Reuters Sports News Summary
Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.
NHL roundup: Caps sweep Flyers, keep division lead
Tom Wilson, Travis Boyd and Jakub Vrana each scored a goal as the Washington Capitals defeated the visiting Philadelphia Flyers 3-1 in a Sunday matinee. The Capitals maintain a narrow lead in the Metropolitan Division, leading the New York Islanders by one point and the Pittsburgh Penguins by three. Each team has six games remaining, with Washington hosting the Islanders in the regular-season finale on April 6.
NCAA roundup: No. 1 Duke barely holds off UCF
RJ Barrett scored off a rebound with 12 seconds remaining, and Duke made a final defensive stand to pull out a 77-76 victory against Central Florida in the NCAA Tournament's East Region second round Sunday in Columbia, S.C. Central Florida's BJ Taylor missed a runner in the final seconds, and a tip-in attempt by Aubrey Dawkins barely rolled off, allowing top-seeded Duke to advance. Duke (31-5) will meet Virginia Tech on Friday night in the Sweet 16 in Washington, D.C.
NBA roundup: Curry returns, Warriors retake No. 1 seed
Stephen Curry returned from a one-game absence to hit five 3-pointers and total a game-high 26 points Sunday night as the Golden State Warriors shook off the embarrassment of a 35-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks one day earlier to turn back the Detroit Pistons 121-114 in Oakland, Calif. The Golden State win, coupled with Denver's loss at Indiana earlier in the day, allowed the Warriors to move a half-game ahead of the Nuggets in the race for the best record in the Western Conference.
Patriots TE Gronkowski announces retirement
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski announced his retirement Sunday on Instagram, ending one of the league's most dominant and colorful careers after nine seasons. "It all started at 20 years old on stage at the NFL draft when my dream came true, and now here I am about to turn 30 in a few months with a decision I feel is the biggest of my life so far. I will be retiring from the game of football today," he wrote.
Giants owner Mara: 'Reluctant' to approve Beckham trade
New York Giants co-owner John Mara admitted Sunday that he was reluctant to sign off on the decision to trade wideout Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns earlier this month. "I will tell you that it was a reluctant approval on my part because I happen to like Odell very much," Mara said from the NFL owners' meetings in Phoenix, his first public comments since the trade. "I recognize the unique talent that he has. It is not easy to trade that player to another team.
Halep recovers to beat Hercog, Venus wins in Miami
Romanian second seed Simona Halep fought back from a set down to defeat Slovenian Polona Hercog in a challenging third round match at the Miami Open on Sunday. Hercog, ranked 93rd in the world, pushed Halep all the way in the second set but the Romanian dominated the tiebreak to turn the match around and eventually triumphed 5-7 7-6(1) 6-2.
Holder Isner advances in Miami and will face Britain's Edmund next
Defending champion John Isner unleashed 16 aces in claiming a 7-5 7-6(6) victory over determined Spaniard Albert Ramos-Vinolas in the third round of the Miami Open on Sunday. Ramos-Vinolas broke Isner to start the match but the American saved the next four break points he faced to advance.
Top-seeded Virginia tops Oklahoma, back in Sweet 16
Top-seeded Virginia advanced to its third Sweet 16 in six seasons Sunday night with a 63-51 win over No. 9 seed Oklahoma in the second round of the NCAA Tournament's South Region at Columbia, S.C. Virginia (31-3) will face No. 12 seed Oregon in Thursday night's regional semifinal in Louisville, Ky., after the Ducks pulled away from No. 13 seed UC Irvine on Sunday night.
Houston bounces Ohio State, to face Kentucky next
Guard Corey Davis Jr. led a balanced attack with 21 points, and backcourt mate Galen Robinson Jr. had 13 points, five assists and a career-high six steals to lift No. 3 Houston to the Sweet 16 with a 74-59 victory over No. 11 Ohio State on Sunday night in the second round of the Midwest Regional in Tulsa, Okla. Houston (33-3) will play No. 2 seed Kentucky (29-6) in the round of 16 in Kansas City, Missouri. Kentucky advanced with a 62-56 victory over No. 7 Wofford in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday.
Australian Rules rugby club boss slams 'keyboard cowards' after player racially abused
The chief executive of Australian Football League champions West Coast Eagles has demanded "hateful, keyboard cowards" be held to account after one of the team's Aboriginal players suffered racist abuse on social media. West Coast forward Liam Ryan was called a "monkey" by multiple social media users on Channel 7's AFL Instagram account after the broadcaster asked fans if the 22-year-old should be suspended for a clash with another player during the season-opening loss to the Brisbane Lions over the weekend.
