WEDNESDAY SPORTS, MARCH 4, 2026
MITCHELL KERNELS
— No. 7 Mitchell Kernels girls basketball will host No. 10 Spearfish at 6 pm on Friday in the Class AA SoDAK 16. Coverage starts at 5 pm with the KORNer Booth on KORN News Radio. Both teams finished the regular season with a 12-8 record. Spearfish defeated Mitchell on February 7, 61-55. The winner advances to the state tournament in Rapid City, March 12-14. Mitchell would face the winner between No. 2 O’Gorman/No. 15 Rapid City Central on Thursday, March 12, at 6 pm CST.
— No. 12 Mitchell Kernels boys basketball will be at No. 5 Watertown at 6 pm on Saturday in the Class AA SoDAK 16. Pregame coverage starts at 5:45 pm on KORN News Radio. Mitchell opened the season with a 59-55 overtime loss at Watertown on December 16.
DAKOTA WESLEYAN
— Dakota Wesleyan women’s basketball defeated No. 1 ranked Dordt 84-76, to capture the GPAC tournament championship. The ninth-ranked Tigers shot 59% from the field and took control in the second quarter, never trailing again while snapping Dordt’s 48-game home winning streak that dated back three seasons. Emma Yost led DWU with 20 points and seven assists, Avery Broughton added 19 points and seven rebounds, and Rylee Rosenquist scored 17. Senior Maleighya Estes provided a big lift off the bench with a career-high 16 points. The win gives Dakota Wesleyan its first GPAC tournament title since 2022 and sends the Tigers into the NAIA national tournament, where they’ll host its opening-round game on Friday, March 13th at the Corn Palace.
— Dakota Wesleyan’s Dexter Payne is this week’s GPAC pitcher of the week. Payne, a senior from Sioux Falls, had 11 strikeouts in the Tiger’s second game of the series against York (Neb.). He recorded seven consecutive strikeouts to begin the game in a complete seven-inning game shutout, allowing only two hits on the day.
— Dakota Wesleyan baseball travels to Tucson, Arizona, this weekend with five games on the schedule.
— Dakota Wesleyan softball heads to Tucson, Arizona, this weekend with 10 games on the schedule. The Tigers face Indiana Wesleyan on Friday at 1 pm, followed by William Penn (Iowa) at 3:30 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
— South Dakota State women’s basketball takes on No. 7 seed Kansas City on Thursday at Noon in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament. The Jackrabbit pregame show starts at 11:30 am on KORN News Radio
— South Dakota State men’s basketball will face the No. 2 seed St. Thomas in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament on Thursday at 8:30 pm. The Jackrabbit pregame show starts at 8 pm on KORN News Radio.
— South Dakota State baseball will be at Nebraska on Wednesday for a single game at 1 pm.
— South Dakota State softball takes on Nebraska for a doubleheader on Thursday at 4 pm.
SOUTH DAKOTA
— USD men’s basketball takes on No. 5 seed Omaha on Friday at 6 pm in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament.
— USD women’s basketball will face the No. 6 seed Denver in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament on Friday at 2:30 pm.
— USD softball travels to Greeley, Colorado, this weekend for five games against Northern Colorado and Colorado State.
STATE LEGISLATURE
— A South Dakota House committee has voted 11-2 against a proposal that would have asked voters to approve statewide mobile sports betting. The measure, carried by Rep. Greg Jamison of Sioux Falls, looked to use tax revenue from sports betting to fund property tax relief. South Dakota voters previously limited legal sports betting to Deadwood and tribal casinos in 2020. Supporters said mobile sports wagering is already happening illegally, while opponents warned of increased gambling addiction and social costs. The resolution will not appear on the November ballot.
SUMMIT LEAGUE
— Four South Dakota State women’s basketball players were recognized in the All-Summit League awards announced on Tuesday. Seniors Brooklyn Meyer and Madison Mathiowetz earned first-team honors, with Meyer leading the league in scoring and field goal percentage. Sophomore Emilee Fox received honorable mention, while freshman Hadley Thul made the all-freshman team. Meanwhile, USD junior Molly Joyce was named Summit League Newcomer of the Year and was named to the second team. Senior Angelina Robles earned first-team honors, and Elise Turrubiates received honorable mention and all-newcomer recognition.
— South Dakota State men’s basketball sophomores Joe Sayler and Damon Wilkinson were named honorable mentions on the 2026 All-Summit League team. Sayler led the Jackrabbits in scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game, while Wilkinson added 15.5 points and nearly seven rebounds per contest. Both players received their first career league honors. At USD, senior Cameron Fens earned first-team and all-defensive recognition after averaging a league-leading double-double of 17.6 points and 10.3 rebounds. Jordan Crawford made the second team, ranking among the league leaders in scoring and 3-point shooting.
NFL
— The Arizona Cardinals have informed two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kyler Murray that they plan to release him when the new NFL league year begins next Wednesday, March 11. Murray, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick, will be a free agent and can sign with any team. Murray spent seven seasons in Arizona, with one playoff appearance in 2021 and finishing with 121 touchdown passes and 32 rushing scores. Injuries, including a torn ACL and a foot injury last season, and inconsistent team performance contributed to the decision. The 28-year-old will enter free agency with $36.8 million guaranteed for 2026 and can play next season for the league minimum.
— The Indianapolis Colts placed a transition tag on quarterback Daniel Jones and the New York Jets used the franchise tag on running back Breece Hall as teams beat the deadline to place tags on potential free agents. The Colts opted to use the $37.8 million transition tag instead of the $43.9 million franchise tag, opening up the possibility that Jones could still leave without compensation for Indianapolis. Hall got the $14.3 million franchise tag from New York, meaning the Jets would get two first-round picks as compensation if they didn’t match any potential offer sheet.
MLB
— Atlanta Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for the 2026 season by Major League Baseball following his second positive test for a performance-enhancing drug. Profar tested positive for testosterone and its metabolites, the commissioner’s office said, which means testosterone that was not produced by his body. Because it was a second offense, the length of Profar’s suspension was 162 games. An All-Star in 2024, Profar was suspended for 80 games last March 31 following a positive test for a hormone that helps production of testosterone. Profar issued a statement then saying: “I would never willingly take a banned substance.”
NBA
— Anthony Edwards scored 41 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Memphis Grizzlies 117-110. The Timberwolves, who moved into fourth in the Western Conference over the weekend, have won four in a row and seven of eight. Julius Randle added 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Wolves.
— Cleveland’s Jaylon Tyson scored 22 points, while James Harden added 18 as the Cavaliers avenged a recent overtime loss in Detroit by beating the East-leading Pistons 113-109 despite playing without injured star Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell sat out his fourth straight game with a nagging groin strain. Jalen Duren led Detroit with 24 points and 14 rebounds.
— Dylan Harper and Devin Vassell scored 22 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 131-91 win at Philadelphia. The Spurs hit 18 3-pointers and led by 49 points at the end of the third quarter.
— Jalen Brunson had 26 points and 10 assists, while Karl-Anthony Towns added 21 points and 12 rebounds as the New York Knicks beat the Toronto Raptors 111-95 for their fifth win in six games. After snapping San Antonio’s 11-game winning streak on Sunday, the Knicks ran their win streak against Toronto to 12.
— Luka Doncic had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 110-101.
— Jared McCain scored 20 points, Isaiah Joe added 19 as the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing without star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, beat the Chicago Bulls 116-108.
— Paolo Banchero matches a season high with 37 points as the Orlando Magic picked up a 126-109 win over the Washington Wizards. Banchero went 15 of 21 from the field as Orlando shot 55%.
— Brandon Miller scored 17 points as the Charlotte Hornets routed the Dallas Mavericks 117-90 for their fifth straight victory. LaMelo Ball added 15 points and nine assists to help the Hornets (31-31) reach .500 for the first time since Oct. 28 when they were 2-2.
— Jalen Green scored 20 points as the Phoenix Suns beat the NBA-worst Sacramento Kings 114-103 to sweep the four-game season series.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
No. 5 Florida 108, Mississippi State 74
UCLA 72, No. 9 Nebraska 52
TCU 73, No. 10 Texas Tech 65
No. 11 Illinois 80, Oregon 54
No. 13 Virginia 75, Wake Forest 70
Arizona State 70, No. 14 Kansas 60
Georgia 98, No. 16 Alabama 88
No. 17 North Carolina 67, Clemson 63
No. 19 Miami (Ohio) 74, Toledo 72 – Miami improves to 30-0
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL – TUESDAY
REGION 5A
No. 2 Wagner 77, No. 7 Bon Homme 42 – Jesse Zephier with 31 points, five assists and five steals.
No. 3 Parker/Marion 68, No. 6 Scotland/Menno 53
No. 4 Mt. Vernon/Plankinton 55, No. 5 Hanson 48
REGION 6A
No. 3 Mobridge-Pollock 63, No. 6 Platte-Geddes 56
REGION 7A
No. 2 Pine Ridge 108, No. 7 Lakota Tech 30 – Marvin Richard II with 73 points to set the South Dakota boys basketball all-time single game scoring record.
REGION 2B
No. 3 Wessington Springs 71, No. 6 Wolsey-Wessington 40 – Parker Graff with 25 points and five three-pointers.
REGION 3B
No. 1 Bridgewater-Emery 71, No. 8 Colman-Egan 55
No. 2 Sanborn Central/Woonsocket 43, No. 7 Dell Rapid St. Mary’s 31 – McCoy Schultz with 19 pts and 12 rebounds.
No. 3 Ethan 62, No. 6 Chester 48 – Tuff Martin with a game-high 23 points.
No. 4 Sioux Falls Lutheran 60, No. 5 Howard 48
REGION 4B
No. 1 Viborg-Hurley 59, No. 9 Avon 39
No. 2 Parkston 57, No. 7 Tripp-Delmont/Armour 39 – Brycen Bruening with 15 points, Grady Bowar added 14 points and Mason Jervik had 12 points and eight rebounds.
No. 3 Freeman 66, No. 6 Gayville-Volin 42 – David Walter with 24 points.
REGION 5B
No. 1 Lyman 65, No. 8 Mitchell Christian 29
No. 7 Andes Central/Dakota Christian 68, No. 2 Marty 62
No. 5 Corsica-Stickney 42, No. 4 Gregory 41 – Jaxson Feenstra with a game-high 16 points.
CLASS B SoDAK 16 – THURSDAY, MARCH 5
No. 1 Lyman (20-2) vs. No. 16 McIntosh (14-7) – 6 pm at Stanley County
No. 2 Parkston (19-3) vs. No. 15 De Smet (11-11) – 5:30 pm at Mitchell High School – Q107.3
No. 3 Bennett County (19-3) vs. No. 14 Ipswich (15-7) – 6 pm at Winner
No. 4 Ethan (20-2) vs. No. 13 Deubrook Area (13-9) – 7 pm at Parker – Q107.3
No. 5 Colman-Egan (21-1) vs. No. 12 Warner (16-6) – 7 pm at the Huron Arena
No. 6 Harding County (21-1) vs. No. 11 Jones County (15-5) – 6 pm MT at Spearfish
No. 7 Centerville (20-2) vs. No. 10 Highmore-Harrold (18-4) – 7 pm at Mitchell High School
No. 8 Waubay/Summit (20-2) vs. No. 9 Corsica-Stickney (16-5) – 5:30 pm at the Huron Arena – KORN Country
CLASS A SoDAK 16 – THURSDAY, MARCH 5
No. 1 Hamlin (20-1) vs. No. 16 Sisseton (11-10) – 7 pm at Watertown
No. 2 Mahpíya Lúta (20-0) vs. No. 15 McCook Central/Montrose (15-7) – 6 pm at Todd County
No. 3 Wagner (18-2) vs. No. 14 Dell Rapids (15-7) – 7 pm at Irene-Wakonda
No. 4 Sioux Valley (20-2) vs. No. 13 St. Thomas More (16-5) – 5:30 pm at Chamberlain
No. 5 Lennox (18-3) vs. No. 12 Miller (17-5) – 5:30 pm at Madison
No. 6 Sioux Falls Christian (18-4) vs. No. 11 Groton Area (16-6) – 7 pm at Madison
No. 7 West Central (17-4) vs. No. 10 Mobridge-Pollock (17-4) – 7 pm at Chamberlain
No. 8 Rapid City Christian (17-4) vs. No. 9 Lakota Tech (18-4) – 6 pm MT at Wall
CLASS AA GIRLS SoDAK 16 – FRIDAY, MARCH 6
Winners advance to the State Tournament, March 12-14 at the Summit Arena in Rapid City
No. 1 Brandon Valley (20-0) vs. No. 16 Sturgis (7-13) – 6 pm
No. 2 O’Gorman (19-1) vs. No. 15 Pierre (5-15) – 6 pm
No. 3 Sioux Falls Washington (16-4) vs. No. 14 Sioux Falls Roosevelt (7-13) – 6 pm
No. 4 Rapid City Stevens (16-4) vs. No. 13 Yankton (8-12) – 6 pm MT
No. 5 Aberdeen Central (14-6) vs. No. 12 Rapid City Central (9-11) – 6 pm
No. 6 Sioux Falls Jefferson (13-7) vs. No. 11 Huron (10-10) – 6 pm
No. 7 Mitchell (12-8) vs. No. 10 Spearfish (12-8) – 6 pm
KORN News Radio FM 101.3/AM 1490 and KORNRadio.com
No. 8 Tea Area (11-9) vs. No. 9 Harrisburg (10-10) – 7 pm