AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Wednesday

Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 18 points, and Oklahoma State held off a late rally to defeat No. 6 Kansas 75-70. Kansas trailed by three in the closing seconds and had possession. Oklahoma State's Bryce Williams stole the ball, drove the length of the floor and and dunked as time expired. The Cowboys blew a 19-point lead in a loss to West Virginia eight days earlier and squandered a 16-point lead in the second half of this one before scoring the game's final eight points. David McCormack scored a season-high 24 points for Kansas.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Running back Markese Stepp has transferred from Southern California to Nebraska. His arrival strengthens an area of need for the Cornhuskers following the departure of Dedrick Mills and Wan'Dale Robinson. Stepp made the announcement on Twitter. The 6-foot, 235-pounder appeared in five of the Trojans' six games. He was the team's third-leading rusher with 45 carries for 165 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 28 yards. He was a four-star prospect coming out of high school in Indianapolis in 2018.

UNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers were able to win a battle of undermanned teams.

Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 45 points and 16 rebounds as the Sixers outlasted the Heat, 137-134 in overtime. Dakota Mathias' only basket of the game was a go-ahead 3-pointer with 26.1 seconds left. Ben Simmons had five points and 12 assists in his return from injury, but the 76ers continued to play without Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and Shake Milton due to heath and safety protocols involving COVID-19.

With Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) and Goran Dragic (DRAH'-gihch) among the Heat sitting out for COVID-related reasons, Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) paced the team with 34 points while Duncan Robinson had 26.

— LeBron James scored 26 points in just more than three quarters of the Lakers' 117-100 rout of the Rockets. Anthony Davis added 19 points and 10 rebounds in three quarters to help Los Angeles clobber Houston for the second time in three days. The Lakers led by 20 or more for most of the game on a night James Harden made just 5 of 16 shots and the Rockets were outrebounded 55-42.

— Kevin Durant's 34 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds keyed the Nets' 122-116 comeback over the Nuggets. Brown scored 16 points, including the tying and go-ahead baskets down the stretch after Brooklyn trailed by as many as 18. Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) had 23 points, 11 assists and eight boards for Denver, which was trying to sweep a three-game road trip before being outscored 68-46 in the second half. 

— The Jazz completed a 4-2 road trip as Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points in a 117-87 pounding of the Cavaliers. Jordan Clarkson had 21 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Bojan (BOY'-ahn) Bogdanovic added 20 points for Utah. Mitchell and Clarkson each made five 3s as Utah went 24 of 45 beyond the arc.

— Myles Turner's 22-point effort included a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:59 to play in the Pacers' 104-95 verdict over the Warriors. Turner also had 11 rebounds and four blocks for Indiana, playing a back-to-back following a 127-122 loss to the Kings that kicked off a five-game road trip out West. Golden State guard Stephen Curry had 20 points on 7 of 17 shooting, one game after missing 14 of 16 attempts.

— Lonnie Walker IV scored 24 points and the Spurs finished 4-1 on their road trip by topping the Thunder, 112-102. Keldon Johnson added 18 points for the Spurs, committed a season-low four turnovers and earned their 2,200th victory since joining the NBA in 1976. Patty Mils chipped in 17 points, including a 3-pointer that gave San Antonio its largest lead at 85-75 with 10:49 left.

UNDATED (AP) — With five games called off this week already and more teams dealing with virus-related issues, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have enacted additional rules in the hope of keeping the season going safely.

Among the new policies: for "at least the next two weeks," the league and union said Tuesday, players and team staff will have to remain at their residence when in their home markets and will be prohibited from leaving their hotels or having outside guests when on the road.

Tonight's matchup in Chicago between the Bulls and the Boston Celtics has been postponed because of coronavirus concerns. Tomorrow's Wizards-Jazz game in Washington is the latest to be scrubbed.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Wizards say two of their players are going on the NBA's health and safety protocols list. 

The Wizards canceled their Tuesday practice, saying that decision was made "out of an abundance of caution." They beat the Suns on Monday and are scheduled to host the Jazz on Wednesday. The Wizards did not identify the two players.

— The Nets and the NBA are looking into Kyrie Irving's actions after a video showed the point guard at an indoor gathering while not wearing a mask. Irving missed Tuesday's game against Denver, his fourth straight for what the Nets are calling personal reasons. He will likely face a quarantine period upon his return and could be fined if the NBA determines he violated the rules in place during the coronavirus pandemic.

UNDATED (AP) — A top-10, Big Ten matchup became a mismatch as Michigan stayed unbeaten.

The seventh-ranked Wolverines are 11-0 following a 77-54 drubbing of No. 9 Wisconsin.

The Wolverines turned it into a blowout by reeling off a 43-6 run bridging the two halves. Michigan led just 26-23 before scoring the last 14 points of the first half.

Mike Smith had 16 points and six assists, while Franz Wagner added 15 points and 10 boards. 

Michigan became the first team in college basketball history to beat three ranked teams in a row by at least 19 points.

The Badgers had won seven of their previous 10 visits to Ann Arbor. D'Mitrik Trice had a game-high 20 points for Wisconsin, which fell to 10-3.

— Cade Cunningham scored 18 points and Oklahoma State held off a late rally to beat No. 6 Kansas, 75-70. The Cowboys squandered a 16-point lead in the second half before scoring the final eight points. Bryce Williams scored 17 points and Avery Anderson III added 14 for Oklahoma State. 

— Tyrece Radford had 18 points and 12 rebounds to carry 20th-ranked Virginia Tech to a 74-67 victory over No. 19 Duke. The Hokies jump to an 18-point, first-half lead and hold off Duke's second-half rally to win for the sixth time in seven games. Keve Aluma added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Jalen Cone finished with 14 points for Tech.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference has postponed the Tuesday night basketball game between in-state rivals Tennessee and Vanderbilt. It's because of a combination of positive coronavirus tests, contact tracing and quarantining within the Commodores' program.

The game was a late addition to the schedule because of COVID-19 issues at Missouri, where Vanderbilt had been scheduled to play, and at South Carolina, Tennessee's originally scheduled opponent.

Vanderbilt is still set to visit Tennessee on Saturday night as originally scheduled.

In other virus-related developments in college basketball:

— The Big 12 announced Tuesday that West Virginia has postponed its next two men's basketball home games due to COVID-19 concerns. The announcement came a day after the 13th-ranked Mountaineers called off their game Tuesday night at No. 2 Baylor.

— No. 22 Oregon has paused all team-related activities because of COVID-19 protocols. The Ducks won't play planned games at home against Arizona State on Thursday and Arizona on Saturday. The games will be rescheduled. 

— The Nebraska men's basketball game at Maryland scheduled for Saturday has been postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the Cornhuskers' program. 

Alabama fans ignore precautions for celebration

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Thousands of excited football fans ignored pandemic precautions and partied in streets around the University of Alabama after the Crimson Tide defeated Ohio State for the national championship. 

City officials had urged people to watch the game at home and celebrate privately to prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. But students and others poured out of jam-packed bars near campus as time expired in Miami. 

The massive crowd that resulted was recorded by traffic cameras and images posted on social media. Many of the fans screaming and cheering in the middle of the street didn't take basic precautions like wearing face masks.

UNDATED (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow expects to start running on his surgically repaired left knee next month and is confident he'll be ready to start next season. The timetable is based on zero setbacks in the rigorous rehab of his knee. 

The rookie quarterback suffered torn ligaments in a Nov. 22 loss to Washington and had surgery in early December. 

— Offensive tackle Jared Veldheer is back with the Packers. The move gives the 33-year-old veteran an opportunity to compete in playoff games for different teams on back-to-back weekends. Veldheer was the Colts' starting left tackle for their 27-24 AFC first-round playoff loss to the Bills last weekend. Green Bay plays the Rams on Saturday.

— As they wait for Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio and top cornerback Denzel Ward to return from COVID-19 and join their playoff run, the Browns have lost their replacements to injuries. Cleveland placed guard Michael Dunn and cornerback Robert Jackson on injured reserve, losing two players who started Sunday's playoff win at Pittsburgh. Bitonio and Ward remain sidelined with the virus. 

— The Bills have reached an agreement to sign running back Devonta Freeman to their practice squad. However, he must first undergo the NFL's COVID-19 protocols before being allowed to practice, making it unlikely he'll be available for this weekend's playoff game against the Ravens.

— Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo has announced his retirement after 10 NFL seasons. His decision came three days after the Colts were eliminated from the playoffs with a 27-24 wild-card round loss at Buffalo and less than two weeks after he had season-ending ankle surgery. 

— Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he will be a guest host on "Jeopardy!" during the offseason. The show is currently using a series of interim hosts to replace Alex Trebek, who died of cancer on Nov. 8. Rodgers was a winning "Celebrity Jeopardy!" contestant in 2015. 

UNDATED (AP) — Marcus Foligno (foh-LEE'-noh) has a new contract following the best season of his career.

The Minnesota Wild have worked out a three-year, $9.3 million extension with the forward, who had 25 points, a plus-8 rating and a team-high 184 hits last season despite playing in only 59 games. He is ninth in the league with 1,446 hits since the start of the 2013-14 season.

— The league says 17 of the 27 players that have tested positive for the coronavirus are on the Stars. The NHL says most of the 17 Stars players are asymptomatic and all are recovering without complication. Commissioner Gary Bettman on Monday said the testing numbers so far were very good.

— Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton has agreed to a two-year contract extension on the eve of his third season with the team. Colliton is 62-58-17 since he replaced Joel Quenneville in November 2018. He guided Chicago into the postseason last year, winning a four-game series against Edmonton before being eliminated by Vegas. 

— The Bruins say they will retire Willie O'Ree's jersey No. 22 prior to their Feb. 18 game against the Devils. O'Ree became the league's first Black player when he suited up for Boston on Jan. 18, 1958, against Montreal. Legally blind in one eye, he played two seasons for the Bruins and retired as a player at age 44 in 1979 following long stints with the San Diego Gulls and Los Angeles Blades of the Western Hockey League.

DENVER (AP) — Antonio Senzatela and the Colorado Rockies has avoided salary arbitration by working out a one-year, $3 million contract.

Senzatela was 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 12 starts last year. He earned $212,407 prorated from a $573,500 salary and had been eligible for arbitration for the first time.

Masters plans for a limited number of spectators in April

AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Augusta National Club chairman Fred Ridley says the Masters intends to have a limited number of spectators when it is played April 8-11. 

He says the club still plans to operate the tournament the way it did in November with healthy and safety standards set because of the coronavirus pandemic. Those standards included mandatory COVID-19 testing for everyone on site, along with CDC guidelines such as social distancing and wearing masks. 

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Cade Cunningham scored 18 points, and Oklahoma State held off a late rally to defeat No. 6 Kansas 75-70. Kansas trailed by three in the closing seconds and had possession. Oklahoma State's Bryce Williams stole the ball, drove the length of the floor and and dunked as time expired. The Cowboys blew a 19-point lead in a loss to West Virginia eight days earlier and squandered a 16-point lead in the second half of this one before scoring the game's final eight points. David McCormack scored a season-high 24 points for Kansas.LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Running back Markese Stepp has transferred from Southern California to Nebraska. His arrival strengthens an area of need for the Cornhuskers following the departure of Dedrick Mills and Wan'Dale Robinson. Stepp made the announcement on Twitter. The 6-foot, 235-pounder appeared in five of the Trojans' six games. He was the team's third-leading rusher with 45 carries for 165 yards and three touchdowns. He also caught three passes for 28 yards. He was a four-star prospect coming out of high school in Indianapolis in 2018.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>NBA-SCHEDULESixers win battle of attritionUNDATED (AP) — The Philadelphia 76ers were able to win a battle of undermanned teams.Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 45 points and 16 rebounds as the Sixers outlasted the Heat, 137-134 in overtime. Dakota Mathias' only basket of the game was a go-ahead 3-pointer with 26.1 seconds left. Ben Simmons had five points and 12 assists in his return from injury, but the 76ers continued to play without Tobias Harris, Seth Curry and Shake Milton due to heath and safety protocols involving COVID-19.With Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) and Goran Dragic (DRAH'-gihch) among the Heat sitting out for COVID-related reasons, Tyler Herro (HEE'-roh) paced the team with 34 points while Duncan Robinson had 26.In Tuesday's other NBA action:— LeBron James scored 26 points in just more than three quarters of the Lakers' 117-100 rout of the Rockets. Anthony Davis added 19 points and 10 rebounds in three quarters to help Los Angeles clobber Houston for the second time in three days. The Lakers led by 20 or more for most of the game on a night James Harden made just 5 of 16 shots and the Rockets were outrebounded 55-42.— Kevin Durant's 34 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds keyed the Nets' 122-116 comeback over the Nuggets. Brown scored 16 points, including the tying and go-ahead baskets down the stretch after Brooklyn trailed by as many as 18. Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) had 23 points, 11 assists and eight boards for Denver, which was trying to sweep a three-game road trip before being outscored 68-46 in the second half. — The Jazz completed a 4-2 road trip as Donovan Mitchell scored 27 points in a 117-87 pounding of the Cavaliers. Jordan Clarkson had 21 points and eight rebounds off the bench and Bojan (BOY'-ahn) Bogdanovic added 20 points for Utah. Mitchell and Clarkson each made five 3s as Utah went 24 of 45 beyond the arc.— Myles Turner's 22-point effort included a go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:59 to play in the Pacers' 104-95 verdict over the Warriors. Turner also had 11 rebounds and four blocks for Indiana, playing a back-to-back following a 127-122 loss to the Kings that kicked off a five-game road trip out West. Golden State guard Stephen Curry had 20 points on 7 of 17 shooting, one game after missing 14 of 16 attempts.— Lonnie Walker IV scored 24 points and the Spurs finished 4-1 on their road trip by topping the Thunder, 112-102. Keldon Johnson added 18 points for the Spurs, committed a season-low four turnovers and earned their 2,200th victory since joining the NBA in 1976. Patty Mils chipped in 17 points, including a 3-pointer that gave San Antonio its largest lead at 85-75 with 10:49 left.VIRUS OUTBREAK-NBANew NBA rules to combat COVIDUNDATED (AP) — With five games called off this week already and more teams dealing with virus-related issues, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have enacted additional rules in the hope of keeping the season going safely.Among the new policies: for "at least the next two weeks," the league and union said Tuesday, players and team staff will have to remain at their residence when in their home markets and will be prohibited from leaving their hotels or having outside guests when on the road.Tonight's matchup in Chicago between the Bulls and the Boston Celtics has been postponed because of coronavirus concerns. Tomorrow's Wizards-Jazz game in Washington is the latest to be scrubbed.NBA-NEWSTwo Wizards go on health listWASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Wizards say two of their players are going on the NBA's health and safety protocols list. The Wizards canceled their Tuesday practice, saying that decision was made "out of an abundance of caution." They beat the Suns on Monday and are scheduled to host the Jazz on Wednesday. The Wizards did not identify the two players.In other NBA news:— The Nets and the NBA are looking into Kyrie Irving's actions after a video showed the point guard at an indoor gathering while not wearing a mask. Irving missed Tuesday's game against Denver, his fourth straight for what the Nets are calling personal reasons. He will likely face a quarantine period upon his return and could be fined if the NBA determines he violated the rules in place during the coronavirus pandemic.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEMichigan clobbers WisconsinUNDATED (AP) — A top-10, Big Ten matchup became a mismatch as Michigan stayed unbeaten.The seventh-ranked Wolverines are 11-0 following a 77-54 drubbing of No. 9 Wisconsin.The Wolverines turned it into a blowout by reeling off a 43-6 run bridging the two halves. Michigan led just 26-23 before scoring the last 14 points of the first half.Mike Smith had 16 points and six assists, while Franz Wagner added 15 points and 10 boards. Michigan became the first team in college basketball history to beat three ranked teams in a row by at least 19 points.The Badgers had won seven of their previous 10 visits to Ann Arbor. D'Mitrik Trice had a game-high 20 points for Wisconsin, which fell to 10-3.Checking out the other top-25 action:— Cade Cunningham scored 18 points and Oklahoma State held off a late rally to beat No. 6 Kansas, 75-70. The Cowboys squandered a 16-point lead in the second half before scoring the final eight points. Bryce Williams scored 17 points and Avery Anderson III added 14 for Oklahoma State. — Tyrece Radford had 18 points and 12 rebounds to carry 20th-ranked Virginia Tech to a 74-67 victory over No. 19 Duke. The Hokies jump to an 18-point, first-half lead and hold off Duke's second-half rally to win for the sixth time in seven games. Keve Aluma added 17 points and seven rebounds, and Jalen Cone finished with 14 points for Tech.VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE BASKETBALLTennessee-Vanderbilt game postponedNASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference has postponed the Tuesday night basketball game between in-state rivals Tennessee and Vanderbilt. It's because of a combination of positive coronavirus tests, contact tracing and quarantining within the Commodores' program.The game was a late addition to the schedule because of COVID-19 issues at Missouri, where Vanderbilt had been scheduled to play, and at South Carolina, Tennessee's originally scheduled opponent.Vanderbilt is still set to visit Tennessee on Saturday night as originally scheduled.In other virus-related developments in college basketball:— The Big 12 announced Tuesday that West Virginia has postponed its next two men's basketball home games due to COVID-19 concerns. The announcement came a day after the 13th-ranked Mountaineers called off their game Tuesday night at No. 2 Baylor.— No. 22 Oregon has paused all team-related activities because of COVID-19 protocols. The Ducks won't play planned games at home against Arizona State on Thursday and Arizona on Saturday. The games will be rescheduled. — The Nebraska men's basketball game at Maryland scheduled for Saturday has been postponed because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the Cornhuskers' program. COLLEGE FOOTBALL-ALABAMA CELEBRATIONAlabama fans ignore precautions for celebrationTUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — Thousands of excited football fans ignored pandemic precautions and partied in streets around the University of Alabama after the Crimson Tide defeated Ohio State for the national championship. City officials had urged people to watch the game at home and celebrate privately to prevent the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. But students and others poured out of jam-packed bars near campus as time expired in Miami. The massive crowd that resulted was recorded by traffic cameras and images posted on social media. Many of the fans screaming and cheering in the middle of the street didn't take basic precautions like wearing face masks.NFL-NEWSBurrow says he's on track for Week 1UNDATED (AP) — Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow expects to start running on his surgically repaired left knee next month and is confident he'll be ready to start next season. The timetable is based on zero setbacks in the rigorous rehab of his knee. The rookie quarterback suffered torn ligaments in a Nov. 22 loss to Washington and had surgery in early December. Checking out other NFL tidbits:— Offensive tackle Jared Veldheer is back with the Packers. The move gives the 33-year-old veteran an opportunity to compete in playoff games for different teams on back-to-back weekends. Veldheer was the Colts' starting left tackle for their 27-24 AFC first-round playoff loss to the Bills last weekend. Green Bay plays the Rams on Saturday.— As they wait for Pro Bowl guard Joel Bitonio and top cornerback Denzel Ward to return from COVID-19 and join their playoff run, the Browns have lost their replacements to injuries. Cleveland placed guard Michael Dunn and cornerback Robert Jackson on injured reserve, losing two players who started Sunday's playoff win at Pittsburgh. Bitonio and Ward remain sidelined with the virus. — The Bills have reached an agreement to sign running back Devonta Freeman to their practice squad. However, he must first undergo the NFL's COVID-19 protocols before being allowed to practice, making it unlikely he'll be available for this weekend's playoff game against the Ravens.— Colts left tackle Anthony Castonzo has announced his retirement after 10 NFL seasons. His decision came three days after the Colts were eliminated from the playoffs with a 27-24 wild-card round loss at Buffalo and less than two weeks after he had season-ending ankle surgery. — Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers says he will be a guest host on "Jeopardy!" during the offseason. The show is currently using a series of interim hosts to replace Alex Trebek, who died of cancer on Nov. 8. Rodgers was a winning "Celebrity Jeopardy!" contestant in 2015. NHL-NEWSWild's Foligno gets extensionUNDATED (AP) — Marcus Foligno (foh-LEE'-noh) has a new contract following the best season of his career.The Minnesota Wild have worked out a three-year, $9.3 million extension with the forward, who had 25 points, a plus-8 rating and a team-high 184 hits last season despite playing in only 59 games. He is ninth in the league with 1,446 hits since the start of the 2013-14 season.Also around the NHL:— The league says 17 of the 27 players that have tested positive for the coronavirus are on the Stars. The NHL says most of the 17 Stars players are asymptomatic and all are recovering without complication. Commissioner Gary Bettman on Monday said the testing numbers so far were very good.— Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton has agreed to a two-year contract extension on the eve of his third season with the team. Colliton is 62-58-17 since he replaced Joel Quenneville in November 2018. He guided Chicago into the postseason last year, winning a four-game series against Edmonton before being eliminated by Vegas. — The Bruins say they will retire Willie O'Ree's jersey No. 22 prior to their Feb. 18 game against the Devils. O'Ree became the league's first Black player when he suited up for Boston on Jan. 18, 1958, against Montreal. Legally blind in one eye, he played two seasons for the Bruins and retired as a player at age 44 in 1979 following long stints with the San Diego Gulls and Los Angeles Blades of the Western Hockey League.MLB-ROCKIES-SENZATELARockies avoid arbitration with SenzatelaDENVER (AP) — Antonio Senzatela and the Colorado Rockies has avoided salary arbitration by working out a one-year, $3 million contract.Senzatela was 5-3 with a 3.44 ERA in 12 starts last year. He earned $212,407 prorated from a $573,500 salary and had been eligible for arbitration for the first time.GOLF-MASTERS-SPECTATORSMasters plans for a limited number of spectators in AprilAUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — Augusta National Club chairman Fred Ridley says the Masters intends to have a limited number of spectators when it is played April 8-11. He says the club still plans to operate the tournament the way it did in November with healthy and safety standards set because of the coronavirus pandemic. Those standards included mandatory COVID-19 testing for everyone on site, along with CDC guidelines such as social distancing and wearing masks.

Sports Headlines for Wednesday

Here are the scores from yesterday's sports events:

		(13)West Virginia	at	(2)Baylor	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

		(10)Tennessee	at	South Carolina	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

		(10)Tennessee	at	Vanderbilt	7 p.m.	(Postponed)

		(12)Clemson	at	Syracuse	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Vanderbilt	at	(17)Missouri	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

		Orlando	at	Boston	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		(3)Villanova	at	Xavier	6:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

		(14)Illinois	at	Nebraska	9 p.m.	(Postponed)

		(16)Louisville	at	Wake Forest	8:30 p.m.	

AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Boston	at	Chicago	8 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Utah	117	Cleveland	87	Final	Brooklyn	122	Denver	116	Final OT	Philadelphia	137	Miami	134	Final	L.A. Lakers	117	Houston	100	Final	San Antonio	112	Oklahoma City	102	Final	Indiana	104	Golden State	95	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(13)West Virginia	at	(2)Baylor	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		(10)Tennessee	at	South Carolina	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		(10)Tennessee	at	Vanderbilt	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		(12)Clemson	at	Syracuse	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		Vanderbilt	at	(17)Missouri	9 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Oklahoma St.	75	(6)Kansas	70	Final	(7)Michigan	77	(9)Wisconsin	54	Final	(20)Virginia Tech	74	(19)Duke	67	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Dallas	at	Charlotte	7 p.m.			Milwaukee	at	Detroit	7 p.m.			Utah	at	Washington	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		Brooklyn	at	New York	7:30 p.m.			Orlando	at	Boston	7:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		L.A. Lakers	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Memphis	at	Minnesota	8 p.m.			Atlanta	at	Phoenix	9 p.m.			New Orleans	at	L.A. Clippers	10 p.m.			Portland	at	Sacramento	10 p.m.	___NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE		Pittsburgh	at	Philadelphia	5:30 p.m.			Montreal	at	Toronto	7 p.m.			Chicago	at	Tampa Bay	8 p.m.			Vancouver	at	Edmonton	10 p.m.			St. Louis	at	Colorado	10:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(3)Villanova	at	Xavier	6:30 p.m.	(Postponed)		(15)Texas Tech	at	(4)Texas	9 p.m.			(14)Illinois	at	Nebraska	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		(16)Louisville	at	Wake Forest	8:30 p.m.			Notre Dame	at	(18)Virginia	4:30 p.m.			Northwestern	at	(21)Ohio St.	7 p.m.	___

Sports Scores from Tuesday

KC Christian 47, Bishop Seabury Academy 46

Wichita Bishop Carroll 65, Wichita Northwest 50

Wichita Sunrise 77, Wasatch Academy, Utah 51

Republic County vs. Salina Sacred Heart, ppd.

Tuesday's ScoresBy The Associated Press<h2>—BOYS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>Altoona-Midway 51, Oswego 47Anderson County 48, Prairie View 38Augusta 52, McPherson 47Basehor-Linwood 48, Lansing 44Beloit 62, Ellsworth 54Berean Academy 54, Sedgwick 39Bishop Miege 77, Blue Valley 44Bluestem 43, Neodesha 40Buhler 54, El Dorado 39Burlingame 51, Madison/Hamilton 46Burlington 56, Osawatomie 44Canton-Galva 51, Elyria Christian 36Council Grove 45, Chase County 42Dodge City 50, Guymon, Okla. 31Elkhart 74, Deerfield 37Ellinwood 59, St. John 28Fairfield 49, Stafford 41Galena 56, Pittsburg Colgan 34Garden City 42, Liberal 38Goddard-Eisenhower 52, Goddard 32Hays 51, Great Bend 24Herington 40, Rural Vista 38Hesston 59, Nickerson 29Hill City 57, Plainville 24Hillsboro 60, Hoisington 51Hodgeman County 67, Pawnee Heights 58Hoxie 60, Hays-TMP-Marian 54Humboldt 60, Fredonia 56Independence 58, Chanute 39Jayhawk Linn 46, Pleasanton 41Junction City 52, Highland Park 50KC Christian 47, Bishop Seabury Academy 46KC Piper 76, Tonganoxie 58Kapaun Mount Carmel 62, Wichita West 41La Crosse 59, Macksville 45Lakin 65, Holcomb 57Lawrence Free State 61, Olathe North 35Lawrence-Nelson, Neb. 43, Rock Hills 33Lebo 68, Southern Coffey 32Lincoln 58, Tescott 29Lyons 57, Pratt 41Maize 77, Andover 70Maize South 59, Hutchinson 45Marion 58, Remington 53Marysville 59, Concordia 51Medicine Lodge 62, Douglass 51Metro Academy 58, Hogan Prep, Mo. 30Minneapolis 70, Valley Heights 30Moundridge 65, Bennington 33Mulvane 59, Clearwater 49Natoma 40, Sylvan-Lucas 37Nemaha Central 46, Riverside 40Ness City 76, Spearville 55Norton 66, Oakley 44Olathe South 67, SM Northwest 55Osborne 52, St. John's Beloit-Tipton 49Quinter 66, Western Plains 38Rose Hill 74, Andale 58Smoky Valley 46, Halstead 32South Gray 71, Minneola 42South Haven 49, Udall 43Southeast Saline 60, Clay Center 45St. Francis 45, Weskan 28Sterling 41, Central Plains 38Stockton 43, Victoria 39Syracuse 58, Moscow 22Topeka West 76, Emporia 50Trego 52, Phillipsburg 47Valley Center 56, Salina Central 41Wamego 47, Abilene 43Wichita Bishop Carroll 65, Wichita Northwest 50Wichita Campus 84, Derby 71Wichita Classical 71, Ell-Saline 33Wichita Collegiate 67, Wellington 42Wichita County 62, Sublette 55Wichita Heights 54, Wichita East 53Wichita Sunrise 77, Wasatch Academy, Utah 51POSTPONEMENTS AND CANCELLATIONS=Republic County vs. Salina Sacred Heart, ppd.Thunder Ridge vs. Lakeside, ppd.<h2>GIRLS PREP BASKETBALL=</h2>Andale 49, Rose Hill 35Ashland 52, South Central 35BV North 63, BV West 37Baldwin 56, Ottawa 52Berean Academy 49, Sedgwick 20Burlingame 63, Madison/Hamilton 27Cimarron 39, Ulysses 31Circle 62, Winfield 26Clay Center 49, Southeast Saline 32Clearwater 62, Mulvane 33Cunningham 60, Burrton 18Dighton 45, Wheatland-Grinnell 31Elkhart 63, Deerfield 21Ell-Saline 64, Wichita Classical 15Erie 55, Caney Valley 30Goddard-Eisenhower 61, Goddard 26Goodland 50, Colby 47Guymon, Okla. 48, Dodge City 31Halstead 54, Smoky Valley 25Hanover 51, Axtell 18Hays 48, Great Bend 38Hays-TMP-Marian 52, Hoxie 22Herington 40, Rural Vista 38Hill City 57, Plainville 24Hillsboro 47, Hoisington 22Hodgeman County 52, Pawnee Heights 27Hutchinson Central Christian 40, Attica 29Junction City 62, Highland Park 33KC Piper 55, Tonganoxie 46Lakin 65, Holcomb 57Lansing 51, Basehor-Linwood 39Maize 51, Andover 34Maize South 41, Hutchinson 31Marysville 48, Concordia 32McPherson 70, Augusta 31Medicine Lodge 50, Douglass 45Moundridge 30, Bennington 29Nemaha Central 64, Riverside 26Neodesha 52, Bluestem 49Nickerson 63, Hesston 36Northern Valley 73, Oberlin-Decatur 38Norton 38, Oakley 27Olathe Northwest 39, Lawrence 20Osawatomie 59, Burlington 44Phillipsburg 54, Trego 48Quinter 72, Western Plains 20Rawlins County 72, Triplains-Brewster 19Remington 49, Marion 42Rock Hills 46, Lawrence-Nelson, Neb. 38SM East 49, Gardner-Edgerton 43Salina Central 57, Valley Center 37Salina Sacred Heart 59, Republic County 20Salina South 51, Newton 39Shawnee Heights 51, Leavenworth 34Silver Lake 52, Wabaunsee 47Smith Center 41, Russell 25Solomon 40, Goessel 25South Gray 58, Minneola 56South Haven 35, Udall 25Southern Cloud 28, Pike Valley 7Spearville 60, Ness City 39St. John 44, Ellinwood 35St. John's Beloit-Tipton 62, Osborne 56Sylvan-Lucas 41, Natoma 10Syracuse 62, Moscow 15Tescott 37, Lincoln 21Valley Heights 37, Minneapolis 27Victoria 60, Stockton 30Wallace County 60, Greeley County 29Wamego 43, Abilene 33Washburn Rural 69, Manhattan 31West Elk 43, Sedan 33Wichita County 38, Sublette 28Wichita Trinity 59, Kingman 45Wilson 71, Chase 20__Some high school basketball scores provided by Scorestream.com, https://scorestream.com/

Prep Scores from Tuesday

STILLWATER, Okla.&nbsp;– &nbsp;Despite trailing by as many as 16 points in the second half, No. 6 Kansas fell short to Oklahoma State in the final minutes, 75-70, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Tuesday.

Kansas (10-3, 4-2 Big 12) was led by a season-high 24 points from junior David McCormack, while the Jayhawks had three players in double figures, including McCormack’s double-double of 24 points paired with 12 rebounds. Joining McCormack in double digits were junior Ochai Agbaji (14) and senior Marcus Garrett (12).

The Jayhawks fell behind early and were unable to gain leverage in the first half against Oklahoma State, as the Jayhawks trailed 35-46 at halftime, the largest deficit KU has faced at the break all season.

Trailing by as many as 16 in the second half, Kansas turned to McCormack down the stretch, as the KU forward registered his fourth-career double-double and his third this season. McCormack had the hot hand for the Jayhawks on Tuesday, shooting 10-of-18 from the field, while collecting a season-high 12 rebounds.

The Jayhawks went on a 19-2 run with just nine minutes remaining, down to the final minutes of play, as Kansas clawed back to take the lead at 70-67. Oklahoma State then rattled off eight-straight points to come away with the victory.

Kansas returns home to Allen Fieldhouse for its eighth home game of the season, as the Jayhawks host the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday, January 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m., on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

STILLWATER, Okla.&nbsp;– &nbsp;Despite trailing by as many as 16 points in the second half, No. 6 Kansas fell short to Oklahoma State in the final minutes, 75-70, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Tuesday.Kansas (10-3, 4-2 Big 12) was led by a season-high 24 points from junior David McCormack, while the Jayhawks had three players in double figures, including McCormack’s double-double of 24 points paired with 12 rebounds. Joining McCormack in double digits were junior Ochai Agbaji (14) and senior Marcus Garrett (12).The Jayhawks fell behind early and were unable to gain leverage in the first half against Oklahoma State, as the Jayhawks trailed 35-46 at halftime, the largest deficit KU has faced at the break all season.Trailing by as many as 16 in the second half, Kansas turned to McCormack down the stretch, as the KU forward registered his fourth-career double-double and his third this season. McCormack had the hot hand for the Jayhawks on Tuesday, shooting 10-of-18 from the field, while collecting a season-high 12 rebounds.The Jayhawks went on a 19-2 run with just nine minutes remaining, down to the final minutes of play, as Kansas clawed back to take the lead at 70-67. Oklahoma State then rattled off eight-straight points to come away with the victory.NOTES<ul>
 <li>Kansas junior Ochai Agbaji registered his 60th-career start on Tuesday, all of which are consecutive. Agbaji has started all 13 games this season.</li><li>Agbaji registered his 34th career game in double figures, scoring 14 points. Agbaji’s output marked his 12th game this season in double figures.</li><li>Junior forward David McCormack registered his third double-double this year and fourth of his career on Tuesday, scoring a season-high 24 points while recording 12 rebounds. McCormack also registered double-doubles against West Virginia and Omaha this season.&nbsp;</li><li>McCormack’s 24 points mark his seventh game in double figures this season. It was his third-straight game with 10+ points and his second game with 20+ points this season.&nbsp;</li><li>McCormack pulled down five rebounds in the first half alone in Stillwater. McCormack finished with 12 total rebounds. It marked his ninth game this season with five or more rebounds in a game and his third game with 10+ boards in a single contest.&nbsp;</li><li>McCormack blocked three Cowboys’ shots on the night, setting a new season high and tying his career high, previously set vs. Texas Tech (2/1/2020).</li><li>Senior Marcus Garrett scored 12&nbsp; points, marking his fourth double-digit scoring effort this season, with three of those coming against Big 12 opponents. Garrett’s output marked his 18th-career double-digit scoring effort.&nbsp;</li>
 </ul>UP NEXTKansas returns home to Allen Fieldhouse for its eighth home game of the season, as the Jayhawks host the Iowa State Cyclones on Saturday, January 16. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m., on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

🏀 Kansas comeback falls short, 70-75, at Oklahoma State

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—Maize South came into the Salthawk Activity Center and two games from Hutch and made it look easy. Maize South Girls pulled away in the 4th quarter after leading 26-15 at the end of the 3rd period to win 41-31.&nbsp; Back to back 3 pointers by Riley Kennedy opened up the inside for Maize South in the 4th period then the inside play of Lowe plus free throws closed the door on the Salthawks.

In the Boys game, Hutchinson was really never in it by trailing 36-18 at the half and down 14 going into the 4th quarter.&nbsp; Hutchinson cut it to 8 midway through the 4th quarter, but missed opportunities off offensive rebounds and missed free throws did the Salthawks in as Maize South end up winning 59-45.

Myles Thompson led Hutchinson with 19 points. Parker Scott let Maize South with 24 points including 20 in the first half.

Hutchinson travels to Great Bend on Friday night to take on the Great Bend Panthers before participating in the TOC in Dodge next week.

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—Maize South came into the Salthawk Activity Center and two games from Hutch and made it look easy. Maize South Girls pulled away in the 4th quarter after leading 26-15 at the end of the 3rd period to win 41-31.&nbsp; Back to back 3 pointers by Riley Kennedy opened up the inside for Maize South in the 4th period then the inside play of Lowe plus free throws closed the door on the Salthawks.In the Boys game, Hutchinson was really never in it by trailing 36-18 at the half and down 14 going into the 4th quarter.&nbsp; Hutchinson cut it to 8 midway through the 4th quarter, but missed opportunities off offensive rebounds and missed free throws did the Salthawks in as Maize South end up winning 59-45.Myles Thompson led Hutchinson with 19 points. Parker Scott let Maize South with 24 points including 20 in the first half.Hutchinson travels to Great Bend on Friday night to take on the Great Bend Panthers before participating in the TOC in Dodge next week.

Maize South gets sweep over Hutch Salthawks

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;For the&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;straight year,&nbsp;Voice of the Wildcats Wyatt Thompson has been named the Kansas Sportscaster of the Year as the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association announced their annual award recipients for 2020.

Thompson, who is in his 19th year as the play-by-play voice of the Wildcats, is a six-time winner of the award and ranks second all-time among K-State broadcasters in awards and fourth all-time among broadcasters in the state of Kansas.&nbsp; In addition to his play-by-play duties for Wildcat football and men’s basketball, Thompson can be seen regularly each summer at each Catbacker event across the state in addition to hosting various radio programs, events and programs at K-State and in the Manhattan community.&nbsp; He started his broadcasting career in 1976 as a sportscaster for various high schools, colleges and universities in Kansas, spending time at stations in Great Bend and Abilene. Thompson worked for KAYS radio and television in Hays from 1985 until 1989 where he was the play-by-play voice at Fort Hays State. While in Kansas, he was recognized with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters (KAB) Play-by-Play Award in 1982 and the Oscar Stauffer Sportscaster of the Year Award in 1989.&nbsp; Thompson, also the 2011 recipient of the Hod Humiston Award from the KAB, came to Kansas State in 2002 from Colorado State, where he was the play-by-play voice for CSU's football and men's basketball teams for five years.&nbsp; An accomplished professional, Thompson won the Colorado Broadcasting Association award for best play-by-play in 2000. In addition to&nbsp;his duties at CSU, Thompson was also a sports reporter for Clear Channel Denver, the Countdown to Kickoff host for the Denver Broncos on KOA Radio and hosted the Zone Sports Insiders show on 760 The Zone in Denver.

Thompson will be honored for his award during the 61st annual&nbsp;NSMA Awards Weekend, June 26-28, 2021, in Winston-Salem, N.C.

MANHATTAN, Kan. –&nbsp;For the&nbsp;fourth&nbsp;straight year,&nbsp;Voice of the Wildcats Wyatt Thompson has been named the Kansas Sportscaster of the Year as the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association announced their annual award recipients for 2020.Thompson, who is in his 19th year as the play-by-play voice of the Wildcats, is a six-time winner of the award and ranks second all-time among K-State broadcasters in awards and fourth all-time among broadcasters in the state of Kansas.&nbsp; In addition to his play-by-play duties for Wildcat football and men’s basketball, Thompson can be seen regularly each summer at each Catbacker event across the state in addition to hosting various radio programs, events and programs at K-State and in the Manhattan community.&nbsp; He started his broadcasting career in 1976 as a sportscaster for various high schools, colleges and universities in Kansas, spending time at stations in Great Bend and Abilene. Thompson worked for KAYS radio and television in Hays from 1985 until 1989 where he was the play-by-play voice at Fort Hays State. While in Kansas, he was recognized with the Kansas Association of Broadcasters (KAB) Play-by-Play Award in 1982 and the Oscar Stauffer Sportscaster of the Year Award in 1989.&nbsp; Thompson, also the 2011 recipient of the Hod Humiston Award from the KAB, came to Kansas State in 2002 from Colorado State, where he was the play-by-play voice for CSU's football and men's basketball teams for five years.&nbsp; An accomplished professional, Thompson won the Colorado Broadcasting Association award for best play-by-play in 2000. In addition to&nbsp;his duties at CSU, Thompson was also a sports reporter for Clear Channel Denver, the Countdown to Kickoff host for the Denver Broncos on KOA Radio and hosted the Zone Sports Insiders show on 760 The Zone in Denver.Thompson will be honored for his award during the 61st annual&nbsp;NSMA Awards Weekend, June 26-28, 2021, in Winston-Salem, N.C.

K-State’s Thompson named Kansas Sportscaster of the Year by NSSA

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutchinson Salthawks girls and boys return to the hardwood for league games vs Maize South tonight at the Salthawk Activity Center.&nbsp; KSHSAA attendance rules apply as usual.&nbsp; Only 2 tickets per participant parent/guardian and your name must be listed on the pass list.

The Eagle Radio Sports team comprised of Glen Grunwald and Dan Naccarato will broadcast the game as usual on KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm as well as audio streamed on kwbwradio.net, Alexa and Smart Phone devises by going to the KWBW app or HutchPost.com app.

Video Streams will be provided for the Freshman and JV games plus Varsity games on the Hutch High <a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam4e659574d3">NFHSNetwork.com channel</a>.

<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gama700aeec7e">Freshman Girls Video Stream&nbsp;@ 4:15pm</a>

<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gama700aeec7e">Freshman Boys Video Stream @ 4:15pm</a>

<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam481db14d48">Junior Varsity Boys Video Stream @ 5:45pm</a>

<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam3e32b81742">Junior Varsity Girls Video Stream @&nbsp;7:30pm</a>

HUTCHINSON, Kan.—The Hutchinson Salthawks girls and boys return to the hardwood for league games vs Maize South tonight at the Salthawk Activity Center.&nbsp; KSHSAA attendance rules apply as usual.&nbsp; Only 2 tickets per participant parent/guardian and your name must be listed on the pass list.The Eagle Radio Sports team comprised of Glen Grunwald and Dan Naccarato will broadcast the game as usual on KWBW Radio 1450am/98.5fm as well as audio streamed on kwbwradio.net, Alexa and Smart Phone devises by going to the KWBW app or HutchPost.com app.Video Streams will be provided for the Freshman and JV games plus Varsity games on the Hutch High <a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam4e659574d3">NFHSNetwork.com channel</a>.<a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gama700aeec7e">Freshman Girls Video Stream&nbsp;@ 4:15pm</a><a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gama700aeec7e">Freshman Boys Video Stream @ 4:15pm</a><a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam481db14d48">Junior Varsity Boys Video Stream @ 5:45pm</a><a href="https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam3e32b81742">Junior Varsity Girls Video Stream @&nbsp;7:30pm</a>Girls Varsity Video Stream @ 5:45pm<div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam707dda3b49" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>

</div>Boys Varsity Video Stream @ 7:15pm<div><iframe src="https://player.nfhsnetwork.com/#/events/hutchinson-high-school-hutchinson-ks/gam9bc8e9430d" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" width="640" height="360"></iframe>

</div>

LIVE VIDEO: Hutch Salthawks return home to host Maize South

AUDIO: Eagle Radio Sports for Tuesday

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Doug Pederson lost his job less than three years after he led the Philadelphia Eagles to the franchise’s only Super Bowl title.

Pederson was 42-37-1 in five seasons. He guided the Eagles to two division championships and three playoff appearances before going 4-11-1 in 2020.

Owner Jeffrey Lurie made the decision after meeting with Pederson last week and again Monday.

“Very few people probably after success deserve to lose their job,” Lurie said. “This is much more about the evaluation of whether the Eagles moving forward, our best option is to have a new coach and that’s really what it’s about. ... He did not deserve to be let go.”

Pederson had two years remaining on his contract. Lurie said he wouldn’t be surprised if another team hired Pederson before the end of the week.

“Although I am disappointed that this chapter of my career has come to an end, I am extremely proud of what we accomplished together,” Pederson said in a statement.

“Through all the ups and downs, one thing remained constant about our team — an unwavering commitment to battle through adversity and to achieve our goals not as individuals, but as a collective unit. There is no better example of that than when we celebrated the first Super Bowl championship in Eagles history together with our city. That is a memory we will all cherish forever.”

Pederson’s loyalty to his coaching staff and frustration with the front office’s interference became a major issue, according to a person familiar with the decision who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the conversations. The person also said Pederson and general manager Howie Roseman weren’t on the same page regarding many personnel moves, including draft picks and use of veteran players.

The team’s draft failures in recent years from taking wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside over DK Metcalf in 2019 to selecting wideout Jalen Reagor one pick before Justin Jefferson in 2020 contributed to the offense’s struggles along with numerous injuries and quarterback Carson Wentz’s poor performance.

Ultimately, Lurie chose Roseman over Pederson.

“I have real confidence that our football operations, led by Howie, can not only repeat the performance of 2016 until now, and once again, create a dominant football team that can really maximize every aspect of its potential,” Lurie said.

Lurie indicated Pederson wasn’t on board with rebuilding.

“It’s a transition point and we’ve got to get younger and we have to have a lot more volume of draft picks and we have to accumulate as much talent as we possibly can that is going to work in the long run with a focus on the midterm and the long term and not on how to maximize 2021,” Lurie said. “And it’s almost not fair to Doug, because his vision has to be: what can I do to fix this right away and what coaches can I have that can help me get to a smoother 2021?”

Pederson benched Wentz for the final four games after the quarterback had the worst season of his five-year career and started rookie Jalen Hurts. Pederson had said repeatedly he was confident he could fix Wentz and get him back on track.

Wentz’s $128 million, four-year contract kicks in this year and he knows the Eagles control whether to keep him or trade him. Wentz has been taking time away to reflect on his situation before meeting with the team to discuss his future, a person close to the situation told the AP last week. Wentz was frustrated with his season and unhappy that he got benched, but he had no input into Pederson’s firing, two people said.

“Carson and Doug got along way better than people think,” a teammate told the AP on Monday. “That stuff got exaggerated.”

The player spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss private conversations.

Wentz hasn’t spoken to reporters since Dec. 6. He didn’t immediately return a phone call from the AP on Monday.

Pederson was a starting quarterback in Philadelphia in 1999 and later served as an assistant coach under Andy Reid with the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles hired him in January 2016 after abruptly firing Chip Kelly a month earlier.

Pederson led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory over New England in just his second season with backup quarterback Nick Foles filling in after Wentz was injured. Pederson and Foles again led the Eagles to a playoff win the following year after Wentz went down late in the season.

“He’s a close friend, he’s a family friend and Doug is family to me,” Lurie said.

Pederson was heavily criticized for his decision to replace Hurts with third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld in the fourth quarter of a 20-14 loss to Washington in Week 17. Washington’s victory cost the New York Giants the NFC East title. The loss gave the Eagles the sixth overall pick in the draft instead of the ninth.

“Nothing to do with it whatsoever,” Lurie said when asked if Pederson’s decision in that game factored into his dismissal.

Several Eagles showed their&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ZERTZ_86/status/1348718573464801283" target="_blank">support for Pederson on social media</a>&nbsp;after the news broke.

“Doug is a great coach, a great guy, a great man,” running back Boston Scott told the AP. “He’s the type of guy that will open his house up to you. He’s a man of faith and I’ve always respected that about him. Every Saturday before games, I see him in chapel and that’s where I truly believe it starts. I think that he’s a true leader. Regardless of what the situation was like this season, he continued to bring energy, continued to bring the juice and he continued to be there for us so I have a lot of respect for him.”

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Doug Pederson lost his job less than three years after he led the Philadelphia Eagles to the franchise’s only Super Bowl title.Pederson was 42-37-1 in five seasons. He guided the Eagles to two division championships and three playoff appearances before going 4-11-1 in 2020.Owner Jeffrey Lurie made the decision after meeting with Pederson last week and again Monday.“Very few people probably after success deserve to lose their job,” Lurie said. “This is much more about the evaluation of whether the Eagles moving forward, our best option is to have a new coach and that’s really what it’s about. ... He did not deserve to be let go.”Pederson had two years remaining on his contract. Lurie said he wouldn’t be surprised if another team hired Pederson before the end of the week.“Although I am disappointed that this chapter of my career has come to an end, I am extremely proud of what we accomplished together,” Pederson said in a statement.“Through all the ups and downs, one thing remained constant about our team — an unwavering commitment to battle through adversity and to achieve our goals not as individuals, but as a collective unit. There is no better example of that than when we celebrated the first Super Bowl championship in Eagles history together with our city. That is a memory we will all cherish forever.”Pederson’s loyalty to his coaching staff and frustration with the front office’s interference became a major issue, according to a person familiar with the decision who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the conversations. The person also said Pederson and general manager Howie Roseman weren’t on the same page regarding many personnel moves, including draft picks and use of veteran players.The team’s draft failures in recent years from taking wide receiver J.J. Arcega-Whiteside over DK Metcalf in 2019 to selecting wideout Jalen Reagor one pick before Justin Jefferson in 2020 contributed to the offense’s struggles along with numerous injuries and quarterback Carson Wentz’s poor performance.Ultimately, Lurie chose Roseman over Pederson.“I have real confidence that our football operations, led by Howie, can not only repeat the performance of 2016 until now, and once again, create a dominant football team that can really maximize every aspect of its potential,” Lurie said.Lurie indicated Pederson wasn’t on board with rebuilding.“It’s a transition point and we’ve got to get younger and we have to have a lot more volume of draft picks and we have to accumulate as much talent as we possibly can that is going to work in the long run with a focus on the midterm and the long term and not on how to maximize 2021,” Lurie said. “And it’s almost not fair to Doug, because his vision has to be: what can I do to fix this right away and what coaches can I have that can help me get to a smoother 2021?”Pederson benched Wentz for the final four games after the quarterback had the worst season of his five-year career and started rookie Jalen Hurts. Pederson had said repeatedly he was confident he could fix Wentz and get him back on track.He won’t get that chance now.Wentz’s $128 million, four-year contract kicks in this year and he knows the Eagles control whether to keep him or trade him. Wentz has been taking time away to reflect on his situation before meeting with the team to discuss his future, a person close to the situation told the AP last week. Wentz was frustrated with his season and unhappy that he got benched, but he had no input into Pederson’s firing, two people said.“Carson and Doug got along way better than people think,” a teammate told the AP on Monday. “That stuff got exaggerated.”The player spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn’t authorized to discuss private conversations.Wentz hasn’t spoken to reporters since Dec. 6. He didn’t immediately return a phone call from the AP on Monday.Pederson was a starting quarterback in Philadelphia in 1999 and later served as an assistant coach under Andy Reid with the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs. The Eagles hired him in January 2016 after abruptly firing Chip Kelly a month earlier.Pederson led the Eagles to a Super Bowl victory over New England in just his second season with backup quarterback Nick Foles filling in after Wentz was injured. Pederson and Foles again led the Eagles to a playoff win the following year after Wentz went down late in the season.“He’s a close friend, he’s a family friend and Doug is family to me,” Lurie said.Pederson was heavily criticized for his decision to replace Hurts with third-string quarterback Nate Sudfeld in the fourth quarter of a 20-14 loss to Washington in Week 17. Washington’s victory cost the New York Giants the NFC East title. The loss gave the Eagles the sixth overall pick in the draft instead of the ninth.“Nothing to do with it whatsoever,” Lurie said when asked if Pederson’s decision in that game factored into his dismissal.Several Eagles showed their&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/ZERTZ_86/status/1348718573464801283" target="_blank">support for Pederson on social media</a>&nbsp;after the news broke.“Doug is a great coach, a great guy, a great man,” running back Boston Scott told the AP. “He’s the type of guy that will open his house up to you. He’s a man of faith and I’ve always respected that about him. Every Saturday before games, I see him in chapel and that’s where I truly believe it starts. I think that he’s a true leader. Regardless of what the situation was like this season, he continued to bring energy, continued to bring the juice and he continued to be there for us so I have a lot of respect for him.”

Eagles fire coach Doug Pederson 3 years after Super Bowl win

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs had to wait until the very last of the six wild-card games played over the weekend to find out who the reigning Super Bowl champions would play in the divisional round of the playoffs. As if they hadn't sat around long enough. The Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and its lone first-round bye in Week 16, so that means Patrick Mahomes and most of their stars will have gone 21 days without stepping on the field for a game by the time they face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday for a spot in the conference championship game.

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson has announced his plan to transfer. Robinson revealed his decision on Twitter on Monday, saying he wants to move closer to his family in Kentucky. Robinson split time between running back and receiver as a sophomore and was one of Nebraska's top playmakers. He became the primary running back after Dedrick Mills went out because of an injury. Robinson averaged 5.2 yards per carry while rushing for 240 yards and a touchdown. He led the team with 51 catches for 461 yards and a touchdown.

AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State freshman Xavier Foster will miss the rest of the season after electing to have surgery on his right foot. Foster played in seven games, averaging 4.0 points and 7.8 minutes. The Oskaloosa, Iowa, native was initially injured in high school. The surgery is expected to keep Foster sidelined eight to 12 weeks. Coach Steve Prohm said he fully sports Foster's decision to have surgery. Foster tried to play through the injury. Prohm says it's best for Foster's health to have the surgery now.

UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop The Associated Press men's basketball poll for the seventh consecutive week in the regular season. The Zags received 63 first-place votes from a national media panel and the Bears had one. Villanova, Texas and Iowa rounded out a top 5 that remained the same from last week. Gonzaga beat BYU 86-69 and Portland 116-88 last week to stretch its winning streak to 16 straight, dating to last season. Baylor beat Oklahoma and TCU last week to hold. No. 25 Connecticut moved into the poll for the first time since reaching No. 18 in 2016-17. Louisville is back in the rankings at No. 16 and Ohio State returned at No. 21. Rutgers, Michigan State and Florida State tumbled out.

O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — The St. Louis Blues won't be playing to an empty arena when they open their first homestand next week. The NHL team said Monday it will allow a very small crowd made up of medical workers and public safety employees who have been on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic. The Blues open the truncated schedule with two games at Colorado Wednesday and Friday, followed by a four-game homestand that begins Jan. 18 against the San Jose Sharks. The Blues plan to allow fewer than 300 fans. The team is working with health care systems and public safety organizations to identify workers for January home games.

MIAMI (AP) — Alabama's top offense threats were too much for Ohio State. 

The top-ranked Crimson Tide are national champions for the sixth time in 12 seasons after DeVonta (deh-VAHN'-tay) Smith, Mac Jones and Najee (NAH'-zhee) Harris led an explosive offensive performance in a 52-24 rout of Ohio State.

The Heisman Trophy-winning Smith had 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half as the Crimson Tide bolted out to a 35-17 lead. Jones chewed up the Buckeyes' secondary while throwing for a CFP championship-record 464 yards and five touchdowns. Harris accounted for three TDs, running for 79 yards and two scores while grabbing seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.

Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields struggled after lighting up Clemson for six touchdowns in the CFP semifinals. The 13-0 Tide limited Fields to 17 of 33 passing for 194 yards and one TD as the Buckeyes fell to 7-1.

Ohio State running back Trey Sermon left the game for good after suffering an injury on his team's first drive. Master Teague carried 15 times for 65 yards and two touchdowns by halftime as Sermon's replacement, but he had just three yards in the second half.

AP agrees with CFP title game final score

UNDATED (AP) — The final Associated Press college football poll voters have determined that unbeaten national-champion Alabama is No. 1.

Ohio State moved up to second following its lopsided win over Clemson, which dropped to third. 

Texas A&amp;M and Notre Dame round out the top five and are followed by Oklahoma, Georgia, Cincinnati, Iowa State and Northwestern. The Irish fell behind the Aggies with their blowout loss to Alabama in the CFP semifinals and A&amp;M's bowl victory.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The only head coach to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory finds himself out of work.

Doug Pederson has been let go less than three years after he led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over New England in his second season with the team. Pederson was 42-37-1 in five seasons, guiding the Eagles to two division titles and three playoff appearances before going 4-11-1 this season. 

— Browns coach Kevin Stefanski expects to be back with his team on Thursday after missing Sunday night's 48-37 playoff win over Pittsburgh with COVID-19. Stefanski said he lost his sense of taste, but otherwise has only experienced mild symptoms. Cleveland plays the Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Sunday in Kansas City.

— Patriots coach Bill Belichick is passing on an invitation to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom this week. The six-time Super Bowl winning coach did not say explicitly that he had turned down the offer from President Donald Trump, instead explaining "the decision has been made not to move forward with the award" in the wake of last week's deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol. Belichick added that "remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award."

UNDATED (AP) — There's a faint rainbow arcing over the Washington Wizards' season after they lost two starters on consecutive days.

The Wizards ended a three-game skid and improved to 3-8 as Bradley Beal pumped in 34 points in a 128-107 rout of the Suns. Beal also had eight rebounds and nine assists, two days after sitting out a game against Miami because he was in the NBA's health and safety protocol.

It was Washington's first game since center Thomas Bryant suffered a partially-torn ACL on Saturday. The Wizards also are without Russell Westbrook, who will be out at least a week with a left quadriceps injury.

Phoenix fell to 7-4 despite Devin Booker's 33 points. 

— Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nis an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) returned from a one-game injury absence and scored 22 points for the Bucks in a 121-99 thumping of the Magic. Khris Middleton finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, while Bobby Portis chipped in 20 points. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-cheh-vihch) had 28 points and 13 rebounds to lead the short-handed Magic, who have lost three straight since Markelle Fultz was lost to a season-ending knee injury.

— Trae Young scored 26 points and the Hawks stopped a four-game losing streak with a 112-94 victory over the 76ers. Young provided the first three baskets in a 15-2 run that started the second half, putting Atlanta ahead, 80-52. Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Sixers, who used nine players after having just seven available for Saturday's loss to the Nuggets.

— Buddy Hield (heeld) finished with 18 points on six 3s as the Kings won for the second time in seven games, 127-122 versus the Pacers. Buddy Hield drained a 3-pointer to make it 121-117, moments after Indiana's Domantas Sabonis (doh-MAHN'-tahs sah-BOH'-nihs) had a basket taken away on replay. Harrison Barnes had a season-high 30 points and eight rebounds, and De'Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists for Sacramento.

— CJ McCollum scored 30 points, including a game-winning jumper with 9.6 seconds left in the Trail Blazers' 112-111 verdict over the Raptors. Damian Lillard chipped in 23 points and Carmelo Anthony added 20 to help Portland withstand Pascal Siakam's (see-A'-kamz) first career triple-double. Siakam finished with 22 points, 13 boards and 10 assists, but the defending Atlantic Division champs fell into a last-place tie in the East at 2-8. 

— Gordon Hayward contributed 34 points and the Hornets picked up their fourth straight win by blasting the Knicks, 109-88. Devonte Graham had 19 points and seven assists for Charlotte, and P.J. Washington had 13 points as the Hornets handed the Knicks their third straight defeat. Kevin Knox had a team-high 19 points for New York, which committed 17 turnovers leading to 24 points.

— Dillon Brooks furnished 21 points and the Grizzlies recovered after blowing a 16-point lead to beat the Cavaliers, 101-91. Brandon Clarke scored 15 points and Tyus Jones had 13 points, seven assists and three steals to help Memphis earn its second straight win. Cavaliers center Andre Drummond had 19 points and 14 rebounds for his 11th straight double-double to start the season. 

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA has called off two more games because of COVID-related and contact tracing issues. 

The league postponed Monday's game in Dallas between the Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans as well as Tuesday's matchup in Chicago between the Bulls and the Boston Celtics. Those moves come one day after Miami's game in Boston was called off because of contact-tracing issues within the Heat, who were bracing to be without multiple players for the next several days, AP was told.

No word on Irving's return to Nets after he misses 3 games

NEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets say there's no update on Kyrie Irving's return to the team.

Irving has missed the last three games for personal reasons. Head coach Steve Nash has said it's a private matter and has refused to say much about Irving's absence. 

Nash did say that he believed Irving was tested for the coronavirus on Sunday, though he wasn't sure about Monday. 

— Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook is expected to sit out a week with an injured left leg that has bothered him since the start of the NBA season. Washington is scheduled to play five games through next Monday as the team tries to recover from a 2-8 start. Westbrook is averaging 19.3 points, 11.3 assists and 9.7 rebounds through seven games with the Wizards but is shooting just 37.8%.

UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop The Associated Press men's basketball poll for the seventh consecutive week in the regular season. The Zags received 63 first-place votes from a national media panel and the Bears had one. 

Villanova, Texas and Iowa rounded out a top 5 that remained the same from last week. Sixth-ranked Kansas is followed by Michigan, Creighton, Wisconsin and Tennessee.

No. 25 Connecticut moved into the poll for the first time since reaching No. 18 in 2016-17. Louisville is back in the rankings at No. 16 and Ohio State returned at No. 21. Rutgers, Michigan State and Florida State tumbled out.

UNDATED (AP) — The men's basketball game Tuesday between No. 13 West Virginia and No. 2 Baylor in Waco, Texas, has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues with the Mountaineers.

West Virginia said in a statement that it will work with Baylor and the Big 12 to reschedule the game.

Also, Nebraska has paused team activities because of a positive COVID-19 test in the program, causing Wednesday's game against No. 14 Illinois to be postponed. A positive COVID-19 test left the Cornhuskers without starting a starting forward in a loss to Indiana on Sunday.

Huskies win first game since making AP poll

STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut picked up a victory just hours after cracking the AP men's basketball poll.

The 25th-rated Huskies improved to 7-1 by scoring the last eight points in a 60-53 victory over DePaul. R.J. Cole finished with 12 points, including a 3-pointer that sparked the game-ending run.

Tyrese Martin provided a team-high 18 points for the Huskies, who played their second straight game without top scorer James Bouknight due to an elbow injury.

Carson Palmer, Bob Stoops lead college Hall of Fame class

UNDATED (AP) — Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer and former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops are among the 13 former players and coaches who make up the latest College Football Hall of Fame class to be inducted in December. 

Joining Palmer and Stoops will be running backs Darren Sproles of Kansas State and C.J Spiller of Clemson; offensive tackles Harris Barton of North Carolina and Aaron Taylor of Notre Dame; defensive stars David Fulcher of Arizona State and Dan Morgan of Miami; Kenneth Sims of Texas; Andre Tippett of Iowa and Al Wilson of Tennessee. Former Eastern Illinois quarterback and current CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo was also selected for induction to the Atlanta-based hall along with former Florida A&amp;M coach Rudy Hubbard.

NHL to host 2 outdoor games in Lake Tahoe this season

UNDATED (AP) — The NHL is taking its outdoor series to Lake Tahoe. 

The league announced it will hold two games on an outdoor rink set up at Edgewood Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada. Vegas will play Colorado on Feb. 20 and Boston faces Philadelphia on Feb. 21. The temporary rink will be set up on the 18th hole at Edgewood, site of the annual American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament. 

R&amp;A says no plans to award the Open to Trump's Turnberry

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The chief executive of the R&amp;A says Donald Trump's ownership of Turnberry will prevent the Scottish course from staging the British Open for "the foreseeable future." 

Turnberry hasn't hosted the tournament since it was bought by Trump in 2014. R&amp;A chief executive Martin Slumbers says his organization has no plans to award Turnberry the tournament "until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself." 

Slumbers' comments came a day after the PGA of America voted to take the PGA Championship event away from Trump's New Jersey golf course next year.

<h2>Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press</h2>KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs had to wait until the very last of the six wild-card games played over the weekend to find out who the reigning Super Bowl champions would play in the divisional round of the playoffs. As if they hadn't sat around long enough. The Chiefs clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC and its lone first-round bye in Week 16, so that means Patrick Mahomes and most of their stars will have gone 21 days without stepping on the field for a game by the time they face the Cleveland Browns on Sunday for a spot in the conference championship game.LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska wide receiver Wan'Dale Robinson has announced his plan to transfer. Robinson revealed his decision on Twitter on Monday, saying he wants to move closer to his family in Kentucky. Robinson split time between running back and receiver as a sophomore and was one of Nebraska's top playmakers. He became the primary running back after Dedrick Mills went out because of an injury. Robinson averaged 5.2 yards per carry while rushing for 240 yards and a touchdown. He led the team with 51 catches for 461 yards and a touchdown.AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State freshman Xavier Foster will miss the rest of the season after electing to have surgery on his right foot. Foster played in seven games, averaging 4.0 points and 7.8 minutes. The Oskaloosa, Iowa, native was initially injured in high school. The surgery is expected to keep Foster sidelined eight to 12 weeks. Coach Steve Prohm said he fully sports Foster's decision to have surgery. Foster tried to play through the injury. Prohm says it's best for Foster's health to have the surgery now.UNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop The Associated Press men's basketball poll for the seventh consecutive week in the regular season. The Zags received 63 first-place votes from a national media panel and the Bears had one. Villanova, Texas and Iowa rounded out a top 5 that remained the same from last week. Gonzaga beat BYU 86-69 and Portland 116-88 last week to stretch its winning streak to 16 straight, dating to last season. Baylor beat Oklahoma and TCU last week to hold. No. 25 Connecticut moved into the poll for the first time since reaching No. 18 in 2016-17. Louisville is back in the rankings at No. 16 and Ohio State returned at No. 21. Rutgers, Michigan State and Florida State tumbled out.O'FALLON, Mo. (AP) — The St. Louis Blues won't be playing to an empty arena when they open their first homestand next week. The NHL team said Monday it will allow a very small crowd made up of medical workers and public safety employees who have been on the front lines during the coronavirus pandemic. The Blues open the truncated schedule with two games at Colorado Wednesday and Friday, followed by a four-game homestand that begins Jan. 18 against the San Jose Sharks. The Blues plan to allow fewer than 300 fans. The team is working with health care systems and public safety organizations to identify workers for January home games.<h2>Update on the latest sports</h2>COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPTitle wave for TideMIAMI (AP) — Alabama's top offense threats were too much for Ohio State. The top-ranked Crimson Tide are national champions for the sixth time in 12 seasons after DeVonta (deh-VAHN'-tay) Smith, Mac Jones and Najee (NAH'-zhee) Harris led an explosive offensive performance in a 52-24 rout of Ohio State.The Heisman Trophy-winning Smith had 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half as the Crimson Tide bolted out to a 35-17 lead. Jones chewed up the Buckeyes' secondary while throwing for a CFP championship-record 464 yards and five touchdowns. Harris accounted for three TDs, running for 79 yards and two scores while grabbing seven passes for 79 yards and a touchdown.Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields struggled after lighting up Clemson for six touchdowns in the CFP semifinals. The 13-0 Tide limited Fields to 17 of 33 passing for 194 yards and one TD as the Buckeyes fell to 7-1.Ohio State running back Trey Sermon left the game for good after suffering an injury on his team's first drive. Master Teague carried 15 times for 65 yards and two touchdowns by halftime as Sermon's replacement, but he had just three yards in the second half.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-AP POLLAP agrees with CFP title game final scoreUNDATED (AP) — The final Associated Press college football poll voters have determined that unbeaten national-champion Alabama is No. 1.Ohio State moved up to second following its lopsided win over Clemson, which dropped to third. Texas A&amp;M and Notre Dame round out the top five and are followed by Oklahoma, Georgia, Cincinnati, Iowa State and Northwestern. The Irish fell behind the Aggies with their blowout loss to Alabama in the CFP semifinals and A&amp;M's bowl victory.NFL-EAGLES-PEDERSONEagles fire coach Doug PedersonPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The only head coach to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a Super Bowl victory finds himself out of work.Doug Pederson has been let go less than three years after he led the Eagles to a Super Bowl win over New England in his second season with the team. Pederson was 42-37-1 in five seasons, guiding the Eagles to two division titles and three playoff appearances before going 4-11-1 this season. Elsewhere in the NFL: — Browns coach Kevin Stefanski expects to be back with his team on Thursday after missing Sunday night's 48-37 playoff win over Pittsburgh with COVID-19. Stefanski said he lost his sense of taste, but otherwise has only experienced mild symptoms. Cleveland plays the Super Bowl champion Chiefs on Sunday in Kansas City.— Patriots coach Bill Belichick is passing on an invitation to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom this week. The six-time Super Bowl winning coach did not say explicitly that he had turned down the offer from President Donald Trump, instead explaining "the decision has been made not to move forward with the award" in the wake of last week's deadly siege on the U.S. Capitol. Belichick added that "remaining true to the people, team and country I love outweigh the benefits of any individual award."NBA-SCHEDULE Beal ends Wizards' latest slideUNDATED (AP) — There's a faint rainbow arcing over the Washington Wizards' season after they lost two starters on consecutive days.The Wizards ended a three-game skid and improved to 3-8 as Bradley Beal pumped in 34 points in a 128-107 rout of the Suns. Beal also had eight rebounds and nine assists, two days after sitting out a game against Miami because he was in the NBA's health and safety protocol.It was Washington's first game since center Thomas Bryant suffered a partially-torn ACL on Saturday. The Wizards also are without Russell Westbrook, who will be out at least a week with a left quadriceps injury.Phoenix fell to 7-4 despite Devin Booker's 33 points. In Monday's other NBA action:— Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nis an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) returned from a one-game injury absence and scored 22 points for the Bucks in a 121-99 thumping of the Magic. Khris Middleton finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Bucks, while Bobby Portis chipped in 20 points. Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-cheh-vihch) had 28 points and 13 rebounds to lead the short-handed Magic, who have lost three straight since Markelle Fultz was lost to a season-ending knee injury.— Trae Young scored 26 points and the Hawks stopped a four-game losing streak with a 112-94 victory over the 76ers. Young provided the first three baskets in a 15-2 run that started the second half, putting Atlanta ahead, 80-52. Joel Embiid (joh-EHL' ehm-BEED') had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Sixers, who used nine players after having just seven available for Saturday's loss to the Nuggets.— Buddy Hield (heeld) finished with 18 points on six 3s as the Kings won for the second time in seven games, 127-122 versus the Pacers. Buddy Hield drained a 3-pointer to make it 121-117, moments after Indiana's Domantas Sabonis (doh-MAHN'-tahs sah-BOH'-nihs) had a basket taken away on replay. Harrison Barnes had a season-high 30 points and eight rebounds, and De'Aaron Fox added 21 points and nine assists for Sacramento.— CJ McCollum scored 30 points, including a game-winning jumper with 9.6 seconds left in the Trail Blazers' 112-111 verdict over the Raptors. Damian Lillard chipped in 23 points and Carmelo Anthony added 20 to help Portland withstand Pascal Siakam's (see-A'-kamz) first career triple-double. Siakam finished with 22 points, 13 boards and 10 assists, but the defending Atlantic Division champs fell into a last-place tie in the East at 2-8. — Gordon Hayward contributed 34 points and the Hornets picked up their fourth straight win by blasting the Knicks, 109-88. Devonte Graham had 19 points and seven assists for Charlotte, and P.J. Washington had 13 points as the Hornets handed the Knicks their third straight defeat. Kevin Knox had a team-high 19 points for New York, which committed 17 turnovers leading to 24 points.— Dillon Brooks furnished 21 points and the Grizzlies recovered after blowing a 16-point lead to beat the Cavaliers, 101-91. Brandon Clarke scored 15 points and Tyus Jones had 13 points, seven assists and three steals to help Memphis earn its second straight win. Cavaliers center Andre Drummond had 19 points and 14 rebounds for his 11th straight double-double to start the season. VIRUS OUTBREAK-NBATwo more NBA games affectedUNDATED (AP) — The NBA has called off two more games because of COVID-related and contact tracing issues. The league postponed Monday's game in Dallas between the Mavericks and the New Orleans Pelicans as well as Tuesday's matchup in Chicago between the Bulls and the Boston Celtics. Those moves come one day after Miami's game in Boston was called off because of contact-tracing issues within the Heat, who were bracing to be without multiple players for the next several days, AP was told.NBA-NETS-IRVINGNo word on Irving's return to Nets after he misses 3 gamesNEW YORK (AP) — The Brooklyn Nets say there's no update on Kyrie Irving's return to the team.Irving has missed the last three games for personal reasons. Head coach Steve Nash has said it's a private matter and has refused to say much about Irving's absence. Nash did say that he believed Irving was tested for the coronavirus on Sunday, though he wasn't sure about Monday. Elsewhere in the NBA:— Wizards point guard Russell Westbrook is expected to sit out a week with an injured left leg that has bothered him since the start of the NBA season. Washington is scheduled to play five games through next Monday as the team tries to recover from a 2-8 start. Westbrook is averaging 19.3 points, 11.3 assists and 9.7 rebounds through seven games with the Wizards but is shooting just 37.8%.COLLEGE BASKETBALL POLLGonzaga still on topUNDATED (AP) — Gonzaga and Baylor remain atop The Associated Press men's basketball poll for the seventh consecutive week in the regular season. The Zags received 63 first-place votes from a national media panel and the Bears had one. Villanova, Texas and Iowa rounded out a top 5 that remained the same from last week. Sixth-ranked Kansas is followed by Michigan, Creighton, Wisconsin and Tennessee.No. 25 Connecticut moved into the poll for the first time since reaching No. 18 in 2016-17. Louisville is back in the rankings at No. 16 and Ohio State returned at No. 21. Rutgers, Michigan State and Florida State tumbled out.VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE BASKETBALLBaylor-West Virginia postponedUNDATED (AP) — The men's basketball game Tuesday between No. 13 West Virginia and No. 2 Baylor in Waco, Texas, has been postponed due to COVID-19 issues with the Mountaineers.West Virginia said in a statement that it will work with Baylor and the Big 12 to reschedule the game.Both teams last played on Saturday. Also, Nebraska has paused team activities because of a positive COVID-19 test in the program, causing Wednesday's game against No. 14 Illinois to be postponed. A positive COVID-19 test left the Cornhuskers without starting a starting forward in a loss to Indiana on Sunday.T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULEHuskies win first game since making AP pollSTORRS, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut picked up a victory just hours after cracking the AP men's basketball poll.The 25th-rated Huskies improved to 7-1 by scoring the last eight points in a 60-53 victory over DePaul. R.J. Cole finished with 12 points, including a 3-pointer that sparked the game-ending run.Tyrese Martin provided a team-high 18 points for the Huskies, who played their second straight game without top scorer James Bouknight due to an elbow injury.COLLEGE FOOTBALL-HALL OF FAMECarson Palmer, Bob Stoops lead college Hall of Fame classUNDATED (AP) — Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer and former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops are among the 13 former players and coaches who make up the latest College Football Hall of Fame class to be inducted in December. Joining Palmer and Stoops will be running backs Darren Sproles of Kansas State and C.J Spiller of Clemson; offensive tackles Harris Barton of North Carolina and Aaron Taylor of Notre Dame; defensive stars David Fulcher of Arizona State and Dan Morgan of Miami; Kenneth Sims of Texas; Andre Tippett of Iowa and Al Wilson of Tennessee. Former Eastern Illinois quarterback and current CBS NFL analyst Tony Romo was also selected for induction to the Atlanta-based hall along with former Florida A&amp;M coach Rudy Hubbard.NHL NEWSNHL to host 2 outdoor games in Lake Tahoe this seasonUNDATED (AP) — The NHL is taking its outdoor series to Lake Tahoe. The league announced it will hold two games on an outdoor rink set up at Edgewood Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada. Vegas will play Colorado on Feb. 20 and Boston faces Philadelphia on Feb. 21. The temporary rink will be set up on the 18th hole at Edgewood, site of the annual American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament. GOLF-BRITISH OPEN-TRUMPR&amp;A says no plans to award the Open to Trump's TurnberryST. ANDREWS, Scotland (AP) — The chief executive of the R&amp;A says Donald Trump's ownership of Turnberry will prevent the Scottish course from staging the British Open for "the foreseeable future." Turnberry hasn't hosted the tournament since it was bought by Trump in 2014. R&amp;A chief executive Martin Slumbers says his organization has no plans to award Turnberry the tournament "until we are convinced that the focus will be on the championship, the players and the course itself." Slumbers' comments came a day after the PGA of America voted to take the PGA Championship event away from Trump's New Jersey golf course next year.

Sports Headlines for Tuesday

		New Orleans	at	Dallas	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)

AP-ScorecardHere are the scores from yesterday's sports events:___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		New Orleans	at	Dallas	8:30 p.m.	(Postponed)Final	Milwaukee	121	Orlando	99	Final	Charlotte	109	New York	88	Final	Washington	128	Phoenix	107	Final	Memphis	101	Cleveland	91	Final	Atlanta	112	Philadelphia	94	Final	Portland	112	Toronto	111	Final	Sacramento	127	Indiana	122	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALLFinal	(25)UConn	60	DePaul	53	___TODAY'S SPORTS SCHEDULE___NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION		Miami	at	Philadelphia	7 p.m.			Denver	at	Brooklyn	7:30 p.m.			Utah	at	Cleveland	7:30 p.m.			Boston	at	Chicago	8 p.m.	(Postponed)		L.A. Lakers	at	Houston	8 p.m.			San Antonio	at	Oklahoma City	8 p.m.			Indiana	at	Golden State	10:30 p.m.	___TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL		(13)West Virginia	at	(2)Baylor	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		(6)Kansas	at	Oklahoma St.	8 p.m.			(9)Wisconsin	at	(7)Michigan	7 p.m.			(10)Tennessee	at	South Carolina	7 p.m.	(Postponed)		(10)Tennessee	at	Vanderbilt	7 p.m.			(12)Clemson	at	Syracuse	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		Vanderbilt	at	(17)Missouri	9 p.m.	(Postponed)		(19)Duke	at	(20)Virginia Tech	7 p.m.	___

Sports Scores from Monday

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The celebration was at once familiar and unique. The confetti cannons sent a crimson and white shower into the air and Alabama players ran to the sideline to grab their championship hats and T-shirts.

It’s a rite of passage if you have played for the Crimson Tide under coach Nick Saban.

This time, though, the band playing the fight song was a piped -in recording, and when “Sweet Home Alabama” blared, only a few thousand Tide fans were still in the stadium to sing along.

The final game of a college football season in a pandemic, a season that was uncertain to be played in the summer and filled with disruptions in the fall, ended in the most predictable fashion: Alabama as national champion for the sixth time in the last 12 years under Saban.

DeVonta Smith was uncoverable, Najee Harris unstoppable and Mac Jones impeccable as the top-ranked Tide won the College Football Playoff national championship game 52-24 against No. 3 Ohio State on Monday night. They finished the year 13-0 — a full season when many wondered if it would be possible to play any.

“I think we’re the best team to ever play,” Jones said.

For Saban, it was career title No. 7 overall, breaking a tie with Alabama great Paul “Bear” Bryant for the most by a major college coach.

“To me this is the ultimate team,” Saban said. “There is more togetherness on this team than on almost any team we’ve ever had. They’ve had to overcome and to persevere so much through this season, and they have done it magnificently.”

Ohio State (7-1) just couldn’t keep up. Justin Fields, playing what might be his last game before heading to the NFL, passed for 194 yards and a touchdown. Whether Fields was 100% after taking a brutal hit to the side during his brilliant semifinal performance against Clemson was hard to know for sure.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — The celebration was at once familiar and unique. The confetti cannons sent a crimson and white shower into the air and Alabama players ran to the sideline to grab their championship hats and T-shirts.It’s a rite of passage if you have played for the Crimson Tide under coach Nick Saban.This time, though, the band playing the fight song was a piped -in recording, and when “Sweet Home Alabama” blared, only a few thousand Tide fans were still in the stadium to sing along.The final game of a college football season in a pandemic, a season that was uncertain to be played in the summer and filled with disruptions in the fall, ended in the most predictable fashion: Alabama as national champion for the sixth time in the last 12 years under Saban.DeVonta Smith was uncoverable, Najee Harris unstoppable and Mac Jones impeccable as the top-ranked Tide won the College Football Playoff national championship game 52-24 against No. 3 Ohio State on Monday night. They finished the year 13-0 — a full season when many wondered if it would be possible to play any.“I think we’re the best team to ever play,” Jones said.For Saban, it was career title No. 7 overall, breaking a tie with Alabama great Paul “Bear” Bryant for the most by a major college coach.“To me this is the ultimate team,” Saban said. “There is more togetherness on this team than on almost any team we’ve ever had. They’ve had to overcome and to persevere so much through this season, and they have done it magnificently.”Ohio State (7-1) just couldn’t keep up. Justin Fields, playing what might be his last game before heading to the NFL, passed for 194 yards and a touchdown. Whether Fields was 100% after taking a brutal hit to the side during his brilliant semifinal performance against Clemson was hard to know for sure.“I was able to be out there,” was all the junior quarterback would say.On the Buckeyes’ first drive, they lost star running back Trey Sermon to an injury, and in a game they needed to be running at top speed, facing one of great offenses in recent history, they sputtered too much. Ohio State has never allowed more points in a bowl game.“I think there’s a feeling of, if you don’t score you’re going to get behind and then the pressure mounts,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day said of facing the Tide’s prolific offense.Fans can debate which team in the Saban dynasty is best, but none will be more memorable than this group.“Everybody is so together,” Smith said. “People last year said the dynasty was over. We don’t stop. We just keep reloading.”After going a whole two seasons without winning a national title, the Tide finished perfect during a season that could not have been further from it. COVID-19 forced teams into quarantines and endless testing and uncertainty every single week with games played in mostly empty stadiums.“To me this team accomplished more than almost any team,” Saban said. “No disrespect to other teams we had but this team won 11 SEC games. No other team has done that. They won the SEC and went undefeated in the SEC and then they beat two great teams in the playoffs with no break. I think there’s going to be quite a bit to write about the legacy of this team.”Only about 15,000 fans were at Hard Rock Stadium, capacity 65,326, to see the last magnificent performance of Smith’s college career. The Heisman Trophy winner had catches for 12 catches for 215 yards and three touchdowns, all in the first half.“Heaven knows what he would have done if he played the whole game,” Saban said.Using an array of motions and misdirections, outgoing offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian had Ohio State heads spinning trying to track down Smith. At one point, he suddenly was matched up against a linebacker, whom he left in the dust for a 42-yard score to make it 35-17 with 41 seconds left in the second quarter.Smith, who finished his freshman season by catching the 2017 national championship-winning touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa, ended his Alabama career as the leading career receiver in Southeastern Conference history and the most outstanding offensive player of his third title game.As for Sarkisian, he is on his way to Texas as the head coach. Longhorns fans had to have liked what they saw. If only he could bring Smith and his fellow Heisman contenders to Austin.Jones, who finished third in the Heisman voting, was 36 for 45 for a CFP championship-record 464 yards and five touchdowns. In one of maybe the most overlooked seasons a quarterback has ever played, Jones set a single-season record for passer efficiency rating at 203.Harris, who was fifth in the Heisman race, had 158 yards from scrimmage on 29 touches, scoring three times to give him an SEC record 30 touchdowns this season.Smith hardly played in the second half, leaving with an injury. He returned to the sideline in the fourth quarter with his right hand wrapped to the wrist, two fingers taped together, and wearing a Heisman mask.Alabama hardly missed him and cracked 50 early in the fourth quarter when Harris went in untouched from a yard out.Smith and Harris surprised some by returning to college after last season for their senior years.Boy, did it turn out to be worthwhile. Along with Jones, another member of that 2017 recruiting class, they will leave Alabama as the leaders of a team that managed to make an arduous march from through the pandemic look easy.“We all had a mission trying to end things the right way,” Smith said. “We all went to work and it ended the way we wanted.”