Sports Rundown - March 13, 2026
- Mikiya Greene
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
The Seawanhaka Sports Rundown is a weekly roundup of five stories that examine developments in sports news at the local, state, national, and international levels.
BY: MIKIYA GREENE / STAFF WRITER
LIU Men’s Basketball Team Punches their Ticket to the NCAA Tournament
After defeating the Mercyhurst Lakers 79-70 on March 10 in the NEC Tournament Championship this week, your very own Sharks have claimed their spot in not only Northeast Conference History, but the Big Dance as well!
Guards Greg Gordon and Malachi Davis led all Sharks scorers with 24 points each, displaying marvelous mastery in front of 1,562 faithful fans at Steinberg Wellness Center. Jamal Fuller finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists, while Mason Porter-Brown totaled up 14 points, five rebounds, along with three steals.
“No one really believed in us. Coach, he genuinely believed in us — like every single player. I’ve never seen him give up on a single person on our team”, Gordon told reporters in a post-game interview. “Our team is fearless. We’re just going to let the world know we’re here.”
With the regular season and conference tournament coming to a close, coach Rod Strickland and the Sharks will have their sights set on the NCAA March Madness!
Let’s celebrate the excellent work our Sharks have done thus far in their season and acknowledge a huge moment for this team as they’ve claimed the 2026 NEC Tournament Title. Go Sharks!
LIU Women’s Flag Football Team Gears Up For Inaugural Season
The Lady Sharks are revving up for the start of their inaugural 2026 flag football season. In December 2025, it was announced that the team partnered with the New York Jets and joined the ECAC Women’s Football League. This new league will begin competition during the spring 2026 semester and features 15 colleges and universities, making it the largest women's flag football conference at the collegiate level.
Over at the Post Campus, the Sharks will launch the season as they host Mercy University on Tuesday, March 17, at 5 p.m. First-ever Coach Jimmy Barbarise and sophomore Quarterback, Marisa Cacciuttolo lead the new squad. Our Athletic Director, Elliott Charles, welcomed Barbarise to Shark Nation, posting on LinkedIn, “Welcome to the team, Coach Jimmy! Excited to start our flag football era.”
Good luck to Coach Barbarise and the Sharks on this first flag-football season! Fins Up!
Stefon Diggs Released By New England Patriots
The New England Patriots announced on March 4 that they intend to release wide receiver Stefon Diggs during the offseason period.
The 32-year-old signed a 3-year, $69 million contract with the Patriots in March 2025. In his one regular season with the Pats, Diggs totaled a team- high 85 receptions, over 1,000 yards, and 4 touchdowns. In New England's Super Bowl run, he had 14 receptions, 110 yards, and one touchdown.
According to ESPN, Diggs had a salary cap charge that was in place to rise from $10.5 million to $26.5 million, which is a huge reason for the move. However, Stefon is currently also facing felony and criminal charges that stemmed from “an alleged dispute with his personal chef.” He has pleaded not guilty to these charges and has been scheduled to appear at a pretrial hearing on April 1.
Atlanta Braves Hitter Out For Season After Violating Drug Policy
On March 3, it was announced that Atlanta Braves hitter Jurickson Profar had been suspended for the entire 2026 regular season after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. This is the second time in a year that Profar has received this suspension, causing the MLB to issue a much harsher penalty – a full-season suspension without pay.
The League reported that Profar tested positive for exogenous testosterone and its metabolites, which are all prohibited under the league’s drug prevention and treatment program. His previous offense was in 2025 when he received an 80-game suspension after he tested positive for human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), another performance enhancer.
Last January, the Braves had signed Profar to a three-year, $42 million-dollar contract after his breakout season with the San Diego Padres. Profar was expected to be a key asset for the Braves, but since he will have to forfeit his $15 million-dollar salary for this season, the Braves are in a tougher situation for the next 2026 regular season.
UConn Women’s Basketball Team Goes Undefeated, Earns Overall #1 Seed
The UConn Huskies are heading into the 2025-26 postseason with an astounding 31-0 record and a 47-0 record tracking back to the 2024-25 season. They are the unanimous No. 1 choice in the AP (Associated Press) Women’s Basketball Top 25, maintaining the same position throughout the year.
The Huskies are projected to repeat as NCAA Tournament Champions this year, as they are led by senior guard Azzi Fudd and Big East Player of the Year Sarah Strong. This season, Fudd has averaged just under 18 points on 49 percent from the field, roughly 45 percent from three, and just over 95 percent from three.
Strong has contributed 18.3 points, almost eight rebounds, and four assists a game while shooting 59 percent from the field. Head Coach Geno Auriemma is in the midst of his 41st season leading the Huskies, and has accumulated over 1,200 wins in his four-decade-career.
UConn looks to claim the Big East Tournament Championship on Monday night against the Villanova Lady Wildcats at 7 p.m. at Mohegan Sun Arena. Let’s see if they win it all this April.
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