SEATTLE — Rashid Shaheed returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, Kenneth Walker III rushed for three scores and the Seattle Seahawks advanced to the NFC championship game with a dominant 41-6 victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Saturday night.

Sam Darnold threw a touchdown pass and got his first career playoff win in his first season with the Seahawks (15-3), who will host either the Chicago Bears or the Los Angeles Rams next Sunday with a trip to the Super Bowl at stake.

The Seahawks led 7-0 13 seconds into the game thanks to Shaheed, who fielded the opening kick and took it 95 yards to the end zone. It was the fourth kickoff return for a touchdown to open a playoff game since 2000 and the longest postseason kick return in franchise history.

Darnold, who had been listed as questionable because of an oblique injury, guided the Seahawks on two more scoring drives before San Francisco got on the board with the first of its two field goals.

After he flopped in his playoff debut last season with the Minnesota Vikings by taking nine sacks in a 27-9 loss to the Los Angeles Rams, Darnold completed 12 of 17 passes for 124 yards and connected with Jaxon Smith-Njigba for a touchdown in the star receiver’s playoff debut.

The 49ers (13-6) were never competitive in the second-most lopsided playoff loss in franchise history. San Francisco lost 49-3 to the New York Giants in the divisional round in the 1986 season.

The Niners were missing three injured All-Pros: tight end George Kittle, linebacker Fred Warner and defensive end Nick Bosa.

San Francisco’s Brock Purdy completed 15 of 27 passes for 140 yards with an interception and a lost fumble against the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” defense. Seattle also recovered a fumble by tight end Jake Tonges.

Walker’s three rushing touchdowns tied him with Shaun Alexander for the most in a playoff game in franchise history.

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T.J. Hughes tied the game in the final minutes, then Jayden Perron scored the winner in overtime as top-ranked Michigan edged the Gophers men 3-2 on Saturday night at Mariucci Arena.

Minnesota (8-14-1 overall, 4-8-0 Big Ten) got second-period power-play goals from Brodie Ziemer and Brody Lamb to take a 2-1 lead into the final period.

“Tonight was a complete reversal in our effort, our physicality,” Minnesota coach Bob Motzko said. “We made it a hockey game. We just couldn’t get our hands on it in the third period and ended up chasing it around a little bit. But for the most part they got back after it tonight.”

Garrett Schifsky had a first period goal for the Wolverines (19-4-0, 10-3-0)

Women: Minnesota 11, Bemidji State 1

Abbie Murphy had four goals and Ava Lindsay added three as the third-ranked Gophers routed the host Beavers.

Josefin Bouveng, Bella Fanale, Kendra Distad and Emma Kreisz added the other goals for Minnesota (20-4-0, 14-4-0).

“A great performance from our group from top to bottom,” Gophers coach Brad Frost said. “A solid effort right from the drop of the puck, playing the right way and being rewarded for it.”

Minnesota goalie Layla Hemp stopped 24 of 25 Beavers shots.

Morgan Smith had the lone goal for Bemidji (5-16-3, 2-15-1).

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SAN ANTONIO — Victor Wembanyama had 39 points and nine rebounds, corralling a critical offensive rebound in the final seconds, enabling the San Antonio Spurs to fend off Anthony Edwards’ season-high 55 points and beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 126-123 on Saturday night.

Donte DiVincenzo’s 24-foot, 3-pointer put the Timberwolves up 119-118 with 1:03 remaining. Wembanyama responded with a 20-footer and then blocked Joan Beringer’s reverse layup 13 seconds later to preserve the one-point lead.

De’Aaron Fox added 25 points and 12 assists as San Antonio avoided a season sweep of its three-game set against Minnesota. Keldon Johnson added 20 points for the Spurs.

Edwards had 26 points in the fourth quarter, going 5 for 7 on 3-pointers and nearly completed a repeat of Minnesota’s last game against San Antonio.

Edwards drained a 3-pointer in the final seconds on Jan. 11 as San Antonio blew a 19-point lead in the fourth quarter in losing 104-103 at Minnesota.

Edwards’ late barrage was needed after the Spurs set a season-high in the first half.

The Spurs shot 57% from the field in outscoring the Wolves 48-22 in the second quarter. It was San Antonio’s highest scoring quarter since 1987 and fourth most in franchise history for any quarter.

Wembanyama was 3 for 5 on 3-pointers in scoring 23 points in the first half, matching his season high for points in any half.

The Timberwolves rallied, as they did Jan. 11, outscoring the Spurs 40-27 in the third quarter and opened the fourth on a 9-2 run capped by a 3-pointer in the corner that Edwards punctuated by pounding his chest at the sellout crowd.

Wembanyama was scoreless through the first 10 minutes of the third quarter but ended with a flourish on a driving dunk to close the period.

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Nathan Pilling and Lucas Van Vliet tallied third-period goals Saturday night as the Tommies men’s team beat Bemidji State 3-2 for their eighth consecutive victory in St. Paul.

Lucas Wahlin had the other goal for St. Thomas (14-7-3 overall, 11-3-2 CCHA).

Max Namestnikov and Reillyn Funk each had a goal for the Beavers (9-12-3, 7-6-3)

Women: Wisconsin 5, St. Thomas 1

Casee Hall and Lacey Eden each had a pair of goals as the Badgers completed a weekend sweep of the Tommies in St. Paul.

Kelly Gorbatenko had the other goal for Wisconsin (21-1-2 overall, 15-1-2 WCHA), which won its third straight game.

Rylee Bartz had the lone goal for St. Thomas (10-14-0, 5-13-0).

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