This day in sports: UCLA wins first basketball title in 20 years
On this day in 1995, the Bruins ended a 20-year men’s basketball title drought with an 89-78 win over defending champion Arkansas at the Kingdome in Seattle. It is the Bruins’ record 11th NCAA title. Ed O’Bannon scores 30 and coach Jim Harrick’s team finishes 31-2.
In 2003, the Concordia Eagles returned to Orange County after beating Mountain State (W. Va.) the previous night 88-84 in overtime in the championship game of the NAIA tournament at Kansas City, Mo.
The Eagles were the first team from Southern California to win the nation’s oldest basketball tournament. In only his second season, coach Ken Ammann’s Irvine club won a school record 36 games, losing twice to Azusa Pacific and once each to Westmont and The Master’s.
This year, games that were canceled Friday because of the COVID-19 pandemic included the Ducks playing host to the Kings at Honda Center. The Ducks held a 2-1 edge for the season.
And in baseball, the Dodgers were to open a three-game series in San Francisco with a day game against the Giants while the Angels would have had their home opener against Houston, with many Dodgers fans planning to attend to boo the Astros for their cheating in the 2017 World Series.
A look at what happened today in sport history.
Here is a look at other memorable games and outstanding sports performances on April 3:
1977 — Jean Ratelle of the Boston Bruins scores his 1,000th point with an assist on Gregg Sheppard’s goal at 18:31 of the second period in a 7-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
1989 — Michigan beats Seton Hall 80-79 in overtime to win the NCAA championship. Rumeal Robinson hits two free throws with three seconds left for the Wolverines.
1993 — For the first time in its 157-year history, the Grand National steeplechase is declared void because of a false start. Esha Ness crosses the finish line first, but most of the jockeys are unaware a false start is called and the majority of the 39-horse field continue the 4-mile race around the Aintree course even though nine stay at the start line.
1994 — St. Louis beats Cincinnati 6-4 in the first Sunday night season opener, sending Major League Baseball into a new era with three divisions in each league and a new playoff format.
2007 — After a nine-year title drought, Tennessee and coach Pat Summitt are champions after the Lady Vols secure an elusive seventh national title, beating Rutgers 59-46.
2008 — Alex Ovechkin breaks Luc Robitaille’s single-season NHL record for most goals by a left wing with his 64th and 65th to lead Washington to a 4-1 win over Tampa Bay.
The USC women’s basketball team defeats Tennessee at Pauley Pavilion on April 1, 1984, for its second NCAA title in a row.
2010 — Bernard Hopkins, 45, wins a brutal unanimous decision over Roy Jones Jr. in their long-delayed rematch, emphatically avenging his loss to Jones, 41, in May of 1993.
2011 — Stacy Lewis wins her first LPGA tournament and the first major of the year when she holds off defending champion Yani Tseng in the Kraft Nabisco at Rancho Mirage by three strokes. Lewis shoots a three-under par 69 to finish at 13-under 275.
2011 — Texas A&M upsets a second straight top-seeded team in the NCAA women’s tournament to advance to its first national championship game. Tyra White drives the length of the court to give the Aggies a go-ahead layup and a 63-62 win over Stanford. Skylar Diggins scores 28 points and Notre Dame upsets Connecticut 72-63, ending the brilliant career of Maya Moore and the Huskies’ bid for a third straight title.
SOURCES: The Times, Associated Press
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