No. 21 SMC ousts Broncos in WCC tourney semifinal
Alex Ducas set the tone with 18 of his 21 points in the first half, and No. 21 Saint Mary's went on to beat Santa Clara 79-65 on Monday night to make the West Coast Conference Tournament championship game.
The Gaels (25-7) will play No. 17 Gonzaga or San Francisco on Tuesday night in the title game.
Ducas made 7 of 11, all 3-pointers, and at halftime appeared well on his way to breaking his personal high of 25 points. But the Gaels had plenty of offensive weapons, with three other players also scoring in double figures that included Mason Forbes with 18 points.
Carlos Marshall Jr. led Santa Clara (20-13) with 26 points, and Christian Hammond had 13.
Saint Mary's is in the WCC title game for third year in a row and fifth time in six years. The Gaels, who won the regular-season championship outright for the first time in 12 years, last took home the tournament crown in 2019.
They head into the championship having won 22 of 24 games, though the Gaels ended the regular season with a 70-57 loss to Gonzaga on March 2.
Saint Mary's got going right away against Santa Clara when Ducas made two 3-pointers, prompting Broncos coach Herb Sendek to called a timeout just 59 seconds into the game.
The Gaels used an eightpoint run to pull ahead for good at 31-23.
HOUSTON, UCONN, PURDUE REMAIN TOP AP TOP 25 >> Houston remained atop the AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll for the third consecutive week.
The Cougars received 52 of 62 first-place votes from a national media panel.
Defending national champion UConn, the top seed in the Big East tourney, was second in the poll after picking up six first-place votes, and Purdue — the top seed in the Big Ten tourney — remained at No. 3 after getting four first-place votes.
The big movement came in the rest of the top 10, where North Carolina jumped three spots to No. 4 and Kentucky vaulted six spots to No. 9.
NO. 3 SOUTHERN CAL WOMEN HAVE BEST RANKING IN 38 YEARS >> Southern California rode a Pac-12 Tournament championship to its
best ranking in 38 years.
The Trojans moved up to No. 3 in The Associated Press Top 25 women's basketball poll Monday after topping Stanford to win the conference tournament for the first time since 2014, their only other time in the title game. It's the highest ranking for USC since the final poll of the 1986 season, when the team was also third.
South Carolina remained a unanimous No. 1, receiving all 35 first-place votes from the AP national media panel. Iowa moved back up to No. 2 after winning the Big Ten Tournament. Stanford fell two spots to fourth and Texas was fifth.
NFL
COUSINS AGREES TO 4-YEAR CONTRACT WITH FALCONS >>
Kirk Cousins is leaving Minnesota for Atlanta, landing another big contract with a well-timed foray into free agency.
Cousins agreed to a fouryear, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed with the Falcons, according to a person with knowledge of the terms, speaking on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the deal can't be signed until Wednesday when the new league year begins.
Cousins gets a $50 million signing bonus and his salaries for 2024 and 2025 are fully guaranteed, the person said. The annual average value of $45 million would reach the top 10 for quarterbacks in the NFL.
Atlanta had a glaring need at quarterback after cycling through Desmond Ridder and Tyler Heinicke last season.
RAIDERS AGREE TO DEALS WITH QB MINSHEW AND DEFENSIVE TACKLE WILKINS >> The Las Vegas Raiders agreed to contracts with quarterback Gardner Minshew and defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
Minshew agreed to a two-year, $25 million deal with $15 million guaranteed, a person with knowledge of the contract said.
Wilkins agreed to a fouryear, $110 contract with $84.75 million guaranteed, agent David Mulugheta said.
Minshew, 27, is expected to be compete with Aidan O'Connell to be the starting quarterback.
GIANTS ACQUIRING STAR RUSHER BURNS >>
The New York Giants have agreed to acquire edge rusher Brian Burns from the Carolina Panthers, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
Burns is getting a fiveyear contract worth up to $150 million with $87.5 million in guarantees, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal can't be completed until Wednesday.
Burns, a two-time Pro Bowl pick, will sign his franchise tag to facilitate the deal. Burns becomes the second-highest paid defensive end in NFL history. COLTS AGREE TO 3-YEAR, $70 MILLION DEAL WITH MICHAEL PITTMAN JR. >> Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard did everything he could to keep receiver Michael Pittman Jr. off this year's free agent market. On Monday, he completed the job.
Two weeks after promising Pittman would be in Indy next season — one way or the other — the two sides were closing in on a three-year, $70 million deal with $46 million in guarantees, a person with knowledge of the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal is being finalized.
EAGLES REACH FREE-AGENT DEALS WITH HUFF, BARKLEY >>
The Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to contracts with former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley and former New York Jets defensive end Bryce Huff, two people familiar with the deals told The Associated Press.
Barkley, who tweeted two eagle emojis on Monday, hit free agency after the Giants elected not to put a franchise tag on the second overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft.
Huff goes from undrafted to a big pay day after recording a career-best 10 sacks last season.
CHIEFS, ALL-PRO DT CHRIS JONES FINALIZE 5-YEAR, $158.75M DEAL >>
The Kansas City Chiefs finalized a five-year, $158.75 million contract with Chris Jones, keeping the All-Pro tackle in the middle of their defensive line as they chase a record-setting third consecutive Super Bowl title.
Jones will make $95 million guaranteed over the first three years, a person familiar with the details told the Associated Press on Saturday night, when the framework for the agreement was put in place.