WSJM Sports (for everybody!) Wednesday, February 21, 2018
NCAA Basketball
Last night:
#2 Michigan State Spartans 81, Illinois Fighting Illini 61
#16 Ohio State Buckeyes 79, Rutgers Scarlet Knights 52
Tonight:
#17 Michigan Wolverines @ Penn State Nittany Lions 6:30 pm – 957 & 1400 WSJM Sports
Spartans Hammer Illini For 11th Straight Win, Clinch Share Of Big 10 Title
Red-hot Michigan State has wrapped up a share of the Big Ten regular-season championship in men’s basketball with a convincing home win against Illinois. Miles Bridges scored 19 points and the second-ranked Spartans ripped the Illini, 81-61 to improve to 15-2 in the conference. Joshua Langford had 16 for Michigan State, which led by just three points before opening the second half on a 12-1 run. The Spartans are 27-3 following their 11th consecutive victory. The conference title is the first for Michigan State since 2012, and if they beat Wisconsin on Sunday, they will have their first outright Big Ten championship since 2009.
#16 Ohio State Beats Rutgers
C.J. Jackson scored 18 points and 16th-ranked Ohio State completed its home schedule by clobbering Rutgers, 79-52. Kaleb Wesson finished with 14 points and Kam Williams had 13 as the Buckeyes bounced back from consecutive road losses that dropped them from the top of the Big Ten standings.
Louisville Must Vacate 2013 Basketball Title As NCAA Denies Appeal
Louisville has been stripped of its 2013 men’s basketball title and will have to vacate 123 victories, along with millions in conference revenue from the 2012-15 NCAA tournaments. The NCAA Infraction Appeals Committee says the association has the authority to take away championships for what it considers major rule violations. It also refuted Louisville’s position that the NCAA exceeded its boundaries and didn’t follow its own precedent established in other cases. The punishment follows an embarrassing sex scandal involving former basketball staffer Andre McGee, who was accused of hiring an escort and other dancers to strip and have sex with recruits.
NBA – still in All-Star break
Tomorrow:
Philadelphia 76ers @ Chicago Bulls 8 pm
Struggling Hornets Fire General Manager
The struggling Charlotte Hornets have fired general manager Rich Cho. Team owner Michael Jordan announced the news in a release Tuesday, saying “we’re deeply committed to our fans and to the city of Charlotte to provide a consistent winner on the court.” Charlotte is 24-33 and on the verge of failing to reach the playoffs for the second straight season. Jordan’s college teammate Buzz Peterson was hired last year as the team’s assistant general manager is a potential replacement. Cho was hired as GM in 2011 and assumed day-to-day responsibilities of the basketball operations department in 2014.
NHL
Last night:
Nashville Predators 3, Detroit Red Wings 2
Tonight:
Ottawa Senators @ Chicago Blackhawks 8 pm
Red Wings Fall To Nashville
Viktor Arvidsson scored his third goal in two games and the Nashville Predators ended their seven-game losing skid against Detroit with a 3-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday. Scott Hartnell and Kyle Turris also scored for the Predators, who ended a three-game losing streak in Detroit since a win on November 19, 2013. Andreas Athanasiou and Tomas Tatar scored for the Red Wings, and Jimmy Howard finished with 26 saves. The Red Wings recalled goaltender Jared Coreau from AHL Grand Rapids to replace Petr Mrazek, traded Monday to Philadelphia.
Flyers Lose Simmonds For 2-3 Weeks
The Philadelphia Flyers will spend the next two to three weeks without forward Wayne Simmonds because of an upper-body injury suffered in Sunday’s win over the Rangers. He was involved in a first-period tussle in Sunday’s game and landed a fight-ending left hand to the side of Tony DeAngelo’s helmet. Simmonds has 20 goals and 37 points in 59 games for the Flyers, who are also without starting goaltender Brian Ellott and backup Michal Neuvirth.
Leafs, Sharks Make Deal
The Toronto Maple Leafs have traded forward Eric Fehr to the San Jose Sharks for a seventh-round draft pick in the 2020 draft. The 32-year-old Fehr played in four games with the Leafs this season and was loaned to the AHL’s San Diego Gulls, where he has provided 17 goals and 28 points in 34 games since arriving there in November.
Rangers, Bruins Trade Defensemen
The New York Rangers have shipped defenseman Nick Holden to the Boston Bruins for minor league defenseman Rob O’Gara and a third-round pick in this year’s draft. Holden skated in 135 games with the Rangers over parts of the last two seasons, scoring 14 goals and 46 points.
Sabres Might Lose D Jake McCabe To Injury
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe will miss the remainder of the season to have surgery to repair a shoulder injury that has nagged him for much of the year. The third-year player had three goals and nine assists for 12 points in 53 games this season.
Olympics
Vonn takes bronze, Goggia wins
Lindsey Vonn fell a little short of winning her second women’s Olympic downhill gold medal. The American came away with the bronze by finishing 0.47 seconds behind the gold medal-winning Sofia Goggia of Italy. The 33-year-old Vonn becomes the oldest female medalist in Alpine skiing at the Winter Games. Goggia finished in a time of 1 minute, 39.22 seconds to hold off a Norwegian competitor by 0.09 seconds.
Elsewhere at the Winter Games:
Russian women’s curling coach Sergei Belano says he is convinced a Russian curler charged with doping was slipped meldonium without his knowledge. Belano says he doesn’t believe Alexander Krushelnitsky would have taken the drug because it would be foolish to do so.
Russian athletes allege libel by ex-anti-doping agency head
Three Russian biathletes have sued the country’s former anti-doping laboratory director, saying he severely damaged or destroyed their careers with lies. The athletes have filed a $30 million libel lawsuit in Manhattan State Supreme Court against Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, who lives in hiding in the United States. Rodchenkov has denied claims by Russian President Vladimir Putin that U.S. agencies controlled his unmasking of the scandal.
NFL
Titans, kicker work out extension
Tennessee Titans kicker Ryan Succop has agreed to terms on a multiyear contract extension. Succop scored a career-high 136 points in 2017 to tie Al Del Greco’s 1998 franchise record. He also set an NFL record last season by hitting 56 consecutive field goal attempts from inside 50 yards, a streak that began in 2014.
Fins Franchise Landry
Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry has been given a non-exclusive franchise tag by the team after leading the NFL with 112 catches in 2017. The value of the tag is expected to be about $16 million.
Texans Cut LB Cushing
The Houston Texans have released veteran linebacker Brian Cushing, who appeared in just five games last season. The 2009 Defensive Rookie of the Year is the franchise’s all-time leader in tackles with 664, but his career has been marked by two suspensions for violating the league’s policy on performance enhancers.
MLB
Diamondbacks, Yankees, Rays Make Trade
The Arizona Diamondbacks have sent infielder Brandon Drury to the New York Yankees and received outfielder Steven Souza Jr. from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade that includes five players. Arizona pitching prospect Anthony Banda goes to the Rays, who also get minor league second baseman Nick Solak from the Yankees and two players to be named from the Diamondbacks. Minor league right-hander Taylor Widener goes from New York to Arizona. Drury hit .267 with 13 home runs and 63 RBIs in 135 games last season, while Souza batted .239 with a career-high 30 home runs and 78 RBIs.
Nats’ 2B Murphy Might Not Be Ready For Opener
Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy says he isn’t sure his surgically-repaired right knee will be ready by opening day. Murphy underwent an operation to repair cartilage shortly after last season, a procedure than included micro-fracture surgery. Doctors told him recovery time would be four to six months, and the 32-year-old Murphy already has full range of motion in his knee. Murphy led the National League with 43 doubles last season while batting .322 with 23 homers, 93 RBIs and 94 runs scored.
Twins Sign Former Tiger Anibal Sanchez
The Minnesota Twins have finalized their one-year, non-guaranteed contract with former Detroit Tigers pitcher Anibal Sanchez. The right-hander led the American League in ERA five years ago, but he’s just 20-30 with a 5.67 earned run average in 88 games over the past three seasons.
Orlando Cepeda Hospitalized
Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda has been hospitalized in the Bay Area. The Giants had no further details. The 80-year-old Cepeda has been a regular at Giants home games and attended an 80th birthday event for Hall of Famer Willie McCovey last month.
GOLF
Woods, Stricker To Be Vice Captains At Ryder Cup
Tiger Woods will be in France this year for the Ryder Cup as a vice captain. Still to be determined is whether he gets to play. U.S. captain Jim Furyk appointed Woods and Steve Stricker as two more of his vice captains for the September 28-30 matches at Le Golf National.
MHSAA – High School Sports
Boys Basketball
Last night:
Benton Harbor 73, South Haven 36
Bloomingdale 68, Hartford 40
Bridgman 79, Buchanan 70
Cassopolis 71, Centreville 59
Coloma 65, Gobles 56
Dowagiac 65, Plainwell 62
Fennville 66, Lawrence 32
Galesburg-Augusta 48, Lawton 42
Lake Michigan Catholic 68, Berrien Springs 38
Niles 53, Battle Creek Lakeview 51
Schoolcraft 62, Watervliet 56
White Pigeon 52, Bangor 42
Benton Harbor Tigers Win Third Straight, Topping South Haven
Benton Harbor won its third straight while snapping South Haven’s five game winning streak with a 73-36 win over the Rams Tuesday night. The Tiger defense caused problems for South Haven all night. The Rams managed just eight points in the first half. Benton Harbor held a 15-5 lead after a quarter and took a 28-8 lead into the half. Offensively, Benton Harbor was led by Shawn Hopkins’ 15 points with Carlos Johnson adding 14. Caskadara Smith scored 15 points in the loss for South Haven. The win lifts Benton Harbor to 18-1 on the season. South Haven falls to 7-10.
Girls Basketball
Last night:
Berrien Springs 49, Lake Michigan Catholic 22
Battle Creek Lakeview 55, Niles 39
Centreville 46, Cassopolis 41
Gobles 49, Coloma 29
Kalamazoo Central 68, Lakeshore 29
Lawrence 58, Fennville 36
Lawton 44, Galesburg-Augusta 35
Michigan Lutheran 30, Parchment 24
Schoolcraft 60, Watervliet 39
White Pigeon 45, Bangor 26
Tonight:
Benton Harbor @ Wyoming Godwin Heights 6:30 pm
ML Titans Beat Parchment In Non-Conference Game
Sarah Jackemeyer led all scorers with 13 points in leading Michigan Lutheran to a 30-24 win over Parchment last night. She also pulled down 14 rebounds for a double-double. The Titans improved to 16-3 overall with the victory and remain 11-0 in the BCS White. Mackenzie Zabel had 8 points for ML, and Jessi Jewell added 4. Parchment was led by Trinity Stone with 10 points.
Junior College Basketball
Tonight:
Lake Michigan College @ Lansing Community College – women @ 5:30 pm, men @ 7:30 pm
