Weekday Morning Sports – Monday 2/2/15

sportsreport

Sports Radio 1400 WSJM     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Monday, February 02, 2015

Super Bowl XLIX
Last Night – University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
New England Patriots 28, Seattle Seahawks 24

Patriots 28, Seahawks 24 – Rookie saves Super Bowl 49 for Patriots
In the end, it was an unheralded rookie strong safety from West Alabama who saved the Super Bowl for Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, who beat the Seattle Seahawks 28-24 to win a nip-and-tuck Super Bowl 49. Malcolm Butler made an interception at the goal line as the Seattle Seahawks were one yard away from the go-ahead touchdown. Butler spoiled the Seahawks’ comeback by stepping in front of Ricardo Lockette for the game-saving interception at the goal line. The Patriots rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit. Brady threw four touchdown passes, including the game-winning 3-yard strike to Julian Edelman with 2:02 left. That was Brady’s 12th career Super Bowl TD pass, breaking Joe Montana’s record. The 10-point comeback tied the biggest rally in Super Bowl history. New England coach Bill Belichick and QB Brady are now four-for-six in Super Bowls in this century. Belichick’s 22 postseason victories are the most by any coach in NFL history to culminate a fortnight of accusations about underinflated footballs during the Pats’ AFC title rout two weeks ago. Belichick joined Pittsburgh’s Chuck Noll as the only coaches with four Super Bowls.

Super Bowl XLIX – Brady wins third MVP
Tom Brady won his record-tying third Super Bowl MVP award and fourth Lombardi Trophy. Brady completed 37 of 50 passes for 328 yards, with four touchdowns _ each to a different receiver, and two interceptions.  The Patriots trailed 24-14 in the fourth quarter before Brady connected with Danny Amendola for a 4-yard TD pass with about 7:55 left. He then hit Julian Edelman with 2:02 left on a 3-yard TD for the winning score. Brady is tied with Joe Montana with three Super Bowl MVPs. Edelman called himself a Joe Montana fan but flatly called Brady “the best ever.”  Brady called his career “a long journey” that recently concluded a couple of close losses in Super Bowls. But Sunday’s come-from-behind victory “came down to the end and this time, we made the plays.”

Super Bowl XLIX – Carroll takes responsibility for final interception
The Seattle Seahawks were one yard away from being the first team to repeat as NFL champion since New England 10 years ago. But one final interception doomed that dream. But the Seahawks decided against using star running back Marshawn Lynch to run the ball from one yard out and instead called a pass play. It was intercepted by Malcolm Butler, and the Patriots were able to run out the clock. “There’s nobody to blame but me,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said afterward. He explained that the Patriots had gone with their jumbo goal-line defense, and he thought a pass play would work. It didn’t. “It was a miraculous play the kid made,” Carroll said of Butler, before
lamenting: “We did everything right to win this game.”

NCAA Basketball – Men’s
Last Night
Michigan State 76, Michigan 66 – OT

Michigan State 76, Michigan 66 – Michigan St shuts out Michigan in OT, beats Wolverines 76-66
Denzel Valentine had 25 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Michigan State held rival Michigan scoreless in overtime, outlasting the Wolverines 76-66 on Sunday. With two of their best players on crutches, the Wolverines (13-9, 6-4 Big Ten) pushed Michigan State throughout, but the Spartans (15-7, 6-3) shook off some poor early shooting and finally put Michigan away in the extra session. Branden Dawson had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Bryn Forbes and Matt Costello scored 10 points each for Michigan State. Spike Albrecht and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman scored 18 points each for Michigan, which was without injured guards Caris LeVert and Derrick Walton. Zak Irvin added 11 points for the Wolverines. Michigan State shot 29 percent in the first half and 71 percent in the second.

NCAA Basketball – Women’s
Last Night
(4) Notre Dame 92, Wake Forest 63
(15) Nebraska 75, Michigan 60

(4) Notre Dame 92, Wake Forest 63 – Loyd leads No. 4 Notre Dame to 92-63 win over Wake Forest
Jewell Loyd scored 20 points, Lindsay Allen added 18 and No. 4 Notre Dame forced 30 turnovers in a 92-63 win over Wake Forest on Sunday. The Fighting Irish (21-2, 8-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) took control with a 14-0 run in the first half and ended a threat by the Demon Deacons (10-13, 1-8) in the second half with a 13-0 run. The Irish scored 42 points off turnovers while Wake Forest had just 10 points off 19 turnovers by Notre Dame. Madison Cable, who added 12 points, had six
steals for the Irish and Allen had four steals. Brianna Turner and Kathryn Westbeld had 10 points each.

 (15) Nebraska 75, Michigan 60 – No. 15 Nebraska women pull away from Michigan 75-60
Tear’a Laudermill scored 13 of her 19 points in the second half when No. 15 Nebraska took control for a 75-60 win over Michigan on Sunday. Hailie Sample and Rachel Theriot added 14 points apiece for the Cornhuskers (17-4, 7-3 Big Ten), who shot 36 percent in the first half and trailed 31-25. Theriot had 12 points in the second half when Nebraska shot 59 percent and made all nine of its free throws after no attempts in the first half. Emily Cady had nine rebounds to surpass 1,000 for her career. Shannon Smith led Michigan (13-8, 5-5), which shot 52 percent in the first half but 35.4 in the second, with 22 points.   Mattawan native Allie Havers had 6 points for Nebraska.

Tonight
Michigan State at Ohio State, 6:30 p.m.

NCAA Football – Hackett says there will be more night football at Big House
Jim Hackett says there will be more night football at Michigan Stadium next season, and the Wolverines’ interim athletic director says he’s enjoyed working with new coach Jim Harbaugh since hiring him about a month ago. Hackett was at Michigan’s basketball game at Michigan State on Sunday, and he said an announcement of at least one night football game will come soon. Hackett has not said publicly exactly how long he wants to stay on as the athletic director, but he says his wife has encouraged him to stay “a little longer” if he wants to. Hackett took over at the start of November after Dave Brandon resigned. He hired Harbaugh in late December.

Tennis – Australian Open – Top seed wins
Novak Djokovic has won his fifth Australian Open title, defeating Andy Murray 7-6, 6-7, 6-3, 6-love in the final. Djokovic broke open a close match with a service break in the eighth game of the third set, winning four straight points. When he took a 4-love lead in the final set, he smacked his fist hard against his chest in celebration. Murray has now been runner-up in the Australian Open four times, losing twice previously to Djokovic in 2011 and 2013 and to Roger Federer in 2010. Djokovic is a perfect 5-for-5 in Australian Open finals.

Golf – PGA – Strong finish leads to win
Brooks Koepka won the PGA’s Phoenix Open with a final round 5-under-66. He finished one shot in front of Masters champion Bubba Watson, Ryan Palmer and Hideki Matsuyama Third round leader Martin Laird shot a 1-over 72 on the final day to finish three shots back. It’s the first PGA Tour title for Koepka.

MHSAA – High School Sports                             ***GAMES ARE WEATHER PERMITTING***  
Tonight
Boys Basketball
Lake Michigan Catholic at Brandywine, 7:45 p.m.
Michigan City Christian at Michigan Lutheran, 7:00 p.m.
Cassopolis at Centreville, 7:30 p.m.
Battle Creek Lakeview at Kalamazoo Central, 7:15 p.m.

Girls Basketball
Battle Creek Lakeview at Kalamazoo Central, 5:45 p.m.