ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) - COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Shabazz Napier turned in another all-court masterpiece to lift Connecticut to a 60-54 win over Kentucky’s freshmen and a national title hardly anyone saw coming.
Napier had 22 points, six rebounds and three assists, and his partner in defensive lock-down, Ryan Boatright, finished with 14 points.
UConn (32-8) never trailed. The Huskies led by as many as 15 in the first half and watched the Wildcats (29-11) trim the deficit to one with 8:13 left. But Aaron Harrison, Kentucky’s big-moment shooter in the last three games, missed a 3-pointer from the left corner that would’ve given the ’Cats the lead. Kentucky never got closer.
Kevin Ollie became the first coach since Michigan’s Steve Fisher in 1989 to win a national title in his first NCAA tournament as coach.
STORRS, Conn. (AP) - Jubilant fans celebrating UConn’s national basketball championship win smashed a window in an engineering building, broke street lights and overturned furniture inside the school’s student union.
Campus police had made 30 arrests by 1:30 a.m. Tuesday, while state police had made others and more were expected, said University of Connecticut spokesman Tom Breen.
“A lot of it was alcohol-related,” Breen said. “There was breech of peace, destruction of property, and we had a fireworks charge.”
Most of the property damage was minor, he said. No serious injuries had been reported.
AUTO RACING
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) - Joey Logano made a last-lap pass of Jeff Gordon during extra laps after a late caution in a rain-delayed race at Texas, becoming the seventh different winner in as many Sprint Cup races this season.
Logano had a 2.2-second lead on teammate Brad Keselowski and was within a half-lap of taking the white flag, which would have guaranteed no extra laps. But then came the caution for debris after Kurt Busch’s car brushed the wall and one of his tires tore apart.
On the ensuing pit stop, Gordon took only two tires and exited first. Both Team Penske drivers took four tires, but Keselowski missed a chance to become the season’s first two-time winner when he was penalized for speeding on pit road.
PISTORIUS TRIAL
PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) - His voice shaking, Oscar Pistorius took the witness stand for the first time, testifying that he was trying to protect the girlfriend he killed and that he became so tormented by memories of the fatal shooting and panic attacks that he once hid helplessly in a closet.
Pistorius also offered an apology to the family of Reeva Steenkamp, who died from multiple wounds after the double-amputee runner shot her through a closed toilet door last year in his home. He said he mistook Steenkamp for an intruder. Prosecutors allege he killed her after an argument.
Pistorius’ display of anguish and remorse was a marked departure from the testimony of some prosecution witnesses whose accounts painted a picture of the runner as a hothead with a jealous streak, an inflated sense of entitlement and an obsession with guns in the months before he killed Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model.
He has yet to be cross-examined about the shooting in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013, and that testimony is likely to be the centerpiece of a trial being broadcast on television and followed around the world.
BASEBALL
LOS ANGELES (AP) - Dr. Frank Jobe, who pioneered the elbow procedure that became known as Tommy John surgery and saved the careers of countless pitchers, was remembered as a gifted and caring surgeon with a sense of humor.
Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully presided over an hour-long service at Dodger Stadium that ended with cups of vanilla ice cream being handed out in near 90-degree temperatures. Jobe loved the cool treat. He died last month at 88.
Tommy John himself spoke about the man whose name became forever linked with his after the 1974 surgery that saved John’s career. The Dodgers pitcher had a ruptured medial collateral ligament in his left elbow, an injury that had no remedy until Jobe removed a tendon from John’s forearm and repaired his elbow.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Tampa Bay Rays starter Matt Moore (0-2) came out in the fifth inning of a 4-2 loss to Kansas City with a sore left elbow. The All-Star lefty grimaced after throwing a pitch to Norichika Aoki and was immediately removed by manager Joe Maddon.
Two innings later, Royals second baseman Omar Infante was hit in the face by a pitch from reliever Heath Bell. Infante also left the game, walking off under his own power with Kansas City trainers Nick Kenney and Kyle Turner.
Infante, struck on the left cheek, was spitting blood and had blood on his forehead as trainers held a towel to his face.
PRO BASKETBALL
DALLAS (AP) - Alonzo Mourning and NCAA championship-winning coaches Nolan Richardson and Gary Williams were voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Richardson was chosen 20 years after he coached Arkansas to a national championship. Williams won a title with Maryland in 2002.
Former NBA star Mitch Richmond also was part of the class that was announced. They will be inducted at a ceremony Aug. 8 in Springfield, Mass., along with members who were already announced, including retired NBA Commissioner David Stern.
Lithuania star Sarunas Marciulionis was among several candidates already selected by various committees.
NEW YORK (AP) - Larry Brown thinks the New York Knicks have mistreated coach Mike Woodson. But if they are going to replace him, it should be with Phil Jackson.
The Knicks hired Jackson as team president, but Brown finds it “troublesome” that Jackson won’t be coaching, saying “you’re not going to make the Knicks better by living in L.A. and being there half the time.”
Brown also said during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio on Monday that general manager Steve Mills has “no clue” about basketball.
NEW YORK (AP) - Sacramento Mayor and former NBA All-Star Kevin Johnson will lead a search committee to find a new executive director for the NBA Players Association.
The union has been seeking a replacement for Billy Hunter since ousting him in February 2013. The NBPA hopes to have one in place by the start of next season. Johnson will work with union president Chris Paul of the Los Angeles Clippers and acting executive director Ron Klempner to keep players and agents aware of the process.
FOOTBALL
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - The Panthers signed free agent wide receiver Jason Avant to a one-year contract.
Financial terms were not released. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Avant spent his first eight seasons in the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles. Last season he started a career-high 13 games and had 38 receptions for 447 yards and two touchdowns, but was not re-signed.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
NEW YORK (AP) - Steve Masiello will be reinstated as the head coach at Manhattan College as soon as he receives his degree from the University of Kentucky.
The school announced that Masiello will be on unpaid leave until he gets the degree. During his absence, associate head coach Matt Grady will lead the program. Masiello, who has a 61-39 career record at Manhattan, led the Jaspers to a 28-5 record this season and the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference tournament title. The Jaspers lost 71-64 to Louisville in the NCAA tournament.
Within four days of the loss to his former college coach and boss, Rick Pitino, Masiello agreed to become coach at South Florida. Then it came to light Masiello didn’t get a degree from Kentucky and the job offer was rescinded.
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