Weekday Morning Sports – Wednesday 2/17/16

sportsreport

Sports Radio 1400 WSJM     @wsjmsports     wsjmsports.com     Wednesday, February 17, 2016

NFL – Lions release running back Joique Bell
The Detroit Lions released running back Joique Bell on Tuesday, less than a year after he signed a two-year deal with former general manager Martin Mayhew after his best season. New general manager Bob Quinn decided to cut Bell, knowing he likely will have Ameer Abdullah and Theo Riddick rotating at running back this year. Bell had nearly 2,000 yards from scrimmage in 2013 and 2014. His role diminished in Detroit last year due to injuries and the emergence of Abdullah as a rookie and Riddick as a pass-catching option out of the backfield.  Bell ran for 2,235 yards and 22 touchdowns and had 161 receptions for 1,640 yards and a score over four seasons in Detroit.

NFL – Lions’ Mathis retires
Detroit Lions cornerback Rashean Mathis has announced on the team Website that he has retired after 13 NFL seasons. Mathis finished last season on injured reserve with a concussion after starting seven games. The 2006 All-Pro started 165 of his 175 career games and had 32 interceptions, playing in Detroit over the last three seasons after 10 years with the Jaguars.

NFL – Chicago Bears release OT Jermon Bushrod
The Chicago Bears have released offensive tackle Jermon Bushrod after he made just four starts in 12 games last season. Bushrod, 31, signed a five-year deal with Chicago in 2013 that included $17.7 million in guaranteed money. The release of Bushrod is part of a continuing overhaul for the Bears under coach John Fox and general manager Ryan Pace.

NFL – Hall Of Fame Game: Colts-Packers on big day for both teams
The NFL says the Indianapolis Colts will play the Green Bay Packers in a fitting matchup for the Hall of Fame game on August 7th. The Hall of Fame will induct Packers quarterback Brett Favre, former Colts coach Tony Dungy and wide receiver Marvin Harrison a day before the league kicks off the preseason. Each team will be appearing in the game for the fifth time.

NCAA Basketball – Men’s
Last Night
Ohio State 76, Michigan 66
Kent State 85, Western Michigan 78
Central Michigan 77, Toledo 69
Ohio 86, Eastern Michigan 64

Ohio St. 76, Michigan 66 – Ohio St downs Michigan 76-66 behind balanced scoring effort
Jae’Sean Tate scored 13 points as Ohio State beat Michigan 76-66 on Tuesday night. The Buckeyes (17-10, 9-5) led nearly the whole way in a game they likely needed to win to keep alive hopes of receiving an NCAA tournament bid next month. Trevor Thompson and Jaquan Lyle scored 12 points apiece for Ohio State while Kam Williams added 10. Marc Loving tallied 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Buckeyes, notching his fifth double-double of the season. Mark Donnal scored 17 points to lead Michigan, which had a two-game winning streak snapped. Zak Irvin added 15 points for the Wolverines (19-8, 9-5) while Derrick Walton Jr. had 13 and Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman had nine. Ohio State shot 54 percent from the floor while holding the Wolverines to 39 percent.

Kent State 84, WMU 78 – Cancer leads Kent State past Western Michigan 84-78 in OT
Galal Cancer scored 24 points to help Kent State beat Western Michigan 84-78 on Tuesday night. Kent State jumped out to a 78-75 lead with 2:26 left in overtime. Cancer added two free throws, Western Michigan’s Anthony Avery Jr. missed a 3-point attempt and Hall split a pair of free throws as the Golden Flashes stretched their lead to 81-75 with 44 seconds left.

NCAA Men’s Basketball – Michigan State’s Kenny Goins out 2-4 weeks with knee injury
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo says forward Kenny Goins is expected to be out of the lineup for 2-4 weeks with an injured left knee.  Goins left the first half of Sunday’s win against Indiana with the injury. The eighth-ranked Spartans will not have the 6-foot-6 redshirt freshman in their rotation Thursday night at home against Wisconsin and perhaps for the rest of the regular season. Goins is averaging 10-plus minutes as a reserve, scoring two points and grabbing three rebounds a game. He has played in 25 of 26 games for Michigan State this season.

NHL – National Hockey League
Tonight
Chicago Blackhawks at New York Rangers, 8:00 p.m.

NBA – Pistons acquire Harris from Magic for Jennings, Ilyasova
The Detroit Pistons have acquired forward Tobias Harris from Orlando in a trade that sends guard Brandon Jennings and forward Ersan Ilyasova to the Magic. The Pistons announced the deal Tuesday. The 23-year-old Harris gives Detroit another athletic young player, and he’ll be under team control for a while. Harris signed a $64 million, four-year deal to stay with the Magic last summer, when he was a restricted free agent. The Pistons, who are a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, gave up their starting power forward in Ilyasova. Jennings was Detroit’s backup point guard, and the Pistons could afford to part with him after making a long-term commitment to starter Reggie Jackson.

NCAA Football – Highly touted junior QB Dylan McCaffrey commits to Michigan
Quarterback Dylan McCaffrey, the high school junior who is the brother of Stanford star Christian McCaffrey, says he has committed to playing for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan. The younger McCaffrey said Tuesday in a phone interview he didn’t want to follow his brother to Stanford because he wants to make his own path. Another brother, Max, was a senior receiver at Duke last season and his father, Ed, was an NFL receiver from 1991 to 2003. Dylan McCaffrey says he chose Michigan over UCLA, Duke and Colorado in part because he will be coached by Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback. McCaffrey, who attends at Valor Christian High School in Colorado, plans to help Harbaugh recruit juniors across the country to join him on the field in 2017.

NCAA Football – Notre Dame lineman Elmer leaving school to pursue career
Notre Dame starting right guard Steve Elmer says he no longer wants to play football and he will skip his final year of eligibility and graduate in May a year early with a degree in economics to pursue his career. The 6-5, 315-pound lineman from Midland, Michigan, released a letter Tuesday saying he has no problems with the coaching staff, no academic issues and no violations of team rules. He says he has been presented an “incredible opportunity” to pursue something in which he has a great interest with a great company. He didn’t specify what he will be doing other than saying it will be in the Washington, D.C., area. Coach Brian Kelly says Elmer’s decision is an example of the different avenues of success Notre Dame offers.

MCCAA – Junior College Basketball – Women’s
Tonight
Grand Rapids Community College at Lake Michigan College, 5:30 p.m.              WSJM-AM

MCCAA – Junior College Basketball – Men’s
Tonight
Grand Rapids Community College at Lake Michigan College, 7:30 p.m.              WSJM-AM

AHL – American Hockey League
Tonight
Milwaukee Admirals at Grand Rapids Griffins, 7:00 p.m.

NBADL – NBA Developmental League
Last Night
Fort Wayne Mad Ants 105, Grand Rapids Drive 97

Tonight
Sioux Falls Skyforce at Grand Rapids Drive, 7:00 p.m.

MHSAA – High School Sports
Last Night
Boys Basketball
Dowagiac 52, St. Joseph 41
Leroy Lewis had a game high 19 points as Dowagiac beat St. Joseph 52-41.  Keonte Blackamore added another 12 points for the Chieftains.   Carter Scramlin had 13 points to lead St. Joe, who fall to 3-11 on the season.  The Bears will be at Niles on Friday night.

Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 64, Lakeshore 62
Lakeshore’s Braden Burke had 27 points as the Lancers lost their third straight game with a 64-62 loss at Kalamazoo Loy Norrix.  Max Gaishin added 19 points for the Lancers, who fall to 9-6 on the season.

Bangor 63, Michigan Lutheran 44
Bangor outscored Michigan Lutheran 30-13 in the final quarter to pull away from the Titans in a 63-44 Vikings win.  Enrique Peterson had a game high 18 points for Bangor.  Jeremy Tolsma had 16 points for Lutheran, while Zeb Pappenfuss had 14.

Other Scores
Wayland 47, Mattawan 44
Paw Paw 68, Comstock 59E
Elkhart Central (IN) 58, Edwardsburg 38
Three Rivers 58, Allegan 23
Fennville 76, Bridgman 64
New Buffalo 66, Buchanan 47
Constantine 58, Bloomingdale 37
Kalamazoo Christian 73, Martin 58
Kalamazoo Hackett 62, Decatur 39
Galesburg-Augusta 58, Lawrence 53
Battle Creek Lakeview 35, Portage Central 34
Portage Northern 57, Wyoming Godwin Heights 54
Vicksburg 78, Otsego 63
Kalamazoo Central 55, Battle Creek Central 32

Girls Basketball
Brandywine 52, St. Joseph 47
After trailing by 5 points at the half, Brandywine turned up the defensive pressure and started hitting from long range as Brandywine beat St. Joseph 52-47.  The Bobcats outscored St. Joe 32-22 in the second half.  Emily Erwin made 5 triples and had a game high 19 points.  Shelby Madison led St. Joe with 11 points.  St. Joe falls to 13-3 on the season while Brandywine improves to 16-2.

Lakeshore 53, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 37
Morgan Kaiser scored a game best 26 points in Lakeshore’s 53-37 win over Kalamazoo Loy Norrix.   The Lancers improve to 15-1 on the season.  Taylor Wagner added 10 points for Lakeshore, who jumped out to an 11 point lead after the first quarter.

Michigan Lutheran 47, Bangor 20
Emily Witkowski had 15 points, Sarah Jackemeyer had 10 points and 10 rebounds in Michigan Lutheran’s 47-20 win over Bangor.  The Titans improve to 14-3.

Other Scores
Cassopolis 40, Bridgman 38
Mattawan 39, Wayland 38
Gull Lake 64, Plainwell 40
Allegan 42, Three Rivers 35
Otsego 56, Vicksburg 45
Berrien Springs 46, Coloma 30
Constantine 41, Bloomingdale 31
Zeeland West 52, Fennville 26
Galesburg-Augusta 52, Lawrence 34
Martin 59, Kalamazoo Christian 51
Saugatuck 53, Hartford 47
Kalamazoo Central 81, Battle Creek Central 53

Tonight
Boys Basketball
Allegan at Paw Paw, 7:15 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Eau Claire, 7:00 p.m.
Lawton at Kalamazoo Hackett, 7:00 p.m.

Girls Basketball
Battle Creek Central at Benton Harbor, 5:00 p.m.
Bloomingdale at Eau Claire, 5:30 p.m.
Allegan at Paw Paw, 5:45 p.m.
Lawrence at Gobles, 5:30 p.m.
Lawton at Kalamazoo Hackett, 5:30 p.m.