Sports

By KEN MORITSUGU Associated Press BEIJING (AP) — The just-concluded Winter Olympics aren’t China’s big event of the year. For the Communist Party, that comes this fall at a major meeting that will likely cement Xi Jinping’s position as one of the nation’s most powerful leaders in its seven decades of Communist rule. The party

EAGAN, Minn. (AP) — Wes Phillips will follow Kevin O’Connell to Minnesota from the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams. Phillips will serve as offensive coordinator for the Vikings under their new head coach O’Connell. Phillips was one of five more assistants for O’Connell’s staff finalized on Monday. The others are special teams coordinator Matt

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Donovan Sims scored 17 points, Camryn Weston had 12 points and seven rebounds, and Middle Tennessee defeated UTEP 77-59. Josh Jefferson added 14 points for Middle Tennessee, which won its sixth straight game. Souley Boum had 24 points and nine rebounds for UTEP.

EASTON, Pa. (AP) — Neal Quinn had 20 points as Lafayette breezed to an 84-61 victory over Holy Cross. CJ Fulton had 19 points for the Leopards (10-17, 7-9 Patriot League), who have won four straight at home. Gerrale Gates had 18 points and seven rebounds for the Crusaders (9-19, 7-9).

CONWAY, Ark. — Darius McGhee had 34 points as Liberty defeated Central Arkansas 85-66. Collin Cooper led the Bears on Monday night with 17 points.

HAMILTON, N.Y. — Jack Ferguson scored 15 points, Keegan Records had 11 points and 11 rebounds, and Colgate defeated American University 63-49, the Raiders’ 10th consecutive victory. Tucker Richardson added 13 points for Colgate. Stacy Beckton Jr. had 16 points and seven rebounds for American.

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Baseball negotiations have resumed with new intensity in an effort to salvage opening day. Owners made a pair of slight moves Monday toward locked-out players but put off big-ticket bargaining issues until later. With a week or perhaps a little more time left to preserve

By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard has been suspended the final five games of the regular season and fined $40,000 for hitting a Wisconsin assistant in the head, triggering a postgame melee. The Big Ten Conference also suspended three players one game for the altercation

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Elias Lindholm’s go-ahead goal with 47 seconds remaining extended his goal streak to eight games and the Calgary Flames tied a franchise record with their 10th consecutive victory, winning 3-1 over the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Sean Monahan and Tyler Toffoli, into an empty net, also scored for Calgary, which wrapped

By RONALD BLUM AP Baseball Writer JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Baseball negotiations resumed with renewed intensity Monday in an effort to salvage opening day, and Major League Baseball made slight moves toward locked-out players. With perhaps a week left to salvage opening day, union head Tony Clark attended negotiations for the first time since the

By ARNIE STAPLETON AP Pro Football Writer NFL agents and their clients are rankled over COVID-19 restrictions at the league’s upcoming scouting combine that threaten expulsion if they go outside a “bubble” and limit them to bringing a single support person such as an athletic trainer or massage therapist. The idea of a boycott has

By AARON BRACY Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Brett Pesce scored 4 minutes, 42 seconds into overtime, Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist and the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on Monday. Nino Niederreiter and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes, who won their third straight. Gerry Mayhew,

MADRID (AP) — Celta Vigo has been held by last-placed Levante to 1-1 at home in the Spanish league and missed a chance to move close to the Champions League qualification places. Franco Cervi put the hosts ahead in the 67th minute but Levante equalized through Roger Martí in the 82nd. Levante was coming off

By AARON BEARD AP Sports Writer A former college football player currently imprisoned on a drug conviction in Georgia has reached a plea agreement for a misdemeanor charge of violating North Carolina’s sports agent law. Christopher Jamel Hawkins, 39, pleaded guilty Monday to attempted athlete-agent inducement via video conferencing. That’s according to Kimberly Overton Spahos,

By MAURICIO SAVARESE AP Sports Writer SAO PAULO (AP) — Pelé has extended a scheduled stay in a Sao Paulo hospital due to a urinary infection. Hospital Albert Einstein says in a statement on Monday that 81-year-old Pelé came in on Feb. 13 to continue treatment for his colon cancer, and days later doctors found

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — Matt Luke has resigned as Georgia’s associate head coach and offensive line assistant to spend more time with his family. Head coach Kirby Smart made the announcement Monday. The 45-year-old Luke is a former head coach at Mississippi. He spent the last two seasons working for Smart, helping the Bulldogs win

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer Goran Dragic plans to sign with Brooklyn, giving the Nets a veteran boost in the backcourt. Agent Bill Duffy said Monday that Dragic was going to Brooklyn, where the Nets need guard help after trading James Harden to Philadelphia. Ben Simmons, acquired in that deal, still isn’t ready to

By BRETT MARTEL AP Sports Writer NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Expect the NCAA Men’s Final Four to have a more familiar look and feel to it this spring. And that’s not just because it’ll be in New Orleans for a record sixth time. A capacity crowd of about 70,000 is expected in the Superdome. The

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Novak Djokovic has won his first match of the year after beating Lorenzo Musetti 6-3, 6-3 to open the Dubai Championships. Djokovic couldn’t defend his Australian Open title last month because he was deported from the country for being unvaccinated. The United Arab Emirates allowed him entry, and Djokovic