BRUINS-HURRICANES
Bruins edge Hurricanes 2-1 in OT
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) β David Pastrnak scored on a nice centering pass from Carl Soderberg at 4:23 of overtime, giving the Boston Bruins a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
The win put the Bruins three points ahead of Ottawa and four up on Florida in their race for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Ottawa has a game in hand on both of the teams.
Ryan Spooner scored for Boston early in the first period on Pastrnak’s assist.
Nathan Gerbe scored for Carolina late in the second period.
Boston goalie Tuukka Rask, who had left Saturday’s win over the New York Rangers because of dehydration early in the second period, had 30 saves.
Carolina’s Anton Khudobin, who played for Boston from 2011-13, stopped 28 shots.
Boston, 2-3-3 over its past eight games, is 5-0-1 in its past six games against Carolina.
NCAA-FINAL FOUR LOOKAHEAD
Three No. 1 seeds in the Final Four
UNDATED (AP) – If you liked the look of last year’s Final Four, you will love the 2015 edition.
One game β Kentucky vs. Wisconsin β is not only a matchup of two No. 1 seeds, it’s a replay of last year’s semifinal won by Kentucky 74-73.
Seventh-seeded Michigan State will face Duke, a four-time national champion led by coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is in his 12th Final Four, tying the legendary John Wooden.
It is the fifth time at least three No. 1 seeds reached the Final Four.
This is the third straight year one conference has had two teams in the Final Four with Wisconsin and Michigan State coming from the Big Ten. The Southeastern Conference did last year with Kentucky and Florida and the Big East had Louisville and Syracuse in 2013.
NCAA-GONZAGA-DUKE
Duke back in Final Four after 66-52 win over Gonzaga
HOUSTON (AP) β A special group of freshmen is taking Duke and Coach K back to the NCAA Final Four.
The Blue Devils and their trio of freshmen starters are going to their 16th Final Four, a record-matching 12th for coach Mike Krzyzewski, after a 66-52 win Sunday in the South Regional over Gonzaga.
Justise Winslow, the freshman playing home in Houston, had 16 points, including a big 3-pointer in the closing minutes. Matt Jones had also had 16 points while freshman Tyus Jones had 15 points, while Jahlil Okafor nine points and eight rebounds.
Duke (33-4), the region’s No. 1 seed, is going to Indianapolis to play Michigan State in the Final Four. The other national semifinal game Saturday matches undefeated Kentucky and Wisconsin.
Krzyzewski is going to the Final Four for the 12th time, matching UCLA’s John Wooden for the most by a head coach and five more than anyone else.
No. 2 seed Gonzaga (35-3) had taken a 38-34 lead less than 4 minutes into the second half, putting the Blue Devils in their largest deficit of this tournament.
These young Blue Devils responded with nine straight points and never trailed again. They had stretched it to 60-51 when Winslow made a 3-poitner from the left wing with 2:28 left.
NCAA-FLORIDA STATE-SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina earns 1st Final Four berth, beats FSU 80-74
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) β Tiffany Mitchell scored seven of her 21 points in the final 2 minutes, and South Carolina earned its first Final Four berth by beating Florida State 80-74 on Sunday in the Greensboro Regional final.
Alaina Coates finished with 14 points, A’ja Wilson added 10 and Asia Dozier hit four free throws in the final 20 seconds for the top-seeded Gamecocks (34-2).
Playing from behind for most of the day, they shot 61 percent while rallying to win their seventh straight and keep the best season in school history going.
Next stop: Tampa, Florida, to face the Oklahoma City Regional winner on April 5.
Leticia Romero scored 13 points and Brittany Brown had 12 for the second-seeded Seminoles (32-5).
NHRA
Jack Beckman wins Funny Car final in Four-Wide Nationals
CONCORD, N.C. (AP) β Jack Beckman topped the Funny Car field Sunday in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals to end a 54-event winless streak.
Beckman powered his 10,000-horsepower machine to the quickest run of the weekend, beating Del Worsham, Chad Head and Tommy Johnson Jr. Beckman with a 3.983-second run at 308.78 mph in his Dodge Charger R/T.
He won for the first since St. Louis in his 2012 championship season. It was his second victory in the event, third win at the track and 16th overall.
Antron Brown won in Top Fuel, Larry Morgan in Pro Stock, and Andrew Hines in Pro Stock Motorcycle in the unique event that features racing in a four-lane configuration. Brown and Beckman gave team owner Don Schumacher his 44th multiple-title event.
NASCAR-MARTINSVILLE
Hamlin wins for 25th time, and fifth time at Martinsville
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) β Denny Hamlin passed teammate Matt Kenseth for the lead with 28 laps to go Sunday and went on to end Toyota’s 32-race winless streak in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Martinsville Speedway.
The driver for Joe Gibbs Racing held off a five-lap, bumper-to-tail challenge from Brad Keselowski for his 25th career victory and his fifth at the smallest and oldest track in the premier series.
The victory also came after a terrible blunder by four-time series champion and eight-time Martinsville winner Jeff Gordon. He took the lead for the first time with 58 laps to go and then got caught entering pit road too fast when the 16th and final caution came out with about 40 laps to go.
“Wow. I’m sorry guys,” he said on the radio. “That’s on me. I apologize.”
