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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Irish, Cardinals punch tickets to Final Four

Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins (4) is headed to a third Final Four. (Associated Press)
From Staff And Wire Reports

Women’s NCAA Tournament: Skylar Diggins shook off early foul trouble to score 24 points and Notre Dame rallied to beat Duke 87-76 on Tuesday in Norfolk, Va., to earn its third consecutive trip to the Final Four.

Kayla McBride added 17 points, while Jewell Loyd and Natalie Achonwa had 17 each as the Fighting Irish (35-1) won their school-record 30th consecutive game, earning a fourth meeting with Connecticut. Tricia Liston led Duke (33-3) with 19 points, but the Blue Devils had no answer when Notre Dame used a 15-2 run early in the second half to take a 50-42 lead. Haley Peters added 15 points for Duke.

• Louisville tops Lady Vols: Shoni Schimmel scored 24 points and giant-slaying Louisville claimed another big upset, beating second-seeded Tennessee 86-78 in Oklahoma City, and earning the school’s second trip to the Final Four.

The fifth-seeded Cardinals (28-8) built a 20-point lead and then withstood a second-half comeback by the powerhouse Lady Vols (27-8) before celebrating another big victory.

Jackson carries Baylor to NIT final

Men’s College Basketball: Pierre Jackson had 24 points and 10 assists to lift Baylor back into the National Invitation Tournament title game for the second time in five years with a 76-70 win over BYU in New York.

Baylor’s Cory Jefferson scored 21 points and Isaiah Austin had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Bears.

• Iowa holds off Maryland: Devyn Marble had 21 points and nine rebounds to help Iowa reach the NIT championship for the first time with a 71-60 win over Maryland in New York.

Penguins’ winning streak snapped

NHL: The Pittsburgh Penguins’ run at a record-breaking streak is over. Playing without injured star Sidney Crosby, the host Penguins fell to the Buffalo Sabres 4-1 to end their 15-game winning streak.

Kevin Porter scored his first two goals of the season for the Sabres, who won for the first time in five games. Steve Ott and Cody Hodgson also scored as Buffalo sent Pittsburgh to its first loss in more than a month. • Horton lifts Bruins: Nathan Horton broke a tie midway through the third period with his fourth goal in four games and the Boston Bruins beat the visiting Ottawa Senators 3-2.

Horton got his 12th goal of the season at 10:21 of the third period after goalie Robin Lehner stopped Milan Lucic’s shot with his pad, but Horton scored on the rebound.

• Legwand’s goal lifts Predators: David Legwand scored with 1:14 left, and the host Nashville Predators edged Colorado 3-1.

Patric Hornqvist scored a power-play goal that tied it up at 1 at 8:23 of the third, and Taylor Beck had two assists. Paul Gaustad had an empty-netter for his third this season with 14.7 seconds remaining.

Anthony scores 50 as Knicks beat Heat

NBA: Carmelo Anthony tied his career high with 50 points and the visiting New York Knicks won their ninth straight game, topping the injury-depleted Miami Heat 102-90.

Anthony finished 18 of 26 from the field, reaching 50 on a jumper with 16.9 seconds remaining. J.R. Smith scored 14.

Chris Bosh scored 23 points for Miami, which played without LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Mario Chalmers.

• Wizards top Bulls: John Wall had 27 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, Emeka Okafor scored the go-ahead dunk in the final minute and the Washington Wizards won their eighth straight home game, beating the Chicago Bulls 90-86.

• Lakers hang Shaq’s jersey: Although Shaquille O’Neal rarely finds himself speechless, he says he’s thrilled beyond words to see his jersey in the Los Angeles Lakers’ rafters.

The Lakers planned a halftime ceremony Tuesday night to honor O’Neal. They hung his No. 34 jersey in the Staples Center collection including Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson.

Barca’s Messi injures hamstring in PSG tie

Miscellany: Lionel Messi scored and injured a hamstring, and Barcelona was held to a 2-2 tie by Paris Saint-Germain the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal when Blaise Matuidi scored for the hosts on the last kick of the game.

• Canada edges U.S. in women’s world championship: Jennifer Wakefield scored in a shootout and Canada beat the United States 3-2 in a shootout to open the women’s world hockey championship in Ottawa.

• Impey wins Basque stage: South African rider Daryl Impey won the second stage of the Tour of Basque Country in Vitoria, Spain.