his senior year at OCU, he helped the Stars claim the Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles and advance to the NAIA quarterfinals.Turner also was the Longhorns’ interim coach due to Shaka Smart’s COVID-19 prognosis when Texas hosted OU on Jan. 26. The Sooners won that game 80-79.Turner’s departure from UT comes after Chris Beard was named Smart’s successor at Texas.

Former Blue Dragon K.T. Turner named an assistant coach at Oklahoma

LAWRENCE
 – The University of Kansas has selected Travis Goff to serve as its next
 director of athletics, Chancellor Douglas Girod <a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h42d1af48,e181ca83,e188c912">announced today</a>.

Goff
 currently serves as the deputy director of athletics and assistant vice
 president at Northwestern University. In this role, he is a member of the
 executive staff responsible for all high-level decisions and is a sport
 administrator for the football, volleyball and baseball programs. Before
 joining Northwestern, he served as associate athletics director for external
 affairs at Tulane University. Prior to that, he worked in athletics
 development at KU, where he also earned his undergraduate degree. (<a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h42d1af48,e181ca83,e188c913">Read his professional biography on the Kansas Athletics
 website</a>.)

“Our
  search for an athletics director during the past several weeks resulted in
  conversations with a number of outstanding candidates, which speaks well of
  KU on the national stage,” Girod said. “Travis stood out among the candidates
  due to his experience, his reputation as a man of integrity, and his
  demonstrated ability to connect with faculty, staff, alumni and donors. I am
  especially impressed with Travis’ vision for KU. Travis understands the
  challenges we face and the changing landscape of collegiate athletics. At the
  same time, he is well-positioned to help us build on our recent successes in
  student-athlete healthcare, diversity and inclusion, and student-athlete
  academic achievement. The fact that he is a Jayhawk is an added bonus and
  will undoubtedly serve him well as he moves Kansas Athletics forward.”

Girod was
  advised in the search process by KU alumni Linda Ellis Sims, Wayne Simien,
  Ray Evans and John Ballard. 

“It truly
  is an honor and a privilege to steward the next chapter of Kansas Athletics,
  and I am extremely grateful to Chancellor Girod for his belief in me and our
  shared vision for the future,” Goff said. “With a long history of success,
  unwavering partnership with campus leaders, and the unparalleled passion of
  the Jayhawk fanbase, this is one of the most humbling responsibilities and
  opportunities in college athletics. Our purpose will remain focused on
  fostering our student-athletes’ academic, social and athletic development;
  supporting our talented coaches and staff; connecting with alumni and donors;
  and, most importantly, building a culture that allows 16 proud programs to
  compete for Big 12 Conference and national championships while representing
  our department, our institution and our community. As a native Kansan and
  Jayhawk alumnus, I’m thrilled to return to Lawrence with my family and to
  continue to make this department a point of pride for our entire university.
  I cannot wait to get started!”&nbsp; 

Goff will
  begin his new role immediately. 

Girod
 will introduce Goff to the KU community at a news conference Wednesday, April
 7 at 10 a.m. at the Lied Center. The event will be livestreamed on the <a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h42d1af48,e181ca83,e188c914">Kansas Athletics homepage</a>. Attendance
 will be limited due to public health restrictions, and journalists interested
 in attending the event should <a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h42d1af48,e181ca83,e188c915">RSVP online</a>.

What they're saying about travis goff

Kurt
  Watson, Interim Director of Athletics

“We are
  thrilled to welcome back to Kansas Travis Goff as the new Director of
  Athletics. Travis has a dynamic leadership ability and an exceptional vision
  for KU that will benefit our campus, athletics department, alumni, donors as
  well as the entire Lawrence community. This is a great day for KU and I am
  excited for what the future holds.”

Bill
  Self, Head Men’s Basketball Coach

“We are
  fortunate to have Travis return to Lawrence to lead our department and after
  speaking with him, it is clear he is exactly what we need. He will be a
  tremendous partner to all of our head coaches and sports programs and will
  ensure that our student-athletes have a world-class experience during their
  time at KU. I am thrilled to have Travis and his family rejoin our Jayhawk family.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Kansas
  has made an exceptional hire in Travis Goff as its next Athletics Director.
  Travis is an extraordinary leader that was involved as a decision maker in
  all areas at Northwestern. He is a servant leader who will work tirelessly
  for all Jayhawk student-athletes, coaches, administrators, alumni, and fans.
  His vision, work ethic and high intellect will serve Kansas well. I wish
  Travis, Nancy and their amazing family all the best as they go home to embark
  on this new chapter.”

Ross
  Bjork, Athletics Director, Texas A&amp;M

“When you
  grow up in Dodge City like Travis and I did, you get to know everyone. I have
  been fortunate to know Travis and his first-class family for more than 30
  years, and it is so exciting to see him become the Athletics Director at
  Kansas. As both of us have evolved in college athletics, we have become great
  friends. I have always known this day would come for Travis at the right time
  and the right place.&nbsp;

“Travis
  has developed a sterling reputation in college athletics. He represents a new
  era in leadership as we modernize the collegiate model. The University of
  Kansas has hit a home run by hiring Travis as its new Athletics Director. I
  could not be more proud to call Travis a lifelong friend, and now fellow AD.
  Congratulations to Travis, his wife, Nancy, and their children, Ellie, Carly
  and Graham, on returning home to Kansas.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2021/4/1617663142424.png" alt="Travis Goff courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Travis Goff courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>LAWRENCE
 – The University of Kansas has selected Travis Goff to serve as its next
 director of athletics, Chancellor Douglas Girod <a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h42d1af48,e181ca83,e188c912">announced today</a>. Goff
 currently serves as the deputy director of athletics and assistant vice
 president at Northwestern University. In this role, he is a member of the
 executive staff responsible for all high-level decisions and is a sport
 administrator for the football, volleyball and baseball programs. Before
 joining Northwestern, he served as associate athletics director for external
 affairs at Tulane University. Prior to that, he worked in athletics
 development at KU, where he also earned his undergraduate degree. (<a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h42d1af48,e181ca83,e188c913">Read his professional biography on the Kansas Athletics
 website</a>.)“Our
 search for an athletics director during the past several weeks resulted in
 conversations with a number of outstanding candidates, which speaks well of
 KU on the national stage,” Girod said. “Travis stood out among the candidates
 due to his experience, his reputation as a man of integrity, and his
 demonstrated ability to connect with faculty, staff, alumni and donors. I am
 especially impressed with Travis’ vision for KU. Travis understands the
 challenges we face and the changing landscape of collegiate athletics. At the
 same time, he is well-positioned to help us build on our recent successes in
 student-athlete healthcare, diversity and inclusion, and student-athlete
 academic achievement. The fact that he is a Jayhawk is an added bonus and
 will undoubtedly serve him well as he moves Kansas Athletics forward.”Girod was
 advised in the search process by KU alumni Linda Ellis Sims, Wayne Simien,
 Ray Evans and John Ballard. “It truly
 is an honor and a privilege to steward the next chapter of Kansas Athletics,
 and I am extremely grateful to Chancellor Girod for his belief in me and our
 shared vision for the future,” Goff said. “With a long history of success,
 unwavering partnership with campus leaders, and the unparalleled passion of
 the Jayhawk fanbase, this is one of the most humbling responsibilities and
 opportunities in college athletics. Our purpose will remain focused on
 fostering our student-athletes’ academic, social and athletic development;
 supporting our talented coaches and staff; connecting with alumni and donors;
 and, most importantly, building a culture that allows 16 proud programs to
 compete for Big 12 Conference and national championships while representing
 our department, our institution and our community. As a native Kansan and
 Jayhawk alumnus, I’m thrilled to return to Lawrence with my family and to
 continue to make this department a point of pride for our entire university.
 I cannot wait to get started!”&nbsp; Goff will
 begin his new role immediately. Girod
 will introduce Goff to the KU community at a news conference Wednesday, April
 7 at 10 a.m. at the Lied Center. The event will be livestreamed on the <a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h42d1af48,e181ca83,e188c914">Kansas Athletics homepage</a>. Attendance
 will be limited due to public health restrictions, and journalists interested
 in attending the event should <a href="http://faninfo.kuathletics.com/r/?id=h42d1af48,e181ca83,e188c915">RSVP online</a>.What they're saying about travis goffKurt
 Watson, Interim Director of Athletics“We are
 thrilled to welcome back to Kansas Travis Goff as the new Director of
 Athletics. Travis has a dynamic leadership ability and an exceptional vision
 for KU that will benefit our campus, athletics department, alumni, donors as
 well as the entire Lawrence community. This is a great day for KU and I am
 excited for what the future holds.”Bill
 Self, Head Men’s Basketball Coach“We are
 fortunate to have Travis return to Lawrence to lead our department and after
 speaking with him, it is clear he is exactly what we need. He will be a
 tremendous partner to all of our head coaches and sports programs and will
 ensure that our student-athletes have a world-class experience during their
 time at KU. I am thrilled to have Travis and his family rejoin our Jayhawk family.”&nbsp;&nbsp;Jim
 Phillips, ACC Commissioner“Kansas
 has made an exceptional hire in Travis Goff as its next Athletics Director.
 Travis is an extraordinary leader that was involved as a decision maker in
 all areas at Northwestern. He is a servant leader who will work tirelessly
 for all Jayhawk student-athletes, coaches, administrators, alumni, and fans.
 His vision, work ethic and high intellect will serve Kansas well. I wish
 Travis, Nancy and their amazing family all the best as they go home to embark
 on this new chapter.”Ross
 Bjork, Athletics Director, Texas A&amp;M“When you
 grow up in Dodge City like Travis and I did, you get to know everyone. I have
 been fortunate to know Travis and his first-class family for more than 30
 years, and it is so exciting to see him become the Athletics Director at
 Kansas. As both of us have evolved in college athletics, we have become great
 friends. I have always known this day would come for Travis at the right time
 and the right place.&nbsp;“Travis
 has developed a sterling reputation in college athletics. He represents a new
 era in leadership as we modernize the collegiate model. The University of
 Kansas has hit a home run by hiring Travis as its new Athletics Director. I
 could not be more proud to call Travis a lifelong friend, and now fellow AD.
 Congratulations to Travis, his wife, Nancy, and their children, Ellie, Carly
 and Graham, on returning home to Kansas.”

Travis Goff named Director of Athletics at KU

AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Monday

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nate Lowe hit a towering, three-run homer and the Texas Rangers figured how to hold onto a big lead, beating the Kansas City Royals 7-3 for their first win of the season. Texas blew a five-run edge on opening day and a four-run lead Saturday. Boosted by Lowe, the Rangers avoided a sweep. Lowe connected in the third for a 3-0 lead. He has nine RBIs in the first three games of the season, a Texas record. Isiah Kiner-Falefa also drove in three runs for the Rangers.

CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Castellanos came out swinging with his bat a day after being ejected for inciting a bench-clearing melee, hitting a three-run homer and triple to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 12-1 rout over the St. Louis Cardinals. Tyler Naquin also a three-run shot for the Reds, who won two in a row to take the opening series in matchup of NL Central teams that earned wild-card spots last season. Castellanos kept up his big series with a triple in the fourth inning and a tiebreaking homer in the fifth off Carlos Martinez. Reds starter Jeff Hoffman pitched five strong innings.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — The president of the Iowa State University student crew club says winds that had been forecast to remain low picked up suddenly, causing a boat to capsize before the crew could return to shore, drowning two members on March 28. Crew Club President Alexis Aurandt told WHO-TV on Saturday that after crew members rowed onto the lake, the winds picked up out of nowhere, and the crew's boat was surrounded by 1-foot waves. She says after the crew turned to get back to shore, a wave went under the boat and knocked it over. Crew members were not wearing life vests but all crew members had passed swim tests. The university and a national rowing association are investigating the accident.

DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar scored with 40 seconds left to lift the Colorado Avalanche past the St. Louis Blues 2-1. Nathan MacKinnon also had a goal and Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots for Colorado. The Avalanche have won four in a row and are 12-0-2 over their last 14 games. Ryan O'Reilly scored for St. Louis and Ville Husso had 32 saves. The Blues have dropped five straight (0-4-1). The game appeared headed to overtime when Makar's shot from the right point went through traffic and by Husso.&nbsp;

UNDATED (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers remain deadlocked as they battle for the top of the NBA's Eastern Conference.

The Nets had won five straight and 20 of 23 before Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-cheh-vihch) had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Bulls to a 115-107 victory against Brooklyn. Zach LaVine added 25 points and Chicago ended a six-game losing streak while putting Brooklyn a half-game behind the Sixers.

Kyrie Irving had 24 points and 15 assists to lead the short-handed Nets, who played without James Harden and Kevin Durant. 

The 76ers played without Joel Embiid again and absorbed a 116-100 loss to the Grizzlies. Grayson Allen delivered 11 of his 15 points during a 14-4 run over the first two minutes of the third quarter. Allen hit three 3-pointers during the spurt that pushed Memphis' lead to 66-46 with 10 minutes left in the period.

Dillon Brooks provided 17 and Jonas Valanciunas (VAL'-an-CHOO'-nihs) had 16 with 12 rebounds for Memphis.

Tobias Harris scored 21 points for the 76ers, who have played 11 of their last 12 games without Embiid.

Embiid was given the night off after returning from a 10-game absence due to a knee injury.

— Marcus Morris dropped in 22 points and Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard just missed a triple-double as the Clippers dumped the Lakers, 104-86. Leonard had 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Clippers, who led the entire game and improved to 33-18. The Clippers built a double-digit lead midway through the second that the Lakers never reduced to single digits the rest of the way. 

— Aaron Gordon scored 24 points against his former team, rallying the Denver Nuggets past the Orlando Magic 119-109. Gordon scored Denver's first dozen points, then helped the Nuggets erase an 18-point halftime deficit for their 14th win in 17 games and their 10th straight over the Magic. Jamal Murray added 22 points and Michael Porter Jr. 20 for Denver.

— The Celtics clobbered the Hornets, 116-86 as Jayson Tatum contributed 22 points and eight rebounds. Evan Fournier had four 3-pointers and 17 points, while Robert Williams finished with 16 points and eight rebounds to help Boston post its second straight victory. The Celts drained 21 3-pointers and led by 28 heading into the final period.

— The Hawks earned a 117-111 win over the Warriors behind Clint Capela's 24 points and 18 rebounds. Danilo Gallinari scored 25 points in Atlanta's third straight win. Stephen Curry finished with 37 points in his return from a tailbone injury, but Golden State lost for the seventh time in eight games.

— Lonzo Ball drained a career-high eight 3-pointers and finished with 27 points as the Pelicans beat the Rockets, 122-115 to stop a two-game skid. One of Ball's treys came in a 10-2 spurt that put Memphis ahead, 107-104 with about four minutes remaining. Eric Bledsoe had 19 for the Grizzlies.

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue (droo) Holiday has agreed to a four-year contract extension that will be worth at least $134 million and possibly much more with incentives. 

The 30-year-old Holiday is averaging 17 points, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals this year in his first season with the Bucks. Milwaukee acquired him from New Orleans as part of a four-team trade.

Cardinals nip Wildcats to end title drought

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Stanford Cardinal are national champions in women's basketball for the third time and first in 29 years.

Haley Jones scored 17 points as the Cardinal held off PAC-12 rival Arizona, 54-53. 

Stanford built a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter before Arizona cut it to 51-50 on star guard Aari McDonald's 3-pointer. After a timeout, Jones answered with a three-point play with 2:24 left to close the Cardinal scoring.

Lexie Hull chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds for Stanford.

McDonald had a team-high 22 points for the Wildcats.

UNDATED (AP) — One of the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching heroes in the 2020 postseason is off to a good start this year.

Julio Urías (yoo-ree'-uhs) gave up a run and three hits while pitching into the eighth inning of the Dodgers' 4-2 win at Colorado. Urias was 4-0 while allowing just three earned runs and striking out 29 in 23 innings.

The Dodgers put together a three-run first without a hit and went ahead 4-0 on will Smith's solo shot in the eighth.

Austin Gomber issued four walks and had a throwing error in the first inning. 

— Rookie Taylor Widener won his first big league start and David Peralta hit a two-run triple as the Diamondbacks downed the Padres, 3-1 to avoid a four-game sweep. Widener held the Padres to three hits over six innings while striking out five and walking three.

— Zach Davies pitched into the sixth inning in his Cubs debut, leading them to a 4-3 victory over the short-handed Pirates. Ian Happ homered and Kris Bryant reached three times as Chicago earned its second straight win after losing on opening day.

— The Astros completed a four-game sweep in Oakland as Jason Castro, Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick went deep in a 9-2 thumping of the Athletics. Yuli Gurriel (YOO'-lee gur-ee-EHL') had three hits and two RBIs to help Dusty Baker tie Bill McKechnie for 14th among managers with 1,896 wins.

— The Angels blew a 4-3 lead in the ninth before beating the White Sox, 7-4 on Jared Walsh's three-run, walk-off homer. Shohei Ohtani (shoh-hay oh-TAH'-nee) homered and struck out seven over 4 2/3 innings before leaving the game after a collision at home plate with AL MVP José Abreu (ah-BRAY'-oo).

— Nate Lowe clubbed a towering, three-run homer and the Rangers avoided a sweep by beating the Royals, 7-3. Isiah Kiner-Falefa furnished a two-run single in the fourth and a homer in the ninth.

— Miguel Sanó (sah-NOH') and Mitch Garver homered to back Michael Pineda (pih-NAY'-dah) as the Twins roughed up the Brewers, 8-2. Max Kepler and Sanó each drove in three runs and Pineda limited Milwaukee to an unearned run in five innings.

— Vladimir Guerrero (guh-REHR'-oh) Jr. and Randal Grichuk (GRIH'-chuhk) homered off Domingo Germán (hehr-MAHN') as the Blue Jays took the rubber match of their three-game set with the Yankees in the Bronx, 3-1. German was on the mound for the first time since serving from a suspension for a domestic abuse violation.

— Trey Mancini and Austin Hays laced two-run doubles during a seven-run third that carried the Orioles to an 11-3 pounding of the Red Sox and their first three-game sweep at Fenway Park since August 2017. Cedric Mullins went 5 for 5 with three doubles and walk for the Orioles, collecting four hits in the initial four innings as Boston fell to 0-3 at home for the second time in club history.

— Jordan Luplow hit a two-run homer to cap a four-run seventh inning that allowed the Indians to avoid a three-game sweep, 9-3 over the Tigers. Yu Chang put the Indians up 4-3 with a two-run single off Daniel Norris in the seventh.

— The Reds clobbered the Cardinals, 12-1 as Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH'-nohs) crushed a three-run homer and added a triple. Tyler Naquin (NAY'-kwihn) also smacked a three-run shot for the Reds, who won two in a row to take the opening series in a matchup of NL Central teams that earned wild-card spots last season.

— Alec Bohm hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning as the Phillies nipped the Braves, 2-1 to complete a three-game sweep of the three-time defending NL East champions. Zach Eflin went seven strong innings, allowing only four hits and one walk while striking out eight.

CHICAGO (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes on the 10-day injured list with a strained left wrist. 

Hayes got hurt on a swing during Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He also used his left hand diving back to first on a pickoff attempt.

The 24-year-old son of former big league infielder Charlie Hayes is among the favorites to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He hit a two-run drive off Kyle Hendricks during the Pirates' 5-3 opening day victory over the Cubs on Thursday.

— The Dodgers have put right-hander Tony Gonsolin on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, a move retroactive to Thursday. Righty Dennis Santana was recalled from the alternate training site at Glendale, Arizona. 

— Brewers assistant athletic trainer Dave Yeager spent the night in a hospital after he appeared to collapse on the field Saturday during a game with the Twins. It happened in the bottom of the ninth inning when he was treating home plate umpire CB Bucknor, who was hit in the throat area by a foul ball. Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Yeager had been feeling "extremely dehydrated" after the game.

UNDATED (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings were able to celebrate a victory in Tampa for the first time in almost six years.

The Wings had dropped 17 straight in Tampa before five different Detroit players scored in a 5-1 win over the Lightning. Mark Staal, Valterri Filppula (val-TEHR'-ee fihl-POO'-luh), Michael Rasmussen, Darren Helm and Dylan Larkin provided the goals for the Red Wings, who beat the Bolts for just the second time in their last 23 meetings.

The Wings took control by scoring three times in a 2:53 span of the second period.

Thomas Greiss (grys) finished with 27 points for Detroit and Christopher Gibson stopped just 12 shots in a matchup of former Islanders teammates.

The loss also drops the Lightning out of a first-place tie in the Central Division, falling two points behind Florida.

Chris Driedger (DREE'-gur) posted his third career shutout and the Panthers picked up their sixth straight win by downing the Blue Jackets, 3-0. Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist to back Driedger's 32-save performance.

Frank Vatrano and Gustav Forsling also scored, and MacKenzie Weegar had two assists for Florida.

The Hurricanes are within one point of the Panthers following a 1-0 shutout of Dallas. Petr Mrazek (mah-RA'-zehk) made 28 saves in his first game since suffering a thumb injury on Jan. 30. 

Jordan Martinook's second-period goal was enough scoring for Carolina.

Stars coach Rick Bowness didn't return to the bench for the third period because of what the team announced was a COVID protocol. The team says Bowness is fully vaccinated, adding that it believes it was a false positive test.

— Alex Ovechkin notched his 725th career goal as the Capitals completed an eight-game season sweep of the Devils, 5-4. It was Ovechkin's 265th power-play goal, tying him with Brett Hull for second on the all-time list. He also had two assists in helping the Caps sweep an eight-game season series for the first time in team history.

— Jakob Chrychrun (CHIHK'-run) capped his first career hat trick by scoring 1:47 into overtime, pushing the Coyotes past the Ducks, 3-2. Adin Hill made 18 saves in Arizona's fifth win in six games. Anaheim netminder John Gibson made 28 saves, including stopping Clayton Keller's penalty shot 1:41 into overtime.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nate Lowe hit a towering, three-run homer and the Texas Rangers figured how to hold onto a big lead, beating the Kansas City Royals 7-3 for their first win of the season. Texas blew a five-run edge on opening day and a four-run lead Saturday. Boosted by Lowe, the Rangers avoided a sweep. Lowe connected in the third for a 3-0 lead. He has nine RBIs in the first three games of the season, a Texas record. Isiah Kiner-Falefa also drove in three runs for the Rangers.CINCINNATI (AP) — Nick Castellanos came out swinging with his bat a day after being ejected for inciting a bench-clearing melee, hitting a three-run homer and triple to lead the Cincinnati Reds to a 12-1 rout over the St. Louis Cardinals. Tyler Naquin also a three-run shot for the Reds, who won two in a row to take the opening series in matchup of NL Central teams that earned wild-card spots last season. Castellanos kept up his big series with a triple in the fourth inning and a tiebreaking homer in the fifth off Carlos Martinez. Reds starter Jeff Hoffman pitched five strong innings.AMES, Iowa (AP) — The president of the Iowa State University student crew club says winds that had been forecast to remain low picked up suddenly, causing a boat to capsize before the crew could return to shore, drowning two members on March 28. Crew Club President Alexis Aurandt told WHO-TV on Saturday that after crew members rowed onto the lake, the winds picked up out of nowhere, and the crew's boat was surrounded by 1-foot waves. She says after the crew turned to get back to shore, a wave went under the boat and knocked it over. Crew members were not wearing life vests but all crew members had passed swim tests. The university and a national rowing association are investigating the accident.DENVER (AP) — Cale Makar scored with 40 seconds left to lift the Colorado Avalanche past the St. Louis Blues 2-1. Nathan MacKinnon also had a goal and Philipp Grubauer stopped 27 shots for Colorado. The Avalanche have won four in a row and are 12-0-2 over their last 14 games. Ryan O'Reilly scored for St. Louis and Ville Husso had 32 saves. The Blues have dropped five straight (0-4-1). The game appeared headed to overtime when Makar's shot from the right point went through traffic and by Husso.&nbsp;<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULE76ers, Nets fallUNDATED (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers remain deadlocked as they battle for the top of the NBA's Eastern Conference.The Nets had won five straight and 20 of 23 before Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-cheh-vihch) had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Bulls to a 115-107 victory against Brooklyn. Zach LaVine added 25 points and Chicago ended a six-game losing streak while putting Brooklyn a half-game behind the Sixers.Kyrie Irving had 24 points and 15 assists to lead the short-handed Nets, who played without James Harden and Kevin Durant. The 76ers played without Joel Embiid again and absorbed a 116-100 loss to the Grizzlies. Grayson Allen delivered 11 of his 15 points during a 14-4 run over the first two minutes of the third quarter. Allen hit three 3-pointers during the spurt that pushed Memphis' lead to 66-46 with 10 minutes left in the period.Dillon Brooks provided 17 and Jonas Valanciunas (VAL'-an-CHOO'-nihs) had 16 with 12 rebounds for Memphis.Tobias Harris scored 21 points for the 76ers, who have played 11 of their last 12 games without Embiid.Embiid was given the night off after returning from a 10-game absence due to a knee injury.Checking out Sunday's other NBA action:— Marcus Morris dropped in 22 points and Kawhi (kah-WY') Leonard just missed a triple-double as the Clippers dumped the Lakers, 104-86. Leonard had 19 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists for the Clippers, who led the entire game and improved to 33-18. The Clippers built a double-digit lead midway through the second that the Lakers never reduced to single digits the rest of the way. — Aaron Gordon scored 24 points against his former team, rallying the Denver Nuggets past the Orlando Magic 119-109. Gordon scored Denver's first dozen points, then helped the Nuggets erase an 18-point halftime deficit for their 14th win in 17 games and their 10th straight over the Magic. Jamal Murray added 22 points and Michael Porter Jr. 20 for Denver.— The Celtics clobbered the Hornets, 116-86 as Jayson Tatum contributed 22 points and eight rebounds. Evan Fournier had four 3-pointers and 17 points, while Robert Williams finished with 16 points and eight rebounds to help Boston post its second straight victory. The Celts drained 21 3-pointers and led by 28 heading into the final period.— The Hawks earned a 117-111 win over the Warriors behind Clint Capela's 24 points and 18 rebounds. Danilo Gallinari scored 25 points in Atlanta's third straight win. Stephen Curry finished with 37 points in his return from a tailbone injury, but Golden State lost for the seventh time in eight games.— Lonzo Ball drained a career-high eight 3-pointers and finished with 27 points as the Pelicans beat the Rockets, 122-115 to stop a two-game skid. One of Ball's treys came in a 10-2 spurt that put Memphis ahead, 107-104 with about four minutes remaining. Eric Bledsoe had 19 for the Grizzlies.NBA-BUCKS-HOLIDAY EXTENSIONHoliday inks extensionMILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue (droo) Holiday has agreed to a four-year contract extension that will be worth at least $134 million and possibly much more with incentives. The 30-year-old Holiday is averaging 17 points, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals this year in his first season with the Bucks. Milwaukee acquired him from New Orleans as part of a four-team trade.WOMEN'S BASKETBALL-NCAA TITLE GAMECardinals nip Wildcats to end title droughtSAN ANTONIO (AP) — The Stanford Cardinal are national champions in women's basketball for the third time and first in 29 years.Haley Jones scored 17 points as the Cardinal held off PAC-12 rival Arizona, 54-53. Stanford built a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter before Arizona cut it to 51-50 on star guard Aari McDonald's 3-pointer. After a timeout, Jones answered with a three-point play with 2:24 left to close the Cardinal scoring.Lexie Hull chipped in 10 points and 10 rebounds for Stanford.McDonald had a team-high 22 points for the Wildcats.MLB-SCHEDULEUrias sharp as Dodgers down RockiesUNDATED (AP) — One of the Los Angeles Dodgers' pitching heroes in the 2020 postseason is off to a good start this year.Julio Urías (yoo-ree'-uhs) gave up a run and three hits while pitching into the eighth inning of the Dodgers' 4-2 win at Colorado. Urias was 4-0 while allowing just three earned runs and striking out 29 in 23 innings.The Dodgers put together a three-run first without a hit and went ahead 4-0 on will Smith's solo shot in the eighth.Austin Gomber issued four walks and had a throwing error in the first inning. Also around the majors:— Rookie Taylor Widener won his first big league start and David Peralta hit a two-run triple as the Diamondbacks downed the Padres, 3-1 to avoid a four-game sweep. Widener held the Padres to three hits over six innings while striking out five and walking three.— Zach Davies pitched into the sixth inning in his Cubs debut, leading them to a 4-3 victory over the short-handed Pirates. Ian Happ homered and Kris Bryant reached three times as Chicago earned its second straight win after losing on opening day.— The Astros completed a four-game sweep in Oakland as Jason Castro, Kyle Tucker and Chas McCormick went deep in a 9-2 thumping of the Athletics. Yuli Gurriel (YOO'-lee gur-ee-EHL') had three hits and two RBIs to help Dusty Baker tie Bill McKechnie for 14th among managers with 1,896 wins.— The Angels blew a 4-3 lead in the ninth before beating the White Sox, 7-4 on Jared Walsh's three-run, walk-off homer. Shohei Ohtani (shoh-hay oh-TAH'-nee) homered and struck out seven over 4 2/3 innings before leaving the game after a collision at home plate with AL MVP José Abreu (ah-BRAY'-oo).— Nate Lowe clubbed a towering, three-run homer and the Rangers avoided a sweep by beating the Royals, 7-3. Isiah Kiner-Falefa furnished a two-run single in the fourth and a homer in the ninth.— Miguel Sanó (sah-NOH') and Mitch Garver homered to back Michael Pineda (pih-NAY'-dah) as the Twins roughed up the Brewers, 8-2. Max Kepler and Sanó each drove in three runs and Pineda limited Milwaukee to an unearned run in five innings.— Vladimir Guerrero (guh-REHR'-oh) Jr. and Randal Grichuk (GRIH'-chuhk) homered off Domingo Germán (hehr-MAHN') as the Blue Jays took the rubber match of their three-game set with the Yankees in the Bronx, 3-1. German was on the mound for the first time since serving from a suspension for a domestic abuse violation.— Trey Mancini and Austin Hays laced two-run doubles during a seven-run third that carried the Orioles to an 11-3 pounding of the Red Sox and their first three-game sweep at Fenway Park since August 2017. Cedric Mullins went 5 for 5 with three doubles and walk for the Orioles, collecting four hits in the initial four innings as Boston fell to 0-3 at home for the second time in club history.— Jordan Luplow hit a two-run homer to cap a four-run seventh inning that allowed the Indians to avoid a three-game sweep, 9-3 over the Tigers. Yu Chang put the Indians up 4-3 with a two-run single off Daniel Norris in the seventh.— The Reds clobbered the Cardinals, 12-1 as Nick Castellanos (kas-tee-AH'-nohs) crushed a three-run homer and added a triple. Tyler Naquin (NAY'-kwihn) also smacked a three-run shot for the Reds, who won two in a row to take the opening series in a matchup of NL Central teams that earned wild-card spots last season.— Alec Bohm hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning as the Phillies nipped the Braves, 2-1 to complete a three-game sweep of the three-time defending NL East champions. Zach Eflin went seven strong innings, allowing only four hits and one walk while striking out eight.MLB-NEWSPirates place Hayes on ILCHICAGO (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates have placed third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes on the 10-day injured list with a strained left wrist. Hayes got hurt on a swing during Saturday's 5-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. He also used his left hand diving back to first on a pickoff attempt.The 24-year-old son of former big league infielder Charlie Hayes is among the favorites to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award. He hit a two-run drive off Kyle Hendricks during the Pirates' 5-3 opening day victory over the Cubs on Thursday.In other baseball news: — The Dodgers have put right-hander Tony Gonsolin on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, a move retroactive to Thursday. Righty Dennis Santana was recalled from the alternate training site at Glendale, Arizona. — Brewers assistant athletic trainer Dave Yeager spent the night in a hospital after he appeared to collapse on the field Saturday during a game with the Twins. It happened in the bottom of the ninth inning when he was treating home plate umpire CB Bucknor, who was hit in the throat area by a foul ball. Brewers manager Craig Counsell said Yeager had been feeling "extremely dehydrated" after the game.NHL-SCHEDULEWings finally win in TampaUNDATED (AP) — The Detroit Red Wings were able to celebrate a victory in Tampa for the first time in almost six years.The Wings had dropped 17 straight in Tampa before five different Detroit players scored in a 5-1 win over the Lightning. Mark Staal, Valterri Filppula (val-TEHR'-ee fihl-POO'-luh), Michael Rasmussen, Darren Helm and Dylan Larkin provided the goals for the Red Wings, who beat the Bolts for just the second time in their last 23 meetings.The Wings took control by scoring three times in a 2:53 span of the second period.Thomas Greiss (grys) finished with 27 points for Detroit and Christopher Gibson stopped just 12 shots in a matchup of former Islanders teammates.The loss also drops the Lightning out of a first-place tie in the Central Division, falling two points behind Florida.Chris Driedger (DREE'-gur) posted his third career shutout and the Panthers picked up their sixth straight win by downing the Blue Jackets, 3-0. Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist to back Driedger's 32-save performance.Frank Vatrano and Gustav Forsling also scored, and MacKenzie Weegar had two assists for Florida.The Hurricanes are within one point of the Panthers following a 1-0 shutout of Dallas. Petr Mrazek (mah-RA'-zehk) made 28 saves in his first game since suffering a thumb injury on Jan. 30. Jordan Martinook's second-period goal was enough scoring for Carolina.Stars coach Rick Bowness didn't return to the bench for the third period because of what the team announced was a COVID protocol. The team says Bowness is fully vaccinated, adding that it believes it was a false positive test.Elsewhere on NHL ice:— Alex Ovechkin notched his 725th career goal as the Capitals completed an eight-game season sweep of the Devils, 5-4. It was Ovechkin's 265th power-play goal, tying him with Brett Hull for second on the all-time list. He also had two assists in helping the Caps sweep an eight-game season series for the first time in team history.— Jakob Chrychrun (CHIHK'-run) capped his first career hat trick by scoring 1:47 into overtime, pushing the Coyotes past the Ducks, 3-2. Adin Hill made 18 saves in Arizona's fifth win in six games. Anaheim netminder John Gibson made 28 saves, including stopping Clayton Keller's penalty shot 1:41 into overtime.— The Maple Leafs notched a 4-2 win over the Flames as Auston Matthews and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist. Morgan Rielly and Alex Galchenyuk (gal-CHEHN'-yuhk) also scored to help the North Division leaders move to 6-3-1. Joakim Nordstrom and Andrew Mangiapane (man-jah-PAN'-ee) scored for the Flames, who are 2-8-0 in their last 10 and 5-8-0 since Darryl Sutter took over as head coach.PGA-TEXAS OPENSpieth ends lengthy win droughtSAN ANTONIO (AP) — Jordan Spieth (SPEETH) has ended a slump that lasted 82 starts and nearly four years, closing with a 6-under 66 to win the Valero Texas Open.It's his first victory since the 2017 British Open at Royal Birkdale. Now he heads to Augusta National as one of the favorites at the Masters.Spieth sealed it with a 5-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole, and he won by two shots over Charley Hoffman.LPGA-ANA INSPIRATIONRANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. (AP) — Patty Tavatanakit survived Lydia Ko's final-round charge to win the ANA Inspiration for her first LPGA Tour victory.Five strokes ahead entering the day and six in front after a chip-in eagle on the par-5 second, Tavatanakit shot a 4-under 68 in 100-degree heat to beat Ko by two strokes in the first major championship of the year.Ko matched Lorena Ochoa's tournament record with a 62, shooting 7-under 29 on the front nine for the best nine-hole score in the event's 50-year history. COLLEGE SPORTS SURVEY-NILAP survey: ADs concerned NIL will skew competitive balanceUNDATED (AP) — An Associated Press survey of Division I athletic directors found that nearly 73% believe allowing athletes to be compensated for use of their name, image or likeness will decrease the number of schools that have a chance to be competitive in college sports. Nearly 28% said many fewer schools would be competitive. Most of those surveyed were from smaller schools and not in the Power Five conferences. One participant says NIL rights are a game changer for college athletics. Others say the concerns are overblown.The NCAA is trying to change its rules regarding NIL and compensation for athletes, but the process has bogged down under scrutiny from the Justice Department.The clock is ticking on the NCAA. Dozens of states are forcing the issue with bills that will grant college athletes NIL rights as early as July. Efforts to put a federal law in place and avoid that situation seem on the slow track in Congress.