Month: March 2022

By ANNE M. PETERSON AP Sports Writer PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Lessons from a tough start to the season helped Memphis weather a second-half challenge by Boise State on Thursday. DeAndre Williams had 14 points, Jalen Duren made a crucial basket down the stretch and the ninth-seeded Tigers survived their first-round game against the Broncos

By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is hopeful for another Final Four run in his latest NCAA Tournament appearance. The Tigers reached the national semifinals in 2019 where they fell 63-62 to Virginia in a thriller The second-seeded Tigers face Jacksonville State in the opening round of

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons have re-signed two restricted free agents, offensive lineman Colby Gossett and defensive lineman Anthony Rush. The Falcons also have signed free-agent offensive lineman Elijah Wilkinson and cornerback Teez Tabor. Rush had 19 tackles with a forced fumble in 10 games, including five starts, for Atlanta last season.

By The Associated Press The match between Tahiti and Vanuatu on the opening day of delayed Oceania World Cup qualifying was postponed because of positive COVID-19 tests conducted at Vanuatu’s team hotel in Doha, Qatar. The Oceania Football Confederation said Vanuatu would not have had enough players to field a team. Oceania was the last

By DAVE SKRETTA AP Sports Writer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Justin Reid spent one season playing with Tyrann Mathieu in Houston, then replaced him as one of the leaders of the Texans defensive backfield when the three-time All-Pro safety signed with the Chiefs. Three years later, Reid is replacing Mathieu again — this time

By The Associated Press Wolverhampton wants to boost its improbable ambitions of Champions League qualification while Leeds is desperate to move further clear of relegation trouble. Teams with contrasting objectives meet at Molineux to start a truncated round of the Premier League. Getafe visits Athletic Bilbao with Enes Unal aiming to rekindle his superb scoring

STARKVILLE, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi State men’s basketball coach Ben Howland is out after seven seasons with the program. A release on Thursday did not provide details about Howland’s departure, and a message left with a basketball spokesman was not immediately returned. Athletic director John Cohen thanked Howland for his devotion to the program in

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Left-hander Andrew Chafin and the Tigers finalized a $13 million, two-year contract, giving Detroit one of the top relief pitchers on the free agent market. Chafin gets a $1 million signing bonus, $5.5 million this season and $6.5 million in 2023. The 31-year-old had a 1.83 ERA with a career-high five

NEW YORK (AP) — Baseball’s amateur draft will be held in Los Angeles from July 17-19, its second straight season located at the city of the All-Star Game. Baltimore will pick first after finishing a major league-worst 52-110 last season. In 2023, the top six selections with be determined by a weighted lottery involving all

By SCHUYLER DIXON AP Pro Football Writer The Dallas Cowboys are releasing right tackle La’el Collins in the second cost-cutting move involving one of their starters on offense. Collins is being designated as a post-June 1 cut to save more money under the salary cap this year. Dallas gets $10 million in cap space this

By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports Writer BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Al Durham had 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists and Jared Bynum made three key free throws with 29.9 seconds left as fourth-seeded Providence snapped the longest winning streak in the country by beating South Dakota State 66-57 in the first round

By CHUCK KING Associated Press WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The Washington Nationals signed 41-year-old slugger Nelson Cruz to be their designated hitter, now that the National League will have a DH on a full-time basis. Nationals manager Dave Martinez figures Cruz will provide benefits in the batter’s box and inside the clubhouse. In

By The Associated Press MLB Calendar

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Versatile Brad Miller and Texas have agreed to a $10 million, two-year contract. Miller hit 20 homers for Philadelphia last season and has started games at every infield and outfield position over nine big league seasons with six different teams. The 32-year-old Miller will make $6 million this season and $4

By GRAHAM DUNBAR AP Sports Writer Mikaela Shiffrin has soared back to the summit of skiing by clinching the overall World Cup title. The fourth overall title of her career seemed far away from her mystifying struggles at the Beijing Olympics last month. Her season that risked being defined by zero medals from six events

By COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) — Surveillance camera footage shows maintenance workers using a propane torch prior to a blaze that destroyed a century-old clubhouse at a suburban Detroit country club. The Oakland County Sheriff’s Office said the Oakland Hills Country Club has estimated the loss of the clubhouse at about $80

By MICHAEL MAROT AP Sports Writer INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Freshman Frankie Collins provided the spark Michigan needed in a turbulent year for the Wolverines and coach Juwan Howard. He helped the 11th-seeded Wolverines rally from a 15-point deficit to beat sixth-seeded Colorado State 75-63 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Collins was pressed

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Big-hitting South African James Hart du Preez has carded a 9-under 63 to lead after the first round of the European tour’s Steyn City Championship in Johannesburg. Du Preez raised the prospect of a 59 when he was 11 under par with two holes to play. Even a bogey-bogey finish saw him

By JEROME PUGMIRE AP Auto Racing Writer MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — Formula One begins the new season on Sunday in Bahrain at a huge track where a huge contract extension was recently signed. But former political prisoner Najah Yusuf still waits for compensation after allegedly being tortured and abused in a Bahrain jail over a

By JAKE SEINER AP Baseball Writer FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Baseball’s bitter 99-day lockout moved a little further back in the rearview mirror when spring training games began Thursday. The Boston Red Sox hosted the Minnesota Twins in sunny Fort Myers, Florida, to ring in the start of exhibition season, and three more games

By WILL GRAVES AP Sports Writer PITTSBURGH (AP) — New Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky is eager to restart his career. The Steelers signed the former Chicago Bears starter to a two-year deal that will give him an opportunity to replace the retired Ben Roethlisberger. Trubisky spent last season backing up Josh Allen in Buffalo

By DYLAN LOVAN Associated Press FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Attorneys for Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert are arguing that a 90-day suspension from Kentucky’s racing commission would essentially end his career. Baffert is asking a Kentucky judge to delay the suspension. The commission imposed the punishment for a failed postrace drug test by Medina

By TERESA M. WALKER AP Pro Football Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans released seven-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Julio Jones after one season Thursday as a post-June 1 release to create much-needed salary cap space. The Titans traded for Jones last June. They hoped to rev up the passing game by pairing

By ROB HARRIS AP Global Soccer Writer LONDON (AP) — Deadline day is Friday for bids to be submitted to buy Chelsea and end the 19-year ownership of Roman Abramovich. This is a sale enforced on the Russian billionaire after being sanctioned by the British government for his close links to Russian President Vladimir Putin

By JOHN PERROTTO Associated Press BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Anthony Alford won the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting center fielder’s job in spring training last year then lost it less than a month into the season. This year, he is trying to become the regular right fielder, which is one of three position battles in the Pirates’

By TIM REYNOLDS AP Sports Writer SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Panthers are piling up big numbers this season. Lots of goals, lots of wins, lots of points. And in a couple cases, lots of minutes. That’s one of the reasons why the Panthers acquired defenseman Ben Chiarot from the Montreal Canadiens as the

BOURNEMOUTH, England (AP) — A jury has concluded that Argentine soccer player Emiliano Sala was “deeply unconscious” after being poisoned by exhaust fumes before dying from severe head and chest injuries in a plane crash in 2019. Sala died when the single-engine Piper Malibu aircraft in which he was traveling crashed in the English Channel.

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer BERLIN (AP) — Hertha Berlin’s new coach Felix Magath has tested positive for the coronavirus before his first game in charge. Hertha says the 68-year-old Magath tested positive for COVID-19 and is “therefore initially not available for coaching or game operations.” Magath was only appointed coach by the relegation-threatened

By TALES AZZONI AP Sports Writer MADRID (AP) — Pau Torres’ close-range shot had barely crossed the goal line when Villarreal coach Unai Emery started to celebrate by sprinting in a circle by the bench. The 85th-minute goal against Juventus in Turin gave the visitors a two-goal lead and practically sealed Villarreal’s spot in the

By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer SEBRING, Fla. (AP) — NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports have partnered on an effort to enter the 24 Hours of Le Mans next year with a modified version of its new Next Gen car. The collaborative effort announced at Sebring International Raceway seeks the “Garage 56” entry, which was