Tramon Mark, Texas sink NC State in last seconds at First Four

DAYTON, Ohio -- Tramon Mark capped his team-leading 17-point effort by sinking a pull-up jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining, lifting Texas past North Carolina State 68-66 in an NCAA Tournament First Four thriller on Tuesday in Dayton, Ohio.

Matas Vokietaitis had 15 points while Chendall Weaver had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Texas (19-14), which advances as the No. 11 seed in the West Region to face No. 6 BYU on Thursday in Portland, Ore.

Dailyn Swain (13 points, eight rebounds) blocked a potential 3-pointer at the buzzer to preserve the game for the Longhorns.

The two teams faced off at the Maui Invitational in November, and Texas won that meeting 102-97.

"Today it was very slow and very different," Texas coach Sean Miller said of the game's tempo. "One thing about the tournament, it can bring some anxiety and probably (to) both teams. I just thought like we missed a few easy shots, and we weren't who we've been all season on offense but thrilled we were able to win."

Tre Holloman converted a three-point play with 1:48 remaining to draw NC State within 62-56. After a pair of Swain free throws, Paul McNeil Jr. drained a deep 3-pointer from the left baseline to bring NC State within 64-59 with 1:30 remaining. Another McNeil 3-point heave from the opposite baseline with 1:06 left cut Texas' lead to 64-62.

Mark's turnaround in the lane with 36.8 seconds remaining put the Longhorns up 66-62 before Darrion Willams answered with a trey to make it 66-65 Texas with 29.4 seconds left. Swain was double-teamed in the corner after receiving the inbounds pass and lost it out of bounds with 20.3 seconds to go.

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Holloman drove to the basket and was fouled and given two free throws with 18.3 seconds left. He missed the first but hit the second for a 66-66 tie, and setting the stage for Mark's game-winner.

"I got a great look," Mark said. "I looked at the clock, and I just sized them up and got a great look at the rim. I practice those shots every day, so just got a great look at it."

It was the second straight First Four for Swain and Miller. In the 2025 First Four, the two of them helped Xavier beat Texas on the same court and advance to the field of 64, where the Musketeers lost to Illinois.

Williams had 21 points and Quadir Copeland added 16 points and eight rebounds for NC State (20-14), which ends its season losing eight of the final 10 games.

"Disappointing end to a pretty disappointing season for us, the way I look at it," NC State coach Will Wade said. "We haven't been very good in close games. We hadn't earned the right to win in close games, and our season ended very similar to the reason we're sitting in Dayton.

"You are who you are in pressure moments, and we tried to mask some stuff and we couldn't do it. That's why we're here, and that's why we're heading home."

Texas dominated most of the game on the boards, outrebounding NC State 45-33. The Wolfpack took advantage of an eight-minute Texas field-goal drought to close the first half down just 30-29 after trailing by 10.

--Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media

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March 18, 2026

Tramon Mark, Texas sink NC State in last seconds at First Four

DAYTON, Ohio -- Tramon Mark capped his team-leading 17-point effort by sinking a pull-up jumper with 1.1 seconds remai...

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US FAA tightens helicopter safety rules near major airports

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it is tightening ‌helicopter safety rules and will suspend use ‌of visual separation between airplanes and helicopters near major ​airports.

The announcement follows the January 2025 mid-air collision between an American Airlines regional jet and Army helicopter that killed 67 people. The FAA ‌cited two ⁠recent incidents in issuing the new rules including a near miss involving ⁠an American Airlines flight and police helicopter near the San Antonio airport.

The requirement suspends visual ​separation in ​key airspace near ​airports.

"Where helicopters cross airport ‌arrival or departure paths, air traffic controllers will use radar to keep the aircraft specific lateral or vertical distances apart," the FAA said.

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FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said a year-long ‌review showed issues.

"We identified an ​overreliance on pilot 'see and ​avoid' operations that ​contribute to safety events involving helicopters ‌and airplanes," Bedford said.

After ​the 2025 ​collision, the FAA restricted helicopter traffic around Reagan Washington National Airport and has imposed ​other restrictions ‌at other airports including Baltimore, Las Vegas ​and Washington Dulles.

(Reporting by David Shepardson; ​Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

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March 18, 2026

US FAA tightens helicopter safety rules near major airports

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday it is tightening ‌helicopter safety r...

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Howard hangs on for First Four win over UMBC, earns Michigan matchup

DAYTON, Ohio -- Ose Okojie scored 16 of his team-leading 23 points in the first half and Bryce Harris added 19 points and 14 rebounds as Howard held off a furious rally by UMBC 86-83 on Tuesday in an NCAA Tournament First Four contest.

As the shot clock was expiring, Harris hit a clutch turnaround jumper with 12.7 seconds left to give Howard (24-10) a four-point lead. The Bison held on to advance as the No. 16 seed and oppose No. 1 seed Michigan in a Midwest Region first-round game Thursday in Buffalo.

"We talk about how important it is for them to have a chance to get to an NCAA Tournament and win games. It's a box that we checked," Howard coach Kenneth Blakeney said of Howard's first-ever NCAA Tournament win in five tries. "We talked about that before the game. We've never won a game. We've done a lot of things in our program, but let's check off the box of winning an NCAA game today."

Harris gathered the team together on the court after the win and spoke about the history they made.

"Bryce's speech was just like, we did it," Okojie said. "We made history with these guys. And it wasn't just me. It wasn't just the starting five. It was 1 to 16. The energy they gave up is the (credit to the) coaching staff."

The Bison, who qualified for the 68-team field by capturing the MEAC tournament title, extended their season-best win streak to nine games.

"I think our guys' resiliency and being battle tested in our tournament and some of our games this year, it was a very familiar place for us," Blakeney added. "I'm just so happy for our university, our players. We talk about this moment, these moments when we present our university to our young men."

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Jah'Likai King had 19 and DJ Armstrong Jr. added 17 for the Retrievers (24-9), who had their program-record 12-game win streak snapped. The Retrievers, tournament champions of the America East, were making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since their historic 2018 upset of No. 1 seed Virginia.

Caden Diggs added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench for UMBC. Armstrong's 30-foot 3-point attempt was off the mark to the right as time expired.

Howard led by double figures for most of the second half, but Diggs converted two free throws with 53.8 seconds left to draw UMBC within 83-78. After the Bison's Cam Gillus came up short on the front end of a 1-and-1 with 52.9 seconds left, Armstrong drained a long 3-pointer with 43.4 seconds left to cap a 9-0 run, and UMBC was within 83-81.

"In the second half, I think you got to see what UMBC does all the time where we didn't foul and we really guarded, played good offense, and we made it a game," Retrievers coach Jim Ferry said. "It was a very exciting game to watch, but I'm so proud of my guys because I saw it in warmups and I don't really want to say it, I thought those guys were flying around on Howard and we were kind of (passive). But then we fought through it and fought through it which is what we've done all year and made it into a fantastic basketball game."

After UMBC opened with the game's first four points, Howard scored the next nine points to take an early lead. The Bison used an 8-0 surge to take a 19-11 advantage on a layup by Okojie.

Trailing 21-13, the Retrievers went on a 9-3 spurt to draw within 24-22 on a King layup. UMBC cut the gap to 31-30 before Howard answered with a 12-0 run that gave them their biggest first-half lead after a pair of free throws from Alex Cotton.

Cougar Downing's layup with two seconds left in the half sent UMBC into halftime down 49-41.

--Mike Petraglia, Field Level Media

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March 18, 2026

Howard hangs on for First Four win over UMBC, earns Michigan matchup

DAYTON, Ohio -- Ose Okojie scored 16 of his team-leading 23 points in the first half and Bryce Harris added 19 points ...

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Amtrak train carrying more than 90 passengers collides with 18-wheeler in Texas

An Amtrak train carrying more than 100 people collided with an 18-wheeler in Texas on Tuesday morning, officials confirmed.

In a statement, Amtrak said "a vehicle came into contact with the train on Union Pacific Railroad tracks near Houston."

The train was traveling from Los Angeles to New Orleans with 93 passengers and 11 crew members onboard, it said.

Officials in Missouri City, about 20 miles southwest of Houston, confirmed that fire personnel were responding to an accident involving the Amtrak train and an 18-wheeler and had extinguished a fire.

Missouri City Fire Chief Mario Partida said fire crews responded to reports of the accident on the southwest side of Houston around 11 a.m. local time.

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Amtrak said there were no reports of serious injuries.

Partida told NBC News that two minor injuries were reported and treated at the scene. He added that no crew members, including the conductor and the 18-wheeler driver, were injured.

The train did not derail as a result of the incident, Partida confirmed, but a fuel spill occurred. A hazardous materials team contained it, and there is no risk to the public.

Passengers were evacuated and taken to the next train station on buses, officials said.

"As a precaution, customers were moved off of the train. They will continue east aboard chartered buses," Amtrak said in a statement.

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March 18, 2026

Amtrak train carrying more than 90 passengers collides with 18-wheeler in Texas

An Amtrak train carrying more than 100 people collided with an 18-wheeler in Texas on Tuesday morning, officials confirme...

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Women's March Madness bracket hot takes, from upset picks to Final Four predictions

March Madness is here.

While the Women's NCAA Tournament is traditionally more chalky than the men's things could still get unpredictable and spicy. Are we sure UConn is going to win it all? Will every No. 1 seed make the Final Four? Will we have any double-digit seeds make the Sweet 16?

Let's fire off some hot takes and make a few wild predictions.

Dukegets revenge on LSU

You might remember that the Tigers marched into Cameron Indoor Stadium back in December and walloped Duke 93-77. Could LSU do that to the Blue Devils again if they meet in the Sweet 16? Perhaps.

But let's consider Duke was at its worst when the Tigers came to Durham. The very next game, the Blue Devils began a 17-game winning streak when coach Kara Lawson tweaked their starting lineup — promoting Riley Nelson off the bench — and then went on to win the ACC's regular season and tournament titles.

Lawson also has a pretty good pedigree in run-it-back games, where Duke gets a second crack at a team in a single season after losing to them earlier the year. Just look at last season:

• Duke lost its first meeting with North Carolina, then beat the Tar Heels in their second and third matchups.

• Duke lost at NC State in the regular season, then topped the Wolfpack in the ACC title game.

• South Carolina beat the Blue Devils comfortably in their first meeting last season, and their Elite Eight meeting came down to the final two possessions.

Should Duke see LSU again, it'll be better prepared.

USC loses toClemsonin the first round

Overcoming the absence of JuJu Watkins has been difficult for the Trojans this season. Jazzy Davidson has established herself as one of the top freshmen in the country, but USC finished the regular season 17-13 overall and 9-9 in Big Ten play a year after it won the conference tournament. USC is currently riding a five-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, the vibes are great in Upstate South Carolina, where Clemson is dancing for the first time since 2019 and the second time since 2002. The Tigers ended their season on a high note under second-year coach Shawn Poppie, securing their place in the tournament field with an upset win over Duke, a victory on the road at Cal and an ACC Tournament triumph over Virginia.

Throw out the stats in this matchup, we're riding with the vibes. The Tigers should have all the momentum in this game played in their home state.

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Kentucky makes the Final Four

The Wildcats' path to what would be Kenny Brooks' second Final Four appearance as a head coach has a few hurdles standing in their way, but they're manageable.

First, Kentucky has to get out of the West Virginia sub-regional. The Wildcats should be able to defeat James Madison — where Brooks first became a head coach and played for the Hall of Famer Lefty Driesell — comfortably. Kentucky will then likely face the Mountaineers, who rank 314th nationally in defending 3-pointers and 269th in defensive rebounds per game. The Wildcats should have the advantage on the boards and at the perimeter.

Kentucky would then face its second — and perhaps its biggest hurdle — which would be pulling off a Sweet 16 upset win over Texas. The Wildcats lost by 11 points in Austin earlier this season, but it was just Teonni Key's third game back from an elbow injury, Tonie Morgan had an uncharacteristic game with six turnovers, and Amelia Hassett and Jordan Obi combined for three points. The chances of all those things happening again seems unlikely.

Finally, Kentucky will likely have to get past either Michigan or Louisville in the Elite Eight. The Wildcats beat the Cardinals by double figures in Louisville earlier this season and have a noticeable size advantage over the Wolverines whose two tallest players are 6-foot-3. Kentucky has three starters above 6-foot-4.

If Kentucky gets a little bit of bracket luck, the idea of the Wildcats making it to Phoenix isn't so crazy.

Gonzaga makes the Sweet 16

No stranger to March Madness success, the Bulldogs have been to the Sweet 16 twice since Lisa Fortier became the head coach in 2014. Gonzaga ranks second nationally in 3-point shooting, making 39% of its attempts from behind the arc. The Zags are also third nationally in total rebounding rate at 57.8%. Being solid on the boards and good at shooting from deep range is usually a recipe for success in the NCAA Tournament.

Gonzaga is also has Allie Turner, the nation's third-best 3-point shooter with a 46.7% shooting clip from behind the arc. Additionally, Lauren Whittaker — a freshman — is the only player in the nation who averages at least 19 points and 10 rebounds per game while shooting better than 50% from the floor and 80% from the free throw line.

Ole Miss, Gonzaga's first-round opponent, is 56th nationally in rebounding and a mediocre 225th in defending the 3-pointer. Minnesota — who would likely be Gonzaga's second round opponent — is 75th in rebounds per game and 224th in defending the 3-pointer.

The Zags can beat both of those teams.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Women's NCAA Tournament hot takes: Kentucky in Final Four, USC out early

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March 18, 2026

Women's March Madness bracket hot takes, from upset picks to Final Four predictions

March Madness is here. While the Women's NCAA Tournament is traditionally more chalky than the men's th...

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Dolphins, Cardinals turn 2026 into NFL’s priciest QB breakup year

When theMiami Dolphinsreleased Tua Tagovailoa on March 9, they didn't just end a six-year relationship — they alsotriggered $99.2 million in dead cap, surpassing the previous record of $85 million that the Denver Broncos absorbed over two seasons when they released Russell Wilson after the 2023 season.

The record dead cap hit wasn't alone on the news cycle. Just two days later, theArizona Cardinals released Kyler Murrayto the dead cap tune of $54.7 million.

The two releases make the 2026 offseason one of the costliest quarterback dead-cap cycles in NFL history. And among the seven other biggest quarterback dead-cap cases, only one other offseason occupies two spots: 2023, when Tom Brady retired and when Green Bay traded Aaron Rodgers.

Ultimately, the timing matters as much as the totals. Dead cap hits land in the same windows when teams are trying to reshape their rosters through free agency and trades. Carrying $40-50 million in dead money — or nearly $100 million in Miami's case — can dictate strategy: fewer signings, more restructures and a heavier reliance on draft picks.

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However, success can come quickly to teams, even after pricey breakups. Philadelphia, for instance, made the Super Bowl two years after dealing with Carson Wentz's dead cap hit. And Denver reached the AFC title game this past season — when it was still dealing with Wilson's $32 million figure for 2025.

OT Tytus Howard: Traded to Cleveland Browns (previous team: Houston Texans)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> CB Trent McDuffie: Traded to Los Angeles Rams (previous team: Kansas City Chiefs)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> RB David Montgomery: Traded to Houston Texans (previous team: Detroit Lions)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> WR DJ Moore: Traded to Buffalo Bills (previous team: Chicago Bears)

" style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />

2026 NFL offseason tracker: Player signings, trades

OT Tytus Howard:Traded to Cleveland Browns(previous team: Houston Texans)

Only the future will tell when it comes to the Dolphins and Cardinals. Miamiturned around and signed Malik Willis, formerly of Tennessee and Green Bay, while Arizonalooks to rely on Jacoby Brissett, who started 12 games last season while Murray was injured, or they might taprecently-signed journeyman Gardner Minshew.

DIG DEEPER:

• Miami Dolphins' record dead money isn't a death sentence

• Where every QB has landed in 2026 NFL offseason

• What is dead cap money in the NFL? How moving on from players impacts salary cap

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NFL 2026 offseason sees record QB dead cap from Dolphins, Cardinals

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March 18, 2026

Dolphins, Cardinals turn 2026 into NFL’s priciest QB breakup year

When theMiami Dolphinsreleased Tua Tagovailoa on March 9, they didn't just end a six-year relationship — they alsotri...

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WNBA, players' union reach agreement in principle on new pact

New York— The WNBA and its players' union reached a verbal agreement on a transformational new collective bargaining agreement early Wednesday morning, both sides said.

Specifics still need to be finalized over the next few weeks as lawyers on both sides work on the new CBA. A term sheet should be done in the next day or two. It will then need to be voted on by the players and the league's Board of Governors."I just want to say we have aligned on key elements of a new collective bargaining agreement together. We still need to finalize a formal term sheet, but the progress made in these discussions marks a transformative step forward for players and the league," WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. "It underscores a shared commitment to the continued growth of the game. So, we'll share additional details as they become available.

"We just had some congratulations with each other," she said. "It's been, obviously, a process, but we're very proud to be leading women's sports. These players are amazing, and we're going to have an amazing 30th season tipping off in May."

The deal is expected to greatly increase player salaries, with a good chance for million dollar players — a first for the league entering its 30th season, which would start on time. It would increase salaries fourfold from last season."For the first time, player salaries are tied to a truly meaningful share of league revenue, driving exponential growth in the salary cap, increasing average compensation beyond half a million dollars and raising the standard across facilities, staffing and support," union president Nneka Ogwumike said.The deal came after the two sides spent the past eight days in intense in-person negotiations that lasted more than 100 hours. They came to the agreement at about 2:20 a.m. Wednesday after more than 10 hours of discussions on Tuesday."This is historical for women's sports. I told Cathy it's not just for the players that are entering the league or the players that aren't already here," Ogwumike added. "We're just really grateful to be able to come to a deal. We're proud of ourselves."WNBA leadership and the union met with reporters together in the lobby of a New York hotel shortly before 3 a.m.The deal comes 17 months after the players opted out of their previous agreement and five months after the previous deal was initially set to expire, with talks often becoming contentious."We opted out because what we were giving to this league and what we were getting back didn't match," union executive committee member Alysha Clark said. "You could feel the growth everywhere, but it wasn't showing up for the players the way it should. So we stayed with it until it did."Revenue sharing has been the biggest hurdle over the course of the negotiations. Other key issues that were slowing down getting a deal done included housing and franchise tags on players."I hope young girls and women see this and feel it, to know their voice matters, their value matters, and they don't have to settle for less than that," said executive committee member Brianna Turner. "Now, we get back to the game. Back to competing, back to that feeling, and back to being out there with our fans."

The league now has to sprint over the next two months to get to opening day on May 8.

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An expansion draft for new teams in Toronto and Portland needs to take place. Also, teams will need to negotiate with the more than 80% of players who are free agents this offseason. Training camps are set to open on April 19 — six days after the college draft.

The league has been steadily growing in popularity andbroke its single-season attendance recordin August, attracting upwards of 2.5 million fans to games around the country up to that point, the league said. WNBA regular seasons run from early May through late September.

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March 18, 2026

WNBA, players' union reach agreement in principle on new pact

New York— The WNBA and its players' union reached a verbal agreement on a transformational new collective bargaining ...

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