AP - Lazar Hayward gave Marquette the lead for good with a 3-pointer with 1:51 to play, then added the clinching free throws with 3.2 seconds left, and the Golden Eagles went on to another close win, 80-76 over No. 10 Villanova on Thursday in the Big East tournament quarterfinals.
AP - Merlin Olsen, a Hall of Fame defensive lineman and member of the Los Angeles Rams' "Fearsome Foursome" who followed up football with a successful television career in "Little House on the Prairie," NFL broadcasts and commercials, has died. He was 69.
AP - Cavaliers star LeBron James is tired of watching basketball and ready to start playing again.
AP - Suspected gang member Willie Clark was found guilty of murder Thursday in the drive-by shooting death of Denver Broncos cornerback Darrent Williams after a New Year's Eve outing three years ago.
AP - Chris Wright scored 27 points and No. 22 Georgetown sailed past No. 3 Syracuse with an impressive second-half surge, beating the top-seeded Orange 91-84 in the Big East tournament quarterfinals Thursday.
AP - Cole Aldrich had 12 points and 18 rebounds, and No. 1 Kansas became the third team to reach 2,000 wins by pulling out an 80-68 victory over scrappy Texas Tech on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament.
Reuters - The Dallas Mavericks rallied after a stuttering start to extend their league-leading winning streak to 13 games with a 96-87 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday.
AFP - Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas apologised Thursday for his side's elimination from the Champions League at the last-16 stage for the sixth consecutive season and said the players are to blame.
AFP - Belgian Tom Boonen of Quick Step won the second stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico on Thursday after a 165-kilometre ride from Rosignano to Montecatini Terme.
AP - Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bill Guerin says the NHL must outlaw hits to the head.