TAMPA, Fla. -- South Carolina has finally reached the moment it played for all season: The Gamecocks are in the national championship game, with a chance to make history.

After overcoming another slow start, South Carolina blitzed Texas with a decisively dominant third quarter to put the game out of reach, winning 74-57 on Friday to clinch a spot in the title game Sunday for the third time in the last four years.

South Carolina will now attempt to repeat as national champion for the first time in school history. The last team to win back-to-back titles was UConn, which won four straight from 2013 to 2016.

The postgame celebration, however, was muted. Because South Carolina knows the goal has not been reached. Not yet.

"We understand that this is not where we want to be," guard MiLaysia Fulwiley said. "We want to be cutting down those nets Sunday when it matters. We can't really get too happy about this win because we're not there yet."

South Carolina continued its dominance over Texas, winning the season series 3-1. The past two postseason games between them -- the SEC tournament championship and the national semifinal -- were not particularly close. Once again, South Carolina found ways to break down the vaunted Texas defense, using transition buckets, points in the paint and timely 3-point shooting to win comfortably.

Dawn Staley is now 8-0 all-time in postseason games against Texas coach Vic Schaefer.

After struggling in the past three rounds of the NCAA tournament, freshman Joyce Edwards showed off what made her such a dynamic player this season, making huge plays once again on the offensive and defensive ends.

Last week in Birmingham, Staley said the Gamecocks would need more production from Edwards to win a national championship and simplified a few things for her to get going.

Whatever the coaches told her worked, as Edwards had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds while adding six assists. Edwards became the first player in last 25 years with 10 points, 10 rebounds and five assists off the bench in Final Four.

"I thought she took her time," Staley said. "She didn't seem pressed. She uses her athleticism, her strength and her ability to direct line drive. Her game was very lean today, and we love to see that."

In the previous three games, she had 15 points combined. Her teammates saw a more confident player. Edwards said she felt more definitive and was not second-guessing herself as much.

"It's comforting just knowing that I was going to bounce back and influence a win," Edwards said. "I'm happy it was today, and I did just what the game gave me."

But it might have been senior Te-Hina Paopao who played her best game. Paopao scored 14 points and was 3-of-4 from 3 as Texas struggled to guard her.

The game turned in the third quarter, when South Carolina outscored Texas 20-9, including an 11-0 run late in the quarter that essentially sealed the win.

That might have been the turning point, but the game started to slip away from Texas in the first half when Longhorns forward Madison Booker found herself in foul trouble early.

South Carolina came out flat to start the game, but its fortunes shifted when Booker, the SEC Player of the Year, picked up her second foul with 3:04 left in the first quarter.

Texas had a five-point lead at the time, but South Carolina outscored the Longhorns to close the quarter and take the lead.

Booker returned to the game with five minutes to play in the second quarter, and Texas was able to take back the lead. But with 2:29 to go before halftime, Booker picked up her third foul -- the first time in her career she had three fouls in the first half of a game -- after Tessa Johnson landed hard on a pass. Booker and Schaefer both took issue with the foul, yelling to the officials, "That's a bad call!" Replay showed minimal contact between the players.

Schaefer said in his postgame news conference he didn't think it was a foul, but Booker told ESPN in an interview in the locker room she understood why the officials called it.

"They had to call it," Booker told ESPN in the locker room after the game. It kind of looked bad from her angle, so I respect it. That's a dumb foul. I should have let her catch it. I was going for a gamble."

That was enough, again, for South Carolina to rally. The Gamecocks turned a two-point deficit into a three-point halftime lead.

Booker played only nine minutes, and her presence was clear. With Booker in the game, Texas had a plus-eight advantage; With Booker on the bench, Texas was minus-11.

"They were just dumb, mental lapses," Booker said. "That's not tough. That's mental toughness right there you've got to know the situation you're in."

In the locker room at halftime, Fulwiley said she kept telling her teammates, "Their best player has three fouls. I kept saying, Booker she's out of it. I know what it's like to have three fouls. Your mind is everywhere but the game."

The lead was enough for South Carolina to keep building on, as the Gamecocks outscored Texas 36-22 in the second half. For Schaefer, who led Texas back to the Final Four for the first time since 2003, another Final Four appearance ends in heartbreak - as he goes home from the Final Four for the third time in his career without winning the title.

For Staley and her Gamecocks, though, it's another opportunity to make history.

"I'm glad we gelled together right at this time," Bree Hall said. "I feel like a lot of people were doubting us because we weren't right at the beginning of the tournament. But that's the beautiful thing about a team like this. We can turn it on immediately. I'm glad we turned it on today."

WASHINGTON -- Alex Ovechkin tied Wayne Gretzky's NHL goals record by scoring the 894th of his career Friday night, setting off a wild celebration on the ice with his teammates and chants of "Ovi! Ovi!" by a crowd that included The Great One himself.

Ovechkin scored on the power play with 13:46 left, stopping the game while fans rose to their feet to applaud the longtime Washington Capitals captain. Clearly emotional, he skated several laps around center ice asking for more cheers, then returned to the bench where he blew kisses to members of his family in a suite.

A video montage of Ovechkin's path to 894 played on arena video boards during the next stoppage in play.

The Capitals went on to beat the Blackhawks 5-3, with Ovechkin's goal proving the game winner. He now has the most winners in NHL history (136), passing Jaromir Jagr.

Ovechkin can break Gretzky's record Sunday when Washington visits the New York Islanders.

"It's fun," Ovechkin said after the game. "I'm sure like everybody enjoy this moment because it's something special, doing it at home in front of our fans, family and friends, and obviously Wayne is here, as well. It's a huge honor, a historical moment. It's great.

"It means a lot. It's so emotional. You never thought you could reach that milestone."

Gretzky was in attendance for the first time during this chase. He saluted Ovechkin for reaching 894.

"This is what the game is all about," Gretzky told Monumental Sports Network. "Alex has been great for the game, great for Washington, great for his own country. He's wonderful. I'm very proud of him. I'm proud of what I accomplished. And you know, that's what makes our game so wonderful, is the great athletes we have, and more importantly, the good people that they are."

Ovechkin gave Gretzky and nearly everyone else in the building reason to cheer early by scoring his 893rd goal less than four minutes in. He took a pass from Dylan Strome behind the net and banked the puck off the far post and the back of goaltender Spencer Knight and in.

After a few seconds, Ovechkin's personal goal song, "Shake, Rattle & Roll" by Big Joe Turner, started blaring from arena speakers as mascot Slapshot flipped the counter in one corner from 892 to 893.

The celebration continued throughout the game -- and then spilled over after it, with Capitals players mobbing Ovechkin when he entered the dressing room.

"Best shower of my life" pic.twitter.com/gsOM9EabrV

x - Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 5, 2025

Scoring in a fourth consecutive game, Ovechkin reached 40 goals for a 14th time in 20 seasons, which is the most in league history. It's the second 40-goal season ever by a player age 39 or older, joining Gordie Howe (44 in 1968-69 at age 40).

It also was Ovechkin's 242nd career first-period goal, breaking a tie with Gretzky for the most in league history.

"You know, when [Mark] Messier retired and Gordie Howe retired, and [Mario] Lemieux retired and Bobby Orr retired, we thought, 'What's going to happen to our game now?'" Gretzky said. "And then along came Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. And now we got [Connor] McDavid and [Nathan] MacKinnon, [Auston] Matthews. Our game just gets better all the time. And that's what's so special."

The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals have six games left in the regular season.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.

PITTSBURGH -- Aaron Judge marked his 1,000th game by hitting his sixth homer of the season and the New York Yankees beat Pittsburgh 9-4 on Friday in the Pirates' home opener.

Judge's shot to the seats in right-center in the seventh off Tim Mayza -- who surrendered Judge's 61st home run during his record-breaking 2022 season -- boosted his career total to 321, the most by a player through his first 1,000 games. Those 321 homers also matched the number hit by Babe Ruth during his first 1,000 games with the Yankees.

Judge's blast represents the 12th instance of a player hitting six homers in his team's first seven games of a season, and he's the first since Trevor Story did so in 2016 with seven, according to ESPN Research. Story is tied with Mike Schmidt in 1976 for the most home runs through seven games all time.

The homer is Judge's 69th in interleague play since 2016, which is 12 more than the next-closest players (Kyle Schwarber and Pete Alonso), according to ESPN Research.

Coming off his second American League MVP award, Judge has 17 RBIs in seven games.

Oswaldo Cabrera went 3-for-4 with four RBIs for New York. Anthony Volpe added three hits as the Yankees gave Max Fried (1-0) more than enough run support for the left-hander to collect his first Yankees win in pinstripes. Fried allowed one run and six hits with a walk and six strikeouts in 5 innings.

New York's record is 139-38 since 2020 when Judge goes deep.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

WASHINGTON -- Arizona Diamondbacks second basemen Ketel Marte left Friday night's game against the Washington Nationals in the first inning after suffering an apparent injury while running the bases.

Marte hit a long ball to the wall in center field and as he rounded first base and headed to second he started to stutter step. He pulled in slowly for a standup double while holding his left thigh in the hamstring area.

He limped off the field under the supervision of the team's athletic training staff and was replaced by Garrett Hampson.

Marte on Wednesday signed a new contract that guarantees the All-Star $116.5 million through 2031, a six-year deal that includes a player option and $46 million in deferred money payable through 2040.

Marte is hitting .346 this season in eight games and has reached base in every one.

Marte finished third in NL MVP voting last season, hitting .292 while setting career highs with 36 homers and 95 RBI.

PHILADELPHIA -- Phillies slugger Bryce Harper loves L.A. -- well, at least the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers' freewheeling spending on their way to a nearly $320 million payroll.

A two-time NL MVP, Harper was blunt Friday ahead of a three-game series with the champs about those in baseball who whine about the Dodgers' payroll and signing of Japanese stars.

"I don't know if people will like this," Harper said, "but I feel like only losers complain about what they're doing. I think they're a great team and a great organization."

Major League Baseball's average salary broke the $5 million barrier on Opening Day for the first time, according to a study by The Associated Press.

The New York Mets, with Juan Soto's record $61.9 million pay, led MLB for the third straight Opening Day with a $322.6 million payroll, just ahead of the Dodgers at $319.5 million. Adding Blake Snell, Michael Conforto, Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, the Dodgers boosted payroll by a big league-high $69 million from Opening Day last year.

Los Angeles' payroll figure was held down by deferred payments. Shohei Ohtani's $70 million salary was discounted to a present-day value of $28.2 million because it won't be paid in full until 2035, causing him to be listed as the 18th-highest-paid player. Other Dodgers with deferred payments include Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Freddie Freeman, Teoscar Hernandez, Scott, Will Smith and Snell.

The matchup between Harper and the NL East champion Phillies and Ohtani's Dodgers had the city buzzing with another packed Citizens Bank Park.

Harper is in the seventh season of a $330 million, 13-year contract, at the time the largest deal in baseball history. The Phillies have also been big spenders in recent years under owner John Middleton and reached the playoffs three straight seasons. Phillies pitcher Zack Wheeler will earn $42 million as the second-highest-paid player in the game. The Phillies opened with a $283.3 million payroll, third-highest in baseball.

Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said he received emails from fans concerned over the sport's lack of a salary cap following an offseason spending spree by the Los Angeles Dodgers that sparked increased attention over the expiration of the collective bargaining agreement in December 2027.

"We need to pay attention to it and need to determine whether there are things that can be done to allay those kinds of concerns and make sure we have a competitive and healthy game going forward," Manfred said in February.

Los Angeles had $353 million luxury tax payroll in winning last year's World Series and had to pay a $103 million tax.

"That's why guys want to go there and play. L.A.'s a great city to play in, obviously," Harper said. "They're at the mecca of kind of the world of everything -- from food to nightlife to sports to the Dodgers to the Lakers to anybody. They're going to continue to get guys, they're going to pull guys from the sport. If that's bullpen, or starting pitching, international players, anything like that, they're doing what the Dodgers do."

PHILADELPHIA -- The best start in Dodgers history stays with Brooklyn.

The World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers ran themselves out of a shot at keeping their undefeated season alive in a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies on Friday that stuck them at 8-1 on the season.

The Brooklyn Dodgers got off to a 10-0 start in 1955.

This year's Dodgers can blame their first loss on sloppy and silly baserunning.

"When you give a good team outs and shorten the game," manager Dave Roberts said, "then it's hard to win. It's hard to beat a good team.

Shohei Ohtani always has the green light to run, but the Dodgers superstar made the puzzling decision to try and steal second base with two outs in the eighth inning and eight-time All-Star Mookie Betts at the plate.

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto nailed him at second to end the threat.

Ohtani had a 93.7 percent stolen base success rate last season, third-best in the majors.

"With Shohei in that situation, you've got to make sure you're safe," Roberts said. "Realmuto is one of the best throwers in the game. When you're down three with Mookie at the plate, you've got to make sure you're safe if you're going to go."

The Dodgers are champs for a reason, and wouldn't go down easy.

Tommy Edman hit a two-run homer, his fifth already this season, with no outs against Phillies reliever Jordan Romano to make it 3-2, as the Dodgers avoided being shut out for the first time since July 26. Romano then escaped on a strike-him-out-throw-him out double play to end the game.

Pinch-hitter Max Muncy whiffed and pinch-runner Chris Taylor was out at second.

"Chris, right there, took a chance," Roberts said. "Unfortunately, Realmuto made another great throw."

For added baserunning embarrassment, Andy Pages was picked off to end the sixth inning.

"We hate losing but I think it does go to how we play," Roberts said. "Giving those guys three outs on the bases, it's hard to win when you play eight innings on the offensive side. That's something we have to clean up."

Realmuto has now thrown out three runners in a two-game span for the fifth time in his career and first time since 2022.

"The Ohtani one surprised me a little bit just because Mookie was hitting," Realmuto said. "When Chris ran, I had a pretty good idea he was going to try to run because he's the tying run and he's usually a pretty good stolen-base guy."

Everything had gone right for the Dodgers this season.

Ohtani hit a tiebreaking home run in the ninth inning on his bobblehead night, lifting the Dodgers over the then-winless Atlanta Braves 6-5 on Wednesday, giving them the best start ever by a defending World Series champion. They've trailed in seven games this season, but they already have two walk-off wins. Ohtani failed to score for the first time this season.

With the Phillies up 1-0 in the seventh, starter Jesus Luzardo got into his only jam of the game when he had two runners on base with two outs. Luzardo, who had his fastball humming in the high 90s, got Kiké Hernández to strike out swinging on a slider to that had another sellout crowd at Citizens Bank Park roaring in celebration. Hernández fanned three times.

Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto struck out five and allowed one unearned run in six innings. The unearned run came on his own error. Yamamoto threw the ball into foul territory trying to pick off Trea Tuner attempting to steal third in the first inning. The All-Star shortstop hustled home for a 1-0 lead.

Yamamoto tossed at least six innings without allowing an earned run for the fourth time in his career and first time since last June against the Yankees.

Information from ESPN Research and The Associated Press was used in this report.

As O'Sullivan noted, this game has arrived at a difficult point in O'Gara's tenure.

The 48-year-old acknowledged in his pre-match media briefing that "if you're to take a minute or five to reflect, it's a fantastic story", one he later called a "love story".

Yet, there is a sense that this game comes at a time when the top points scorer in Munster's history has little time for such meditations.

The 2022 and 2023 European champions have reached their first knockout fixture of this season at a low ebb, without a win since beating an understrength Toulouse side on 4 January and sat 10th in the Top 14 with six games remaining.

O'Sullivan, who had a spell coaching Biarritz in France, can relate to the pressures of a lull after success, recalling how after leading Ireland to a first Triple Crown for 19 years in 2004, a down season followed before the side rebounded to reach what was then a record high of third place in the world rankings.

Nolann Le Garrec and Davit Niniashvili, both 22-years-old, have already been recruited for next season to boost an aging La Rochelle squad.

However, despite all his successes on the French Atlantic coast, O'Gara said that given his side's recent form, "next year is too early" to contemplate.

"Pressure builds very quickly in French rugby when things aren't going well," said O'Sullivan.

"It's tough because the longer it goes on it's like you're in a hole and it's getting deeper. All you can do is trust yourself as a coach to find a way out of it and trust the players to stay with you while you're doing it.

"Every team has their crisis moments, he's in that space at the moment, but I wouldn't have any doubt that he'll work it out because he'll be relentless in that pursuit."

Toulouse: Ramos; Capuozzo, Barassi, Ahki, Kinghorn; Ntamack, Graou; Ainu'u, Marchand (capt), Aldegheri, Flament, Meafou, Cros, Willis, Roumat.

Replacements: Cramont, Neti, Merkler, Verge, Jelonch, Castro-Ferreira, Mallia, Costes.

Sale Sharks: James; Roebuck, R du Preez (co-capt), Ma'asi-White, Reed; Ford, Warr; McIntyre, Cowan-Dickie, Opoku-Fordjour, Van Rhyn, Hill, T Curry, B Curry (co-capt), JL du Preez.

Replacements: McElroy, Harrison, John, Andrews, Bamber, Dugdale, Thomas, O'Flaherty.

Referee: Sam Grove-White (Scotland)