w Page 349 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Surging Canadiens return from break to face Lightning
With their return from holiday break not occurring until Sunday's game at the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Montreal Canadiens find themselves in one of their best standings positions.,The Habs entered the break solely in second place in the Eastern Conference's Atlantic Division, but they are now tied f...

Leafs looking way up at Wings in Atlantic Division race
The Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs enter their matchup on Sunday at the opposite ends of the Atlantic Division spectrum.,Host Detroit holds a tenuous lead in the division, while Toronto resides in the cellar. Both teams will come into the contest on short rest.,The Red Wings lost 5-2 on t...

David Rittich, Isles eye 3rd straight win in visit to Jackets
One of the most popular cliches in football is that any team with two starting quarterbacks really has none.,The New York Islanders are learning the same is not true when it comes to a hockey team and goaltenders.,The Islanders will look to continue their strong play without injured No. 1 netminder ...

Conner Weigman (4 TDs), No. 21 Houston top LSU in Texas Bowl
Conner Weigman set a program bowl record with four touchdown passes, leading No. 21 Houston to a 38-35 victory over LSU in the Texas Bowl in Houston on Saturday evening.,After Houston took the lead on a 25-yard Ethan Sanchez field goal with 7:42 left, the Cougars (10-3) extended the lead to 38-28 on...

ECHL, players reach tentative deal to end strike; unclear when play will resume
One day after ECHL players initiated a midseason strike, the league and the Professional Hockey Players' Association agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement Saturday to halt the strike.,The tentative deal, which requires ratification from the league's board of governors and full player membe...

Cam Thomas' 30-point return boosts Nets over Wolves
Cam Thomas scored 30 points off the bench in an impressive return from a hamstring injury and the surging Brooklyn Nets earned a 123-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night in Minneapolis.,Thomas was the first reserve to enter the game after being out since the first quarter of...

Blackhawks score 2 shootout goals to defeat Stars
Nick Lardis and Ryan Donato scored in the shootout to give the Chicago Blackhawks a 4-3 win over the host Dallas Stars on Saturday night.,Tyler Bertuzzi had two goals and Jason Dickinson scored for the Blackhawks, who snapped their six-game losing streak. Defenseman Alex Vlasic had two assists and A...

Knicks extend hot stretch, sneak past free-falling Hawks
OG Anunoby scored 15 points and hit four free throws in the final 30 seconds to help the visiting New York Knicks hang on for a 128-125 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday.,Atlanta erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and took the lead on a 3-pointer by Onyeka Okongwu with 2:01 remaining. Aft...

Giannis Antetokounmpo returns to lead Bucks past Bulls
In a return from injury, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored a game-high 29 points to help the visiting Milwaukee Bucks earn a 112-103 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday.,Antetokounmpo had missed eight straight games with a right calf strain for Milwaukee, which had dropped four of its last five ga...

Cam Thomas' big return boosts Nets to win over Timberwolves
Cam Thomas scored 30 points off the bench in an impressive return from a hamstring injury and the surging Brooklyn Nets earned a 123-107 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night in Minneapolis.,Thomas was the first reserve to enter the game after being out since the first quarter of...

No. 25 North Texas edges San Diego State in wild New Mexico Bowl
Caleb Hawkins ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries and caught a pass for another score as No. 25 North Texas outlasted short-handed San Diego State 49-47 on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.,The Mean Green (12-2) won a dozen games in a season for the first time while snap...

No. 25 North Texas outscores San Diego State in wild New Mexico Bowl
Caleb Hawkins ran for 198 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries and caught a pass for another score as No. 25 North Texas outlasted short-handed San Diego State 49-47 on Saturday in the New Mexico Bowl in Albuquerque.,The Mean Green (12-2) won a dozen games in a season for the first time while snap...

No. 2 Michigan puts unbeaten record up vs. battle-tested McNeese
Dusty May insists that No. 2 Michigan has not yet reached its peak.,"We've played well, but this team still has another gear that we can shift into and take it to another level," the Wolverines coach said. "There's no doubt.",That could be scary news for upcoming opponents.,Michigan (11-0) will look...

Scuffling Oregon hosts Omaha in non-conference finales for both
Oregon will play Omaha on Sunday night at Eugene, Ore., in the final nonconference matchup of the season for both programs.,Oregon (6-6) enters as a 20.5-point favorite, but Omaha (7-7) is riding a four-game winning streak entering the game.,Oregon has lost six of its last eight games, including a 9...

No. 18 Arkansas continues tough schedule with contest vs. James Madison
With Arkansas guard Darius Acuff Jr. dominating the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week Award, the No. 18 Razorbacks and their emerging star turn their attention to the next opponent in what has been a testing schedule.,The Razorbacks (9-3) will host James Madison (7-6) in Fayetteville, Ark...

Surprising Celtics look to add to Blazers' road woes
Not having Jayson Tatum was supposed to make things extremely difficult for the Boston Celtics.,But 30 games into the season, Boston has won 19 and stands in third place in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics take aim at victory No. 20 when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday.,Boston has...

Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo returns to starting lineup vs. Bulls
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from a right calf strain on Saturday night, starting against the host Chicago Bulls.,The two-time MVP forward needed to clear pregame testing before he would play for the first time in 24 days, and the team confirmed his availability shortly before...

Yale looms as imposing threat to No. 14 Alabama
No. 14 Alabama looks to shake off a seven-day layoff Monday when it takes on a dangerous Yale team in the final nonconference tuneup for both squads in Tuscaloosa, Ala., ,The Crimson Tide (9-3) took a 21-point loss to No. 1 Arizona on Dec. 13, but have rebounded with consecutive wins in which they'v...

No. 3 Iowa State returns from 8-day break to take on Houston Christian
No. 3 Iowa State, fresh off an eight-day break, returns to close out its nonconference slate with a home game against Houston Christian on Monday night at Hilton Coliseum in Ames.,The Cyclones (12-0) have been one of the top teams in the country, impressing both offensively and defensively. They are...

Ravens QB Lamar Jackson (back) inactive for game vs. Packers
Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson has been downgraded from doubtful and is inactive for the Ravens' game Saturday night at Green Bay because of a back contusion.,The two-time NFL Most Valuable Player missed practice all week after being kneed in the back in the first half of the 28-24 loss Sunday ...