NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball – 2018 NCAA Tournament
Last Night – First Four, Dayton, OH
Texas Southern 64, North Carolina Central 46
Syracuse 60, Arizona State 56
Texas Southern 64, NC Central 46 – Texas Southern beats NC Central for first tournament win
Texas Southern got its first ever NCAA Tournament win, a 64-46 rout of North Carolina Central in a First Four game on Wednesday night. Demontrae Jefferson, a 5-foot-7 guard, scored 25 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lift No. 16 seed Texas Southern, which became the first team with a losing record to win a tournament game. The Tigers started the season 0-13 against a rough schedule and didn’t win a game until Jan. 1. Now they move on face No. 1 seed Xavier on Friday.
Syracuse 60, Arizona State 56 – Last-in Syracuse rallies for 60-56 win over Arizona State
Freshman Oshae Brissett had a double-double and led Syracuse’s second-half comeback, and the Orange, the last team to make the NCAA Tournament, held on for a 60-56 victory over Arizona State on Wednesday night in the First Four. The 11th-seeded Orange plays No. 6 seed TCU on Friday in Detroit in the Midwest Region. Syracuse had to sweat out Selection Sunday and wound up as the last one to make the bracket, sent to the First Four. The Orange prevailed in a matchup of teams that started fast and then faded onto the tournament bubble.
Today – Live Coverage on 95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports
East Region
16 Radford vs. 1 Villanova, 6:50 p.m. PPG Paints Arena-Pittsburgh, PA
14 Stephen F. Austin vs. 3 Texas Tech, 7:27 p.m. American Airlines Center-Dallas, TX
9 Alabama vs. 8 Virginia Tech, 9:20 p.m. PPG Paints Arena-Pittsburgh, PA
11 Saint Bonaventure vs. 6 Florida, 9:57 p.m. American Airlines Center-Dallas, TX
Midwest Region
10 Oklahoma vs. 7 Rhode Island, 12:15 p.m. PPG Paints Arena-Pittsburgh, PA
16 Pennsylvania vs. 1 Kansas, 2:00 p.m. Intrust Bank Arena-Wichita, KS
15 Iona vs. 2 Duke, 2:45 p.m. PPG Paints Arena-Pittsburgh, PA
9 NC State vs. 8 Seton Hall, 4:30 p.m. Intrust Bank Arena-Wichita, KS
South Region
14 Wright State vs. 3 Tennessee, 12:40 p.m. American Airlines Center-Dallas, TX
11 Loyola-Chicago vs. 6 Miami-FL, 3:10 p.m. American Airlines Center-Dallas, TX
12 Davidson vs. 5 Kentucky, 7:10 p.m. Taco Bell Arena-Boise, ID
13 Buffalo vs. 4 Arizona, 9:40 p.m. Taco Bell Arena-Boise, ID
West Region
13 UNC-Greensboro vs. 4 Gonzaga, 1:30 p.m. Taco Bell Arena-Boise, ID
12 South Dakota State vs. 5 Ohio State, 4:00 p.m. Taco Bell Arena-Boise, ID
11 San Diego State vs. 6 Houston, 7:20 p.m. Intrust Bank Arena-Wichita, KS
14 Montana vs. 3 Michigan, 9:50 p.m. Intrust Bank Arena-Wichita, KS
We will carry the Michigan broadcast on 95.7 & 1400 WSJM Sports
NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball – 2018 NIT
Yesterday
LSU 84, Louisiana 76
Marquette 67, Harvard 60
Mississippi State 66, Nebraska 59
Utah 69, UC Davis 59
Stanford 86, BYU 83
Washington 77, Boise State 74
NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at Winnipeg Jets, 8:00 p.m.
Detroit Red Wings at Los Angeles Kings, 10:00 p.m.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Tonight
Toronto Raptors at Indiana Pacers, 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Bulls at Memphis Grizzlies, 8:00 p.m.
Detroit Pistons at Denver Nuggets, 9:00 p.m.
NFL – Lions release Eric Ebron on quiet first day of free agency
The Detroit Lions made a significant move on the first day of free agency. It wasn’t an addition. On an otherwise quiet Wednesday, the Lions announced they were releasing tight end Eric Ebron. The 10th overall pick in the 2014 draft would have earned $8.25 million this season if he had remained on the roster past 4 p.m. Ebron had flashes in his four years with the Lions, catching 186 passes for 2,070 yards and 11 touchdowns, but poor hands and inconsistent play made him a target for boos at Ford Field. Much of the frustration came from the players Detroit passed to pick him so early in the draft. Six of the next seven players chosen have gone to at least one Pro Bowl, including New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (selected 12th) and Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (13th).
NFL – Bears agree to deals with Acho, Amukamara
The Chicago Bears have agreed to contracts with linebacker Sam Acho and cornerback Prince Amukamara. A seven-year pro, Acho had three sacks last season. Amukamara had seven pass breakups and 48 tackles after signing a one-year contract. Quarterback Mike Glennon, receiver Marcus Wheaton and defensive back Marcus Cooper were released on Wednesday. Quarterback Chase Daniel indicated on Twitter that he is headed to Chicago. He posted the team’s logo with emojis of a bear and an arrow pointing down – as in “bear down.” Daniel played for Kansas City when Bears coach Matt Nagy was a Chiefs assistant and has spent time with New Orleans and Philadelphia.
NFL – Vikings make moves
The Minnesota Vikings are attempting to sort out their quarterback situation. While Kirk Cousins was on his way to visit on Wednesday, the Vikings were moving swiftly toward securing a potential backup. According to a person with knowledge of the negotiations, the Vikings were working on a trade Wednesday with the Denver Broncos to acquire quarterback Trevor Siemian. Siemian started 24 games for the Broncos over the last two seasons.
MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday
Kansas City 7, Chicago Cubs 6
Milwaukee 11, Chicago White Sox 3
Today
Detroit Tigers at Atlanta Braves, 1:05 p.m. Kissimmee, FL
Arizona Diamondbacks at Chicago Cubs, 4:05 p.m. Mesa, AZ
Chicago White Sox at Los Angeles Angels (SS), 9:10 p.m. Tempe, AZ
MLB – Schwarber gets $604,500 salary in deal with Cubs
Kyle Schwarber has a $604,500 salary in the major leagues as part of the one-year contract the Chicago Cubs announced last weekend. The outfielder’s salary would drop to $271,150 while in the minor leagues as part of the split contract. It represents a slight raise from last year, when his contract was for $565,500 in the majors and $261,000 in the minors. Schwarber is on track to be eligible for salary arbitration next winter. He missed most of the 2016 season after tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament during an outfield collision with teammate Dexter Fowler. Schwarber returned for the World Series and helped the Cubs win their first title since 1908. Schwarber slumped to a .211 average with 30 homers and 59 RBIs last year and was demoted to the minors for 11 games in late June and early July. He earned $542,205.
NCAAFB – Michigan unlikely to have answer on Patterson by practice
Michigan is unlikely to know whether Mississippi transfer Shea Patterson will be eligible to play next season by the time it begins spring practice March 23. Attorney Tom Mars, who is advising Patterson, says an NCAA ruling cannot come until after Ole Miss has the opportunity to respond to Michigan’s application for a waiver. Mississippi has 10 business days to submit a response, starting
from when it receives the information from Michigan. Mars says he is optimistic the clock on Mississippi’s response starts Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mars says other schools that have accepted five of Patterson’s Ole Miss teammates as transfers plan to see how his case plays out before filing similar requests with the NCAA. Patterson wants to avoid having to sit out for one season as usually required and be eligible to play for the Wolverines in 2018. He decided to transfer after the NCAA penalized Ole Miss’ football program with sanctions for rules violations under former coach Hugh Freeze. The penalties included a bowl ban for the 2018 season.
AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Iowa Wild 4, Grand Rapids Griffins 2
ECHL – East Coast Hockey League
Last Night
Toledo Walleye 3, Quad City Mallards 2
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball – Regional Finals
Class B at Coloma
Benton Harbor 67, Dowagiac 57
- Benton Harbor won the Class B Regional Championship with a 67-57 victory over Dowagiac. The Chieftains took a two point lead into the half, but the Tigers erupted for 28 points in the third quarter to take a 56-45 advantage after three quarters. TJ Jones powered the third quarter outburst, scoring 11 of his game high 19 points in the frame. Shawn Hopkins added 16 points for Benton Harbor. Demetrius Lanier led Dowagiac with 17. Benton Harbor improves to 24-1 and advances to face Williamston Tuesday in Ionia in the Class B State Quarterfinals. Dowagiac ends the season at 17-6.
Class C at Constantine
Kalamazoo Christian 61, Cassopolis 48
- The only loss of the season for Cassopolis ends their season. as Kalamazoo Christian beat previously undefeated Cassopolis 61-48 to win the Class C Regional Title at Constantine. Jordan Katje had 24 for K-Christian. Kiambu Gary had 16 in the loss for Cassopolis, who finish the season at 24-1. Kalamazoo Christian will faces Monroe St. Mary’s in Tuesday’s Quarterfinal at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix.
Class D at Harper Creek
Howardsville Christian 58, Bellevue 46
- Howardsville Christian claimed the first regional championship in school history after a 58-46 win over Bellevue in the Class D Regional at Harper Creek. Dylan Jergens led the way for Howardsville with a game high 30 points, 16 of them in the final quarter as Howardsville Christian advances to the Class D Quarterfinals Tuesday at Portage Northern against Hillsdale Academy.
Today
Girls Basketball – State Semifinals – Van Noord Arena, Calvin College
Class C
Detroit Edison PSA (22-1) vs. Pewamo-Westphalia (25-0), 12:00 p.m.
Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (20-5) vs. Maple City Glen Lake (23-2), 2:00 p.m.
Class D
Chassell (25-1) vs. Waterford Our Lady of the Lakes (20-4), 5:30 p.m.
Adrian Lenawee Christian (24-1) vs. Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart (25-0), 7:30 p.m.
