This Day in Sports History: March 28
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 28 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 28 included:
- 1879: In the 41st Grand National, Garry Moore aboard 5/1 chance The Liberator won by two lengths from Jackal.
- 1891: Edward Lawrence won the first World Weightlifting Championship in London, England.
- 1922: The Toronto St. Patricks (NHL) beat the Vancouver Millionaires (PCHA) 5-1 for a 3-2 series win and a Stanley Cup title.
- 1939: The Oregon Ducks men's basketball team won the first-ever NCAA Division I basketball tournament title.
- 1942: Stanford beat Dartmouth 53-38 to win the national title in the fourth NCAA men's basketball tournament. Howie Dallmar later received the Most Outstanding Player award.
- 1944: In the final of the sixth NCAA men's basketball tournament, Utah defeated Dartmouth 42-40. It was the Utes' first title, and small forward Arnie Ferrin was named the tournament MOP.
- 1950: In the 12th NCAA men's basketball championship, City College of New York beat Bradley 71-68. CCNY was the first to win the NCAA and National Invitation Tournaments in the same year.
- 1952: Figure skater Tenley Albright won the United States Ladies' Figure Skating championship.
- 1953: Tenley Albright won the U.S. Figure Skating Championship for women.
- 1957: The first National Curling Championship was held.
- 1972: Wilt Chamberlain played his last pro basketball game.
- 1977: In the 39th NCAA men's basketball tournament, Marquette won the championship with a 67-59 win over North Carolina. It was the Warriors' first title, and coach Al McGuire retired.
- 1981: Martina Navratilova defeated 16-year-old American tennis prodigy Andrea Jaeger 6-3, 7-6 in the final of the WTA Tour Championships at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
- 1989: New Zealand was awarded the America's Cup in a New York court after the disqualification of Stars & Stripes.
- 1990: Michael Jordan scored 69 points. It was the fourth time he scored 60 points in a game.
- 1990: U.S. President George H. W. Bush posthumously awarded Jesse Owens the Congressional Gold Medal.
- 1992: The Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament and continued their path to back-to-back titles.
- 1993: At the PGA Players Championship, Nick Price of Zimbabwe set a scoring record of 270 (-18) and finished five strokes ahead of Germany's Bernhard Langer.
- 1995: Grant Hill continued to deliver standout performances for Duke in their tournament run.
- 2023: Chris Sharma completed the first ascent of Sleeping Lion in Siurana, Spain, a 9b+ (5.15c) route.
Three athletes who stood out on March 28 were Tenley Albright, Martina Navratilova, and Grant Hill.
Albright is known for being one of the first American women to dominate the sport internationally and is famous for her Olympic gold. Navratilova is known for her dominance, longevity, and versatility across singles and doubles. She won 18 Grand Slam singles titles and a record nine Wimbledon titles. Hill is known for being a standout college and NBA star, whose career was impacted by injuries. He is famous for his elite all-around ability.
