In case you missed it, here are the top 10 local sports stories from the weekend. In short, the Gophers dominated the headlines.
10. The Gopher wrestlers were impressive at the NCAA championships in Oklahoma City. They fell five points shy of winning the national championship. Heavyweight Tony Nelson and 157 pounder Dylan Ness took second in the individual competition.
9. Rachel Banham was injured but the Gophers women’s basketball team defeated Southern Methodist, 77-70 to reach the third round of the NIT. Banham didn’t play the final 15:19 of the game because of a leg injury.
8. Joey King scored 18 points to help the Gophers men’s basketball team topple Saint Mary’s, 63-55 in the second round of the NIT. Minnesota will host Southern Mississippi in the third round on Tuesday.
7. Brutal is the perfect word to describe a 22-point letdown as the Timberwolves fell to the Suns at Target Center on Sunday. The loss essentially put a dagger in the Wolves’ playoff hopes.
6. Wisconsin claimed the inaugural Big Ten Hockey Tournament championship with a win over Ohio State at Xcel Energy on Saturday. The Buckeyes knocked the Gopher men out in the semifinals.
5. The Gophers men’s hockey team earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament and will play Robert Morris in the first round on Saturday.
4. Twins general manager Terry Ryan making a surprise trip to spring training to visit the players. Ryan was diagnosed with cancer just before spring baseball began.
3. Win-E-Mac, New Richland-H-E-G, Park Center and Eastview won championships at the State Girls’ Basketball Tournament.
2. The Minnesota Wild split a home-and-home series with the Red Wings. The Wild lost Saturday and rallied for a win on Sunday.
1. Clarkson upset the two-time defending champion Gophers women’s hockey team in the National Championship game. The final score was 5-4.
