Clive Brunskill/ALLSPORT
Historically, March 31 has seen significant events and achievements from legends of the game. Here, you'll discover some of them.
Unforgettable Games and Remarkable Records
Memorable moments in sport that occurred on March 31 include:
- 1877: Test cricket saw the debut of the feared Australian fast bowler Fred "The Demon" Spofforth. Australia lost the second test against England by four wickets at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Australia.
- 1923: In the first dance marathon in New York City, Alma Cummings set a record of 27 hours with six different partners.
- 1980: Larry Holmes knocked out Leroy Jones in the eighth round to win the World Boxing Council heavyweight title in Las Vegas, Nevada. On the same day, Mike Weaver knocked out John Tate in 15 rounds to win the World Boxing Association heavyweight belt in Knoxville, Tennessee.
- 1995: For the first time in tennis history, the top two players in the world competed in the same Davis Cup team. Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi from the United States were victorious in their quarterfinal match against Italy in Palermo.
College Basketball Championships
March 31 has featured several upsets:
- 1975: In the 37th NCAA men's basketball tournament, UCLA beat Kentucky 92-85 to win its 10th championship under coach John Wooden, who had announced his retirement two days earlier.
- 1986: Louisville defeated Duke 72-69 to win the 48th NCAA men's basketball championship. This was the first tournament to use a shot clock, which was set at 45 seconds.
- 1987: The 49th NCAA men's basketball tournament saw Indiana claim the championship with a 74-73 win over Syracuse. The Hoosiers' guard, Keith Smart, hit the game-winner in the final seconds after he intercepted a full-court pass.
- 1997: The 59th NCAA men's basketball title went to Arizona, who beat Kentucky 84-79 in overtime. It was the Wildcats' first title in their first title game appearance.
Memorable Hockey Accomplishments
Some big names in the NHL have been featured on March 31:
- 1973: Boston Bruins defenseman Bobby Orr scored his third career hat trick in a 7-3 loss in Toronto, becoming the first player in NHL history to score 100 points in four consecutive seasons.
- 1984: Mike Bossy became the first player in NHL history to record seven straight 50-goal seasons.
- 1988: The New York Islanders celebrated defenseman Denis Potvin's 1,000th point and 1,000th NHL game at a tribute night at Nassau Coliseum.
- 1990: 20-year-old Quebec Nordiques' center Joe Sakic scored a goal in a 3-2 loss to Hartford. He became the youngest player in NHL history to score 100 points in a season.
- 1991: The St. Louis Blues' future Hockey Hall of Fame right wing, Brett Hull, scored his 86th goal of the season in a 2-1 win over the Minnesota North Stars.
Looking back on these March 31 events, the obvious theme is NHL legends. The standout among them is Bobby Orr. Famous for his leaping celebration in the 1970 Stanley Cup final, Orr was the first historic offensive defenseman and is undoubtedly among the top 10 greatest hockey players of all time.
Yvette DeLaCruzWriter
