95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports @wsjmsports wsjmsports.com Wednesday, March 29, 2017
NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Carolina Hurricanes 4, Detroit Red Wings 1
Hurricanes 4, Red Wings 1 – Wings streak of playoff appearances ends with 4-1 loss to Hurricanes
Lee Stempniak and Joakim Nordstrom scored about five minutes apart in the first period, and the Carolina Hurricanes beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 Tuesday night in the teams’ second meeting in two nights. Jordan Staal and Elias Lindholm also scored for Carolina and Cam Ward stopped 21 shots. The Hurricanes have earned a point in 12 straight games (8-0-4) to move four points out of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot. The Red Wings beat the Hurricanes on Monday in a makeup game rescheduled from Dec. 19 when a Freon leak at PNC Arena made for unplayable ice. Tuesday’s contest was regularly scheduled. The postponement resulted in three games in the three days for the Red Wings. They won the first two but visibly struggled with their energy in the finale to snap a four-game point streak. Tomas Nosek scored his first NHL goal and Jimmy Howard made 28 saves for Detroit. Detroit’s loss eliminated it from playoff contention, ending the Red Wings’ run of 25 consecutive postseason appearances _ tied for the third-longest such streak in NHL history.
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at Pittsburgh Penguins, 8:00 p.m.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Miami Heat 97, Detroit Pistons 96
Minnesota Timberwolves 115, Indiana Pacers 114
Heat 97, Pistons 96 – Whiteside’s buzzer-beating tip-in lifts Heat past Pistons
Hassan Whiteside tipped in a shot at the buzzer to lift the Miami Heat over the Detroit Pistons 97-96 on Tuesday night. Miami is a game up on Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and 2 ½ games ahead of Detroit. Whiteside jumped over Andre Drummond to tip in Goran Dragic’s missed jumper. The final play was reviewed and confirmed. Dragic scored 28 points and Whiteside finished with 17 points and nine rebounds for the Heat (36-38). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 25 points and Tobias Harris and Ish Smith each scored 19 for the Pistons (34-41). Detroit lost its fifth straight and eighth in nine games.
T-Wolves 115, Pacers 114 – Rubio’s late free throws help Minnesota end skid at Indiana
Ricky Rubio made three free throws with 3.4 seconds left to give the Minnesota Timberwolves a 115-114 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night. Minnesota snapped a season-high six-game losing streak by taking its only lead of the quarter. Rubio had 21 points and 10 assists, and Karl-Anthony Towns had 37 points and 12 rebounds. Rubio was fouled by Jeff Teague, though it appeared Rubio ran into his own teammate on the play. Indiana fans booed the officials as they left the court. Indiana’s Monta Ellis got off a last-second 3-point shot, but he was off the mark. Paul George scored 37 points to lead the Pacers, whose playoff chances took another hit. Teague had 20 points and 10 assists.
Tonight
Indiana Pacers at Memphis Grizzlies, 8:00 p.m.
NBA – Pacers lose Stuckey for 4-6 weeks with injured left knee
The Indiana Pacers will be without backup guard Rodney Stuckey for four to six weeks with a strained left patellar tendon. Stuckey is the third key player the Pacers have lost at a crucial stretch. Coach Nate McMillan said center Al Jefferson is expected to be evaluated next week and could miss up to two weeks with the sprained left ankle he hurt in Sunday’s game. Glenn Robinson III, the NBA slam dunk champion, also is expected to be out at least one more week with a strained left calf. All three have already been ruled out against the Timberwolves.
NCAAMBB – Men’s NIT Semifinals
Last Night
Georgia Tech 76, CSU Bakersfield 61
TCU 68, UCF 53
NCAAWBB – Women’s NIT Semifinals
Tonight
Villanova at Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Washington State at Georgia Tech, 7:00 p.m.
NCAAMBB – NIT – Tech and TCU to meet for NIT finals
It will be Georgia Tech against TCU in Thursday’s NIT title game. Josh Okogie scored a game-high 22 points and Ben Lammers finished with 15 and 11 rebounds as the Yellow Jackets knocked out Cal State Bakersfield, 76-61 at Madison Square Garden. Kenrich Williams scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half of the Horned Frogs’ 68-53 win over Central Florida.
MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday
Kansas City 7, Chicago White Sox 4
San Francisco 10, Chicago Cubs 7
Detroit 6, N.Y. Yankees 3
Today
Philadelphia (ss) vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
San Diego vs. Chicago White Sox at Glendale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Oakland vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 4:05 p.m.
NCAAFB – Dantonio says MSU’s Martinez has decided to transfer
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio says cornerback Drake Martinez has decided to transfer. Martinez spent a redshirt year at Nebraska in 2013, played at a junior college the following year and played in two games in 2015 for Michigan State. He played in four games last season for the Spartans. Dantonio announced Martinez’s departure Tuesday.
NCAAFB – Dantonio says MSU `extremely concerned’ about allegations
Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio says the Spartans are “extremely concerned” about allegations of sexual assault made against three football players, and he says other questions about his team and spring practice are “trivial” in comparison. Dantonio spoke for nearly a half-hour at a news conference Tuesday. It was the first time he’d been available to reporters since the school announced the players’ suspensions from team activities Feb. 9. Their names have not been released, and prosecutors have not announced any decision on charges. Reporters have not had access to spring practice at Michigan State, but the spring game Saturday is still taking place as scheduled.
NFL – Judge signs deal to demolish Silverdome, former Lions home
The former home of the Detroit Lions will be demolished. A judge approved a deal Tuesday between the city of Pontiac and the owner of the Pontiac Silverdome to get rid of the stadium. The Detroit Free Press says Triple Investment Group has until June 9 to apply for a permit and announce the date of destruction. Pontiac Mayor Deirdre Waterman says it’s possible that implosion will be part of the strategy to bring down the Silverdome. The Lions played in Pontiac in suburban Detroit from 1975 through 2001. It was also the home of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and hosted the Super Bowl in 1982. The enormous parking lot lately has been used to store Volkswagen cars related to the company’s emissions scandal.
NFL – Refs to view replays on tablets
NFL referees will have a hand-held tablet for video replay reviews next season. The owners approved the move at their meeting Tuesday in Phoenix. Previously, the referee would go to a sideline camera for reviews, and he would have final say on keeping or reversal a call. Now, league officiating chief Dean Blandino and his staff in New York will make those decisions with input from the referee.
FIFA – Argentine star suspended
Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi has been banned from his country’s next four World Cup qualifying games. He was suspended for “having directed insulting words at an assistant referee” during a home qualifier last week against Chile. The punishment began with Tuesday’s game against Bolivia and ends just before Argentina’s final match in the 10-team South American qualifying group.
USA Hockey – USA women’s team to play in world championships
The US women’s hockey team will be going to the world championships, after all. USA Hockey has announced that it has reached a wage agreement that avoids a team boycott of the championships. Players were seeking a four-year deal that included payment outside the six-month Olympic period. The team was prepared to boycott the tournament as it sought greater compensation. USA Hockey was exploring the possibility of filling the roster with replacement players for the tournament, which gets underway on Friday in Plymouth, Michigan.
MHSAA – Michigan Basketball Coaches name All State Teams
The Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan have announced their postseason award winners for girls basketball.
Class A First Team
Shelby Madison (St. Joseph)
Class A Honorable Mention
Anna Fischer (St. Joseph)
Natalie Foster (Mattawan)
Class B First Team Mention
No local winners
Class B Honorable Mention
Sarah Dubbert (Lakeshore)
Kaitlyn Zarycki (Edwardsburg)
Class C First Team
Zakiyyah Abdullah (Brandywine)
Class C Honorable Mention
Hailey Baxter (Gobles)
Santaja Gibson (Cassopolis)
Class D First Team
Daelynn Jackson-Peek (Lawrence)
Emily Witkowski (Michigan Lutheran)
Class D Honorable Mention
Sarah Jackemeyer (Michigan Lutheran)
Erika Rosenbaum (Michigan Lutheran)
Jade Sibley (Marcellus)
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Baseball
Coloma 4, Dowagiac 0 – Game 1
Dowagiac 2, Coloma 1 – Game 2
Three Rivers 15, Lawton 0
Harper Creek 3, Gull Lake 1 – Game 1
Harper Creek 3, Gull Lake 0 – Game 2
Allegan 11, Gobles 8
Softball
Bridgman 16, Kalamazoo Central 0 – Game 1
Bridgman 17, Kalamazoo Central 6 – Game 2
Gobles 12, Allegan 11
Constantine 11, Mendon 1
Constantine 7, Mendon 6
Gull Lake 7, Byron Center 6
Girls Soccer
Michigan Lutheran 1, Cassopolis 1 – TIE
Coloma 8, New Buffalo 0
Niles 5, Bridgman 5 – TIE
Gull Lake 4, Marshall 0
Tonight
Baseball
St. Joseph at South Haven, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Niles at Brandywine, 4:15 p.m.
Mattawan at Kalamazoo Hackett, 4:30 p.m. (DH)
Allegan at Comstock, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Paw Paw at Galesburg-Augusta, 4:30 p.m.
Otsego at Hopkins, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Bronston at Three Rivers, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Holland Black River at Fennville, 4:30 p.m.
Softball
St. Joseph at South Haven, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Bloomingdale at Kalamazoo Central, 4:30 p.m.
Paw Paw at Galesburg-Augusta, 4:30 p.m.
Otsego at Hopkins, 4:00 p.m. (DH)
Delton-Kellogg at Plainwell, 4:00 p.m.
Girls Soccer
St. Joseph at Allegan, 6:45 p.m.
Niles at Kalamazoo Central, 6:45 p.m.
Parma Western at Battle Creek Lakeview, 6:45 p.m.
Harper Creek at Battle Creek Central, 6:45 p.m.
Grandville at Portage Central, 6:45 p.m.
Kalamazoo Hackett at Portage Northern, 6:45 p.m.
Otsego at Parchment, 6:00 p.m.
Kalamazoo Christian at Paw Paw, 6:00 p.m.
