Sports

In Men’s College World Series action, Wake Forest faced Tennessee yesterday, hoping to move one step closer to the finals, but was eliminated with an 11-5 loss. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, UNC beat Oklahoma 14-4 yesterday, punching their ticket to the NCAA super regionals. Gavin Gallaher starred with two home runs. UNC now hosts Arizona for a chance at the College World Series in Omaha. (More)

➤ Ven-Allen Lubin, a former UNC forward who averaged 8.7 points and 5.5 rebounds, is transferring straight to rival NC State—the second recent Tar Heel to join the Pack, but the first to do it directly. (More)

➤ UNC football coach Bill Belichick’s contract buyout clause was reduced from $10 million to $1 million on Sunday, making it much easier for Belichick to leave the program if he chooses. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer | Tennis

National:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Tyrese Haliburton took roads less traveled to stardom in the NBA Finals

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton weren’t expected to be starring in the leading roles on the NBA Finals stage. At least not by many. Gilgeous-Alexander was cut from his junior varsity team as a ninth grader and was traded from the Los Angeles Clippers after his rookie year. The major college programs didn’t notice Haliburton until his senior year of high school. He wasn’t a one-and-done at Iowa State, wasn’t a top-10 pick and got traded from Sacramento during his third year in the league. Now, Gilgeous-Alexander is the league MVP in Oklahoma City and Haliburton is a two-time All-Star with Indiana and an Olympic gold medalist heading into the NBA Finals.

Alvarez delivers 10th-inning RBI double and Mets overcome Ohtani’s heroics for 4-3 win over Dodgers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Francisco Alvarez drove in his first run in four weeks with a double leading off the 10th inning, and the New York Mets overcame Shohei Ohtani’s 23rd homer and tying sacrifice fly for a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers. Francisco Lindor hit a leadoff homer and a 10th-inning RBI single for the Mets, who opened this NLCS rematch with their eighth win in nine games. Ohtani hit a 424-foot solo shot off Max Kranick in the seventh, getting his fifth homer in seven games to tie Seattle catcher Cal Raleigh for the major league lead with 23.

Texas Tech ends Oklahoma’s 4-year run as Women’s College World Series champ with walk-off 3-2 win

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma’s run of four straight Women’s College World Series titles ended when Lauren Allred’s walk-off sacrifice fly gave Texas Tech a 3-2 victory in the semifinals. Coach Patty Gasso’s Sooners were down to their last strike in the top of the seventh inning when Abigale Dayton summoned a bit of magic, hitting a tying two-run homer against Red Raiders ace NiJaree Canady. But the Red Raiders responded quickly in the bottom half. Mihyia Davis singled with one out and Hailey Toney followed with a double. Allred hit a fly ball to right field and Sydney Barker’s throw to the plate was wide, allowing Davis to score easily.

Trout bounces back from injury with 3 more hits and his 2nd career homer at Fenway Park

BOSTON (AP) — It hasn’t taken Mike Trout long to regain his form after missing a month with a bruised left knee. Trout had three more hits on Monday night, including a 454-foot homer that was the longest at Fenway Park this year. The Los Angeles Angels beat the Boston Red Sox 7-6. It was Trout’s second three-hit game in three starts since returning from the injured list on Friday. In all, the 11-time All-Star and three-time AL MVP is 8 for 14 since coming off the IL. It was only his second home run in 35 career games at Fenway Park.

OKC’s Mark Daigneault knows what it takes to win championships. His wife has won a ton of them

Oklahoma City’s Mark Daigneault has the best record of any coach in the NBA this season. And he has the second-best record of any coach in his house. Daigneault is a coach, and a coach’s husband, too. His wife is Oklahoma assistant women’s gymnastics coach Ashley Kerr. She and the Sooners went 33-2 this season and won another national championship, their third in the last four years. So, as Daigneault chases his first NBA title, his wife has now been part of seven national championships over her career on the staffs at Florida and Oklahoma.

Pacers’ 25-year Finals drought is over. Now they’re looking to overcome their snake-bitten history

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner beamed as they carried the Indiana Pacers shiny, new Eastern Conference championship trophy into their postgame news conferences Saturday night. Pascal Siakam needed help because he was also bringing the series MVP trophy. The Pacers have finally ended their 25-year NBA Finals drought. They enjoyed it with a fitting celebration for the team that plays in a state where basketball is treated like religion. These Pacers have managed to achieve the unthinkable after starting 10-15 and looking less like anything but a title contender. But now Indiana will try to exorcise the demons of its decades-long snake-bitten history when the Pacers take on the Oklahoma City .