Update on the latest sports
APNHL-SCHEDULE
Lafrenière scores 2nd of season, Rangers beat Capitals 4-1
UNDATED (AP) — No. 1 pick Alexis Lafrenière (lah-FREHN’-yehr) scored his second NHL goal to help the New York Rangers beat the Washington Capitals 4-1.
Artemi Panarin (ahr-TEH’-mee pah-NAH’-rihn) had two assists in the Rangers’ second consecutive victory. Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist and made history as the first player to record 100 points apiece with the Rangers and Islanders. Kaapo Kakko was a surprise scratch after being added to the league’s COVID protocol list.
The Capitals struggled to match the Rangers’ energy early in a game moved up to an afternoon start and had their winning streak snapped at two.
Elsewhere in the NHL:
— Sam Reinhart scored two goals and the Buffalo Sabres snapped a four-game losing streak with a much-needed 3-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. Defensemen Colin Miller also scored and Linus Ullmark made 25 saves for the Sabres, who had not won since beating the Devils in a shootout on Jan. 30. Jack Eichel (EYE’-kul) added two assists for Buffalo. Kyle Palmieri and P.K. Subban (SOO’-ban) scored in the third period for the Devils, who welcomed center Nico Hischier for his first game this season by naming him the captain. Mackenzie Blackwood had 26 saves.
T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE
Alabama holds off Vanderbilt
UNDATED (AP) — Jaden Shackelford scored a season-high 27 points and No. 8 Alabama came from behind to beat Vanderbilt 82-78 and move a step closer to a Southeastern Conference championship. The Crimson Tide moved within a win of clinching at least a share of its first regular-season title in 19 years despite an off 3-point shooting performance.
Jahvon Quinerly made a late 3-pointer and a clinching free throw with 2 seconds left to help Alabama quell the upset bid by the Commodores, who went nearly five minutes without a basket but stayed in it at the free-throw line. Scotty Pippen Jr. scored 24 points and made 12 of 14 free throws for Vanderbilt.
In other men’s top 25 action:
— Collin Gillespie scored 20 points and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead No. 10 Villanova to a 68-60 victory over UConn. Justin Moore added 11 points for the Wildcats, who clamped down defensively in the second half. James Bouknight, in his second game back after missing eight due to elbow surgery, scored 21 points for the Huskies.
— Isaiah Jackson scored 16 points and Kentucky matched a season high with its third straight win, using an early run to top No. 19 Tennessee 70-55. The Wildcats improved to 8-13 overall and 7-7 in the SEC. Davion Mintz hit all five of his 3-point shots in the first half and finished with 15 points for Kentucky. Victor Bailey scored 18 points for Tennessee, which is 15-6.
TENNIS-AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Osaka beats Brady to claim 4th Slam trophy
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Naomi Osaka has won her fourth Grand Slam trophy by pulling away to beat Jennifer Brady 6-4, 6-3 in the Australian Open final.
Osaka improved to 4-0 in title matches at major tournaments. She is the first woman to start her career that way since Monica Seles did it 30 years ago. Only two active women own more Slam titles than Osaka: Serena Williams, with 23, and her sister, Venus, with seven.
Osaka has won her past 21 matches dating to last season. That includes a championship at last year’s U.S. Open. She was seeded No. 3 at Melbourne Park and is now assured of moving up to No. 2.
The 23-year-old Osaka was born in Japan and moved to the United States with her family when she was 3.
Brady was playing in her first Grand Slam final. The 25-year-old from Pennsylvania played college tennis at UCLA. She was one of 72 players who needed to go into hard lockdown for at least two weeks upon arriving in Australia after they were on a chartered flight with someone who tested positive for the coronavirus. Brady was the only singles player in that group who made it to Week 2.
Novak Djokovic (NOH’-vak JOH’-kuh-vich) will play Daniil Medvedev (DAN’-ihl MEHD’-veh-dehv) in the men’s final Sunday. No. 1-ranked Djokovic is aiming to win his ninth Australian Open championship and 18th Grand Slam title overall. He is 8-0 in finals at Melbourne Park and is trying to close the gap with rivals Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal for most Slam trophies won by a man. They each have 20. Medvedev is in his second major final. He lost to Nadal at the 2019 U.S. Open. Medvedev is on a 20-match winning streak that includes 12 wins against Top 10 opponents.
PGA-GENESIS INVITATIONAL
Wind wreaks havoc at Riviera, delays Genesis Invitational
LOS ANGELES (AP) — High wind has forced the PGA Tour to suspend the third round of the Genesis Invitational, and it’s not clear when it could resume. Play was supposed to resume after a delay of just over three hours. But as players were warming up, it was stopped again.
The wind was strong enough to move golf balls around and off the green. And when it toppled a piece of communications equipment, that was enough for officials to get everyone off the golf course.
Sam Burns started with a five-shot lead. He was just about to hit his opening drive when the horn sounded to stop play.
The wind both hurt and helped. Keegan Bradley had a 40-foot birdie putt across the 10th green to a right pin position. The wind kept pushing the ball along, beyond the cup, to the edge of the green and down a slope between two bunkers. He made double bogey.
Max Homa hit 5-iron from 222 yards in the fairway on the par-5 opening hole. It was a smart shot to the middle of the green, and the wind and slope pushed it closer and closer to the hole until it stopped 10 inches away. Homa tapped in for eagle to reach 8-under par, four shots out of the lead, right before the horn sounded.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS
Indians ace Bieber reports to camp after COVID-19 bout
UNDATED (AP) — American League Cy Young winner Shane Bieber has reported to training camp in Arizona with the Cleveland Indians after recovering from COVID-19.
The Cleveland ace recently tested positive with the virus. Bieber experienced only mild symptoms but had to be isolated per MLB protocols before being medically cleared to join his teammates. The right-hander took part in drills Saturday. The Indians will hold their first full-squad workout in Goodyear, Arizona, on Sunday.
The 25-year-old Bieber was baseball’s best pitcher during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Bieber led the majors in wins, ERA and strikeouts, a rare Triple Crown for pitchers.
In other developments related to the pandemic:
— The Columbus Blue Jackets have received permission from state authorities to allow a limited number of fans at games starting next week. Nearly 2,000 fans — 10% of Nationwide Arena’s capacity — may attend the last 16 home games, beginning March 2 against Detroit. Fans must complete an online check-in questionnaire and wear masks. They will be grouped in pods to maintain distancing. Tickets will be digital and concession stands cashless. The last time the venue welcomed spectators was last March, about a week before the pandemic began and shut down sports nationwide.
— Saturday night’s men’s basketball game between Texas A&M and Arkansas has been postponed because of an array of coronavirus issues. The Aggies will remain on pause until further notice. The Aggies said yesterday they were prepared to play the home game with a limited roster, but a new positive COVID-19 test along with subsequent contact tracing forced the postponement. Arkansas coach Eric Musselman said his team found out about the postponement while boarding the bus to travel to College Station. A makeup date has not been set. Musselman says his team is working with the Southeastern Conference to see if it can add a nonconference game.
SKI-WORLD CHAMPIONSHPS
Shiffrin dethroned in slalom but takes home four medals
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin has been dethroned as the four-time defending champion in slalom but won bronze Saturday after also medaling in her previous three events at the world championships.
The American says “it’s incredible” to win four medals at the world championships.
Austrian skier Katharina Liensberger won the women’s slalom, ending Shiffrin’s streak of four straight world titles in the discipline. Liensberger posted the fastest time in both runs to beat Petra Vlhova of Slovakia by one second. Shiffrin was 1.98 behind.
Shiffrin won gold in the combined event and took silver in giant slalom after opening the worlds with bronze in super-G.
Shiffrin has been coming back this season after a 10-month break from racing last year.
