Weekday Morning Sports – Tuesday 1/12/16

sportsreport

Sports Radio 1400 WSJM     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Tuesday, January 12, 2016

NCAA Football – 2016 National Championship
Last Night
Alabama 45, Clemson 40

Alabama 45, Clemson 40 – Tide beats Clemson to win championship
Alabama does it again, and the dynasty is as good as ever.  A daring on-side kick turned the tide in Alabama’s favor and touched off a second-half scoring explosion and the Crimson Tide beat Clemson 45-40 in the national championship on Monday night. The thrill-a-minute game in the desert delivered a dazzling display of touchdowns, including two long pass plays from Jake Coker to O.J. Howard. The victory gives Alabama (14-1) its fourth national title in seven years, an incredible run under coach Nick Saban. Clemson (14-1) came into the game ranked No. 1 with a perfect record. Derrick Henry carried 36 times for 158 yards and three TDs, a 50-yarder and a pair of 1-yard runs. His final score came with 1:21 left following a 63-yard Coker-to-Howard pass play. Howard had five catches for 208 yards. Deshaun Watson kept Clemson even into the fourth quarter before `Bama went bonkers with a 24-point fourth quarter.

NCAA Football – Notre Dame LB Smith to skip senior season, enter NFL draft
Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith announced Monday he will skip his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft, despite sustaining a serious knee injury in the Fiesta Bowl. With many projecting Smith as a possible top 10 draft pick, the decision to forgo his senior season was expected before his injury occurred.

NHL – National Hockey League
Last Night
Los Angeles Kings 4, Detroit Red Wings 2

Kings 4, Red Wings 2 – Kopitar, Martinez lead Kings past Red Wings, 4-2
Anze Kopitar had a power-play goal and three assists, and Alec Martinez scored the tiebreaking power-play goal early in the third period of the Los Angeles Kings’ seventh win in nine games, 4-2 over the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night. Tyler Toffoli scored his 20th goal and Jonathan Quick made 25 saves as the Kings pushed their Pacific Division lead to 11 points with a gritty win over the Red Wings, whose four-game winning streak ended. Milan Lucic had two assists and Dwight King added an empty-net goal for the Kings, who have earned 15 points in nine games since Christmas. Tomas Tatar and Alexey Marchenko scored late in the first period in the Red Wings’ first loss on their six-game road trip, which ends Thursday at Arizona.

Tonight
Nashville Predators at Chicago Blackhawks, 8:30 p.m.

NBA – National Basketball Association
Last Night
Washington Wizards 114, Chicago Bulls 100

Wizards 114, Bulls 100 – Banged-up Wizards cruise past Bulls for 114-100 win
John Wall had 17 points and 10 assists to help the banged-up Washington Wizards pull away from the Chicago Bulls for a 114-100 victory on Monday night. Washington had seven players score in double figures in its second straight win after a stretch of five losses in six games. Ramon Sessions had 16 points, and Garrett Temple, Otto Porter Jr. and Nene scored 14 apiece. The Wizards led by as many as 18 points while playing without key performers Marcin Gortat, Kris Humphries and Bradley Beal. Gortat was scratched with a sore left knee, Humphries missed his fourth straight game with a sore right knee and Beal remains out due to a stress reaction in his lower right leg. Derrick Rose scored 23 points in the first of four games in five nights for the Bulls. Jimmy Butler had 19 points and seven assists, and Pau Gasol added 15 points and 10 rebounds.

Tonight
San Antonio Spurs at Detroit Pistons, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks, 8:00 p.m.

NFL – Lions GM Bob Quinn undecided on coach Jim Caldwell’s future
Detroit Lions general manager Bob Quinn says he has not decided whether to retain or fire coach Jim Caldwell. Quinn was introduced as the Lions’ GM on Monday. His top task is to figure out Caldwell’s future with the team. Caldwell has two years left on his four-year contract. He is 18-15 over two years, including a loss in a wild-card game last year. Quinn worked within the New England Patriots’ personnel department for 16 years, including the past four as their director of pro scouting. He leaves a supporting role with a successful franchise to lead one with a single playoff victory since winning the 1957 NFL title.

NFL – Bears promote Loggains to offensive coordinator
The Chicago Bears have promoted quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains to replace Adam Gase as offensive coordinator. Loggains was widely viewed as a logical candidate to get promoted after Gase was hired as the Miami Dolphins’ head coach on Saturday, given quarterback Jay Cutler’s success this past season and the chance to maintain some continuity. With Loggains taking over play-calling duties, the Bears are looking for a quarterback’s coach. Chicago finished 6-10 in its first season under coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace, but showed some progress after winning five games the previous season. Fox says Loggains “played a critical role” on offense and “earned the respect of our players.” Topping the list is Cutler, who will be working with his sixth coordinator since coming to Chicago in 2009. He repeatedly praised Gase and Loggains this season, their first in Chicago, after clashing with previous assistants. Cutler had a career-high 92.3 passer rating and cut his interceptions from 18 to 11 in 15 games.

NFL – NFL owners to take up LA bids
NFL owners are poised to start two days of meetings Tuesday in Houston to consider relocation to Los Angeles. The Raiders, Rams and Chargers have petitioned the league to leave their current homes for the nation’s second largest market, which has been without an NFL team since 1994. Commissioner Roger Goodell has indicated the stadiums in Oakland, St. Louis and San Diego are all inadequate.  Twenty-four of 32 owners must approve any move.

NFL – NFL suspends Burfict
Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended for the first three games of next season for repeated violations of the NFL’s rules against dangerous hits on opposing players. The punishment has been doled out two days after he drilled Steelers receiver Antonio Brown after an incompletion during Pittsburgh’s 18-16 playoff win. Brown suffered a concussion on the play, and Burfict was penalized for targeting a defenseless receiver.  The NFL said it’s also reviewing the conduct of other players and coaches during the acrimonious game.

NCAA Basketball – Men’s – Top teams remain the same
Kansas and Oklahoma were tagged as 1 and 2 in The Associated Press Top-25 men’s basketball poll last Monday, hours before the Jayhawks beat the Sooners 103-100 in triple overtime. They remain the top two teams in the latest poll, with Kansas receiving 63 of 65 first-place votes. Maryland is third, followed by Michigan State and North Carolina. Villanova, Xavier, Miami, Duke and SMU round out the top 10. SMU is in the top 10 for the first time in 31 years. The Mustangs and No. 19 South Carolina are each 15-0 on the season.

NCAA Basketball – Men’s
Tonight
Ball State at Western Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Akron at Central Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
Buffalo at Eastern Michigan, 7:00 p.m.
(3) Maryland at Michigan, 9:00 p.m.               WSJM-AM (After HS Basketball)

NCAA Basketball – Women’s – Huskies are still No. 1
Connecticut remains No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s poll after winning three games last week, all by double-digits.  The Huskies are followed by South Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas and Ohio State in the new poll.  Michigan State is 18th.

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Grand Rapids Griffins at Charlotte Checkers, 7:00 p.m.
Chicago Wolves at Rockford IceHogs, 8:00 p.m.

ECHL – East Coast Hockey League
Tonight
Orlando Solar Bears at Kalamazoo Wings, 7:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Yesterday
Girls Basketball
Centreville 52, Bridgman 41

Tonight
Boys Basketball
SMAC – 7:15 p.m.
Benton Harbor at Battle Creek Central   WSJM-AM
St. Joseph at Gull Lake
Lakeshore at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix
Niles at Mattawan
Battle Creek Lakeview at Portage Central
Portage Northern at Kalamazoo Central

Wolverine – 7:15 p.m.
South Haven at Dowagiac   WCSY-FM
Otsego at Edwardsburg
Paw Paw at Sturgis
Allegan at Three Rivers
Plainwell at Vicksburg

BCS
Berrien Springs at Lake Michigan Catholic, 7:15 p.m.
Cassopolis at Buchanan, 7:30 p.m.

SAC – 7:00 p.m.
Hartford at Bangor
Gobles at Coloma
Watervliet at Fennville

Non-Conference
Lawton at Parchment, 7:30 p.m.
Marcellus at White Pigeon, 7:30 p.m.
Decatur at Brandywine, 7:30 p.m.
Saugatuck at North Muskegon, 7:00 p.m.

Girls Basketball
SMAC – 7:15 p.m.
Battle Creek Central at Benton Harbor
Gull Lake at St. Joseph
Kalamazoo Loy Norrix at Lakeshore
Mattawan at Niles
Portage Central at Battle Creek Lakeview
Kalamazoo Central at Portage Northern

Wolverine – 7:15 p.m.
Dowagiac at South Haven
Edwardsburg at Otsego
Sturgis at Paw Paw
Three Rivers at Allegan
Vicksburg at Plainwell

BCS
Lake Michigan Catholic at Berrien Springs, 7:15 p.m.
New Buffalo at Eau Claire, 7:30 p.m.

SAC
Bangor at Hartford, 7:00 p.m.
Gobles at Coloma, 5:30 p.m.
Watervliet at Fennville, 5:30 p.m.

Non-Conference
Lawton at Parchment, 6:00 p.m.
Marcellus at White Pigeon, 6:00 p.m.