Sixteen teams remain in the High School Basketball State Tournament as play moves into the semi-state this weekend. The Barr Reeve Vikings cruised to another regional championship at Loogootee on Saturday beating Trinity Lutheran in game one during the morning session 63 to 38. In the championship match up, the Vikings again sail on as they topped Laneville in the title game 64 to 34. Barr Reeve is now 27 to 2 and will face Indianapolis Tindley in the semi state game Saturday at the Hatchet House in Washington. Tindley comes in a 19 and 9. Tip off is set for 2pm on Saturday. The second game at the Hatchet House will feature the 2A match up between Southridge and Parke Heritage. Tip off for game two will follow the 1A finale.
The 68-team bracket for the NCAA Tournament was released Sunday, and the Purdue Boilermakers are the only team from the state to earn a bid to the “Big Dance.” The Boilers earned a number four seed and will take on 13th-seeded and Conference USA champ North Texas Friday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. The entire tournament is being played in Indiana this year after last year’s “March Madness” was canceled due to the pandemic. The winner of Purdue-North Texas will play either Villanova or Winthrop, and the top seed in Purdue’s region is Baylor.
Purdue legend Drew Brees announced he is retiring from the NFL after 20 seasons, including 15 with the New Orleans Saints. The 42-year-old quarterback retires as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards with over 80 thousand yards and is second in touchdown passes. He led the Saints to a Super Bowl victory over the Colts in 2010. The Texas native set multiple records at Purdue, and led the Boilers to their second ever Rose Bowl appearance in 2001. Brees announced his retirement on Instagram with the help of his four kids.
The Indiana Pacers wrap up a three-game road trip tonight against the Denver Nuggets. The Blue and Gold defeated the red-hot Phoenix Suns Saturday night after losing to the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. Indiana is 17-20, while the Nuggets are 22-16 and have won five out of six. Tip off from Denver is at 9 p.m. tonight
Martin Truex Jr. won Sunday in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix Raceway. The Joe Gibbs Racing star took the lead on the final restart with 25 laps to go to earn his 28th career win. Truex is now locked in the playoffs and became the fifth different winner in five races this season in the Cup Series. It was his first win in 31 tries at the one-mile track. Truex held off Joey Logano after taking the lead from the outside on the race’s final restart.
