HURRICANES-PANTHERS
Luongo earns 400th win, Panthers top Hurricanes 6-1
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) β Roberto Luongo earned his 400th career win, and Jaromir Jagr had a goal and an assist to tie Ron Francis for fourth place on the NHL’s career points list to lift the Florida Panthers over the Carolina Hurricanes 6-1 on Thursday night.
Luongo made 31 saves to become the 11th NHL goalie to record 400 wins as the Panthers recorded their largest margin of victory this season. With his two points against the Hurricanes, Jagr has 1,798.
Vincent Trocheck scored two third-period goals, and Aleksander Barkov, Brandon Pirri and Willie Mitchell also scored for Florida. Jonathan Huberdeau had two assists, helping the Panthers to their third straight home victory.
Chris Terry scored a late goal and Anton Khudobin stopped 29 shots for the Hurricanes, who have lost eight of their past 11 games β including their most lopsided defeat of the season.
FINAL FOUR-S CAROLINA-MITCHELL
Mitchell, her WNBA idol Staley lead Gamecocks to Final Four
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) β Cheryl Mitchell wasn’t sure what project her third grade daughter was working on when she asked to go to the store to pick up poster board. Tiffany Mitchell created a collage of WNBA star Dawn Staley β beginning a trek that’s landed the South Carolina coach and Gamecocks standout in the school’s first Final Four.
Mitchell’s shown she’s every bit as skilled as her idol.
She scored the go-ahead basket to beat North Carolina 67-65 in the Sweet 16, then followed that with seven straight points to put the Gamecocks ahead for good in an 80-74 victory over Florida State in the Elite Eight.
Now the AP All-American and the rest of Staley’s Gamecocks (34-2) square off against Notre Dame (35-2) in the national semifinals Sunday night in Tampa, Florida.
CITADEL-NO-HITTER
Reeves tosses first no-hitter for The Citadel in 13 years
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) β James Reeves struck out 14 while throwing the first no-hitter for The Citadel in 13 years, blanking Mercer 4-0 on Thursday night.
It was the sixth no-hitter in school history, and first since T.A. Fulmer tossed one against East Tennessee State on March 29, 2002. Reeves (5-1) tied his season high for strikeouts, allowing only three baserunners to get into scoring position.
The junior left-hander from Summerville walked five, but Mercer didn’t have more than one runner on base in any inning. Reeves’ performance helped snap a six-game losing streak for The Citadel (15-13).
Reeves issued a leadoff walk in the ninth before striking out the next two batters. On a 2-2 pitch, Jackson Ware hit a foul pop that second baseman Jacob Watcher ran down in The Citadel bullpen to seal the no-hitter.
William Kinney drove in two runs against Eric Nyquist (4-2), who took the loss for Mercer (18-13).
NASCAR-RCR-TIRE PENALTY
RCR appeals penalty against Newman’s team for tire bleeding
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Richard Childress Racing has appealed the penalties NASCAR levied against Ryan Newman’s team for allegedly manipulating tires.
NASCAR this week said tires taken from Newman after the March 22 race in California failed an independent inspection and had been altered to intentionally release air pressure during the race.
Crew chief Luke Lambert was fined $125,000 and suspended for the next six races. The suspension also includes the All-Star race in May. Lambert was also placed on probation through the end of the year.
Tire technician James Bender and engineer Philip Surgen were also suspended six races and placed on probation through Dec. 31.
Newman and car owner Childress were docked 75 points each.
No date for the appeal was set Thursday.
NASCAR-SAFER BARRIERS
Texas, Bristol and Michigan to make safety modifications
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Three more race tracks have announced safety modifications that were determined necessary following Kyle Busch’s serious accident at Daytona.
Busch broke his right leg and left foot when he crashed into a concrete wall at Daytona in February. It has spurred industry-wide inspections to see if the walls at most tracks have enough protection to prevent an injury.
Texas Motor Speedway has added 250 feet of tire barriers in preparation for NASCAR’s visit next week.
Bristol Motor Speedway will add 600 feet of SAFER barrier to the front and backstretch outside walls before the race on April 19.
Michigan International Speedway will add the steel-and-foam energy reducing barriers to pit-in and pit-out walls, and tire packs will be installed at the angled wall inside Turn 1 before NASCAR’s visit in June.
NASCAR-LARSON-CLEARED
Larson cleared to race at Texas next weekend after fainting
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Kyle Larson has been cleared to return to NASCAR racing next weekend at Texas Motor Speedway after fainting last weekend during an autograph session.
Chip Ganassi Racing said in a statement Thursday there has been a “thorough review” of all test results by his physicians and NASCAR’s medical staff.
The 22-year-old driver missed Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. After fainting at the speedway Saturday, he was taken to a hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina, and was held there until late Monday. The team has not yet said why he fainted.
Larson was the Sprint Cup Series rookie of the year last season.
