Update on the latest sports
APCOLLEGE BASKETBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT
Loyola Chicago ousts first No. 1 seed
UNDATED (AP) — Illinois has become the first No. 1 seed to be ousted from the NCAA Tournament. Eighth-seeded Loyola Chicago stunned the top seed in the Midwest 71-58.
Center Cameron Krutwig had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Lucas Williamson chipped in 14 points as the Ramblers led wire to wire, befuddling a powerful Illinois offense.
Illinois’ inside-out duo of center Kofi Cockburn and guard Ayo Dosunmu combined for 30 points, three assists and 11 rebounds, not enough to overcome the pesky Ramblers, who snared 12 steals.
Sister Jean Delores Schmidt, the Ramblers’ 101-year-old chaplain, received both COVID-19 shots and clearance to travel to Indianapolis. She offered an inspirational prayer for her team before the game.
The Ramblers now move on to the Sweet 16, three years after their last magical run to the Final Four. They’ll face either Oklahoma State or Oregon State.
NBA-NEWS
Raptors coach fined for outburst
UNDATED (AP) — The NBA has fined Toronto coach Nick Nurse $50,000 for throwing his facemask behind the scorer’s table and toward the stands, plus for directing profanity toward game officials before leaving the floor at the end of a game Friday night. The league announced the fine Sunday.
Nurse was upset at the end of Toronto’s 115-112 loss to the Utah Jazz, a game in which the Jazz took 41 free throws, compared with the Raptors’ 14.
After the game, Nurse said it “just didn’t seem like they were going to let us win tonight,” without offering specifics. The 27-shot difference in free throw attempts between the teams was the second largest in the NBA this season, topped by the 28-shot difference Houston had over Golden State on Wednesday.
In other NBA news:
— Blake Griffin is expected to make his debut for the Brooklyn Nets Sunday night against Washington. The Nets signed the six-time All-Star on March 8 but wanted to gradually prepare him to play after he had been inactive during his final weeks in Detroit. Griffin has been working out with the Nets but has sat out five games due to what the team called left knee injury management. Griffin played in 20 games for the Detroit Pistons this season but none since Feb. 12. The two sides reached a buyout agreement in early March and he signed in Brooklyn after clearing waivers.
MLB-NEWS
Pirates sign knuckleballer Wright to minor league deal
UNDATED (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates are taking a flier on knuckleball pitcher Steven Wright. The Pirates have signed the 36-year-old Wright and invited him to big league camp.
The right-hander last pitched in the majors in 2019, when he was limited to six appearances with Boston after serving an 80-game suspension following a positive test for human growth hormone. Wright is 24-16 with a 3.86 ERA in 81 career appearances, with 44 starts. He did not pitch in 2020 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Wright was arrested in 2017 at his home outside Nashville, Tennessee, and charged with domestic related assault and prevention of a 911 call, both misdemeanors. The Boston Globe reported prosecutors retired Wright’s case contingent on him completing an anger management course, refraining from violent contact with his wife, and incurring no new criminal charges for a year. Wright ended up serving a 15-game suspension in 2018 as a result of the incident.
In other baseball news:
— Indians center fielder Óscar Mercado has been optioned to the minor leagues, continuing his slide after a promising rookie season. Mercado seemed to be the favorite to win the starting job in spring camp. But the 26-year-old has continued to struggle at the plate and the Indians want him to get some extra work with Triple-A Columbus. Mercado’s batting average plummeted to .128 in 36 games last season after he hit .269 with 15 homers and 54 RBIs in 115 games as a rookie in 2019. Indians manager Terry Francona made it clear the team has not given up on Mercado.
NFL-BRONCOS-FULLER
CB Kyle Fuller signs with Broncos after being released by Bears
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Former All-Pro cornerback Kyle Fuller is reuniting with coach Vic Fangio in Denver.
Fuller quickly agreed to a one-year, $9.5 million contract with the Broncos on Saturday following his release from the Chicago Bears.
The veteran defensive back was entering the final season of the four-year, $56 million deal he signed in 2018 and was set to count $20 million against the Bears’ salary cap in 2021.
Drafted with the No. 14 overall pick in 2014, Fuller was an All-Pro in 2018 when he tied for the NFL lead with seven interceptions. That was Fangio’s last season as Chicago’s defensive coordinator before he became head coach in Denver.
Chicago replaced Fuller by signing cornerback Desmond Trufant to a one-year contract Saturday.
TENNIS-MIAMI OPEN-SERENA WITHDRAWS
Serena Williams latest star to withdraw from Miami Open
MIAMI (AP) — Serena Williams is the latest Grand Slam champion to withdraw from the Miami Open.
Williams pulled out Sunday, citing recent oral surgery. Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich), Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer announced earlier they would skip the tournament, which begins Tuesday.
Williams, who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, has won the event a record eight times, most recently in 2015.
