COLLEGE BASKETBALL-NCAA TOURNAMENT
And then there were eight
UNDATED (AP) — The NCAA men’s regional finals are set following Friday night’s action. Second seed Michigan will take on No. 8 Kentucky in the Midwest final at Indianapolis, and fourth seed Michigan St. will battle No. 7 Connecticut in the East at New York’s Madison Square Garden.
Jordan Morgan scored 15 points and Nik Stauskas had 14 as the Wolverines held off No. 11 Tennessee 73-71. Michigan led by 15 with 11 minutes left, but the Vols pulled within 72-71 before Jarnell Stokes was called for an offensive foul with six seconds left. Stauskas then made one of two free throws before Tennessee missed on a desperation heave at the buzzer.
The Wildcats continued their surprising run by winning state bragging rights from Louisville, beating the Cardinals 74-69. Julius Randle had 15 points and 12 rebounds for Kentucky, while Aaron Harrison and Dakari Johnson also delivered 15 points.
The Cardinals led 66-59 with about 4 ½ minutes left before the Wildcats closed on a 15-3 run to win. Harrison made a 3-pointer with 39 seconds left to give Kentucky the go-ahead points
The Spartans knocked off the top seed in the East, earning a 61-59 win over Virginia. Branden Dawson had team highs of 24 points and 10 rebounds for Michigan State, while Adreian Payne added 16 points and six boards.
Michigan State overcame a horrible start to the second half and then withstood a late run by the Cavaliers to advance to the regional finals for the eighth time under Tom Izzo (IH’-zoh) since 1985.
DeAndre Daniels scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half as UConn held off No. 3 Iowa State 81-76. Daniels hit his first six shots after halftime, the only Husky to make a field goal for over 8 1/2 minutes. His 3-pointer gave the Huskies a 49-32 lead.
Dustin Hogue scored a career-high 34 points for the Cyclones.
Top seeds Florida and Arizona advanced to the regional finals Thursday night, as did second seed Wisconsin and No. 11 Dayton. The Gators will take on the Flyers in the South Regional on Saturday before the tipoff of the West Regional final between the Wildcats and Badgers.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-OHIO STATE
Buckeyes to lose top scorer
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) —Ohio State leading scorer and rebounder LaQuinton Ross is giving up his senior season to pursue a pro career. The 6-foot-8 Ross averaged 15.2 points and 5.9 rebounds a game while helping lead the Buckeyes to a 25-10 record. He scored at least 15 points in 18 of the last 26 regular-season games and hit double figures in 17 of his final 19 games overall.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Sweet 16 for Spurs…Heat cut into Pacers’ lead
UNDATED (AP) — The San Antonio Spurs have extended the longest winning streak of the NBA season while maintaining a three-game lead over Oklahoma City in the Western Conference.
The Spurs made it 16 straight wins as Marco Belinelli scored 27 points and Tim Duncan added 20 in a 133-102 laugher at Denver. Reserve Patty Mills had 16 points for the Spurs, who scored a season-high in points and now own their longest winning streak since March 1996.
The Thunder kept pace as Kevin Durant dropped in 29 points and Oklahoma carried a 31-point lead into the fourth quarter before settling for a 94-81 rout of Sacramento. Russell Westbrook added 18 points for the Thunder.
The Miami Heat are back to within two games of the Indiana Pacers for first place in the East.
LeBron James had 17 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds before resting in the fourth quarter of the Heat’s 110-78 pounding of Detroit. Udonis Haslem (oo-DAH’-nihs HAZ’-lehm) scored 12 of his 17 points in the first quarter, when James already had seven assists.
John Wall scored 20 points and Washington never trailed in a 91-78 win against the Pacers. Marcin Gortat added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Wizards, who dropped their first two games against Indiana this season by a combined 47 points.
Paul George scored 19 points in the Pacers’ fourth consecutive road loss.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
— Toronto has clinched its first playoff berth in six years by beating Boston 105-103 on Amir Johnson’s basket with seven seconds left. DeMar DeRozan scored 30 points and Terrence Ross has 17 as the Raptors won for the 18th time in 24 home games.
— Brooklyn picked up its 12th consecutive home win as Paul Pierce scored 17 of his 22 points in the first quarter of a 108-97 triumph over Cleveland. Joe Johnson added 14 points as the Nets stayed 2 1/2 games behind the Atlantic Division-leading Raptors.
— Maurice Williams came off the bench to score 18 points in 25 minutes as Portland silenced Chicago 91-74. LaMarcus Aldridge scored just five points on 2 of 10 from the field, but he also grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds in the Trail Blazers’ second straight win since a 3-7 skid.
— Stephen Curry’s 33 points included a tiebreaking 3-pointer that lifted Golden State past Memphis 100-93. Klay Thompson added 14 points as the Warriors moved two games ahead of the Grizzlies for the sixth seed in the West.
— Phoenix ripped New York 112-88 as Goran Dragic scored 32 points in 32 minutes. Eric Bledsoe added 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the Suns’ season-high sixth straight win.
— Nikola Vucevic scored 24 points and grabbed 23 rebounds in Orlando’s 110-105 overtime win against Charlotte. Aaron Afflalo finished with 17 points, including a 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime.
— Minnesota crushed the Los Angeles Lakers 143-107 as Kevin Love delivered 22 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in under 29 minutes.
— Tyreke Evans had 22 points and a career-high 15 assists to lead New Orleans to its season-high fifth straight win, 102-95 against Utah.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Ducks fall in OT
UNDATED (AP) — The Anaheim Ducks inched a little closer to the NHL’s Western Conference lead, but they were unable to beat the worst team in the conference.
Andrew Ference scored at 3:51 of overtime to give Edmonton a 4-3 win over the Ducks. Mathieu Perreault extended the game by scoring with 4 ½ minutes left in regulation, one of 51 shots fired by Anaheim on Ben Scrivens.
Perreault and Patrick Maroon each had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who are now five points behind the West-leading St. Louis Blues.
Also on ice:
— Chris Kunitz and Beau Bennett scored 47 seconds apart midway through the third period to lift Pittsburgh past Columbus 2-1, keeping the Blue Jackets in that four-way tie for the last two postseason slots in the East. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 35 shots and blanked the Jackets until James Wisniewski (wihz-NOO’-skee) score on a power play with 3:06 remaining.
— Craig Anderson turned back 44 shots and Clarke MacArthur had a goal and two assists in Ottawa’s 5-3 verdict over Chicago. The Blackhawks lost for the third time in four games and remain eight points behind West-leading St. Louis.
— The New York Rangers erased a 2-0 deficit before Kevin Westgarth and Mike Cammalleri scored late in the second period to give Calgary a 4-3 win over the Blueshirts. Brad Richards had a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who are just one point ahead of the Flyers for second place in the Metropolitan Division.
— Claude Giroux (juh-ROO’) had a goal and two assists as the Flyers doubled up the Maple Leafs 4-2. Toronto’s James van Riemsdyk (van REEMZ’-dyk) scored four seconds into the second, matching an NHL record for fastest goal from the start of the period.
— Dallas picked up an important win as Trevor Daley, Ryan Garbutt and Colton Sceviour (SEE’-vur) each had a goal and an assist in the Stars’ 7-3 win over Nashville. The win puts the Stars three points behind Phoenix for the final Western Conference playoff berth.
MLB-DRUG AGREEMENT
MLB institutes tougher penalties
NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball players suspended during the season for a performance-enhancing drug violation will not be eligible for that year’s postseason under changes to the sport’s drug agreement.
Major League Baseball and the players’ association say penalties will increase from 50 games to 80 for a first testing violation and from 100 games to 162 for a second. A third penalty remains a lifetime ban.
A player serving a season-long suspension will lose all his pay. Under the previous deal, the Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez gets 21-183s of his salary this year, or about $2.8 million.
MLB-SPRING TRAINING
Record contract from Cabrera
Miguel Cabrera has a contract fitting a Triple Crown winner.
The Tigers third baseman has agreed to a $292 million, 10-year contract with the Tigers. That is the richest contract in American sports.
The two-time reigning American League MVP turns 31 next month and has helped the Tigers win three straight AL Central championships.
He is among seven players to hit at least .320 with 365 homers and 1,260 RBIs, joining Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams, Lou Gehrig, Albert Pujols (POO’-holz) and Stan Musial, according to STATS.
Elsewhere around the majors:
— Cole Hamels has been placed on the 15-day disabled list by the Philadelphia Phillies with left biceps tendinitis. The three-time All-Star had been sidelined all spring before tossing two innings in a minor league game Thursday. Also placed on the 15-day DL by Philadelphia were right-handed reliever Mike Adams, infielder Freddy Galvis, right-hander Miguel Alfredo Gonzalez, right-hander Ethan Martin and outfielder Darin Ruf.
— Grady Sizemore will be the Red Sox opening day starter in center field, continuing a comeback from a series of injuries and surgeries. The three-time All-Star hasn’t played in a major league game since September 2011 with Cleveland. Sizemore hit .333 in spring training and did a good job patrolling the outfield.
— San Francisco Giants right-hander Tim Lincecum had to leave his final exhibition start of the spring with a left foot injury. Lincecum was hit in his back leg by a hard-hit grounder from Oakland’s Daric Barton in the top of the fourth inning Friday night.
— Commissioner Bud Selig says the sport’s revenues could top $9 billion dollars for the first time this year. It was just a year ago that the game topped the $8 billion dollar mark. When Selig took over as commissioner in 1992, baseball’s revenues were under $2 billion.
— Arizona reliever David Hernandez has a damaged ligament in his right elbow and could be facing season-ending surgery. He plans to get a second opinion before a decision is made.
NFL-MOVES
Philly drops Jackson and signs Sanchez
UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia Eagles made two moves involving their offense today, releasing Pro Bowl wide receiver DeSean Jackson and signing backup quarterback Mark Sanchez. The Eagles cut Jackson after failing to trade the six-year veteran, who led the team with 82 catches for 1,332 yards and nine touchdowns. He had a $10.25 million contract for the upcoming season and was signed through 2016.
Also in the NFL
— Running back Maurice Jones-Drew is the latest free agent to accept a deal with the Oakland Raiders, joining quarterback Matt Schaub, receiver James Jones and defensive linemen Justin Tuck and LaMarr Woodley. Jones-Drew signed a three-year contract and returns to his native Bay Area after spending his first eight seasons with Jacksonville and starring in college at UCLA. He had 8,071 yards rushing and 68 touchdowns for the Jaguars but was hampered by injuries the past two seasons.
— The Pittsburgh Steelers and free agent running back LeGarette Blount have agreed to a two-year contract. The 27-year-old Blount ran for 772 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns in 2013 for the New England Patriots.
GOLF-TEXAS OPEN
Aussie Bowditch has the lead
SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Australian Steven Bowditch shot a 5-under 67 to grab the lead at the midway point of the Texas Open. He’s 8-under-par for the 36 holes, one shot in front of Chad Collins and Andrew Loupe. Collins shot the day’s best round, a 6-under 66.
And Phil Mickelson made the cut despite opening with a 5-over 77. He’s at plus-3 following a 2-under 70.
GOLF-KIA CLASSIC
Carter vaults into lead
CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Dori Carter shot an 8-under 64 to grab the second-round lead at the LPGA’s Kia Classic. Carter is 10-under par, two shots in front of Stacy Lewis and Cristie Kerr.
NASCAR-MARTINSVILLE
Kyle Busch wins the pole
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (AP) — Kyle Busch has become the sixth driver in as many Sprint Cup races this season to win a pole, taking the top spot for Sunday’s event at Martinsville. Busch turned a fast lap at 99.674 mph for his 14th career Sprint Cup pole, and first and 19 tries at Martinsville. Denny Hamlin earned the other spot on the front row and will be followed on the starting grid by Joey Logano, eight-time Martinsville winner Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.
Logano actually set a track qualifying record but in NASCAR’s new knockout qualifying system, he only qualified third.
TENNIS-KEY BISCAYNE
Nadal, Djokovic don’t break a sweat
KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. (AP) — Rafael Nadal (nah-DAHL’) and Novak Djokovic (JOH’-koh-vihch) advanced to the Sony Open final when their semifinal opponents withdrew for health reasons. They’ll play for the title Sunday in their 40th career meeting and their first of 2014. Kei Nishikori withdrew from his match with Djokovic because of a left groin injury, and Tomas Berdych pulled out of his match against Nadal due to gastroenteritis.
