review Page 196 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Prospering Providence eager to extend Seton Hall's skid
Providence is basically out of time to make a push for an NCAA Tournament at-large bid, but at least the Friars can say they're healthy and remembering how to win again.,Providence chased a four-game losing streak with back-to-back home wins and heads to Newark, N.J., to challenge plummeting Seton H...

Heat, Pelicans bid to enter All-Star break on high note
The Miami Heat will be short-handed again when they face the host New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday in the final game before the All-Star break for both teams.,Miami used its 19th different starting lineup of the season and had just 11 available players in Monday's 115-111 home loss to the Utah Jazz...

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...

Eastern Conference contenders Pistons, Raptors meet for first time
One team will enter the All-Star break on a three-game winning streak Wednesday night when the Detroit Pistons visit the Toronto Raptors.,The Pistons won their second straight when they opened a four-game road trip with a 110-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets in a game marred by third-quarter f...

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...

Tennessee focuses on inside offense ahead of Mississippi St. matchup
The remedy is simple for the Tennessee men's basketball team: start making more layups.,An abundance of missed shots at the rim cost the Volunteers a Southeastern Conference game Saturday at Kentucky, a contest that Tennessee led by 14 points at halftime. The 74-71 loss also cost them a spot in the ...

Cavs, unbeaten with James Harden in action, clash with Wizards
Trade-deadline acquisition James Harden came through in the clutch during his first two games with the Cavaliers, rallying Cleveland to road victories over the Sacramento Kings and Denver Nuggets.,"The Beard" and the red-hot Cavaliers will look to continue their winning ways on Wednesday when they h...

Spurs pursue season-series-clinching win against Lakers
Surging toward the All-Star break, the San Antonio Spurs will begin a back-to-back scenario before some much-deserved rest when they hit the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.,The second half of the back-to-back for the Spurs, who arrive in California on a four-game winning streak, will...

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...

Stung by St. John's loss, No. 6 UConn turns to struggling Butler
Coming off its first loss in nearly three months, No. 6 UConn stays on the road with a trip to Indianapolis, Ind. on Wednesday to take on Butler.,The Huskies (22-2, 12-1 Big East) lost their perfect conference record Friday night when they fell 81-72 to St. John's at Madison Square Garden. The loss ...

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...