Miller, USC women are champions again
Baseball fans were not amused when the first strike in the sport’s history began on this date in 1972. The labor issues between the players union and owners were pension funding and health benefits.
The owners gambled that the higher-paid stars would not join their lower-paid teammates in solidarity, but the opposite happened when the players voted overwhelmingly to support the strike.
The shutdown lasted 12 days, and after a deal was signed the first games were played April 15.
In games involving local teams that were canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Lakers would have faced Indiana on Wednesday night at Staples Center. The Pacers won an earlier meeting 105-102 in Indianapolis. And the Ducks were scheduled to play at Honda Center against Dallas. The Stars had won two previous games this season 2-1 and 3-0.
In baseball, the Dodgers would have closed out a threegame series against the Colorado Rockies with a matinee at Dodger Stadium. And the Angels were set to play the second of a three-game series against the Rangers in Arlington, Texas.
::
Here is a look at memorable games and outstanding sports performances on this date:
1973 — Boston’s John Havlicek makes 24 of 36 field-goal attempts and finishes with 54 points to lead the Celtics past Atlanta 134-109 in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
1984 — USC beats Tennessee 72-61 in the NCAA women’s basketball championship game at UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion. It is the Trojans’ second consecutive national title, and Cheryl Miller receives outstanding player honors.
1985 — Villanova stuns Georgetown 66-64 to win the NCAA title in Lexington, Ky. The Wildcats, led by Dwayne McClain’s 17 points, shoot 79% from the field, making 22 of 28 attempts.
1991 — Duke prevails 72-65 over Kansas at the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis. It’s the Blue Devils’ first national championship in five title-game appearances and nine trips to the Final Four. Christian Laettner leads Duke with 18 points.
1992 — Shortly before the Stanley Cup playoffs are to begin, the players strike for the first time in the NHL’s 75-year history. Play resumes April 12 after a deal is struck on a new collective bargaining agreement. The regular-season games lost are rescheduled, and the season and playoffs are completed.
2000 — Michelle Kwan of Torrance wins her third world championship by completing seven triple jumps in Nice, France. The maneuvers lift Kwan above Russians Irina Slutskaya and Maria Butyrskaya, the defending champion.
2002 — With Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter leading the way, Maryland wins its first national title with a 64-52 victory over Indiana in Atlanta. Dixon leads the Terrapins with 18 points, and Baxter adds 15 points and 14 rebounds.
2009 — In the first game of a scheduled doubleheader, Eastern Kentucky beats Kentucky State 49-1. The game was stopped after five innings, and both coaches agreed not to play the second game. Eastern Kentucky began substituting in the first inning while it was scoring 22 runs.
2012 — Sun Young Yoo wins the Kraft Nabisco Championship, her first major title, at Rancho Mirage when she makes an 18-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole to beat I.K. Kim. Kim has a one-foot putt on the final hole of regulation that would have given her the tournament, but she misses.