TUESDAY SPORTS, MARCH 17, 2026
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball will face Lindsey Wilson in the NAIA national tournament Round of 16 in Sioux City on Friday at 1 pm.
— Dakota Wesleyan softball is scheduled to host Northwestern in its home opener at McWhirter Field on Wednesday at 3 pm for a doubleheader.
— Dakota Wesleyan baseball, 10-8 on the season, will be at Hastings on Friday at Noon for a doubleheader.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State earned a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and will face No. 6 Washington in the first round Friday in Fort Worth, Texas. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. The winner will advance to play either No. 3 TCU or No. 14 UC San Diego in the second round. This marks SDSU’s 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in 18 seasons, after the Jackrabbits secured an automatic bid by winning their fourth straight Summit League tournament.
— South Dakota State softball, 15-17 on the season, will be at Wichita State on Tuesday for a doubleheader at 2 pm.
— South Dakota State baseball, 5-14 on the season, will be at Oklahoma State on Tuesday at 6 pm and again on Wednesday at 4 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— USD women’s basketball will take on the winner of Air Force and Northern Colorado in the second round of the WNIT. The game time and date is yet to be announced, between Sunday and Tuesday.
— USD softball, 8-20 on the season, will be at Kansas on Tuesday at 1 pm for a doubleheader.
NCAA TOURNAMENT – FIRST FOUR
No. 16 UMBC vs. No. 16 Howard, 5:40 pm on TruTV – Winner plays No. 1 Michigan
No. 11 Texas vs. No. 11 North Carolina State, 8:15 pm on TruTV – Winner plays No. 6 BYU
No. 16 Lehigh vs. No. 16 Prairie View A&M, 5:40 pm on TruTV – Winner plays No. 1 Florida
No. 11 SMU vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio), 8:15 pm on TruTV – Winner plays No. 6 Tennessee
WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
— Venezuela is headed to its first-ever World Baseball Classic championship game after rallying past Italy 4-2 on Monday night in Miami. Down 2-0, the comeback was sparked by a solo homer from Eugenio Suárez before a three-run seventh inning sealed it. Ronald Acuña Jr., Maikel Garcia, and Luis Arraez each delivered two-out RBI singles. Italy, making a historic semifinal run as the first European team to get this far, couldn’t hold the late lead. Venezuela now faces the United States for the championship at 7 pm tonight on FOX in Miami, with both teams entering at 5-1.
WNBA
— Marathon labor talks between the WNBA and its players union stretched past 3:30 a.m. again with no deal on a new collective bargaining agreement. The two sides have now logged about 90 hours of face-to-face negotiations over the past week, but major issues remain, especially revenue sharing and player housing. Commissioner Cathy Engelbert says progress is being made, while union leaders insist players remain firm in their demands. With the season set to begin May 8, delays to training camp or the schedule are still possible if a deal isn’t reached soon.
NBA
— The NBA could take a major step toward expansion next week, with owners set to vote on focusing efforts on Las Vegas and Seattle as the top markets for new teams. A three-fourths majority, 23 of 30 owners, would be needed to move forward. Commissioner Adam Silver has said a final decision on expansion is expected by the end of 2026. If approved, expansion fees could exceed $6 billion per team, and the league would likely realign conferences, potentially moving a current Western Conference team to the East.
NFL
— The New York Jets are trading quarterback Justin Fields to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he’ll serve as the backup to Patrick Mahomes. New York will receive a 2027 sixth-round pick and will pay $7 million of Fields’ salary. Fields struggled as the Jets’ starter last season, going 2-7 before being benched and eventually landing on injured reserve. Kansas City adds him as insurance with Mahomes recovering from a knee injury. The move comes after the Jets recently acquired Geno Smith from the Raiders.
— The Philadelphia Eagles are bringing back tight end Dallas Goedert on a one-year, $7 million deal. The move helps Philadelphia avoid a costly $20 million dead-cap hit and gives the team more financial flexibility moving forward. Goedert remains a key piece of the offense, with 60 catches, 591 yards, and 11 touchdowns for season.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
— Alabama guard Aden Holloway has been arrested on a felony drug charge just days before the NCAA Tournament. Authorities say more than a pound of marijuana, cash, and paraphernalia were found during a search near campus. Holloway has been suspended indefinitely by head coach Nate Oats and removed from campus pending investigation. The sophomore is Alabama’s second-leading scorer at nearly 17 points per game, as the fourth-seeded Tide prepare to face Hofstra in the first round.
— The NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off this week with a record $3.3 billion expected to be legally wagered, highlighting the massive growth of sports betting across the U.S. But the surge comes just two months after federal charges in a point-shaving scheme involving dozens of players and alleged fixers, raising fresh concerns about game integrity. The NCAA says it’s increasing monitoring and education efforts, warning players about gambling risks and outside influence, while also requiring new player availability reports for tournament teams. Officials say protecting athletes, especially from harassment and manipulation tied to betting, remains a growing challenge as March Madness begins.
MLB
— Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas has been suspended 80 games for testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. Rojas will lose nearly $400,000 in salary and won’t be eligible for the 2026 postseason. He had a .224 batting average with one home run and 18 RBIs last season. The Phillies say they support MLB’s drug prevention program and are disappointed by the violation.
NBA
— Luka Doncic scored 36 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 100-92 victory over the Houston Rockets in the opener of a two-game series between teams fighting for Western Conference playoff position. Los Angeles moved 1 ½ games ahead of Houston for third in the West. Doncic had his sixth straight game with 30 or more points
— Jaylen Brown had 18 of his 41 points in the fourth quarter, while Jayson Tatum scored 21 to help the Boston Celtics beat the Phoenix Suns 120-112. Devin Booker scored 40 for the Suns.
— Victor Wembanyama had 21 points and 13 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs overcame an early 14-point deficit before blowing most of a 24-point lead and recovering to hold off the Los Angeles Clippers 119-115. Stephon Castle had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds to lead the Spurs reach 50 wins for the first time since 2017.
— Atlanta’s Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored a career-high 41 points, while Jalen Johnson had his 13th triple-double of the season as the Hawks rolled past the Magic 124-112, extending their winning streak to 10 games and snapping Orlando’s at seven. The Hawks improved to 38-31 and reclaimed eighth place in the Eastern Conference, bumping Philadelphia back to ninth. Johnson had 24 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists in his second straight triple-double.
— Kristaps Porzingis scored 30 points and De’Anthony Melton added 27 as the Golden State Warriors snapped a five-game losing streak with a 125-117 victory over the Washington Wizards, giving head coach Steve Kerr his 600th career victory. Washington has dropped 12 in a row, but the Wizards still haven’t taken over last place in the East because Indiana has lost 13 straight.
— Josh Giddey had 16 points, 15 rebounds and 13 assists for his fourth triple-double in five games, as the Chicago Bulls blew out Memphis 132-107 to hand the Grizzlies their eighth straight loss. Giddey is third in the NBA with 12 triple-doubles this season.
— The Portland Trail Blazers coasted to 114-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
— Zion Williamson scored 27 points as the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Dallas Mavericks 129-111. Dallas rookie Cooper Flagg had 21 points, eight assists and seven rebounds.
The Class AA Boys Basketball State Tournament is set for March 19-21 at the Monument Ice Arena in Rapid City
All times are Central
No. 1 Sioux Falls Lincoln (21-0) vs. No. 9 Tea Area (13-8) – Noon
No. 4 Harrisburg (16-5) vs. No. 5 Watertown (16-5) – 1:45 pm
No. 2 Sioux Falls Roosevelt (17-4) vs. No. 7 Brandon Valley (13-8) – 6 pm
No. 3 Huron (17-4) vs. No. 6 O’Gorman (13-8) – 7:45 pm
The Class B Boys Basketball State Tournament is set for March 19-21 in Aberdeen.
No. 1 Viborg-Hurley (20-3) vs. No. 8 Lyman (17-6) – 11 am
No. 4 Aberdeen Christian (20-3) vs. No. 5 Castlewood (20-3) – 12:45 pm
No. 2 Freeman (21-2) vs. No. 7 Sully Buttes (18-5) – 5 pm – Q107.3 and Q107Radio.com
No. 3 De Smet (19-4) vs. No. 6 Wall (19-4) – 6:45 pm
The Class A Boys Basketball State Tournament is set for March 19-21 at the Summit Arena in Rapid City
No. 1 Sioux Falls Christian (20-1) vs. No. 8 St. Thomas More (16-5)
No. 4 Hamlin (20-3) vs. No. 5 Groton Area (18-4)
No. 2 West Central (22-0) vs. No. Cheyenne-Eagle Butte (20-3)
No. 3 Clark/Willow Lake (20-2) vs. No. 6 Stanley County (20-2)