Sports
From First Four to Sweet 16: No. 11 Texas stuns No. 3 Gonzaga
Mar 21, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Graham Ike (15) passes against Texas Longhorns forward Camden Heide (5) in the first half during a second round game of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images PORTLAND, Ore. — Matas Vokietaitis and Jordan Pope scored 17 points apiece and Camden Heide came off the bench to hit a key 3-pointer with 14.7 seconds left to lift No. 11 seed Texas to a 74-68 victory in second round of the NCAA West Region on Saturday.
With the Longhorns leading by one after a dunk by Gonzaga’s Graham Ike, Texas called a time out with 32 seconds left and inserted Heide, whose 3-pointer from the right corner pushed the lead to 72-68.
Mario Saint-Supery missed a desperation Gonzaga 3-pointer and Vokietaitis hit a layup to close the scoring.
West Coast Conference Player of the Year Ike had 25 points and Jaden Warley had 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Saint-Supery had nine points and five assists.
Texas is the first First Four winner to win at least three games in the tournament since 11th seeded UCLA won five straight to reach the 2021 Final Four.
The Longhorns (21-114 face a potential SEC rematch in the Sweet Sixteen in San Jose on Thursday, where they will face the winner of the Arkansas-High Point game to be played later Saturday.
Gonzaga (31-4), the first No. 3 seed to lose in the tourney, had won at least two games in the NCAAs in nine of the previous 10 seasons. The Bulldogs were making their 27th straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
Ike played with four fouls in the final six minutes. He picked up his fourth on a Nic Codie on a put-back attempt. Codie’s two free throws made it 59-56, and after an Ike miss, Pope made a 3-pointer to give the Longhorns their largest lead to that point, 62-56.
Ike brought Gonzaga within 66-64 when he followed his own miss with three minutes left. Pope followed with his third three to make it 69-64.
Saint-Supery made two free throws and Ike’s dunk with 40.3 seconds remaining brought Gonzaga within one, 69-68.
Codie had 12 points and Dailyn Swain had 11 points, six rebounds and six assists. Vokietaitis had nine rebounds.
–Jack Magruder, Field Level Media
Sports
Braves RHP Spencer Strider (oblique) to start season on IL
Feb 10, 2026; North Port, FL, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Spencer Strider (99) works out during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images Atlanta Braves right-hander Spencer Strider will begin the season on the injured list with an oblique strain, the team announced Monday.
Strider, 27, was scratched from Monday’s scheduled spring training start against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton, Fla. The former All-Star was 2-0 with a 3.24 ERA in three spring appearances (two starts), striking out 11 and walking two in 8 1/3 innings.
Strider is coming off an uneven 2025 season after missing most of 2024 following Tommy John surgery. He finished 7-14 with a 4.45 ERA in 23 starts last season.
He was a National League All-Star and finished fourth in the Cy Young voting in 2023 after leading the majors in wins (20-5) and strikeouts (281) with a 3.86 ERA in 32 starts.
Strider is 39-24 with a 3.74 ERA in 90 career games (77 starts) since making his major league debut in 2021. Atlanta drafted him in the fourth round out of Clemson in 2020.
The Braves open the season on Friday against the visiting Kansas City Royals. Nine-time All-Star left-hander Chris Sale is Atlanta’s Opening Day starter.
Strider’s injury is the latest blow to the pitching staff. Left-hander Joey Wentz is out for the season with a torn right ACL, while right-handers Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep are on the 60-day injured list with elbow injuries.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Kansas coach Bill Self will take time to evaluate future
Mar 19, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self speaks at a press conference ahead of the first round of the men’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at Viejas Arena. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images Bill Self was noncommittal about his future as Kansas coach after the Jayhawks’ season-ending loss in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, saying he plans to meet with his family to discuss what comes next.
“I haven’t really gone through much on the court,” Self said after No. 4 seed Kansas fell to No. 5 seed St. John’s on a buzzer-beater in the second round. “I’ve gone through some stuff off the court. So I’ll get back and get with family and visit and see what’s going on.
“I love what I do. I need to be able to do it where I’m feeling good and healthy to do it fairly well. I’ll get back home, and it will all be discussed.”
Self’s comments indicate his decision will be made based more on his own health than the turbulent season his team just completed, which was marked throughout by instability around freshman phenom Darryn Peterson’s availability. Peterson, one of the frontrunners to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft this June, missed 11 games with multiple ailments, including quad and hamstring injuries, an issue that became a near-constant point of discussion.
Self’s own health issues first cropped up in 2023, when he was hospitalized with chest tightness and had two stents inserted to treat blocked arteries in his heart, causing him to miss the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. He had another two stents inserted in July 2025.
In mid-January, he was taken to Lawrence Memorial Hospital after he felt unwell and ultimately received IV fluids and did not travel with the team for a game at Colorado.
“I don’t know about completely,” Self said Sunday about his health, “but I’m feeling — I feel as good as I’ve felt in a long time. I’m not making any statements whatsoever.
“When you get to be doing it as long as I’ve done it, I look at it in five-year increments. Now I’m probably looking at it in more two-year increments, so to speak. So I try to focus on this season and try to get us to a second weekend, which we failed at. So I’ll go back now and break it down and see where that leads.”
Self, 63, has won two national championships (2008, 2022) and taken Kansas to four Final Fours since being hired in 2003, compiling a remarkable 648-167 (.795) record. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
–Field Level Media
Sports
World No. 3 Iga Swiatek splits with coach after just 18 months
Jul 12, 2025; Wimbledon, United Kingdom; Iga Swiatek of Poland poses with the trophy after winning the women’s final match against Amanda Anisimova of the United States on day 13 at All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Mandatory Credit: Susan Mullane-Imagn Images World No. 3 Iga Swiatek has parted ways with coach Wim Fissette following last week’s abrupt second-round exit at the Miami Open.
The 24-year-old tennis star announced the split on social media Monday, ending their partnership after an 18-month tenure highlighted by her sixth Grand Slam title at Wimbledon last July.
Swiatek, who was eliminated by Polish compatriot (and World No. 50) Magda Linette in Miami last Thursday, said the rest of her team will remain in place. The loss snapped her streak of 73 consecutive opening-match wins.
“Sometimes life and sport bring moments like this,” Swiatek posted on Instagram, translated from Polish. “Miami was challenging for me. I feel disappointment, bitterness and responsibility for my performance on the court of course. I’ve also learned a lot of important lessons and I think that’s very human.
“That being said, after many months of working together with my coach Wim Fissette, I’ve decided to take a different path. It was an intense time full of challenges and many important experiences. I’m grateful for his support, experience, and everything we achieved together — including one of my biggest dreams in sport.”
Swiatek worked with former coach Tomasz Wiktorowski for three years before hiring Fissette in October 2024.
Fissette, 46, of Belgium, previously coached Kim Clijsters, Angelique Kerber and Naomi Osaka to Grand slam titles. He also worked with Simona Halep and Sabine Lisicki.
“We both wanted and worked for more but shared important moments and lessons,” Fissette posted on Instagram. “Iga, I now wish you good luck and success in what’s next. I’m sure you will have it.”
Swiatek has won 25 career WTA Tour titles. In addition to Wimbledon in 2025, her major championships include the 2022 U.S. Open and four wins at the French Open (2020, 2022-24).
–Field Level Media
Braves RHP Spencer Strider (oblique) to start season on IL
Kansas coach Bill Self will take time to evaluate future
