The University at Albany women's basketball team’s games against Vermont this weekend and the Stony Brook series scheduled for January 9 and 10 have been postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test result, found through UAlbany's pooled testing program. The school did not say if the result belongs specifically to one of the coaches, athletes, team managers or trainers, all of whom are tested three times a week. Rescheduled dates will be announced by the conference at a later time. The UAlbany men's games against UVM in Burlington are still scheduled for this Saturday and Sunday.
There was plenty of fighting spirit in the Armed Forces Bowl.
A brawl broke out minutes after Mississippi State completed a 28-26 win over No. 22 Tulsa. Players punched and kicked one another as the teams raced around the field to get at each other. Tulsa coach Greg Montgomery said a sophomore safety Kendarin Ray was treated for “some sort of concussion” after winding up in the bottom of a pile.
Will Rogers threw for a touchdown and ran for another to help Mississippi State improve to 4-7. Emmanuel Forbes scored on a 90-yard interception return for the Bulldogs.
In other bowl action:
Antonio Phillips returned an early interception 53 yards for a touchdown while Ball State was building a 27-0 lead in a 34-13 thumping of 19th-ranked San Jose State in the Arizona Bowl. Drew Plitt threw for a touchdown and ran for a score as the Cardinals picked up their seventh straight win since a season-opening loss to Miami of Ohio. The Spartans had to play without its two coordinators and Mountain West Conference player of the year Cade Hall due to COVID-19 and other issues.
Backup Austin Kendall threw a 20-yard touchdown pass to T.J. Simmons with 5:10 left, giving West Virginia a 24-21 win against Army in the Liberty Bowl. The Cadets had a chance to tie it with 1:50 left before Quinn Maretzki’s 39-yard field goal was wide left. Josh Chandler ended Army’s final possession with an interception and led the 9-3 Mountaineers with 13 tackles. Tyhier Tyler had three rushing touchdowns to tie a Liberty Bowl record, but the Cadets fell to 9-3.
NBA
The Indiana Pacers received another strong game from their All-Star center. Domantas Sabonis had 25 points on 10 of 14 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Pacers hammered the Cavaliers, 119-99. Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE’-poh) hit four 3-pointers and scored 16 points for the Pacers, who were 16 of 35 from beyond the arc. Two days after blowing a 17-point, third-quarter lead in a home loss to Boston, the Pacers pulled away again after halftime to take a 20-point advantage into the fourth quarter.
Also in the NBA:
Fred VanVleet scored 25 points and the Raptors earned their first victory this season by whipping the Knicks, 100-83. New York’s bid for a three-game win streak was ruined by 3-for-36 shooting from 3-point range.
The 76ers are 4-1 after Joel Embiid provided 21 points and nine rebounds in just three quarters of a 116-92 thrashing of the Magic. Seth Curry added 21 points and five 3-pointers, while Tobias Harris chipped in 20 points, nine rebounds and three 3-pointers for Philadelphia.
John Wall had 22 points and nine assists in his first game since 2018, helping the Rockets down the Kings, 122-119. James Harden delivered 33 points, eight assists and six rebounds in the first of a two-game set with the Kings.
The Suns are 4-1 for the first time in 11 years after Devin Booker had 25 points and seven assists to lead a 106-95 victory over the Jazz. Mikal Bridges and Jae Crowder added 16 points apiece for the Suns, who had six players score in double figures and shot 51.5% from 3-point range.
Eugene Omoruyi scored 26 points and No. 21 Oregon extended its home winning streak to 27 games by knocking off California, 82-69. Chris Duarte chipped in 19 points in the Ducks' seventh straight win since a season-opening loss to Missouri.
Brandon Ingram furnished 20 points and seven rebounds before being ejected in the third quarter of the Pelicans’ rout of the Thunder, 113-80. Eric Bledsoe added 17 points and Lonzo Ball had 16 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for New Orleans, which lost all four of its games last season to the Thunder.
Otto Porter scored 28 points against his former team and Zach LaVine added 22 in the Bulls’ 133-130 victory against the winless Wizards. The Bulls played without Lauri Markkanen, Chandler Hutchison, Ryan Arcidiacano and Tomas Satoransky due to league health and safety protocol.
T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL
Sixth-ranked Wisconsin was able to bounce back from Monday’s 70-64 loss to Maryland. Micah Potter had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Badgers to victory over No. 21 Minnesota, 71-59. Wisconsin scored a season-low 22 points in the first half, but the Badgers opened the second on a 16-5 run and eventually pushed the lead to 26. The Gophers didn’t get closer than 15 points until the final minute. The Gophers missed their first nine 3-point attempts and started the game 3 for 20 from the field. Gabe Kalscheur led Minnesota with 15 points.
In other top-25 men’s basketball action:
Freshman Hunter Dickinson had 26 points on 10 of 11 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds as 16th-ranked Michigan got past Maryland, 84-73. Franz Wagner scored 19 for the Wolverines, who trailed 54-50 before a 23-5 spurt put them in control.
NFL-NEWS
The Cleveland Browns’ COVID-19 troubles continued Thursday as rookie tight end Harrison Bryant and linebacker Malcolm Smith tested positive. That forced the team to close its facility and delay practice for the second straight day, as the team prepares to face the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday with a playoff spot on the line.
A league spokesman said at this point the game will be played as scheduled, and that the situation is being closely monitored as standard contact tracing continues. Bryant and Smith will miss Sunday’s game along with starting linebacker B.J. Goodson and safety Andrew Sendejo, both of whom tested positive.
In other NFL news:
Cardinals safety Chris Banjo will not play Sunday after being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Rams defensive lineman Michael Brockers has been placed on the COVID-19/reserve list, keeping him out of Sunday’s matchup with Arizona. The Cardinals need a win to make the playoffs, while the Rams need a win or a loss by the Bears.
The Atlanta Falcons have placed center Alex Mack on the reserve/COVID-19 list. The Falcons did only virtual work on Thursday following the positive test.
Dolphins backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has tested positive for COVID-19 and is expected to miss Sunday’s regular-season finale at Buffalo. Fitzpatrick replaced Tua Tagovailoa last weekend in the fourth quarter. He orchestrated an improbable comeback win at Las Vegas that allowed the Dolphins to retain control of their playoff chances.
Packers coach Matt LaFleur says there’s a possibility newly acquired defensive tackle Damon “Snacks” Harrison could play in the team’s regular-season finale Sunday at Chicago. The Packers claimed Harrison off waivers from the Seahawks on Wednesday.
NHL-NEWS
The Canadian government has given the NHL the OK to start training camps. Citing “national interest grounds,” it issued an exemption Thursday to the mandatory 14-day quarantine period for NHL players and team staff to return to the country. The five provinces with NHL franchises, however, must give their approval for games between Canadian teams during the regular season, which is scheduled to start Jan. 13. The seven Canadian teams will play in a new North Division.
In other NHL news:
Center Pierre-Luc Dubois has signed a two-year, $10 million contract extension that keeps him with the Blue Jackets through the 2021-22 season. Dubois has 65 goals and 158 points in 234 career games with Columbus since making his NHL debut during the 2017-18 season.
MLB
The Chicago White Sox and reliever Evan Marshall have worked out a one-year, $2 million contract, avoiding arbitration. The 30-year-old right-hander was 2-1 with a 2.38 ERA in 23 appearances last season, his second with the White Sox. He is 10-10 with a 3.96 ERA over seven years with Arizona, Seattle, Cleveland and Chicago.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
