NCAA:
Jordan Washington had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Iona held off Siena 87-86 in overtime on Monday night to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Despite playing with four fouls, Washington scored six points in the tense extra period. Marquis Wright hit a 3 at the final buzzer as Siena came up just short.
David Nichols scored 19 points with 8 of 10 free throws, Devonte Campbell added 16 points with seven rebounds, and Albany beat Stony Brook 63-56 on Monday night to advance to the America East Tournament Championship. Joe Cremo scored 13 points for the third-seeded Great Danes (21-12), who face top-seeded Vermont (28-5) in Saturday's title round. Albany led by as many as 10 points in the second half, but the No. 2 seed Seawolves twice closed to within two points, the last at 55-53 on Nyama's free throw with 3:41 left, but got no closer. Albany scored five straight and led 60-53 with 29 seconds left and Nichols hit three free throws in the final 17 seconds to seal it. Nichols' jumper put Albany up for good, 24-22, amid a 12-2 run and the Great Danes led 32-24 at halftime. Neither team shot better than 40 percent from the floor, but Albany made 21 of 25 free throws to the Seawolves' 16 of 24. UAlbany takes on No.1 Vermont on Saturday.
C.J. Bryce scored 24 points, and UNC Wilmington clinched its second straight NCAA Tournament berth with a 78-69 victory over College of Charleston in the Colonial Athletic Association championship.
T.J. Cromer scored 23 points, and East Tennessee State beat top-seeded UNC Greensboro 79-74 to win the Southern Conference Tournament championship and an NCAA bid.
Nigel Williams-Goss had 25 points and eight rebounds, and No. 4 Gonzaga secured a spot in the West Coast Conference title game for the 20th straight season with a 77-68 victory over pesky Santa Clara on Monday night. Gonzaga will seek its fifth straight conference championship Tuesday night against St. Mary's.
Saint Mary's wanted another shot at its nemesis, Gonzaga. Mission accomplished for the 19th-ranked Gaels. Jock Landale had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and Saint Mary's (28-3) never trailed in an 81-50 victory over BYU on Monday night in the West Coast Conference semifinals.
In women’s college basketball, Aryn McClure scored a career-high 28 points to help Quinnipiac beat Rider 81-73 and win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championship on Monday night, earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
RPI has fired its hockey coach after 11 seasons at the helm. Seth Appert’s Engineers finished 8-28-1 after its first round loss in the ECAC playoffs. The school says it has begun an immediate search for a replacement.
NBA:
In the NBA, the Knicks beat Orlando 113-105, the Clippers won against Boston 116-102, Brooklyn topped Memphis 122-109, Denver bested Sacramento 108-96, San Antonio defeated Houston 112-110, Charlotte beat Indiana 100-88, Golden State topped Atlanta 119-111, Milwaukee won against Philadelphia 112-98, and it was Miami over Cleveland 106-98.
Andrew Bogut broke his left leg less than one minute into his Cleveland debut and the Cavaliers were outgunned 106-98 by the surging and not-to-be-overlooked Miami Heat, who beat the NBA champions twice in three nights. Dion Waiters scored 29 points, Goran Dragic added 21 and the Heat held off a late rally by the Cavs, who trimmed a 20-point deficit to 103-98 in the final minute.
NHL:
In the NHL, the Rangers bested Tampa Bay in overtime 1-0, Ottawa doubled up Boston 4-2, San Jose edged Winnipeg 3-2, and it was Dallas over Washington 4-2.
USWHT:
Robb Stauber has been named the head coach of the U.S. women's hockey team for the 2017 World Championships, which start later this month in Plymouth, Michigan. USA Hockey announced Stauber's appointment on Monday. He replaces Ken Klee, who led the U.S. to gold medals at the previous two world championships. The players for the world championships will be announced on Tuesday.
MLB:
In baseball’s spring training, Boston tied Houston 5-5, the Mets won against Miami 8-2, and Pittsburgh blasted the Yankees 13-1.
NFL:
Longtime Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway is retiring. The team says Greenway will announce his retirement at a news conference Tuesday at Vikings headquarters.
The San Francisco 49ers told receiver Torrey Smith that they plan to release him before the start of the league year Thursday, just two years after giving him a big free-agent contract. A person with direct knowledge of the decision on Monday confirmed the move on condition of anonymity because the 49ers hadn't formally announced a decision to part ways with Smith.
Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson has signed his $16.7 million franchise tender for the upcoming season. Los Angeles used its franchise tag for the second straight season on Johnson, who likely will be the NFL's highest-paid cornerback if he plays under the deal.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston has signed a five-year contract extension rather than test his worth in free agency. The versatile fifth-year pro who started 25 games over the past two seasons could earn an average of more than $5 million per year under the terms of a deal Gholston said he "couldn't say no to."
The Buffalo Bills have released five players in a cost-cutting move before the start of free agency. Kicker Dan Carpenter and cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman top the list of cuts, which also includes long snapper Garrison Sanborn, tight end Gerald Christian and safety Phillip Thomas. Carpenter had been with the Bills since 2013 and was entering the final year of his contract.
And the Washington Redskins signed coach Jay Gruden to a multi-year contract extension. Gruden was going into the fourth year of a five-year contract. The team announced the extension Monday morning. The 50-year-old is the first coach to have his contract extended by owner Dan Snyder. The Redskins missed the playoffs last season after making it in 2015. They're 21-26-1 in three seasons under Gruden, who does not have a playoff victory.
The Oakland Raiders told the NFL on Monday they have found a new partner to finance their proposed stadium in Las Vegas: Bank of America. A person familiar with the Raiders' plans said the team presented the new proposal with financing backed by Bank of America to the NFL's stadium and finance committees. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the plan was not made public. The Raiders had been seeking a new partner for the proposed $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat domed stadium after casino magnate Sheldon Adelson withdrew a $650 million pledge last month.
USMNT:
Bruce Arena is preparing for a pair of critical World Cup qualifiers this month uncertain about the availabilities of forward Clint Dempsey, defender Geoff Cameron and goalkeeper Tim Howard. Arena spoke Monday with Cameron, who played a full match for Stoke on Saturday for the first time since injuring a knee in October. While Arena is thrilled Dempsey has returned to the field for Seattle after dealing with an irregular heartbeat, the U.S. coach will be "very cautious" in determining Dempsey's national team status before the March 24 qualifier against Honduras at the San Jose Earthquakes' Avaya Stadium. Howard is still recovering from leg surgery in November and missed Colorado's Major League Soccer opener last weekend.
Obit:
Kansas standout Bill Hougland, who led the Jayhawks to the 1952 national title before becoming the first player to win two Olympic basketball gold medals, died Monday. He was 86. The school announced that Hougland had died in Lawrence. No cause was given. Hougland was among seven Kansas players who helped the U.S. win gold at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, then was part of the team that repeated its golden performance at the 1956 Melbourne Games.
Former Super Bowl champion and University of Tennessee player Mickey Marvin has died. Paul Luck of Forest Lawn Funeral Home in Hendersonville, North Carolina said Marvin died Monday. He was 61 and had been fighting ALS. Marvin was drafted in the fourth round by the Oakland Raiders in 1977, started at right guard from 1978-86 and was part of Super Bowl-winning teams in the 1980 and 1983 seasons. He played for the Volunteers from 1973-76 and helped them win the 1974 Liberty Bowl. Marvin was a native of Hendersonville.
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