Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
Oregon dominates second half to dispatch Wisconsin
Oregon point guard Payton Pritchard had 19 points and nine assists, and Kenny Wooten dominated the paint with four blocks as the 12th-seeded Ducks beat Wisconsin 72-54 Friday in a first-round game in the South Region in San Jose, Calif. Louis King scored 17, and Paul White added 14 -- all in the second half -- as Oregon (24-12) pulled away from the No. 5 Badgers after a 25-25 tie at halftime. Wooten, a springy 6-foot-9 forward, dunked three times en route to nine points and was key to slowing down Wisconsin star senior forward Ethan Happ.
Tennis: Osaka enjoys rollercoaster win in Miami
World number one Naomi Osaka endured a rollercoaster start to the Miami Open on Friday advancing to the third round with a 6-0 6-7(3) 6-1 win over Belgian Yanina Wickmayer. After facing eight-times Miami champion Serena Williams in her first match last year, Osaka might have expected an easier opener on Friday against the 141st-ranked Belgian qualifier.
Tennessee holds off stubborn No. 15 seed Colgate
Admiral Schofield sank consecutive corner 3-pointers in the final two minutes Friday, enabling second-seeded Tennessee to avoid a major upset at the hands of 15th--seeded Colgate and earn a 77-70 win in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Columbus, Ohio. Schofield's first 3-pointer with 1:34 left upped the Volunteers' lead to 70-64, and he drained his second with 45.8 seconds on the clock to make it a nine-point game. That finally provided them the separation they needed to hold off the underdog, short-handed Raiders.
Golf: Holder Casey and American Cook share Valspar lead
Early starters Paul Casey and Austin Cook survived after a costly finish by one-time leader Luke Donald to earn a one-stroke advantage in Florida's Valspar Championship on Friday. Englishman Casey, the defending champion, shot 66 and American Cook 67 to hold onto the joint lead on six-under 136 after the second round at Palm Harbor, Florida.
UCLA soccer coach charged in admissions fraud scandal resigns
The University of California, Los Angeles' men's soccer coach, Jorge Salcedo, who is among those charged in the biggest college admissions fraud scheme ever uncovered in the United States, resigned his post on Thursday, school officials said. Salcedo was one of nine current or former college coaches, as well as an associate athletic director, who were charged by federal prosecutors in Boston on March 12 in connection with the fraud scheme that has captured national attention.
NBA roundup: Cousins returns, leads Warriors to win
DeMarcus Cousins contributed six points to a third-quarter runaway in his return to the lineup Thursday night, helping the Golden State Warriors blow out the Indiana Pacers 112-89 in Oakland, Calif. All five starters scored in double figures as the Warriors were able to retain a half-game lead over Denver in their duel for best record in the Western Conference. The Pacers saw their lead over Boston trimmed to a half-game in their fight for the fourth seed in the East.
Harris, Perkins help Buffalo rout Arizona State
Senior guard Jeremy Harris and senior forward Nick Perkins each recorded 21 points and 10 rebounds as Buffalo trounced Arizona State 91-74 on Friday in West Region first-round play of the NCAA Tournament at Tulsa, Okla. Senior guard CJ Massinburg buried four 3-point baskets while scoring 18 points as the sixth-seeded Bulls (32-3) notched the second NCAA Tournament victory in school history. Sophomore guard Jayvon Graves added 13 points.
Golf: Garrigus suspended for three months for positive marijuana test
American golfer Robert Garrigus has been suspended for three months by the PGA Tour after testing positive for marijuana. Garrigus, who has spoken about overcoming addiction to play on the tour, confirmed on his Twitter account on Friday that he had been suspended.
No. 1 seed Virginia rallies to dominate Gardner-Webb
No. 1 seed Virginia used a dominant second half to cruise by 16th-seed Gardner-Webb 71-56 on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament's South Region at Columbia, S.C. Sophomore De'Andre Hunter scored 17 of his game-high 23 points in the second half as the Cavaliers rallied and allowed just 20 points in the game's final 20 minutes.
NHL roundup: Crosby, Pens top Predators in shootout
Sidney Crosby scored the only goal of a shootout as the Pittsburgh Penguins snapped a three-game losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators, who had their three-game winning streak halted. After Bryan Rust scored in the second period for Pittsburgh, Nashville's Ryan Ellis tied it 1-1 with 3:01 left in regulation with an unassisted sharp-angle goal from the bottom of the right circle.
