JQJO — Your world, one story at a time · Page 901

San Francisco — Rookie catcher Daniel Susac collected three hits and a walk in his first major-league start on Thursday night as the Giants beat the New York Mets 7-2 at home. Susac singled in his first two at-bats, reached on a walk, and added a third single in the seventh.

The win provided the Giants with offensive depth and saw Robbie Ray earn the victory after allowing two runs in 5 1/3 innings; Blade Tidwell worked three scoreless innings for a save. The Mets took their loss Thursday, and teams will assess pitching and lineup options in the coming games.

Phoenix. South Carolina defeated UConn 62-48 in the Final Four semifinal on Saturday, ending UConn's 38-0 season and last season's championship rematch narrative. The Gamecocks executed defensive adjustments and late-game scoring to secure the upset at the tournament site in Phoenix.

The victory advances South Carolina to the national championship on Sunday and eliminates UConn from title contention, ending a historic unbeaten streak; coaches and players noted tactical preparation and roster differences, and the Gamecocks will face the winner of UCLA and Texas later this weekend.

Washington, US. A federal judge this week dismissed actress Blake Lively’s sexual-harassment claims against actor-director Justin Baldoni in litigation tied to their 2024 film It Ends With Us, finding the alleged conduct lacked the necessary connection to California and could not survive summary judgment.

The ruling narrows the legal issues but leaves multimillion-dollar defamation and retaliation counts intact, with a New York trial set for May 18; on April 4 Lively posted on Instagram she will continue the suit and emphasized harms from online hostility.

Oklahoma City — During Thursday night's 139-96 Thunder rout, Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić left the game with a left hamstring injury after pulling up on a drive with 7:39 remaining in the third quarter; he limped to the locker room and did not return.

The Lakers said Dončić will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the extent of the strain; coaches noted his prior February hamstring absence, and the team faces updated availability and rotation decisions ahead of upcoming regular-season games.

Phoenix — UCLA and Texas met in the women's Final Four on Friday at the Mortgage Matchup Center in a rematch of their Nov. 26 Players Era Festival game in Las Vegas, which Texas won; UCLA entered the semifinal 35-1 and Texas 35-3.

The winner advanced to the national championship game on Sunday; UCLA had responded to the Nov. 26 loss with a 29-game winning streak, while Texas reached the semifinal after dominant tournament performances characterized by substantial halftime leads.

Charlottesville — University of Virginia quarterback Chandler Morris was denied a preliminary injunction on Thursday after filing suit in Charlottesville Circuit Court seeking permission to play a seventh season following the NCAA's denial of his medical-redshirt waiver and appeal.

The NCAA issued a statement praising the ruling and cited preservation of competitive integrity; the decision arrives amid roughly 71 related eligibility lawsuits and follows recent, differing injunction rulings in Mississippi that have spurred discussion of possible congressional action.

Tampa, Fla. — Anthony Cirelli scored a hat trick and the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on Thursday night, moving the Lightning into first place in the Atlantic Division; key contributors included Nikita Kucherov, Zemgus Girgensons and goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

The victory improved Tampa Bay’s recent form to 7-1-2 and elevated the team to first in the Atlantic, with The News-Gazette noting a 47-22-6 record and 100 points; the Lightning can clinch a playoff berth Saturday at home, while Pittsburgh remains second in the Metropolitan, three points ahead.

Florida — NASA's Artemis II crew fired Orion's main engine this week, executing a translunar injection burn that cleared Earth orbit and placed the spacecraft on a free‑return trajectory toward the Moon, with the burn lasting about five minutes and 49–50 seconds.

The maneuver, performed after the 1 April SLS launch, validated ascent and propulsion operations; the four astronauts reported feeling well, teams will configure Orion on Day 3 for the lunar flyby, and the ten‑day mission will gather system performance data before re‑entry and return.

St. Paul, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild clinched a playoff spot after a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks Thursday night, with Matt Boldy scoring his 39th and 40th goals and Kirill Kaprizov adding his 40th, sealing the result in the Wild's 75th game this season.

Minnesota's win leaves the Wild third in the Western Conference; Filip Gustavsson made 29 saves and Ryan Hartman reached 20 goals. Vancouver's defeat guaranteed a 32nd-place finish and the best odds in the NHL draft lottery, shifting the Canucks toward offseason and draft planning this week.

Washington: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asked Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George to step down and take immediate retirement on Thursday, Pentagon officials said, ending George's tenure that began with his 2023 confirmation and adding to recent senior leadership changes at the Defense Department.

The Pentagon confirmed the move this week after initial reporting by CBS; spokesperson Sean Parnell thanked George for his service and named General Christopher LaNeve acting chief pending Senate confirmation, while observers note the change continues a pattern of rapid personnel turnover under Hegseth during ongoing operations.