Iowa vs. Holy Cross most-viewed women’s 1st-round game in history
BRISTOL, CONN.>> Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes can claim another record — the most-viewed first-round game in women’s NCAA Tournament history. According to Neilsen, the Hawkeyes’ 91-65 win over Holy Cross averaged 3.23 million viewers on ABC.
The viewership surpassed the 2.50 million who watched last year’s Elite Eight game between Iowa and Louisville, making this the most-viewed women’s tournament game ever — excluding Final Four contests and title games.
TENNIS
Medvedev, Alcaraz head to Miami Open quarterfinals
MIAMI GARDENS, FLA.>> Defending Miami Open champion Daniil Medvedev won his 350th career match to move into the quarterfinals for a fourth straight year, beating Dominik Koepfer.
Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz also advanced with ease in a win over No. 23 seed Lorenzo Musetti in less than 90 minutes on Tuesday. Medvedev goes for victory No. 351 on Wednesday against Nicolas Jarry, the No. 22 seed who ousted No. 7 seed Casper Ruud. Alcaraz will play No. 11 seed Grigor Dimitrov, who beat No. 8 seed Hubert Hurkacz.
On the women’s side, twotime Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka defeated Yulia Putintseva 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-3 to make the semifinals. It was the second time that Azarenka, 34, has made it to the semifinals this season after going that far just once in 2023. She has won the Miami Open three times.
NFL
Convicted sex offender who hacked Jaguars’ jumbotron gets 220 years
JACKSONVILLE, FLA.>> A convicted child molester has been sentenced to 220 years in federal prison for producing child sexual abuse material and hacking the jumbotron at the Jacksonville Jaguars stadium.
Samuel Arthur Thompson did this after the team learned he was a registered sex offender and fired him. A federal judge sentenced the 53-year-old on Monday. He was convicted in November of producing, receiving and possessing sexual images of children, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and other counts.
Prosecutors say Thompson remotely accessed the jumbotron through a spare server at the Jaguars’ facilities and caused it to malfunction during three games in the 2018 season.
SOCCER
Swanson, Macario return to U.S. national team ahead of the Shebelieves Cup
Littleton native Mallory Swanson and Catarina Macario are returning to the U.S. national team for the upcoming Shebelieves Cup after lengthy absences because of injuries.
The 23-player roster announced for the event next month also includes 16-year old Lily Yohannes, a midfielder who plays for Ajax in the Netherlands.
The Shebelieves Cup will include the United States, Japan, Canada and Brazil and opens on April 6 in Atlanta. All four teams are ranked in the top 10 in the world and have qualified for this summer’s Olympics in France.