Weekday Morning Sports – Thursday 11/6/14

sportsreport

Sports Radio 1400 WSJM     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Thursday, November 06, 2014

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
New York Rangers 4, Detroit Red Wings 3 – OT

Rangers 4, Red Wings 3 – OT – Brassard’s OT goal lifts Rangers over Red Wings
Derick Brassard scored a power-play goal 1:50 into overtime, after Detroit tied it in the closing seconds of regulation, to give the New York Rangers their fifth straight victory over the Red Wings, 4-3 on Wednesday night. Lee Stempniak gave the Rangers a 3-2 lead with 7:50 left in the third period, but Detroit got even for the second time when Tomas Tatar scored on a power play with 7.7 seconds left and goalie Jonas Gustavsson off for an extra skater. Pavel Datsyuk tripped Martin St. Louis 46 seconds into overtime, and Brassard took advantage when he slammed in a rebound of Dan Girardi’s shot. Stempniak was in line for the winner when he finished a 2-on-1 rush by scoring off a pass from Dominic Moore.

NHL – `Investing in Detroit’ is topic of Ilitch talk
The president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings is the featured speaker at a Wayne State University lecture about “Investing in Detroit.” Christopher Ilitch is to speak Wednesday at the event at the Detroit school. The Detroit Red Wings are part of Mike Ilitch’s stable of companies. Officials in September held a groundbreaking for a new 18,000-seat hockey arena for the team and a 45-block entertainment district in Detroit. The new arena is expected to open in 2017. During the Wayne State event, Mike Ilitch’s son is expected to discuss the family’s vision for the mixed-use sports and entertainment district.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Detroit Pistons 98, New York Knicks 95
Chicago Bulls 95, Milwaukee Bucks 86

Pistons 98, Knicks 95 – Monroe leads Pistons past Knicks 98-95 for 1st win
Greg Monroe had 23 points and 18 rebounds, and the Detroit Pistons held off the New York Knicks 98-95 Wednesday night for their first win of the season. The Pistons went 1 for 17 on 3-pointers in Sunday’s loss to Brooklyn, but Kentavious Caldwell-Pope hit their first three attempts against New York, and they ended up with a season-high 11. Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points for the Knicks, who lost at home to Washington on Tuesday night. They were facing a rested Detroit team that had two days off before the game. Carmelo Anthony had only 13 points on 5-of-21 shooting for New York.

Bulls 95, Bucks 86 – Rose returns, Bulls beat Bucks 95-86
Derrick Rose returned from his latest injury to help the Chicago Bulls in a 95-86 win over the Milwaukee Bucks last night. Taj Gibson scored 23 points for the Bulls. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Bucks. Rose sat out the Bulls’ previous two games with sprains in both ankles.

NCAA Football – Michigan’s Peppers to redshirt
Michigan defensive back Jabrill Peppers will redshirt this season because of a leg injury. The 6-foot-1 freshman has played only three games this year after entering the season as one of the most touted members of the Wolverines’ recruiting class. He hasn’t played since Sept. 20 against Utah.  Coach Brady Hoke announced Wednesday that Peppers would redshirt, but he says the injury does not require surgery. Michigan plays at Northwestern this weekend.

NCAA Football – Buckeyes realize MSU provides rare opportunity
After three years of slogging through mostly overmatched non-conference teams and a weakened Big Ten, No. 13 Ohio State finally is presented with a quality opponent this Saturday in No. 8 Michigan State. The Buckeyes know what a rare opportunity it is for them to impress the rest of the country for a change. Over Urban Meyer’s more than 2 ½ years and 34 games as head coach, the Buckeyes have played only seven times against teams ranked in The Associated Press Top 25. They’re 5-2 heading into their only meeting against such a team so far this season. No wonder when the Buckeyes reel off a few wins it’s usually met with a collective shrug by so many observers.

NFL – National Football League – Week 10
Tonight
Cleveland Browns at Cincinnati Bengals, 8:25 p.m.

NFL – Calvin Johnson expected back for Lions
Calvin Johnson is expected to return this week as the Detroit Lions enter a critical stretch of the season. Johnson said Wednesday he is back to his normal practice routine and will play Sunday when Detroit (6-2) hosts the Miami Dolphins (5-3) at Ford Field. The star wide receiver has missed the past three games with an ankle injury. Detroit went 3-0 in his absence and holds a one-game lead over Green Bay (5-3) in the NFC North as it prepares for three straight games against teams with winning records.

NFL – Briggs says he’s likely in final season with Bears
Lance Briggs figures his time with the Chicago Bears is coming to an end. He’s not sure if his career is, too. A week shy of 34 and with his contract set to expire, Briggs acknowledges his 12-year run with the Bears will likely end this season. He says he understands “the reality of it” and is “proud of all the years I’ve had here.” The seven-time Pro Bowl linebacker is expected to return against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers this week after missing the past three games with a rib injury. The Bears are 3-5 and trying to remain in playoff contention after dropping four of five before their bye.

NFL – Rice hearing starts
Ray Rice has completed the first day of his appeal hearing after spending about nine hours Wednesday at the offices of former U.S. District Judge Barbara S. Jones in New York. A person familiar with the case told The Associated Press that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell testified for more than two hours to begin the hearing. Goodell initially gave Rice a two-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy before suspending the running back indefinitely after a video of Rice hitting his then-fiancee was released publicly.

NFL – Bills owners committed to new stadium, trying to cancel Toronto games
The Buffalo Bills’ new owners are committed to building a stadium and also are working to end the team’s series of annual home games in Toronto. Terry Pegula said the construction of a stadium was something the NFL emphasized during the sale process. The one answer the Pegulas couldn’t provide yet is a location, timeline or how the costs will be split. As for playing games in Toronto, Terry and Kim Pegula are in talks with Rogers Communication to cancel the series that began in 2008. The Bills were scheduled to play four more regular-season games in Toronto before the series was postponed in March for this season.

NCAA Women’s Basketball – Exhibition
Last Night
(3) Notre Dame 92, Ferris State 32
Former St. Joe Lady Bear Katie Mavis led Ferris State with 10 points, the only Ferris player in double figures.

MLB – Attorney: A-Rod admits to steroid use
A lawyer for the University of Miami’s former pitching coach says Alex Rodriguez admitted to federal investigators he used steroids. Attorney Frank Quintero Jr. represents Lazaro Collazo in his defense of charges of conspiracy to distribute performance-enhancing drugs. Quintero has told The Associated Press that the New York Yankees third baseman confessed to steroids use, according to Drug Enforcement Administration documents provided by the government to lawyers in the case. Rodriguez has denied using steroids supplied by the Coral Gables clinic Biogenesis of America and its owner, Anthony Bosch. The Miami Herald first reported Rodriguez admitted the steroids use in a January interview with DEA agents and prosecutors. A spokesman for Rodriguez didn’t immediately respond to an email seeking comment.

AHL – American Hockey League
Last Night
Chicago Wolves 3, Grand Rapids Griffins 1.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Girls Volleyball – Districts – District Semifinals
Class B at Dowagiac
Buchanan 3, Berrien Springs 0
Dowagiac 3, Coloma 0

Class B at Allegan
Otsego 3, South Haven 2
Paw Paw 3. Plainwell 1

Class B at Sturgis
Vicksburg 3, Coldwater 0
Sturgis 3 Edwardsburg 0

Class C at Gobles
Kalamazoo Hackett 3, Bangor 0
Gobles 3, Bloomingdale 0

Class C at Cassopolis
Watervliet 3, New Buffalo 2
Brandywine 3, Bridgman 0

Class C at Lawton
Decatur 3, Constantine 0
Schoolcraft 3, White Pigeon 0

Class D at River Valley
Michigan Lutheran 3, Lake Michigan Catholic 0
River Valley 3, Lawrence 0

Class D at Athens
Mendon 3, Howardsville Christian  0
Athens 3, Burr Oak 0

Tonight
Girls Volleyball – Districts
Class A at Portage Central (round 1 at local sites)
Niles vs. Mattawan, 5:30 p.m. – Semifinal #1
Lakeshore vs. Portage Central, 7:00 p.m. – Semifinal #2

Class B at Dowagiac
Dowagiac vs. Buchanan, 7:00 – District Championship

Class B at Allegan
Otsego vs. Paw Paw, 7:00 – District Championship

Class C at Gobles
Kalamazoo Hackett vs. Gobles, 7:00 – District Championship

Class C at Cassopolis
Watervliet vs. Brandywine, 7:00 – District Championship

Class C at Lawton
Decatur vs. Schoolcraft, 7:00 – District Championship

Class C at Grand Rapids Northpointe Christian
Saugatuck vs. G.R. Calvin Christian, 5:30 p.m. – Semifinal #1
Fennville vs. G.R. Northpointe Christian, 7:00 p.m. – Semifinal #2

Class D at River Valley
Michigan Lutheran vs. River Valley, 7:00 – District Championship