Net-Cutting Season ✂️

03/09/2020

By: Jeff Yoder

QUOTE OF THE DAY
John Wooden“It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit.”
Letter Rip!
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🚨 Breaking News: The BNP Paribas at Indian Wells has been cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Read more at the end of today’s edition.
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NCAAM
Men’s Regular-
Season Conference Champions

Photo: Rob Carr / Getty Images

Big Ten, ACC, Big East, and Pac-12 Crown Regular-Season Champs

College basketball’s March takeover is about to begin, and the weekend crowned regular-season champs across the country. Here’s the list of winners from the last 72 hours:

Men’s Regular-Season Champions

⚫️ Big Ten: #9 Maryland, #16 Michigan State, and #24 Wisconsin all finished the conference season 14-6 for a three-way share of the Big Ten regular-season title.

⚫️ ACC: #7 Florida State finished the year 16-4 to edge #12 Duke, #10 Louisville, and #22 Virginia at 15-5 to win their first ACC regular-season crown.

⚫️ Big East: #14 Villanova, #11 Creighton, and #8 Seton Hall all finished the conference season 13-5 in a three-way tie for the Big East title.

⚫️ Pac-12: #13 Oregon (13-5) won their last four games of the season to hold off UCLA (12-6) for their second conference title in five years.

⚫️ Big 12: #1 Kansas already earned a share of conference championship last week, but it became an outright title after #4 Baylor’s second loss in a week to unranked West Virginia.

⚫️ SEC: #6 Kentucky won the Southeastern Conference’s regular-season championship in late February.

Other Storylines
CBS Sports: Utah State Stuns San Diego State in Mountain West Final
ESPN: 2019-20 Men’s Conference Tournament Schedules

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NCAAW
Women’s Conference Tournament Winners

Photo: Ethan Miller / Getty Images

Pac-12, SEC, Big Ten, and ACC Crown Tournament Winners

It was a handful of top-ranked blowouts across the women’s tournaments. Oregon, Mississippi State, UConn, and Maryland asserted their dominance atop their respective conferences, but #2 Baylor took a hard fall to end a near-perfect season.

Women’s Conference Tournaments

⚫️ Pac-12: #3 Oregon pounded #7 Stanford (89-56) to win their second Pac-12 tournament title in three years. The Ducks take a 19-game win streak into the women’s NCAA Tournament.

⚫️ SEC: #1 South Carolina ran through the SEC Tournament with nothing but double-digit victories, including a 76-62 win in the final against #9 Mississippi State to cap a 32-1 season.

⚫️ Big Ten: #6 Maryland took down Indiana and Ohio State over the weekend to win the Big Ten tournament title for the fifth championship in the last six years.

⚫️ ACC: #10 NC State won three straight games by single digits to win the ACC crown after #4 Louisville suffered an upset loss to Florida State in the semifinal.

Additional Storylines
Yahoo! Sports: Oregon Ready for NCAA Run After Pac-12 Sweep
ESPN: Who Punched Their Ticket to the Women’s NCAA Tournament?

Schedule: Remaining Tournaments
Big 12: Begins Thursday, March 12
Big East: Final Tonight (8:00 pm ET)

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SOCCER

Julie Ertz Saves USWNT Win Streak

Photo: Mike Stobe / Getty Images

SheBelieves Cup: USWNT def. Spain (1-0) on International Women’s Day

A 14-game win streak was on the line Sunday in Matchday 2 of the SheBelieves Cup, and Julie Ertz struck the game-winning header in the 87th minute. The Ertz goal ignited celebration on International Women’s Day as the USWNT secured a three-point lead in the SheBelieves Cup with one match left to play. Their win streak extends back to the beginning of last summer’s World Cup when they defeated Spain in the opening round. With a win or a draw Wednesday against Japan in Frisco, Texas, the USWNT will win their third SheBelieves Cup in five seasons.

Highlights | Read More (NBC Sports)

Matchday 3: Wednesday
USWNT vs. Japan (8:00 pm ET)

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NBA

A Pair of ‘Staple’ Victories

Photo: Harry How / Getty Images

Lakers Take Down Top Two Threats to NBA Title

Another crucial weekend in the NBA’s stretch run put the Lakers front and center for a pair of staple wins at the Staples Center against the two biggest threats to their NBA title hopes — the Milwaukee Bucks (113-103) and Los Angeles Clippers (112-103). Anthony Davis scored 30 points in both games while LeBron James’ combined 65 points and two near triple-doubles showcased his dominance in a pair of playoff atmospheres.

“LeBron was unbelievable. This was his best weekend in a Lakers uniform.” —Lakers Head Coach Frank Vogel

“I think he’s been amazing all year… I’ve never seen a guy get better at age 35 in sports. It’s just unusual.” —Clippers Head Coach Doc Rivers

Watch Highlights (HoH)

Additional Storylines
ESPN: How LeBron and the Lakers Made Their Biggest Statement Yet
The Ringer: Until He Says Otherwise, LeBron James Still Wears the Crown

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WORLD SPORTS

Coronavirus Updates

As the coronavirus concerns grow across the United States, the weekend headlines included a mixed bag of reactions, cancellations, and safety strategies. Here are some of the key headlines on the impact of the virus in American sports:

⚫️ TENNIS: BNP Paribas Cancelled
The tennis tournament in Indian Wells has been cancelled after a case of the coronavirus was confirmed in Southern California. (USA Today)

⚫️ NHL: Limited Locker Room Access
The NHL closed media access in team locker rooms for the near future. (CBS Sports)

⚫️ NBA: Plan Submissions by Tuesday
The NBA wants each team to submit their security plans by Tuesday. (ESPN)

⚫️ All Sports: What Comes Next?
The outbreak could prompt alarming ripple effects across American sports this spring, including NBA and NHL playoffs, NCAA Tournaments, and more. (Sports Illustrated)

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THE HIGHLIGHTS

🏒 NHL: Flyers Extend Streak to 9
The Philadelphia Flyers beat the Buffalo Sabres (3-1) on Saturday to extend their league-best win streak to nine games. Claud Giroux scored twice, and the Flyers are tied with the Capitals atop the Metropolitan Division. (SportsNet)

⛳️ PGA: Hatton Wins Brutal Bay Hill
Englishman Tyrell Hatton hung on to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday with a 4-under tournament score. He beat out Marc Leishman and Sungjae Im as difficult conditions wrecked the leaderboard in Rounds 3 and 4. (PGA Tour)

⚽️ EPL: United’s Derby Double
Manchester United completed the first season sweep of cross-town rival Manchester City in a decade with a 2-0 win in the Manchester Derby on Sunday. Anthony Martial (30’) and Scott McTominay (90+6’) scored the goals for United.  (ESPN FC)

🥊 UFC: Adesanya Stays Perfect
In one of the most disappointing UFC events in recent memory, Israel Adesanya defeated Yoel Romero by decision in Saturday night’s UFC 248. The 30-year-old Nigerian improved to 19-0 to defend his Middleweight title belt despite a lackluster performance. (CBS Sports)

👟 RUNNING: L.A. Marathon Winners
Bayelign Teshager (2:08:26) and Margaret Muriuki (2:29:27) won the 2020 L.A. Marathon on Sunday in two contrasting victories. Teshager, a 20-year-old Ethiopian, won by 17 seconds while Muriuka, the 33-year-old Kenyan, outpaced the field by more than three minutes. (B/R)

🏈 XFL: Roughnecks Stay Undefeated
After five weeks of the XFL’s inaugural 10-week season, the Houston Roughnecks sit atop the standings at 5-0. QB P.J. Walker led a 14-point comeback and three unanswered TDs in the final 15 minutes to keep Houston unbeaten. (ESPN)

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 📰 THE HEADLINES 

Nets’ Kyrie Irving Rumored to Want Reunion With Head Coach Tyronn Lue
(Bleacher Report)

Cowboys Offer QB Dak Prescott $105 Million Guaranteed Contract
(CBS Sports)

Giannis Antetokounmpo Expected to Miss Only 2 Games With Knee Sprain
(Sports Illustrated)

Some NFL Owners Want 18-Game Schedule as New CBA Vote Awaits
(ESPN)

Rangers LF Willie Calhoun Hospitalized After 95 mph Fastball to Face
(Yahoo! Sports)

Knicks Draw Smallest Crowd in 13 Years After Spike Lee Incident
(Newsweek)

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