Weekday Morning Sports – Wednesday 11/16/16

sportsreport-129
sportsreport-129

95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Wednesday, November 16, 2016

NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
(2) Kentucky 69, (13) Michigan State 48
Eastern Michigan 78, Rochester College 63

(2) UK 69, (13) MSU 48 – No. 2 Kentucky beats No. 13 Michigan State 69-48
Freshman Malik Monk scored 23 points on 7-for-11 shooting from 3-point range, and Isaiah Briscoe added 21 to lead No. 2 Kentucky to a 69-48 victory over No. 13 Michigan State on Tuesday night in the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats (3-0) averaged 90 points in their first two games but this time it was defense that did it as the Spartans (0-2) shot 32.8 percent from the field (20 of 61) including 5 for 26 (19.2 percent) from beyond the arc. Relying on another talented freshman class, Kentucky was able to up the tempo enough and keep the tenacious defense going that the Spartans committed 21 turnovers which the Wildcats turned into 24 points. Kenny Goins and Cassius Winston led the Spartans with nine points each. Freshman Miles Bridges was held to six points on 2-for-11 shooting but he grabbed 12 rebounds.

EMU 78, RC 63 – Eastern Michigan beats NAIA-member Rochester College 78-63
James Thompson IV had 19 points and 17 rebounds, Willie Mangum IV made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points, and Eastern Michigan beat NAIA-member Rochester College 78-63 yesterday. Mangum hit his first 3-pointer to give Eastern Michigan a 20-7 lead, Thompson posted a double-double in the first half, and the Eagles cruised into halftime with a 40-23 lead.

Tonight
Seattle at Notre Dame, 7:00 p.m.

NCAAMBB – First upset of the season
Seventh-ranked Kansas coughed up a 12-point lead in the second half before Frank Mason II nailed a short jumper with 1.3 seconds left to give the Jayhawks a 77-75 victory over No. 1 Duke. The Blue Devils pulled even on Frank Jackson’s 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining, but the Jayhawks prevailed on the last of Mason’s 21 points. Freshman Josh Jackson added 15 and Devonte’ Graham had 13 to help Kansas beat a top-ranked team for the eighth time.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Tampa Bay Lightning 4, Detroit Red Wings 3
Winnipeg Jets 4, Chicago Blackhawks 0

Lightning 4, Red Wings 3 – Kucherov’s late goal gives Lightning 4-3 win over Wings
Nikita Kucherov scored his second goal of the game with 1:10 left to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday night.  Captain Steven Stamkos and defenseman Nikita Nesterov also scored for Tampa Bay, which has won five of eight (5-2-1). Vladislav Namestnikov had two assists and Ben Bishop made 25 saves. Defenseman Ryan Sproul got his first career goal and had an assist, and Frans Nielsen and Henrik Zetterberg also scored for Detroit. Petr Mrazek stopped 18 shots. Stamkos left the game in the middle of the first period after limping off the ice favoring his right leg after a collision with the Red Wings’ Gustav Nyquist along the boards.

Jets 4, Blackhawks 0 – Hellebuyck stops 27 shots to help Jets beat Blackhawks 4-0
Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves for his first shutout of the season, rookie Patrik Laine scored his NHL-leading 12th goal and the Winnipeg Jets beat the division-leading Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 on Tuesday night. Rookie defenseman Josh Morrissey scored his first career goal, while forwards Chris Thorburn and Nic Petan got their first scores of the season for the second-place Jets. Nikolaj Ehlers had two assists, helping Winnipeg stretch its points streak to five games. Chicago goalie Corey Crawford was replaced by Scott Darling after letting in four goals on 22 shots. Darling made two saves. It was the first of five games between the Central Division foes this season.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Chicago Bulls 113, Portland Trailblazers 88

Bulls 113, Blazers 88 – Butler has 27 and the Bulls beat the Blazers 113-88
Jimmy Butler had 27 points and 12 rebounds, and the Chicago Bulls opened a six-game road trip with a 113-88 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night.  Dwyane Wade had 19 points for Chicago, which extended its modest winning streak to three games. Former Blazers center Robin Lopez added 13 points and 11 rebounds.  The Blazers, who had won five of six, were cold from the start, falling behind by as many as 26 points. Damian Lillard, who made just two shots from the field in the first half, finished with 19 points.  Chicago, coming off a 106-95 victory over Washington on Saturday, was without Rajon Rondo because of a left ankle sprain. Jerian Grant made his first start of the season and had 18 points.

Tonight
Cleveland Cavaliers at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.
Detroit Pistons at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m.

NCAAFB – College Football
Last Night
Central Michigan 27, Ohio 20
Bowling Green 42, Kent State 7

CMU 27, Ohio 20 – Central Michigan beats Ohio 27-20 for bowl eligibility
Cooper Rush threw two touchdown passes to Tyler Conklin and Sean Bunting intercepted a pass in the end zone with 34 seconds left as Central Michigan beat Ohio 27-20 on Tuesday night to become bowl eligible.  Ohio trailed 17-0 after Conklin’s first touchdown, but the Bobcats scored on three straight possessions to open the second half to tie it at 20-all. Papi White caught a 16-yard touchdown pass, Louie Zervos kicked a 34-yard field goal and Dorian Brown scored on a 1-yard run — one play after Quinton Maxwell had a 53-yard connection with Sebastian Smith. Corey Willis had eight catches for 109 yards for Central Michigan (6-5, 3-4 Mid-American).

Tonight
Ball State at Toledo, 7:00 p.m.
Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan, 8:00 p.m.

NCAAFB – Playoff Rankings – Buckeyes back in top-4, behind only Alabama
Ohio State is back among the top four in the College Football Playoff rankings, 3 1/2 weeks after their loss to Penn State. The Buckeyes are second to unbeaten Alabama following 62-3 victories over both Nebraska and Maryland.  Michigan and Clemson are third and fourth respectively despite losing to unranked teams over the weekend. Louisville is fifth and Washington dropped from fourth to sixth after its first loss.

1.       Alabama
2.       Ohio State
3.       Michigan
4.       Clemson               
5.       Louisville
6.       Washington

NFL – Bears place Long on injured reserve because of ankle injury
The Chicago Bears have placed star right guard Kyle Long on injured reserve because of an ankle injury. The announcement on Tuesday comes two days after the three-time Pro Bowl lineman was taken from the field on a cart during a loss at Tampa Bay. And it’s another big blow for a team that’s 2-7 after losing to the Buccaneers. Long was injured in the second quarter when Paul Lasike rolled up on his right ankle as he corralled a shovel pass from Jay Cutler. Long stayed down for several minutes while being tended to by medical personnel. He banged on the cart trying to fire up his team as he was taken from the field.

MLB – Dodgers’ Roberts, Indians’ Francona win Manager of Year
Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers has won the National League Manager of the Year award and Terry Francona of the Cleveland Indians has earned the AL honor. Roberts won in his first year as a manager. A former backup outfielder, his highlight as a player was a key stolen base in the 2004 playoffs for a Boston team guided by Francona. Members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America voted at the end of the regular season. The awards were announced Tuesday on MLB Network. Roberts beat out Joe Maddon, who led the Chicago Cubs to the World Series championship, and Washington’s Dusty Baker. Roberts led Los Angeles to the NL West title despite the Dodgers putting 28 different players on the disabled list, more than any team in the last 30 years.  Francona guided a club beset by injuries and drug suspensions to a surprising first-place finish. The Indians had a 3-1 lead in the World Series before the Cubs rallied.  Texas’ Jeff Banister was second and Baltimore’s Buck Showalter was third.

NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
Michigan State 70, Southern 55

Today
Ferris State at Eastern Michigan, 12:00 p.m.

NCAA – NCAA: Graduation rates up for black men’s basketball players
The NCAA says 77 percent of black men’s Division I basketball players who entered college in 2009 earned a degree within six years, up five points from a year earlier and a record high. The NCAA said Tuesday that improvement helped the Graduation Success Rates of all student-athletes match last year’s record high of 86 percent graduating within six years. Of all black Division I athletes, 74 percent graduated within six years. NCAA President Mark Emmert called the improved rates “hugely significant.” The statistics show graduation rate for black basketball players is up 31 percentage points over the past 15 years. B. David Ridpath, an associate professor and sports business and president of The Drake Group, an NCAA watchdog, said the GSR provides only a partial picture.

FIFA Soccer – World Cup Qualifier
Costa Rica 4, United States of American 0

Costa Rica 4, USA 0 – Yanks hammered by Costa Rica
The U.S. men’s soccer team is in danger of missing the World Cup finals. Joel Campbell scored two goals in a three-minute span to put the capper on Costa Rica’s 4-0 rout of the Americans. The United States dropped to 0-2 for the first time in the final round of the North and Central American and Caribbean region. It was the Americans’ most lopsided defeat in a qualifier since a 5-1 defeat at Mexico in November 1980, and their worst shutout loss in 59 years.

MCCAA – Junior College Basketball
Last Night
Andrews University 88, Lake Michigan College 75

Andrews 88, Lake Michigan College 75 – Andrews holds off LMC
Andrews University came away with an 88-75 non-conference win over Lake Michigan College.  LMC stormed back from a 12 point halftime deficit to take a six point lead, only to see the Cardinals regain control and pull away in the closing five minutes.  Andrews got a game high 25 points from Justis McNeal.  Brian Harris paced LMC with 16 points.

MHSAA – High School Volleyball Quarterfinals
Last Night
Buchanan 3, Grant 0                           (Class B at Hudsonville Unity Christian)
Rockford 3, Portage Central 2            (Class A at Grand Haven)