Two wins away | Sports Daily Newsletter
An upset victory pulls St. Joe’s closer to an NCAA berth.
St. Joseph’s has had its ups and downs this season, but here the Hawks are with 21 victories, two wins away from the NCAA Tournament. St. Joe’s is riding momentum, too, after dispatching top-seeded Richmond, 66-61, in the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament.
Erik Reynolds II scored 17 of his 30 points in the second half Thursday to keep the Hawks rolling, but he had his share of ups and downs this season as well. Reynolds is on the upswing now, and Jeff Neiburg chronicles his big game.
More of our coverage as college basketball gets closer to Selection Sunday:
Twelfth-seeded Temple stayed alive in the American Athletic Conference tournament by knocking off SMU, 75-60.
Villanova’s NCAA chances probably went up in smoke after a 71-65 overtime loss to Marquette in the Big East tournament.
In women’s action, Amaris Baker scored 19 points as Drexel outlasted Delaware, 57-55, in the Coastal Athletic Association tournament.
Penn’s women are looking to topple powerful Princeton in the Ivy League semifinals today.
— Jim Swan, @phillysport, sports.daily@inquirer.com.
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Saquon Barkley has joined the Eagles on a three-year deal that guarantees him $26 million. The star running back sees another bonus with this team after six seasons with the mostly inept Giants.
“They want to win,” Barkley said. “I know that everyone is stuck on last year, but being 11-6 and making it to the first round, and that’s a down year. That’s a great culture that you want to be a part of when you have that mindset.”
Worth noting: The NFL is looking into whether Howie Roseman had impermissible contact with Barkley before Monday.
Another import from New York, former Jet Bryce Huff, welcomes a big payday from the Eagles as well. But the edge rusher still carries a chip on his shoulder after being passed over in the draft.
The Eagles added more help for their defense by agreeing to a one-year deal with former Buccaneers linebacker Devin White, according to a source.
The Sixers are floundering without Joel Embiid, who reportedly will spend at least a few more weeks away from the team. Acutely aware of this fact, coach Nick Nurse has implored his players to fight. Nurse has called on his shorthanded roster to be more consistent, value possessions, and stay motivated while waiting for Embiid’s return.
Tyrese Maxey scored 30 points, but the Sixers faded down the stretch in a 114-105 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Next: The Sixers host the Charlotte Hornets at 7 p.m. Saturday (NBCSP+).
José Ruiz is not on the Phillies’ 40-man roster. He’s a 29-year-old journeyman with no options who has pitched for three organizations. He has struggled with his control and his home run rate. But the Phillies say he’s fearless and see an opportunity to finally unlock his potential.
Next: The Phillies will play the Miami Marlins at 1:10 p.m. today.
The Flyers are in the midst of a brutal stretch of the schedule and are trying to navigate it with three key injuries to their defensive core.
One way they have tried to stay afloat is by pairing their young defensemen with seasoned veterans. In recent games, this has resulted in pairings of Egor Zamula, 23, and 35-year-old Erik Johnson, and 24-year-old Ronnie Attard and 37-year-old Marc Staal. Both young players say they are trying to be sponges and learn as much as possible from the elder statesmen.
The Flyers defense could not contain Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 6-2 loss Thursday night.
Next: The Flyers are back in action Saturday in Boston against the Bruins (1 p.m., NBCSP).
The Union have long been adept at developing prospects.
The newest one of them could be David Vazquez, an L.A.-born midfielder who has starred for various U.S. underage international teams. While Vazquez’s goal this season is to break into the Union’s first team, for now he’s just enjoying playing after a drawn-out contract negotiation process.
“I’m feeling free,” Vazquez told The Inquirer. “It was a lot of stress throughout the months, with paperwork and all that. Now that I’ve got it done, finally, I think I’m able to perform and feel like I’m an actual player on the pitch.”
Next: The Union visit Austin on Saturday (8:30 p.m., Apple TV).
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We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Jeff Neiburg, Lochlahn March, Maria McIlwain, Jonathan Tannenwald, Olivia Reiner, EJ Smith, Gina Mizell, Jackie Spiegel, and Alex Coffey.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
That finishes off an eventful week of Sports Daily. Thanks for reading. Join me on Monday when we begin that exercise in futility with our March Madness brackets. — Jim