Sports

(NEW YORK) — The Elite Eight of the men’s NCAA tournament is set and will feature some of the biggest and storied programs in college basketball history — Duke, North Carolina, Villanova and Kansas.

But there’s a tiny Jersey City, New Jersey, university that also punched its ticket to the next round of eight you probably never heard of until they knocked off No. 2 Kentucky and No. 7 Murray State.

The Cinderella magic continued for the Saint Peter’s University Peacocks on Friday night, stunning third-seeded Purdue 67-64 in front of a packed crowd at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia.

The victory was historic, marking the first time a No. 15 has ever advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.

The Peacocks have galvanized this year’s tournament, which comes after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic that saw the tournament canceled altogether in 2020, and a carefully coordinated one last year, anchored in Indianapolis.

But the crowds are back in full force this year, and all eyes are on the small university that sits just across the water from New York City’s lower Manhattan.

What some are saying is most impressive about Saint Peter’s success is like most mid- and low-major programs, the funding and resources are far below that of the likes of Kentucky, a team they upset this year.

Kentucky’s head coach John Calipari’s salary of $8.5 million is greater than the entire athletic budget of Saint Peter’s at $7.5 million, ESPN reported.

And budget constraints directly affect areas such as recruiting, whereas most programs like Saint Peter’s end up with players the majors typically overlook.

But for the Peacocks, the collective appears unphased.

“I got guys from New Jersey and New York City. You think we’re scared of anything?” Coach Shaheen Holloway said during a post-game press conference when asked about the physicality of Murray State last week.

The historic March Madness run continues Sunday when the Peacocks face-off against No. 8-seeded North Carolina in the East regional final, with a chance to reach the Final Four in New Orleans.

“What they going to say now?” Coach Holloway said about the team’s underdog status after defeating Purdue Friday night.

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(NEW YORK) — The NFL is looking into potentially changing its overtime rules but getting enough team owners on board with a specific proposal may be tough work.

In a conference call Friday, NFL Competition Committee chairman Rich McKay told reporters that while there is “a lot of momentum” for changing the rules, “I think my history on this rule tells me that 24 votes is not easy to get.”

“But I do think the statistics absolutely warrant an examination of whether overtime rules need to be further modified,” McKay said.

As the current rule stands, a team can win on the first possession of overtime if it scores a touchdown. This rule has been in place since it went into effect for the 2012 regular season.

So far, two proposals are being reviewed, according to ESPN. The first one, proposed by the Indianapolis Colts and Philadelphia Eagles, would require each team to have possession of the ball during overtime before the game moves into a sudden death scenario. The other, proposed by the Tennessee Titans, would also require each team to have possession of the ball “unless the team that has the first possession scores a touchdown and converts a successful two-point attempt,” ESPN reports.

Team owners are set to meet next week in Palm Beach, Florida.

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(NEW YORK) — The Elite Eight teams are set as March Madness continues.

Mike Krzyzewski, otherwise known as “Coach K,” and the Duke Blue Devils are one of the teams moving on to the quarterfinals of the 2022 NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.

Watch the full report from ABC’s Good Morning America for more tournament news:

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Thursday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Toronto 117, Cleveland 104
Memphis 133, Indiana 103
Milwaukee 114, Washington 102
New Orleans 126, Chicago 109
Phoenix 140, Denver 130

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Florida 4, Montreal 3
Boston 3, Tampa Bay 2
Dallas 4, Carolina 3 (SO)
NY Islanders 5, Detroit 2
Philadelphia 5, St. Louis 2
Ottawa 5, Winnipeg 2
Minnesota 3, Vancouver 2 (OT)
Edmonton 5, San Jose 2
Vegas 6, Nashville 1
Chicago 4, Los Angeles 3 (SO)

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Arkansas 74, Gonzaga 68
Houston 72, Arizona 60
Villanova 63, Michigan 55
Duke 78, Texas Tech 73

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(WASHINGTON) — WNBA star Brittney Griner met with U.S. officials on Thursday for the first time since being held in pre-trial detention in Russia for over a month, according to the U.S. State Department.

“The consular officer who visited with Brittney Griner was able to verify that she is doing as well as can be expected under these very difficult circumstances,” State Department spokesman Med Price told reporters on Thursday.

“We will continue to work very closely with her legal team, with her broader network, to see to it that she is treated fairly and that her rights are respected,” he added.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was visiting Russia to play basketball off-season and was arrested last month at a Moscow area airport for allegedly having vape cartridges in her luggage containing hashish oil — an illegal substance in Russia.

She is facing drug charges with up to ten years in prison, according to Russian media reports.

Griner’s visit with officials from the U.S. consular officer from the embassy in Moscow comes after the State Department expressed concerns over Griner’s well-being after Russia extended her pre-trial detention to May 19.

Griner, a Houston native, was reportedly detained on Feb. 17 — one week before Russia invaded Ukraine.

The invasion escalated tensions between the U.S. and Russia and amid a volatile diplomatic environment, concerns over Griner are growing, with some officials expressing fear that Griner and other Americans jailed in Russia could be used as leverage in the ongoing conflict.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced on Wednesday that the State Department has made a formal assessment that Russian forces have committed war crimes in Ukraine.The U.S. also imposed a wave of new sanctions on Russia, including personal sanctions on Putin and some of his close associates, but has continued to oppose a no-fly zone and the deployment of U.S. troops to fight Russia in Ukraine.

Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Texas, whose district includes parts of Houston, has called for the athlete’s release and told ABC’s Nightline in an interview last Thursday, that the conflict between the U.S. and Russia over the invasion of Ukraine should not affect Griner’s chances of being released.

“You know, there are international protocols that should be held in spite of conflicts,” the congresswoman said.

“This is a major conflict. This is a major act of violence. This is an invasion. Brittney Griner had nothing to do with that,” she added.

Price said on Thursday that “time will tell” whether Griner’s visit with U.S. officials is a “one-off visit” or whether Russia’s “posture is changing.”

“We want timely consistent access to American detainees in Russia, including those in pre-trial detention. That would call for additional visits to Brittney Griner and to other Americans who are detained in Russia,” he said.

Last week, Price expressed concerns that Russia had not yet “permitted” U.S. officials access to Griner.

“The Russians are obligated to permit, to allow this type of consular access under the Vienna Convention,” Price told ABC News Live at the time. “We’re going to continue to insist that they allow us access to Brittney Griner just as we be permitted access to all Americans who are detained in Russia.”

Griner is a seven-time WNBA All-Star, who has been playing for the Phoenix Mercury since 2013.

The Phoenix Mercury said in a statement on March 5 that the team is in contact with Griner’s family, representatives and the WNBA and are closely monitoring her case.

“We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home,” the Phoenix Mercury said.

ABC News’ Conor Finnegan, Libby Cathey, Kandis Mascall, Matthew Fuhrman, Miles Cohen and Tanya Stukalova contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Wednesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Detroit 122, Atlanta 101
New York 121, Charlotte 106
Sacramento 110, Indiana 109
Boston 125, Utah 97
Memphis 132, Brooklyn 120
Golden State 118, Miami 104
Oklahoma City 118, Orlando 102
Phoenix 125, Minnesota 116
Dallas 110, Houston 91
San Antonio 133, Portland 96
Philadelphia 126, LA Lakers 121

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Toronto 3, New Jersey 2
Buffalo 4, Pittsburgh 3 (SO)
Vancouver 3, Colorado 1
Chicago 4, Anaheim 2

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(NEW YORK) — World No. 1 Ash Barty announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 25 on Wednesday.

“It’s hard to say, but I’m so happy, and I’m so ready, and I just know at the moment in my heart for me as a person — this is right,” she said in a 6-minute video posted to Instagram talking to former player Casey Dellacqua.

The Australian star is retiring not only as she holds the top rank for women’s tennis, but also just two months after she won the Australian Open on her home turf. About six months earlier, she claimed the title at Wimbledon.

That Wimbledon win, she said, was a pivotal moment that led up to her decision to retire after working “so hard your whole life for one goal.”

“To be able to win Wimbledon, which was my dream — the one, true dream that I wanted in tennis — that really changed my perspective,” she said. “I just had that gut feeling after Wimbledon.”

Still, Barty said, after victory on that famed grass court, “there was just a little part of me that wasn’t quite satisfied, wasn’t quite fulfilled.” That feeling was answered, she said, by being able to bring it home at the Australian Open, which she called “my perfect way” to celebrate her career.

Despite a great professional year, it was somewhat of a trying one personally, she said. In order to compete at the opens around the world, she lived away from home for some six months to avoid having to quarantine reentering Australia, which would have interfered with her training.

“Without a doubt it was something that was new to me, new to try and wrap my head around and comprehend where we’re going to be away for such an extended period,” she said in March 2021, according to The Guardian. “Of course there were tears the days leading up. There were tears when I did finally leave, and then when we left.”

She spoke frequently throughout the season about how difficult it was to be away from home — and how significant it was for her to be able to return and win in Australia.

“As an Aussie, the most important part of this tournament is being able to share it with so many people,” she said after winning in January, according to The New York Times.

This is not Barty’s first time leaving tennis, although she said in her Wednesday announcement this time felt different. Back in 2014, after succeeding at the junior level, she left the sport to travel less and spend more time with family. She transitioned over to playing cricket before returning to tennis in 2016.

While it may be the end of the tennis-related “Barty Party,” she’s looking forward to her future.

“Ash Barty the person has so many dreams that she wants to chase after that don’t necessarily involve traveling the world, being away from my family, being away from my home, which is where I’ve always wanted to be,” she said Wednesday.

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Tuesday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Orlando 94, Golden State 90
Atlanta 117, New York 111
Milwaukee 126, Chicago 98
Denver 127, LA Clippers 115

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
St. Louis 5, Washington 2
Pittsburgh 5, Columbus 1
New Jersey 7, NY Rangers 4
Carolina 3, Tampa Bay 2
NY Islanders 3, Ottawa 0
Detroit 6, Philadelphia 3
Winnipeg 4, Vegas 0
Dallas 5, Edmonton 3
San Jose 4, Calgary 3
Seattle 4. Arizona 2
Los Angeles 6, Nashville 1

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(NEW YORK) — Phil Mickelson won’t be on the green when the 2022 Masters kicks off at Augusta National Golf Club next month.

Mickelson, a three-time Masters champion, was expected to play in the golf tournament but his name was moved to the list of “past champions not playing” on the Masters’ website Monday.

Had he participated, it would have been the 51-year-old’s 30th Masters start. Instead, his absence will mark the first time since 1994 that Mickelson hasn’t competed in Augusta, Georgia.

The news comes after Mickelson received backlash last month over comments he made supporting a Saudi Arabia-backed golf tour.

In the comments, which the pro golfer made to author Alan Shipnuck in November but were released in February, Mickelson expressed no reservations about working with the Saudis despite the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, which a United Nations probe determined was a “premeditated execution” for which Saudi Arabia was responsible.

“They’re scary … to get involved with,” Mickelson told Shipnuck about working with the Saudis on the new league. “We know they killed Khashoggi and have a horrible record on human rights. They execute people over there for being gay. Knowing all of this, why would I even consider it? Because this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reshape how the PGA Tour operates.”

Mickelson later apologized for his comments but not before they cost him one of his biggest sponsors, global tax firm KPMG.

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(NEW YORK) — Here are the scores from Monday’s sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
LA Lakers 131, Cleveland 120
Charlotte 106, New Orleans 103
Portland 119, Detroit 115
Brooklyn 114, Utah 106
Philadelphia 113, Miami 106
Chicago 113, Toronto 99
Houston 115, Washington 97
Boston 132, Oklahoma City 123
Dallas 110, Minnesota 108

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Boston 3, Montreal 2 (OT)
Minnesota 3, Vegas 0
Colorado 3, Edmonton 2 (OT)
Nashville 6, Anaheim 3

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