KWBG Sports for March 30th

 NEW YORK (AP) - Stanford is celebrating its second NIT title after routing Minnesota 75-51 last night at Madison Square Garden.  Guards Chasson Randle and Aaron Bright each scored 15 points, with Bright taking home the NIT's most outstanding player award.

     UNDATED (AP) - Three colleges named new basketball coaches. Kansas assistant Danny Manning is taking over at Tulsa following the Jayhawks' Final Four appearance, former Wake Forest and Xavier assistant Pat Kelsey is Winthrop's new men's basketball coach  and Illinois has confirmed John Groce (GROHS), former Ohio U. coach, is the new men's basketball coach of the Illini.

     UNDATED (AP) - College basketball's best are converging on New Orleans and Denver for the NCAA men's and women's Final Four tournaments, respectively. The men's semifinals are Saturday with Louisville tackling Kentucky and Kansas playing Ohio State with the women's Final Four starting Sunday.

     TOKYO (AP) - After Seattle and Oakland split a two-game series in Tokyo, Major League Baseball's next regular season game is not until Wednesday. Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes (yoh-EHN'-ehs SEHS'-peh-dehs) hit his first major league home run in the Athletics' 4-1 win over Seattle.

     MIAMI (AP) - LeBron James and Chris Bosh each finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, Dwyane (dwayn) Wade and added 16 points and five assists as the Miami Heat extended their home winning streak to 15 with a 106-85 win over the Dallas Mavericks in an NBA Finals rematch. Dirk Nowitzki (noh-VIHT'-skee) scored 25 for Dallas, but was held to 1-for-9 shooting in the second half.

KWBG Sports for March 29th

 TOKYO (AP) - Game 2 of the season-opening series between the American League's Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics is under way in Tokyo. Bartolo Colon (kuh-LOHN') is going for Seattle and Jason Vargas is pitching for the A's. Seattle won the opener 3-1 in 11 innings on Wednesday.

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - Blake Griffin threw down three dunks in a 1:40 span late in the fourth quarter and had 27 points and 14 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Phoenix Suns 103-86. Chris Paul had 15 points and 15 assists to help the Clippers move two games behind the Lakers in the Pacific Division. They have won five straight at home.

     GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - The sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers to a group including former Lakers star Magic Johnson is getting rave reviews on the West Coast and at the Dodgers spring training complex in Glendale, Ariz. Players and fans alike say they're happy and relieved about the pending $2 billion sale of the team.

     BOSTON (AP) - Red Sox reliever Chris Carpenter, who was obtained from the Chicago Cubs as partial compensation for general manager Theo Epstein, says he will have elbow surgery.  Carpenter says on Twitter that Dr. James Andrews will remove a bone spur from his elbow.

     ORANGE, Calif. (AP) - Flamboyant former NBA star Dennis Rodman has been told he could face up to 20 days in jail unless he pays some $860,000 in child support, although his lawyer said he's made payments.  Rodman appeared in an Orange County court Tuesday for sentencing but it was postponed to May 29.

KWBG Sports for March 28th

  TOKYO (AP) - It's "Play Ball" for real as the Major League Baseball regular season opens with a two-game set in Tokyo between the Seattle Mariners and Oakland Athletics this morning, starting at 6:10 a.m. (Eastern time). The Mariners send out their ace, Felix Hernandez, against the A's Brandon McCarthy.

     NEW YORK (AP) - L.A. Dodgers owner Frank McCourt says he has a deal to sell the bankrupt team for $2 billion to a group that includes former Lakers star Magic Johnson and former Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals President Stan Kasten. The $2 billion price tag would easily be a record for a North American sports franchise.

     UNDATED (AP) --Connecticut and Notre Dame filled out the last two spots and joined Baylor and Stanford in the all No. 1 seed NCAA women's Final Four, which gets under way next Sunday in Denver. UConn downed Kentucky 80-65 and will meet Notre Dame, which trounced Maryland 80-49 in the other regional final last night.

     WASHINGTON (AP)- On NHL ice, the Buffalo Sabres came to Washington and routed the Capitals 5-1 to nudge ahead of the Caps into the eighth and final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Ryan Miller turn back 44 shots and Drew Stafford scored twice for the Sabres, who have five games left.

     UNDATED (AP)-With the London Olympics approaching fast, Paul Hamm is retiring from gymnastics a few months shy of his 30th birthday following surgery 14 months ago to repair a torn right labrum and rotator cuff.  Hamm is the only American man to win a world or Olympic all-around title in gymnastics.

KWBG Sports for March 27th

 UNDATED (AP) - Sean Payton could be able to coach the New Orleans Saints well into next month. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL') said yesterday that should Payton appeal, he "probably" would let him continue coaching after April 1, when the suspension is to begin. Meanwhile, former NFL coach Bill Parcells says he's spoken to the suspended head coach but adds that no one from the team has talked to him about coaching the Saints this year.

     FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) - Tim Tebow (TEE'-boh) says he's willing to do anything for the Jets if it will help them win, and he doesn't expect there will be any friction between himself and incumbent quarterback Mark Sanchez. The two have known each other for three years. The club introduced Tebow to the New York area media at an afternoon news conference, less than a week after acquiring the former first-round draft pick from Denver.

     UNDATED (AP) - Kansas junior Thomas Robinson is a unanimous choice for the AP men's All-America basketball team after helping lead the Jayhawks to the Final Four. The 6-foot-10 forward averaged 17.9 points and 11.8 rebounds this season. He's the first unanimous pick since Blake Griffin in 2009. Joining Robinson on the First Team are Ohio State's Jared Sullinger, Kentucky's Anthony Davis, Draymond Green of Michigan State and Creighton's Doug McDermott.

     UNDATED (AP) - Top seeds Baylor and Stanford have reached the Final Four of the NCAA women's basketball tournament and will square off Sunday night in Denver. Brittany Griner had 23 points, 15 rebounds and nine blocks as the Bears knocked off Tennessee 77-58 in what may have been Pat Summitt's final game as head coach of the Lady Vols. The Cardinal earned an 81-69 win over Duke as Nnemkadi Ogwumike (nehm-KAH'-dee oh-gwoo-MEE'-kay delivered 29 points and nine rebounds.

     ATLANTA (AP) - Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones has undergone successful arthroscopic surgery to repair a tear in his left knee and is expected to be out about three weeks. The Braves hope he can return in time for their home opener, April 13 against Milwaukee.

KWBG Sports for March 26th

 UNDATED (AP) - Next Saturday's NCAA men's semifinals are set. Louisville plays Kentucky in the first game in New Orleans for ultimate bragging rights in the Bluegrass State, followed by Kansas vs. Ohio State in the second game.

     ATLANTA (AP) - Kentucky opened a 20-point lead in the first half and cruised past Baylor 82-70 to get to the Final Four. The Wildcats are seeking their eighth national title, but first since 1998.

     ST. LOUIS (AP) - Kansas posted an 80-67 win over North Carolina and former Jayhawks coach Roy Williams in yesterday's Midwest Regional final. Tyshawn Taylor paced five Jayhawks in double figures with 22 and player of the year candidate Thomas Robinson added 18 points and nine rebounds.

     UNDATED (AP)- The first two entrants in the NCAA women's Final Four next weekend in Denver will be determined tonight. Top-ranked Baylor plays Pat Summitt's Tennessee Lady Vols to decide the Des Moines Regional followed by Duke vs. Stanford in the Fresno Regional final.

     ATLANTA (AP) - In the NBA's first quadruple-overtime game since 1997, the Atlanta Hawks outlasted the Utah Jazz 139-133 last night behind Joe Johnson's 37 points. The four overtimes tied for the third-longest game in NBA history.

KWBG Sports for March 23rd

PHOENIX (AP) - Chane Behanan scored 15 points and Gorgui Dieng  (GOR'-ee jee-AHNG') anchored Louisville's stifling defense with seven blocked shots, helping the Cardinals knock off top-seeded Michigan State 57-44 in the West Regional semifinals. Tom Izzo's Spartans were ice cold from the field, shooting just 28 percent.

     PHOENIX (AP) - The seventh-seeded Florida Gators upset third-seed Marquette 68-58 to reach the West final against Louisville. Bradley Beal led the Gators with 21 points, six rebounds and four assists for coach Billy Donovan's Gators.

     BOSTON (AP) - Top-seed Syracuse escaped with a 64-63 squeaker over fourth-seed Wisconsin to reach the Saturday's finals at the East Regional against Ohio State. C.J. Fair broke out of his scoring slump with 15 points as balanced Orange scoring was just enough to offset the Badgers' 14-of-27 shooting from 3-point land.

     BOSTON (AP) -  In just the second meeting of these two Buckeye State schools in 50 years, second-seeded Ohio State topped Cincinnati 81-66 as Deshaun Thomas scored 20 of his game-high 26 points in the first half. The Buckeyes are going to the regional finals for the first time since 2007 when they lost the national title game to Florida.

     ATLANTA (AP) - Longtime Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones says this will be his final season. The 1999 National League MVP winner, who turns 40 next month, has spent his entire 18-year career with the Braves and owns a .304 career average with 454 homers and 1,561 RBIs.

KWBG Sports for March 22nd

 NEW YORK (AP) - The NFL is coming down hard on the people most closely associated with the New Orleans Saints' well-publicized "bounty" program. Former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who now holds the same title with the St. Louis Rams, has been suspended indefinitely while head coach Sean Payton has been suspended for the 2012 season. New Orleans GM Mickey Loomis got an eight-game suspension, and assistant coach Joe Vitt will miss the first six games this year.

     NEW YORK (AP) - The Denver Broncos have finally completed a deal that sends quarterback Tim Tebow (TEE'-boh) and a seventh-round draft pick to the New York Jets for fourth- and sixth-round picks in this year's draft. The trade was eventually completed after the Jets apparently balked at repaying Denver more than $5 million for a salary advance due Tebow. ESPN reported that the two sides had agreed to split that cost.

     OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed free agent guard Derek Fisher, giving him a chance to earn his sixth NBA championship. The longtime Los Angeles Lakers point guard was traded to Houston last week, but decided to buy out of his contract with the Rockets and seek somewhere else to play. Thunder general manager Sam Presti says Fisher is available to play immediately.

     CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - Kendall Marshall is out of his cast following surgery on his broken right wrist, and his father tells The Associated Press that the North Carolina point guard is wearing a removable splint. Dennis Marshall said it was still too early to know if his son could play against Ohio on Friday in the NCAA tournament's round of 16 in St. Louis. He said his son "hasn't been ruled out, but not cleared to play either."

     CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (AP) - Virginia Commonwealth basketball coach Shaka Smart has ended speculation he might take the open job at Illinois by announcing he'll stay with the Rams. The decision by the young coach was cause for celebration among VCU fans and disappointment for their Illini counterparts. Illinois' search for a replacement for fired coach Bruce Weber has begun to resemble the search last year for a new football coach, when the school's top choices reportedly turned down the Illini.

KWBG Sports for March 21st

 DENVER (AP) - Peyton Manning signed his five-year, $96 million contract with the Denver Broncos yesterday and said he wants to play at the same level he displayed before a neck injury caused him to miss all of last season. Broncos executive John Elway said his goal is to make Peyton Manning the best quarterback that's ever played the game, adding that Manning has that ability with the football that he's got left. With Manning in the fold, Elway said he would do everything he can to get former starting QB Tim Tebow (TEE'-boh) into the best situation possible.

     CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams says his team's "preparation is 100 percent" to play without Kendall Marshall. The Tar Heels point guard is recovering from Monday's surgery on his broken right wrist and his status remains up in the air for the Midwest Regional semifinal against Ohio on Friday night in St. Louis. The left-handed sophomore was injured when he was fouled on a drive in the second half of Sunday's tournament victory over Creighton.

     UNDATED (AP) - A person familiar with negotiations says Dan Hurley is getting a six-year deal to take over the basketball program at Rhode Island. The Rams went 7-24 this season. The son of Hall of Fame high school coach Bob Hurley spent the last two seasons at Wagner after nine years as a high school coach in Newark, N.J. The former Seton Hall guard led the Seahawks to a 25-6 record this season.

     LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) - Detroit Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera will miss at least a week of spring training after being struck in the right eye by a hard grounder during Monday's exhibition game. The Tigers third baseman received eight stitches, but team president and general manager Dave Dombrowski says the slugger's vision is "perfect" and he won't go on the disabled list. Cabrera says he expects to be ready by opening day.

     SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) - Texas Rangers lefty Derek Holland has agreed to a new five-year contract that includes a pair of one-year club options that could have him in the fold through 2018. Holland was 16-5 with a 3.95 ERA last year and is 27-22 over three major league seasons with Texas.

KWBG Sports for March 20th

 DENVER (AP) - The future of quarterback Tim Tebow (TEE'-boh) is in question after the Denver Broncos began negotiating a multiyear contract with free-agent Peyton Manning. The agent for the 36-year-old quarterback and four time NFL most valuable player spent yesterday working out parameters of a deal expected to be worth about $95 million over five years.

     UNDATED (AP) - There's a possibility North Carolina could have point guard Kendall Marshall at its disposal for Friday's NCAA tournament game against Ohio. According to his father, Marshall had a screw inserted into his broken right wrist a day after he was injured in a third-round victory. The school said Marshall's status was unclear for Friday, and his father said it's not impossible his son could play.

     CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Bobby Cremins tearfully announced that he's retiring as head basketball coach at the College of Charleston. The 64-year-old Cremins revealed on Jan. 27 that he would miss the rest of the Cougars' season, and later said he was physically exhausted.  He led Charleston to 20 victories in each of his six seasons at the school after spending 19 years coaching Georgia Tech.

     CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - Philadelphia Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. says second baseman Chase Utley is doubtful for opening day because of problems with both knees. The five-time All-Star second baseman originally was believed to have trouble with just his right knee. He left camp to see a specialist and hasn't appeared in an exhibition game this month.

     HOUSTON (AP) - Derek Fisher didn't stick around with the Houston Rockets very long. The Rockets have waived the point guard, and his agent says the team has negotiated a buyout of Fisher's contract. The move comes four days after he was acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers.

KWBG Sports for March 19th

 OMAHA, Neb. (AP) - Elijah Johnson scored 18 points, including the go-ahead basket in the final minute, to help Kansas rally to beat Purdue 63-60 and advance to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. Thomas Robinson added 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Jayhawks as they overcame a 10-point second half deficit and didn't lead until just over three minutes left.

     OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Russell Westbrook scored 28 and Kevin Durant chipped in with 26 as Oklahoma City rolled to a 111-95 win over Portland.  The Thunder shot 55.4 percent at home where they had lost three of their previous four after opening with a 17-1 mark in the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

     MIAMI (AP) - San Francisco free agent Alex Smith spent 5 1/2 hours at the Miami Dolphins facility trying to see if it might be a new home for his quarterbacking skills. The 49ers have been working to re-sign Smith, who's coming off his best season, but San Francisco has also shown an interest in free agent Peyton Manning causing Smith to look around.

     BRISTOL, Tenn.  (AP) - Brad Keselowski pulled away from Matt Kenseth on a late-race restart and went on to win NASCAR's Sprint Cup race at the Bristol Motor Speedway. Keselowski dominated the race, leading for 232 laps, and out-dueled Kenseth over the final third of the contest for his first win of the season.  

     FAYETTEVILLE, Ga.  (AP) - Award-winning Atlanta Journal-Constitution sportswriter Furman Bisher has died of a massive heart attack.  He was 93.  Bisher covered everything from Triple Crown races to major golf tournaments in 59 years at the newspaper.  He retired in 2009.

KWBG Sports for March 16th

 UNDATED (AP) - Top seeds Syracuse and Kentucky advanced to the third round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament, while No. 12 VCU and No. 11 Colorado were the only double-digit seeds to win yesterday. The Orange trailed late in the second half before pulling out a 72-65 win over No. 16 UNC-Asheville before the Wildcats whipped Western Kentucky 81-66. The Rams moved on by downing fifth seed Wichita State 62-59, and the Buffaloes dispatched UNLV 68-64..

     ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Dwight Howard remains with the Orlando Magic after the center signed papers agreeing to waive the early termination option in his contract.  Howard had the option of ending his five-year deal in July and entering the open market, which prompted the Magic to shop him around.

     PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) - The Portland Trail Blazers have fired head coach Nate McMillan and replaced him with Caleb Kanales on an interim basis. McMillan went 266-269 in six-plus seasons with the Blazers and was let go a day after a 42-point loss at New York. The Blazers have lost seven of their last 10 games to fall out of the Western Conference playoff race at 20-23.

     UNDATED (AP) - The Los Angeles Lakers swung a pair of deals just before yesterday's trade deadline. They acquired backup point guard Ramon Sessions and forward Christian Eyenga from Cleveland for forward Luke Walton and a first-round draft pick. The Lakers also sent veteran guard Derek Fisher and Jason Kapono (kah-POH'-noh) to Houston for forward Jordan Hill.

     NEW YORK (AP) - Sidney Crosby returned to action for the first time in more than three months and assisted on an insurance goal to help the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers 5-2. It was Crosby's first game since another bout with concussion symptoms forced him to the sidelines on December 5. Evgeni Malkin notched his team-high 39th goal and Matt Cooke scored twice as the Penguins won their 10th in a row to pull within four points of the East-leading Rangers.

KWBG Sports for March 15th

 NEW YORK (AP) - The New York Knicks rolled to a 121-79 rout of Portland in their first game under interim head coach Mike Woodson, who took over when Mike D'Antoni resigned Wednesday afternoon. J.R. Smith poured in 23 points and Steve Novak added 20 to help the Knicks end a six-game losing streak. The Knicks went 121-167 in three-plus seasons under D'Antoni and are tied with Milwaukee for the final Eastern Conference playoff berth.

     SAN ANTONIO (AP) - Dwight Howard had 22 points and 12 rebounds in what might have been his final game with the Orlando Magic, a 122-111 loss at San Antonio. Howard has told the team on the eve of Thursday's trade deadline that he won't relinquish the option to become a free agent after the season. Howard still insists he wants to remain with the Magic, but the team had been looking for assurances he wanted to stay longer.

     DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Vermont and South Florida have moved into the second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.  Four McGlynn came off the bench to score 18 points and Matt Glass added 11 as the Catamounts defeated Lamar 71-59. Victor Rudd contributed 15 points and South Florida allowed just 13 first-half points in a 65-54 win over Cal.

     DETROIT (AP) - Calvin Johnson now has the richest contract among wide receivers in NFL history after Detroit gave him an eight-year package worth up to $132 million.  His agent says the deal is worth $60 million guaranteed if Johnson plays through the 2019 season.  It is one of the richest deals in league history and tops by $10 million the eight-year deal Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald got last year.

     UNDATED (AP) - Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson has agreed to a five-year contract after catching 58 passes for 961 yards and four touchdowns last season.  Wide receiver Laurent Robinson has left Dallas for a five-year, $32.5 million deal with Jacksonville. And San Francisco has held onto Carlos Rogers by giving the defensive back a four-year package worth $31.3 million.

KWBG Sports for March 14th

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) - Western Kentucky and BYU had to mount impressive comebacks to advance to the second round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. The Hilltoppers earned the right to face top seed Kentucky by storming back from 16-point deficit in the final five minutes to beat Mississippi Valley State 59-58.  The Cougars trailed by 25 points before downing Iona 78-72 to set up a BYU-Marquette matchup.

     SYRACUSE, N.Y. (AP) - Top seed Syracuse will be without one of its top players for the NCAA men's basketball tournament. Seven-foot center Fab Melo has been declared ineligible for the tournament, although university officials wouldn't elaborate on the infraction.  Melo averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds while recording 88 blocks this season.

     UNDATED (AP) - Two college basketball coaches were shown the door yesterday. SMU has fired Matt Doherty after going 80-109 in six seasons with the Mustangs, including a 13-19 mark this year.  And Darrin Horn has been dismissed following four seasons and a 60-63 mark at South Carolina. The Gamecocks went 2-14 against SEC opponents this year.

     MILWAUKEE (AP) - The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired guard Monta (MAHN'-tay) Ellis, forward Ekpe Udoh (EHK'-pay OO'-doh) and Kwame (KWAH'-mee) Brown from Golden State for center Andrew Bogut (BOH'-guht) and forward Stephen Jackson, according to a person with direct knowledge of the swap. The trade gives the Bucks another shooter in Ellis after they pulled even with New York in the battle for the NBA's final Eastern Conference berth. Ellis is averaging 19 points and six assists this season, his seventh in the NBA.

     UNDATED (AP) - The Indianapolis Colts lost one wide receiver and kept another on the first day of the NFL's free-agent signing period. Reggie Wayne agreed to a contract with the Colts after Pierre Garcon left the team for a reported five-year contract with Washington.  The Redskins also worked out a deal with receiver Josh Morgan, wideout Marques Colston re-signed with New Orleans and the Chicago Bears acquired wide receiver Brandon Marshall from Miami for two undisclosed draft picks.

KWBG Sports for March 13th

 NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A person familiar with the situation tells the AP that prized free agent Peyton Manning will meet with Tennessee Titans coach Mike Munchak after visiting with Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin. He's already talked to the Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals. NFL teams can begin signing free agents at 4 p.m. Eastern time.

     SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - After watching Randy Moss catch passes from head coach Jim Harbaugh, a former NFL quarterback, the San Francisco 49ers signed Randy Moss to a one-year contract. The 35-year-old wide receiver was out of the league last season.

     CHICAGO (AP) - The Knicks' nose dive continues with a 104-99 loss to the league-leading Bulls in Chicago. New York is tied with Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff position in the Eastern Conference playoff race following the Bucks' 105-99 road win at New Jersey. It's Milwaukee's third straight victory.

     JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - Tiger Woods says the injury that forced him to withdraw during Sunday's final round of the Cadillac Championship isn't serious and he hopes to play next week at Bay Hill. Woods says doctors tell him he has a mildly sprained left Achilles tendon and he should be able to resume hitting balls late this week.

     INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) - Top-ranked Novak Djokovic (NOH'-vak JOH'-kuh-vich) defeated Kevin Anderson 6-2, 6-3 to reach the fourth round of the tennis tournament at Indiana Wells, California. American men had mixed results, with No. 8 Mardy Fish and Andy Roddick knocked out, and John Isner (IHZ'-nur) winning.

KWBG Sports for March 12th

 NEW ORLEANS (AP)- Despite losing the SEC tournament final to Vanderbilt 71-64 yesterday, the Kentucky Wildcats have secured the No. 1 overall seed and top ranking in the South Regional of the 68-team NCAA Division I men's basketball field announced yesterday. Kentucky will play Thursday against the winner of Tuesday's Mississippi Valley State/Western Kentucky first round game.

     ATLANTA (AP) - Similarly, the North Carolina Tar Heels fell to Florida State 85-82 in the ACC tournament final but still snared the No. 1 seed in Midwest Regional.  The Tar Heels' first NCAA tournament action will come Friday in Greensboro, N.C., when they play the winner of the Vermont/Lamar first round game.

     UNDATED (AP) - Syracuse, which fell in the semifinals of the Big East tournament, nevertheless was rewarded with the top seed in the East Regional. The Orange open up Thursday in Pittsburgh against North Carolina-Asheville.

     INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - The only No. 1 seed coming into the NCAA tournament off a victory is Michigan State. Tom Izzo's Spartans won their first Big Ten tournament title since their 2000 national championship season by knocking off No. 7 Ohio State 68-64 behind Brandon Wood's 24 points.

     DAYTON, Ohio (AP) --The 67-game NCAA tournament gets started with a pair of doubleheaders Tuesday and Wednesday night in the "First Four" games in Dayton, Ohio. BYU, a Sweet 16 team last year, plays Iona and Mississippi Valley State takes on Western Kentucky Tuesday night while Wednesday night's twinbill features Lamar vs. Vermont and South Florida taking on Cal.

KWBG Sports for March 9th

 CHICAGO (AP) - Dwight Howard had 29 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic to a 99-94 win over the Bulls,, snapping Chicago's eight-game winning streak. Carlos  Boozer led the Bulls with 26 points and Derrick Rose added 17 points and nine assists, but shot just 6 for 22 from the field.

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - After four years spent patiently rebuilding Oregon State's program from its foundations, coach Craig Robinson is two wins away from forcing President Barack Obama to predict his brother-in-law's fortunes in his NCAA tournament bracket.  Robinson's Beavers survived a spine-chilling finish to outlast top-seeded Washington 86-84 and will play fourth seed Arizona in Friday's Pac-12 tournament semifinals.

     NEW YORK (AP) - Kyle Kuric scored 20 points, Peyton Siva added 18 and Louisville forced No. 9 Marquette into a season-high 26 turnovers, advancing to the Big East tournament semifinals with an 84-71 victory last night.  The unranked Cardinals held Big East Player of the Year Jae Crowder to 10 points and advanced to play Notre Dame, which outlasted South Florida 57-53 in overtime, in tonight's Big East semifinals.

     NEW YORK (AP) - In afternoon action at the Big East, second-ranked Syracuse and unranked Cincinnati won a couple of thrillers. Dion Waiters had 18 in second-ranked Syracuse's 58-55 win over Connecticut while Cincinnati's Yancy Gates scored 23 points to lead his club from 11 down in the second half to beat the 13th-ranked Georgetown Hoyas 72-70 in double overtime.

     ST. LOUIS (AP) - Patrik Berglund scored the go-ahead goal in the third period and Jaroslav Halak (YAR'-oh-slav HAH'-lak) made 24 saves for his career-high seventh straight win to lead the St. Louis Blues to a 3-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The Blues have won seven of eight and have taken over the NHL lead with 93 points, the first time they have led the NHL in points this late in the season since 2000.

KWBG Sports for March 8th

 INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Speculation already has begun concerning quarterback Peyton Manning after the four-time MVP was released by the Indianapolis Colts yesterday. Manning says he wants to play this season following a series of neck surgeries that forced him to miss all of 2011. Arizona, Miami, Seattle, Tennessee, Washington and the New York Jets all have been rumored as possible destinations.

     WASHINGTON (AP) - The NFL Players Association will conduct its own investigation of the New Orleans Saints' bounty system and has asked the league to help set up interviews with the team's coaches and front-office staff. The union issued a statement today vowing to "vigorously protect the rights of all players."  Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has admitted to running a bounty pool of up to $50,000 over the past three seasons, rewarding players for knocking targeted opponents out of games.

     UNDATED (AP) - The NCAA men's basketball tournament will include Montana, Lehigh and LIU-Brooklyn after they won their conference tourneys yesterday. Montana downed Weber (WEE'-bur) State 85-66 to win the Big Sky tournament, Lehigh knocked off Bucknell 82-77 in the Patriot League title game and LIU took the Northeast Conference crown by beating Robert Morris 90-73.

     PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) - Yu Darvish struck out three in two scoreless innings and made a run-saving play in his spring training debut during the Texas Rangers' 6-2 win over a split squad of San Diego Padres. Pitching exclusively out of the stretch, Darvish threw 36 pitches, 26 for strikes and allowed two hits, both doubles.  The Rangers spent more than $107 million this winter to land the 6-foot-5 right-hander who was a dominant pitcher for seven years in Japan.

     NEW YORK (AP) - Temple is about to become a full-fledged member of the Big East Conference, putting its football program in the league this year and all other sports in 2013. The Owls' football team was pushed out of the conference in 2004 and was a member of the Mid-American Conference last season. The rest of the school's athletic programs were in the Atlantic 10, which will receive an exit fee of $1 million while the Mid-American Conference will get $6 million for Temple's departure.

KWBG Sports for March 7th

 UNDATED (AP) -Twelve of the 68 teams in next week's NCAA tournament are now in, including four who made the field last night. Western Kentucky won the Sun Belt title, Detroit is going out of the Horizon League, South Dakota State is the Summit League champion and Harvard is going from the Ivy League with the Crimson's first tournament berth since 1946.

     MIAMI (AP) - The Miami Heat ended their two-game slide by routing New Jersey 108-78 but star guard Dwyane (dwayn) Wade turned his right ankle, the same one that sidelined him for six games earlier this season. Nets guard Deron (DEHR'-ihn) Williams, who was coming off an NBA season-high 57-point performance Sunday night, came back to earth and was held to 16.

     BOSTON (AP) - Kevin Garnett grabbed 13 rebounds to pass Shaquille O'Neal and move into 12th on the NBA's career list, and Paul Pierce scored seven of his 30 points in overtime to lead the Boston Celtics to a 97-92 victory over the Houston Rockets.  Boston has won five straight since the All-Star break, including two in a row in overtime.

     AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) - Rodney Stuckey scored 34 points, and the Detroit Pistons overcame a tying shot by Kobe Bryant at the end of regulation to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 88-85 in overtime.  Andrew Bynum had a big night with 30 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers.

     INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - There figures to be an emotional news conference today in Indianapolis where the Colts are expected to cut ties with QB Peyton Manning, who missed the entire 2011 season with a neck injury. Manning, who turns 36 later this month, is owed a $28 million roster bonus if he remains with the Colts on Thursday.

KWBG Sports for March 6th

 UNDATED (AP) - Saint Mary's has won the West Coast Conference tournament to earn an automatic berth in the NCAA tourney, defeating 24th-ranked Gonzaga 78-74 in overtime. Virginia Commonwealth, Loyola of Maryland and Davidson also won their conference tourneys to reach the NCAAs. VCU nipped Drexel 59-56 in the Colonial Athletic Association title game, Loyola captured the MAAC (mak) crown with a 48-44 triumph over Fairfield and Davidson needed double overtime to beat Western Carolina and take the Southern Conference.

     UNDATED (AP) -Kentucky, Syracuse and Kansas are the top three teams in the AP men's basketball poll. The Wildcats picked up 63 first-place votes and the Orange claimed two after both teams improved to 30-1. North Carolina is fourth, followed by Missouri, Duke, Ohio State, Michigan State, Marquette and Michigan.

     UNDATED (AP) - St. Louis Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams met with NFL investigators yesterday about the big-money bounty program he ran while holding the same position with the New Orleans Saints. An NFL investigation found Williams and between 22 and 27 defensive players on the Saints maintained a bounty system for inflicting injuries on targeted players. The investigation concluded that Saints general manager Mickey Loomis and head coach Sean Payton did nothing to prevent it, even after owner Tom Benson was alerted of the pool by the NFL last year and asked Loomis to put a stop to it.

     HOUSTON (AP) - Arian Foster has a new contract, two years after leading the NFL in rushing yards. Foster's five-year package is worth up to $43.5 million, with $20.75 million guaranteed. The undrafted Foster ran for 1,224 yards and 10 touchdowns last season after rushing for 1,616 yards in 2010.

     ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - The Buffalo Bills have signed receiver Stevie Johnson to a five-year, $36.25 million contract extension, a week before he was to become a free agent. Johnson had 76 receptions last season while becoming the first player in team history to record consecutive 1,000-yard receiving campaigns. He has 170 catches for 2,189 yards and 19 touchdowns in 48 NFL games.

KWBG Sports for March 5th

 AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Denny Hamlin had just enough fuel to reach the finish line, Kevin Harvick didn't.  Hamlin rolled to the checkered flag to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway Sunday after getting a strong challenge from Harvick. That challenge ended when Harvick ran out of fuel on the final lap.

     UNDATED (AP) - Ohio State, Michigan State and Michigan wound up with a share of the Big Ten regular season title on Sunday.  The tenth-ranked Buckeyes earned their share with a 72-70 road win over Michigan State, while Michigan closed out the season with a 71-65 win at Penn State.

     SEATTLE (AP) - Seattle got the kind of season they wanted from running back Marshawn Lynch and rewarded him with a new four year contract.  Lynch turned in the best season of  his career with 1204 yards rushing and 12 touchdowns.  A person with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press it was worth $31 million dollars with $18 million guaranteed.

     BOSTON (AP) - Rajon Rondo overshadowed recent Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin in Boston's 115-111 overtime win.  Rondo turned in his second triple-double in three games with 18 points, 20 assists and a career high 17 rebounds.

     PHOENIX (AP) - The Milwaukee Brewers will likely open the regular season without right fielder Corey Hart who has a torn ligament in his right knee.  Hart will require surgery that will keep him out of action for three to four weeks.

KWBG Sports for March 2nd

 ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - There was a big comeback in the NBA last night as the Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 14-point deficit to hold on to beat the Orlando Magic 105-102. Kevin Durant scored 38 points, including 18 in the fourth quarter, and Russell Westbrook added 29.

     BOSTON (AP) - David Krejci (KRAY'-chee) completed his second career hat trick at 2:59 of overtime to give the Boston Bruins a 4-3 victory over New Jersey that finished their first season sweep of the Devils since 1985-86.  Tyler Seguin (SAY'-gihn) also scored for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who opened a three-point lead over second-place Ottawa in the Northeast Division and sent New Jersey to its fourth straight loss.

     PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) --Davis Love III shot a 6-under 64 and takes a two-shot lead into today's second round of the Honda Classic as the PGA Tour's Florida swing continues. Rory McIlroy is among eight golfers tied for second with Tiger Woods seven shots off the lead after his 1-over 71 yesterday.

     FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) -Jason Varitek (VA'-rih-tek), who was the Boston Red Sox captain when they won two World Series titles, has retired at 39. He caught a record four no-hitters and played in three All-Star games and played 15 years with the Red Sox.

     NEW YORK (AP) - Negotiators for baseball players and owners still are working toward an agreement to increase the postseason field to 10 teams this season. The plan is to add a second wild-card team in each league, the two wild cards would meet in a one-game playoff with the winner advancing to the divisional playoffs.

KWBG Sports for March 1st

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Hines Ward will leave the Pittsburgh Steelers after accumulating 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 receiving touchdowns in 14 seasons with the team. Steelers president Art Rooney II said on the team's website that Ward would be released sometime in the next two weeks. Ward helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls and three AFC championships while earning four Pro Bowl selections.

     LOS ANGELES (AP) - Sports Illustrated is reporting on its website that players and staff members from the past four UCLA basketball teams indicate that coach Ben Howland has lost control of the Bruins' program.  The report says SI spoke with more than a dozen players and staff members from those teams over the last two months and they outline a program where teammates have come to blows. It also says several players routinely used alcohol and drugs and one player intentionally injured teammates but received no punishment.

     CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) - Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard missed workouts again yesterday after a procedure Monday to remove an infection around his surgically repaired Achilles tendon. Howard had the original surgery in October and took part in workouts when camp opened. But he stopped after batting practice Saturday and left the team Monday to see the doctor who performed the original operation.

     GENOA, Italy (AP) - The U.S. men's soccer team has picked up a rare victory over a pesky soccer rival by beating Italy 1-0 in a friendly at Genoa. Clint Dempsey's goal in the 55th minute gave the Americans their first win ever over the Italians. The U.S. had been outscored 32-4 while going 0-7-3 in their previous 10 games versus Italy.

     CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - NASCAR has suspended crew chief Chad Knaus (kuh-NOWS') for six races and fined him $100,000 because Jimmie Johnson's car failed an inspection before the season-opening Daytona 500.  Johnson was docked 25 points and after his 42nd-place finish in the season opener and heads to Phoenix for this weekend's race with negative 23 points. Hendrick Motorsports says it plans to appeal the penalty, along with a six-race suspension handed to car chief Ron Malec