☀️ Today’s Weather
Sunday's going to be a bit of a mess. We'll see light rain on and off through the morning and afternoon, with highs hitting 49°F around midday before temperatures tumble into the 30s by sunset. If you're heading out to the Syracuse Half Marathon or the Crunch game, dress in layers and plan for some damp conditions.
🗞️ Top Stories
1. Olivia Who? SU Women Pull Off Tournament Upset In one of the feel-good stories of this March Madness, reserve guard Olivia Schmitt, who had scored just 35 points all season, erupted for a career-high 15 points on five straight three-pointers to help Syracuse topple Iowa State 72-63. Uche Izoje added 23 and Laila Phelia chipped in 18, but it was Schmitt's second-quarter explosion that broke the game open. Next up: the Orange face undefeated No. 1 seed UConn on Monday. No pressure.
2. Westhill & Marcellus: Two CNY Schools, Two State Titles Friday night was a big one for Section III hoops. The Westhill Wolf Pack capped a perfect 26-0 season with a 54-42 win over Hudson in the Class A state final, with senior Eli Prince pouring in 31 points and earning tournament MVP honors. Meanwhile, Marcellus, who started the season 3-7, completed one of the great turnarounds in recent memory by defending their Class B state title with a 62-47 win over KIPP Capital. Tucker Burnett led the Mustangs with 23 points. CNY basketball is doing just fine, folks.
3. The Syracuse Aquarium Price Tag Is In Ever wonder what it actually costs to build a world-class aquarium in downtown Syracuse? Well, the final numbers are out ($103.8 million!!) and the full spending picture is almost complete. This project has been one of the most talked-about developments in the city for years, and with construction moving forward, locals will finally have a clearer sense of where all those dollars are going. Worth keeping an eye on as we get closer to opening.
4. Wait… Did the Ground Just Shake? A 2.8 magnitude earthquake was detected in Lake Ontario Saturday morning, about 17 miles west-southwest of Henderson and just 18 miles north of Oswego, basically right in CNY's backyard. The quake struck at 9:08 AM at a depth of about 3 miles below the surface, and while no damage was reported, it's still a fun reminder that even upstate New York isn't totally immune to the earth deciding to stretch its legs. If you felt a little rumble yesterday morning, it wasn’t your husband jumping around upstairs!
📅 Events
Syracuse Half Marathon — 7:30 AM start at the Oncenter. Thousands of runners hit the streets this morning, with a post-race party featuring live music, hot food, and drinks. Even if you're not racing, cheer someone on downtown… it's always a good time.
Syracuse Crunch vs. Cleveland Monsters — 4 PM at Upstate Medical University Arena. A great excuse to get inside and dry off after this soggy Sunday. The Crunch are home and ready to make some noise.
Book of Mormon at the Landmark Theatre — Still running this weekend. Nine Tony Awards, zero chill, this show is brilliantly funny and absolutely not for the easily offended. If you haven't gone yet, grab tickets before it's gone.
Critz Farms Maple Syrup Celebration — Running weekends through April 4. Wagon rides, sugar house tours, an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet, and the tap room is open. Peak CNY spring, right here.
🏀 Sports
Syracuse Women's Basketball — The Orange knocked off Iowa State 72-63 yesterday and now face No. 1 overall seed UConn on Monday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It'll be a tough matchup, but this team has proven it's full of surprises.
March Madness — The NCAA Tournament rolls on all weekend with second-round games starting Monday. Check your brackets, and if you still have Syracuse alive, hold tight.
Syracuse Men's Lacrosse — The Orange (7-2) host Georgetown (3-3) today at 1 PM, riding momentum from a 13-12 road win at Denver earlier this week.
Syracuse Women's Lacrosse — The Orange squeaked out a 6-5 win at Virginia yesterday to improve to 8-3. Nice road win for the ladies in Charlottesville.
New York Yankees — Spring training wraps up as the Yanks (17-11) take on the Phillies (10-15-2) at 1:05 PM today. Regular season is just around the corner.
New York Mets — The Mets (12-12-2) head to Miami to face the Marlins (10-13-3) at 1:10 PM. Spring ball means very little, but it's always nice to see the orange and blue.
New York Knicks — The Knicks (46-25) host the Washington Wizards (16-54) tonight at 7:30 PM. A much-needed tune-up before the playoff push begins.
Stay dry out there, CNY. And if you're watching the Orange play UConn tomorrow, don't forget your lucky socks!