 | Powered by  Edition #1229 Mar 28, 2025 |
| From The GIST Team |
Happy Friday!This week is nearly going, going, gone — just like Baltimore Orioles outfielder Tyler O'Neill blasting his record-extending sixth straight Opening Day home run yesterday. Check it out, then round the bases on today's news. |
| Quote of The Day |
 | One thing I know about JuJu [Watkins] is that she is resilient. We are in full support of her and believe that this injury will not shake her drive and dedication to be the best player and person she can be. |
 | — No. 1 seed USC women's basketball head coach (HC) Lindsay Gottlieb, standing by her injured superstar and trying to keep spirits high ahead of the Trojans' Sweet 16 battle against No. 5 Kansas State tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET. Appointment viewing. |
| The Latest |
🎓🏀 Raining treys Source: The Score The GIST: After a long two days without March Madness action, the first half of the men's Sweet 16 came in like a wrecking ball last night, with stunning individual performances and all-around SEC dominance.
No. 3 Texas Tech posts second-largest comeback in Sweet 16 history: On the brink of elimination against famed HC John Calipari's No. 10 Arkansas squad, the Red Raiders stormed back from a 16-point deficit to force overtime (OT) before ultimately winning the back-and-forth thriller — the first OT game of the tourney — 85–83. Pure Madness. No. 2 seed Alabama shoots the lights out: No. 6 BYU's offense was humming, but they were still blown out by the Crimson Tide, who racked up an astounding 25 three-pointers on 51 attempts — both NCAA Tournament records — to crush the Cougs 113–88. Alabama's Player of the Year candidate, veteran guard Mark Sears, was particularly stellar with 10 treys himself. No. 1 seeds pull away for narrow wins: It seemed that two potential upsets were brewing, but Florida and Duke hit the gas to separate themselves from their No. 4 seed opponents. The Gators chomped Maryland 87–71 even as star big man Alex Condon was sidelined with a rolled ankle for much of the night, while Duke outlasted Arizona 100–93 behind 30 points from freshman star Cooper Flagg. Up next: Your weekend plans (aka the Elite Eight) will be set after tonight's four remaining Sweet 16 matchups. Don't have multiple screens? Prioritize No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 Kentucky at 7:39 p.m. ET. This all–SEC matchup comes with some extra intrigue: Other than No. 1 Florida, Kentucky's the only team to beat the Vols twice this season.
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🎓🏀 A whole lot of hoop-la Source: Duke women's basketball/Instagram The GIST: Half of the women's Final Four will be locked in by the next time we talk, but first we have to whittle these Sweet 16 squads down to an elite group of eight. Every one of this weekend's games packs a serious punch, but No. 2 vs. No. 3 seed matchups are always extra spicy. Pour a glass of milk, the Madness awaits. No. 2 Duke vs. No. 3 UNC — Today at 2:30 p.m. ET: Batman and Joker. Kendrick Lamar and Drake. Blue Devils and Tar Heels. Deep-seated rivalries just hit different. Duke's edge in this ACC showdown is their stalwart defense, a staple ever since HC Kara Lawson took the reins.
No. 2 NC State vs. No. 3 LSU — Today at 7:30 p.m. ET: When the Tigers topped the Wolfpack 82–65 in November, LSU outrebounded NC State by 20, and the Tigers' big three — sophomore Mikaylah Williams, junior Flau'Jae Johnson, and senior Aneesah Morrow — stuffed the stat sheet, dropping 60 points combined.
No. 2 TCU vs. No. 3 Notre Dame — Tomorrow at 1 p.m. ET: This game is chock-full of starpower, but the health of one Fighting Irish superstar could make or break ND's championship hopes. Senior Olivia Miles tweaked her ankle in the first round and has managed only 10 points since — how effective can she be against even tougher competition? No. 2 UConn vs. No. 3 Oklahoma — Tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. ET: UConn senior Paige Bueckers, grad student Azzi Fudd, and freshman Sarah Strong contributed to 66 of the Huskies' 91 points in the second round. Oklahoma will be tasked with trying to slow down perhaps the best trio in college basketball — and taking care of the ball. |
| Fun & Games |
Take Your Pick | ||
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No. 1 USC | vs | No. 5 Kansas State |
| While the No. 2 vs. No. 3 seed matchups are bringing the heat, tomorrow's 8 p.m. ET Sweet 16 matchup between the sophomore JuJu Watkins–less Trojans and the never-say-die Wildcats definitely has our attention.
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| Together With Ford Maverick 🛻 Finding the perfect ride Source: Ford Real gamechangers defy expectations and set a new standard. Just like the shot clock revolutionized hoops, Ford is redefining what it means to be a truck person. The new 2025 Ford Maverick® truck breaks the traditional mold with: 👏 The versatility of a truck while keeping efficiency in mind 🔙 Available Pro Trailer Backup Assist™ and a 360-Degree Camera to help navigate tight spaces 💪 Up to 4,000 lbs. towing capacity with the available 4K Tow Package.* With five 2025 trims to choose from, Ford has a truck for every driver — from those who play it smooth to the ones always pushing the limits. Sounds like an MVP candidate to us. *When properly equipped. Max towing varies based on cargo, vehicle configuration, accessories, and number of passengers. |
| Buzzer Beaters |
| ⛸️ Three years after retiring at 16, American Alysa Liu has returned to the sport and found joy — and some seriously high scores — at the World Figure Skating Championships, leading the women's competition after crushing the short program on Wednesday.
🙌 The NY Liberty released plans yesterday to open an $80M dedicated practice facility in 2027, complete with two practice courts, an in-house hair, nail, and makeup studio, and private suites for players in lieu of a traditional locker room. So fancy.
🎾 Alexandra Eala's magical Miami Open run is over after the Filipina teen fell in three sets to world No. 4 American Jessica Pegula during last night's semi. Pegula will face No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in tomorrow's final. 🏒 The Montréal Victoire clinched the first PWHL playoff spot of the season by topping the defending champ Minnesota Frost 4–1 on Wednesday behind a four-point night from forward Laura Stacey.
🏎️ Formula 1's Red Bull is making an early season driver swap: Yuki Tsunoda, who races for Red Bull's sister team Racing Bulls (RB), will take over as Max Verstappen's newest teammate while current Red Bull driver Liam Lawson will move to Tsunoda's seat with RB.
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| The GIST's Picks |
Here's what has The GIST team currently hyped:
🏀 What to get excited aboutThe new WNBA comedy series, "The W." A scripted comedy about women's basketball? Say less. 🎧 What to listen toThis episode of The World. From Ukraine to Notre Dame, rising basketball star Kate Koval is ready for her first March Madness. 🤝 Who's teaming upAlways Alpha x Deep Blue Sports. These women-owned agencies are joining forces to rep female athletes and secure big-time brand deals. |
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Today's email was brought to you by Alessandra Puccio, Lisa Minutillo, Lauren Tuiskula, Katie Kehoe Foster, Marga Sison, Megan Murray, and Briana Ekanem. Editing by Laura Pastore. Fact-checking by Marga Sison and Rachel Fuenzalida. Ops by Briana Ekanem and Marga Sison. Ads by Katie Kehoe Foster, Alessandra Puccio, and Lisa Minutillo. Managing edits by Lauren Tuiskula and Alessandra Puccio. Head of content Ellen Hyslop.
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