This news roundup covers multiple exciting sporting events. UCLA defeats Michigan State in a March Madness-like thriller despite missing their star player. William Byron secures his second consecutive Daytona 500 victory, emphasizing the crucial role of luck in the race. We also delve into the changing format of the NBA All-Star Game and USC's comeback victory against Washington.
Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let's get right to the news. From Andrés Soto: Londynn Jones made a pull-up jumper. Kiki Rice got a steal. Janiah Barker scored a tough putback layup. Rice hit free throws. And then, Timea Gardiner hit the biggest three of the season for the Bruins with 44 seconds to go. Top-ranked UCLA has proven to be one of the deepest teams in the nation, and they showed it again Sunday night, overcoming the absence of their leading scorer to defeat No.
22 Michigan State 75-69 in a March Madness-like thriller. UCLA star center Lauren Betts did not play because of a foot injury. She wore an air cast during pregame warmups and is considered day-to-day, the team announced. Making up for Betts’ absence required a collective effort, and Barker did her part. One of her best plays came with just over a minute left before halftime when she stole the ball from Michigan State’s Nyla Hampton and scored on an easy layup to put the Bruins ahead 41-28 with just over a minute before halftime. Barker finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Gardiner also had 18 points for the Bruins to go along with four rebounds. Rice’s 16 points and seven assists were also crucial. Continue reading here UCLA projected to get NCAA tournament overall No. 1 seed in first bracket reveal UCLA box score Big Ten standings AP top 25 rankings Kiki Iriafen scored 19 points and No. 6 USC rallied to beat Washington 69-64 on Sunday. JuJu Watkins had 17 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Trojans (23-2, 13-1 Big Ten), who were coming off a statement victory over top-ranked UCLA and trailed by as many as 12 points against the Huskies. Kennedy Smith added 14 points, going four for eight on three-pointers. USC shot just 29% from the field in the first three quarters, before going 11 for 16 in the fourth. Washington’s Sayvia Sellers led all scorers with 24 points. Hannah Stines — who shadowed Watkins all day on defense — added 10 points and 10 rebounds. From the opening tip, the Huskies (14-12, 5-9) slowed the game down, taking as much time off the shot clock as possible every time down the floor. As a result, the score was tied at 23-23 at halftime after a second quarter that featured just four made field goals. USC didn’t reach 30 points until nearly eight minutes into the third quarter. The Trojans went on to score 38 in the final 12 minutes. Continue reading here USC box score Big Ten standings AP top 25 rankings From Dan Woike: This year’s NBA All-Star Game was an end, the final All-Star Game aired on TNT before the league switches television partners. The NBA All-Star Game was a beginning, the league actively changing the format to a four-team mini-tournament aimed to shrink bloated scores and increase competition. And the NBA All-Star Game was a showcase, a reminder that Stephen Curry and the Bay Area are definitive fabrics in the story of the modern game. What the NBA All-Star Game wasn’t, again, was a game — at least not one that anyone would’ve recognized in a traditional sense. And maybe it doesn’t need to be one. LeBron James didn’t play because of foot and ankle soreness, with the aim of being back on the floor Wednesday when the Lakers resume their season. Anthony Edwards suited up for his team but never entered the game, lingering groin soreness keeping him from participating. He, too, said he thought he’d be fine once the regular season resumed. Neither player was replaced. The decision for James and Edwards to sit, despite the 17-year-age difference, underscored the cost-benefit analysis players are making while the NBA and fans push for the game to be played with the kind of intensity and energy that makes 48 minutes on any given night an occurrence worth celebrating. Continue reading here From John Cherwa: If you ask any NASCAR driver what is the most important factor in winning the Daytona 500, the answer usually comes back the same. You need luck. And, for the second year in a row William Byron had that luck to win back-to-back Daytona 500s. As is usually the case, the race was decided in the last 10, or maybe 15 laps, of this 200-lap signature start of the NASCAR season. Denny Hamlin, a three-time winner of the Daytona 500, was in a good spot to win as the race headed for an overtime lap. Cole Custer and Chase Briscoe were battling for position near the lead when they made contact. The incident drew in Hamlin, who spun out as his car headed for the infield. Byron was ninth entering the final lap and stayed high as cars to his inside were collected into the chaos. He stayed close to the wall with Tyler Reddick in tow and won the race with a good drive, a good car and a lot of luck. “Obviously some good fortune but I just trusted my instincts on the last lap there,” Byron said. “I felt like they were getting squirrely on the bottom and I was honestly going to go third lane (high) regardless because I was probably sixth coming down the backstretc
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William Byron Wins Back-to-Back Daytona 500sWilliam Byron has achieved a remarkable feat by winning the Daytona 500 for two consecutive years. The 27-year-old driver from Charlotte, North Carolina, crossed the finish line first at Daytona International Speedway in Florida, securing his victory in the 2025 race. The race was marked by several crashes, including a scary incident involving Ryan Preece, who flipped over before hitting the wall. Despite the setbacks, Byron emerged victorious.
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William Byron Wins Back-to-Back Daytona 500s in Dramatic FinishWilliam Byron secured his second consecutive Daytona 500 victory in a thrilling race filled with multiple crashes and late-race drama.
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Byron Wins Back-to-Back Daytona 500s in Crazy, Crashless FinishWilliam Byron claimed his second consecutive Daytona 500 victory in a chaotic and unpredictable race filled with multiple crashes and last-lap drama. Byron, starting seventh, capitalized on a series of crashes ahead of him, ultimately taking the checkered flag in a stunning finish.
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William Byron Dominates Again, Taking Back-to-Back Daytona 500 WinsWilliam Byron has achieved NASCAR history by winning the Daytona 500 for the second year in a row. The race was filled with crashes and intense competition, culminating in Byron's dominant victory.
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William Byron Clinches Back-to-Back Daytona 500 Wins Amidst Controversy and Thrilling ActionWilliam Byron wins the Daytona 500 for the second year in a row, becoming the first back-to-back winner since Denny Hamlin in 2019-20. The race was filled with drama, including a late-race crash caused by Joey Logano, a terrifying rollover crash by Ryan Preece, and a motivational speech by Cliff Daniels to Kyle Larson.
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