Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Yadier Molina is back, and both he and the St. Louis Cardinals couldn't be happier. After missing the first week of camp for personal reasons, the 39-year-old Molina arrived at the Cardinals' complex on Monday for what will likely be his final spring training. When St. Louis manager Oliver Marmol welcomed Molina back during a closed team meeting, the cheers and applause from his teammates could be heard outside the concrete building. Prior to that, a grinning Molina couldn't take more than a handful of steps without a different teammate walking over to embrace him,
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Kayla Jones scored 18 points to help top-seeded North Carolina State beat Kansas State 89-57 in Monday's second round of the NCAA Tournament, earning a fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16. Raina Perez and Diamond Johnson each added 15 points for the Wolfpack. N.C. State shot 55% and made 9 of 19 3-pointers. By the end, all 13 players had scored for the Bridgeport Region's top seed. Serena Sundell scored 17 points to lead the ninth-seeded Wildcats, who shot just 39%. This is N.C. State's fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16. Kansas State was trying to reach its first since 2002.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Chiefs agreed with defensive tackle Derrick Nnadi on a contract for next season, adding to the continuity on the defensive line that came with restructuring the contract of pass rusher Frank Clark. The contract with the 25-year-old Nnadi was announced Monday by his representatives at SportsTrust Advisors. Nnadi was selected by the Chiefs in the third round of the 2018 draft and has been a dependable part of three AFC championship teams and another that was beaten in the conference title game this past season.
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals claimed left-hander Packy Naughton off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Monday. The 25-year-old Naughton, who fills out the Cardinals' 40-man roster, was chosen by the Reds in the ninth round of the 2017 first-year player draft. The former Virginia Tech star made his major league debut for the Angels last season, going 0-4 with a 7.15 ERA in five starts and seven total appearances.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Remy Martin has been the catalyst for Kansas through the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks are in the Sweet 16 and will play No. 4 seed Providence on Friday night. Martin scored 15 points in a blowout of Texas Southern, then poured in 20 to help Kansas hold off Creighton in the first two rounds. It's all been part of a late-season surge for the Arizona State transfer following a season marked by injuries and a crisis of confidence.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas State has hired Baylor assistant Jerome Tang to be its next head coach. Kansas State athletic director Gene Taylor flew to Texas to meet with Tang on Sunday, one day after the top-seeded Bears lost to North Carolina. Tang played a key role in building the Baylor program into a powerhouse. He replaces Bruce Weber, who resigned after Kansas State lost in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.
UNDATED (AP) — No one saw this Iowa State men's basketball team coming. The Cyclones won just two games and went 0-18 in the Big 12 last year. The team's 20-win improvement is one of the great NCAA Sweet 16 storylines this week. The 11th-seeded Cyclones will play 10th-seeded Miami in the Midwest Region semifinal in Chicago on Friday. Seven of the nine top players in minutes played weren't on the roster last season. First-year coach T.J. Otzelberger implemented a system that relies on a commitment to strong defense. The Cyclones have given up a total of 103 points in two tournament games.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska freshman Bryce McGowens has announced he's declaring for the NBA draft and will sign with an agent. The Associated Press Big Ten newcomer of the year averaged a team-high 16.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game as the highest-ranked recruit in program history. McGowens had 11 games with at least 20 points, including a season-high 29 against both Sam Houston State and Rutgers. He played his best down the stretch, averaging 19.8 points over 12 games. He's been projected to be a late first-round or second-round pick.
Update on the latest sports
NBA-SCHEDULE
Durant has 37 in Nets win over Jazz
UNDATED (AP) — Kevin Durant had 37 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, and the Brooklyn Nets beat the Utah Jazz 114-106 for their sixth win in seven games. Bruce Brown added 22 points for the Nets, who stayed in sole possession of eighth place in the Eastern Conference.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
—Tyrese Maxey scored 13 of his game-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, including nine in a row during a crucial stretch, to lead the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers to a 113-106 victory over the Eastern Conference-leading Miami Heat. The Sixers were without stars Joel Embiid and James Harden, sidelined by nagging injuries. Jimmy Butler scored 27 points for Miami, which lost for just the fifth time in its last 20 games.
— LeBron James scored 38 points in a triple-double and sparked memories of his time in Cleveland, leading Los Angeles over the Cavaliers. It was James' only visit home this season — other than the All-Star Game last month. James added 10 rebounds and 12 assists for his 105th career triple-double and sixth this season.
—DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine each scored 26 points and Nikola Vucevic had 19 points and 13 rebounds as the Chicago Bulls beat the Toronto Raptors 113-99. DeRozan shot 11 for 14 as the Bulls snapped a three-game losing streak and remained in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Pascal Siakam led Toronto with 22 points.
—Jayson Tatum scored 36 points and the Boston Celtics beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 132-123. Tatum has scored 30-or-more points in his last three games, extending the streak on 11-of-19 shooting against Oklahoma City.
—Reggie Bullock scored 18 points with a clutch 3-pointer late after missing four games for personal reasons, and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 110-108 in a game delayed briefly because of a leaky roof. Luka Doncic had 15 points and 10 assists.
—Christian Wood set career highs with eight 3-pointers and 39 points as the Houston Rockets used a huge late run to rally for a 115-97 win over the Washington Wizards. The Rockets trailed by 23 in the first half.
— LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier each scored 17 points and Charlotte came back to beat New Orleans for its fifth straight win. Miles Bridges added 15 points and Mason Plumlee had 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Hornets, who trailed most of the second half and overcame 17 turnovers.
—Brandon Williams scored 23 points and Ben McLemore added 21 as the patchwork Portland Trail Blazers ended a four-game losing streak by beating Detroit.
NBA-NEWS
Tennessee man convicted of killing former NBA player Lorenzen Wright
UNDATED (AP) — A jury has convicted a Tennessee man in the slaying of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright, whose bullet-riddled body was found in a field nearly 12 years ago in his hometown of Memphis.
The jury found Billy Ray Turner guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and conspiracy Monday in the death of Wright. The judge sentenced Turner to life in prison. The 6-foot, 11-inch Wright played 13 seasons in the NBA before he retired after the 2008-2009 season.
In other NBA news:
— Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard has been ruled out for the rest of the season. Lillard had abdominal surgery on Jan. 13, and it was widely expected he would not return. The Blazers made it official on Monday.
NCAA-WOMEN'S TOURNAMENT
Advances to Sweet 16
UNDATED (AP) — Kayla Jones scored 18 points to help top-seeded North Carolina State beat Kansas State 89-57 in Monday's second round of the NCAA Tournament, earning a fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16. Raina Perez and Diamond Johnson each added 15 points for the Wolfpack. This is N.C. State's fourth straight trip to the Sweet 16. Kansas State was trying to reach its first since 2002.
In other tournament action:
—Dara Mabrey scored a season-high 29 points as No. 5 seed Notre Dame rolled past No. 4 Oklahoma 108-64.
Kennedy Todd-Williams scored 19 points, Deja Kelly added 15 and North Carolina overwhelmed Arizona 63-45 to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in eight years. The fifth-seeded Tar Heels smothered Arizona from the start.
Freshman Azzi Fudd scored 16 points and hit two key free throws late as No. 2 seed UConn outfought No. 7 seed UCF 52-47 in a defensive slugfest Monday night to advance to an NCAA record 28th straight Sweet 16.
—Grace Berger scored the last of her 15 points on a spinning, tiebreaking layup with 28.2 seconds left and Nicole Cardano-Hillary added 12 points to help third-seeded Indiana beat Princeton 56-55 and reach its second straight Sweet 16.
—Naz Hillmon had 27 points, 11 rebounds and five steals to help third-seeded Michigan pull away and beat No. 11 Villanova 64-49 in the second round of the women's NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines earned a second straight trip to the Sweet 16 and will face 10th-seeded South Dakota on Saturday in the Wichita Region.
-Sara Puckett hit a 3-pointer with 17.5 seconds left to put Tennessee ahead to stay as the fourth-seeded Lady Vols held off neighbor Belmont 70-67 Monday night to advance to their first Sweet 16 since 2016.
Jacy Sheldon had 23 points, eight assists and three steals, and sixth seed Ohio State defeated No. 3 seed LSU 79-64 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Bruins edge Canadiens
UNDATED (AP) — Brad Marchand scored his second goal of the game 34 seconds into overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Connor Clifton had a goal and an assist and Erik Haula had two assists for Boston. Jeremy Swayman stopped 26 shots. Joel Armia and Denis Savard scored for Montreal, and Jake Allen finished with 43 saves.
In other ice action:
Nicolas Deslauriers scored in his Minnesota debut as the Wild beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0. Cam Talbot stopped 28 shots for the shutout after Marc-Andre Fleury was acquired at the trade deadline to share time with him in the Wild net. Matt Dumba also had a goal and Ryan Hartman added an empty-netter for the Wild. They won their third straight game and climbed into second place in the Central Division.
—Filip Forsberg scored two goals in the third period of a five-point performance, and Matt Duchene added two power-play goals in the final minutes of the Nashville Predators' 6-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Roman Josi and Ryan Johansen also scored for the Predators, who pulled even with Minnesota on points for second place in the Central Division with their sixth win in nine games.
—Nathan MacKinnon scored 52 seconds into overtime to lift Colorado. MacKinnon, who also had an assist, came into the zone on a 2-on-1 with Cale Makar. Makar fed MacKinnon, who's shot beat Mike Smith for his 22nd of the season to win it.
NHL-NEWS
Wild acquire Fleury; Johansson back to Caps
UNDATED (AP) — The Minnesota Wild have acquired goalie Marc-Andre Fleury in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks hours before the NHL trade deadline. The Wild hope the three-time Stanley Cup winner can help them with a late-season playoff push. Minnesota gave up a conditional first-round pick in this year's draft to acquire the 37-year-old, who won the Vezina (VEH'-zih-nuh) Trophy a year ago with Vegas.
In other NHL moves:
— The Washington Capitals acquired Marcus Johansson from the Seattle Kraken, in exchange for forward Daniel Sprong and two later-round draft picks. Seattle also retained 50% of Johansson's $1.5 million salary cap hit.
— The Coyotes acquired unsigned forward prospect Nathan Smith and Bryan Little's contract from the Winnipeg Jets for a 2022 fourth-round pick.
— The Jets acquired a conditional seventh-round pick in dealing defenseman Nathan Beaulieu to Pittsburgh. Beaulieu, who is in the final year of his contract, is sidelined by a lower-body injury.
— One goaltender who was thought to be available came off the market before the deadline when Anton Forsberg re-signed with Ottawa. Forsberg inked an $8.25 million, three-year deal.
NFL-NEWS
AP source: Colts get QB Matt Ryan in trade with Falcons
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Associated Press has learned that the Indianapolis Colts have acquired their new quarterback, Matt Ryan, in a trade with the Atlanta Falcons. Indy is sending a third-round pick, No. 82 overall, for the longtime Falcons star.
Ryan led Atlanta to its second Super Bowl appearance following the 2016 season. That was the same season Ryan was named the league's MVP. Ryan's arrival means the Colts will be starting a new opening-day quarterback for the sixth consecutive year.
In other NFL news:
—A person familiar with the situation says free agent quarterback Jameis Winston has agreed to return to the New Orleans Saints. Winston started seven games for New Orleans in 2021 before a season-ending knee injury. The 28-year-old Winston completed 59% of his passes for 1,170 yards.
— Quarterback Matt Barkley is returning to the Buffalo Bills for a second stint after signing a one-year contract. Barkley did not see any action last year while splitting the season between Tennessee, Carolina and Atlanta.
— The Cincinnati Bengals have signed a third free-agent lineman to shore up an offensive line that has struggled to protect quarterback Joe Burrow. The Bengals got their new right tackle by signing former Dallas Cowboy La'el Collins to a three-year contract.
— Offensive tackle Trent Brown has agreed to a two-year deal to return to the New England Patriots. Brown's agent confirmed the new contract, which will help the Patriots maintain some stability on the right side of their front five after they traded right guard Shaq Mason to Tampa Bay.
— The Baltimore Ravens have agreed to a three-year deal with fullback Patrick Ricard. Ricard has spent all five of his NFL seasons with Baltimore. Ricard earned his third Pro Bowl selection last season.
—The Dallas Cowboys have added defensive end Dante Fowler and receiver James Washington in free agency as tight end Dalton Schultz signed his $10.9 million franchise tag.
MLB-NEWS
Ryan McMahon, Rockies agree to $70M, 6-year contract
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Infielder Ryan McMahon and the Colorado Rockies have agreed to a $70 million, six-year contract that avoided salary arbitration.
McMahon gets $5 million this season, $9 million in 2023, $12 million in each of the following two seasons and $16 million in each of the last two years. He can opt out of the deal early depending on his finish in MVP voting.
Elsewhere in the majors:
—A federal appeals panel has affirmed a lower court's decision to unseal a letter from baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman detailing an investigation into sign stealing. The panel made the decision in upholding the April 2020 decision to dismiss a lawsuit by fantasy sports contestants who claimed they were damaged by sign stealing in Major League Baseball.
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