Weekday Morning Sports – Friday 3/4/16

sportsreport

Sports Radio 1400 WSJM     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Friday, March 04, 2016

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Boston Bruins 4, Chicago Blackhawks 2

Bruins 4, Blackhawks 2 – Bergeron, Marchand lift Bruins over Blackhawks 4-2
Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand each had a goal and an assist to help lead the Boston Bruins over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2 on Thursday night. Boston won for the fifth time in seven games and kicked off their toughest stretch of the season with a victory. The Bruins now prepare to face the Washington Capitals, the NHL’s points leader, on Saturday, before heading out on the road for six of the next eight games. Ryan Spooner and Loui Eriksson also had goals for Boston. Tuukka Rask made 25 saves and newcomer Lee Stempniak notched two assists. Jonathan Toews and Thomas Fleischmann scored for Chicago, which has dropped three of its last five and 6 of 10, but the Western Conference leaders remained two points ahead of Dallas and St. Louis, who were idle.

MLB – Major League Baseball – Spring Training
Yesterday
Detroit Tigers 8, Atlanta Braves 2
Los Angeles Dodgers 6, Chicago White Sox 1
Milwaukee Brewers 2, Chicago Cubs 1

Tigers 8, Braves 2 – Martinez, Freeman homer in Tigers’ 8-2 win over Braves
Victor Martinez hit his second home run of spring training and Ian Kinsler had a three-run double Wednesday in the Detroit Tigers’ 8-2 over the Atlanta Braves. Freddie Freeman homered in the first off Daniel Norris, the only hit Norris allowed in two innings. Martinez had an RBI single in the first against Sean Newcomb, who gave up three runs and four walks. Newcomb left the game after a pair of four-pitch walks starting the second. Martinez homered leading off the fourth against Chris Volstad, who allowed five runs and five hits in two innings. Kinsler’s third-inning double came between doubles by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Anthony Gose

Dodgers 6, White Sox 1 – Kershaw, Roberts start out well, Dodgers top White Sox
Clayton Kershaw threw two scoreless innings in his first spring start and new manager Dave Roberts won in his debut as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox 6-1 Thursday.  Kershaw struck out and gave up one hit. The three-time Cy Young Award winner is expected to pitch six times in spring games before he makes his sixth straight opening day start on April 4 at San Diego. Roberts took over for Don Mattingly in the Dodgers’ dugout this season. Before the game, Roberts announced that Brett Anderson, a projected starter this season, needed back surgery and would miss three to five months. Los Angeles scored three runs in two innings off starter John Danks. Alex Guerrero, who started at third base for the Dodgers while Justin Turner works his way back from offseason knee surgery, homered off Danks. The Dodgers scored twice in the first on RBI singles from Yasiel Puig and Yasmani Grandal.

Brewers 2, Cubs 1 – Anderson starts out well for Brewers in a win over Cubs
Chase Anderson threw two scoreless innings in his Milwaukee spring debut and helped the Brewers’ split squad beat the Chicago Cubs 2-1 Thursday. Anderson struck out Kris Bryant in the first inning and allowed a single to Miguel Montero in the second. Montero added another single to account for two of the Cubs’ seven hits. Jonathan Lucroy had an RBI single for the Brewers. Jonathan Villar tripled to open the bottom of the first and scored on a sacrifice fly by second baseman Colin Walsh.  Chicago starter Travis Wood allowed one hit and one run over two innings.

Today
New York Yankees vs. Detroit Tigers at Lakeland, Fla., 1:05 p.m.
Cleveland vs. Chicago White Sox at Glendale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Los Angeles Angels vs. Chicago Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.

MLB – Tigers center fielder Maybin out 4-6 weeks with broken wrist
Detroit Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin is expected to miss four to six weeks because of a broken left wrist. Manager Brad Ausmus announced the news Thursday. Maybin was reacquired by the Tigers from the Atlanta Braves in a November trade for pitchers Ian Krol and Gabe Speier.

NCAA Basketball – Women’s – Big Ten Tournament
Yesterday – Round 2
(8) Iowa 97, (9) Michigan 85
(12) Northwestern 84, (5) Minnesota 74
(10) Rutgers 66, (7) Nebraska 63
(6) Purdue 70, (11) Penn State 59

Iowa 97, Michigan 85 – Iowa women race past Michigan in Big Ten second round
Megan Gustafson had a career-high 25 points with 10 rebounds as the ninth-seeded Hawkeyes defeated eight-seed Michigan 97-85 in the Big Ten Tournament second round on Thursday. Iowa will face league-champion and fifth-ranked Maryland in the quarterfinals on Friday. Katelyn Flaherty had 31 points for the Wolverines (17-13).

Today – Quarterfinals
(1) Maryland vs. (9) Iowa, 12:00 p.m.
(4) Indiana vs. (12) Northwestern, 2:30 p.m.
(2) Ohio State vs. (10) Rutgers, 6:30 p.m.
(3) Michigan State vs. (6) Purdue, 9:00 p.m.

NCAA Football – Harbaugh to Tennessee’s Butch Jones: Focus on your team
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh suggested on Twitter that Tennessee coach Butch Jones should focus on his own team instead of tweeting about having lunch in Florida, where the Wolverines are holding spring practice this week at the IMG Academy. Jones and the Volunteers athletic program have been doing damage control recently after a lawsuit filed by a group of women alleged that the University of Tennessee violated Title IX regulations with a policy of indifference toward assaults by student-athletes. In a filing in the case, a former Tennessee player accused Jones of calling him a traitor for helping a woman who claimed she was sexually assaulted by two Vols players.

US Soccer/Concussions – Chastain to donate brain
Brandi Chastain, the woman who scored the game-winning penalty kick that gave the United States the 1999 Women’s World Cup title, has pledged to donate her brain for concussion research when she dies. Currently living in the San Francisco area and coaching youth soccer, Chastain says she made the decision to help researchers better understand CTE, a degenerative condition caused by a blow or blows to the head.

MCCAA – Junior College Basketball – Women’s NJCAA Tournament – District 9
Yesterday – Quarterfinals
Lake Michigan College 73, Kalamazoo Valley C.C. 67                   Delta College, University Center, MI

Today – Semifinals
Lake Michigan College vs. Muskegon C.C, 1:00 p.m.                     Delta College, University Center, MI

MCCAA – Junior College Basketball – Women’s NJCAA Tournament – District G
Saturday – Championship
Lake Michigan College vs. Kalamazoo Valley C.C., 1:00 p.m.           Delta College, University Center, MI

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Grand Rapids Griffins at Charlotte Checkers, 7:30 p.m.

ECHL – East Coast Hockey League
Tonight
Toledo Walleye at Florida Everblades, 7:30 p.m.

NBADL – NBA Developmental League
Tonight
Grand Rapids Drive at Sioux Falls Skyforce, 8:00 p.m.

ISHSHA – High School Hockey – Indiana State Playoffs
Tonight
Lakeshore/St. Joseph Warriors vs. Central Indiana, 8:30 p.m.     (Parkview Icehouse, Fort Wayne, IN)
MHSAA – Boys Basketball (regular season)
Last Night
Portage Northern 57, St. Joseph 55
Caleb Eustice had 23 points in Portage Northern’s 57-55 win over St. Joseph.  St. Joe had two players in double figures with Carter Scramlin finishing with 12 points and Michael Hunn scoring 10.  The two teams will face each other on Monday in the opening round of the districts.

Lakeshore 52, Portage Central 36
Max Gaishin scored 11 of his game high 21 points in the fourth quarter as Lakeshore topped Portage Central 52-36.  Leading by just one after three quarters, the Lancers outscored the Mustangs 22-7 in the final period.  Braden Burke added 11 points for Lakeshore.

Wolverine Conference Championship
Dowagiac 48, South Haven 46
In a see-saw battle, the Dowagiac Chieftains outpaced South Haven 48-46 last night, to win the Wolverine Conference championship.  The Chief’s Keonte Blackamore led all scorers with 21 points.  Rams’ senior guard Spencer Adams netted 16 to lead South Haven.

Three Rivers 75, Paw Paw 68      (3rd place)
Sturgis 43, Plainwell 35           (5th place)
Vicksburg 68, Otsego 61           (7th place)
Edwardsburg 67, Allegan 40.    (9th place)

Other scores
Brandywine 57, Lake Michigan Catholic 27
Kalamazoo Heritage Christian 56, Michigan Lutheran 31
Niles 60, Buchanan 57
Berrien Springs 59, Mendon 34
New Buffalo 68, Dream Academy 50
White Pigeon 76, River Valley 34
Delton Kellogg 64, Watervliet 58
Coloma 60, Bangor 54
Decatur 62, Bloomingdale 45
Hartford 62, Gobles 52
Kalamazoo Christian 57, Lawton 35
Martin 60, Marcellus 40
Fennville 61, Saugatuck 54

Tonight
Niles at Benton Harbor, 4:15 p.m.
Decatur at Coloma, 6:00 p.m.
Battle Creek Lakeview at Portage Central, 7:15 p.m.

MHSAA – Girls Basketball Districts – District Championships
Tonight – All Games Start at 7:00 p.m.
Class A Niles
St. Joseph vs. Kalamazoo Central

Class A Battle Creek Central
BC Lakeview vs. BC Central

Class B at Dowagiac
Benton Harbor vs. Lakeshore     WSJM-AM 6:45

Class B at Coldwater
Edwardsburg vs. Coldwater

Class B at Marshall
Harper Creek vs. Marshall

Class B at Allegan
Otsego vs. Allegan

Class C at New Buffalo
Watervliet vs. Brandywine

Class C at White Pigeon
Constantine vs. Schoolcraft

Class C at Bangor
Gobles vs. Hartford

Class C at NorthePointe Christian
Saugatuck at GR Covenant Christian

Class D at Lawrence
Lawrence vs. Michigan Lutheran

Class D at Mendon
Athens vs. Mendon