NCAA:
Miami held off Syracuse 62-57 on Wednesday in the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament. The ninth-seeded Hurricanes (21-10) advanced to play top-seeded and sixth-ranked North Carolina in the first quarterfinal Thursday afternoon.
Massachusetts held off a late rally from St. Joseph's for a 70-63 victory in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament on Wednesday night. No. 12 seed UMass (15-17) snapped a three-game skid and plays fifth-seeded St. Bonaventure in a Thursday quarterfinal.
The 14th-ranked Duke Blue Devils struggled before advancing to the ACC quarterfinals. Luke Kennard hit a pair of big baskets in the final 2:04 and finished with 20 points as Duke got by Clemson, 79-72. The Blue Devils saw a 13-point, second-half lead cut to 69-68 before Kennard drained a jumper. He added another to put Duke ahead 75-70 with 74 seconds left. Freshmen Jayson Tatum and Frank Jackson also scored 20 for Duke, which will take on No. 8 Louisville on Thursday.
No. 21 Virginia reached the ACC quarterfinals for the sixth straight year as Kyle Guy tied a career high with 20 points in a 75-63 downing of Pittsburgh. London Perrantes scored 13 of his 15 points in the second half to help the Cavaliers earn a Thursday meeting with No. 22 Notre Dame. The Wahoos have won four straight since a four-game skid.
Also, Bucknell has reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years by winning the Patriot League final. Kimbal Mackenzie scored 18 points and the Bison improved to 26-8 by thumping Lehigh, 81-65. Bucknell broke it open with a 12-0 run that put them ahead by 13.
Wake Forest star Tim Duncan and Gonzaga's John Stockton headline the seven-member class that will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame later this year. Also entering the Hall of Fame are Duke standout Jay Williams, Winston-Salem State's Cleo Hill, Indiana's Scott May, Purdue star Rick Mount, Creighton's Paul Silas and coach Bo Ryan.
The Michigan men's basketball team had a scare as it tried to go to Washington, D.C., for the Big Ten Tournament. The Wolverines' plane slid off a runway during an aborted takeoff at Willow Run Airport Wednesday, causing extensive damage to the aircraft. The team said everyone aboard was safe.
Top-ranked Kansas has suspended star freshman Josh Jackson for the team's opening game of the Big 12 Tournament. Jackson was punished for fleeing the scene of a minor car accident after backing into a parked vehicle Feb. 2. He didn't tell coach Bill Self about the incident until Monday.
NHL:
In the NHL, Boston beat Detroit 6-1, Ottawa won against Dallas 5-2, and it was Pittsburgh over Winnipeg 7-4.
NBA:
In the NBA, Milwaukee bested the Knicks 104-93, Boston topped Golden State 99-86, Atlanta beat Brooklyn 110-105, Miami defeated Charlotte 108-101, Orlando won against Chicago 98-91, Utah beat Houston 115-108, Indiana bested Detroit 115-98, Toronto topped New Orleans 94-87, Minnesota won against the Clippers 107-91, San Antonio beat Sacramento 114-104, and it was Washington over Denver 123-113.
MLB:
In baseball’s spring training, a New York Mets split squad beat Boston 8-7 and lost to Houston 12-2.
Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello was struck on the pitching hand by Yoenis Cespedes' fourth-inning grounder during his start Wednesday for the Boston Red Sox against a New York Mets' split squad. Porcello threw a couple of pitches, and the 28-year-old right-hander tried to finish the inning. Porcello gave up a homer to Jay Bruce and a double to Lucas Duda, then left the game.
Tim Tebow looked like a very raw rookie as he made his spring training debut with the New York Mets on Wednesday. The former Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a hit-by-pitch against the Red Sox. Wearing jersey No. 97, Tebow fanned in his first at-bat before his double-play grounder scored a run in an 8-7 victory over Boston.
NFL:
Tyrod Taylor will remain the Buffalo Bills starter after the team announced it has restructured the player's five-year contract extension. The team revealed the news in a press release issued Wednesday, a day before the NFL's free-agency period began. The Bills had until Saturday to determine whether to pick up the extension Taylor signed in August or part ways with the two-year starter.
Tight end Dwayne Allen is eager to get started with the New England Patriots after the Indianapolis Colts traded him on the eve of free agency. Allen acknowledged the trade on Twitter, where he thanked Colts fans for their support and wrote he was "humbled and eager to earn the right to be called a New England Patriot."
Wide receiver Brandon Marshall is staying in New York after accepting a two-year package with the Giants. The Jets released Marshall less than a week ago, making him eligible to sign with any team before the start of free agency on Thursday. He had 59 catches for 788 yards and three touchdowns last season.
Tony Romo is about to enter the NFL's free agent market. A person with knowledge of the decision tells The Associated Press that the Cowboys will release Romo when the NFL year opens on Thursday. He will leave the Cowboys as the franchise leader with over 34,000 passing yards, and 248 touchdowns. Romo was 78-49 as the starter, but just 2-4 in the postseason. He suffered a series of injuries over the last two seasons, the last being a broken bone in his back. Dak Prescott became the starter last season and led the Cowboys on a franchise-record 11-game winning streak.
The Panthers have re-signed running back running back Fozzy Whittaker to a two-year contract. The 28-year-old Whittaker served as Jonathan Stewart's backup last season in Carolina, rushing for 265 yards and catching 25 passes for 226 yards.
Washington has re-signed tight end Vernon Davis to a three-year contract. The 33-year-old Davis revitalized his career last season, starting 14 games and catching 44 passes for 583 yards and two touchdowns.
The Ravens have cut five-time Pro Bowler Elvis Dumervil, who missed eight games last season because of injuries and finished with just three sacks. The 33-year-old Dumervil set the team single-season record with 17 sacks two years earlier.
Boxing:
Boxing Hall of Famer Lou Duva has died at the age of 94. Duva handled the careers of 19 champions, including heavyweight Evander Holyfield and welterweights Pernell Whitaker and Meldrick Taylor. His first titlist was middleweight Joey Giardiello, who won his crown in 1963. Duva was enshrined in the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 1998.
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