Sports
No. 10 Virginia holds off NC State, advances to semifinals
Mar 12, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Malik Thomas (1) on defense against NC State Wolfpack guard Tre Holloman (5) during the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Malik Thomas provided clutch late-game production to finish with 16 points and Thijs De Ridder scored 15 points as No. 10 Virginia fended off North Carolina State for an 81-74 victory in an Atlantic Coast Conference tournament’s quarterfinal Thursday afternoon.
Reserve Jacari White posted 13 points and Sam Lewis delivered all 12 of his points on 3-pointers for the second-seeded Cavaliers (28-4), who meet the Louisville-Miami winner in Friday night’s first semifinal. Virginia center Ugonna Onyenso’s eight blocked shots matched the second most in a game in the league tournament’s history.
Virginia defeated NC State in three matchups this season, but this was by far the closest encounters.
Paul McNeil Jr. drilled six 3s on the way to 26 points for seventh-seeded NC State (20-13). Ven-Allen Lubin contributed 14 points and 10 rebounds and Matt Able came off the bench for 12 points.
The Wolfpack, who have landed safely within most projections for the NCAA Tournament field, have lost seven of their last nine games. NC State defeated Pitt in Wednesday’s second round, extending its tournament winning streak to six games — five to win the 2024 event before failing to qualify last year.
NC State used 21-for-24 free-throw shooting to outscore Virginia by 10 points at the foul line.
A 9-0 run gave the Cavaliers a 55-45 lead that eventually reached a 12-point margin.
The Wolfpack were within 68-61 with more than five minutes to play. McNeil hit a 3-pointer to trim the gap to 70-64 before Thomas answered with a jumper for the Cavaliers.
Quadir Copeland’s three-point play at the 1:24 gave the Wolfpack a chance, but De Ridder’s drive for a bucket pushed Virginia to a 76-69 edge with 1:11 remaining.
McNeil’s 3 made it 78-74 with 27 seconds left, and then he made a steal, but NC State missed two shots on the ensuing possession.
NC State produced much better stretches than the earlier meetings with Virginia, when it never led.
Virginia had a 33-32 halftime lead despite going the opening half without any second-chance points.
Virginia defeated NC State for only the fourth time in 19 all-time ACC tournament meetings.
–Bob Sutton, Field Level Media
Sports
Sirens, Victoire to play in PWHL's first game televised nationally in US
Dec 3, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view of a hockey net with pucks during warm ups prior to a game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images The Professional Women’s Hockey League will make its debut on national television in the United States on March 28 when the New York Sirens play the Montreal Victoire.
The game will be at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit at 1 p.m., part of the PWHL Takeover Tour that introduces the league to fans in communities that potentially could be targeted for an expansion team.
“We are continuing to fuel this rocket ship that is the PWHL as we expand the reach and exposure of our league to new fans,” said Amy Scheer, the league’s executive vice president of business operations. “This first ever national broadcast is a truly historic moment for our league.”
The game will be televised by ION, which is available in more than 126 million U.S. households.
“Fan interest in women’s hockey is at an all-time high, buoyed by the amazing success of Team USA in this year’s Winter Olympics Games,” said Brian Lawlor, president of Scripps Sports, which owns ION. “We are thrilled to be teaming with the PWHL and Ally Financial on this milestone event and to bring the excitement of this league to a national audience for the first time.”
The PWHL, in its third season, is approaching two million fans through the turnstiles, with a 20% increase in year-over-year attendance this season. In all, 61 PWHL players were on rosters at the recent Milan Cortina Olympics.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Max Verstappen not liking new F1 cars, enjoys 'positive distractions'
Nov 21, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen (1) celebrates his victory of the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas Strip Circuit. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Max Verstappen admitted that he is having more fun with his endurance racing projects as opposed to competing in Formula 1.
That’s a tricky spot given Verstappen is under contract until 2028.
“I don’t want to leave,” the four-time world champion said Thursday of competing with Red Bull. “I wish I had a bit more time and a bit more fun, for sure, but I’m also doing other stuff that is a lot of fun.
“I get to race the Nordschleife. I hope, in the coming years, I can do Spa, Le Mans, so I’m combining stuff to find other stuff that I find really fun as well. Of course, my team, so I have a lot of distractions at the same time.
“Positive distractions, I would call it. But at the same time, it’s a bit conflicting because I don’t really enjoy the car, but I do enjoy working with all the people in the team and from the engine department as well.”
Verstappen, 28, was voted the Formula 1 Driver of the Year for the fifth straight year in 2025. That said, he admitted to having other career ambitions.
“I don’t need to be only a Formula 1 driver, I can also do other things,” he said. “I’ve done this for a while and I’ve achieved everything that I wanted to achieve, so that’s why I want to explore other things, and I don’t want to do them when I’m 40 years old. So now I think this is the perfect age to do it.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Jim Boeheim blasts Syracuse's 'best players' for Adrian Autry's firing
Oct 14, 2022; Syracuse, New York, US; Syracuse Orange associate head coach Adrian Autry (left) and assistant coach Gerry McNamara (center) and head coach Jim Boeheim (right) watch the action at the Orange Tip Off at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images Adrian Autry was unsuccessful as the successor to Jim Boeheim at Syracuse with 49 wins in three seasons before he was fired this week.
Boeheim believes Autry is a winning coach and suggested the Orange didn’t get enough from their best players this season.
“His two best players had horrible years,” Boeheim told ACC Network. “If you take any team in this league, and you take their two best players and they have really, really bad years — like Cam Boozer and Isaiah Evans have a bad year at Duke — they don’t win. That’s what happened this year at Syracuse. His two best players just didn’t play well.”
Syracuse brought back its top two scorers from 2024-25. But J.J. Starling and Donnie Freeman didn’t consistently perform at the same level in 2025-26. Starling dipped from 17.8 points per game last season to 10.9 in 2025-26. Freeman averaged 16.5 points per game but shot poorly in ACC play.
Syracuse elevated Autry, a former player and assistant coach for Boeheim, to head coach in 2023. But the Orange went 15-17 in Autry’s final season.
Boeheim said the Orange are nearing a crossroads and the program either must lower expectations or increase NIL commitments. He drew parallels between two other programs who fired coaches after the season.
“If you don’t have enough resources, that puts you behind,” he told ACC Network. “You look at the league — BC, Georgia Tech, now Syracuse — three of the (lowest for) NIL money in the league. You have to look at that.”
–Field Level Media
Sirens, Victoire to play in PWHL's first game televised nationally in US
Max Verstappen not liking new F1 cars, enjoys 'positive distractions'
