TODAY IN SPORTS

March 23

• 1956 – San Francisco beat Iowa 83-71, their 2nd consecutive NCAA title – Bill Russell had 26 points and 27 rebounds.

• 1957 – North Carolina defeat Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas in triple-overtime to win the NCAA men’s championship. The Tar Heels win 54-53 to finish the season with a 32-0 record.

• 1968 – Lew Alcindor scores 34 points to lead UCLA to a 78-55 win over North Carolina in the NCAA basketball championship.

• 1974 – North Carolina State beats UCLA 80-77 in 2 OTs of NCAA semi-finals to end UCLA’s streak of 7 championships.

• 1979 – Larry Holmes knocks out Osvaldo Ocasio in the seventh round in Las Vegas to retain his WBC heavyweight title.

• 1994 – Isiah Thomas gets his 9,000th assist – 4th in NBA to do so.

• 2001 – Toronto Raptors set NBA record with 23 blocked shots vs. Atlanta.

• 2009 – Curt Schilling announces his retirement – 3 time World Series champion, 216 wins, 3.46 ERA, 3,116 strikeouts.

• 2003 – Tiger Woods closes with a 4-under 68 to win the Bay Hill Invitational 4 straight times. Woods becomes the first player since Gene

Sarazen in the Miami Open (192630) to win the event four straight times. • 2005 – Indiana’s Reggie Miller becomes the 13th NBA player to score 25,000 career points during the Pacers’ 100-93 win over San Antonio.

• 2007 – Kobe Bryant becomes the second player in NBA history to score at least 50 points in 4 straight games when he scores 50 in the Lakers’ 111-105 win at New Orleans. Only Wilt Chamberlain has more, scoring at least 50 points in seven consecutive games during the 1961-62 season.