Pitt men’s soccer headed to Sweet 16
Valentin Noel netted a pair of goals and Joe van der Sar made five stops as the Pitt men’s soccer team beat host Akron, 3-0, to advance to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament on Sunday.
Akron, the host, held a 1910 edge in shots and 7-3 lead in corner kicks, but Pitt (104-5) capitalized on its opportunities and van der Sar earned his seventh clean sheet of the season.
It’s the third consecutive season the Panthers have made the Sweet Sixteen. The Panthers will face topseeded Kentucky for a spot in the Elite Eight.
More soccer
The Pitt women’s soccer team had its magical season come to an end in a 3-0 loss to Florida State in a Sweet 16 matchup in Tallahassee, Fla.
Florida State’s Beata Olsson scored in just the second minute of the match and the Seminoles never looked back, adding a pair of goals after halftime. Pitt (14-5-3) was playing in the first NCAA tournament in program history.
NBA
Kyrie Irving returned to the Brooklyn Nets and apologized to anyone who felt threatened or hurt when he posted a link to a documentary with antisemitic material. Irving was suspended by the team on Nov. 3, hours after he refused to say he had no antisemitic beliefs when meeting with reporters at the Nets’ practice facility.
Tennis
Novak Djokovic claimed a record-equaling sixth ATP Finals title by beating thirdseeded Casper Ruud in Turin, Italy.
Djokovic won 7-5, 6-3 to secure his first title at the event since 2015.
Golf
Lydia Ko never won more in one day than in the CME Group Tour Championship, where she claimed the richest prize in women’s golf at $2 million with a victory that allowed her to win LPGA player of the year. Ko outlasted Leona Maguire in the final round in Naples, Fla., seizing control with a 7-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole and closing with 2-under 70 for a two-shot victory.
• Jon Rahm opened with three straight birdies on his way to a 5-under 67 to win the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, by two shots over Tyrrell Hatton and Alex Noren. Rory McIlroy finished as Europe’s topranked golfer for the fourth time. He also is back at No. 1 in the world.
• Adam Svensson handled the cold air and the heat of contention as if he had been there before, closing with a 6-under 64 to win the RSM Classic at Sea Island on St. Simons Island, Ga., for his first PGA Tour victory.
F1
Max Verstappen won a record-extending 15th race of the year at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to conclude one of the most dominant seasons in Formula One history.