Here is the latest Mid-America sports news from The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Nico Hischier and Yegor Sharangovich triggered a five-goal blitz in the third period and Jon Gillies made 27 saves as the New Jersey Devils rallied for a 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues. New Jersey, playing its third game in four nights, won back-to-back road games for the first time this season after beating Montreal on Tuesday. St. Louis, playing its first game in 12 days, had won 12 of the previous 13 meetings between the teams. Brayden Schenn had two goals for the Blues. Klim Kostin and Justin Faulk also scored. Hischier scored twice, including an empty-net goal with nine seconds left. Jimmy Vesey, Jesper Boqvist, P.K. Subban and Michael McLeod also scored for the Devils.
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) — Jordan Bohannon made a school-record 10 3-pointers in scoring all 30 of his points, Keegan Murray also had 30 points and Iowa routed Maryland 110-87. Bohannon led the way as Iowa tied the school record with 19 3-pointers. He broke Chris Kingsbury's school record of nine set twice in 1994. Bohannon, the Hawkeyes' all-time 3-point leader with 421, finished 10 of 16 from the arc. It's the first time Iowa had two 30-point scorers in a single game since 1976. Iowa's 110 points were the most by an opponent in Xfinity Center. Fatts Russell scored 20 points for the Terrapins, who lost their fourth straight.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The Southeastern Conference distributed about $54.6 million in revenue to each of its 14 member schools in the fiscal year that ended last August. Commissioner Greg Sankey said Thursday that the league divided $764.4 million of total revenue among the members, not including $13.4 million retained by universities that participated in bowl games during the 2020-21 football season to cover expenses. The total distribution amount is comprised of revenue generated from television agreements, bowl games, the College Football Playoff, the SEC football Championship Game, the SEC men's basketball tournament, NCAA championships and a supplemental surplus distribution.
UNDATED (AP) — Craig Berube, the only Stanley Cup-winning coach in St. Louis Blues history, is sticking around to lead a team he thinks can "do some damage." He has just signed a three-year contract extension through the 2024-25 season. Berube says he is excited about the future of his team. Led by young stars such as 23-year-old Jordan Kyrou and 22-year-old Robert Thomas, the Blues are in fourth place in the Western Conference's Central Division. Berube took over as coach in November 2018 and led the Blues from the bottom of the league to the Stanley Cup championship that season.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Jordan Horston had 21 points and 13 rebounds, Alexus Dye had all 11 of her points in the pivotal third quarter and No. 13 Tennessee ended a two-game skid with a 76-62 win over Missouri. Leading 32-27 at the half, the Lady Vols outscored the Tigers 26-6 in the third quarter by making 9 of 16 shots and holding Mizzou to 3 of 18. Dye had seven of her points in a 15-0 run as Missouri went scoreless for 6:49. Before Lauren Hansen ended the Tigers' 0 for 11 stretch with a layup at the 2:32 mark, Tennessee led 50-29. Hansen scored 22 points for the Tigers.
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Taylor Mikesell scored 21 points, Rebeka Mikulasikova added 15 and No. 21 Ohio State beat Nebraska 80-70. Mikesell and Mikulasikova were a combined 13 of 29 from the floor and made eight of the Buckeyes' nine 3-pointers. Jacy Sheldon added 14 points for Ohio State (18-4, 10-3 Big Ten), which has won three straight and nine of its last 10 games. Freshman Alexis Markowski had 23 points and matched a career best with 15 rebounds to lead Nebraska (17-6, 6-6). Jaz Shelley added 14 points and Isabelle Bourne 12.
Update on the latest sports
NBA-SCHEDULE
Suns rip Bucks in Finals rematch
UNDATED (AP) — The Phoenix Suns are 15-1 in their last 16 games after easily winning a rematch of last year's NBA Finals.
Deandre Ayton scored 27 points and Mikal Bridges added 18 as the Suns knocked off the defending champs, 131-107 over the Bucks. The game was tight throughout most of the first half but the Suns slowly pulled away in the third quarter, building a 97-77 advantage going into the fourth. Ayton had an efficient night, shooting 12 of 14 from the field on a variety of post moves and jumpers.
The Bucks had a four-game winning streak snapped. Jrue (jroo) Holiday and Khris Middleton led the Bucks with 21 points each. Giannis Antetokounmpo (YAH'-nihs an-teh-toh-KOON'-poh) had 18 points, eight assists and seven rebounds in the loss.
Checking out Thursday's other NBA action:
— Julius Randle scored 28 points and matched his season high with 16 rebounds as the Knicks won for only the third time in 13 games, a surprising 116-114 decision over the Warriors. Stephen Curry scored 19 of his 35 points in the first half and dished out 10 assists in Golden State's second straight loss. The outcome was in doubt until Klay Thompson dribbled into the paint and missed a jumper at the buzzer.
— Ja Morant, Steven Adams and Desmond Bane highlighted the Grizzlies' fourth straight win, a 132-107 rout of the Pistons. Morant scored 23 points to lead seven Memphis players in double figures. Adams provided 17 points and 14 rebounds to help the Grizzlies win for the seventh time in eight games.
— Luka Doncic (DAHN'-chihch) poured in 28 of his career-high 51 points in the first quarter before the Mavericks completed a 112-105 victory over the Clippers. Doncic hit seven of his first nine 3s in the highest-scoring quarter of his career, regular season or playoffs. It also was the highest-scoring quarter of the NBA season.
— Bam Adebayo (ad-eh-BY'-oh) had 29 points and 10 rebounds, while Jimmy Butler also scored 29 in the Heat's 122-97 win against the Pelicans. Kyle Lowry added 14 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds to help Miami win its fourth straight while snapping New Orleans' four-game winning streak. CJ McCollum had 15 points in his New Orleans debut.
— The Raptors ran their winning streak to eight games as Gary Trent Jr. delivered a season-high 42 points in a 139-120 pounding of the Rockets. It was Trent's seventh game with 30 points or more this season. Pascal Siakam (see-A'-kam) added 30 points for his sixth 30-point game.
— The Nets' 10th straight loss is a 113-112 setback at Washington. Kyle Kuzma (KOOZ'-mah) had 15 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his first career triple-double. Kyrie Irving scored 31 points and Cam Thomas had 27 for the losers.
NBA-NEWS
Nets send Harden to 76ers for Simmons
UNDATED (AP) — The NBA trade deadline passed on Thursday, and the biggest swap involved the Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets.
The 76ers have acquired guard James Harden and forward Paul Millsap from their Atlantic Division rivals for forward Ben Simmons, guard Seth Curry, center Andre Drummond and a pair of first-round picks. Simmons hasn't played since his offseason trade demand, and Curry gives the Nets another accurate outside shooter.
Harden missed his last three games as a Net but is averaging 22.5 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds this season.
The move came just five days after coach Steve Nash said the Nets wouldn't trade Harden and only 13 months after they acquired the 2018 NBA MVP to play with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Harden could become a free agent at the end of the season.
In other NBA moves:
— The defending NBA champion Bucks added center Serge Ibaka (ih-BAH'-kah) as part of a four-team trade with the Clippers Pistons and Kings. The Pistons added Marvin Bagley III, who was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft. The Kings added guard Donte DiVincenzo and forwards Trey Lyles and Josh Jackson. The Clippers received forwards Rodney Hood and Semi Ojeleye.
—The Mavericks are sending Kristaps Porzingis (KRIHS'-tahps pohr-ZIHN'-gihs) to the Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans. Porzingis has missed the past five games with a right knee injury and has been sidelined for 21 of 55 games this season because of various injuries and a positive COVID-19 test.
— The Hornets have acquired power forward/center Montrezl (MAHN'-trehz) Harrell from Washington for veteran backup point guard Ish Smith, second-year forward Vernon Carey Jr. and a future second-round draft pick. Harrell averaged 14.1 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 46 games this season for the Wizards while shooting 64.5% from the field.
— The Celtics announced they've traded guard PJ Dozier and forward Bol Bol, along with a future second-round pick and cash to the Orlando Magic for a future second-round pick.
— Most of the deals were still pending NBA approval and confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity by people with knowledge of the details.
NFL-AWARDS
Rodgers gets another MVP nod
LOS ANGELES (AP) — If Aaron Rodgers elects to retire before training, he's going out as the NFL's reigning Most Valuable Player.
The Green Bay Packers quarterback is the MVP for the fourth time in his career, becoming just the fifth player to earn the honor in consecutive seasons. Rodgers earned 39 votes from a nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the NFL.
Rodgers said at the NFL Honors that he hasn't made up his mind about retirement.
In other AP awards:
— Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp got one vote for MVP, but he easily took top offensive player honors. Kupp led the NFL with 138 receptions, 1,829 yards receiving and 15 touchdown catches while leading Los Angeles to the NFC West title.
— Steelers edge rusher TJ Watt is the Defensive Player of the Year. Watt tied the NFL sacks record with 22 1/2 and joined older brother J.J. in taking the award.
— Bengals wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase has won the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Chase had 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns during the regular season before helping Cincinnati earn its first Super Bowl berth in 33 years.
— Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons was so sensational in 2021 that he swept the voting for Defensive Rookie of the Year. He's the first defensive rookie to be a unanimous choice.
— Mike Vrabel (VRAY'-bul) is the NFL Coach of the Year after taking the Titans to another AFC South title.
NFL-HALL OF FAME
Vets recognized in Hall vote
The long wait to be voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame is finally over for several deserving candidates.
Offensive lineman Tony Boselli, linebacker Sam Mills, defensive back LeRoy Butler and defensive linemen Bryant Young and Richard Seymour all received the nod in results announced Thursday night. The five had all come up short as finalists in previous years and been out of the game for between the last nine and 24 seasons.
Three others who also have endured long waits were voted in by the panel with former Raiders speedster Cliff Branch getting in as the senior candidate, Super Bowl winner Dick Vermeil in the coach category and longtime head of officiating Art McNally as a contributor.
OLYMPICS
White 4th in final Olympic appearance
BEIJING (AP) — Shaun White's Olympic snowboarding has ended without a medal in his final event.
The three-time Olympic halfpipe champion had to settle for a fourth-place finish at Beijing, falling on his final attempt. He got a rousing round of applause from fellow competitors and the sparse crowd at the end of his third and final run.
Ayumu Hirano put together sensational performances on his final two runs to capture gold.
Scotty James of Australia won silver and Jan Scherrer of Switzerland won bronze.
Also at Beijing:
— The U.S. women's hockey team avoided an upset when it rallied to beat the Czech Republic 4-1 in the quarterfinals. Lee Stecklein scored the go-ahead goal on a shot from the right point 6:49 into the third period for the defending Olympic champions.
— Lee Stecklein scored from the right point 6:49 into the third period to give the U.S. women's hockey team a 4-1 win over the Czech Republic in the quarterfinals. Hilary Knight had a goal and assist for the Americans, who put 59 shots on goal yet trailed five minutes into the second period.
— Lara Gut-Behrami finally has her Olympic gold medal after taking the women's super-G. Two-time Olympic Alpine gold medalist Mikaela Shiffrin's misery in Beijing continued as she finished a distant ninth, 0.79 seconds behind Gut-Behrami. At least the American finished this time, after skiing out in both her previous races in Beijing.
— Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva (val-YAY'-vah) will get an urgent hearing to decide whether she can compete. Valieva was able to lead the Russian Olympic Committee to gold in the team competition despite testing positive for a banned medication before arriving at Beijing.
T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Purdue falls hard to Michigan
UNDATED (AP) — Third-ranked Purdue's six-game winning streak has ended with a blowout loss at Michigan.
Hunter Dickinson had 22 points to carry the Wolverines in an 82-58 rout of the Boilermakers. Eli Brooks had 16 points, Moussa Diabate (MOO'-sah dee-ah-BAH'-tay) had 15 and Caleb Houstan added 14 for the Wolverines. Diabate scored all but two of his points while Michigan was building a 38-29 halftime lead.
Jaden Ivey had 18 points for Purdue, which is 21-4 overall and 10-4 in the Big Ten.
Also on Thursday's top-25 men's basketball schedule:
— Rasir (rah-SEER') Bolton furnished 20 points and second-ranked Gonzaga picked up its 13th consecutive win by ripping Pacific, 89-51. Drew Timme (TIH'-mee) added 13 points and 10 rebounds, Julian Strawther had 15 points and Chet Holmgren scored 14 in the Zags' 65th straight home win.
— Bennedict Mathurin (MATH'-ur-ihn) dropped in 20 points, Azuolas Tubelis added 15, and fourth-ranked Arizona picked up its fifth straight win by topping Washington State, 72-60. The Wildcats shot 49% overall and had a key stretch making seven straight shots that saw a four-point lead balloon to 22 in a hurry.
— Trevor Keels tied his career high with 25 points and added a career-best 11 rebounds as seventh-ranked Duke blew out Clemson, 82-64. Mark Williams furnished 16 points on 8-of-8 shooting and Paolo Banchero (bahn-KEHR'-oh) had 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Blue Devils.
— No. 22 Saint Mary's bounced back from its first loss in a month as Logan Johnson had 16 points, a career-high nine rebounds and five steals in a 86-57 thrashing of San Diego.
— KJ Williams delivered a career-best 39 points and No. 23 Murray State extended its winning streak to 13 by rallying for a 73-62 win over Tennessee State.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Canes clobber Bruins
UNDATED (AP) — The Boston Bruins were unable to muster much of a challenge to the Carolina Hurricanes while playing without two of their best players.
Sebastian Aho (AH'-hoh) scored twice and the Hurricanes completed a three-game season sweep by crushing the Bruins, 6-0.
Andrei Svechnikov (SVEHCH'-nih-kahv) had a goal and two assists for Carolina, which outscored Boston by a 16-1 count in their three meetings. Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots against the Bruins, who played the first of six straight games without Brad Marchand because of a suspension.
The B's also were without Patrice Bergeron (pah-TREES' BEHR'-zhuh-rahn) because of a head injury.
Elsewhere on NHL ice:
— Gabriel Landeskog (AN'-dehs-kahg), Devon Toews (tayvz) and Valeri Nichushkin (nih-CHOOSH'-kihn) scored for the Avalanche in their 11th win in 12 games, 3-2 over the Lightning. Colorado extended its franchise-record home points streak to 22 games, going 20-0-2 in that span.
— The Penguins earned their fifth straight road win as Casey DeSmith stopped 26 shots in a 2-0 shutout of the Senators. Jeff Carter had the game-winning goal in the second period, helping Pittsburgh move to 8-1-3 in its last 12 games overall.
— Joe Snively had his first two-goal game and the Capitals spoiled Martin St. Louis' (mahr-TAN' san loo-EEZ') NHL coaching debut by downing the Canadiens, 5-2. Connor McMicheal and Carl Hagelin (HAG'-lihn) added goals for Washington, and Tom Wilson added an empty-netter that secured the Caps' first win in three games.
— Jon Gillies made 27 saves and the Devils exploded for five goals in the third period of a 7-4 comeback at St. Louis. Nico Hischier (HEE'-shee-ur) had a pair of third-period goals and an assist as New Jersey won its second straight since a seven-game skid.
— Noah Hanifin supplied a goal and an assist while the Flames erupted for four goals in the second period of a 5-2 verdict over the Maple Leafs. Andrew Mangiapane (mahn-jah-PAH'-nee), Oliver Kylington, Elias (eh-LEE'-uhs) Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson also scored in Calgary's fifth straight win.
— The Blue Jackets pulled out a 4-3 win over the Sabres on Jakub Voracek's goal 16 seconds into overtime. Oliver Bjorkstrand, Jack Roslovic and Brendan Gaunce also had goals for Columbus, which has won four of five.
NHL-NEWS
Struggling Oilers fire Tippett
UNDATED (AP) — The Edmonton Oilers fired coach Dave Tippett with the star-studded team scrambling to secure a playoff spot.
The Oilers are 7-13-3 since a 16-5-0 start despite All-Stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl (DRY'-sy-tul). They have dropped their last two games overall and eight of their last 11 at home, leaving the team five points out of a wild-card spot.
In other NHL news:
— The Coyotes will use Arizona State's new on-campus hockey arena for at least the next three years while the team looks for a permanent home. Arizona State's arena will hold about 5,000 fans, easily making it the NHL's smallest home venue. The Coyotes will begin playing there next season.
— Wild left wing Marcus Foligno (foh-LEE'-noh) has received a two-game suspension from the league for kneeing Winnipeg's Adam Lowry at the end of a fight. Foligno pulled Lowry down in the third period of the Wild-Jets game and raised his leg to press it on his head.
— The Canucks have named Hall of Famer Cammi Granato as an assistant general manager. The 50-year-old Granato moves to the Canucks from the Seattle Kraken, where she's served as a scout since 2019.
NFL-NEWS
NFL seeks to explain handling of Washington probe
UNDATED (AP) — The NFL has sent a letter to a congressional committee explaining its handling of the investigation of misconduct at the Washington franchise.
In the letter from the league's law firm to the Committee on Oversight and Reform and the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, the NFL says its actions in not publicly disclosing the findings of the probe solely were to protect those who offered information. The letter was obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday.
Former Washington team employees and members of Congress have been pressuring the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell to release the report about the team's history of sexual harassment and its workplace culture.
In other NFL news:
— The Dolphins introduced Mike McDaniel as their new head coach Thursday at a news conference during which the franchise owner and general manager only talked about the new hire. McDaniel was hired Sunday, 27 days after Brian Flores was fired and five days after Flores filed a lawsuit accusing the NFL of systemic racism in its hiring practices. Flores alleges that Dolphins owner Stephen Ross offered him $100,000 per loss during the 2019 season.
PGA-PHOENIX OPEN
Theegala leads when Phoenix Open is suspended
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Sahith Theegala crashed golf's biggest party.
Playing in the last group off the 10th tee in his first WM Phoenix Open start, Theegala was 7 under with two holes left when the round was suspended because of darkness. K.H. Lee was second after a 6-under 65.
The 24-year-old Theegala got into the event on a sponsor exemption. The former Pepperdine star opened with a 16-foot birdie putt on No. 10 and made four straight birdies on Nos. 13-16, holing a 15-footer from the fringe on the stadium par-3 16th.
MLB-MANFRED
Spring training remains on hold
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred says spring training remains on hold because of a management lockout, though his goal is to get a deal that allows opening day as scheduled on March 31.
Manfred said Thursday after a three-day owners' meeting that he believes there will be an agreement in time to play a regular schedule. He said he sees missing games "as a disastrous outcome for this industry."
Manfred said management intends to make a new proposal to the players' association when negotiations resume Saturday.
Manfred also announced that the designated hitter will be coming to the National League this season.
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