Today in sports history: March 26
In 2006, George Mason stuns No. 1 seed Connecticut 86-84 in overtime to become the first No. 11 seed to reach the men’s Final Four since LSU in 1986. See more sports moments from this date:
1944: St. John’s wins back-to-back NIT titles
1944 — St. John’s, coached by Joe Lapchick, cruises by DePaul 47-39 to become the first back-to-back winner of the National Invitation Tournament.
1949: Alex Groza leads Kentucky over Oklahoma State for NCAA championship
1949 — Alex Groza leads Kentucky to a 46-36 victory over Oklahoma State for the NCAA championship.
University of Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp and his team admire NCAA basketball title cup which they won at Seattle, March 26, 1949, by defeating Oklahoma A&M, 46-36. Front row, left to right: Jim Line, Walter Hirsch, Coach Rupp; Ralph Beard, and Clifford Barker. Star center Alex Groza looks over Rupp’s shoulder. Others are unidentified. (AP Photo/Paul Wagner)
1973: Bill Walton scores 44 points to help UCLA win its record seventh NCAA basketball championship
1973 — Bill Walton scores 44 points to help UCLA win its record seventh NCAA basketball championship with an 87-66 triumph over Memphis State.
1974: George Foreman knocks out Ken Norton to retain world heavyweight title
1974 — George Foreman knocks out Ken Norton in the second round in Caracas, Venezuela, to retain the world heavyweight title.
1992: Mike Tyson is sentenced to six years in prison for rape
1992 — Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is sentenced to six years in prison for rape.
2002: John Stockton turns 40, the 10th NBA player to play at that age
2002 — Utah’s John Stockton turns 40, to become the 10th player in NBA history to play at that age. Stockton scores 20 points in the Jazz’s 109-105 victory over Houston.
2005: Louisville, Illinois rally to advance to Final Four
2005 — In the NCAA men’s basketball regional finals, Louisville and Illinois make tremendous comebacks to force overtime and advance. Louisville, trailing by 20 to West Virginia, complete an amazing come-from-behind 93-85 win. Illinois, trailing by 15 with just four minutes to play, went on a dazzling 20-5 run to send Arizona to a crushing 90-89 defeat.
Louisville’s Francisco Garcia celebrates the Cardinals’ 93-85 victory over West Virginia in their NCAA regional final in Albuquerque, N.M., Saturday, March 26, 2005. (AP Photo/Jake Schoellkopf)
2006: No. 11 George Mason stuns No. 1 seed Connecticut in overtime
2006 — George Mason stuns No. 1 seed Connecticut 86-84 in overtime to become the first No. 11 seed to reach the men’s Final Four since LSU in 1986.
In this Monday, March 26, 2006, file photo, George Mason’s Lamar Butler (22) reacts after beating Connecticut 86-84 in overtime during the fourth round game of the NCAA basketball tournament in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
2009: Evan Lysacek becomes first American in 13 years to win World Figure Skating Championship
2009 — Evan Lysacek becomes the first American in 13 years to win the World Figure Skating Championship thanks to a spectacular free skate.
2010: Gilbert Arenas sentenced to 30 days in halfway house for bringing guns into locker room
2010 — Gilbert Arenas is sentenced to 30 days in a halfway house for bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room. District of Columbia Superior Court Judge Robert E. Morin also adds a litany of conditions associated with the sentence — two years of probation, a $5,000 fine and 400 hours of community service.
2011: Shelvin Mack leads Butler to the Final Four
2011 — Shelvin Mack scores 27 points, including five in overtime, as Butler returns to the Final Four with a 74-71 victory over Florida in the Southeast regional. Kemba Walker scores 20 points, freshman Jeremy Lamb adds 19 as Connecticut beats Arizona 65-63 to win the West regional.
2012: El Salvador eliminates US from Olympics contention
2012 — Jaime Alas scores in stoppage time and El Salvador forges a 3-3 tie that ousts the United States from Olympic qualifying. The Americans miss the Olympics for the second time since 1976.
Jaime Alas (10) of El Salvador kisses a tattoo on his arm as he celebrates with Herbert Sosa (14) after Alas scored a goal in extra time against the United States causing a 3-3 draw in a CONCACAF Olympic qualifying soccer match on Monday, March 26, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. The tie game eliminated the United States from Olympic qualifying. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)