Sports

By STEPHEN WADE AP Sports Writer TOKYO (AP) — St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar has suddenly become a popular star playing for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He’s qualified by ancestry because of his mother’s Japanese roots. He made two diving catches in the first two games and also had two hits in

By CIARÁN FAHEY AP Sports Writer BERLIN (AP) — Miami-based investment group 777 Partners has completed its 64.7% majority stake takeover of Hertha Berlin. The German soccer club says 777 has acquired the company shares previously owned by Lars Windhorst’s investment group. Windhorst had invested 374 million euros ($400 million) since 2019 on his dream of

TOKYO (AP) — Shohei Ohtani had another RBI double, 21-year-old right-hander Roki Sasaki reached 100 mph 21 times in 66 pitches and Japan beat the Czech Republic 10-2 to clinch a quarterfinal berth in the World Baseball Classic. Shugo Maki hit his second home run of the tournament and Masataka Yoshida had three RBIs, including

ARE, Sweden (AP) — American skier Mikaela Shiffrin has set the outright World Cup record for most career victories with 87 by winning a slalom. Shiffrin broke a tie with Ingemar Stenmark on the all-time overall winners list between men and women. The Swede competed in the 1970s and 80s. Shiffrin had matched Stenmark’s mark

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Robert Lewandowski has recovered from a leg injury in time to play for Barcelona when the Spanish league leader visits Athletic Bilbao. Lewandowski was included on Xavi Hernández’s squad list Saturday after the Poland striker had missed two games with a left-hamstring strain. Barcelona did fine without him. It beat Real

ARE, Sweden (AP) — American skier Mikaela Shiffrin has set the outright World Cup record for most career victories with 87 by winning a slalom. Shiffrin broke a tie with Ingemar Stenmark on the all-time overall winners list – between men and women. The Swede competed in the 1970s and 80s. Shiffrin had matched Stenmark’s

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — Olympic champion Marco Odermatt won a men’s World Cup giant slalom as the Swiss skier locked up the overall title. Odermatt built on his first-run lead to beat Alexis Pinturault of France by 0.23 seconds. Norwegian skier Henrik Kristoffersen was 0.37 behind in third. Odermatt was the defending overall champion

By JILL LAWLESS Associated Press LONDON (AP) — The BBC faces an escalating crisis over its suspension of program host Gary Lineker for comments criticizing the British government’s new asylum policy. Britain’s national broadcaster has been accused of political bias and suppressing free speech and received praise from Conservative politicians. It suspended former England captain

ARE, Sweden (AP) — American skier Mikaela Shiffrin took a big lead in the opening run of a women’s World Cup slalom as she positioned herself for a record-setting 87th career win. Shiffrin led second-place home favorite Anna Swenn Larsson by 0.69 seconds after the first run. Swiss skier Wendy Holdener trailed by 0.94 in

KRANJSKA GORA, Slovenia (AP) — Olympic champion Marco Odermatt built a big lead in the opening run of a men’s World Cup giant slalom as the Swiss skier closed in on the overall title. Odermatt led second-place home favorite Zan Kranjec by 0.53 seconds and Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway by 0.54. Odermatt is the defending

By The Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Led by Max Shulga’s 19 points, the Utah State Aggies defeated the Boise State Broncos 72-62 in the Mountain West Conference Tournament semifinals

By MARK ANDERSON AP Sports Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — Azuolas Tubelis scored 17 points and No. 8 Arizona beat Arizona State 78-59 on Friday night in the Pac-12 Conference Tournament semifinals. The Wildcats (27-6) get a championship rematch with No. 2 UCLA on Saturday night. Arizona beat the Bruins 84-76 last year for the

By The Associated Press LAS VEGAS — Tevian Jones drilled a 3-pointer with four seconds left to tie the game, then gave the Southern Utah Thunderbirds an 89-88 win over Utah Valley by hitting a game-winning free throw in the Western Athletic Conference semifinals.

TOKYO (AP) — Rixon Wingrove had a three-run double in the first inning to get Australia started and Darryl George had a two-run single in the seventh for a 12-2 victory over China in a World Baseball Classic game due to the 10-run mercy rule. Australia (2-0) scored twice in the third and five times

By The Associated Press HENDERSON, Nev. — Led by Ajay Mitchell’s 28 points, the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos defeated the UC Riverside Highlanders 92-87 in the Big West Conference Tournament semifinals

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer LOS ANGELES (AP) — D’Angelo Russell had 28 points and nine assists in his dynamic return from a six-game injury absence, and Dennis Schröder added 23 points and seven assists in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 122-112 victory over the Toronto Raptors. Los Angeles has won seven of nine to

By TERESA M. WALKER AP Sports Writer NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Kentucky Wildcats have had their way with Vanderbilt for nearly a century. Not this season. Not with coach Jerry Stackhouse and his Commodores, whose confidence keeps growing with each win. Ezra Manjon scored 25 points and Vanderbilt jolted No. 23 Kentucky, rallying from