Hold steady: UGA, Ohio St, Michigan, TCU remain CFP top 4
Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan and TCU held on to the top four spots in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Bulldogs’ Southeastern Conference rivals Tennessee and LSU are at Nos. 5 and 6, respectively. With three of the top six teams and only three weeks left until Selection Sunday, the SEC appears well positioned to put two teams in the CFP for the second straight season and third time overall. USC, the Pac-12′s best and probably last hope to make the final four, is seventh.
Michigan State outlasts Tshiebwe, No. 4 Kentucky in 2OT
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Malik Hall forced two extra periods with dunks off inbounds plays, and Michigan State outlasted No. 4 Kentucky 86-77 in double overtime after Oscar Tshiebwe concluded his strong season debut by fouling out. Tshiebwe, last season’s consensus national player of the year, had 22 points and 18 rebounds for the Wildcats before picking up his fifth foul late in the first overtime. Michigan State, coming off a one-point loss to No. 2 Gonzaga on the deck of the USS Abraham Lincoln, appeared headed for another tough nonconference defeat. But the Spartans tied the game in the final seconds of regulation and overtime thanks to Hall, who finished with 20 points.
No. 6 Kansas rallies late to beat No. 7 Duke 69-64
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Jalen Wilson scored a career-high 25 points and Gradey Dick made three crucial baskets in the final 2 1/2 minutes to lead No. 6 Kansas past No. 7 Duke 69-64. The defending national champions extended the nation’s longest active winning streak to 14 games. Wilson also grabbed 11 rebounds as coach Bill Self missed his third straight game because of a school-imposed suspension stemming from a 2017 infractions scandal. Duke was led by Kyle Filipowski, who scored a season-high 17 points and had 14 rebounds to become the first player in school history to register double-doubles in each of his first three games.
Veteran skippers Francona, Showalter voted Managers of Year
Terry Francona of the Cleveland Guardians and Buck Showalter of the New York Mets have been voted Managers of the Year, improving the already sparkling resumes of both veteran baseball leaders. Showalter narrowly won the National League award in a wide-open race, becoming the third person to take the prize four times and the first to do it with four different franchises. He won in the American League with the New York Yankees in 1994, Texas Rangers in 2004 and Baltimore Orioles in 2014. The other four-time winners are Hall of Famers Bobby Cox and Tony La Russa. Baltimore's Brandon Hyde finished second to Francona in the American League, while Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers was runner-up in the NL.
Hall of Fame coach Jimmy Johnson reflects on his career
Jimmy Johnson won two Super Bowls as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys and a national championship at Miami. He’s in the Pro Football, College Football and NAB Broadcasting halls of fame. In his view, Johnson’s biggest success has nothing to do with football. The 79-year-old Johnson describes in “Swagger,” his memoir that released on Tuesday, how his addiction to football and winning caused him to never have a family dinner. His two sons, Brent and Chad, played football but Dad never saw them play a full game. He was too busy coaching his teams to victories. Johnson now says his biggest win came when he stepped away from coaching to spend more time with his family.
McCollum, Pelicans beat Grizzlies without injured Williamson
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — C.J. McCollum scored 14 of his 30 points in the third quarter and the New Orleans Pelicans overcome Ja Morant’s 36-point effort to beat the Memphis Grizzlies 113-102 on Tuesday night. McCollum had averaged just 9.5 points on 27% shooting in his previous four games, was 7 of 13 from long range to help make up for Zion Williamson’s scoring absence with the star forward out with a bruised right foot. The Pelicans also got 19 points each from Brandon Ingram and Larry Nance Jr., and they held Memphis to 15 fourth-quarter points. Dillon Brooks added 19 for Memphis.
Qatar's World Cup denounced for 'washing' country's image
With no soccer tradition but billions in oil money, Qatar is the latest Persian Gulf nation using sports to try to burnish its image on the global stage. The host of the 2022 World Cup is smaller than Connecticut and has a population of fewer than 3 million. Many think Qatar is hosting the event to project its influence, build international connections and move past a human-rights record criticized by international groups and workers’ advocates. Critics describe the 2022 World Cup, which starts Sunday, as a classic case of “sportswashing” — using sports to change a country or company's image.
Murray shines in return to Pittsburgh as Leafs top Pens 5-2
PITTSBURGH (AP) — John Tavares scored his 400th goal as the Toronto Maple Leafs raced by the Penguins 5-2. Tavares became the 107th player in NHL history to reach 400 goals when he beat Casey DeSmith in the first period. Michael Bunting scored twice for the Maple Leafs, who won for the fifth time in seven games. Matt Murray stopped 34 shots in his first game against Pittsburgh, who he won a pair of Stanley Cups with earlier in his career. Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins.
US tops Canada in shootout in opener of Rivalry Series
KELOWNA, British Columbia (AP) — Hilary Knight and Alex Carpenter scored in a shootout, leading the United States to a 4-3 win over Canada on Tuesday night in the first game of a seven-game Rivalry Series. Canada’s Loren Gabel was stopped by goaltender Nicole Hensley to end the game as all four Canadian shooters came up empty. Hensley also stopped Canada’s Marie-Philip Poulin on a penalty shot with 39.2 seconds left in overtime.