preview Page 9 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Celtics, Bulls face former players in Anfernee Simons, Nikola Vucevic
Anfernee Simons and Nikola Vucevic will each be playing against their former team when the Chicago Bulls visit the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.,Simons was traded from Boston to Chicago last Tuesday in exchange for Vucevic. The teams each included a second-round draft pick in the deal.,Simons j...

No. 16 Texas Tech expects another battle to wire with Colorado
In a league where no game is a layup, No. 16 Texas Tech can't afford a letdown to maintain any hope of staying in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Big 12 Conference.,That fact, plus the memory of last month's meeting in Colorado, provides plenty of motivation as the Red Raiders get back to work...

Cal, Syracuse try to regroup after double-digit losses
Looking to boost their chances of making the NCAA Tournament, California travels to Syracuse on Wednesday in an Atlantic Coast Conference game.,The Golden Bears (17-7, 5-6 ACC) had their two-game winning streak snapped on Saturday at home against No. 20 Clemson, 77-55. The 22-point margin was their ...

Alabama moves on without Charles Bediako, faces rival Ole Miss
Two very motivated teams will take the floor on Wednesday when Alabama travels to Oxford, Miss. to take on Ole Miss in a Southeastern Conference match-up.,For the Crimson Tide (16-7, 6-4 SEC) and coach Nate Oaks, it's about moving forward with the roster they started the season with and not the one ...

All-Star break timely for feisty Hornets, revamped Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks and Charlotte Hornets might be in need of some time off, and they'll get just that after they meet Wednesday night in Charlotte.,It will be the final game for both teams prior to the eight-day All-Star break, but there's plenty to digest before tip-off.,The Hornets had a nine-game ...

No. 20 Clemson focused on 'daily work,' won't look past Virginia Tech
No. 20 Clemson is tied atop the Atlantic Coast Conference standings with No. 4 Duke ahead of their showdown this weekend, but first the Tigers have to get by visiting Virginia Tech on Wednesday night.,The story for Clemson (20-4, 10-1 ACC) has been defense. The Tigers are allowing just 64.1 points p...

Bucks vow to match Magic's physicality in rematch
The Milwaukee Bucks will be seeking to exact immediate revenge on Wednesday when they face the Magic in Orlando for the second time in three days.,The Magic's 118-99 victory on Monday was their third straight, while also ending Milwaukee's own winning streak at three.,Preparation and motivation won'...

Ohio State, USC battle for better spot on bubble
The Big Ten regular season runs through March 8, but it gets late early for bubble teams eyeing a spot in the NCAA Tournament.,Games between bubble teams are particularly crucial, so plenty will be on the line when Southern California (18-6, 7-6 Big Ten) plays Ohio State (15-8, 7-6) on Wednesday in ...

Bennett Stirtz, Iowa target seventh straight win at Maryland
It's not easy to find a signature win on Iowa's resume. The Hawkeyes have yet to beat a ranked team in four tries.,But by virtue of being nearly flawless against the rest of its competition, Iowa (18-5, 8-4 Big Ten) has risen to No. 20 in the NET Rankings and, barring a late-season collapse, is on i...

Oklahoma State, Arizona State meet amid rigors of Big 12 season
In his second season in the Big 12 Conference, Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz is getting accustomed to how the ball can bounce.,His Cowboys took down then-No. 16 BYU 99-92 last Wednesday. Three days later, they had to visit the No. 1 team in the country, and Arizona ran them out of the building, 84...

US, Canada group stage meeting promises intensity in Milan
MILAN -- The U.S. and Canada will be "out for blood" as they renew their rivalry at the Milan Cortina Games, U.S. veteran Alex Carpenter told reporters on Monday, with an upcoming group stage game that has the feel of a championship contest.,The only teams to take the top of the podium since the wom...

Clippers vow to keep fighting for playoffs post-trades, visit Rockets
The Los Angeles Clippers' impressive climb up the Western Conference standings, from 15 games below .500 to a spot squarely in the play-in tournament, outwardly seemed undone by the jettisoning of James Harden and Ivica Zubac at last week's trade deadline.,Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard and his unyi...

No. 14 Florida looks to extend SEC lead at Georgia
No. 14 Florida, sitting alone atop the Southeastern Conference, will try to duplicate its defensive effort from the weekend when they travel to play high-scoring Georgia on Wednesday night in Athens, Ga.,The Gators (17-6, 8-2 SEC) shut down Texas A&M's prolific, frenetic attack and rolled to an 86-6...

Suns take aim at recent home woes against retooled Mavs
The Phoenix Suns plan a simple remedy for their miserable shooting performance Saturday.,"Keep shooting," guard Devin Booker said after a 109-103 home loss to Philadelphia, when the Suns made 11 of 46 attempts from 3-point range.,"We have good shooters that space the floor very well. We encourage ev...

No. 15 Virginia back to winning form, take on surging Florida State
Of all the reasons for the Atlantic Coast Conference's basketball bounce-back this season, Virginia's turnaround is one of the biggest.,After the Cavaliers finished last season under interim coach Ron Sanchez with their first losing record since 2009-10, they are right back on a familiar roll under ...

No. 19 Vanderbilt on rebound against Auburn after surprising loss
Searching for a bounce-back performance, No. 19 Vanderbilt will look for its first victory at Auburn in a decade when the Southeastern Conference opponents meet on Tuesday.,Vanderbilt (19-4, 6-4 SEC) had its three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday by lowly Oklahoma, which had lost its last nin...

Perimeter shooting in focus as No. 13 Purdue visits No. 7 Nebraska
Two of the best teams in the Big Ten Conference -- and the country -- will battle on Tuesday night when No. 7 Nebraska hosts No. 13 Purdue in Lincoln, Neb.,Nebraska (21-2, 10-2 Big Ten) is coming off a 12-point win at Rutgers to snap a two-game skid following 20-0 start to the season. Purdue (19-4, ...

Perimeter shooting in focus as No. 12 Purdue visits No. 9 Nebraska
Two of the best teams in the Big Ten Conference -- and the country -- will battle on Tuesday night when No. 9 Nebraska hosts No. 12 Purdue in Lincoln, Neb.,Nebraska (21-2, 10-2 Big Ten) is coming off a 12-point win at Rutgers to snap a two-game skid following 20-0 start to the season. Purdue (19-4, ...

No. 15 Vanderbilt on rebound against Auburn after surprising loss
Searching for a bounce-back performance, No. 15 Vanderbilt will look for its first victory at Auburn in a decade when the Southeastern Conference opponents meet on Tuesday.,Vanderbilt (19-4, 6-4 SEC) had its three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday by lowly Oklahoma, which had lost its last nin...

Amid whispers of tanking, Jazz wrap road trip at Heat
Losers of 18 of their last 22 games, the Utah Jazz are playing for next season.,On Monday night, the Jazz will visit the Miami Heat to conclude a five-game stretch on the road, where they are just 6-20 this season. And just how focused Utah will be on the task at hand provides the backdrop for the g...