logo
March Madness: No. 12 McNeese rides dominant first half past No. 5 Clemson as ACC gets off to 0-2 start in first round

March Madness: No. 12 McNeese rides dominant first half past No. 5 Clemson as ACC gets off to 0-2 start in first round

Yahoo20-03-2025

We have our first Cinderella candidate of the NCAA tournament.
No. 12 seed McNeese dominated No. 5 Clemson early then held off a second-half rally for a 69-67 win in the first round of tournament play on Thursday. With the win, McNeese becomes the first double-digit seed to advance to the second round.
Clemson attempted to mount a late rally, but its first-half deficit proved too much to overcome. McNeese reeled off an early 19-2 run to take a 23-8 lead that remained at double digits until late in the second half. By halftime, McNeese held a 31-13 advantage as the Tigers narrowly missed setting a tournament record for first-half futility.
[Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem is back: Enter for a shot to win up to $50K]
McNeese reserve Brandon Murray outscored the Tigers by himself in the first half, with 14 points as the Cowboys were the more physical and aggressive team on both sides of the court.
The win is the first in NCAA tournament history for McNeese, which entered Thursday 0-3 in tournament play, including a first-round loss to Gonzaga last season.
Clemson's loss means an 0-2 start for the ACC in NCAA tournament play after No. 8 seed Louisville lost to No. 9 Creighton in the first game of the tournament earlier Thursday. Duke and North Carolina are the only ACC teams remaining in the field. (UNC won its First Four play-in game against San Diego State on Tuesday.)
The win means that Will Wade will coach McNeese for at least one more game. The second-year Cowboys coach has reportedly agreed to take over next season as the head coach at NC State. But the Wolfpack will have to wait. The Cowboys are moving on to take on No. 4 seed Purdue in the second round after Purdue beat High Point earlier Thursday.
The halftime numbers were jarring. Clemson shot 20.8% from the field, including a 1-of-15 (6.7%) effort from 3-point distance. The Tigers logged a single assist in the first half while turning the ball over 10 times.
Clemson was much improved in the second half and cut its deficit to 68-65 with 10.6 seconds remaining on a Chauncey Wiggins 3. But Javohn Garcia hit a free throw on the other end to extend the lead back to two possessions and fend off the Clemson rally. The Tigers scored 54 points in the second half after posting just 13 in the first.
Murray, who averages 7.1 points per game as a part-time starter, finished Thursday with a team-high 21 points alongside four rebounds, four assists and three steals. His point total was the highest of his McNeese career since he joined the program this season from Ole Miss.
Jaeden Zackery (24 points, five rebounds) and Chase Hunter (21 points, four rebounds, two steals) led Clemson's second-half rally that came up two points short.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The NCAA's House settlement brings about a new era of college sports
The NCAA's House settlement brings about a new era of college sports

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

The NCAA's House settlement brings about a new era of college sports

Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning. 🚨 Headlines 🏆 Panthers 6, Oilers 1: The defending champs returned home in style, clobbering the Oilers in a physical Game 3 to seize control of the Stanley Cup Final. Tensions flared all night and ultimately led to a full-out brawl in the third period. Advertisement ⚾️ Final ticket punched: Murray State is headed to the College World Series for the first time ever after upsetting Duke, 5-4, to secure the final spot in the eight-team tournament. The action begins Friday in Omaha, Nebraska. 🏈 NFL succession: Ownership of the Colts has officially passed to Jim Irsay's three daughters in the wake of their father's death last month. The eldest daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, will serve as principal owner and CEO as part of "longstanding plans set forth by Jim." 🥎 Historic viewership: Game 3 of the Women's College World Series final drew 2.4 million viewers on ESPN, making it the most-watched college softball game ever. Games 1 and 2 each drew 2.1 million viewers, the largest audience ever for the first two games. 🏈 Chubb to Houston: Four-time Pro Bowl running back Nick Chubb has agreed to a one-year deal with the Texans. It's a fresh start for Chubb after knee and foot injuries limited him to 10 games over the past two seasons. 🎓 A new era of college sports (Taylor Wilhelm/Yahoo Sports) The NCAA's landmark settlement of three antitrust cases was finally granted approval on Friday, ushering in a new era of college sports where schools will pay athletes directly. Advertisement Key details: Revenue sharing: Starting July 1, schools that opt into this new system (most D-I schools) can share up to a certain amount of revenue with athletes annually. The "cap" for Year 1 is projected to be $20.5 million and will go up from there. Enforcement: A new non-NCAA entity called the College Sports Commission will enforce revenue-sharing rules, while a Deloitte-run clearinghouse dubbed "NIL Go" will review contracts between athletes and third-parties (brands, boosters, etc). Backpay: The NCAA will pay thousands of former athletes (playing from 2016-2024) a whopping $2.8 billion in backpay from lost NIL compensation. Roster limits: Scholarship limits will be replaced with roster limits, with a caveat: Schools may grandfather-in current athletes, those who've been cut this year due to the impending limits and recruits who enrolled on the promise of a roster spot. The money, explained: From Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger: The cap is calculated by taking 22% of the average of certain power school revenues, most notably ticket sales, television dollars and sponsorships. In Year 1, the cap amount is projected to be $20.5 million. While each school is charged with determining how to distribute those funds, most power conference programs are planning to distribute 90% to football and men's basketball, as those are, for the most part, the only revenue-generating sports for an athletic department. In Year 1, that's about $13-16 million for a football roster and $2-4 million for men's basketball, with the remaining amount shared with women's basketball, baseball, volleyball and other Olympic sports. Advertisement While the 22% cap will remain the same through the 10-year settlement agreement, the cap money figure will rise based on built-in escalators (4% increase in Year 2 and Year 3), scheduled recalculations (after each third year) and additional cash flows into athletic departments. Ohio State AD Ross Bjork told Yahoo Sports this summer that he expects the cap to break $25 million by the time the Year 4 recalculation happens. What's next: The settlement's approval is the first in what many college leaders describe as a two-step process to bring stability to the landscape. Step 2: lawmakers producing a federal bill to codify the settlement terms and insulate the NCAA and its members from legal challenges. Five senators have been meeting regularly to discuss legislation, and a bill could be introduced in the House this week. ⚾️ Catch of the Year! (Tom Wilson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Athletics rookie Denzel Clarke made one of the best catches you'll ever see on Monday night, scaling the wall at Angel Stadium and nearly launching his body over the fence to rob a home run. (John Cordes/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) On the call: "I've seen the list of the greatest catches you're ever going to see in your life. If you don't have room for this one, we're watching two different sports," said A's commentator Dallas Braden. Meanwhile, on the Angels broadcast: "He caught it!! I can't believe it!! How did he do it?!" (Tom Wilson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) Instant impact: Clarke is just 16 games into his big league career, and he's already submitted two entries for Catch of the Year. Monday's robbery came just three days after he put his body on the line to make this sensational catch. 📊 By the numbers Scheffler signs autographs for fans during Monday's U.S. Open practice round. () ⛳️ +275 Scottie Scheffler, who has won three of his past four starts, is an overwhelming +275 favorite (via BetMGM) to win this week's U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. Those are the shortest odds entering the U.S. Open since Tiger Woods was +175 in 2009. Advertisement 💵 $2.8 billion The attorneys who shepherded the $2.8 billion NCAA antitrust settlement to fruition for hundreds of thousands of college athletes will share in over $475 million in plaintiff legal fees, and that figure could rise to more than $725 million over the next 10 years. ⚾️ 43 multi-HR games Aaron Judge had his 43rd career multi-HR game on Sunday, tying Lou Gehrig for the third-most ever by a Yankee. Only Babe Ruth (68) and Mickey Mantle (46) have more. 🏀 2 players How good has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander been this season? He just joined Michael Jordan (1991-92) as the only two players in NBA history to put up 3,000 points, 600 assists, 150 steals and 80 blocks in a single campaign (including playoffs). Advertisement ⚽️ 89 goals Belgium's Romelu Lukaku scored his 89th career international goal on Monday, tying Malaysia's Mokhtar Dahari for the fifth-most ever. Only Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo (138), Argentina's Lionel Messi (112), Iran's Ali Daei (108) and India's Sunil Chhetri (95) have more. ⚾️ Early grades for top 10 MLB free agents (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) MLB's biggest offseason signings have yielded mixed results so far. Here are early grades for the Top 10 free agents, courtesy of Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman. Juan Soto, Mets (B-): The highest-paid player in baseball history should be held to the highest possible standard, and Soto simply hasn't met it yet. But that could change in a hurry as he starts to heat up, with 3 HR and a 1.250 OPS in his last 10 games. Rōki Sasaki, Dodgers (C): For as special as his splitter is, the Japanese phenom doesn't have a great fastball and his command remains shoddy at best. Hence his underwhelming numbers (4.72 ERA and 1.49 WHIP) through his first eight big league starts. Corbin Burnes, Diamondbacks (B/Incomplete): Arizona's $210 million ace was ruled out for the season on Friday (Tommy John surgery), ending what had been a strong start to his tenure (2.66 ERA in 11 starts). Alex Bregman, Red Sox (A-): For all the roster construction drama that has swirled around since his arrival, Bregman himself was thoroughly fulfilling his obligations (11 HR, .938 OPS, 3.0 WAR) until his quad injury last month. Willy Adames, Giants (C-): It's been a struggle at the plate for San Francisco's new shortstop (.193 BA, .584 OPS, -0.5 WAR), who has been moved down in the order as he looks to find his stride. Blake Snell, Dodgers (D/Incomplete): The two-time Cy Young winner hit the injured list (shoulder) after just two starts. He's working his way back and is scheduled to throw a bullpen in the coming weeks. Max Fried, Yankees (A): Fried has been phenomenal (8-1, 1.78 ERA) and his presence has been crucial in the absence of ace Gerrit Cole and reigning ROY Luis Gil. Pete Alonso, Mets (A): After failing to secure a long-term deal in his first go at free agency, Alonso's red-hot start (17 HR, .990 OPS, league-leading 61 RBI) has him primed to land a deserved, if delayed, monster payday this winter. Teoscar Hernández, Dodgers (B): Los Angeles re-signed Hernández for his bat and he continues to slug. But his complete refusal to draw walks continues to limit his impact (.290 on-base percentage). Christian Walker, Astros (D+): The veteran first baseman is off to a rough start in Houston (.207 BA, .619 OPS, -0.7 WAR), where his strikeouts have spiked and walks have plummeted. Go deeper: Grades for the top 25 free agents 📺 Watchlist: Tuesday, June 10 Mauricio Pochettino is 5-0-4 as USMNT manager. (Stephen Nadler/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images) ⚽️ USMNT vs. Switzerland | 8pm ET, TNT The Americans hope to snap their three-game losing streak in today's friendly in Nashville, their final match before the Gold Cup begins this weekend. ⚾️ Yankees at Royals | 7:40pm, TBS A couple of southpaws with eye-popping numbers take the mound in Kansas City: Cy Young contender Max Fried (8-1, 1.78 ERA, 0.94 WHIP) vs. Royals rookie Noah Cameron (2-1, 0.85 ERA, 0.79 WHIP). 🏀 Sky at Liberty | 8pm, ESPN The defending champion Liberty (8-0) host the reeling Sky (2-5), who just lost starting PG Courtney Vandersloot for the year (torn ACL). Advertisement Today's full slate → ⚾️ Ballpark trivia () Question: What's the name of the ballpark pictured above? Answer at the bottom. ⛳️ Manicured to perfection There's beauty in that bunker. (U.S. Open) Shout out to the maintenance crew getting Oakmont Country Club in mint condition for this week's U.S. Open. Some wielded lawnmowers, some operated heavy machinery and others manicured greens with barber-like tools. The real MVPs. Trivia answer: Oracle Park (San Francisco) We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.

49ers rookie returner Junior Bergen has big goals, out to prove he has the ‘it' factor
49ers rookie returner Junior Bergen has big goals, out to prove he has the ‘it' factor

New York Times

timean hour ago

  • New York Times

49ers rookie returner Junior Bergen has big goals, out to prove he has the ‘it' factor

Brent Boyer would hustle to Washington-Grizzly Stadium in Missoula, Mont., last year to watch his son kick for the University of Montana. The then-special teams coach of the New York Jets, Boyer would have been watching the kick return teams anyway but one player, not his son, kept catching his eye. Advertisement The one who kept scoring touchdowns — Junior Bergen. As in an NCAA Football Championship Subdivision career record of eight punt returns for a score. 'If you want to say he has the 'it' factor, I think he does,' Boyer said. The San Francisco 49ers, who hold their two-day mandatory minicamp Tuesday and Wednesday, would love to see it. Boyer is their new special teams coach and Bergen, no surprise, was their seventh-round pick. The last time the 49ers had a punt return for a touchdown, Jim Harbaugh was in his first NFL game as a head coach and skinny jeans were all the rage. Ted Ginn Jr. knifed through the middle of the field for a 55-yard return on Sept. 11, 2011, to cap a 33-17 win over the Seattle Seahawks in which Ginn also scored on a kickoff return. The 5-foot-10, 184-pound Bergen may not be big enough to contribute as a receiver, but that's OK. That's not why the 49ers drafted him. 'We brought him here to be a returner and try to make the team that way,' coach Kyle Shanahan said. Bergen has his sights set a little bit higher. 'I want to be in the Hall of Fame,' Bergen said. 'That's been my goal since I was a kid. No matter where that's at on the field. My dad, when we were working out, was always talking about gold jackets, so that's what I am going to work to.' Making the 49ers as a punt returner would be great, but rookie Junior Bergen has a bigger goal: — Vic Tafur (@VicTafur) May 9, 2025 Some may scoff, but his coach at Montana, Bobby Hauck, had a big smile when he heard Bergen tell reporters that last month. 'That didn't surprise me at all,' Hauck said in a phone interview. 'He has always been a confident guy and he understands the level of competition is going to be extreme, but you want guys that have big goals and that's the way he has always been.' Bergen doesn't have Ginn's great speed — he ran a 4.52 40-yard dash at his pro day — but he weaved for a whopping 16.7-yard average on punt returns and also scored on a kickoff return in college. BERGEN DOES IT AGAIN! 🤯@bergen_junior has now tied the @NCAA_FCS record for career punt returns with 8️⃣!!#GoGriz — Montana Griz Football (@MontanaGrizFB) December 1, 2024 'He's one of the hardest workers on the team,' Boyer said. 'Teams tried to kick away from him all the time and any opportunity that they gave him, he made the most of it. And that's what you're looking for. 'He's a hell of a kid and I think he's going to come in here and he is going to work his tail off and hopefully it works out. Whoever makes the team and whoever doesn't, we're going to make a difference in the return game.' Advertisement Ideally, that would mean kickoff returns as well, with the new rules putting touchbacks on kickoffs at the 35-yard line. 'It's going to be huge,' Boyer said, 'I think you're going to get a minimum of 70 to 80 percent returns. Instead of … what was it last year, like 30 percent? It's going to skyrocket. Nobody's going to give up a 35-yard line drive start, in my opinion.' Besides Boyer, Bergen had another big fan on the 49ers staff. New assistant special teams coach Colt Anderson once played safety at Montana and also watched Bergen from the stands. While there were a lot of teams making Bergen free-agent offers late in the draft, general manager John Lynch said both Boyer and Anderson were campaigning hard for the 49ers to go ahead and take him in the seventh round. 'He just has great awareness,' Hauck said. 'He catches the ball clean — in any kind of weather — and secures it, which is very important, but it's his point-guard awareness that makes him special. He knows where everybody is, and he has great feel and acceleration.' Bergen did play point guard for the basketball team at Billings (Mont.) High, along with football, baseball and wrestling. He was the sixth of nine kids growing up and wore oversized football cleats around the house as a toddler, earning him the nickname 'Cleatus' from his grandfather. 'He was playing quarterback when I first saw him,' Hauck said. 'And he can do everything. It didn't matter which sport, he is a guy you couldn't take your eyes off of. … Wherever you put him on the football field, he just makes plays and gets yards.' Bergen feels like he was born for the moment, and the next moment is upon him — at these practices and then training camp when it starts in six weeks. 'There's a saying that big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games,' Bergen said. 'I like to think of myself as a big-time player. When those big-time moments come up, I try to make a play and be at my best.'

True freshmen shine as LSU baseball heads to College World Series
True freshmen shine as LSU baseball heads to College World Series

USA Today

time2 hours ago

  • USA Today

True freshmen shine as LSU baseball heads to College World Series

True freshmen shine as LSU baseball heads to College World Series True freshmen playing meaningful baseball in the SEC is a rarity with the talent level among all teams, but LSU baseball head coach Jay Johnson takes a different approach it's paying off. Nobody in our league plays freshmen," Johnson said. "They just don't. We do, and they play pretty darn good baseball." In both rounds of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, the youngsters gave LSU a boost. Derek Curiel remained a fixture near the top of the lineup while pitchers Casan Evans and Cooper Williams made high-leverage appearances. Curiel finished the West Virginia series with five RBI, four hits, including a home run, and three walks. Evans earned the win in relief during the regional championship game by throwing six innings of one run ball with 12 strikeouts. Williams pitched 3.2 scoreless innings in relief after the Tigers fell behind Little Rock. Johnson will continue to rely on the freshmen to move his team through the College World Series and beyond as he continues building the LSU program. "They just need to be themselves," Johnson said. "I'm proud of them for contributing on a team this good. To contribute as much as that has is awesome and they're the foundation of this thing moving forward." LSU will play begin its College World Series journey when the Tigers meet Arkansas at 5 p.m. CT on Saturday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store