>>UNC Edges Gonzaga In National Championship Game
(Glendale, AZ) — North Carolina is cutting down the nets in Arizona. The Tar Heels outlasted Gonzaga 71-65 in the NCAA men’s basketball national championship game. UNC, which lost to Villanova in last year’s title game, won the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time in school history.
>>UNC’s Williams Joins Elite Company
(Glendale, AZ) — North Carolina head coach Roy Williams is joining some elite company. Williams became only the sixth coach in NCAA men’s basketball history to win at least three national championships when the Tar Heels beat Gonzaga last night. He joins Jim Calhoun, Bob Knight, Adolph Rupp, Mike Krzyzewski and John Wooden.
>>Ewing Taking Over At Georgetown
(Washington, DC) — Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing is the new men’s head basketball coach at Georgetown. The 54-year-old starred for the Hoyas in the 1980s and led the team to a national title in 1984. Ewing replaces John Thompson the Third, who was fired last month.
>>Cards Host Cubs
(St. Louis, MO) — The Cardinals and Cubs play the second of their three-game season opening series tonight at Busch Stadium. St. Louis came away with a 4-3 win on Sunday during Opening Day. Adam Wainwright toes the rubber for the Cards. Chicago counters with Jake Arrieta.
>>Cardinals Lock Up Piscotty
(St. Louis, MO) — The Cardinals are locking up outfielder Stephen Piscotty. The Redbirds have signed Piscotty to a six-year contract extension that includes an option for 2023. Multiple outlets report the deal is worth up to 50.5-million-dollars including 33.5-million guaranteed. The 26-year-old hit .273 with 22 home runs and 85 RBI in 153 games last season, his first full year in the big leagues.
>>White Sox-Tigers Postponed
(Chicago, IL) — Opening Day for the White Sox is being pushed back. Yesterday’s scheduled game between the Tigers and Sox was postponed due to rain on the Southside. The contest has been moved to 1:10 this afternoon. Chicago’s Jose Quintana is scheduled to oppose Justin Verlander on the mound.
>>Bulls Take On Knicks
(New York, NY) — The Bulls battle the Knicks in New York tonight. Chicago ran its winning streak to four games with an 117-110 victory over the Pelicans on Sunday. At 38-and-39, the Bulls enter tonight’s tilt with a one-game lead on the Heat for seventh place in the East.
>>Blackhawks Battle Avs
(Denver, CO) — The Blackhawks clash with the Avalanche tonight in Colorado. Chicago is coming off Sunday’s 3-2 home loss to the Bruins. Despite the setback, the ‘Hawks have clinched the best record in the West.
>>Blues Host Jets
(St. Louis, MO) — The Blues welcome the Jets to the Scottrade Center tonight. St. Louis has earned at least a point in its last nine games to give them 93 points. That puts the Blues in third in the Central Division with four games left in the regular season. St. Louis has already locked up a playoff spot. Winnipeg has 81 points and has been eliminated from postseason contention.
>>NHL Won’t Participate In 2018 Winter Games
(Undated) — The NHL will not send players to the Winter Olympics in South Korea next year. The league announced yesterday that it would not have a break in the 2017-18 schedule to accommodate the Olympics and they “consider the matter officially closed.” NHL players had participated in the last five Winter Games dating back to 1998.