Sports Brief: Week of April 2 - 8

March Madness: The madness is over

The University of Virginia won its first national championship in school history after defeating Texas Tech University 85-77 in overtime.

After the Red Raiders extended their lead to three in post-regulation play, the Cavaliers went on to score 11 unanswered points—eight coming from the charity stripe. De’Andre Hunter scored a game-high 27 points and drained the three that sent the game into overtime.

WWE: Wrestlemania

For the first time in company history, three women—Becky Lynch, Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair—headlined the main event of Wrestlemania 35 in a triple threat match for both women’s titles. Lynch came out the victor, claiming both belts.

Earlier on the card, wrestler Kofi Kingston became the second African American to capture the elusive WWE championship belt by defeating Daniel Bryan. Seven of the nine belts defended changed hands. Hosted at MetLife Stadium, the event grossed $16.9 million, a venue record, and provided entertainment for the 82,265 fans in attendance—the third-most in Wrestlemania history.

For a recap of the event, click here.

NFL: AB and JuJu share Twitter “beef”

Current Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and former Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown exchanged heated tweets back-and-forth Sunday, April 7, regarding the status of team MVP. Brown, who is now an Oakland Raider, commented on the organization’s post after a fan tagged him on Twitter. Brown’s tweet attacked Smith-Schuster’s week 16 fumble in the final minutes of their game against the New Orleans Saints, which eliminated their shot at a playoff run.

Brown took an assumed shot at Smith-Schuster earlier in the week, arguing the validity of a rookie’s perspective in a quarterback controversy. Ben Roethlisberger, quarterback of the Steelers, and Brown’s relationship deteriorated near the tail end of the 2018 season.

NBA: Paul Pierce vs. Dwyane Wade, Thunder recap

Former Washington Wizard Paul Pierce was asked by a panel of ESPN analysts Friday night who had the better career—himself or Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade. Pierce chose himself, creating instant tension between the two NBA greats. Pierce was a 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics where he led the organization to two Finals appearances, taking home a ring in 2008. The small forward was a 10-time All-Star and named four times to an All-NBA team.

Wade, who has played 16 professional seasons, is a 13-time All-Star selection, eight-time All-NBA selection and three-time All-Defense selection. Wade has won three NBA titles—one in 2006 and two in back-to-back years in 2012 and 2013.

Many fellow players and celebrities weighed in on the situation.

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves 132-126 Sunday, April 7. Guard Russell Westbrook finished the night with another triple-double—27 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists. The Thunder, who are 47-33, will play the Milwaukee Bucks tonight at 8:30 p.m. With only two games remaining, Oklahoma City will likely finish as the sixth seed in the Western Conference, pitting them up against the No. 3 Houston Rockets.

MLB: Davis continues to struggle

Baltimore Orioles first baseman Chris Davis is off to an unprecedented slow start. Davis, who went hitless against the New York Yankees in Sunday’s 15-3 loss, has opened the 2019 season with a 0-for-23 run. Reverting back to Davis’ previous season, the once heralded slugger has not seen a knock since a second-inning double, which dates back to Sept. 17, extending his hitless streak to 44 at-bats. Davis is only two shy of holding the record for most consecutive hitless at-bats by a position player—Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Eugenio Velez went hitless in his last 46 at-bats of the 2011 season.

Davis is on his fourth year of a seven-year, $161 million contract and will look to snap his streak tonight against the Oakland A’s at 6:05 p.m.