Howdy, I’m your host, Austin Knoblauch, filling in for Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.
From Thuc Nhi Nguyen: Gabriela Jaquez leapt out of her chair and whipped her fist through the air. Kiki Rice joined in, jumping up and down with her arms wrapped around Jaquez’s shoulders, wide smiles splitting their faces as they held phones in the air to record a moment that was equal parts joyful and historic.
UCLA earned its highest NCAA tournament position in school history Sunday, securing the tournament’s No. 1 overall seed.
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Coming off their first conference tournament title since 2006, a comeback win over USC in the Big Ten tournament final, the Bruins (30-2) lead Spokane regional 1. They will host the winner of No. 16 seed UC San Diego (20-15) versus No. 16 seed Southern (20-14) in the first round at Pauley Pavilion at 7 p.m. Friday. The game will air on ESPN. If UCLA wins, it will face the winner of No. 8 Richmond (27-6) versus No. 9 Georgia Tech (22-10).
“We’ve focused all year long on ‘earn what you want,’” UCLA coach Cori Close said. “Bottom line is your work will speak for itself and just focus on what you’re earning and being present that day and I think that’s what led us to getting the seed that we have.”
The Bruins have won 13 consecutive NCAA tournament games at Pauley Pavilion, including 10 straight as a top-four seed hosting first- and second-round games.
The home court advantage has helped the Bruins reach the Sweet 16 six times in their last seven NCAA tournament appearances. But with a talented junior class led by center Lauren Betts and Rice, who were, respectively, the No. 1 and No. 2 prospects in their recruiting class, UCLA has grander expectations than two NCAA tournament wins.
Men’s and women’s NCAA brackets
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USC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
USC star JuJu Watkins.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
From Ryan Kartje: They sat in a line of folding chairs on the Galen Center court, watching the television in front of them intently, waiting as one region after another was announced without them. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind that the Trojans deserved a No. 1 seed — that box had already been checked through a 29-win regular season and Big Ten regular season title run. But as one top seed was declared, then another, then another, a different feeling crept over the group than the joy that filled the room this time last year.
USC once again earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, this time in Regional Two that runs through Spokane in the Sweet 16 round. The Trojans will host No. 16 seed UNC Greensboro at Galen Center in the first round of the NCAA tournament at noon on Saturday. The game will air on Ch. 7. None of that came as a surprise to anyone on Sunday.
A crowd filled with family, friends and season-ticket holders still burst into pandemonium when the Trojans heard their name called, gleefully celebrating the second time since 1986 that USC had earned a top tournament seed. The band played. The cheerleaders danced. But in the front row of the Trojans’ watch party, where the starters sat, word of a second straight top seed was met with a much more muted reaction than you might expect.
JuJu Watkins, the star sophomore, stared blankly ahead, offering only a slow, deliberate clap. Rayah Marshall sat stone-faced. Kiki Iriafen posed for the cameras, wearing only a thin smile. Meanwhile, their coach sat a few rows behind fuming, wondering how exactly the committee could place her team where it ultimately ended up.
UCLA MEN’S BASKETBALL
UCLA guard Eric Dailey Jr. controls the ball in front of USC guard Wesley Yates III during a game at Pauley Pavilion on March 8.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
From Ben Bolch: No matter how UCLA was seeded, where it was sent or who it would face in its NCAA tournament opener, perhaps the biggest factor in its postseason fate wouldn’t change.
The Bruins will likely go only as far as their guards take them.
That might make for a short stay in Lexington, Ky., unless they get a lot more out of this group.
March is all about guard play. They are the ones who run the offense, dictate the defense, manage late leads and spark comebacks.
Collectively, Dylan Andrews, Skyy Clark, Kobe Johnson, Sebastian Mack, Trent Perry and Lazar Stefanovic must significantly raise their level of play if the Bruins have any hope of making it to the tournament’s second weekend.
Their production could compensate for an off night by one of the team’s leading scorers, forwards Tyler Bilodeau and Eric Dailey Jr., or offset limited minutes for center Aday Mara because of conditioning issues, matchup concerns or coach Mick Cronin’s reluctance to play him alongside Bilodeau and Dailey.
“When we get good guard play, we can beat anybody,” Cronin said last week after his guards played one of their most complete games in leading the Bruins to a 27-point rout of USC.
LAKERS
Lakers teammates Austin Reaves, left, and Luka Doncic celebrate during a win over the Phoenix Suns at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
From Dan Woike: Dorian Finney-Smith hobbled around, the ankle problems that kept him off the court in the Lakers’ losses to Brooklyn and Denver, obvious. Still, he fought with Kevin Durant and helped push the Phoenix star into missing eight of his first nine shots.
In the second half, Finney-Smith would hit two big threes and have a key offensive rebound.
Jordan Goodwin hadn’t started consecutive games this season, nevertheless consecutive games for a team with NBA title hopes, and here he was Sunday, harassing Devin Booker. He opened the game with a tip-in and finished it by extending a possession with another hustle play.
“Never judge a player by his box score,” JJ Redick said of Goodwin, who had just two points and four fouls.
And Jaxson Hayes, a former lottery pick given up on by the team that drafted him and by most of the league, feasted at the rim and ran in and out of defensive switches, the Lakers quickly reestablishing their defensive intensity after a four-game road trip where they never totally made it off the plane.
“We knew we had to be better,” Luka Doncic said.
DODGERS
Shortstop Mookie Betts will not play against the Cubs in the Dodgers’ season opener.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
From Jack Harris: Mookie Betts’ return to shortstop will have to wait until the Dodgers return home from Japan.
Betts will miss both of the Dodgers’ season-opening games at the Tokyo Dome this week against the Chicago Cubs, manager Dave Roberts said Monday, as he continues to recover from a stomach virus that has kept him out of action since last weekend.
Betts is expected to be ready for the Dodgers’ domestic home opener on March 27 against the Detroit Tigers. But in the meantime, Roberts said the Dodgers are “contemplating” sending him back home to Los Angeles early, before the team departs following Wednesday’s second game against the Cubs.
“He’s still trying to find his way [physically],” Roberts said. “I think the question is, what’s best to get him ready for opening day? We’re still talking. That’s on the table.”
CLIPPERS
From Broderick Turner: The Clippers are trending in the right direction, and on top of it, they are becoming whole with leading scorer Norman Powell back and James Harden sustaining his high level of play.
They’ve won six of their last seven games, with the Clippers’ 123-88 blowout win over the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday at the Intuit Dome pushing their winning streak to three.
“This was a good professional win,” Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said.
For Lue, the shift began with the Clippers playing defense at a higher level while not forcing the action.
ANGEL CITY
From Kevin Baxter: There is widespread agreement in Angel City’s front office that this year, the club’s fourth in the NWSL, is going to be a significant upgrade from its first three. The difference comes over how to describe that.
President Julie Uhrman prefers “a new chapter” while sporting director Mark Parsons likes “Angel City 2.0.”
“My words are 2.0,” Parsons said. “I’m just telling you. It’s version two.”
They were both right. Because while the operating system still needs a few updates, the opening chapter had a better ending than the two that preceded it with Angel City rallying for a 1-1 tie Sunday with the San Diego Wave at BMO Stadium.
Angel City-San Diego box score
GALAXY
From the Associated Press: Christian Ramírez scored late in the second half and the defending champion Galaxy earned their first point of the season in a 1-1 draw with the Portland Timbers on Sunday afternoon.
Ramírez scored his first goal in his first season with the Galaxy (0-3-1) in the 81st minute. He has 52 career goals with five different clubs. Defender Mathias “Zanka” Jørgensen notched his first assist in his second career start and third appearance in the league.
Felipe Mora scored his first goal of the season to give Portland (1-2-1) the lead in the 49th minute. It was Mora’s 40th career goal for the Timbers. Rookie midfielder David Da Costa earned his first career assist in his third start and fourth appearance.
DUCKS
From the Associated Press: Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich each scored in the first 90 seconds, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Ducks 7-2 on Sunday night.
Cutter Gauthier had a goal and an assist, Nikita Nesterenko also scored and Mason McTavish had two assists for the Ducks, who lost for the fifth time in seven games. Lukas Dostal gave up five goals on 14 shots over the first two periods, and Ville Husso stopped 10 of the 12 shots he faced in the third.
Anaheim lost for the eighth time in 12 games (4-7-1) to fall eight points out of the second wild card in the Western Conference.
MARATHON
Matthew Richtman celebrates after winning the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday.
(Etienne Laurent / For The Times)
From Jack Flemming: Matt Richtman won the 2025 L.A. Marathon on Sunday, marking the first time an American has won the race in 31 years.
The former Montana State University star finished with a time of 2:07:56 — nearly three minutes faster than runner-up Athanas Kioko and more than five minutes faster than third-place finisher Moses Kiptoo Kurgat.
A native of Elburn, Ill., Richtman is the first American to win the event since Paul Pilkington in 1994. Kenyans have dominated the men’s race in the decades since, winning 21 times since 1999, according to NBC Los Angeles.
“It’s definitely a surprise,” Richtman said moments after crossing the finish line. “You know, I came in feeling really good. It’s really hard to judge where you stack up against competition, but it was a really good group out there today, and I was really happy to run with those guys and then ultimately win it.”
Richtman said he drew inspiration from the atmosphere in Los Angeles.
RAMS
From Gary Klein: The Rams’ running back corps will have a familiar look going into offseason workouts next month.
Starter Kyren Williams is entering the final year of his rookie contract, backup Blake Corum will try to build off his rookie performance, and the Rams announced Sunday that they agreed to a one-year deal with reserve Ronnie Rivers, a restricted free agent who has also been a key special teams player.
Cody Schrader, who played in one game last season, also is on the roster.
THIS DATE IN SPORTS
1897 — Bob Fitzsimmons knocks out Jim Corbett in the 14th round to win the world heavyweight title in Carson City, Nev. It’s the first boxing match photographed by a motion picture camera.
1908 — Tommy Burns knocks out Jene Roche in 80 seconds at the Royal Theatre in Dublin, Ireland, to retain the world heavyweight title.
1939 — Villanova wins first game of the men’s NCAA basketball tournament, defeating Brown 42-30 in Philadelphia. Ohio State beats Wake Forest 64-52 in the second game of the doubleheader.
1940 — For the first time in NHL history, one line — The Kraut Line of Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart and Bobby Bauer — finish 1-2-3 in NHL scoring when the Boston Bruins score five goals in the third period to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 7-2.
1955 — Canadien fans riot in the streets of Montreal protesting NHL President Clarence Campbell’s suspension of Maurice “Rocket” Richard the previous day. The Canadiens forfeit the game to the Detroit after a smoke bomb goes off in the Forum and crowds spill into the streets, setting fires, smashing windows and looting.
1961 — Manhattan District Attorney Frank S. Hogan arrests two professional gamblers, Aaron Wagman and Joseph Hacken, and implicates Hank Gunter and Art Hicks of Seton Hall in a collegiate point shaving scandal.
1993 — Dallas snaps a 19-game losing streak with a 102-96 win over visiting Orlando. The Mavericks were one game away from tying the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers for the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history.
2001 — Connecticut cruises to a 101-29 win over Long Island University in the first round of the East Regional, the best defensive effort in the history of the women’s NCAA tournament. Connecticut’s 72-point victory also ties the second-biggest margin in tournament history.
2006 — Jermaine Wallace hits a fadeaway 3-pointer with a split-second left, and little Northwestern State pulls off a shocker with a furious rally, beating No. 3 seed Iowa 64-63 in the first round of the men’s NCAA tournament.
2012 — Lindsey Vonn sets a women’s record for the most World Cup points in a season after finishing eighth in a slalom won by Austria’s Michaela Kirchgasser at Schladming, Austria. Vonn reaches 1,980 points to beat the mark of 1,970 set by Janica Kostelic of Croatia in 2006.
2016 — Little Rock advances with an out-of-nowhere comeback that leads to an 85-83 double-overtime victory over Purdue in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
2018 — The UConn Huskies open their NCAA Women’s Tournament with a record-setting 140-52 rout of Saint Francis (Pa.). The tournament’s top seed sets a record for points in a tournament game and all-time NCAA records for points in a period (55 in the first) and a half (94 in the first).
2020 — French Open becomes first Grand Slam tennis tournament to be postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Compiled by the Associated Press.
Until next time…
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