NCAAWBKB – Women’s NCAA Tournament – Elite 8
Last Night
Wichita Region – Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, KS

1 Louisville 62, 3  Michigan 50

Louisville 62, Michigan 50 – Louisville beats Michigan  62-50 to return to Final Four

Hailey Van Lith scored 22 points, Olivia Cochran made  a series of crucial baskets in the final minutes, and Louisville held off  Michigan 62-50 to return to the Final Four for the fourth time in program  history. Chelsie Hall added 15 points and Emily Engstler balanced out a poor  shooting night with 16 rebounds and some big plays on defense, helping the  top-seeded Cardinals advance to face South Carolina next weekend in  Minneapolis. Naz Hillmon finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the  Wolverines, who couldn’t overcome 22 turnovers despite a huge disparity at the  foul line in their first regional final.

Bridgeport Region – Total Mortgage Arena, Bridgeport,  CT

2 UConn 91, 1 NC  State 87 – 2 OT 

UConn 91, NC State 87 – 2 OT – UConn reaches 14th  straight Final Four, tops NC State in 2OT

  UConn is heading to the women’s Final Four for the  14th straight time. The Huskies beat North Carolina State 91-87 in a  double-overtime thriller. Paige Bueckers scored 15 of her 27 points in the two  extra periods. The Huskies had been 0-for-5 in overtime in the NCAA Tournament.  They will face top seed Stanford on Friday night in the national semifinals in  Minneapolis. Bueckers was AP Player of the Year last season as a freshman but  missed two months this season with a knee injury. When the Huskies needed her,  she looked like her old self. Jakia Brown-Turner hit a 3-pointer to force the  second overtime and led N.C. State with 20 points.

NCAAMBKB – Duke-Carolina, Kansas-Nova set for epic  Final Four showdowns

  Duke and North Carolina will meet for the 258th time  but first in the NCAA Tournament when they tip off Saturday night in the Final  Four in New Orleans. It will be the final trip to college basketball’s biggest  stage for Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is chasing his sixth national  championship. The winner of their showdown at the Superdome will get Kansas or  Villanova in the title game. North Carolina will be making its records 21st  appearance in the Final Four, and the four teams headed to the Big Easy  combined to make it 61 times with 17 national titles between them.

NBA  – National Basketball Association
Last Night

  New York Knicks 109, Chicago Bulls 104

  Atlanta Hawks 132, Indiana Pacers 123

Knicks 109, Bulls 104 – Knicks hold off DeRozan, Bulls  for 4th straight win

  RJ Barrett scored 28 points, Alec Burks had 27 and the  New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls 109-104 for their fourth straight  victory. Obi Toppin had 17 points for the Knicks, whose strong recent play will  likely come too late. They remained 4 1/2 games behind Atlanta for 10th place  in the Eastern Conference and the final play-in spot with only six games  remaining. DeMar DeRozan scored 37 for the Bulls, including 15 in the fourth  quarter. But he missed a jumper and then was called for an offensive foul in  the final 45 seconds, cutting short Chicago’s comeback attempt. 

Hawks 132, Pacers 123 – Bogdanovic scores 29, Hawks  beat Pacers 132-123

  Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 29 points to lead the Atlanta  Hawks past the Indiana Pacers 132-123. Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter each  contributed 22 points and Capela added 15 rebounds for the Hawks, who are 10th  in the Eastern Conference. 

Tonight

  Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards, 7:00 p.m.

  Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m.

NBA – Pistons’ Grant to miss rest of season with left  calf injury

  Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant will miss the  remainder of the season because of a strained left calf. The team said Monday  that Grant was hurt in the first quarter of a 100-97 loss to Washington on  Friday. Grant averaged 19.2 points in 47 games this season, his second with the  Pistons. He won a gold medal playing for the U.S. Olympic team last summer.

NHL  – National Hockey League
Last Night

  Buffalo Sabres 6, Chicago Blackhawks 5

Sabres 6, Blackhawks 5 – Thompson winner with 10.6  left, Sabres rally past Blackhawks

  Tage Thompson scored the tiebreaking goal on a  fortunate bounce with 10.6 seconds left and the Buffalo Sabres rallied from  four down to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5. Victor Olofsson had two goals and  an assist to help the Sabres win for the first time in three games. Kyle  Okposo, Vinnie Hinostroza and Alex Tuch also scored for Buffalo. Thompson, the  team leader with 28 goals, broke his stick on a shot from left wing. The puck  caromed off the boards behind the net and hit Chicago goaltender Kevin  Lankinen’s left skate before going in. Tuch tied it for Buffalo with 2:14 to  play. Alex DeBrincat, Calvin de Haan, Sam Lafferty, Jonathan Toews and Seth  Jones scored for the Blackhawks, who led 4-0 in the second period.

NHL – Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk dies from  illness at 62

  The Ottawa Senators say owner Eugene Melnyk has died  from an illness at age 62. The team announced the news with a statement from  his family. The statement did not provide additional details of what the  illness was. Melnyk had a liver transplant in 2015 after a public search for a  donor. Melnyk had owned the Senators since 2003. The Toronto native was also  involved in other businesses around Canada and in 2010 had an estimated net  worth of $1.21 billion.

NHL – Sheldon Kennedy talks safety, inclusion at NHL  GMs meeting

  Sheldon Kennedy addressed NHL general managers on the  opening day of their first in-person meeting in two years. He and league  executive Kim Davis led a discussion about safety and inclusion. Kennedy has  been a voice for victims following his own experience being sexually abused by  a coach during his time as a junior hockey player. The league is attempting to  push forward on those issues in the aftermath of the Chicago Blackhawks  investigation into allegations a player was sexually assaulted by a video coach  in 2010.

NFL – NFL makes adjustments to Rooney Rule to aid  minority hiring

  To ensure more opportunities for diverse candidates,  the NFL has added requirements on the hiring of offensive assistant coaches,  and women in general. The moves announced at the owners meeting include  adjustments to the Rooney Rule adopted in 2003 and amended frequently in  attempts to enhance opportunities for people of color and women for nearly all  league and team jobs. Beginning this season, all 32 clubs must employ a female  or a member of an ethnic or racial minority to serve as an offensive assistant  coach. The person will receive a one-year contract and work closely with the  head coach and offensive staff to gain experience.

NFL – New stadium for Buffalo; proposal for Tennessee

  Sources tell The Associated Press that Tennessee Gov.  Bill Lee plans to propose $500 million in bonds in the state budget to help  fund a new covered $1.2 billon Tennessee Titans stadium envisioned for  Nashville. In New York, state and county taxpayers will be asked to commit a  record $850 million in public funds toward construction of the Buffalo Bills’  new stadium. The project has a total estimated price tag of $1.4 billion.

NFL – Lions to be featured on NFL’s “Hard Knocks”,  will host 2024 draft

  The NFL announced that the Detroit Lions will be the  team featured in the upcoming season of the HBO documentary series “Hard Knocks.”     The Lions were one of three teams that  could not turn down the series coming to Lions training camp.  This will be the 15th season of  the show.  The NFL also announced that the  city of Detroit will host the NFL Draft in 2024.   The  physical draft location will be held downtown at around Campus Martius Park and  Hart Plaza.  This season’s draft will  take place in Las Vegas, with Kansas City hosting in 2023.

NCAAFB – New coach Marcus Freeman liking his first  Irish spring

  Notre Dame and first-year coach Marcus Freeman are  getting know each other. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees returns on a staff  that has eight new faces, including Freeman’s successor at defensive  coordinator in Al Golden. There’s also a battle for the No. 1 quarterback spot  as sophomore Tyler Buchner and junior Drew Pyne duel to replace Jack Coan.  Notre Dame finished last season 11-2. The spring game is April 23.

MLB  – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday

  New York Yankees 11,  Detroit Tigers 7

  San Diego Padres 9,  Chicago White Sox 8

Chicago Cubs 4,  Cincinnati Reds 2 

Today

  Arizona Diamondbacks  at Chicago Cubs, 4:05 p.m.

  Tigers and White Sox  are off

MLB  – Cubs’ Wisdom, Schwindel looking to build on 2021 season

  Patrick  Wisdom and Frank Schwindel were two pleasant surprises for the Chicago Cubs  during a tough 2021 season. Looking to establish themselves as consistent major  leaguers, the slugging infielders are trying to stick to the formula that  worked so well for each one last year. Wisdom set a single-season franchise record  for rookies with 28 homers, topping Kris Bryant’s 26 in 2015, and Schwindel  batted .342 in 56 games. Chicago is hoping what they accomplished in 2021 is a  harbinger of future success instead of a fleeting aberration.

MCCAA  – Junior College Athletics
Today
Baseball

  Lake Michigan College at Kellogg Community College, 2:00  p.m./4:30 p.m.       (DH)

Softball

  Glen Oaks Community College at Lake Michigan College,  3:00 p.m./5:00 p.m.    (DH) 

MHSAA  – High School Sports
Yesterday
Girls Soccer

  South Haven 2, Fennville 1

Today
Baseball

  Brandywine at Niles, 4:00 p.m. (DH)

  Coloma at South Haven, 4:15 p.m. (DH)

  Martin at Grand Rapids Union, 4:00 p.m. (DH)

  Saugatuck at Hamilton, 4:15 p.m. (DH)

Softball

  North Muskegon at Saugatuck, 4:15 p.m. (DH)

Girls Soccer

  Delton-Kellogg at Hastings, 5:00 p.m.

NCAAWBKB – Women&rsquo;s NCAA Tournament – Elite 8 
Last Night 
Wichita Region – Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, KS 
1 Louisville 62, 3 Michigan 50
Louisville 62, Michigan 50 – Louisville beats Michigan 62-50 to return to Final Four 
Hailey Van Lith scored 22 points, Olivia Cochran made a series of crucial baskets in the final minutes, and Louisville held off Michigan 62-50 to return to the Final Four for the fourth time in program history. Chelsie Hall added 15 points and Emily Engstler balanced out a poor shooting night with 16 rebounds and some big plays on defense, helping the top-seeded Cardinals advance to face South Carolina next weekend in Minneapolis. Naz Hillmon finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolverines, who couldn&#8217;t overcome 22 turnovers despite a huge disparity at the foul line in their first regional final.
Bridgeport Region – Total Mortgage Arena, Bridgeport, CT 
2 UConn 91, 1 NC State 87 – 2 OT 
UConn 91, NC State 87 – 2 OT – UConn reaches 14th straight Final Four, tops NC State in 2OT 
 UConn is heading to the women&#8217;s Final Four for the 14th straight time. The Huskies beat North Carolina State 91-87 in a double-overtime thriller. Paige Bueckers scored 15 of her 27 points in the two extra periods. The Huskies had been 0-for-5 in overtime in the NCAA Tournament. They will face top seed Stanford on Friday night in the national semifinals in Minneapolis. Bueckers was AP Player of the Year last season as a freshman but missed two months this season with a knee injury. When the Huskies needed her, she looked like her old self. Jakia Brown-Turner hit a 3-pointer to force the second overtime and led N.C. State with 20 points.
NCAAMBKB – Duke-Carolina, Kansas-Nova set for epic Final Four showdowns 
 Duke and North Carolina will meet for the 258th time but first in the NCAA Tournament when they tip off Saturday night in the Final Four in New Orleans. It will be the final trip to college basketball&#8217;s biggest stage for Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is chasing his sixth national championship. The winner of their showdown at the Superdome will get Kansas or Villanova in the title game. North Carolina will be making its records 21st appearance in the Final Four, and the four teams headed to the Big Easy combined to make it 61 times with 17 national titles between them.
NBA – National Basketball Association 
 Last Night 
 New York Knicks 109, Chicago Bulls 104 
 Atlanta Hawks 132, Indiana Pacers 123
Knicks 109, Bulls 104 – Knicks hold off DeRozan, Bulls for 4th straight win 
 RJ Barrett scored 28 points, Alec Burks had 27 and the New York Knicks beat the Chicago Bulls 109-104 for their fourth straight victory. Obi Toppin had 17 points for the Knicks, whose strong recent play will likely come too late. They remained 4 1/2 games behind Atlanta for 10th place in the Eastern Conference and the final play-in spot with only six games remaining. DeMar DeRozan scored 37 for the Bulls, including 15 in the fourth quarter. But he missed a jumper and then was called for an offensive foul in the final 45 seconds, cutting short Chicago&rsquo;s comeback attempt. 
Hawks 132, Pacers 123 – Bogdanovic scores 29, Hawks beat Pacers 132-123 
 Bogdan Bogdanovic scored 29 points to lead the Atlanta Hawks past the Indiana Pacers 132-123. Clint Capela and Kevin Huerter each contributed 22 points and Capela added 15 rebounds for the Hawks, who are 10th in the Eastern Conference. 
Tonight 
 Chicago Bulls at Washington Wizards, 7:00 p.m. 
 Detroit Pistons at Brooklyn Nets, 7:30 p.m.
NBA – Pistons&#8217; Grant to miss rest of season with left calf injury 
 Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant will miss the remainder of the season because of a strained left calf. The team said Monday that Grant was hurt in the first quarter of a 100-97 loss to Washington on Friday. Grant averaged 19.2 points in 47 games this season, his second with the Pistons. He won a gold medal playing for the U.S. Olympic team last summer.
NHL – National Hockey League 
 Last Night 
 Buffalo Sabres 6, Chicago Blackhawks 5
Sabres 6, Blackhawks 5 – Thompson winner with 10.6 left, Sabres rally past Blackhawks 
 Tage Thompson scored the tiebreaking goal on a fortunate bounce with 10.6 seconds left and the Buffalo Sabres rallied from four down to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5. Victor Olofsson had two goals and an assist to help the Sabres win for the first time in three games. Kyle Okposo, Vinnie Hinostroza and Alex Tuch also scored for Buffalo. Thompson, the team leader with 28 goals, broke his stick on a shot from left wing. The puck caromed off the boards behind the net and hit Chicago goaltender Kevin Lankinen&rsquo;s left skate before going in. Tuch tied it for Buffalo with 2:14 to play. Alex DeBrincat, Calvin de Haan, Sam Lafferty, Jonathan Toews and Seth Jones scored for the Blackhawks, who led 4-0 in the second period.
NHL – Ottawa Senators owner Eugene Melnyk dies from illness at 62 
 The Ottawa Senators say owner Eugene Melnyk has died from an illness at age 62. The team announced the news with a statement from his family. The statement did not provide additional details of what the illness was. Melnyk had a liver transplant in 2015 after a public search for a donor. Melnyk had owned the Senators since 2003. The Toronto native was also involved in other businesses around Canada and in 2010 had an estimated net worth of $1.21 billion.
NHL – Sheldon Kennedy talks safety, inclusion at NHL GMs meeting 
 Sheldon Kennedy addressed NHL general managers on the opening day of their first in-person meeting in two years. He and league executive Kim Davis led a discussion about safety and inclusion. Kennedy has been a voice for victims following his own experience being sexually abused by a coach during his time as a junior hockey player. The league is attempting to push forward on those issues in the aftermath of the Chicago Blackhawks investigation into allegations a player was sexually assaulted by a video coach in 2010.
NFL – NFL makes adjustments to Rooney Rule to aid minority hiring 
 To ensure more opportunities for diverse candidates, the NFL has added requirements on the hiring of offensive assistant coaches, and women in general. The moves announced at the owners meeting include adjustments to the Rooney Rule adopted in 2003 and amended frequently in attempts to enhance opportunities for people of color and women for nearly all league and team jobs. Beginning this season, all 32 clubs must employ a female or a member of an ethnic or racial minority to serve as an offensive assistant coach. The person will receive a one-year contract and work closely with the head coach and offensive staff to gain experience.
NFL – New stadium for Buffalo; proposal for Tennessee 
 Sources tell The Associated Press that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee plans to propose $500 million in bonds in the state budget to help fund a new covered $1.2 billon Tennessee Titans stadium envisioned for Nashville. In New York, state and county taxpayers will be asked to commit a record $850 million in public funds toward construction of the Buffalo Bills&rsquo; new stadium. The project has a total estimated price tag of $1.4 billion.
NFL – Lions to be featured on NFL&rsquo;s &ldquo;Hard Knocks&rdquo;, will host 2024 draft 
 The NFL announced that the Detroit Lions will be the team featured in the upcoming season of the HBO documentary series &ldquo;Hard Knocks.&rdquo;    The Lions were one of three teams that could not turn down the series coming to Lions training camp.  This will be the 15th season of the show.  The NFL also announced that the city of Detroit will host the NFL Draft in 2024.   The physical draft location will be held downtown at around Campus Martius Park and Hart Plaza.  This season&rsquo;s draft will take place in Las Vegas, with Kansas City hosting in 2023.
NCAAFB – New coach Marcus Freeman liking his first Irish spring 
 Notre Dame and first-year coach Marcus Freeman are getting know each other. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees returns on a staff that has eight new faces, including Freeman&#8217;s successor at defensive coordinator in Al Golden. There&#8217;s also a battle for the No. 1 quarterback spot as sophomore Tyler Buchner and junior Drew Pyne duel to replace Jack Coan. Notre Dame finished last season 11-2. The spring game is April 23.
MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training 
 Yesterday 
 New York Yankees 11, Detroit Tigers 7 
 San Diego Padres 9, Chicago White Sox 8 
Chicago Cubs 4, Cincinnati Reds 2 
Today 
 Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs, 4:05 p.m. 
 Tigers and White Sox are off
MLB – Cubs&#8217; Wisdom, Schwindel looking to build on 2021 season 
 Patrick Wisdom and Frank Schwindel were two pleasant surprises for the Chicago Cubs during a tough 2021 season. Looking to establish themselves as consistent major leaguers, the slugging infielders are trying to stick to the formula that worked so well for each one last year. Wisdom set a single-season franchise record for rookies with 28 homers, topping Kris Bryant&rsquo;s 26 in 2015, and Schwindel batted .342 in 56 games. Chicago is hoping what they accomplished in 2021 is a harbinger of future success instead of a fleeting aberration.
MCCAA – Junior College Athletics 
 Today 
 Baseball 
 Lake Michigan College at Kellogg Community College, 2:00 p.m./4:30 p.m.       (DH)
Softball 
 Glen Oaks Community College at Lake Michigan College, 3:00 p.m./5:00 p.m.    (DH) 
MHSAA – High School Sports 
 Yesterday 
 Girls Soccer 
 South Haven 2, Fennville 1
Today 
 Baseball 
 Brandywine at Niles, 4:00 p.m. (DH) 
 Coloma at South Haven, 4:15 p.m. (DH) 
 Martin at Grand Rapids Union, 4:00 p.m. (DH) 
 Saugatuck at Hamilton, 4:15 p.m. (DH)
Softball 
 North Muskegon at Saugatuck, 4:15 p.m. (DH)
Girls Soccer 
 Delton-Kellogg at Hastings, 5:00 p.m.

Southwest Michigan's Sports Leader

WSJM Sports

NCAAWBKB – Women’s NCAA Tournament – Elite 8 Last Night Wichita Region – Intrust Bank Arena, Wichita, KS  1 Louisville 62, 3  Michigan 50 Louisville 62, Michigan 50 – Louisville beats Michigan  62-50 to return to Final Four