Weekday Morning Sports – Wednesday 1/18/17

sportsreport-153
sportsreport-153

95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Wednesday, January 18, 2017

NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Last Night
(17) Wisconsin 68, Michigan 64
Eastern Michigan 86, Western Michigan 80
Ball State 98, Central Michigan 83

#17 Wisconsin 68, Michigan 64 – Koenig leads No. 17 Wisconsin past Michigan, 68-64
Bronson Koenig scored 16 points, 10 in a key run that turned the game around, and No. 17 Wisconsin survived a scare from Michigan 68-64 on Tuesday night. Michigan (12-7, 2-4 Big Ten) seemed to have Wisconsin (15-3, 4-1) on the ropes at one point in the second half. Wisconsin’s Ethan Happ went to the bench with his third foul early and could largely only watch as the Wolverines went on a 17-2 run that put them up 38-30. The Wolverines even hit 3s on consecutive possessions after Wisconsin tied the game at 43. Then Koenig took over.

EMU 86, WMU 80 – Thompson leads E. Michigan to 86-80 win over W. Michigan
James Thompson IV had a season-best 26 points while grabbing 11 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season as Eastern Michigan took control in the second half to beat Western Michigan 86-80 on Tuesday night.  Thomas Wilder led Western Michigan (6-11, 2-3) with 26, making 7 of 12 field goals. Reggie Jones added 17 and Tucker Haymond had 11.

Ball State 98, CMU 83 – Moses’ 3rd double-double leads Ball St past Central Michigan
Trey Moses scored a career-high 20 points, on 7-of-8 shooting, grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked a career-best four shots as Ball State pulled away in the second half for a 98-83 win over Central Michigan on Tuesday night.  Marcus Keene, made a career-high tying eight 3-pointers and finished with 29 points and seven assists for the Chippewas.

Tonight
(15) Notre Dame at (10) Florida State, 7:00 p.m.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Chicago Blackhawks 6, Colorado Avalanche 4

Blackhawks 6, Avalanche 4 – Hinostroza rallies Blackhawks to 6-4 win over Avalanche
Vinnie Hinostroza scored twice in the third period, including the go-ahead goal with 11:49 remaining, and the Chicago Blackhawks rallied for a 6-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. Tanner Kero had two goals and Nick Schmaltz and Brent Seabrook also scored for Chicago, which snapped a two-game skid. The Blackhawks switched around their line combinations, breaking up the Jonathan Toews-Marian Hossa tandem in an effort to spark the offense. It certainly worked with Hinostroza, Kero and Hossa combining for eight points. Hossa had three assists. Matt Duchene had two goals and Blake Comeau and Matt Nieto also scored for the last-place Avalanche, who wrapped up a four-game homestand with a 1-3 mark. This game felt more like a road game, though, with all the Blackhawk fans in attendance.

Tonight
Boston Bruins at Detroit Red Wings, 8:00 p.m.

NHL – Red Wings’ postseason streak running on fumes in Motor City
NHL standings used to be displayed in the Detroit Red Wings’ dressing room, filling much of a wall between the players’ lounge and showers. Detroit doesn’t display the ever-changing glance at the league’s lineup of teams anymore. And, perhaps that’s a good thing. Detroit is in danger of not making the playoffs for the first time since 1990, a streak that started when it could outspend the competition and might end because the salary cap may have caught up to the storied franchise. The Red Wings woke up Wednesday in seventh place in the eight-team Atlantic, but just six points away from the division’s third guaranteed spot in the postseason with a little less than half of the regular season remaining. Captain Henrik Zetterberg says he doesn’t want to be on that team that doesn’t make it, but that the team still has a chance.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Dallas Mavericks 99, Chicago Bulls 98

Mavericks 99, Bulls 98 – Mavericks edge Bulls 99-98 for 3rd straight win
Wesley Matthews made a go-ahead 3-pointer from the wing with 12 seconds left, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Chicago Bulls 99-98 on Tuesday night for their first three-game winning streak of the season. Six players scored in double figures for the Mavericks, including all five starters. Harrison Barnes had 20 points, Seth Curry added 18 and Dirk Nowitzki finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Dallas trailed 98-96 after Jimmy Butler made a long jumper over Matthews with 23 seconds left, but Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle decided against a timeout and Deron Williams drove into the lane before kicking out to Matthews for the 3. Chicago had one last chance, but Dwyane Wade missed a potential game-winning jumper from the corner on his 35th birthday as time expired.

Tonight
Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons, 8:00 p.m.

NBA – Clippers lose Paul for at least 6 weeks
The Los Angeles Clippers have lost another All-Star. Point guard Chris Paul is expected to miss six to eight weeks because of a torn ligament in his left thumb. Paul is slated for surgery on Wednesday, about a week before fellow All-Star Blake Griffin is expected to return from right knee surgery. Paul is averaging an NBA-high 2.25 steals this season while contributing 17.5 points, 9.7 assists and 5.3 rebounds a game.  The Clippers are 7-0 this month, their best start to a calendar year since 1974.

NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Last Night
Northwestern 76, Michigan State 65

Tonight
Kent State at Western Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Miami (OH) at Central Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Eastern Michigan at Ball State, 7:00 p.m.

NCAAWBB – Michigan State women’s basketball coach takes medical leave
Michigan State women’s basketball coach Suzy Merchant is taking an indefinite medical leave of absence. The school announced Tuesday associate head coach Amaka Agugua will lead the team as interim head coach. Merchant fainted during a game Jan. 1 and was later taken to a hospital for tests and kept overnight as a precaution. She felt similar symptoms Saturday following a game at Rutgers, and stayed in New Jersey for tests at a hospital. Merchant did not coach on Jan. 4 at Purdue before returning for the following three games. The 47-year-old Merchant is in her 10th season at Michigan State. She helped the Spartans win their first outright Big Ten title in 2011, and shared a conference championship in 2014.

NCAAWBB – Gondrezick wins Freshman of the Week award again
University of Michigan guard Kysre Gondrezick earned the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award for the third time this season.  The Benton Harbor native average 17.0 points, 5.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Wolverines in two wins last week.  Gondrezick is 21st in the Big Ten in scoring, but she is first in the conference in 3-point shooting percentage (46.1%).

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Grand Rapids Griffins at Iowa Wild, 8:00 p.m.

ECHL – East Coast Hockey League
Tonight
2017 All Star Game, Glens Falls, NY

MCCAA – Junior College Basketball
Tonight
Lansing Community College at Lake Michigan College, 5:30 (Women)/7:30 (Men), WSJM Sports 5:20

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Boys Basketball
011717-sjvixSt. Joseph 52, Vicksburg 51
–St. Joe rallied for a 52-51 win over Vicksburg.  The Bears trailed by as many as ten in the 4th quarter, but Michael Hunn scored 7 of his 12 points down the stretch, including the game winner to help lift the Bears to the non-conference victory.  Cade Shimulunas paced St. Joe with 16 points.  Deondre Lovell scored 15 in the loss for the Bulldogs.

Benton Harbor 62, Muskegon Heights 60
–Carlos Johnson led Benton Harbor with 21 points and 20 rebounds in a 62-60 win at Muskegon Heights.  Roy Anderson also had 21 points for Benton Harbor who are 10-0 on the season for the first time since the 2004-05 season

New Buffalo 58, Countryside 35
–New Buffalo had three players in double figures, led by Julian Hymes with 16 points as New Buffalo defeated Countryside 58-35.  Creo Brewster and Seth Margaritas each scored 10 for the Bison in the win.

Hartford 75, Lawrence 41
–Will Martinez had a game high 30 points to help lead Hartford to a 75-41 win over Lawrence.   Austin Nelson had a double double with 12 points and 11 assists.   The Indians had a 41-18 lead at the half.

Lakeshore 49, Edwardsburg 36
Portage Central 47, Mattawan 43
Three Rivers 64, Gull Lake 51
Sturgis 54, Battle Creek Lakeview 41
Battle Creek Central 58, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 48
Allegan 68, Lawton 59
Plainwell 56, Berrien Springs 45
Michigan Lutheran 43, White Pigeon 39
Constantine 48, Mendon 26
Kalamazoo Christian 73, Parchment 48
Schoolcraft 71, Comstock 39
Marcellus 58, Howardsville Christian 52
G.R. Covenant Christian 58, Fennville 57
Delton Kellogg 50, Martin 44

Girls Basketball
St. Joseph 41, Vicksburg 22
–St. Joseph improved to 8-2 on the season after a 41-22 non-conference win at Vicksburg.  Anna Fischer had 14 points to lead the Lady Bears, Shelby Madison added 13 points in the victory.  Layna Steele had a game high 15 of the Bulldogs 22 points.

Buchanan 53, Michigan Lutheran 42
–Buchanan’s Brooke Wesner scored 19 of her game high 29 points in the fourth quarter and went over the 1,000 point mark in her career as Buchanan beat Michigan Lutheran 53-42.  Jayla Bibbs added 12 for the Bucks.   Emily Witkowski led Michigan Lutheran with 21 points.

Hartford 66, Lawrence 45
–Hartford got double doubles from AJ Jackson with 16 points and 10 boards and Mikenze Chambers who had 12 points and 10 rebounds to give Hartford at 66-45 win over Lawrence.

Lakeshore 44, Edwardsburg 35
Portage Central 39, Mattawan 17
Niles 46, Cassopolis 39
Gull Lake 49, Three Rivers 38
Kalamazoo Central 78, Sturgis 29
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 50, Battle Creek Central 39
Allegan 36, Lawton 24
Dowagiac 47, Coloma 35
Plainwell 51, Galesburg-Augusta 37
Watervliet 50, South Haven 41
Kalamazoo Christian 43, Parchment 34
Constantine 43, Mendon 40
Comstock 41, Schoolcraft 35
North Muskegon 49, Saugatuck 47

Boys Swimming
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 107, St. Joseph 79

Tonight
Boys Basketball
Comstock at Buchanan, 7:30 p.m.