ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, MARCH 8, 2021 SPORTS 15

Virginia tops Louisville 68-58 to claim ACC title Oklahoma State beats West Virginia without Cunningham MORGANTOWN, W.Va., March 7, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl shot a (AP): Avery Anderson III scored a 3-pointer after a long inbounds pass, career-high 31 points and No. 17 but the shot hit the front of the rim Oklahoma State beat No. 6 West and the buzzer sounded before Virginia 85-80 in their Big 12 regu- Jermaine Samuels tipped it in. lar-season finale. Duke and Nate Watson scored 20 The Cowboys (18-7, 11-7 Big 12) points apiece for Providence (13-12, made up for the loss of two starters 9-10 Big East). by finding holes in the defense for Samuels had 21 points for easy layups and shooting 58% from Villanova (16-5, 11-4). the floor. Arkansas 87, Texas A&M 80 Oklahoma State was without star freshman Cade Cunningham, who In Fayetteville, Ark., Moses injured his left ankle late in a loss to Moody scored 28 points, Jalen Tate No. 3 Baylor on Thursday. Isaac added 22 and Arkansas beat Texas Likekele also sat out for the sixth A&M to match the program’s longest time in seven games with a hand Southeastern Conference winning injury. streak at 11 games. The Razorbacks 21-5, 13-4) also won 11 straight SEC games in 1993-94 BASKETBALL en route to a national championship. Quenton Jackson and Emmanuel Miller each had 23 points for Texas Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe A&M (8-9, 2-8). added 18 points for Oklahoma State. Creighton 93, Butler 73 Taz Sherman led West Virginia In Omaha, Neb., Marcus (18-8, 11-6 Big 12) with 20 points. Zegarowski matched his career high Virginia 68, Louisville 58 with 32 points and Creighton closed In Louisville, Ky., Sam Hauser a difficult week off the court with a scored 24 points, Trey Murphy III victory over Butler. added 17 and Virginia won the The Bluejays (18-7, 14-6 Big East) Atlantic Coast Conference regular- won for the first time in three games, season championship. doing it without head coach Greg Assured of least a No. 2 seed enter- McDermott. He is suspended indefinitely ing the regular-season finale, the for making racially insensitive remarks to Cavaliers (17-6, 13-4) received a his team following a Feb. 27 loss. huge opening for bigger things when Assistant coach Alan Huss served as first-place Florida State lost at Notre interim head coach against the Bulldogs. Dame. Chuck Harris had a career-high 29 Virginia then methodically took points for Butler (9-14, 8-12). care of the Cardinals (13-6, 8-5) to Oklahoma State forward Matthew-Alexander Moncrieffe (12) shoots while defended by West Virginia forward Gabe Osabuohien (3) during the first half Purdue 67, Indiana 58 leapfrog the Seminoles. David of an NCAA college basketball game, on March 6, in Morgantown, West Virgina. (AP) Johnson had 14 points for Louisville. In West Lafayette, Ind., Zach Edey scored 20 points, and Jaden Ivey Notre Dame 83, Florida State 73 beat a ranked team for the first since with a concussion and facial injuries Alabama 89, Georgia 79 Sahvir Wheeler led Georgia (14- added 17 and Purdue beat Indiana for In South Bend, Ind., Prentiss Hubb since November 2017. to score 19 points, and Illinois rallied In Athens, Ga., Herbert Jones had 11, 7-11) with 18 points the ninth straight game. scored 22 points and Dane Goodwin Scottie Barnes led Florida State to beat Ohio State. two baskets in a 9-0 run to open the Providence 54, Villanova 52 Purdue (18-8, 13-6 Big Ten) heads had 15 to help Notre Dame beat (15-5, 11-4) with 17 points. Andre Curbelo also had 19 points second half and Alabama beat into next week’s Big Ten Tournament to help Illinois (20-6, 16-4 Big Ten) In Providence, R.I., David Duke Florida State, costing the the Illinois 73, Ohio State 68 Georgia for its school-record 17th with five consecutive wins. Edey Seminles the Atlantic Coast win for the 11th time in 12 games. Southeastern Conference victory. made a tiebreaking tip-in with 2.8 also had nine rebounds. Conference regular-season title In Columbus, Ohio, Ayo Dosunmu E.J. Liddell led Ohio State (18-8, Jahvon Quinerly added 18 points seconds left TO help Providence hold Aljami Durham had 14 points for The Fighting Irish (10-14, 7-11) returned after missing three games 12-8 Big) with 19 points. for Alabama (21-6, 16-2). on after blowing a 20-point lead. Indiana (12-14, 7-12). PVAMU edges Texas Southern No. 3 N. Iowa wins defensive Allmendinger wins Xfinity Series at slugfest against Illinois State Las Vegas for surging Kaulig Racing CEDAR FALLS, Iowa, March 7, seven minutes. (AP): Tyler Hoosman ran for 63 yards Jackson St 33, Grambling 28 and his 13-yard touchdown run with 3:24 left helped seal No. 3-ranked In Grambling, La., Aubrey Miller Hemric finishes 2nd Northern Iowa’s 20-10 win over 15th- Jr. forced a fumble at the 1 with 1:04 ranked Illinois State. left in the game, and Keonte Hampton The Panthers’ (2-1, 2-1 Missouri recovered it to secure Jackson State LAS VEGAS, March 7, Valley Football Conference) four- coach Deion Sanders’ first (AP): AJ Allmendinger play, 24-yard drive was set up when Southwestern Athletic Conference win over Grambling State. raced to the first victory of Jared Brinkman recovered a fumble his comeback season by forced by teammate Spencer Cuvelier Miller had 17 tackles and Hampton on a sack of Illinois State quarterback had 15 for Jackson State (2-0, 1-0), passing Daniel Hemric on Bryce Jefferson. which beat Grambling State (0-1, 0-1) for the first time since 2012 and ended the final restart in the In what was a defensive scrum Xfinity Series race at Las throughout, both defensive units tend- Grambling’s 16-game home winning ed get the better of each others offens- streak that started in 2015. Vegas Motor Speedway. es than the other way around. Grambling State’s late opportunity Allmendinger this year agreed to Under pressure throughout, to go ahead was made possible when it his first fulltime season since 2018 Jefferson finished forced Jackson State’s Tyson in a deal with Kaulig Racing. He’s 13-for-27 passing Alexander to fumble into the end zone resulting in a touchback with 4:52 left. friends with team owner Matt for 69 yards and Kaulig and has slowly been lured ran for 60 yards back into NASCAR as a favor to on 14 carries. FOOTBALL the team. Northern Iowa He was Kaulig’s “Trophy Hunter” quarterback Will last year in 11 races he was entered McElvain was That set up Grambling State’s drive to solely to win for the team. Kaulig then only slightly bet- convinced Allmendinger to run for the ter off at 14 for 33 the goal line only to be undone by the decisive fumble, its first turnover of Xfinity Series championship while for 148 yards and also helping the organization move to running for score the game. Incarnate Word 42, Lamar 20 Cup next season. as well though he Hoosman The victory was the sixth in the threw a pick-6. In Beaumont, Texas, Cameron Xfinity Series for Allmendinger, who McElvain’s Ward passed for 341 yards and four retired at the end of the 2018 season AJ Allmendinger celebrates after winning a NASCAR Xfinity Series auto race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, on 11-yard TD run on the opening drive touchdowns and ran for 24 yards and a rather than drive for an uncompetitive March 6. (AP) ended a brief 35-yard scoring drive set TD to help Incarnate Word beat team. up by Quan Hampton’s 65-yard return Lamar. of the opening kickoff. Matthew Incarnate Word (2-0, 2-0 Southland South Carolina women reach SEC final Cook’s 43-yard field goal made it 10-0 Conference) took a 21-17 lead late in CAR RACING a little more than halfway through the the first half on Ward’s 4-yard TD first period. pass to Darion Chafin and outscored Allmendinger was in tears when he UConn rolls past St. John’s in Big East quarters Following Aidan Bresnahan’s 49-yard Lamar 21-3 in the second half. climbed from his winning Chevrolet. field goal to put the Redbirds (0-2, 0-2) on Kevin Brown ran 13 times for 196 “It’s emotional, hell, you don’t UNCASVILLE, Conn., March 7, Louisville 72, Syracuse 59 longest streak in NCAA women’s the board, Kenton Wilhoit intercepted yards and a touchdown and caught know when you are going to do this (AP): Freshman Paige Bueckers In Greensboro, N.C., Dana Evans Division I history. Baylor has won 13 McElvain and returned it 29-yards for a four passes for 38 yards and a TD for again,” Allmendinger said. “You scored 17 points and top-ranked scored 13 points, Olivia Cochran straight games, and 14 in a row against touchdown to even the score. Incarnate Word. He ran 66 yards for a never know if this is the last one. Matt UConn opened its postseason with a added 10 points and 10 rebounds and the Jayhawks, dating to 2014. Cook’s 44-yard field goal to start score in the first quarter. Kaulig, I love you man.” 77-41 victory over St. John’s in the Louisville beat Syracuse to advance to Holly Kersgieter scored 16 points the fourth quarter put Northern Iowa in Alabama A&M 31, S.C. State 7 Kaulig Racing has eight Xfinity Big East quarterfinals. the Atlantic Coast Conference for Kansas (7-17, 3-15). The Jayhawks the lead for the remainder. Series victories since its 2016 forma- Christyn Williams added 14 points Tournament championship game. have lost 12 of their last 13 games. In Orangeburg, S.C., Aqeel Glass for the Huskies (22-1). UConn has won PVAMU 20, Texas Southern 19 threw for 272 yards and four touch- tion. Four of the wins were by Kianna Smith added 11 points for S. Carolina 67, Tennessee 52 Allmendinger. 158 straight games against conference In Prairie View, Texas, Kristian downs and Alabama A&M bounced Louisville (23-2). In Greenville, S.C., Zia Cooke scored Allmendinger said he holds Kaulig opponents since losing to Notre Dame Emily Engstler had 21 points and 10 Mosley scored on a 4-yard run with South Carolina State in a non-confer- in the 2013 Big East title game. 17 points, Aliyah Boston had 15 points 1:40 to play and Prairie View beat in such high regard that he’s often ill rebounds for Syracuse (14-8). ence FCS spring opener for both before races from the pressure to UConn will face Villanova on and 11 rebounds and South Carolina Texas Southern. teams. Sunday. Baylor 93, Kansas 67 beat Tennessee to reach the Southeastern Prairie View (1-0, 1-0 Southwestern deliver for the team. Glass threw a 16-yard scoring pass “I want to win so bad for Matt every Leilani Correa and Unique Drake In Lawrence, Kan., Nalyssa Smith Conference Tournament title game for Conference) has won six in a row to Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim for the game’s each had seven points for St. John’s had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Dijonai the sixth time in seven years. against the Tigers (0-1, 0-1). week. It’s hard to put into words what initial score with 9:08 left in the sec- he means to me and truly how bad I (8-15). Carrington added 20 points and Baylor The defending champion Freshman quarterback Trazon ond quarter. Just before halftime he beat Kansas. Gamecocks (21-4) will seek their sixth Connley, who replaced starter Tyreke want to win for him,” Allmendinger Georgia 74, Texas A&M 68 threw and 18-yard score to Odieu said. “It’s the same thing as wanting to The Lady Bears (21-2, 16-1 Big 12) tournament crown since 2015 on Starks after halftime, hit Chris Johnson Hilaire to make it 14-0. In Greenville, S.C., Mikayla Sunday against No. 16 Georgia, win for Roger Penske. Coombs scored a season-high 14 have already clinched their 11th to convert a fourth-and-18 from the 22 To start the third, Glass connected straight regular-season title - the fifth- Jordan Walker and Jordan Horston and Mosley scored the winning touch- It means that much to me that he points, including the go-ahead basket with Dami Adekunjo for 65-yard TD believes in me. Thank you for this had 11 points each for Tennessee (16- down on the next play. pass and then later to Brian Jenkins Jr. in the fourth quarter, and Georgia beat 7). opportunity because I don’t take it for Texas A&M to reach its first Nicholls 31, Northwestern St 24 for a 20-yard scoring pass with 4:43 granted.” Maryland 88, Penn St 61 left in the third. Southeastern Conference Tournament In Natchitoches, La., Lindsey Scott Jr. Allmendinger led 44 laps, including final in 17 years. In College Park, Md., Chloe Bibby threw two of his three touchdown passes Ar-Pine Bluff 33, Southern 30 the final 13 after passing Hemric on had 15 points and nine rebounds and to Dai’Jean Dixon, Julien Gums had 36 In Baton Rouge, La., Skyler Perry the restart. Maryland beat Penn State to wrap up the carries for 156 yards and a score, and accounted for four touchdowns, and Hemric finished second and led a BASKETBALL Big Ten regular-season championship. Nicholls beat Northwestern State. Arkansas-Pine Bluff held off Southern race-high 74 laps in a Toyota for Joe Diamond Miller had 14 points for Nicholls (3-0, 2-0 Southland for victory. Gibbs Racing. Brandon Jones, his JGR the Terrapins (21-2, 17-1). Conference), ranked No. 7 in the Perry threw two touchdown passes teammate, was third. Maya Caldwell added 17 points for Niya Beverley scored 15 points for STATS FCS poll, is off to its best start and had TD runs of 31 and 2 yards as Austin Cindric was fourth in a the Bulldogs (20-5). Georgia will play the Nittany Lions (9-14, 6-13). since the 1986 season. the Golden Lions built a 33-14 lead Ford for Team Penske and Noah No. 7 South Carolina in the title game. Indiana 74, Purdue 59 Scott was 21-of-33 passing for 299 midway through the third quarter. He Gragson, the Las Vegas native, was N’dea Jones led the regular-season yards with an interception. Dixon fin- finished with 223 yards passing and 58 fifth in a Chevrolet for JR champion the Aggies (23-2) with 16 In Bloomington, Ind., Mackenzie ished with seven receptions for 115 yards on the ground. Motorsports. points. Jones scored 11 of her 26 points in the yards. Southern got back in it when Rahme Gragson was followed across the fin- fourth quarter and Indiana beat Purdue for ish line by teammates Michael Annett N.C. State 66, Ga. Tech 61 S. Louisiana 25, McNeese St. 20 Shorter blocked a punt and Jamel Byrd its school-record 18th Big Ten victory. returned the ball 17 yards into the end and Josh Berry in three top-10s for JRM. In Greensboro, N.C., Elissa Cunane The Hoosiers (18-4, 16-2) set the In Hammond La., Morgan Ellison zone to pull the Jaguars to 33-26 with Annett is mourning the unexpected had 23 points and nine rebounds and previous mark of 15 in 1982-83. ran for 127 yards and a touchdown to 14:09 left. John Lampley’s 9-yard TD death of his father earlier this week. North Carolina State overcome a Kayana Traylor scored 17 points for lead Southeastern Louisiana over pass to Jarod Simms capped the scor- IndyCar driver Santino Ferrucci, in 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Purdue (7-15, 3-15). McNeese State. his second NASCAR race, finished Georgia Tech in the Atlantic Coast ing with 7:12 remaining. Michigan 63, Northwestern 58 Ellison’s 32-yard scoring run 13th. Conference Tournament semifinals. North Carolina State’s Elissa stretched the Lions’ lead to 19-6 early E. Washington 45, N. Arizona 13 Ty Dillon has had a terrible run Kayla Jones added 12 points and Cunane pulls down a rebound In Ann Arbor, Mich., Naz Hillmon in the third quarter. The Cowboys In Cheney, Wash., Eric Barriere through three races with Joe Gibbs eight rebounds for the defending against Georgia Tech during an had 19 points and 13 rebounds, pulled to 22-20 with 14:10 remaining threw for 413 yards and three touch- Racing. A broken radiator ended his champion Wolfpack (19-2). They will NCAA college basketball game in Akienreh Johnson also scored 19 but then committed three of their four downs, Tamarick Pierce ran for 105 race last week at Homestead and he face No. 5 Louisville on Sunday. the semifinals of Atlantic Coast points and Michigan beat turnovers, the last a Cody Orgeron yards and two touchdowns and Eastern crashed with 20 laps remaining Lorela Cubaj and Lotta-Maj Conference tournament in Northwestern. fumble at the Lions 4 that ended a Washington rolled to win over Saturday when the battery in his spot- Lahtinen each had 17 points for Greensboro, N.C., on March 6. Amy Dilk added 12 points for 14-play, 71-yard drive that took nearly Northern Arizona. ter’s radio died. Georgia Tech (15-8). (AP) Michigan (14-4, 9-4 Big Ten).