Tuesday's Sports In Brief
WOMEN''S NCAA TOURNAMENT
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Geno Auriemma and his UConn Huskies are a perfect 10.
The Hall of Fame coach joined some elite company in UCLA's John Wooden after tying the Wizard of Westwood with his 10th NCAA Tournament title.
Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and Moriah Jefferson each scored 15 points to lead the Huskies to a 63-53 victory over Notre Dame. It was UConn's third straight title; Auriemma and the Huskies have won all 10 of their trips to the national championship game. As has become a tradition, his team carried Auriemma off the court after dumping confetti on his head.
Breanna Stewart added 15 rebounds and eight points for UConn (38-1). The two-time AP Player of the Year has saved her best games for when the lights shined their brightest.
She earned most outstanding player of the Final Four honors for the third time, making her the first woman to achieve that. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the only men's player to do it when he played for Wooden's Bruins.
GOLF
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) - This is one competition Tiger Woods doesn't mind losing. He's playing in the Par 3 Tournament at the Masters.
Woods typically skips the Wednesday afternoon tradition at Augusta National. But he had a couple of reasons to play this year.
One is named Sam. The other is Charlie.
Woods said his daughter and son would be caddying for him Wednesday afternoon. Seven-year-old Sam and 6-year-old Charlie were at Augusta National on Tuesday, going onto the green at the practice area with Woods' girlfriend, Olympic ski champion Lindsey Vonn.
NFL
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson met with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding his reinstatement, eight days before the expected expiration of the suspension that was invoked last season under the personal conduct policy.
The meeting at league headquarters in New York lasted about an hour and a half, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.
The meeting, which included other representatives from each side, was the first time Peterson and Goodell spoke, either in person or on the phone, since the child abuse case involving Peterson's young son arose last September.
Once Peterson's playing status is clarified, there's still the glaring matter of his disinterest in continuing his career in Minnesota. Peterson's agent, Ben Dogra, said two weeks ago that the 30-year-old Peterson wants to play elsewhere, but the Vikings have said repeatedly they want Peterson back and have no plan to trade him.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) - Duke brought its latest national championship trophy back to campus Tuesday, with perhaps 8,000 fans flocking to Cameron Indoor Stadium for this title celebration.
The Blue Devils earned banner No. 5 by beating Wisconsin 68-63 on Monday night in Indianapolis.
During Tuesday's 35-minute rally on campus, coach Mike Krzyzewski called this ''my favorite year'' - a strong statement for a Hall of Famer who just wrapped up his 35th season here.
Blue Devils captain Quinn Cook led the team onto the stage and big man Marshall Plumlee brought out the championship trophy. Krzyzewski said President Barack Obama called him to offer an invitation to the White House.
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - New Alabama coach Avery Johnson wants to make the Crimson Tide ''the leader of the college basketball world.''
Johnson will be introduced at a news conference on Wednesday, a day after arriving in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He said that coaching in the college ranks was ''a lifelong dream'' and arrived with lofty ambitions for the program.
Alabama is paying the former NBA star and coach almost $1 million more than his predecessor, Anthony Grant.
A person with knowledge of the negotiations said Johnson is receiving a six-year contract worth some $2.8 million annually plus incentives.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - VCU has hired former Rams assistant Will Wade to replace Shaka Smart as its basketball coach.
The 32-year-old Wade was the first assistant Smart hired six years ago. He spent the past two seasons as the head coach at Chattanooga, going 40-25.
VCU athletic director Ed McLaughlin said last week, after Smart left for Texas, that he wanted a coach who would continue the fast-paced, pressuring style the Rams used with great success under Smart. He got that in Wade, who oversaw the press when he was with the Rams.
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Rondae Hollis-Jefferson considered leaving Arizona after his freshman season before deciding to stick around for at least one more year.
It worked out pretty well and now the Wildcats' bundle-of-energy forward is taking the big step to the NBA.
Hollis-Jefferson announced he will forgo his final two years of eligibility and enter the NBA draft, where he's expected to be a first-round draft pick.
BASEBALL
PHOENIX (AP) - Two games into the season, the World Series champion San Francisco Giants are beset by injuries to several key players.
That was the team's biggest issue following a 7-6 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday night.
All-Star pitcher Matt Cain was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a right forearm injury before the game and won't start as scheduled on Wednesday. Jake Peavy has a back problem that flared up during his bullpen session and could affect his ability to make his scheduled start on Sunday. And first baseman Brandon Belt strained his groin going after a foul ball in the fourth inning and had to leave the game.
Backup first baseman Travis Ishikawa has a lower back strain and is already on the 15-day DL. So is outfielder Hunter Pence, with a broken left forearm.
Peavy is in line to start Sunday at San Diego if he's cleared by the medical staff, but after saying he felt sore following his bullpen session, a decision on his status could come Wednesday. Belt will have an MRI on Wednesday, Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. After the game, Belt said he could lift his leg and jog, but felt pain going from side to side.