This Day in Sports History: March 27
Sports in March include crucial stretches of the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB Spring Training/Opening Day, March Madness, NASCAR, Formula 1, UFC Fight Nights, and some PGA Tour Events. Over…
Sports in March include crucial stretches of the NBA and NHL seasons, MLB Spring Training/Opening Day, March Madness, NASCAR, Formula 1, UFC Fight Nights, and some PGA Tour Events. Over the years, March 27 has witnessed many notable moments and stories involving sporting legends. Here are some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Great moments in sports history from March 27 included:
- 1871:Â In the first international rugby union match, Scotland beat England 1-0.
- 1939:Â In the first NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game, Oregon beat Ohio State 46-33. Ohio State forward Jimmy Hull was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
- 1942:Â Joe Louis knocked out Abe Simon in the sixth round and retained his heavyweight boxing title.
- 1945:Â Oklahoma State beat New York University 49-45 in the seventh NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game. Oklahoma State center Bob Kurland won Most Outstanding Player.
- 1951:Â In the 13th NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game, Kentucky beat Kansas State 68-58. It was the Kentucky Wildcats' third national title.
- 1962:Â The Montreal Canadiens' goaltender Jacques Plante won his sixth Vezina Trophy.
- 1971:Â With a 9-5 win over France, Wales clinched its 17th Five Nations Rugby Championship, sixth Grand Slam, and 12th Triple Crown.
- 1971:Â University of California, Los Angeles, beat Villanova 68-62 in the 33rd NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game. It was UCLA's fifth consecutive national title.
- 1977: The Marquette men's basketball team beat North Carolina, 67-59, and won the men's basketball tournament championship. It is Marquette's only national title.
- 1978:Â In the 40th NCAA Division I men's basketball championship game, Kentucky beat Duke 94-88. It was the Kentucky Wildcats' fifth title, and forward Jack Givens scored 41 points.
- 1982: Michael Jordan hit a game-winning shot for North Carolina as they beat Georgetown 63-62, and won the NCAA title.
- 1983:Â Larry Holmes beat Lucien Rodriguez in the 12th round to retain the World Boxing Council and "The Ring" heavyweight boxing titles.
- 1990: Wayne Gretzky got his 700th career NHL goal.Â
- 1994:Â At the Nabisco Dinah Shore women's golf tournament, Donna Andrews won her only major title by finishing one stroke ahead of English runner-up Laura Davies. Andrews secured the victory with a birdie on the final hole, while Davies made a bogey.
- 1994:Â Australian Greg Norman set a scoring record of 264 (-24) at the Players Championship. Norman finished four strokes ahead of Fuzzy Zoeller.
- 1999: UConn men's basketball team got to their first-ever Final Four and it was the beginning of a powerhouse era in college basketball.
- 2000:Â Hal Sutton won the Players Championship by finishing a stroke ahead of runner-up Tiger Woods.
- 2005:Â Annika Sorenstam of Sweden won the Kraft Nabisco Championship for the third time, finishing eight strokes ahead of American Rosie Jones.
- 2018: Loyola Chicago men's basketball team reached the Final Four as an 11-seed.
Three athletes who stood out on March 27 were Jacques Plante, Larry Holmes, and Annika Sorenstam.
Plante is known for popularizing the use of the goalie mask and had a dominant career with the Montreal Canadiens. Holmes is known for his dominant reign and elite technical skill. He had 20 title defenses and one of the best jabs in boxing history. Sorenstam is known for her dominance on the LPGA Tour and her impact on the sport. She had 72 LPGA Tour wins and 10 major titles.
