LAS VEGAS (AP) — Evan Bouchard scored at 3:10 of overtime, shortly after Edmonton killed off a Vegas penalty, and the Oilers defeated the Golden Knights 4-3 in a game Thursday night with playoff implications.
The Oilers extended their lead for second place in the Pacific Division to two points over the Golden Knights. They are five points behind first-place Anaheim.
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Edmonton Oilers center Matt Savoie (22) celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev (49) celebrates after scoring against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, right, celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard, left, celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during overtime of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Edmonton captain Connor McDavid scored a goal and picked up two assists. His first assist gave him 800, the third-fastest player to reach that milestone. He got there in 785 games, behind only Wayne Gretzky (527 games) and Mario Lemieux (661).
McDavid, who has 121 points this season, has scored four goals in three games. Matt Savoie, a 22-year-old rookie, scored a goal for his fourth point (three goals, one assist) over six games since joining the top line. Zach Hyman also scored and Connor Ingram made 26 saves.
Mark Stone ended his post-Olympics goal-less skid by hitting the back of the net twice for the Golden Knights, who have lost five of six games. Ivan Barbashev had a goal and an assist and Adin Hill finished with 25 saves.
This was a chippy game from the beginning between teams that have represented the Western Conference in the past three Stanley Cup Final series. The first period ended with a multiple-player brawl that resulted in linesman Kilian McNamara inadvertently catching a stick in the face and two players from each team taking 2-minute minor penalties.
The intensity was not surprising given there's a good chance the teams will meet in the playoffs. Edmonton ousted Vegas in five games of their second-round series last season.
They will meet each other in the first round of this year's playoffs if the standings hold.
Oilers: Host Anaheim on Saturday.
AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/NHL
Edmonton Oilers center Matt Savoie (22) celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights left wing Ivan Barbashev (49) celebrates after scoring against the Edmonton Oilers during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Vegas Golden Knights center Brett Howden (21) and Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (25) fight during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, right, celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard, left, celebrates after scoring against the Vegas Golden Knights during overtime of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
HOUSTON (AP) — Alvaro Folgueiras converted a critical three-point play when Nebraska only had four defenders on the floor, and ninth-seeded Iowa continued its unpredictable NCAA Tournament run under first-year coach Ben McCollum, beating Nebraska 77-71 in a South Region semifinal on Thursday night.
Bennett Stirtz scored 20 points and Folgueiras had 16 for the Hawkeyes (24-12), who knocked off top-seeded Florida in the second round on Folgueiras’ 3-pointer in the closing seconds.
Iowa will face either Illinois or Houston on Saturday for a spot in the Final Four. McCollum, who won four Division II national titles at Northwest Missouri State, has now led Iowa to its fifth Elite Eight and first since 1987.
Fourth-seeded Nebraska (28-7) took an early 10-point lead against its Big Ten rival, and Iowa tied it four times but never led until Stirtz buried a 3-pointer to make it 68-65 with 2:10 to go. Sage Tate hit another 3 to cap a 9-0 run and put Iowa ahead 71-65.
The Cornhuskers got within three on a second-chance 3 by Braden Frager, but they were disorganized on the inbound play, leaving Folgueiras unguarded near the rim. He slammed it home — popping up screaming after he finished through contact as Iowa fans roared — and converted the free throw for a six-point lead.
Another dunk by Folgueiras with 34 seconds left made it 76-68.
Iowa transfer Pryce Sandfort made six 3s and scored 25 points for Nebraska, which won the first two March Madness games in program history to get this far. Frager added 16 points for coach Fred Hoiberg’s Cornhuskers, who delighted a traveling contingent of red-clad fans throughout their tournament run.
NO. 3 Illinois 65, NO. 2 HOUSTON 55
HOUSTON (AP) — David Mirkovic had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Illinois flexed its defensive muscles to eliminate last year’s national runner-up, beating Houston.
Next up is a meeting Saturday with ninth-seeded Iowa to see which Big Ten team will advance to the Final Four. It will be the 11th Elite Eight appearance for Illinois (27-8) and its second in three seasons under Brad Underwood.
In the Sweet 16 for a seventh consecutive time, the second-seeded Cougars (30-7) were thrilled to be playing a game just over two miles from their campus. But their poor shooting gave Houston fans little to cheer about and delighted the orange-clad Illini faithful who made the long trip to Texas.
Star freshman point guard Kingston Flemings, who expected to be an NBA lottery pick, had 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting and Milos Uzan made just 2 of 11 shots.
But they were far from the only Cougars who struggled offensively. The team shot just 34% in its lowest-scoring game of the season.
Illinois finished well under the 84.7 points a game it averaged entering Thursday. But its offense was still plenty powerful enough to send Houston back to its nearby campus. Keaton Wagler had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Illini, and Andrej Stojakovic — with his dad, three-time NBA All-Star Peja Stojakovic, in the stands — also scored 13.
NO. 1 ARIZONA 109, NO. 4 ARKANSAS 88
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Arizona finally got over the Sweet 16 hurdle under coach Tommy Lloyd, getting 23 points from Brayden Burries and a dominant offensive effort in a win over Arkansas.
Fellow freshmen Koa Peat added 21 points and Ivan Kharchenkov had 15 as the top-seeded Wildcats (35-2) won their 12th straight game overall to tie a school record for wins in a season and advance to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2015.
Arizona will play second-seeded Purdue on Saturday night for a spot in the Final Four.
Jaden Bradley, Motiejus Krivas and Tobe Awaka all scored 14 points as Arizona became the first team in NCAA Tournament history with six players scoring at least 14 points in a game.
Lloyd has won a record 147 games in his first five seasons as a head coach but has been unable to find tournament success before this season. Arizona had lost three times in the Sweet 16 and once in the first round as a No. 2 seed in Lloyd’s first four seasons.
But the Wildcats have rolled through this year’s tournament outside of a couple of tense moments in the second round against Utah State, outscoring the opposition by 67 points in three double-digit wins.
Freshman Darius Acuff Jr. scored 28 points for fourth-seeded Arkansas (28-9) in what might be the final college game for the talented freshman who scored 88 points in three tournament games. But he didn’t get nearly enough help against the deeper Wildcats.
NO. 2 PURDUE 79, NO. 11 TEXAS 77
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Trey Kaufman-Renn tipped in a miss by Braden Smith with 0.7 seconds left, and Purdue edged hobbling Texas star Tramon Mark and the Longhorns in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.
Texas (21-15) tied it moments earlier when Dailyn Swain made a driving layup, was fouled and converted the three-point play with 11.9 seconds to go. Smith had scored on his own drive with 38 seconds remaining and finished with 16 points.
Kaufman-Renn hit his first seven shots — going 6 for 6 and grabbing five rebounds in the first half — on the way to 20 points. He was mobbed by teammates right after the final buzzer sounded at SAP Center.
Mark scored 29 for the Longhorns, grimacing and clearly in pain limping on his injured left foot through the closing minutes when the sixth-year senior’s team needed him most. His points were the most by a Texas player in an NCAA Tournament game since Kevin Durant scored 30 against Southern California in the second round of the 2007 tournament.
Purdue (30-8) advances to Saturday’s Elite Eight game against either top-seeded Arizona (34-2) or No. 4 seed Arkansas (28-8), who were playing the late game at SAP Center.
Texas coach Sean Miller made his ninth Sweet 16 appearance in 21 seasons, the most of any coach who hasn’t reached the Final Four.
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-mens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras, rear, and forward Cam Manyawu (3) celebrate during the second half against Nebraska in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA college basketball tournament Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
