95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Tuesday, December 13, 2016
NFL – National Football League – Week 13
Last Night
New England Patriots 23, Baltimore Ravens 20
Patriots 23, Ravens 20 – Late Brady TD pass helps Patriots hold off Ravens 30-23
The New England Patriots lead the AFC at 11-2 after Tom Brady passed for 406 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-23 triumph over Baltimore. Malcolm Mitchell and Martellus Bennett had scoring receptions while the Pats built a 23-3 lead. The Ravens got within 23-20 before Brady hit Chris Hogan for a 79-yard TD with 6:18 remaining, dropping Baltimore one game behind the AFC North-leading Steelers.
NFL – Lions’ coach says Stafford can play despite finger problem
Detroit Lions coach Jim Caldwell says quarterback Matthew Stafford’s finger injury should not prevent him from playing this weekend against the New York Giants. The middle finger on Stafford’s right hand was taped up and covered by a white glove Sunday, when he threw for 223 yards in a 20-17 win over Chicago. Stafford had an interception returned for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Caldwell said Monday the injury affected Stafford against the Bears, but he should be able to practice. Detroit (9-4) leads the NFC North by two games, and the Giants (9-4) would be the conference’s top wild card if the season ended now.
NFL – Bears welcome Jeffery back from 4-game suspension
Wide receiver Alshon Jeffery is back with the Chicago Bears after a four-game suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs. The team leader with 630 yards receiving, he is coming back on the heels of a loss at Detroit that officially knocked the Bears out of playoff contention.
NFL – Rams fire coach Jeff Fisher after 42-14 loss to Falcons<
Jeff Fisher has been terminated as coach of the Los Angeles Rams. He took over the club in 2012, when it was based in St. Louis, and leaves with a record of 31-45-1. He’s been replaced on an interim basis by special teams coordinator John Fassel. Fisher oversaw the move from St. Louis to Los Angeles this past offseason and the team is just 4-9 with a league-low 194 points scored.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Indiana Pacers 110, Charlotte Hornets 94
Pacers 110, Hornets 94 – George, Turner score 22 to lead Pacers over Hornets, 110-94
Paul George and Myles Turner scored 22 points apiece as the Pacers whipped the Hornets, 110-94 at Indiana. Jeff Teague (teeg) had 16 points, 11 assists and five rebounds, while teammate Rodney Stuckey added 14 points in the Pacers’ second straight win.
Tonight
Minnesota Timberwolves at Chicago Bulls, 8:00 p.m.
NBA – Thibodeau returns to Chicago with Wolves in a mess
At the end of November, Derrick Rose brought his New York Knicks to Target Center, the building Tom Thibodeau now calls home with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Adversaries that night, Thibodeau and Rose spent five years together in Chicago grinding out victories and trying to restore the Bulls as Eastern Conference powers. They had dinners together, talked basketball together and bonded through the ups and downs of Rose’s MVP award and his knee injuries. So when Rose glanced at the standings and saw Thibodeau’s Timberwolves at a lowly 5-13, the point guard knew his former coach, one of the most intense personalities in the NBA, probably wasn’t taking it well. It has only gotten worse for the Wolves (6-18) since then, with only the Dallas Mavericks having won fewer games. Heading into a game against the Bulls on Tuesday night, Thibodeau’s first game in Chicago since he was fired by the Bulls in an acrimonious split in 2015, he is searching for answers and a way to connect with his new team.
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at New York Rangers, 7:00 p.m.
Arizona Coyotes at Detroit Red Wings, 7:30 p.m.
NCAAFB – Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer to enter NFL draft
Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer is giving up his senior season to enter the NFL draft. Kizer put together a solid junior season for a disappointing Fighting Irish team that went 4-8 in 2016. He threw for 2,925 yards and 26 touchdowns, and rushed for 472 yards and eight touchdowns. He ranks among the most prolific players in Notre Dame history despite playing extensively in only 24 games over the past two seasons. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Kizer could end up being the first quarterback selected in the draft in April.
NCAAFB – Lane Kiffin leaving Alabama
Alabama coach Nick Saban says offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin is the new head coach at Florida Atlantic. Saban says Kiffin will remain with Alabama for the College Football Playoff, in which the undefeated Crimson Tide are the No. 1 seed. Kiffin has been the offensive coordinator at Alabama for the last three seasons, after previous stints as head coach at Tennessee and Southern Cal. FAU has called a Tuesday news conference to announce the hiring.
NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Tonight
Central Arkansas at Michigan, 9:00 p.m. 95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports
NCAAMBB – Broncos player charged with murder
Prosecutors have filed murder and armed robbery charges against a Western Michigan University basketball player in the killing of a fellow student last week. Joeviair (Joe-vee-AIR’) Kennedy is accused in Thursday’s fatal shooting of 19-year-old Jacob Jones in an off-campus apartment. Prosecutors didn’t know if the 20-year-old Muskegon man has an attorney yet. Authorities allege that Kennedy killed Jones during a robbery of a phone and money. Others were present. The school suspended Kennedy on Friday and he’s been scrubbed from the team’s website. He was in his second year on the team and was averaging more than 7 minutes per game in eight appearances this season. Coach Steve Hawkins says the fatal shooting is a “devastating tragedy for everybody involved.”
NCAAMBB – `Nova stays on top
Villanova tops the latest Associated Press college basketball poll again as the top 11 teams held their spots from last week. The top-ranked Wildcats got 56 first place votes from the 65-member media panel. UCLA is second, followed by Kansas, Baylor and Duke. The next six are Kentucky, North Carolina, Gonzaga (gahn-ZAG’-uh), Indiana, Creighton (KRAY’-tin) and Louisville.
NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
Monmouth 75, Eastern Michigan 68
Tonight
Ohio at Michigan, 6:30 p.m.
MLB – No more “girls” in baseball
Major League rookies are getting a break. MLB has created an Anti-Hazing and Anti-Bullying Policy that will prohibit veterans from dressing up rookies as females such as Wonder Woman, Hooters Girls or Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders. The policy, obtained by The Associated Press, bans players from dressing up as women or wearing costumes that may be offensive to others. However, veterans will still be allowed to force rookies to dress as male superheroes such as Batman or Superman. Other minor forms of rookie hazing will be permitted.
Golf – PGA – Another hernia surgery for Lefty
Phil Mickelson has undergone a second hernia surgery since October. His management company said Monday that the five-time major champion is expected to make a full recovery, but it did not offer a timetable for his return. Mickelson had planned to start 2017 at the CareerBuilder Challenge on January 19-22 in Palm Desert, California.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Tonight
Boys Basketball
SMAC
St. Joseph at Kalamazoo Central, 7:15 p.m. WSJM Sports
Lakeshore at Battle Creek Central, 7:15 p.m.
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at Niles, 7:15 p.m.
Mattawan at Portage Central, 7:15 p.m.
Portage Northern at Battle Creek Lakeview, 7:15 p.m.
Wolverine
Three Rivers at South Haven, 7:15 p.m. WCSY-FM
Sturgis at Allegan, 7:15 p.m.
Vicksburg at Otsego, 7:15 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Paw Paw, 7:15 p.m.
Dowagiac at Plainwell, 7:15 p.m.
BCS
White Pigeon at Lake Michigan Catholic, 7:30 p.m.
Cassopolis at Bridgman, 7:30 p.m.
New Buffalo at Buchanan, 7:30 p.m.
Howardsville Christian at Mendon, 7:00 p.m.
SAC
Gobles at Fennville, 7:00 p.m.
Coloma at Watervliet, 7:00 p.m.
Hartford at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m.
Schoolcraft at Lawton, 7:00 p.m.
Bangor at Saugatuck, 7:00 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Kalamazoo Christian, 7:00 p.m.
Independent/Non Conference
Covert at Eau Claire, 7:00 p.m.
Girls Basketball
SMAC
Kalamazoo Central at St. Joseph, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Central Lakeshore, 7:00 p.m.
Niles at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix, 7:00 p.m.
Portage Central at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Lakeview at Portage Northern, 7:00 p.m.
Wolverine
South Haven at Three Rivers, 7:15 p.m.
Allegan at Sturgis, 7:15 p.m.
Otsego at Vicksburg, 7:15 p.m.
Paw Paw at Edwardsburg, 7:15 p.m.
Plainwell at Dowagiac, 7:15 p.m.
BCS
Bridgman at Michigan Lutheran, 7:30 p.m.
Decatur at River Valley, 7:30 p.m.
SAC
Gobles at Fennville, 7:00 p.m.
Coloma at Watervliet, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Hackett at Hartford, 7:00 p.m.
Lawton at Schoolcraft, 7:00 p.m.
Saugatuck at Bangor, 7:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian at Galesburg-Augusta, 7:00 p.m.
Non Conference/Independent
Eau Claire at New Buffalo, 6:00 p.m.
Gull Lake at Comstock, 7:00 p.m.
