HOOPs: Irish women top UConn for Big East title
Natalie Achonwa’s layup with 1.8 seconds left lifted No. 2 Notre Dame to its first Big East tournament championship with a 61-59 victory over third-ranked UConn last night in Hartford.
Skylar Diggins stole an errant pass from Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis with 8 seconds left, and after dribbling through a few defenders, found Achonwa for the uncontested lay-in. Kelly Faris then heaved a desperation attempt from 65 feet that fell harmlessly off the backboard, setting off a wild celebration for the Irish, who have won 26 straight games.
Notre Dame (31-1) had been in the title game six previous times, including the previous two, and lost to the Huskies in each. UConn (29-4) had won the previous five Big East tournament titles, but fell to Notre Dame for the third time this season.
Erik Buggs scored a career-high 22 points to lead top-seeded Valparaiso (26-7) to a 62-54 victory over Wright State in the Horizon League tournament championship game in Vaparaiso, Ind.
Nate Wolters scored 27 points to lead South Dakota State (25-9) past North Dakota State 73-67 in the final of the Summit League tournament in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Siena fired coach Mitch Buonaguro after an 8-24 record this season that tied the school record for losses.
USA Basketball has announced Davidson’s Bob McKillop, a Queens native and Hofstra alum, has been selected head coach of its 2013 Men’s World University Games Team.
SOCCER: Messi leads tidy Barcelona comeback
Lionel Messi scored a brilliant brace to help Barcelona beat AC Milan 4-0 and complete a historic comeback that took his side into the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Barcelona won 4-2 on aggregate, entering the record books as the first team to turn around a 2-0 first-leg away loss.
American midfielder Carli Lloyd will be sidelined six to eight weeks after breaking a bone in her left shoulder during the Algarve Cup in Portugal.
WNBA: Libs to sign Karl Malone’s daughter
The Liberty agreed to a deal with veteran forward Cheryl Ford, daughter of former NBA great Karl Malone.
Former UConn and Christ the King star Sue Bird will miss the WNBA season because she needs knee surgery
ETC: League hacked off about phone prank
The NFL is investigating the hacking of a phone conversation between general managers Buddy Nix of the Bills and Mark Dominik of the Buccaneers. The call was taped by the hackers, then posted on Deadspin.com.
Manny Ramirez has signed a contract to play with the EDA Rhinos in Taiwan’s professional baseball league.