Jockey rotations caused by penalties and away fixtures have returned the reins to Beau Mertens on Sabaj heading into the Australian Cup.
Price had broken the unwelcome news to Mertens earlier, stating Mark Zahra would pilot Sabaj in Saturday’s Group 1 at Flemington.
The plan flipped soon after Zahra’s careless riding ban from Caulfield Heath midweek, compounded by a Saturday whip infringement suspension that bars him.
“If only I had waited, I would have been a good bloke, instead I’ve covered myself in shame,” Price said.
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“I had to put my arm around Beau again as there are riders going left, right and centre.”
Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr’s charge Sabaj lines up for the Australian Cup off a fourth-place effort in the March 7 All-Star Mile (1600m) over Flemington.
Ahead that afternoon were Australian Cup foes Tom Kitten and Pride Of Jenni, as Birdman prepares via a triumph in the March 14 Peter Young Stakes (1800m) at Caulfield.
Price mentioned enthusiasm for testing Sabaj at the 2000m distance.
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“He’s a big clean-winded horse and we’ve been working him for 2000 metres,” Price said.
“I think he’ll show up, but he’s got to be good enough on the day. He’s a nice, sound horse, and he seems to go on all types of ground.
“If Jenni turns up, she will be unbeatable and Birdman, he’s coming through the 1800-metre race.
“It’s a competitive race, he likes Flemington. It will be a small field, he’s a relaxed horse, so he should travel good.”
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Prior to the All-Star Mile, Sabaj suffered a minor interruption, causing the team to adjust their strategy.
Initial thoughts were Blamey Stakes (1600m) then Peter Young Stakes, yet that was shelved.
“My question on the horse starting in the Australian Cup is he has to be good enough on the day to win a 2000-metre weight-for-age race,” Price said.
“I do think it’s a better option than the Doncaster Mile and it’s staring us in the face, so we might as well try it.”
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Beyond Saturday, options include the Sydney Carnival’s closing stages up north or Queensland Winter Carnival events for Sabaj, per Price.
Backers eyeing the Australian Cup should review racing betting markets from trusted betting sites.
Canelo Alvarez and David Benavidez’s rivalry remains unsettled after years of back and forth. In May, Benavidez seeks a legacy-defining win up at cruiserweight against Gilberto Ramirez, and now Canelo’s trainer has revealed his prediction for the bout.
Benavidez was in hot pursuit of Canelo for a number of years, possessing the WBC Interim super-middleweight title but still unable to secure a shot at the then undisputed champion, until he was forced to move up to light-heavyweight.
In an interview with K.O. Artist Sports, Eddy Reynoso, long-time trainer of Canelo, declared the fight as a close one, with the outcome hinging on which man makes fewer mistakes on the night.
“Zurdo is a fighter who works more with his footwork, controls distance, and is very strong. He throws combinations and has good defence.
“David is a great fighter who moves forward with a tight guard, throws strong combinations, and has a lot of speed.
“I think it’s a very evenly matched fight. Whoever performs better in the ring that night, whoever makes fewer mistakes, will win. It’s a very close fight in my opinion.”
Zurdo-Benavidez takes place on Saturday, May 2, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. As for Canelo, the four-division conqueror remains sidelined until September, when he will presumably seek to reclaim a super-middleweight world title after losing them to Terence Crawford last year.
Former India player Aakash Chopra has opined that the Mumbai Indians (MI) bowling will likely revolve around Jasprit Bumrah in IPL 2026. He noted that MI have the option of leaving out Trent Boult and playing Corbin Bosch as the overseas seamer.
With 22 scalps at an economy rate of 8.96 in 16 innings, Boult was MI’s highest wicket-taker in IPL 2025. While Bumrah picked up 18 wickets at an economy rate of 6.67 in 12 innings last season, Bosch accounted for a solitary dismissal in two innings while conceding an average of 7.85 runs per over.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, ‘Aakash Chopra,’ the former India batter reckoned that Bumrah would be the central figure in the Mumbai Indians‘ bowling strategies in IPL 2026, pointing out that the five-time champions can play Bosch ahead of Boult, considering the left-arm seamer’s recent form.
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“Bowling will be slightly more reliant on Bumrah now as well because Bumrah is Bumrah. There is no one like him in the entire world. So one over at the start, one over in the middle, and two overs at the death. Their bowling will revolve around him. Don’t bowl more than one over of Jasprit Bumrah in the powerplay. Use him wisely,” Chopra said.
“You can keep Trent Boult and Deepak Chahar at the top for swing bowling, although Trent Boult’s recent form is not good. His game has gone down a little. So that will be worth watching, because they will always have the option of leaving him out, as they can play Corbin Bosch. Corbin Bosch is a serious, serious player. I rate him very highly – bowling and batting,” he added.
Aakash Chopra highlighted that Corbin Bosch can bowl at the death and can also give an odd over with the new ball. He added that the Mumbai Indians can also use Allah Ghazanfar with the new ball, if the Afghanistan spinner is included in the playing combination, with Deepak Chahar and Hardik Pandya available as new-ball options in any case.
“No one should stop” – Aakash Chopra on Mumbai Indians’ potential batting strategy in IPL 2026
In the same video, Aakash Chopra opined that the Mumbai Indians should bat aggressively throughout their innings in IPL 2026.
“I feel everyone should hit with the bat. No one should stop. Why is there a need to stop when you have so much depth and might in batting? Quinton de Kock should start hitting with Rohit Sharma,” he said.
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that MI have enough batting depth for everyone to play fearlessly.
“If Suryakumar Yadav comes at No. 3, he should hit. Whether Tilak Varma or Hardik Pandya comes at No. 4, they should hit. If Tilak comes at No. 5, he should hit. After that, Will Jacks and Naman Dhir are there. They should also hit. That should be enough for you to bat deep into the innings,” Chopra observed.
The Mumbai Indians can choose between Will Jacks and Sherfane Rutherford as an overseas lower-middle-order batter. They will have even greater batting depth if Mitchell Santner, Corbin Bosch and Deepak Chahar are part of their playing combination.
Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 will be a new test for Riyan Parag. The player will be leading Rajasthan Royals (RR) after the side traded its former captain Sanju Samson to Chennai Super Kings for Ravindra Jadeja and Sam Curran. It was a move that took place before the auction in Abu Dhabi last December. While Parag had already led RR in a few games in the absence of Samson due to injury, this will be the first time that he will take up the role on a full-time basis.
Speaking in a video on his YouTube channel, former India all-rounder Ravichandran Ashwin said that the task is cut out for Parag. He added that he thought RR would appoint Jadeja as their captain.
“Riyan Parag has captained Assam in domestic cricket. RR are a very systematic team; they would have interviewed him before making him the captain. I just hope they also put Yashasvi Jaiswal in the same pedigree and trust him to be the captain in the future. Somewhere in my head, I thought Ravindra Jadeja would be the captain. They could have made him the captain and chosen Riyan as the vice-captain,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
“Riyan is still young, but he has played a decade of IPL cricket. It is such a big thing. I think Riyan, the captain, would have his task cut out. It is not that easy. Many youngsters want the captaincy in the IPL. They compete for it, they try and go hard for it. Handling an entire season, handling the roller coaster of wins and losses, won’t be that easy. You have to discuss things with coaches. RR are a very systematic team. They hold many meetings there. He also has to look after his batting form,” he added.
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Ashwin further said that Parag’s captaincy fate would depend on how the RR bowlers perform. He added that Jadeja’s experience would also come in handy for the youngster.
“It will be a challenging year. If the bowlers deliver, it will make his job easier. It’s not like that Parag has to look towards Jaiswal and Jurel; he has Ravindra Jadeja to look to for some suggestions. Hopefully, Kumar Sangakkara and the rest of the backroom staff can make his job a lot easier,” he added.
Kelly Cates, Joe Hart and Danny Murphy discuss why Nottingham Forest midfielder Elliot Anderson is “the favourite” to be in the starting XI for England in this summer’s World Cup.
Mumbai Indians will once again head into the Indian Premier League 2026 season as one of the strongest contenders on paper, boasting a star-studded lineup featuring Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah and Tilak Varma. Despite their formidable squad, the five-time champions have not lifted the trophy since their last triumph in 2020.
The franchise underwent a major shift in 2024 when Hardik Pandya returned from Gujarat Titans and took over the captaincy from Rohit Sharma. The transition did not go smoothly, with fan backlash and on-field struggles culminating in a last-place finish that season. The following year saw improvement, as Mumbai reached the playoffs, but their campaign ended in Qualifier 2 with a defeat to Punjab Kings, led by Shreyas Iyer.
Ahead of the 2026 season, former India selector Kris Srikkanth has weighed in on the leadership debate, suggesting a potential shift in captaincy. He believes that Suryakumar Yadav, fresh from leading India to T20 World Cup success, could be given the reins to see if it changes the team’s fortunes.
“They have to come together again, the franchise owners and the team management with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, and Hardik Pandya, and set this right again. They should ask Surya to lead this year to see if there is a change of luck. They can always appoint Surya as the captain anytime. They don’t need to announce it right now,” Srikkanth said on his YouTube channel.
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He further highlighted the unusual dynamic within the squad, pointing out that multiple World Cup-winning leaders are currently playing under Hardik.
“It’s a funny situation. Hardik Pandya is a good captain. But, yes, they have two T20 World Cup-winning captains playing under him now. It’s some internal policy within their setup that they have to sort out. From the outside, the obvious choice should be Suryakumar Yadav. But this might be a franchise policy,” he added.
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Describing it as a “strange situation”, Srikkanth suggested that clarity could emerge if Hardik himself opts to step aside.
“It’s a strange situation, as Hardik played under Rohit and Surya to help India win the World Cup. Otherwise, Hardik should himself say no to captaincy and allow Surya to lead. If Hardik himself says this to the management, things will get resolved. He should say, ‘Let Surya lead and I’ll support’. That’s one way of solving it,” said Srikkanth.
Mumbai Indians will kick off their IPL 2026 campaign on March 29, facing Kolkata Knight Riders at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
2 min read Last Updated : Mar 23 2026 | 9:42 AM IST
Lionel Messi scored the equalizer off a free kick in the second half before helping to set up Micael dos Santos’ winner and Inter Miami came from behind to beat New York City FC 3-2 at Yankee Stadium on Sunday.
Inter Miami (3-1-1) pulls into a second-place tie in the Eastern Conference by handing NYCFC (3-1-1) its first loss.
Gonzalo Lujan scored his first career goal – unassisted off a rebound in the 4th minute to give Inter Miami an early lead. The 21-year-old defender has started in 23 of his 30 career appearances.
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Nicolas Fernandez continued his red-hot start with his fifth goal, scoring off a free kick in the 17th minute to pull NYCFC even. Fernandez has eight goals in 16 career appearances since last season.
Agustin Ojeda scored – with assists from Maxi Moralez and Kevin O’Toole – to give NYCFC a 2-1 lead in the 59th minute. It was Ojeda’s second goal this season and his fifth in 61 career matches. Moralez already has four assists this season.
The advantage lasted for two minutes until Messi drilled a left-footed free kick that ricocheted its way past Matt Freese for his fourth goal this season. It was Messi’s 54th goal in his 58th MLS appearance. The Argentine legend has scored 901 goals in his illustrious international and club career.
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Messi’s corner kick in the 74th minute helped set up a header by Micael and Inter Miami took a 3-2 lead. Noah Allen and David Ayala assisted on Micael’s first goal with his new team.
Dayne St. Claire turned away three shots on goal for Inter Miami in his first season with the defending MLS Cup champions. He has surrendered eight goals in his four starts.
Matt Freese had five saves for NYCFC.
Messi had shots bounce off the post and crossbar in the first half.
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NYCFC leads the series 7-4-4, but Miami has gone 3-0-4 in the last seven matchups.
Up next
Miami: Hosts Austin FC on April 4.
New York: Hosts St. Louis City on April 4.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Braian Sanchez scored a brace to help Bengaluru FC register a 3-1 win over Inter Kashi FC in an Indian Super League match here on Sunday.
The win took BFC to fourth position in the points table and three points behind the leaders, Mumbai City FC.
Rahul Bheke achieved a personal milestone as he made his 100th appearance for BFC.
Ashique Kuruniyan gave BFC the lead in the 20th minute before Sanchez struck in the 69th and 90+8th minute. Alfred Moya scored the lone goal for Inter Kashi in the 38th minute.
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BFC faced an early setback before kick-off, as Ryan Williams picked up a slight muscle strain during warmup and was replaced by Namgyal Bhutia on the flank for his first start in the ISL this season.
After finding their rhythm and dominating possession in the opening minutes, BFC broke the deadlock in the 20th minute of the game, when Ashique pounced on a loose ball after an error from the Inter Kashi backline, and finished it off with a powerful left footed shot into the roof of the net.
The lead for BFC did not last long, as Alfred made the most of a Poojary slip that put him through one-on-one with BFC goalkeeper Gurpreet Singh, who despite getting a hand to it could not keep Alfred out as Inter Kashi drew level in the 38th minute.
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At the break, it was all square as both teams headed into the tunnel.
BFC made one change before the second half as Suresh Wangjam replaced Fanai in the middle of the park, who was on a yellow card, received in the first half.
Sunil Chhetri came close to giving BFC the lead in the 53rd minute as a ball fell kindly to his feet at the top of the circle, but he fired a left-footed shot straight to the Kashi goalkeeper.
In the 69th minute, after Ashique drew a foul on the left flank, Siroj’s set piece delivery was not gathered by Tarres, and Sanchez was present to head it in to put BFC ahead with a little over 20 minutes to play.
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With Inter Kashi pushing for an equaliser, the pressure got to them in the last minute of play as their goalie played a false pass to Braian, who chipped it first time over him to give Bengaluru FC a 3-1 win on the road.
There was a spiritual pull for Bellamy returning to Wales.
Born in Cardiff, he spent most of his playing career outside of his homeland, representing the likes of Liverpool and Newcastle.
As a coach, Bellamy followed Vincent Kompany to Anderlecht and Burnley, describing his time with the now Bayern Munich boss as an “education”.
The former Manchester City team-mates remain good friends and speak frequently, but Bellamy felt it was time to become a head coach in his own right when his country came calling.
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Despite only being an assistant to Kompany at Burnley, Bellamy took a substantial pay cut to take charge of Wales.
This, however, was a job like no other. As well as the obvious emotional ties, Bellamy had unfinished business.
He never got the chance to play at a major international tournament but, as head coach, he aims to put that right by qualifying for this summer’s World Cup.
“You always have that buzz of chasing something, like I want qualification, I want to be at major tournaments,” Bellamy says.
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“But how do we do it? I’ve got loads of flaws, but the team needs to play with intensity, play with balls.
“As long as you have belief, that’s the motivation. That’s why you do so much work, why you look at opposition.
“As a footballer for Wales, I didn’t really feel belief, I just felt hope. Italy [when Wales won 2-1 in 2002 in a European Championship qualifier] was different because we took the game to them. We were brilliant but there weren’t many nights like that.”
Bellamy scored the winning goal when Wales last faced Italy in Cardiff, a momentous occasion at a sold-out Millennium Stadium.
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The teams will meet again if they win their respective World Cup play-off semi-finals on Thursday, with the final to be played at Cardiff City Stadium the following Tuesday.
Much like Bellamy himself, Welsh football is unrecognisable from that memorable night 24 years ago.
Having been absent from major tournaments since the 1958 World Cup, Wales not only qualified for Euro 2016 but reached the semi-finals in France, three years after Bellamy retired.
They followed that by getting to the knockout stages at Euro 2020 and then qualifying for the 2022 World Cup.
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Bellamy wants to build on that success – and take his country to new heights.
“Euro 2016, that moment was like, ‘We are here’. That gave belief and I want to carry that on,” he says.
“We do punch well above our weight but that’s where we want to be. We need to do it continuously. I like expectations.
“This is what it takes to be a Wales player. To wear this shirt, these are the qualities you have to have. I believe we have a chance to consistently be at major tournaments.”
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With that, Bellamy turns back to his laptop. The cursor hovers over files labelled ‘Italy’ and ‘Northern Ireland’ – Wales’ potential play-off final opponents – and then back to ‘Bosnia’.
Whether or not Wales get to the World Cup this summer, it will not be down to a lack of preparation.
SAN DIEGO — For a few brief moments, the ninth-seeded Aggies caught a glimpse of advancing to the Sweet Sixteen next weekend up the road in San Jose.
Despite finding themselves down by 18 points early in the second half of Sunday night’s second-round game against No. 1 seed Arizona, Utah State clawed its way back into the game with its defense and managed to close the gap to just four points on three occasions.
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But each time the Aggies got to within a couple of scores, the feisty Wildcats scored on their subsequent possessions to keep their opponents at bay and eventually ended Utah State’s season with a 78-66 victory at Viejas Arena.
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“It hurts. I don’t want to take the uniform off,” USU graduate guard Drake Allen said quietly. “Knowing it’s going to be my last time wearing it means so much. And it really feels like a family. Everybody in Logan feels like one big family.”
Utah State (29-7) might have been able to get over the hump were not for a brutal performance from the 3-point line. But after going 1 for 12 from long distance in the first half, the Aggies finished just 8 for 32 from beyond the 3-point arc.
“When you can’t find it — the ball won’t go in from 3 — you’ve got to get to the rim,” USU head coach Jerrod Calhoun said. “And I was really proud of our effort around the rim. I thought we were pretty efficient.
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“But to beat a No. 1 seed when you’re a No. 9 seed, you’ve got to make those 3s. And our guys knew that.”
The Aggies knew that going up against the significantly larger Wildcats (34-2) was going to be a challenge, but Calhoun’s crew still ended up with three more field goals than Arizona and Utah State (39.1%) notched an overall field goal percentage that was nearly identical to that of the Cats (39.3%).
But in addition to a rough night from 3-point range, the Aggies were outrebounded by a stunning 54-26 margin, and the Wildcats also shot 28 more free throws.
“So far, they’re 2-0 in this tournament, and they live in the paint,” Calhoun said of Arizona. “They chew the paint up. They play ’80s, ’90s basketball. The number of physical plays in the game — we haven’t seen that all year.
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“… But our guys did a tremendous job, I thought, the last nine minutes of really locking in on some of those details. You’ve got to be at least eight or 10 difference in the rebounding. It can’t be 28. And if you’re not going to rebound, you’ve got to make shots. So, it was just a couple of margins that we couldn’t overcome.”
Utah State guard Mj Collins (2) attempts to steal the ball from Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (13) reacts after a play against Utah State during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez
Utah State guard Mason Falslev (12) and Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (13) scramble for the ball during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez
Utah State players react on the bench as they trail Arizona during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) shoots around Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Arizona forward Koa Peat (10), and Arizona guard Jaden Bradley (0) celebrate as their team leads Utah State during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State guard Elijah Perryman (1) reacts after a play against Arizona during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State head coach Jerrod Calhoun walks off the court after his team lost to Arizona in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez
Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) shoots against Utah State during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez
Arizona guard Brayden Burries (5) shoots over Utah State forward Karson Templin (22) during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez
Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) shoots around Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez
Utah State forward Karson Templin (22) reacts after a play against Arizona during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Arizona guard Brayden Burries (5) celebrates after a play against Utah State during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State forward Karson Templin (22) reaches for the ball against Villanova guard Tyler Perkins during the first half in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 20, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) shoots against Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State forward Karson Templin, left, and Arizona guard Anthony Dell’orso (3) scramble for the ball during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez
Utah State guard Kolby King (7) shoots around Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) during the second half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State guard Mj Collins (2) shoots around Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Arizona forward Koa Peat (10) shoots over Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State forward Zach Keller (32) shoots over Arizona during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez
Utah State guard Mason Falslev (12) and Arizona forward Tobe Awaka (30) battle for the ball during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State guard Mason Falslev (12) keeps the ball in bounds against Arizona forward Ivan Kharchenkov (8) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Arizona guard Anthony Dell’orso (3) drives against Utah State forward Adlan Elamin (35) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State forward Zach Keller (32) and Utah State guard Mj Collins (2) battle Arizona for a rebound during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Mark J. Terrill
Utah State forward Garry Clark (11) shoots over Arizona center Motiejus Krivas (13) during the first half of a game in the second round of the NCAA college basketball tournament Sunday, March 22, 2026, in San Diego. | Marcio Jose Sanchez
Senior forward Garry Clark came off the bench to give the Aggies a huge lift, going 6 of 8 from the field, scoring 13 points and snagging six rebounds in just 18 minutes. Senior guard MJ Collins Jr. (12 points) and Allen (11 points) were the only other USU players to score in double figures.
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The Aggies’ one-two scoring punch of Collins and junior guard Mason Falslev (8 points) went a combined 7 of 26 from the field and 4 of 15 from 3-point range in the loss.
Thanks to Clark, Utah State’s bench outscored Arizona’s 27-10. But then, the Wildcats’ starters totaled 68 points by themselves, with guards Jaden Bradley (18 points) and Brayden Burries (16 points) leading the way.
Burries also delivered one of the biggest blows to the Aggies’ chances of an upset with 2:18 left and Utah State still within six points. The freshman guard buried a 3-pointer with 6-foot-9 USU wing Adlan Elamin closing in on him, extending Arizona’s advantage to 73-64.
“Obviously, Burries’ 3 was a dagger,” Calhoun declared. “I thought we played that possession really well. It was just a six-point game. … There’s a lot of plays through a 40-minute game that could impact it. And I thought that 3 by him was just a big-time shot in a big moment, and that kind of carried Arizona to the win.”
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Burries ended up going 3 of 3 from 3-point range while the rest of the Wildcats went 4 of 13 from long range.
“I think Brayden’s a winner, and he has ultimate confidence,” Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd said. “It’s been a joy to coach him. … He’s a laid-back, kind-of-unassuming guy, but he has a killer in him. And that’s a beautiful attribute.”
The Wildcats, who have won 11 straight games, also got 14 points from freshman forward Koa Peat, and 11 points and 14 rebounds from junior Motiejust Krivas. The 7–foot-2 center blocked three shots, caused the Aggies’ offense and all sorts of problems and went 7 of 8 from the free-throw line to help Arizona advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the fourth time in Lloyd’s five seasons in Tucson.
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Conversely, Utah State still hasn’t won two games in the same NCAA Tournament since 1970. But despite never holding the lead — Burries buried a 3-pointer just 24 seconds into the game — trailing 33-24 at halftime and falling behind by 18 points early in the second half, the Aggies still gave their fans hope.
After a 10-foot jumpier by Burries forced Calhoun into calling a timeout with his team trailing 51-33 with 14:43 left, Utah State turned up the intensity defensively, holding Arizona without a field goal for over seven minutes while creating turnovers with its full-court defense.
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Two free throws by Elamin pulled the Aggies to within 56-51 at the 7:22 mark, and a 3-pointer by Allen closed the gap to just four points a minute later. But a putback by Krivas — one of Arizona’s 21 offensive rebounds — stretched the Cats’ lead back to 60-54.
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Two more free throws from Elamin got USU back to four points once again, but those two points were offset when Arizona finally broke the Aggies’ press, leading to a 3-point play by Bradley. Following a missed 3-pointer by USU forward Karson Templin, Falslev came up with one of his three steals, which led to the Aggies getting back to within four points for a third and final time.
Allen enjoyed the moment, turning towards the Aggies’ fan section to celebrate Utah State getting back to 63-59 with just over five minutes to go. But his joy was short-lived, and USU’s momentum soon disappeared when Bradley scored the next three points of the game.
Although Allen did managed to slice through Arizona’s big men for a layup that left Utah State down 66-61, four free throws by Krivas and Burries’ clutch 3-pointer carried Arizona to the victory and brought Utah State’s spectacular season to an end.
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“I think it’s very hard for a season to end anytime; it just comes abruptly,” Calhoun noted. “Its one of those things that you don’t ever want to end. You just want to coach these guys another day, another game.
“We wanted to get to San Jose, but we weren’t able to do it.”
World number two Luke Humphries joked his win at the Belgian Darts Open would help in his bid to become “the second-best player in the world”.
Double defending champion Luke Littler’s shock 6-5 exit to Dutchman Niels Zonneveld in the last 16 paved the way for Humphries to clinch his ninth European Tour title with an 8-6 win over Jonny Clayton.
The 31-year-old scraped past Chris Dobey 6-5 in the quarter-finals but destroyed Michael van Gerwen 7-2 in the semis.
“It’s one of them things where I feel my game’s been there, then it’s not, then it is,” Humphries said on stage after his win.
“Usually in those circumstances I close the game out a lot better, but when you’re not winning as much they become harder and you feel the nerves.
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“I’m just dedicated and working so hard to push every dart player and be the best version of myself.
“I’m going to keep trying to be the second-best player in the world – apparently.”
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