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Otega Oweh’s clutch exploits help Kentucky hold off Missouri

NCAA Basketball: SEC Conference Tournament Second Round-Kentucky vs MissouriMar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Otega Oweh (00) dribbles the ball past Missouri Tigers guard T.O. Barrett (5) during the second half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Otega Oweh’s 21 points and big plays on both ends of the floor down the stretch helped Kentucky to a 78-72 win over Missouri in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Thursday.

Denzel Aberdeen (16 points, seven assists) and Collin Chandler (15 points, three steals) also came up big for the ninth-seeded Wildcats (21-12), who survived a 32-point, seven-rebound performance from Missouri’s Mark Mitchell.

Mitchell scored 23 in the second half as Missouri (20-12), the eighth seed, briefly overcame a 16-point deficit.

Kentucky will face top-seeded Florida in the first of four quarterfinal games on Friday.

Missouri took its first lead of the second half when Mitchell isolated and hit a short shot in the paint with 2:34 left.

But Aberdeen hit two free throws with 2:06 left to put Kentucky ahead for good.

After Kentucky double-teamed Mitchell and denied him a clean look, T.O. Barrett (13 points, seven rebounds, seven assists) missed a corner three. Oweh’s ensuing layup extended the lead to three with 1:13 left.

The Tigers got the ball to Mitchell in the paint, where Oweh rotated over and knocked the ball loose for a turnover. Aberdeen then hit a contested layup from the left side with 22.5 seconds left to ice it.

Kentucky took a 53-37 lead on three Chandler free throws with 14:33 remaining, but the Tigers cut it to 58-53 when Barrett canned a pair of foul shots with 10:28 left.

Kentucky led 38-29 at halftime after outscoring Missouri 26-14 in the paint.

Kentucky’s Kam Williams buried a long three against the zone, and Oweh hit a short jumper following a steal for a 33-22 lead with 3:40 left in the half. It was the first double-digit lead for either side.

The Tigers seem likely to get an NCAA Tournament bid should there not be a string of bid-steals between now and Sunday.

However, as a prospective No. 11 seed, Missouri could be headed to a First Four game in Dayton.

–Chris Lee, Field Level Media

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Chicago acquires F Jordyn Huitema from Seattle

Syndication: The Columbus DispatchCanada forward Jordyn Huitema (9) heads a ball during the SheBelieves Cup against United States at ScottsMiracle-Gro Field in Columbus on March 4, 2026. The United States won 1-0.

Chicago Stars FC acquired forward Jordyn Huitema from Seattle Reign FC on Thursday in exchange for $500,000 in league funds.

The Reign will receive $200,000 in allocation money and $300,000 in intra-league transfer funds.

Huitema, 24, posted 13 goals and four assists in 70 appearances (58 starts) with Seattle from 2022-25. She had three goals and an assist in 22 matches (18 starts) in 2025.

“Jordyn has been a tremendous professional and teammate during her time with the Reign,” Reign general manager Lesle Gallimore said. “We’re grateful for the commitment and energy she brought to the club and to our community. We wish her nothing but the best in the next chapter of her career.”

Internationally, Huitema has earned 96 caps for Canada and won a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

–Field Level Media

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WNBA, players still at CBA impasse after 2nd marathon session

WNBA: Finals-Phoenix Mercury at Las Vegas AcesOct 3, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert talks during a presser before the start of game one of the 2025 WNBA Finals between the Phoenix Mercury and the Las Vegas Aces at Michelob Ultra Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Another marathon session between the WNBA and the players association ended early Thursday without a deal on a new collective bargaining agreement.

Representatives from the league and the WNBPA began their meeting at a New York hotel at 2 p.m. Wednesday and wrapped up at roughly 1:30 a.m. Thursday, according to Front Office Sports.

A previous session ran from about 5 p.m. on Tuesday until after 5 a.m. on Wednesday.

League officials had set March 10 as the deadline for a new CBA agreement to avoid the loss of regular-season games.

The league and the players have been at a standstill for months, with revenue sharing and housing among the key issues. The regular season is scheduled to begin May 8.

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and New York Liberty Owner Clara Wu Tsai attended both sessions and were joined Wednesday by Connecticut Sun president Jennifer Rizzotti.

WNBPA executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson and executive committee members Nneka Ogwumike, Breanna Stewart, Alysha Clark and Brianna Turner also were at the bargaining table.

“We’re feeling movement,” Ogwumike told reporters Wednesday night. “We’re sticking to the process. That’s something we’ve always been true to from the very beginning.”

The WNBA draft is scheduled for April 13, with training camps opening six days later. The league also must hold a free agency period, an expansion draft with the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire set to begin play this upcoming season, as well as preseason games.

“We’ve read a lot of things about timelines,” Ogwumike said. “There’s been timelines that have been thrown out, but for us we’re trying to get a good deal done and we want to play this season. So, to me that’s the time that we’re on.”

The players have been without a collective bargaining agreement since they opted out of their existing agreement in October 2024, a year before its Oct. 31, 2025, expiration, with hopes of having a new deal in place last fall.

–Field Level Media

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UMass rides late rally, hands Miami (Ohio) first loss

Syndication: The Columbus DispatchMiami (OH) RedHawks head coach Travis Steele communicates with players in the first half of a NCAA men’s basketball game between the Miami Redhawks and Toledo Rockets, Tuesday, March 3, 2026, at Millett Hall in Oxford, Oh.

Leonardo Bettiol scored 25 points as UMass rallied from an 11-point deficit in the final eight minutes to stun previously unbeaten No. 20 Miami (Ohio), 87-83, on Thursday in a Mid-American Conference quarterfinal in Cleveland, Ohio.

Marcus Banks Jr. had 18 points and Jayden Ndjigue added 16 as the eighth-seeded Minutemen (17-15) advanced to the MAC semifinals in their first year in the conference.

Brant Byers had 17 points and Eian Elmer added 16 for top-seeded Miami (31-1), which must wait to see if it receives an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament when berths are awarded Sunday night.

UMass won the game by dominating in the paint, outscoring the RedHawks, 54-30, in the paint and 23-8 in second-chance points. The Minutemen also out rebounded the RedHawks, 41-24.

When it appeared that Miami was ready to put away the Minutemen by building an 11-point lead at 69-58, UMass answered with a 13-2 spurt. The Minutemen drew even on Ndjigue’s jumper with 4:47 remaining.

The remainder of the game was back-and-forth. Luka Damjanac grabbed an offensive rebound and put home a jumper with 2:38 left to give UMass an 81-79 lead.

The first half featured a wild finish. It appeared the two teams would go to halftime tied when Peter Suder missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. But just before the buzzer, Byers was called for an offensive foul, giving the Minutemen the ball under the Miami basket with a half-second remaining.

UMass guard K’Jei Parker threw the ball the length of the court without anyone touching it, giving Miami the ball under its own basket with a chance to score. The RedHawks capitalized when Luke Skaljac made a perfect pass to Antwone Woolfolk cutting to the basket for a layup at the buzzer and a 39-37 Miami lead at the half.

The Minutemen got into foul trouble early in the second half and the RedHawks entered the bonus with 12:04 remaining.

UMass closed to within 56-52 on a Marcus Banks three with 11:44 remaining. But Miami answered with a 13-6 spurt, capped by an Elmer baseline 3-pointer to take a 69-58 lead with 8:33 remaining.

–Field Level Media

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