w Page 70 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Texas Tech keep winning without star players
Alabama and Texas Tech both had concerns regarding their roster makeup entering the NCAA Tournament.,Now one of them is guaranteed a spot in the Sweet 16.,The teams meet in Sunday night's Midwest Region second-round game in Tampa, Fla.,Fifth-seeded Texas Tech (23-10) was looking like a national cham...

Arizona eyes 3rd straight Sweet 16, but Utah St. feeling confident
SAN DIEGO -- West Region No. 1 seed Arizona can advance to its third consecutive Sweet 16, but must first get past a ninth-seeded Utah State team on a "revenge tour" heading into Sunday's second-round matchup. ,Using what it viewed as a slight about its seeding for motivation, Utah State (29-6) made...

Coaches in elite company clash when Kansas faces St. John's
SAN DIEGO -- Only three active head coaches in Division I college basketball have won multiple national championships. Two of them meet for a berth in the Sweet 16 when Bill Self's No. 4 Kansas Jayhawks face Rick Pitino's No. 5 St. John's Red Storm on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournamen...

Trump order aims to keep Army-Navy in exclusive TV window
President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Friday aimed at maintaining an exclusive time window in December for the annual Army-Navy football game.,Played on the second weekend of December since 2009, it is typically a standalone game on the college football schedule and followed by the Hei...

Celtics' Luka Garza filling key role as unfocused Wolves visit
Nikola Vucevic will remain unavailable with a broken finger when the Boston Celtics face the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night, but that doesn't mean Boston won't have a quality center.,Luka Garza has given the Celtics (47-23) more offense since Vucevic was injured on March 6. Garza av...

Cubs OF Seiya Suzuki (knee) will not be ready for Opening Day
Chicago Cubs power-hitting outfielder Seiya Suzuki will not be available for Opening Day, manager Craig Counsell told the assembled media before Saturday's Cactus League game vs. Seattle in Peoria, Ariz.,The Cubs open the season at Wrigley Field vs. the Nationals on Thursday. Counsell ruled Suzuki o...

Predators look to further cement playoff position in Chicago
The streaking Nashville Predators moved into a Western Conference wild-card spot on Saturday.,On Sunday, they'll aim to strengthen their playoff positioning.,Winners of three straight and four of six, Nashville (32-28-9, 73 points) is set to visit the slumping Chicago Blackhawks (26-31-12, 64 points...

No. 2 Purdue knows No. 7 Miami's top two players well
Second-seeded Purdue may not necessarily be familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of No. 7 seed Miami ahead of the teams' meeting in West Region second-round play on Sunday in St. Louis.,But the Boilermakers certainly know what to expect from the Hurricanes' top two scorers, having played them ...

Auburn's home streak presents tall task for visiting Seattle in NIT
Soon after his Seattle University squad defeated St. Thomas in the opening round of the NIT, Redhawks coach Chris Victor was asked about facing top-seeded Auburn in its next matchup.,At that moment, Victor wasn't concerned about how his team is one step away from the quarterfinals.,"I haven't though...

Mason Jones takes decision in bloody win over Axel Sola at UFC London
Fireworks erupted early between lightweights Mason Jones and previously unbeaten Axel Sola in the fight of the night at UFC London on Saturday.,Jones, a winner by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28), improved to 18-2 and both fighters left the octagon bloodied. ,Jones was knocked down with a sp...

Ryan Odom strives for another shining moment as Virginia faces Tennessee
PHILADELPHIA -- Ryan Odom engineered a massive one-year turnaround at Virginia. Seven years removed from the program's only national title, Odom has his players visualizing their own shining moment.,The third-seeded Cavaliers are on the verge of the Sweet 16 but first must handle Ja'Kobi Gillespie a...

South Korea's Sungjae Im maintains Valspar lead for third straight day
South Korea's Sungjae Im sank a 13-foot putt on the final hole to shoot 2-under-par 69 and stretch his lead to two strokes through the third round of the Valspar Championship on Saturday at Palm Harbor, Fla.,Im had gone nine holes without a birdie on Innisbrook Resort and Golf Club's Copperhead Cour...

No. 2 Iowa State likely without Jefferson, leans into depth vs. Kentucky
ST. LOUIS -- Iowa State insists it has enough to claim a ticket to the Sweet 16, but No. 7 seed Kentucky already delivered a dose of March magic. ,The Cyclones (28-7) scored 108 points and won their first-round matchup with Tennessee State despite losing All-American forward Joseph Jefferson to a le...

Angels release UTL Chris Taylor, RHP Hunter Strickland
The Los Angeles Angels released utility player Chris Taylor and right-hander Hunter Strickland on Saturday.,Both players had signed minor league contracts with the club.,Taylor, 35, split last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers (28 games) and Angels (30 games) and batted just .186 overall with two ...

Lowly Nets, Kings trying to finish season strong
Turning positive signs into wins will be the focus for both the Sacramento Kings and visiting Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.,Sacramento (18-53) is anchored to the bottom of the Western Conference standings, but the Kings have shown steady improvement recently with four wins in their past seven games.,Broo...

Blazers hope road test could be helpful vs. Nuggets
Tanking is an issue for the NBA, but the Portland Trail Blazers are not guilty of jockeying for a better draft position.,Portland (35-36) has won three of four on its current road trip to move into eighth in the Western Conference entering Saturday, and can finish the trip 4-1 when it visits the Den...

Illinois State, Wake Forest battle for NIT quarterfinal spot
Another prolific scoring performance by Juke Harris allowed Wake Forest to keep its season alive and the best game of Landon Wolf's career enabled Illinois State to continue playing.,Both players are hoping for another big showing Sunday when Harris and top-seeded Wake Forest host Wolf and No. 4 see...

James Rodriguez set for Minnesota home debut vs. Sounders
Former World Cup star James Rodriguez will make his home debut Sunday when Minnesota United host the Seattle Sounders in Saint Paul, Minn., ,Rodriguez, a 34-year-old midfielder who became an international superstar when he won the Golden Boot for Colombia at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, signed with...

Galaxy, Timbers square off amid early-season lulls
The Los Angeles Galaxy and Portland Timbers both opened the MLS season with positive results.,But it has gone downhill from there.,The Galaxy (1-2-1, 4 points) and Timbers (1-3-0, 3 points) will be looking to snap losing streaks when they meet in a Western Conference showdown Sunday afternoon in Por...

Report: Padres to add 1B Ty France on Opening Day roster
The Padres are set to add first baseman Ty France to the Opening Day roster, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported Saturday.,France signed a minor league deal before spring training, reuniting with the organization that drafted him in 2015 and brought him to the major leagues for the first time in 20...