MON SIX

NCAA NC State Michigan Basketball

Eventually, Michigan's star sophomores bounced back with fantastic performances.

Olson had all 27 of her points in the second half and Swords bounced back to score 26 and help the second-seeded Wolverines rout theshort-handedWolfpack92-63on Sunday and earn a spot in the women'sSweet 16.

"They're hard to contain for 40 minutes," N.C. State coach Wes Moore said.

The Wolverines (27-6) will play for at least another 40 minutes, facing the winner of third-seeded Louisville and sixth-seeded Alabama inthe NCAA TournamentFort Worth Regional semifinals.

"We're accomplishing the goals we set out to — and we're not done yet," Olson said.

Michigan's previous Sweet 16 appearances were in 2021 and 2022, when it reached the Elite Eight for the first time in school history.

"We're just really excited to be able to continue what coach (Kim Barnes Arico) has already created as a legacy here," Swords said.

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Olson, a third-teamAssociated Press All-America player, started 0 of 6 and was held scoreless until making two free throws with 5:59 left in the third quarter. She scored on a three-point play about a minute later and followed up with a pair of mid-range jumpers to suddenly give Michigan a 49-35 lead.

What clicked?

"Just having confidence in myself as well as my teammates having confidence in me and still getting the ball to me," Olson said. "But I think it was a collective effort of just people carrying the load in the first half, and that just shows how much depth we have on our team."

Swords, meanwhile, was held to two points in the opening quarter and the Wolfpack led by one point.

Then, she started making shots.

Swords scored seven in the opening two minutes of the second quarter as part of a 14-0 run that included forcing six turnovers to put the Wolverines ahead 26-13. In the second half, she scored 17 points and joined Olson in the 1,000-point club in just two seasons.

"They were face-guarding me really well at the beginning, but I wasn't mad about it because my other teammates got great shots off of it," said Swords, who became the youngest Canadian basketball player to compete in theOlympicsat 18 during the 2024 Paris Games.

AP March Madness bracket:https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracketand coverage:https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

The No. 2 seedCycloneswill take on No. 7 Kentucky on Sunday, March 22, and all eyes are on whether star forward Joshua Jefferson will be available against the Wildcats after suffering an injury in the first round. Jefferson hurt his left ankle early into the contest against Tennessee State, and wasn't able to return to the game.

It will be a key storyline with Iowa State trying to reach the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years. Here is the latest on Jefferson's status:

A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

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A Texas Christian University Horned Frogs cheerleader practices before the game during a first round game of the men's2026 NCAATournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, SC.

Will Joshua Jefferson play vs Kentucky?

No, Jefferson will not play. He islisted as out for Iowa State's gamevs. Kentucky, per the NCAA injury report.

It's a tough break for the Cyclones as they hoped he would be able to suit up. A day prior, coach T.J. Otzelberger said it appeared unlikely he would be able to play. On Saturday, Jefferson in a boot and using a knee scooter.

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"We've got so much confidence in this group and guys that can step up on a given night. Obviously when you have a guy like Joshua out, it's going to be imperative that other guys step in," he said.

What happened to Joshua Jefferson?

Jefferson was injured less than three minutes into the first round game contest, appearing to twist his ankle as he landed after going for a layup. He was helped off the floor by support staff as he was unable to put any weight on his left foot.

He was later seen on crutches and didn't return to the game.

Jefferson is a major contributor for the Cyclones, averaging 16.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game. He also has two triple doubles on the season.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Joshua Jefferson injury update: Will Iowa State star play vs Kentucky?

C.J. Coxsuffered what appears to be a knee injury duringPurdue basketball'sNCAA Men's Tournamentagainst Miami.

The sophomore guard drove for a layup early in the second half, was fouled on the attempt, and quickly went down grabbing his knee. Replays appeared to show Cox's knee buckling as he went up for the layup, before he was fouled.

REQUIRED READING:Purdue vs Miami live updates: March Madness game score, highlights

C.J. Cox injury update

Cox was down for a couple of moments, uttering expletives heard on CBS mics. He was helped off the court by the Purdue trainers, but was able to walk off on his under his own power to the locker room.

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According to CBS sideline reporter Jon Rothstein, Cox is questionable to return to the game. He was reported to be running lightly in the locker room to determine whether he could return. Cox was able to return to the Boilermakers' bench, per the CBS broadcast.

Cox had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting at the time of his injury. He hit three 3-pointers in three possessions for the Boilermakers to end the first half, to keep them within two points of Miami at halftime.

On the season, Cox is averaging 8.4 points per game on 44.8% shooting from the field and 37.4% from 3-point range. He is third on the team with 58 3-pointers entering play on Saturday.

This story will be updated.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:CJ Cox knee injury: Purdue G leaves March Madness game with injury

Michael Chadwick Fry, 41, was arrested Thursday and charged with two counts of abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence, the Bartonville Police Department said in anews release.

The investigation began on March 16 when a Bartonville police officer responded to a call from Fry's mother, who said he asked her for money to pay for a U-Haul. When asked why, he said he "had a body that needed to be moved," the probable cause affidavit said.

Fry then became "irate" and left the home. Shortly afterward, the officer received information from Fry's sister that he had "filmed himself on YouTube" at the Dallas FBI field office, the affidavit said.

The video showed Fry throwing a large, closed white bucket over the fence into the secure parking lot of the FBI building, according to the affidavit.

Fry claimed in the video he was trying to compel the FBI to intervene "in what he describes as wrongdoing by Denton County officials from a past arrest," the affidavit said. It's not clear what that alleged wrongdoing was.

An FBI special agent said "the bucket contained numerous bones" that appeared to be human, per the affidavit. The bones are awaiting further forensic analysis.

Fry had also posted another video on YouTube that showed what appeared to be a human skull at his Denton County home.

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The mother told police that she found in her vehicle's GPS history three searches for cemeteries — one in Arlington, Texas, and two in Oklahoma City. She also said she found a shovel that was never at the residence before and her son had started to lock the shed in the back of the home, which he didn't do previously, the affidavit said.

In the investigation by Bartonville police and FBI agents, Fry was found to have posted videos online showing separate human remains and an urn of ashes.

Investigators later determined that Fry had stolen an urn containing human remains from a cemetery in Oklahoma City — which was the subject of an Oklahoma City Police Department investigation from February, according to Bartonville police.

FBI agents also found evidence at a cemetery in Denton, Texas, "indicating that a coffin containing human remains had been removed from a mausoleum," Bartonville police said.

Officials did not disclose whom the remains belonged to or why Fry might have targeted them.

The case remains active and next of kin have been notified, police said.

Fry remained in custody Sunday on a $30,000 surety bond, according to booking records. It's not immediately clear if he has retained a lawyer.

Fry had made headlines in the past for ramming a truck into a FOX 4 building in downtown Dallas in 2018. In that case, police determined Fry was upset about a 2012 police shooting in Denton County that killed his friend. He apologized to the local news station during a court hearing,FOX 4 reported.

Trump said he would order the bombardment if the Strait of Hormuz was not fully open to shipping within 48 hours, as disruption of the key waterway continues.

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Here are the latest developments:

What are the main headlines?

• Strike threat: US President Donald Trump threatened to "hit and obliterate" Iran's power plants if Tehran doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz, a critical waterway for the world's energy resources, within 48 hours. The threat marks an escalation in rhetoric from Trump, who's previously dangled the option of hitting Iranian infrastructure but cautioned it would impair the country's ability to rebuild. It's also a tacit acknowledgement that the strait's closure provides Iran significant leverage.

• Iran's response: Prompted by Trump's words, Iranian officials and state media vowed retaliation if that were to happen. Critical ⁠infrastructure ⁠and energy facilities in the ⁠Middle ​East could ⁠be "irreversibly destroyed" should Iranian ​power plants be targeted, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad ⁠Baqer Qalibaf said in comments posted ​on X on Sunday.

• Israel hit: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Tehran for targeting a civilian area as he visited the scene of an Iranian strike on the southern Israeli city of Arad. At least 84 people were injured, including 10 seriously, in the strike Saturday. A separate Iranian missile also hit the city of Dimona, injuring several and destroying a small building.

• Helicopter crash: Seven people on board a helicopter in Qatar were killed when it crashed Sunday morning, according to the country's Interior Ministry. Qatar's foreign ministry said three Turkish nationals were on the aircraft.

• US-UK base targeted: The UK denounced what it called "Iran's reckless attacks" after missiles were fired toward the Indian Ocean military base of Diego Garcia. The joint US-UK base is about 3,800km (2,360 miles) from Iran and can accommodate long-range American bombers. The attempt has renewed questions about Tehran's military capabilities and how far its missiles can reach.

What's happening in Iran and Lebanon?

• Waves of Israeli strikes: The Israeli military says it launched simultaneous "wide-scale" waves of strikes on Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon this weekend, hitting more than 200 targets. In Iran, the Israel Defense Forces said it struck dozens of compounds storing weapons and ballistic missiles. It also said it completed two waves of strikes in Beirut and additional areas in Lebanon, hitting "key Hezbollah command centers."

• Israel: Police officers and bomb disposal experts are working to secure and isolate "impact sites of munitions" in central Israel, police said Sunday. It came just hours after Iranian strikes on the Israeli cities of Arad and Dimona.

• Rising toll: In Iran, more than 18,000 civilians have been injured and more than 1,330 people – including at least 200 children – have been killed since the start of the war three weeks ago, according to the latest figures from the Iranian Red Crescent and Iran's UN ambassador. In Lebanon, more than 1,000 people have lost their lives, according to the country's health ministry, and more than 1 million have been displaced.

• Crackdown: Iranian authorities have arrested 25 people for "spreading rumors, filming damages, and sending them to anti-revolutionary networks," the state-affiliated Tasnim news agency reported. The arrests come days after Iran executed three men in connection with nationwide anti-regime protests that took place at the start of the year.

What's the latest in the Strait of Hormuz?

• Hormuz comments: The Strait of Hormuz remains open to all except Iran's "enemies," the country's representative to the UN maritime agency said in remarks published on Sunday shortly after US President Donald Trump gave Tehran 48 hours to open the waterway.

• Protecting safe passage: The United Arab Emirates and Australia are the latest countries to express their willingness to contribute to efforts to ensure safe navigation of the Strait of Hormuz, joining a statement which now has 22 participating nations. It was not immediately clear what the efforts to secure the crucial waterway would look like.

• Blast reported: An unknown projectile caused an explosion "in close proximity" to a bulk carrier off the central northern coast of the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said early Sunday. "All crew are reported safe," it added. Since the war began, Iran has hit several ships in the strait, from US-friendly nations.

• History repeats: Suggestions of US Navy ships escorting oil tankers through the strait bring to mind the so-called Tanker War of the late 1980s, which involved some of the same weapons – and problems – a US escort force would face today. It provides lessons in how, in war, things can go wrong quickly in unexpected ways – with deadly consequences.

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The avalanche happened at nearly 8000 feet of elevation near the town of Ratschings, close to the border with Austria.

The CNSAS rescue service's Bolzano emergency center reported that 25 skiers were caught in the avalanche. Besides the two dead, three were seriously injured and two lightly injured, it said.

The avalanche took place a little before noon local time. Six helicopters and around 80 rescuers from CNSAS, the Alpine Association, police and firefighters are involved in the rescue operation.

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This season has seen an unusually high number of death from avalanches. European Avalanche Warning Services reports in its website avalanches.org that fatalities average 100 per season. As of March 16, reported deaths this season starting Oct. 1 were at 127, including 33 in Italy, 31 in France and 29 in Austria.

Experts attributed the deaths to an exceptionally unstable snowpack and the rush of skiing enthusiasts to off-piste slopes after recent heavy snowstorms.

Climate experts have argued that snow instability is due to rising temperatures and stronger winds.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

"The Minnesota Wild organization is heartbroken by the tragic loss of Jessi Pierce and her children. Jessi was a kind, compassionate person that cared deeply about her family and those around her. She served as a dedicated ambassador for the game of hockey during her time covering the Wild and the NHL," the team wrote. "Jessi and her children will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and deepest condolences go out to their family, friends, and all who knew and loved them."

The NHL also shared condolences to Pierce's family, noting her work as a contributor to the league's in-house media, NHL.com.

"The entire National Hockey League family sends our prayers and deepest condolences to the Pierce family on the passing of Jessi Pierce and her three young children," the league wrote in a statement. "Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly."

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Several members of the NHL media also posted in tribute to Pierce. Michael Russo, the Wild beat reporter at The Athletic, and Kirsten Krull, Pierce's co-host on the podcast Bardown Beauties, both posted lengthy tributes Sunday morning, with other media members like ESPN's Greg Wyshynski and The Athletic's Zack Pierce chiming in.

"My heart breaks for Mike for the loss of his wife and children and Jessi's family, friends and colleagues for this unimaginable loss. This hockey community lost a wonderful, energetic and one of a kind voice and story teller and Grade A person," Russo wrote. "Life can be unbearably unfair sometimes, and it's impossible to make sense of this tragedy."

Bill Price, the Editor-in-Chief of NHL.com, where Pierce was a contributor for the past 10 seasons,also spokeabout Pierce's presence in hockey media.

"The entire NHL.com team is devastated and heartbroken by the loss of Jessi and her children," Price said. "Jessi's love of her family and hockey was evident in the energy and passion she brought to her work for us.

"She was an absolute joy to talk to and work with. She will be deeply missed."