95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Wednesday, November 23, 2016
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Denver Nuggets 110, Chicago Bulls 107
Nuggets 110, Bulls 107 – Barton’s 2 free throws lift Nuggets over Bulls, 110-107
Rookie Jamal Murray scored a season-high 24 points, Will Barton hit two free throws with 9.5 seconds left and the Denver Nuggets beat the Chicago Bulls 110-107 on Tuesday night. It was Denver’s 10th straight home win over the Bulls and its 16th in the last 17 meetings at Pepsi Center. Butler had 35 points and eight rebounds for Chicago, which last won in Denver on Feb. 8, 2006. Dwyane Wade had 22 points after sitting out Sunday’s game against the Lakers. The Nuggets used a 22-0 run at the start of the second quarter to take a 41-31 lead. Murray had 15 of his 17 first half points in the period and Benton Harbor’s Wilson Chandler scored 12 of his 16 in the second quarter. The game was tied when Barton was fouled on a drive to the basket, and he hit two free throws left to give Denver a 109-107 lead. Isaiah Cannon shot an airball on a 3-point attempt and the Nuggets got the ball.
Tonight
Miami Heat at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.
NBA – Detroit Pistons announce downtown move beginning next season
The Detroit Pistons have officially announced their move downtown, with owner Tom Gores appearing at a news conference Tuesday with Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, Ilitch Holdings President and CEO Christopher Ilitch and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. The Pistons plan to start playing at Little Caesars Arena next season, which would put all four of Detroit’s major pro teams within a few blocks of each other. The new arena, which is still under construction, was already being built to house the NHL’s Red Wings, who are owned by Mike and Marian Ilitch. The Pistons’ move is still subject to approval by the NBA, and formal legal agreements must be finalized. The team has played at The Palace of Auburn Hills, about 30 miles from downtown Detroit, since 1988. Plans for the arena have been altered to accommodate the requirements for the NBA franchise.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Detroit Red Wings at Buffalo Sabres, 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks at San Jose Sharks, 10:00 p.m.
NHL – New team gets a name
The NHL’s newest team has a nickname. Owner Bill Foley and commissioner Gary Bettman have announced that the Las Vegas expansion franchise will be called the Golden Knights. The team logo is a simple front view of a fighting helmet with a conspicuous “V” in the middle. Their colors are steel grey, gold, red and black.
NFL – Lions waive wide receiver Corey Fuller
The Detroit Lions waived wide receiver Corey Fuller after practice Tuesday. The Lions activated Fuller earlier this month after he had been on the physically unable to perform because of a foot injury. He didn’t play in a game this season after playing in 16 as with the Lions two years ago and 10 last year. Fuller had 14 receptions for 212 yards and a touchdown two years ago in his first NFL season. He had just four catches for 76 yards last year. Detroit (6-4) hosts Minnesota (6-4) Thursday in a matchup of first-places teams in the NFC North.
NFL – Bears sign defensive back De’Vante Bausby
The Chicago Bears have signed defensive back De’Vante Bausby. Bausby has 12 tackles in four games for Chicago this season. He was promoted from the practice squad on Oct. 10 and waived on Saturday. The Bears announced the signing on Tuesday.
NCAAFB – College Football
Last Night
Eastern Michigan 26, Central Michigan 21
Ohio 9, Akron 3
Miami-Ohio 21, Ball State 20
EMU 26, CMU 21 – Eastern Michigan beats Cent Michigan, 26-21 for 7th win
Brogan Roback hit Sergio Bailey II for a 24-yard score with 21 seconds left and Eastern Michigan knocked off Central Michigan 26-21 last night. Eastern is bowl eligible for the first time since 1987. Roback was 26-of-38 for 355 yards.
NCAAFB – Louisville drops in CFP rankings
Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan and Clemson held the top four spots in the College Football Playoff rankings for the second straight week and Washington moved up a spot to fifth this week. Wisconsin is sixth in the selection committee rankings released Tuesday night. Louisville was the team that took a big drop. The Cardinals fell from fifth to 11th after losing at Houston. Ohio State and Michigan play Saturday in Columbus, Ohio, and the loser is likely to be out of the playoff race. The Wolverines would move on the Big Ten championship game by beating the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes, though, need help to reach the conference title game. Unbeaten Alabama meets Auburn on Saturday, but the Crimson Tide has already clinched a spot in the SEC title game. Western Michigan remains at No. 21 in the rankings.
NCAAFB – Notre Dame forfeits 21 football wins
The NCAA has ordered Notre Dame to vacate all 21 victories from the 2012-13 seasons because of academic misconduct. A former trainer was found to have done substantial course work for two players and impermissibly helped six others. Among the forfeited wins are a 12-0 run that vaulted the Fighting Irish into the national title game against Alabama. Notre Dame says it will appeal. University president Rev. John Jenkins says the NCAA has never before vacated the records of a school that had no involvement in the underlying academic misconduct. The Division I Committee on Infractions panel put Notre Dame on probation for a year and ordered a $5,000 fine, penalties the school agreed with. The team will not lose scholarships or be barred from a future bowl appearance.
NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
Notre Dame 70, Northwestern 66
St. Bonaventure 102, Central Michigan 71
IPFW 71, (3) Indiana 68
Notre Dame 70, Northwestern 66 – Notre Dame beats Northwestern for Legends Classic title
Matt Farrell had a 3-point play with 14 seconds on the clock and Notre Dame downed Northwestern 70-66 at the Legends Classic at Barclays Center. Farrell and Steve Vasturia both had 18 points for Notre Dame.
IPFW 71, (3) Indiana 68 – IPFW Mastodons shock No. 3 Indiana with 71-68 upset in OT
IFPW has pulled off the biggest upset in school history, doing it against a neighbor as Bryson Scott scored 18 points and John Konchar drained a go-ahead free throw with 1:19 left in overtime in a stunning 71-68 win over third-ranked Indiana. Konchar also picked off an inbounds pass with less than three seconds left to secure the victory. IFPW had lost all nine previous games against ranked teams since making the move to Division I in 2001-02.
Today
Madonna at Eastern Michigan, 2:00 p.m.
(25) Michigan at South Carolina, 5:00 p.m. 95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports 4:30
(24) Michigan State vs. St. John’s, 7:00 p.m. at Nassau, Bahamas
Arkansas Little Rock vs. Central Michigan, 8:30 p.m. at Cedar Park, TX
NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
(1) Notre Dame 91, U.L. – Lafayette 51
Oregon 88, (24) Michigan State 55
Central Michigan 70, Oakland 67 – 2 OT
(1) Notre Dame 91, UL-Lafayette 51 – Turner, Mabrey lead Notre Dame to win in bizarre game
In one of the most bizarre scenarios imaginable at a major sporting event, top-ranked Notre Dame and Louisiana-Lafayette switched venues in the middle of their game due to a power outage. Even with the switch in venue and the delay, the Irish were too much for the Ragin’ Cajuns, winning 91-51 in a game that took nearly four hours to complete Tuesday night. The teams were playing at the Campbell Center when a power outage caused a long delay in the second quarter. After calling around to local schools, the rest of the contest was played at Rice University, about 30 minutes away from the original venue. The teams bused over to Rice and picked up where they left off after a 2-hour, 35-minute delay. Notre Dame led 38-17 with 2:38 left in the second quarter. Houston native Brianna Turner had 16 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Irish, who resumed the game in front of about 30 friends and family in a nearly empty arena.
Oregon 88, (24) MSU 55 – Oregon women rout No. 25 Michigan State 88-55 behind Hebard
Ruthy Hebard had 15 points and 10 rebounds as Oregon downed 24th-ranked Michigan State 88-55. The Ducks shot 53 percent after a slow start, making 9 of 13 shots in the fourth quarter. Lexi Bando scored 11 points. Tori Jankoska scored 18 points to lead Michigan State.
NCAAWBB – Women’s hoops explores changes to NCAA tourney
College women’s basketball is exploring ways to change the format of the NCAA Tournament, including moving the Final Four back a week to avoid overlap with the end of the men’s tournament. In a survey given to the conferences and obtained by The Associated Press, the women’s basketball oversight committee laid out a few potential changes that wouldn’t take place until 2019 at the earliest. The date change would put the women’s Final Four on the same weekend as the Masters. The committee is asking the schools and conferences for feedback on several alterations, including having the opening round at 32 sites and having the second round and regionals played at the same location. ESPN, which broadcasts the NCAA Tournament, was opposed to most of the changes because of costs and feasibility. Most of the ideas were originally discussed in a “White Paper” put together by Big East Commissioner Val Ackerman in 2013 on the state of women’s basketball.
USA Soccer – Bruce Arena returns as US coach, replacing Jurgen Klinsmann
Bruce Arena is returning to coach the U.S. national team, a decade after he was fired. The winningest coach in American national team history, Arena took over Tuesday, one day after Jurgen Klinsmann was fired. His hiring takes effect Dec. 1. With the U.S. 0-2 in the final round of World Cup qualifying, the U.S. Soccer Federation wants to spark a turnaround when the playoffs resume March 24 with a home game against Honduras. Arena coached the national team to a 71-30-29 record from 1998 to 2006. A 65-year-old wisecracking Brooklynite known for blunt talk and sarcasm, he coached the University of Virginia from 1978-95, then led D.C. United to titles in Major League Soccer’s first two seasons before losing in the 1998 final. He guided the Americans to the team’s best World Cup finish since 1930, a 1-0 loss to Germany in the 2002 quarterfinals. He was let go after the team’s first-round elimination by Ghana in 2006.
POTUS – Jordan, Jabbar receive highest civilian honor
Saying they had touched him in a powerful and personal way, President Barack Obama awarded the nation’s highest civilian honor to 21 groundbreaking actors, musicians, athletes and others during a ceremony Tuesday t the White House. Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, two of the best basketball players ever, were among the honorees. Obama said the people receiving the medal helped push America forward and inspired millions around the world.
