Women's March Madness First Round Underway with Key Matchups on March 21

• Second round games occur on March 21 at sites including Oklahoma City, Portland, and St. Louis, following first round action. • Kentucky secured an overtime win with Otega Oweh scoring 35 points and hitting an epic buzzer-beater, advancing in the tournament. • The schedule progresses to Sweet 16 on March 26-27, with regionals in Houston, San Jose, and Chicago hosting later stages.

• Los Angeles Lakers defeated Denver Nuggets in overtime, sparked by Austin Reaves' intentional missed free-throw put-back to force the extra period. • Reaves celebrated by cradling the basketball and whispering 'I love you' after the key play in the comeback win. • Young fan Jackson Tuyay's passionate cheering ignited the crowd and inspired the Lakers' defense against a top team.

• The No. 1 seed Michigan Wolverines (32-3) play the No. 9 seed St. Louis Billikens (29-5) in a second-round Midwest Regional matchup at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, with tip-off at 12:10 p.m. ET on Saturday. • Michigan defeated Howard 101-81 in the first round, while St. Louis dominated Georgia 102-77 Thursday night, with DraftKings projecting Michigan as a 12.5-point favorite. • Key performers include Michigan's Morez Johnson Jr., who posted 21 points and 10 rebounds in the first round, and St. Louis's Dion Brown, who led the Billikens with 18 points against Georgia.

• No. 11 seed Texas upset sixth-seeded BYU 79-71 in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, advancing in the NCAA Tournament first round. • Matas Vokietaitis led Texas with 23 points and 16 rebounds, while BYU's AJ Dybantsa scored 35 points in the loss. • The victory sets up potential second-round matchups as the tournament progresses to Saturday games.

• D.C. United faces Atlanta United FC on Saturday, March 21, in their third road match of the 2026 MLS season in Atlanta, Georgia. • D.C. recently won 2-1 at Chicago Fire, with Tai Baribo scoring 3 goals this season and Matti Peltola netting his first MLS goal. • Atlanta sits 1-3-0 with 3 points, led by Alexey Miranchuk's 3 goals and Miguel Almiron's 3 assists.

• The 2026 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament entered its first round on Thursday, March 19 and Friday, March 20, with games hosted across multiple venues including Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, St. Louis, Oklahoma City, and Portland. • First-round matchups are scheduled for March 19 and 21 in Oklahoma City and Portland, while March 20 and 22 games take place in Tampa, Philadelphia, San Diego, and St. Louis, with teams competing for advancement to the second round. • The tournament follows Selection Sunday on March 15, with the First Four play-in games held on March 17-18, setting the stage for the 68-team competition.

• Portland Trail Blazers beat the Indiana Pacers 127-119 in NBA action on March 18, 2026, extending Indiana's losing streak to 15 consecutive games. • Ivica Zubac led the Pacers with 18 points in the loss, as the team prepares for a two-game road trip starting Saturday in San Antonio. • This defeat highlights Indiana's ongoing struggles late in the season, impacting their playoff positioning in the Eastern Conference.

• NCAA March Madness first-round games begin Thursday, March 19, featuring TCU vs. Ohio State at 12:15 p.m. ET in Greenville, S.C., on CBS, marking the start of 48 games over two days. • Additional early contests include Troy vs. Nebraska at 12:40 p.m. on truTV in Oklahoma City and South Florida vs. Louisville at 1:30 p.m. on TNT in Buffalo, N.Y., with evening games like VCU vs. North Carolina at 6:50 p.m.. • Tournament schedule spans first round on March 19-20, second round March 21-22, progressing to Final Four on April 4-6 in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted across sites like Portland, Ore., and Oklahoma City.

• 2026 NCAA Men's March Madness First Four games occurred on March 17-18 following team selections on March 15, with first round set for March 19-20. • Regionals include Oklahoma City, Portland, Tampa, and Philadelphia for early rounds; East Regional in Washington, D.C., Final Four April 4-6 in Indianapolis. • Tournament progresses to championship on April 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium, drawing massive national attention.

• Minnesota Timberwolves beat Phoenix Suns 116-104 on March 18, led by Julius Randle's 32 points and Bones Hyland's 22 off the bench amid Anthony Edwards' knee inflammation absence. • Rudy Gobert grabbed 19 rebounds while Devin Booker scored 34 for the Suns; Timberwolves improved to 7-4 without their All-Star guard, who will miss 1-2 weeks. • The win keeps Minnesota competitive in the tight Western Conference race, 1.5 games behind third-place Lakers.

• The NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament First Four games kicked off on March 17, 2026, at the University of Dayton Arena with Maryland-Baltimore County facing Howard at 6:40 p.m. ET on truTV/HBO Max. • The evening featured multiple First Four matchups including Texas vs. North Carolina State at 9:15 p.m. ET, with broadcasts featuring prominent analysts including Charles Barkley and Dick Vitale. • Coverage of the tournament's opening night included comprehensive studio programming on multiple networks, with NCAA Tip-Off at 6 p.m. and extended bracket analysis continuing into the late night hours.