Sports
No. 3 Michigan edges No. 23 Wisconsin to reach Big Ten title game
Mar 14, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Patrick Liburd (0) shoots against Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) during the first half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images Big Ten Player of the Year Yaxel Lendeborg hit a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left to lift top-seeded Michigan to a 68-65 victory over fifth-seeded Wisconsin in the first Big Ten Conference tournament semifinal Saturday in Chicago.
Lendeborg finished with 12 points for No. 3-ranked Michigan (31-2), which advanced to Sunday’s title game against the winner of Saturday’s second semifinal between sixth-seeded UCLA (23-10) and seventh-seeded Purdue (25-8).
Aday Mara racked up 16 points, eight rebounds and five blocks while Elliot Cadeau scored 12 of his 15 points in the second half to keep the Wolverines alive for their second consecutive Big Ten tournament championship as well as the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. They also defeated the only Big Ten team they failed to knock off during the regular season.
Austin Rapp paced No. 23-ranked Wisconsin (24-10) with 18 points as the Badgers rallied from a 15-point, second-half deficit to take a four-point lead. Nick Boyd added 14 points and five assists while John Blackwell contributed 13 points and four assists as the Badgers’ five-game winning streak ended.
Lendeborg’s clutch shot enabled the Wolverines to overcome a superhuman shooting stretch by Rapp, who did not score in the first 30 minutes. The stretch five began his spree with Michigan holding a 56-47 lead. Starting at the 6:51 mark, Rapp sank five 3s on five consecutive possession to give Wisconsin a 62-58 lead with 3:50 to go.
Michigan responded with seven straight points, capped by Cadeau rattling home a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left to forge a 65-62 edge. Boyd answered with a 3-pointer with 29 seconds left to tie the score. Michigan didn’t call a timeout and ran the clock down before finding Lendeborg open from 24 feet away on the wing.
Both teams endured a sluggish start. The score was just 6-6 after nearly seven minutes had elapsed as they combined to shoot 4 of 22 (18.2%) with seven turnovers.
Things picked up when Blackwell, Cadeau and Aleksas Bieliauskas drilled 3-pointers in a 40-second stretch, but the first half’s defining moment came when Cadeau, Michigan’s point guard, picked up his second foul at the 11:38 mark and left for the rest of the half.
When Boyd picked the pocket of new backup point guard Trey McKenney and broke away for a layup at the 9:43 mark, Wisconsin seized an 18-11 lead. The Badgers pushed their advantage to 26-18 on Blackwell’s 3-pointer with 4:26 to go, but Michigan forged a 28-28 tie at the break as Lendeborg swished a 3-pointer from the corner with 11 seconds left –his first points of the game.
Cadeau returned for the second half and made an immediate difference with seven points in the first 5:40. When he drilled a 3-pointer with 14:20 to go, he extended Michigan’s lead to 42-31. After the Badgers pulled within six, the Wolverines started pounding the ball into the 7-foot-3 Mara. He ignited a 12-3 run with a 3-point play, then fed Lendeborg for a layup and a dunk before backing down his defender for a lefty scoop that made it 54-39 with 9:50 to go.
–Field Level Media
–Field Level Media
Sports
Italy stays hot, dispenses Puerto Rico to advance to WBC semifinal
Mar 14, 2026; Houston, TX, United States; Italy catcher JJ D’Orazio (28) and pitcher Greg Weissert (57) celebrate on the mound after the game against Puerto Rico during a quarterfinal game of the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Italy chased Puerto Rico starter Seth Lugo with four runs in the first inning en route to an 8-6 World Baseball Classic quarterfinal victory on Saturday afternoon in Houston.
The Italian team remained undefeated and advanced to Tuesday’s semifinal against the winner of Saturday’s quarterfinal between Venezuela and Japan.
JJ D’Orazio drove in three runs and Andrew Fischer knocked in two for Italy, which erased an 1-0 deficit with four runs in the first and then pushed its lead to 8-2 with a four-run fourth. Dylan Delucia threw four scoreless innings in middle relief while Greg Weissert got the final five outs to earn his third save of the tournament.
Puerto Rico’s Willi Castro led off the game with a home run off Italy starter Sam Aldegheri (1-0), but Lugo (1-1) retired just one batter in the bottom of the first. He was pulled after allowing four runs, three hits and two walks.
Christian Vazquez poked a two-run single with one out in the eighth to cap a four-run inning and pull Puerto Rico within 8-6, but Weissert retired five of six batters with the tying run at the plate.
–Field Level Media
Sports
F1 officially cancels Bahrain, Saudi Arabia GPs due to Iran war
May 1, 2025; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Fans pose for a picture in front of the F1 logo in the team village ahead of the F1 Miami Grand Prix at Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Formula 1 officially canceled races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia scheduled for April because of safety concerns from the ongoing war in the Middle East.
The Bahrain Grand Prix was scheduled for April 12, while the Saudi Arabia Grand Prix was set for April 19.
“While several alternatives were considered, it was ultimately decided that no substitutions will be made in April,” F1 said in a statement released Saturday.
Iran is accused of launching drone and missile attacks on both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in response to the Israel- and U.S.-led war on Iran.
Just a month ago, teams were conducting testing at the Bahrain International Circuit.
The races are not likely to be rescheduled at a later date, given the full F1 calendar, ESPN reported.
The decision to cancel the two races leaves F1 with a 22-race schedule and a five-week gap between the Japanese Grand Prix on March 29 and the Miami Grand Prix on May 3.
The Chinese Grand Prix is scheduled for Sunday.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Celtics dominate 2nd quarter, extend Wizards' skid to 11
Mar 14, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) controls the ball against Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly (0) during the first half at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Neemias Queta scored a game-high 24 points and had 10 rebounds to help the Boston Celtics end a two-game losing streak by beating the visiting Washington Wizards 111-100 on Saturday night.
Boston received 20 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists from Jayson Tatum, and a 16-point performance from Jaylen Brown. Derrick White scored 15 and Luka Garza added 15 off the bench.
Boston outrebounded Washington 55-38. The Celtics grabbed 19 offensive rebounds.
The loss stretched Washington’s losing streak to 11. The Wizards have lost nine in a row on the road.
Tristan Vukcevic made 6 of 7 3-point attempts and led the Wizards with 22 points. Fellow reserve Jamir Watkins added 15 points and six rebounds and Bilal Coulibaly finished with 12 points. Trae Young scored 11 and had six assists.
Alex Sarr was 1 of 9 from the field and was held to four points.
Boston led by nine in the opening quarter, but Washington went in front 27-26 on a Watkins 3-pointer with 1:05 left. Boston led 29-27 after 12 minutes. Queta scored 13 points in the quarter.
The Celtics scored 19 of the first 21 points in the second quarter and had a 48-29 advantage with 4:58 remaining in the first half. Boston outscored Washington 35-14 in the second and led 64-41 at halftime.
Queta made 10 of 12 shots from the field in the first half, when he led all scorers with 22 points.
Boston pushed its lead to 83-53 on a Brown basket with 5:34 left in the third, but the Wizards used a 15-5 run late in the quarter to trim their deficit to 20. Boston carried a 93-72 lead into the fourth.
The Wizards trailed by 12 following a Vukcevic 3-pointer with 4:21 to play, but failed to get closer than 11 the rest of the way.
–Field Level Media
Italy stays hot, dispenses Puerto Rico to advance to WBC semifinal
F1 officially cancels Bahrain, Saudi Arabia GPs due to Iran war
