Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
STILLWATER, Ok (AP) ā Seventh-ranked Oklahoma State will find out who it will play in its first Big 12 championship game. It could be a Bedlam rematch. The Cowboys are home for the regular-season finale against 10th-ranked Oklahoma. The six-time defending Big 12 champion Sooners get into the title game with a win over Oklahoma State, or if ninth-ranked Baylor loses its home finale earlier in the day to Texas Tech. Oklahoma has won six in a row and 16 of 18 against the Cowboys.
ST. LOUIS (AP) ā The NFL and Rams owner Stan Kroenke will pay $790 million to settle a lawsuit filed by St. Louis interests over the team's relocation to Los Angeles. The settlement announced Wednesday ends a lawsuit filed in 2017. Kroenke and the NFL failed to have the lawsuit dismissed or at least moved out of St. Louis, and courts were sympathetic to the St. Louis side's effort to disclose financial information of team owners ā rulings that hastened the push for a settlement. The case had been scheduled to go to trial Jan. 10. The lawsuit claimed the team's 2016 move cost the St. Louis region millions of dollars in revenue.
NEW YORK (AP) ā Izaiah Brockington scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half, and Iowa State beat No. 25 Xavier 82-70 in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Tyrese Hunter added 19 points for Iowa State, Gabe Kalscheur scored 12 points and George Conditt had 10. Jack Nunge scored 24 points off the bench for Xavier. Colby Jones had 11 points and Dwon Odom scored 10. Iowa State trailed 39-38 at halftime but took control with a 24-9 run over the first 7:29 of the second half that included 13 points by Brockington.
DETROIT (AP) ā Adam Erne scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period, streaking rookie Lucas Raymond got his eighth of the season and the Detroit Red Wings defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Dylan Larkin and Robby Fabbri also scored for the Red Wings. Alex Nedeljkovic finished with 35 saves as Detroit snapped a four-game losing streak and improved to 5-2-2 at home. Making his second straight start, Nedeljkovic turned in several highlight-reel stops ā including a sprawling glove save with 13:05 left to preserve a one-goal lead. Pavel Buchnevich and David Perron scored for the Blues. Perron's goal snapped a 13-game scoreless drought. It was the sixth loss in eight games for St. Louis.
NEW YORK (AP) ā Mets owner Steve Cohen has criticized pitcher Steven Matz for reaching an agreement with the St. Louis Cardinals rather than New York. Cohen wrote on Twitter: "I'm not happy this morning. I've never seen such unprofessional behavior exhibited by a player's agent. I guess words and promises don't matter." According to published reports, Matz and the Cardinals have agreed to a $44 million, four-year contract in a deal that's subject to a successful physical. Rob Martin, the pitcher's agent, wrote in a text to The Associated Press that: "We handle things the right way and so does Steven."
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ā Free agent pitcher Wade Davis is retiring at age 36 after 13 major league seasons. The three-time All-Star played for the Kansas City Royals in 2021 and helped them win the 2015 World Series title. Davis was 63-55 with a 3.94 ERA and 141 saves in 161 chances for Tampa Bay, Kansas City, the Chicago Cubs and Colorado. He made 88 starts and 469 relief appearances and was an All-Star from 2015-17. His retirement was announced by his agency, Jet Sports.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ā The Chiefs need only think back to 2019 for a reason to be optimistic about the rest of this season. They started off 6-4 that year as new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo struggled to make wholesale changes on that side of the ball, and a series of injuries including one to Patrick Mahomes made things even more difficult. Sounds a lot like this year, when a 6-4 start was the product of more bad defense and even more injuries. But two years ago, the Chiefs turned things around and ultimately won the Super Bowl, and there are signs that this year's bunch could do the exact same thing.
RIVIERA MAYA, Cancun (AP) ā Marten Linssen posted 19 points and eight rebounds as Saint Louis beat Stephen F. Austin 79-68 in the Cancun Challenge - Riviera Division championship game. Sadaidriene Hall led the Lumberjacks with 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) ā Milton Andrew Munson's obituary recalled his life as an Air Force veteran, a pharmacist, husband and father, and as a Nebraska football fan. That was evident in one line in the obit, which reads: "In lieu of flowers, please place an irresponsibly large wager on Nebraska beating Iowa." The Lincoln Journal Star reports that the obit, written by Munson's sons, ran Nov. 18 in the Hastings Tribune. It caught fire on social media and captured the attention of two radio hosts. Soon, more than $5,000 had been contributed for the big bet. Some of the money will go to Big Brothers/Big Sisters. The Huskers are a point-and-a-half underdog in Friday night's game.
Update on the latest sports
NBA-SCHEDULE
Suns extend win streak
UNDATED (AP) ā The Phoenix Suns have stretched their winning streak to 14 games since a 1-3 start.
Devin Booker and Chris Paul carried the Suns to a 120-115 victory at Cleveland. Booker finished with 35 points and Paul hit four free throws over the final 8.8 seconds to help Phoenix keep their winning streak alive.
Paul finished with 17 points and 12 assists, while JaVale McGee added 13 points and 12 rebounds in 20 minutes off the bench.
The Cavaliers dropped their fifth in a row despite Jarrett Allen's 25 points and 11 rebounds.
Checking out Wednesday's other NBA games:
ā Stephen Curry barely outscored his brother, but the Warriors dominated the second half to beat Philadelphia, 119-96 and improve to an NBA-best 16-2. Curry scored 25 points and helped the Warriors overcome a 61-52 halftime deficit. Seth Curry had 24 points to lead the 76ers.
ā LeBron James made the tiebreaking 3-pointer in overtime and followed with a back-breaking 3 in his return from the first suspension of his career, carrying the Lakers to a 124-116 win over the Pacers. James finished with 37 points, six assists and five rebounds to help Los Angeles win while Anthony Davis sat out with flu-like symptoms.
ā Kevin Durant cracked the league's top 25 all-time scoring list by contributing 21 points in the Nets' 123-104 thumping of the Celtics. Patty Mills added 23 points, and James Harden had 20 points and 11 assists in Brooklyn's 12th win in its last 14 games.
ā Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) delivered 33 points and Bobby Portis added 28 for the Bucks in a 114-93 rout of the Pistons. The victory was Milwaukee's fifth in a row overall and its 12th straight over Detroit since 2018.
ā Terry Rozier scored 27 points and Kelly Oubre (OO'-bray) Jr. came off the bench with 21 points and six rebounds to help the Hornets win for the seventh time in eight games, 106-99 against the Magic. Oubre and Cody Martin sparked a 15-0 run that erased Orlando's seven-point lead.
ā Donovan Mitchell scored six straight points in the final minute to secure Utah's win at Oklahoma City, 110-104. Jordan Clarkson scored 20 points off the bench to lead the Jazz, Mike Conley added 18 points, and Rudy Gobert (goh-BEHR') had 15 with 17 rebounds.
ā Trae Young scored 31 points and the Hawks picked up their sixth straight win by blasting the Spurs, 124-106. Bogdan Bogdanovic had 18 points and John Collins added 15 in helping Atlanta earn just its second road win this season.
ā Brandon Ingram scored 24 points and Jonas Valanciunas (YOH'-nuhs val-ehn-CHOO'-nuhs) furnished a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, guiding the Pelicans to a 127-102 dismantling of the Wizards. Josh Hart highlighted his 16-point performance with a running half-court bank shot as he was fouled in the final second of the third quarter, helping New Orleans win for just the fourth time.
ā The Rockets' losing streak has ended at 15 games as Daniel House Jr., contributed 18 points to their 118-113 downing of the Bulls. Kevin Porter Jr. had 14 points, six rebounds and nine assists after missing three games because of a bruised left thigh.
ā Anthony Edwards had 33 points and 14 rebounds in guiding the Timberwolves to their fifth win in a row, 113-101 against the Heat. Malik Beasley scored a season-high 29 points off the bench and D'Angelo Russell added 20 for Minnesota.
ā Gary Trent Jr. scored 17 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter of the Raptors' 126-113 decision over the Grizzlies. Fred VanVleet scored 23 points, and Precious Achiuwa (ah-CHOO'-wah), Pascal Siakam (see-A'-kam) and Scott Barnes added 17 each, with Barnes also snagging nine rebounds.
ā Marvin Bagley III made a clutch 3-pointer with 30 seconds remaining as the Kings held off the Trail Blazers, 125-121. Buddy Hield (heeld) added 22 points in 30 minutes off the bench, and De'Aaron Fox scored 21 points before being ejected in the fourth quarter.
T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Huskies top Tigers in 2OT
UNDATED (AP) ā The Connecticut men's basketball team was able to win a matchup of top-25 teams despite blowing a sizeable lead.
Tyler Polley scored a career-high 24 points and hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 2:58 left in the second overtime to help the 22nd-ranked Huskies knock off No. 19 Auburn, 115-109. Adama Sanogo finished with a career-best 30 points for UConn, which blew a 15-point advantage in regulation and squandered a lead late in the first overtime before winning its first-round game in the Battle 4 Atlantis.
In Wednesday's other top-25 men's basketball action:
ā L.J. Cryer had 15 points and sixth-ranked Baylor improved to 5-0 by downing Arizona State 75-63 at the Battle 4 Atlantis. Matthew Mayer added 14 for the national champion Bears, who led by 22 in the second half and held the Sun Devils to 36% shooting.
ā Eighth-ranked Texas rolled to a 68-44 win over California Baptist as Timmy Allen and Andrew Jones scored 15 points apiece for the Longhorns. Allen had eight rebounds and Jones handed out five assists.
ā DeAndre Williams had 16 points and 10 rebounds to push No. 9 Memphis to a 69-61 win over Virginia Tech in the NIT Season Tip-Off. Emoni Bates hit four free throws in the final minutes and scored all of his nine points in the second half for the 5-0 Tigers.
ā Fabian White Jr. scored 15 points and Marcus Sasser added 14 to send 12th-ranked Houston to a 78-49 rout of Oregon in the Maui Invitational third-place game. The Cougars built a 10-point lead in the first 4 1/2 minutes and bullied the Ducks in the paint to lead 41-19 at halftime.
ā Te'Jon Lucas had 18 points and seven assists to lead 18th-ranked BYU to an 81-64 victory over Texas Southern. Gideon George had 10 points and a career-high 16 rebounds for the Cougars.
ā Eli Brooks scored 15 points and 20th-rated Michigan overcame 20 turnovers to beat Tarleton State 65-54. Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan scored 14 points apiece for the Wolverines, who trailed by one before closing the first half on a 10-0 run.
ā Jared Rhoden had 21 points and No. 21 Seton Hall took the third-place game at the Fort Myers Tip-Off by nipping California, 62-59.
ā Tyree Appleby capped his 15-point performance by draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give No. 23 Florida state a 71-68 triumph over Ohio State in the Fort Myers Tip-Off championship game.
ā Izaiah Brockington scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half as Iowa State beat No. 25 Xavier 82-70 in the NIT Season Tip-Off.
NFL-NEWS
Rodgers says he has fractured toe
UNDATED (AP) ā Aaron Rodgers has provided more clarity on his toe injury.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback describes the injury as a fracture but doesn't expect to miss any games. Rodgers has been playing with the toe injury each of the past two games since missing a 13-7 loss at Kansas City because of a positive COVID-19 test.
The reigning MVP said the injury occurred while working out at home during his quarantine.
In other NFL news:
ā The Vikings sent psychologists to the home of defensive end Everson Griffen on Wednesday to work with police on guiding him through another alarming mental health situation. The team was relieved when Griffen emerged from his home without incident hours after he called 911 in a frenzy believing people were trying to kill him. Griffen also posted a video depicting him with a gun that he said was purchased legally.
ā The Titans have placed backup quarterback Logan Woodside on the reserve/COVID-19 list. This leaves starter Ryan Tannehill as the only quarterback on the roster as the Titans prepare to visit New England on Sunday.
ā Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson says he's feeling better and he fully expects to play Sunday night. Jackson missed last Sunday's win at Chicago after an illness limited him during the week.
ā The Browns could have two key offensive players back for Sunday's AFC North showdown against Baltimore. Dynamic running back Kareem Hunt and two-time All-Pro starting right tackle Jack Conklin practiced Tuesday after being designated for return from injured reserve and could play against the division-leading Ravens.
ā The NFL and Rams owner Stan Kroenke (KRAHN'-kee) will pay $790 million to settle a lawsuit filed in 2017 by St. Louis interests over the team's relocation to Los Angeles. The lawsuit claimed the team's 2016 move cost the St. Louis region millions of dollars in revenue. The case had been scheduled to go to trial Jan. 10.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Panthers stay hot
UNDATED (AP) ā The Florida Panthers have tied another team mark as they maintain the NHL's best record.
Aaron Ekblad scored 2:39 into overtime to give the Panthers a 2-1 win against the Flyers. Ekblad and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist for the Cats, who have matched a team record with their 11th straight home win.
Sergei Bobrovsky (boh-BRAHF'-skee) made 32 saves and became the first Florida goalie to record points in 11 straight starts, going 9-0-2.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
ā Marcus Johansson beat Frederik Andersen with a wrist shot with 3:08 remaining, giving the Kraken a 2-1 triumph over the Hurricanes. Seattle's Jared McCann scored on the power play at 4:16 of the second period before Seattle dealt Carolina its second consecutive loss.
ā Evgeny Kuznetsov (kooz-NEHT'-sahf), Dmitry Orlov, John Carlson and Nic Dowd each provided a goal and an assist as the Capitals doubled up the Canadiens, 6-3. Alex Ovechkin had three assists in a game for the first time in nearly four years, helping Washington win for the seventh time in nine games.
ā Chris Kreider has 15 goals this season after netting two more in the Rangers' 4-1 verdict over the Islanders. Kevin Rooney also scored twice against the Isles, who have dropped seven straight in regulation since a 5-0-2 stretch.
ā The Bruins won for the fourth time in five games as Patrice Bergeron (pah-TREES' BEHR'-zhuh-rahn), David Pastrnak (PAHS'-tur-nahk) and Charlie Coyle each had a goal and an assist in their 5-1 rout of the Sabres. Boston chased Aaron Dell with four first-period goals on the 22 shots he faced.
ā The Penguins earned a 4-1 win over the Canucks as Tristan Jarry stopped 36 shots to win his fourth straight start. Evan Rodrigues, Bryan Rust, Zach Aston-Reese and Brock McGinn scored for Pittsburgh.
ā Kevin Fiala (fee-AH'-lah) delivered the decisive goal and Cam Talbot turned away 40 shots in the Wild's 3-2 shootout win at New Jersey. Ryan Hartman and Nico Sturm scored in regulation for Minnesota. The game was delayed 24 minutes after the Wild got stuck in a Manhattan traffic jam with the Holland Tunnel closed.
ā Nazem Kadri (NA'-zehm KA'-dree) stretched his point streak to 10 games by providing a goal and an assist in Colorado's sixth consecutive win, 5-2 versus the Ducks. Kadri has six goals and 15 assists during the streak.
ā The Red Wings were 4-2 winners over the Blues as Adam Erne (UR'-nee) notched the go-ahead goal early in the third period and streaking rookie Lucas Raymond got his eighth of the season. Alex Nedeljkovic (neh-DEHL'-koh-vihch) finished with 35 saves to help Detroit snap a four-game losing streak and improved to 5-2-2 at home.
ā Chandler Stephenson and Mark Stone each had a goal and an assist in the Golden Knights' 5-2 win at Nashville. Jonas Rondbjerg, Adam Brooks and Alex Pietrangelo (peh-TRAN'-jeh-loh) also scored for Vegas, and Robin Lehner (LEH'-nur) stopped 26 shots.
ā Elvis Merzlikins (murz-LEE'-kihnz) made 36 saves for his seventh career shutout, sending the Blue Jackets to a 3-0 win versus the Jets. Gregory Hofmann, Zach Werenski and Andrew Peeke scored as Columbus won for the fourth time in five games.
ā The Oilers cruised to a 5-3 win at Arizona as Leon Draisaitl (DRY'-sy-tul) and Connor McDavid each collected two goals and two assists. Draisaitl has 10 goals in his last eight games, and McDavid collected four points a day after his season-opening, 17-game point streak ended at Dallas.
ā John Tavares and Pierre Engvall had a goal and an assist apiece while Toronto scored four consecutive goals in the second period of a 6-2 whipping of the Kings. Alexander Kerfoot, Auston Matthews, Jason Spezza (SPEHT'-sah) and Michael Bunting also scored as the Leafs avenged their 5-1 loss to the Kings in Toronto on Nov. 8.
ā Timo Meier scored the go-ahead goal with 8:42 remaining and added two assists as the Sharks handed the Senators their third straight loss, 6-3. Logan Couture furnished a goal and an assist in the victory.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL-NEWS
Tucker gets decade package from Spartans
UNDATED (AP) ā Michigan State is giving Mel Tucker a $95 million, 10-year contract to stay, making an aggressive move to keep a football coach who potentially could leave for LSU or the NFL.
The landmark deal funded by donors was finalized Wednesday night.
Tucker's contract establishes him as one of the richest coaches in college football. Only Alabama's Nick Saban at $9.7 million is paid more on an annual basis, according to the USA Today coaches' salaries database.
In other college football news:
ā Minnesota running back Mohamed Ibrahim will return for a sixth year in 2022. He suffered a season-ending lower leg injury in the first game this year. Ibrahim was picked as a preseason Associated Press second team All-American for 2021.
In other college football news:
ā Liberty and football coach Hugh Freeze have agreed to a contract extension that will keep him with the Flames through 2028. The Flames are 25-10 since Freeze took over three years ago and were 10-1 last season, capping the year with a victory against No. 9 Coastal Carolina in the Cure Bowl.
ā A statue on the University of Michigan campus of legendary football coach Glenn "Bo" Schembechler (SHEM'-bek-lur) has been vandalized. A message supporting sexual assault victims of a former sports doctor was scrawled on the steps beneath it. A report by a law firm hired by the university found that officials including Schembechler failed to stop the late Dr. Robert Anderson, despite reports in the 1970s that he sexually assaulted student athletes.
MLB-NEWS
Reliever Wade Davis retires
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) ā Free agent pitcher Wade Davis is retiring at age 36 after 13 major league seasons.
The three-time All-Star played for the Kansas City Royals this year and helped them win the 2015 World Series title.
Davis was 63-55 with a 3.94 ERA and 141 saves in 161 chances for the Rays, Royals, Cubs and Rockies.
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