Sports On Top Of Sports: March 2017

Friday, March 31, 2017

Mississippi State 66, UConn 64 | Overtime: Connecticut’s 111-Game Winning Streak Ends With Loss to Mississippi State

It was a shocking defeat for the Huskies, who were seeking their fifth straight championship.

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Penguins 4, Rangers 3 | Shootout: Penguins Defeat Rangers in Overtime Contest Worthy of the Postseason

Sidney Crosby scored in the shootout as two playoff-bound teams fought as if the season depended on the outcome.

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South Carolina 62, Stanford 53: South Carolina Defeats Stanford to Reach Its First Title Game

Allisha Gray and A’Ja Wilson powered the Gamecocks, while the Cardinal’s star senior guard, Karlie Samuelson, missed much of the second half because of a sprained ankle.

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Go Gonzaga! But Who Is Gonzaga?

Aloysius Gonzaga, who cared for plague victims in the 16th century, is the patron saint of youth. Now you know.

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For U.S. and Canada, an Icy Border Between Empathy and Animosity

Canadian players offered kind words during an American wage dispute, but the friendliness will disappear when the women’s hockey teams meet.

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Sports of The Times: North Carolina’s Triumph Fails to Cover Cheating’s Stain

For two decades, until 2013, North Carolina engaged in academic improprieties that benefited its student-athletes. The repercussions are still being felt.

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Frank Martin’s Formula for Success: ‘You Figure It Out’

The South Carolina coach has used his three weeks in the national spotlight to dispense wisdom acquired during a life spent seizing opportunities.

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Oregon’s 3-Point Past Catches Up to the Present

Howard Hobson, the coach when the Ducks won the 1939 N.C.A.A. title, tested the long-range shot during a scrimmage six years later. It took a while to catch on.

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Roy Williams? ‘He Doesn’t Have an Accent. You Have an Accent.’

The coach of the North Carolina basketball team has a way of teaching, and of speaking.

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Seeking Best Fit, Women’s Final Four Returns to Friday-Sunday

The edge over the recent Sunday-Tuesday format may be fuller arenas and less time away from school and work, but there are trade-offs.

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Patrik Elias, Cornerstone of the Devils’ Championship Era, Is Retiring

Elias, the top scorer in team history, helped the franchise win Stanley Cups in 2000 and 2003. He has decided not to return from a knee injury.

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Thursday, March 30, 2017

Eight Notes That Have Meant ‘N.C.A.A. Tournament’ for a Quarter-Century

The hummable theme song, first aired in 1993, is now familiar to almost anyone even remotely near a television in March.

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Repeal of Bathroom Law Could Be Boon for North Carolina Sports Fans

The law, which curbed protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, had led sports organizations such as the N.C.A.A. to cancel events in the state.

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Repeal of Bathroom Law Could Be Boon for North Carolina Sports Fans

The law, which curbed protections for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, had led sports organizations such as the N.C.A.A. to cancel events in the state.

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Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Red Wings End 25-Year Playoff Streak, While Oilers End a Drought

The Wings had held the longest streak in hockey, and in major North American sports, while the Oilers had the longest streak outside the postseason — 10 seasons.

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N.C.A.A. Tradition (Cutting Down Nets) Comes With a Snip of Danger

Some times things go wrong during a college basketball rite of spring that combines excited players and coaches with a ladder and a sharp object.

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Tuesday, March 28, 2017

Sharks 5, Rangers 4, overtime: Overtime Loss Is Enough for Rangers to Secure Playoff Spot

The Rangers earned their seventh straight trip to the postseason despite giving up a late goal in regulation and falling to San Jose.

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U.S. Women’s Team Strikes Its Deal With U.S.A. Hockey

The team had threatened to boycott the world championship, which begins this week, in pursuit of increased wages and support from the national governing body.

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Where Everyone ‘Knows Hockey’: Tiny Clarkson Stands Tall Again

The Golden Knights received an escort home and will have a day of their own after winning their second N.C.A.A. women’s championship in four seasons.

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UConn 90, Oregon 52: UConn Women Pound Oregon on Their Way to the Final Four

The Huskies scored 17 unanswered points in the first quarter and never looked back. Next up is Mississippi State, the No. 2 seed out of the Oklahoma City Region, on Friday in Dallas.

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Monday, March 27, 2017

UConn Forward Feels the Pull of the Family Name

Napheesa Collier’s rich family history has made her interested in helping Sierra Leone, where her grandfather was a diplomat.

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On College Basketball: A Final Four That Illustrates the Sport’s Constant: Unpredictability

Gonzaga and South Carolina are making their debut in the Final Four, and a team that many expected to make an appearance — Duke — fell in the second round.

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