NCAAMBB – Men’s College Basketball
Yesterday
Big Ten Tournament – 2nd round – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
8 Maryland 68, 9 Michigan State 57
Maryland 68, Michigan State 57 – Maryland beats Michigan State 68-57 in Big Ten tournament
Eric Ayala scored 21 points, Aaron Wiggins added 19 and Maryland dominated Michigan State in the second half to take a 68-57 win in a first-round Big Ten tournament game. The eighth-seeded Terrapins gave their NCAA Tournament hopes a big boost but now face top-seeded and No. 4 ranked Michigan in the quarterfinals. Maryland erased a 12-point first-half deficit to lead 34-30 at halftime and scored the first eight points of the second half before the Spartans ended a field-goal drought of nearly 12 minutes spanning both halves. Maryland led by as many as 19 with seven minutes remaining. Malik Hall scored a career-high 19 points for Michigan State.
Today
Big Ten Tournament – Quarterfinals – Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
1 Michigan vs. 8 Maryland, 11:30 a.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM 11:00
NCAAMBB – Duke pulls out of ACC Tournament, NCAA tourney streak ends
Duke has pulled out of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament because of a positive coronavirus test and the resulting quarantining and contact tracing. The ACC announced that the Blue Devils’ quarterfinal game with Florida State scheduled for Thursday night has been canceled. Duke had won its first two tournament games, but is just 13-11 overall and 9-9 in ACC games. The Duke athletic director says the Blue Devils’ season is over, ending their streak of 24 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. The Seminoles advanced to the ACC Tournament semifinals to play North Carolina.
NCAAWBB – Women’s College Basketball
Yesterday
Big Ten Tournament – Quarterfinals – Bankers Life Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN
5 Northwestern 65, 4 Michigan 49
7 Michigan State 69, 2 Indiana 61
Northwestern 65, Michigan 49 – Northwestern beats No. 13 Michigan women in Big Ten tourney
Veronica Burton scored 25 points with 13 rebounds and six assists to lead fifth-seeded Northwestern over fourth-seeded and No. 13-ranked Michigan 65-49 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament. The game was tied at 30-all at halftime but the Wildcats held the Wolverines to a season-low 19 second-half points in avenging a pair of regular-season losses, including a 63-58 defeat last Saturday. Lindsey Pulliam added 18 points for Northwestern. Naz Hillmon scored 26 points with 12 rebounds to lead Michigan. Leigha Brown added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Northwestern plays top-seeded Maryland in Friday’s semifinals.
Michigan State 69, Indiana 61 – Michigan State ousts No. 9 Indiana from women’s tourney
Nia Clouden scored 30 points, including seven in a pivotal 10-1 run, as Michigan State upset No. 9 Indiana 69-61 in the quarterfinals of the women’s Big Ten Tournament. The junior guard hit two jumpers as well as a 3-pointer in about a two-minute span to propel the seventh-seeded Spartans to a 57-48 lead over the second-seeded Hoosiers in the final quarter. Clouden had 12 points and five foul shots in the final quarter. The Spartans (15-7) avenged a regular-season loss to the Hoosiers (18-5), who had entered on a nine-game winning streak. Grace Berger led the Hoosiers with 19 points before fouling out. Mackenzie Holmes had 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Today
Big Ten Tournament – Semifinals – Bankers Life Fieldhouse – Indianapolis, IN
7 Michigan State vs. 6 Iowa, 4:00 p.m.
Mid-American Conference Tournament – Semifinals – Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse – Cleveland, OH
2 Central Michigan vs. 3 Ohio, 12:30 p.m.
NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Charlotte Hornets 105, Detroit Pistons 102
Philadelphia 76ers 127, Chicago Bulls 105
Hornets 105, Pistons 102 – Rozier comes up big late as Hornets down Pistons 105-102
P.J Washington had 20 points and nine rebounds, Terry Rozier hit some big shots down the stretch and the Charlotte Hornets beat the Detroit Pistons 105-102 to get back to .500 for the first time since Jan. 13. Rozier and Gordon Hayward each had 17 points and Cody Zeller chipped in with 15 points and a key rebound for Charlotte. Rozier scored Charlotte’s final eight points. Jerami Grant had 32 points on 11-of-24 shooting for the Pistons.
Sixers 127, Bulls 105 – Harris scores 24, 76ers beat Bulls 127-105 without 2 stars
Tobias Harris scored 24 points and the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls 127-105 even though they were missing stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons for contact tracing. With Harris leading a balanced attack, the Sixers had more than enough to get by without their two best players. Dwight Howard scored a season-high 18 and grabbed 12 rebounds. Furkan Korkmaz added 16 points, and Tony Bradley scored a season-high 14 on 7-for-7 shooting. The 6-foot-10 center also got this shoutout on Twitter from Embiid during the game: “That’s it!!! I’ve seen enough. Build around Tony Bradley @sixers”. Lauri Markkanen, back from a sprained right shoulder, led Chicago with 23 points.
Tonight
Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls, 9:00 p.m.
Indiana Pacers at Los Angeles Lakers, 10:30 p.m.
Saturday
Detroit at Brooklyn, 7:00 p.m.
Indiana at Phoenix, 10:00 p.m.
Sunday
Toronto at Chicago, 9:00 p.m.
NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Detroit Red Wings 6, Tampa Bay Lightning 4
Chicago Blackhawks 4, Dallas Stars 2
Red Wings 6, Lightning 4 – Red Wings hold-off Lightning 6-4 for rare victory
Anthony Mantha scored a tiebreaking goal late in the first period, Jonathan Bernier stopped a season-high 40 shots and the Detroit Red Wings beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4. Brayden Point scored twice in a 1:14 stretch late in the game to pull the Lightning within one before they gave up an empty-net goal to Vladislav Namestnikov. Tampa Bay entered the game 19-0-1 against the Red Wings over the last five years, and its 20-game point streak was the longest in franchise history against a team. Detroit had lost four straight overall.
Blackhawks 4, Stars 2 – Blackhawks score on 4 of first 8 shots, beat Stars 4-2
Carl Soderberg and Alex DeBrincat scored power-play goals in the second period and the Chicago Blackhawks scored on four of their first eight shots in a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. Thirty-seven-year-old defenseman Duncan Keith had his first goal in exactly a calendar year, Dominik Kubalik also scored and rookie Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves. Patrick Kane and Adam Boqvist each had two assists to help the Blackhawks close their four games in Dallas this season at 3-1-0. In the opener of the two-game series Tuesday night, the Stars beat the Blackhawks 6-1. Roope Hintz and John Klingberg scored for the Stars.
Saturday
Chicago at Florida, 7:00 p.m.
Sunday
Carolina at Detroit, 5:00 p.m.
NHL – US-Canada border decision looms in playoffs for NHL
The NHL has a decision looming on what to do in the playoffs when a Canadian team has to face a U.S. opponent in the third round and potentially the Stanley Cup Final. Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly says the league is engaged in talks with Canadian officials about possibilities with the border still closed. He added there’s still some time to figure it out since the border won’t become an issue until mid-June. It’s one of several elements out of the NHL’s control still, a year since it shut down because of the pandemic.
MLB – Spring Training
Yesterday
Toronto Blue Jays 10, Detroit Tigers 6 – F/7
Chicago Cubs 8, Colorado Rockies 6
Cincinnati Reds 7, Chicago White Sox 4
Today
Detroit Tigers at Toronto Blue Jays, 1:07 p.m.
Chicago Cubs at Colorado Rockies, 3:10 p.m.
Chicago White Sox at Cincinnati Reds, 8:05 p.m.
MLB – Minor leagues experimenting with robo umps, larger bases
Major League Baseball will experiment with several rule changes in the minor leagues this season, including an automated strike zone, restrictions on defensive positioning and larger bases. The league said in a statement the “changes being tested are designed to increase action on the basepaths, create more balls in play, improve the pace and length of games, and reduce player injuries.” The league’s Automatic Ball-Strike System will be used at some Low-A Southeast League games, the closest that computer umpires have come to the majors. ABS has already been used in the independent Atlantic League and the Arizona Fall League.
NFL – Bears reward kicker Santos with contract extension
The Chicago Bears rewarded kicker Cairo Santos for a club-record season with a contract extension. The team announced the move on Thursday. The team said the extension is for three years, but a person familiar with the situation said Santos and the Bears agreed to a five-year, $16 million contract that is voidable to three years at $11 million maximum. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because financial terms of the deal had not been announced. Santos made 30 of 32 field goals and 36 of 37 extra points. He set a franchise record for consecutive field goals made.
NFL – Lawsuit over Rams’ move from St. Louis delayed to 2022
A Missouri judge intends to push back the trial for St. Louis’ lawsuit over the departure of the NFL’s Rams to early 2022. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Judge Christopher McGraugh on Wednesday cited Missouri Supreme Court guidelines for reopening courts during the coronavirus pandemic, along with concerns about finding enough jurors willing to sit for a trial that could last up to two months. McGraugh said he intends to reschedule the trial to Jan. 10. The trial had originally been scheduled for October. Neither side objected. The lawsuit pits St. Louis entities against Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the NFL. The Rams left St. Louis in 2016.
Golf – PGA – Garcia sizzles late at Players Championship
A solid start turned into a brilliant one for Sergio Garcia, who finished birdie-birdie-eagle for a 7-under 65 and the first-round lead at The Players Championship. Garcia holed a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-4 seventh, hit a 3-iron to 15 feet on the par-3 eighth, and closed it out with a 5-wood to 18 feet for eagle on his final hole. Brian Harman is alone in second, two shots off the lead and one ahead of Matthew Fitzpatrick, Corey Conners and Shane Lowry.
Olympics – IOC and China make vaccine deal for Tokyo, Beijing Olympians
The International Olympic Committee and China are teaming up to offer vaccines to athletes and teams preparing for the upcoming games in both Tokyo and Beijing. IOC president Thomas Bach says the offer for collaboration "is in the true Olympic spirit of solidarity.” The IOC says it will pay for extra doses for Olympic and Paralympic participants. Bach says each dose to an Olympic participant will be matched with two more made available to the wider population. Japan’s vaccination rollout has been relatively slow despite the upcoming Tokyo Games.
AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Grand Rapids Griffins 3, Rockford IceHogs 1
- Grand Rapids Griffins 1,000th win in franchise history (IHL/AHL 1998-2021)
MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
New Buffalo 62, Lake Michigan Catholic 35
- The Bison opened the game on a 10-0 run and never looked back. They took a 16 point lead after the opening quarter and increased it to 26 at the half. Kaden Parmley poured in a game high 22 points for New Buffalo. Bradley Mills scored 12 in the loss for Catholic.
Benton Harbor 68, Schoolcraft 49
Kalamazoo Central 76, Battle Creek Central 41
Comstock 57, Vermontville Maple Valley 38
Bloomingdale 60, Kalamazoo Heritage 46
Girls Basketball
New Buffalo 39, Lake Michigan Catholic 26
- Leading by seven after three quarters, the Bison pulled away in the fourth, outscoring Catholic 22-6. Sophia DeOliveira paced New Buffalo with 13 points. Catholic got 11 points from Claire LaSata.
St. Joseph 58, Portage Central 41
- Portage Central had a 9-8 lead after the first quarter, but St. Joe had it the rest of the way as the Lady Bears defeated Portage Central 8-41. Four St. Joe starters scores in double figures, led by Avery Blomgren’s game high 14 points, Maya Hunter had 12, Symone King scored 11 and Karly Klaer had 10.
Kalamazoo Central 77, Lakeshore 29
- A 29 point first quarter propelled the Maroon Giants to the SMAC non-division win. Central led 29-8 after one and took a 46-19 lead into the break. Morasha Wiggins led Central with 20 points. Gabriella Conway scored 12 in the loss for the Lancers.
Michigan Lutheran 46, Lawrence 11
- The Lady Tians took a 14-0 lead after the first quarter and cruised to the BCS White Division win. Brooke Gerlach led Lutheran with a game high 14 points. Savannah Peek scored six in the loss for the Tigers.
Comstock Park 48, Benton Harbor 31
Buchanan 57, Berrien Springs 21
Watervliet 51, Lawton 32
Mattawan 65, Portage Northern 17
Battle Creek Lakeview 50, Gull Lake 46
Battle Creek Central 43, Kal. Loy Norrix 28
Vermontville Maple Valley 54, Comstock 21
Tonight
Boys Basketball
Kalamazoo Central at Lakeshore, 7:00 p.m. News/Talk/Sports 94.9 WSJM
Portage Central at St. Joseph, 7:00 p.m.
Michigan Lutheran at Lawrence, 7:30 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Buchanan, 7:00 p.m.
Niles at South Haven, 7:00 p.m.
River Valley at Howardsville Chr., 7:30 p.m.
Gobles at Coloma, 7:30 p.m.
Lawton at Watervliet, 7:30 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Kal. Christian, 7:30 p.m.
Fennville at Martin, 7:30 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Kal. Hackett, 7:30 p.m.
Parchment at Saugatuck, 7:30 p.m.
Constantine at Schoolcraft, 7:30 p.m.
Hartford at Edwardsburg, 7:00 p.m.
Marshall at Plainwell, 7:00 p.m.
Mendon at Bloomingdale, 7:30 p.m.
Decatur at Cassopolis, 7:30 p.m.
Bangor at Centreville, 7:30 p.m.
White Pigeon at Marcellus, 7:30 p.m.
Portage Northern at Mattawan, 7:00 p.m.
Kal. Loy Norrix at BC Central, 7:00 p.m.
Girls Basketball
Benton Harbor at Calhoun Christian, 4:30 p.m.
Niles at South Haven, 5:30 p.m.
River Valley at Howardsville Chr., 6:00 p.m.
Edwardsburg at Hartford, 7:30 p.m.
Mendon at Bloomingdale, 6:00 p.m.
Decatur at Cassopolis, 6:00 p.m.
Gobles at Coloma, 6:00 p.m.
Lawton at Watervliet, 6:00 p.m.
Delton-Kellogg at Kal. Christian, 6:00 p.m.
Fennville at Martin, 6:00 p.m.
Galesburg-Augusta at Kal. Hackett, 6:00 p.m.
Parchment at Saugatuck, 6:00 p.m.
Constantine at Schoolcraft, 6:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Kalamazoo Central, 5:45 p.m.
Vicksburg at Gull Lake, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday
Boys Basketball
Ottawa Hills at Bent. Harbor, 5:00 p.m.
Countryside at Mich. Lutheran, 6:00 p.m.
Berrien Springs at Watervliet, 6:00 p.m.
New Buffalo at Bridgman, 4:30 p.m.
Coloma at Buchanan, 7:00 p.m.
Mattawan at Lawton, 2:30 p.m.
Otsego at Portage Central, 7:00 p.m.
Cassopolis at Centreville, 2:30 p.m.
Fennville at Marcellus, 5:30 p.m.
Climax-Scotts at Mendon, 3:00 p.m.
Girls Basketball
St. Joseph at Niles, 5:30 p.m.
New Buffalo at Bridgman, 6:00 p.m.
Coloma at Buchanan, 5:30 p.m.
River Valley at Colon, 5:30 p.m.
Climax-Scotts at Mendon, 1:30 p.m.
