Mar 27, 2021

Sports Headlines for Saturday

Posted Mar 27, 2021 12:22 PM

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

ST. LOUIS (AP) β€” Sam Steel and Max Jones each scored a goal, leading the Anaheim Ducks to a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Anaheim goalie John Gibson was back in net after missing five games with a lower body injury. It is his first game since March 12 after going on IR. Ryan O'Reilly scored the lone Blues goal.  Anaheim won for the second time in nine games and handed St. Louis its third straight loss overall and sixth straight at home.

UNDATED (AP) β€” UConn's Geno Auriemma will be coaching in his 27th straight Sweet 16 this weekend. It's be his first game of this women's NCAA Tournament. He returns from COVID-19  just in time to get a close-up view of Saturday's battle between the nation's most heralded freshmen, UConn's Paige Bueckers and Iowa's Caitlin Clark. The second semifinal in the River Walk regional also features an intriguing one-on-one matchup. This one will be played on the inside. National player of the year candidate Nylyssa Smith and the No. 2 seed Baylor Lady Bears will be facing No. 5 seed Michigan and Big Ten player of the year Naz Hillmon. 

ST. LOUIS (AP) β€” Joe Cunningham, who got off to a smashing start with the St. Louis Cardinals and later became a minor league manager, major league coach, key member of their front office and team ambassador, has died. He was 89. Popularly called as "Smokey" Joe, he died Thursday in St. Louis, the Cardinals said. Cunningham homered and drove in five runs during his big league debut in 1954. The next day, he homered twice off future Hall of Famer Warren Spahn. Cunningham was an All-Star in 1959. In 12 seasons with St. Louis, the Chicago White Sox and the Washington Senators, he batted .291 with a .403 on-base percentage.

ST. LOUIS (AP) β€” A medical examiner says former St. Louis Blues defenseman Bob Plager likely died of a "cardiac event," not injuries from an accident on an interstate highway. Plager was alone in his car Wednesday afternoon when it crashed into a minivan and then a concrete median on Interstate 64 near downtown St. Louis. The medical examiner performed an autopsy and says Plager didn't sustain any injuries that would have been life-threatening. Further tests and routine toxicology results are still to come. Plager was an original member of the Blues when the team launched in 1967 and remained associated with the franchise until his death.

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) β€” Vanderbilt sophomore right-hander Jack Leiter tossed seven hitless innings in the Commodores' 11-3 win over Missouri after pitching a nine-inning no-hitter last Saturday against South Carolina. The son of former big leaguer Al Leiter is a favorite to go within the first few picks of the Major League Baseball draft in July and possibly No. 1 overall. The draft-eligible sophomore struck out 10 and walked two against Missouri on Friday night. He hasn't allowed a hit since giving up two in the fifth inning against Oklahoma State on March 13. Leiter is 6-0 with a 0.25 ERA in six starts this season.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) β€” Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer is questioning whether refs are allowing too much contact in the women's NCAA Tournament compared to the regular season. The overall top-seed played a physical matchup against Oklahoma State in the second round. Stanford guard Kiana Williams briefly left the game after hitting the floor and tweaking an ankle on a rebound. VanDerveer says it's a problem when hand checking is supposed to be called all season long and then there's different rules once teams get to the NCAA Tournament. The Stanford coach says games should be called consistently throughout.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) β€” Allie Schulte scored 18 points, Emma Middleton had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and defending champion Lubbock Christian (Texas) held off Drury (Mo.) 69-59 for its third women's Division II championship in the last five tournaments. Lubbock Christian extended its Division II-leading active winning streak to 35 games, dating to Jan. 30, 2020, by snapping the 14-game winning streak of Drury. The Lady Chaps also won the championship in 2016 β€” their first season in the division, and are now 19-1 in the tournament. Drury, in its first Division II championship, was led by national player of the year Paige Robinson with 20 points.

Update on the latest sports

NBA-SCHEDULE

Celtics top Bucks

UNDATED (AP) β€” The Boston Celtics ended Milwaukee's winning streak as the Celts try to climb back to .500.

Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Marcus Smart 23 to pace the Celtics to a 122-114 victory over the Bucks, halting Milwaukee's season-high, eight-game winning streak.

Boston finished 22 of 47 from beyond the arc. Smart was 7 for 10 and Jaylen Brown and Tatum added four apiece.

The Celtics led 60-55 at the half before hitting nine of 14 3-pointers in the third quarter to push the lead to 103-89.

The Celtics held Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) in check, holding him to 16 points. Khris Middleton had 19 points and Jrue Holiday 17 for the Bucks.

Checking out Friday's other NBA action:

β€” The Jazz picked up their 18th consecutive home win as Donovan Mitchell provided 35 points and Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR') had 25 in a 117-114 decision over the Grizzlies. Gobert added nine rebounds, and Mitchell had six assists and five rebounds to help the Jazz improve to 33-11. Bojan (BOY'-ahn) Bogdanovic chipped in 17 points and Jordan Clarkson 14.

β€” The Lakers' four-game losing streak is over after Montrezl (MAHN'-trehz) Harrell had 24 points and 10 reboundsin a 100-86 comeback over the Cavaliers. Los Angeles trailed 51-44 at halftime before seizing control in the third quarter, scoring 19 of the first 21 points. It's the Lakers' first victory since both LeBron James and Anthony Davis have been injured and out of the lineup.

β€” James Harden scored 44 points and Blake Griffin added 17 in his return to Detroit, lifting the Nets to a 113-111 victory over the Pistons. Harden was back after missing his team's previous game because of neck soreness. He added 14 rebounds and eight assists in helping the Nets win without Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

β€” Malik Monk furnished 32 points and Terry Rozier added 26 with a career-high 11 assists as the Hornets dealt the Heat their sixth straight loss, 110-105. Devonte Graham added 16 points and two clutch free throws for the Hornets, who squandered most of a 30-point first-half lead. Jimmy Butler had 20 points and nine assists for Miami after missing Thursday's game due to illness.

β€” Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton each scored 19 points as the Suns held off the Raptors. Phoenix didn't make a field goal in the last 3:50, but Paul and Devin Booker converted four free throws in the final 42 seconds. Booker had 16 points to help the Suns improve to 30-14.

β€” Nikola Jokic (nih-KOH'-lah YOH'-kihch) delivered 37 points and nine assists as the Nuggets held off the Pelicans, 113-108. Michael Porter Jr. scored 25 points and Jamal Murray had 23 points and 11 assists for the Nuggets. Denver trailed by as many as 14 points in the game and 11 in the fourth quarter but closed on a 24-8 run.

β€” Newly acquired guard Norman Powell scored 22 points and hit five 3-pointers in his Portland debut, a 112-105 win over the Magic. C.J. McCollum scored seven of his 22 in the fourth quarter as the Blazers pulled away late for the victory despite being without injured star Damian Lillard. The Magic lost for the 12th time in 14 games and had just eight players available after trading franchise fixtures Nikola Vucevic (nih-KOH'-lah VOO'-cheh-vihch), Evan Fournier, Aaron Gordon and two others on Thursday.

β€” John Collins scored a career-high 38 points to go with 12 rebounds in the Hawks' ninth win in 11 games, a 124-108 trouncing of the Warriors. Trae Young had 21 points and 15 assists, while Clint Capela added 18 points and 15 rebounds to help Atlanta stop a two-game skid. Andrew Wiggins scored 29 points for the Warriors in their fourth straight defeat.

β€” The Pacers hit 20 3-pointers led by Malcolm Brogdon's 6-for-9 effort in a 122-109 win at Dallas. Domantas Sabonis had 22 points and 15 rebounds, and Brogdon also scored 22 in Indiana's fourth win in five games. Kristaps Porzingis (krihs-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) had 31 points and a season-high 18 rebounds for the Mavericks, who played without All-Star guard Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) due to back tightness.

β€” The Timberwolves rallied past the Rockets, 107-101 as Karl-Anthony Towns had 29 points and 16 rebounds. Juancho Hernangomez (WAHN'-choh hur-nahn-GOH'-mehz) came off the bench with 19 points for Minnesota, which trailed by 19 in the second half but closed on a 20-0 run to stop a four-game losing streak. Towns had 14 points during the final stretch as the Timberwolves won for the fourth time in 15 games under new coach Chris Finch.

NBA-NEWS

CAVALIERS-DRUMMOND BUYOUT

Cavs buy out Drummond

CLEVELAND (AP) β€” Center Andre Drummond is now a free agent after reaching a buyout with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The agreement ends a partnership that became awkward when the Cavs benched Drummond to give young center Jarrett Allen more playing time.

Drummond hasn't played since mid-February and began negotiating terms of the buyout with the Cavs after the club didn't trade the 27-year-old before Thursday's NBA trade deadline.

In other NBA news:

β€”The Grizzlies expect forward Jaren Jackson Jr. back in the lineup by the end of April, nearly nine months after he hurt his left knee. It's the first concrete return date for the third-year player. Jackson tore the meniscus in his left knee in his third game in the NBA bubble last summer.

β€” Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak says he's not ruling out LaMelo Ball returning this season. Kupchak says the rookie point guard will be reevaluated in "four or five weeks" after fracturing his right wrist on March 20. If Ball is revaluated in five weeks on April 27 the Hornets would have about three weeks remaining before the end of the regular season on May 16.

NFL-NEWS

AP source: 49ers trade up for No. 3 pick from Dolphins

UNDATED (AP) β€” The San Francisco 49ers have made a big move to grab their quarterback of the future by trading up with Miami for the No. 3 pick in next month's draft. A person familiar with the deal says the Niners are trading their No. 12 pick along with first-round picks in 2022 and 2023 and a third-rounder in 2022 to get the third pick.

The Dolphins then immediately traded the 12th pick, the 123rd pick and a 2022 first-rounder to Philadelphia for the No. 6 and No. 156 pick in the draft.

The trade by the Niners puts them in position to draft a quarterback with Zach Wilson, Justin Fields and Trey Lance all possibilities. Jacksonville is expected to take Trevor Lawrence first and the New York Jets also could take a quarterback at No. 2. Drafting a quarterback would likely lead to the end of Jimmy Garoppolo's (gah-RAH'-puh-lohz) tenure in San Francisco.

In other NFL news:

β€” The Raiders have signed free agent wide receiver Willie Snead to a one-year deal. The 28-year-old entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Cleveland in 2014 and has played 86 games with New Orleans and Baltimore. He has 275 catches for 3,393 yards and 16 TDs.

β€” Police in Cleveland say Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore has been arrested there on suspicion of possessing a weapon. Police say Lattimore had a loaded handgun that had been reported stolen in a Cleveland suburb. He is suspected of receiving stolen property and failing to inform an officer he was carrying a concealed weapon.

β€” The NFL is planning to expand its international presence with more games abroad in 2022 if the 17-game regular-season schedule is approved. Team owners meet next week and are expected to rubber stamp the additional game, while reducing the number of preseason contests to three per club. The additional games will be interconference, all of them in current home stadiums.

MLB-NEWS

Correa turned down $120M, 6-year deal, says deadline stands

UNDATED (AP) β€” Houston Astros shortstop Carlos Correa says he turned down an offer for a $120 million, six-year contract covering 2022-27 and is not sure whether there will be a deal before his deadline of opening day next week.

Houston opens the season next Thursday at Oakland, and Correa ruled out talks after then.

Correa has an $11.3 million salary this year and can become a free agent after the World Series. He says he thought the long-term offer the Astros made several weeks ago was low and that as of now his plan is "to win another championship for the city of Houston and then explore free agency."

In other MLB news:

β€” Pitcher Lance McCullers Jr. and the Astros have finalized an $85 million, five-year contract covering 2022-26. McCullers agreed on Jan. 15 to a $6.5 million, one-year contract that avoided salary arbitration. He would have been eligible for free agency after this year's World Series. The 27-year-old returned in 2020 after missing a season following Tommy John surgery.

β€” The Braves have optioned right-hander Bryse Wilson to their alternate training site for what is expected to be a brief stay. Wilson is expected to be recalled about two weeks into the season when he would take over as the team's No. 5 starter. Wilson will be eligible to be recalled on April 11.

β€” Tampa Bay reliever Nick Anderson will miss at least half the season with an elbow injury that's not expected to require surgery. The right-hander who's been one of the most dominant relievers in baseball the past two seasons has a partially torn ligament in his pitching elbow. Plans currently call for him to rehab and not play catch for at least eight weeks before starting a throwing program.

β€” The Boston Red Sox have scratched Eduardo Rodriguez as their opening day starter because of a "dead arm" that pushed back his final spring tuneup. Nathan Eovaldi (ee-VAHL'-dee) will face the Baltimore Orioles in the April 1 opener instead. Manager Alex Cora says Rodriguez missed a bullpen session on Wednesday, two days after lasting just two innings in a spring training start against Tampa Bay.

β€” Right-hander Casey Mize will be part of the Tigers' starting rotation and Michael Fulmer will pitch out of the bullpen. Detroit manager AJ Hinch also said left-hander Derek Holland will make the team. Mize was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 amateur draft.

β€” The Brewers have released pitchers Brad Boxberger and Jordan Zimmermann as the team works to narrow down its season-opening roster. Brewers president of baseball operations David Stearns says he hopes to keep both pitchers by signing them to minor league contracts and sending them to the organization's alternate site in Appleton, Wisconsin.

β€” The Reds have released former National League batting champ Dee Strange-Gordon. He was a non-roster invitee who was brought in to audition at shortstop. His chances were hurt by the Reds' decision to move Eugenio (ay-oo-HAY'-nee-oh) Suarez from third base to shortstop, and also by good spring performances from versatile infielders Jonathan India and Alex Blandino.

β€” The Los Angeles Angels have released outfielder Jon Jay and right-hander Jesse Chavez. The 36-year-old Jay batted 2 for 29 in 15 spring training games, while the 37-year-old Chavez had a 14.54 ERA in five appearances.

β€” Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona says Jake Bauers will open the season at first base despite being outperformed at the plate this spring by Bobby Bradley. Bradley was optioned to Triple-A Columbus along outfielder Bradley Zimmer and reliever Kyle Nelson.

β€” Second baseman Joe Panik has been told by the Toronto Blue Jays that he will be added to the major league roster. Panik entered Friday hitting .296 during spring training with five RBIs.

β€” Infielder Andrew Romine has been released from his minor league contract by the Minnesota Twins. The 35-year-old brother of Chicago Cubs catcher Austin Romine hit .185 with one RBI during spring training.

β€” Pitchers IvΓ‘n Nova and HΓ©ctor RondΓ³n have been released from minor league contracts by the Phillies along with catcher Jeff Mathis.

β€” Twins bench coach Mike Bell has died of kidney cancer at age 46. He was 46. The Twins planned to play their exhibition game as scheduled Friday night, at the request of Bell's family to take the field in his honor. He spent one season with the Twins and had 13 years with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in player development.

β€” Former Cardinals player, minor league manager and big league coach Joe Cunningham as died at 89. Cunningham homered three times and drove in nine runs during his first two major league games. He was an All-Star in 1959 when he led the majors with a .453 on-base percentage and was second in the National League with a .345 batting average.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-MARQUETTE-SMART

Smart move by Marquette

MILWAUKEE (AP) β€” Shaka Smart is leaving Texas to return to his home state as men's basketball coach at Marquette.

Smart went 109-86 with no NCAA Tournament victories in six seasons at Texas after a remarkably successful six-year run at VCU, where he went 163-56 and led the Rams to a Final Four appearance in 2011.

The hiring comes a week after Marquette fired Steve Wojciechowski (woh-jah-HOW'-skee) and Smart's Texas team was upset 53-52 by Abilene Christian in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Caps blank Devils, catch Isles

UNDATED (AP) β€” Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals continued their hot streaks in a 4-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils.

Ovechkin scored twice, giving him 10 goals in his last 10 games. The Caps have won nine of those games and sit in a first-place tie with the Islanders in the NHL's East Division with one game in hand.

Nicklas Backstrom scored his 13th goal of the season, while Evgeny Kuznetsov (kooz-NEHT'-sahv) and Tom Wilson each had two assists.

Ilya Samsonov (sam-SOH'-nahv) stopped 24 shots in his first shutout in 14 months.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:

β€” John Gibson turned back 33 shots and the Ducks won for just the second time in nine games by knocking off the Blues, 4-1. Gibson kept Anaheim ahead after Sam Steel and Max Jones scored in the second period. Gibson blanked St. Louis until Ryan O'Reilly tallied midway through the third, but a pair of empty-netters clinched it for the Ducks.

β€” Christian Dvorak scored twice to lift the Coyotes over the Sharks 5-2. Nick Schmaltz, Dryden Hunt and Phil Kessel also scored for Arizona, and Adin (AY'-dihn) Hill stopped 20 shots. The win moved the Coyotes within two points of St. Louis for fourth place in the West Division.

β€” Paul Stastny (STAS'-nee) scored the eventual game-winner for the Jets in a 3-2 victory at Calgary. Stastny, Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor each had a goal and an assist to back Connor Hellebuyck (HEH'-leh-buhk), who made 25 saves for the win in his league-leading 27th start of the season. Milan Lucic (LOO'-cheech) and Matthew Tkachuk (kah-CHUHK') scored in a fourth straight loss for the Flames.

NHL-SABRES-CANADIENS TRADE

Sabres begin overhaul by trading Eric Staal to Canadiens

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) β€” The Buffalo Sabres have begun their overhaul by trading veteran center Eric Staal to the Montreal Canadiens for third- and fifth-round selections in the 2021 draft.

The 17-year veteran center was having a rough first season with the Sabres, scoring three goals and 10 points in 32 games while recording a -20.

Staal will be allowed to report to the Canadiens after a seven-day quarantine. The Canadian government waived its mandatory 14-day quarantine period for players acquired by Canadian NHL teams from U.S. clubs "under national interest grounds" ahead of the league's April 12 trade deadline.

LSU-SEXUAL MISCONDUCT

LSU coach accused of ignoring sexual harassment complaint

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) β€” A 74-year-old woman told state lawmakers she spoke directly to Louisiana State University football coach Ed Orgeron about sexual harassment she endured in 2017 from one of his star players.

But the woman said Orgeron did nothing to reprimand then-LSU running back Derrius Guice when the player harassed her while she was working at her Superdome security job in 2017. The football coach denies ever speaking with Gloria Scott, whose testimony came at the second hearing called by female state lawmakers. The lawmakers are following up on an independent report that determined LSU for years mishandled its response to allegations of rape, domestic violence and assault.

PGA-MATCH PLAY

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) β€” Jon Rahm wound up being the only top-20 seed to reach the Round of 16 in the Dell Technologies Match Play.

Rahm finished 2-0-1 by halving his match with Ryan Palmer.

Sergio Garcia beat Lee Westwood in the longest of the eight playoffs. Garcia won it with a 9-iron from 161 yards to a front pin on the par-3 fourth hole that landed just beyond the pin and trickled back into the cup.

Kevin Na (nah) sent Dustin Johnson home. Na birdied his last two holes for a 1-up victory over the No. 1 player in the world.

Dylan Frittelli is the first No. 64 seed to make it to the knockout round.

Other winners include Jordan Spieth (speeth), Bubba Watson, Matt Kucher (KOO'-chur) and Tommy Fleetwood.

SPORTS BROADCASTING-STOCKTON

Stockton announces retirement

UNDATED (AP) β€” Sports broadcaster Dick Stockton is stepping away after a 55-year career that included stints with Fox, CBS and NBC.

The 78-year-old Stockton called at least 1,545 games on network television. The moment that stands out is his call of Carlton Fisk's dramatic game-winning home run in the 12th inning of Game 6 of the 1975 World Series, giving the Boston Red Sox a 7-6 victory over the Cincinnati Reds.

Stockton called virtually ever sport during his career, including the 1992 and '94 Winter Olympics for CBS. He was the network's lead NBA voice for nine seasons and had a front-row seat for the league's rise to prominence.