By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

NEW YORK — When Victor Hedman returned to the lineup after missing 13 games because of a concussion, he did not plan to play it safe.

The Lightning defenseman was going to hit and be hit, get into traffic, battle for pucks, prove to himself right away he was 100 percent healthy.

"I told myself to go out and play hard," Hedman said. "You'd rather be a little too aggressive at the beginning, try to make some hits and play the way I can."

It has only been four games, but he might have even taken a step forward.

In fact, in a season that could be a non-playoff disappointment for Tampa Bay, Hedman, 21, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2009 draft, is laying the groundwork for his future success.

"I think this is just the beginning," coach Guy Boucher said. "I really do."

Boucher has called Hedman "terrific" and "a machine."

And after Hedman had an assist, five shots, three hits and five blocks in Saturday's 6-3 win over Florida, Boucher said, "He's turning into a monster. I love it."

"He's been great," captain Vinny Lecavalier added. "He's just a huge presence out there. I can't imagine playing against him with that long stick and long reach. He's always in your face."

Hedman's numbers are not overpowering. He has three goals and eight points in 36 games and is minus-12, partly the result of a season-long process of understanding when it is better to hold his ground than jump into the offensive flow.

But the 6-foot-6, 229-pounder, who in November signed a five-year, $20 million extension through 2016-17, averages 22:20 of ice time, plays against the top lines and plays power play and penalty kill.

And whether it is the fresh legs gained from 13 games on the sideline or the perspective culled from watching games from the press box, Hedman seems more engaged, poised with the puck.

Boucher called the gap Hedman keeps between himself and onrushing opponents "perfect," which will be important Thursday against the hard-charging Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Since returning, Hedman has a goal, two points, 10 shots, 11 hits and nine blocks.

"The break came at such a good time for me to get back in shape," Hedman said. "It's still 13 games I missed, but from watching the games, in your head you try to pretend you're out there and visualize what you should do in those types of situations."

The most telling might have occurred against Florida. Hedman, with the puck at the left point, held it for a second longer, which allowed teammate Steve Downie to pop open on the right side of the slot.

A pass to Downie followed by Downie's pass to Steven Stamkos, and Tampa Bay had a goal.

"I feel confident I can make plays on both ends of the ice," Hedman said. "You want to keep adding on to become a very good, an awesome, two-way player."

"He's one of those guys you want to hurry up and blossom, and that's happening," Boucher said. "He's going one step at a time, but he's climbing that ladder and looking really good."

Damian Cristodero can be reached at cristodero@tampabay.com.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

NEW YORK — When Victor Hedman returned to the lineup after missing 13 games because of a concussion, he did not plan to play it safe.

The Lightning defenseman was going to hit and be hit, get into traffic, battle for pucks, prove to himself right away he was 100 percent healthy.

"I told myself to go out and play hard," Hedman said. "You'd rather be a little too aggressive at the beginning, try to make some hits and play the way I can."

It has been only four games, but he might have even taken a step forward. In a season that could be a nonplayoff disappointment for Tampa Bay, Hedman, 21, the No. 2 overall pick of the 2009 draft, is laying the groundwork for future success.

"I think this is just the beginning," coach Guy Boucher said. "I really do."

Boucher has called Hedman "terrific" and "a machine."

And after Hedman had an assist, five shots, three hits and five blocks in Saturday's 6-3 win over Florida, Boucher said, "He's turning into a monster. I love it."

"He's been great," captain Vinny Lecavalier said. "He's just a huge presence out there. I can't imagine playing against him with that long stick and long reach. He's always in your face."

Hedman's numbers are not overpowering. He has three goals and eight points in 36 games and is minus-12, partly the result of a seasonlong process of understanding when it is better to hold his ground than jump into the offensive flow.

But the 6-foot-6, 229-pounder, who in November signed a five-year, $20 million contract extension through 2016-17, averages 22:20 of ice time, plays against the top lines and plays on the power play and penalty kill.

And whether it is the fresh legs gained from 13 games on the sideline after sustaining the concussion Dec. 27 against the Flyers or the perspective culled from watching from the press box, Hedman seems more engaged, more poised with the puck.

Boucher called the gap Hedman keeps between himself and onrushing opponents perfect, which will be important tonight against the hard-charging Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Since returning, Hedman has a goal, two points, 10 shots, 11 hits and nine blocks.

"The break came at such a good time for me to get back in shape," Hedman said. "It's still 13 games I missed, but from watching the games, in your head you try to pretend you're out there and visualize what you should do in those types of situations."

The most telling result might have occurred against Florida. Hedman, with the puck at the left point, held it for a second longer, which allowed teammate Steve Downie to pop open on the right side of the slot. A pass to Downie, followed by Downie's pass to Steven Stamkos, and Tampa Bay had a goal.

"I feel confident I can make plays on both ends of the ice," Hedman said. "You want to keep adding on to become a very good, an awesome, two-way player."

"He's one of those guys you want to hurry up and blossom, and that's happening," Boucher said. "He's going one step at a time, but he's climbing that ladder and looking really good."

By Larry Blue, Times Correspondent
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Winter? What winter? With 80-degree days, it does not feel like February. What effect the weather has on migration patterns is anybody's guess. But I can tell you many fish are already here. And I suspect more soon will follow. King and Spanish mackerel usually begin their migration based on the angle of the sun and moon on the earth. However, the warmer temperatures might speed that up by several weeks. I have boated a few king mackerel and an incredible amount of bonita over the past couple of weeks. Large schools of bonita mixed with mackerel have been seen near the shore in the morning.

What to look for: About a mile or two from the beach, you might notice flocks of seabirds diving. If you move close enough, you will see bait being chased by bonita and birds trying to steal the bait or scoop up the leftovers. If you don't have live bait to toss at the scene, troll small mackerel spoons at 4-5 knots on No. 1 planers.

Light tackle: If trolling isn't for you, hooking a bonita on light tackle is the consummate sport fishing. They aren't much for table fare, but they are fun to catch.

Larry Blue charters the Niki Joe from Madeira Beach Marina. Call (727) 871-1058 or visit CaptainLarryBlue.com.

Times wires
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Times staff
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Big East changes

.

. 2013: Central Florida, Houston, Memphis and SMU leave Conference USA for all sports; Boise State and San Diego State leave Mountain West for football

. 2014: Syracuse and Pittsburgh expected to leave for ACC

. 2015: Navy, previously an independent, joins for football

FOOTBALL

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Babe faces health concerns

Nanci Donnellan, better known as the "Fabulous Sports Babe" and one of the pioneers of sports talk radio, is battling serious health problems and is no longer hosting an afternoon show on ESPN 1040-AM. Donnellan hasn't been on the air since Jan. 20. It isn't known when or even if she will be able to return.

Donnellan, who is thought to be in her late 50s (she has never revealed her age publicly), is believed to be the first and only woman to have a nationally syndicated sports talk radio show when she hosted on ESPN Radio in the 1990s. She took a hiatus from radio, partly to recover from breast cancer, in the early 2000s, but returned to Tampa Bay radio and 1040-AM in 2008. She has hosted a show there from noon to 3 p.m. weekdays.

The station would only say Donnellan is out for "personal reasons." Attempts to reach Donnellan were unsuccessful.

In her absence, various hosts have been filling in, but the buzz is that Whitney Johnson, formerly an update reporter on WDAE 620-AM, will take over as the host of the noon to 3 p.m. time slot for now. Johnson was popular as WDAE's update guy, but we'll see if that popularity is able to translate to hosting 15 hours a week.

tom jones' two cents

The latest from the world of sports.

Three things that popped into my head

1. How cool would it have been to be ESPN college hoops analyst Dick Vitale this week? In a five-day span, he called Missouri-Kansas, Florida-Kentucky and North Carolina-Duke. By the way, Wednesday night was the 40th time he has called a UNC-Duke game for ESPN.

2. The Lightning is nine points out of first place in the Southeast Division. If it were in the Atlantic Division, it would be 20 points behind the first-place Rangers. Twenty!

3. Do you wonder what the abysmal Lightning power play might look like if the team had never traded Dan Boyle?

Schedule of note

Sun Sports will televise 150 Rays games this season, and each game will feature a half-hour Rays Live pregame show and extended postgame coverage. In the past, only home games had a half-hour pregame show.

When the Rays are at home, the pregame show will originate from Tropicana Field, while the pregame show for road games will air from the Fox Sports studio in Fort Lauderdale.

Of the 12 games not on Sun Sports, six already have been picked up by ESPN or Fox. That leaves six not televised, but ESPN or Fox could still pick up more games.

The broadcasting crew on Sun Sports returns with announcer Dewayne Staats, analyst Brian Anderson and host/reporter Todd Kalas. Home pregame shows will be hosted by Kalas, while road pregame shows will be hosted by Barry LeBrock. Orestes Destrade and Laura McKeeman also will appear on air throughout the season. Angela Jacobs will not return in 2012.

Sun Sports will air its Tampa Bay Rays Season Preview show at 4 p.m. on March 25.

Warning of the day

Here's an item that should draw the attention of a few local sports talk radio shows. Scott Kaplan, co-host of a sports talk show in San Diego, was fired last week for referring to television analyst and former college basketball player Andrea Lloyd as a "beast," an "animal," a "monster" and a "Sasquatch of a woman," among other disparaging remarks. He also made a comment about a body part of ESPN reporter Holly Rowe.

Kaplan was unapologetic even after his firing, telling a San Diego TV station: "That's what we do. … I don't apologize for the fact that we're a guy show, a locker room kind of show. There's no apology for that."

That locker room mentality plus an arrogant belief that all listeners enjoy listening to that type of talk means lines will be crossed. Inappropriate comments cannot be excused by saying: "That's what we do. If you don't like it, turn the dial." Inappropriate, after all, is inappropriate. Hopefully the current local talk shows will keep that in mind.

Times wires
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Big East has acquired the pieces needed to build a coast-to-coast conference with a football title game. Putting them together, though, will take a while.

Wednesday, Memphis officially accepted an invitation for all sports and will join for 2013-14.

"It certainly is a historic day for us," president Shirley Raines said.

Several media outlets reported Temple, which was kicked out of the Big East in 2004, also was considered. But Big East commissioner John Marinatto called Memphis a "perfect fit," citing, among other factors, its geography and market size.

Big East expansion in 2005 came after Boston College, Miami and Virginia Tech left for the ACC. It added USF, Cincinnati and Louisville for all sports and DePaul and Marquette for basketball. This time, it comes with Syracuse and Pittsburgh off to the ACC and West Virginia off to the Big 12.

Under Big East rules, they are forbidden to leave for 27 months — until July 1, 2014. West Virginia sued to leave now. (Syracuse and Pittsburgh have not sued.) Wednesday, CBSSports.com reported they are near a deal in which West Virginia pays at least $20 million to leave now.

The deal is contingent on the Big East finding an eighth member for 2012. If not, the price rises because the remaining teams would have to schedule a 12th game. The Big 12, meanwhile, has given a schedule that includes West Virginia to its TV partners.

Mountaineers athletic director Oliver Luck did not respond to an email seeking comment while Marinatto declined to comment.

There must be 12 teams for a football title game. In December, Boise State and San Diego State of the Mountain West joined for football only and Houston, SMU and Central Florida of C-USA joined for all sports. Like Memphis, they will do so for 2013-14. Last month, Navy joined for football only starting in 2015. That gives the league two division — East and West — of six teams.

"It sounds odd today," Marinatto said. "But five years from now, it will be accepted, and it won't be viewed in the same manner."

For now, Marinatto said, Memphis is the final piece.

"It was our goal to get to 12 football-playing members, and we've done that," he said, adding there won't be a title game until 2015 no matter what happens with Pitt, Syracuse and West Virginia "But we're always going to be vigilant and do whatever is in the best interest of the conference."

Meanwhile, CBSSports.com reported C-USA called Temple after the Memphis announcement. It and the Mountain West previously discussed a merger. After the Big East gets its teams, they would have 16 for football (not including Temple) and 15 for all sports (excluding Hawaii).

"Based on my conversations with Marinatto, the Big East has now completed its future membership plan," C-USA commissioner Britton Banowsky said in a statement. "We can now move forward with our plans in a more stable national environment."

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

TAMPA — Senior Hugh Robertson had a season-high 18 points and led a strong defensive effort as USF bounced back nicely with a 63-51 win against Pittsburgh on Wednesday night at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Robertson held Pitt guard Ashton Gibbs in check — and scoreless until midway through the second half — and the Bulls improved to 14-10 and 7-4 in Big East play, ending Pittsburgh's four-game winning streak. Robertson didn't miss a shot all night, going 7-for-7 from the field and 4-for-4 on free-throw attempts.

Freshman point guard Anthony Collins had four straight points for the Bulls after Pitt had cut a 14-point lead to eight with less than three minutes left. Collins finished with 11 points and six assists, holding his own against Pitt's Tray Woodall, who had 11 points and two assists.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

TAMPA — Pittsburgh came in red-hot, winners of four straight, and USF was coming off a 30-point loss at Georgetown. But you never would have known it from the two teams playing at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Wednesday night.

The Bulls played stellar defense, led by senior guard Hugh Robert­son, who shut down Pitt star Ashton Gibbs and scored a season-high 18 in a convincing 63-51 win before an announced crowd of 4,507.

"The defense was outstanding," coach Stan Heath said. "I'd like to bottle that and take that everywhere we go the rest of the year if we could. Hugh Robertson did a fantastic job on a great player in Gibbs, and at the same time, offensively, he stayed in attack mode, very aggressive."

USF (14-10, 7-4 Big East), which improved to 12-1 at home, continues to build its resume for postseason play, and Robertson was a big part of that. He was 7-for-7 from the field (the best mark by a Bulls player in a Big East game), hit all four of his free throws and held Gibbs — the conference's preseason player of the year — to four points, his fewest in nearly two years.

"It was a team effort … that's the bulk of our team, our defense," said Robertson, who is routinely assigned to the opponent's top scorer. "It's my job, to play defense, to try to take the best player out of the game. It's what I tried to do" Wednesday.

USF got a 3-pointer from Jawanza Poland at the halftime buzzer for a 27-23 lead, but it was a 14-4 run midway through the second half that gave the Bulls a 49-35 lead with eight minutes left. During that run, USF held Pittsburgh (15-10, 4-8) to one field goal and four turnovers in 10 possessions, frustrating the Panthers with the defensive persistence.

"I think they frustrated all of us," Panthers point guard Tray Woodall said. "We just didn't get any great looks at the end of the game. … I've got to do a better job of getting guys easier shots, to get us back in our offense."

Pittsburgh cut USF's lead to eight with 2:48 to play, but freshman point guard Anthony Collins answered with a jumper and two free throws in a span of 14 seconds.

The Bulls shot 60.5 percent from the field, a school record in Big East play.

"It was a battle of patience, and they clearly won that," Pitt coach Jamie Dixon said. "We're extremely disappointed, because we haven't been playing like this."

USF has two seemingly winnable games in the next week, Saturday at Providence (2-10 Big East) and home against Villanova (4-8) on Wednesday, with a rematch at Pittsburgh on Feb. 19.

Times wires
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

MIAMI — Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes toured the Marlins' new downtown ballpark Wednesday, the first leg of what's expected to be his tour of interested clubs.

Cespedes, 26, played for Cuba in the 2009 World Baseball Classic and is projected to be ready for the majors. Cespedes says six teams are interested in signing him, including the Marlins, Orioles, Tigers, Indians, Cubs and White Sox.

The Marlins are considered a favorite, but they're not tipping their hand.

"It was good to see him again," team president David Samson said on his weekly segment of "The Dan LeBatard Show." "We hadn't seen him since he was in the Dominican. He's still not a free agent officially.

"But he was able to be in town for some appointments, I guess. He wanted to come and see the ballpark, and we're always happy to show people the ballpark."

Cespedes donned a hard hat for his walkthrough at the almost-completed park in Miami's Little Havana neighborhood. In Spanish, he said he believes the Marlins "can compete for a World Series" as early as this season.

"It would be good (to play here)," Cespedes told reporters at Miami International Airport on Tuesday. "There are a lot of Cubans and they would support me a lot. Hopefully I can play for the Marlins."

Major League Baseball says Cespedes cannot finalize a contract until he obtains an unblocking license from the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control.

In other Marlins news, infielder/outfielder Emilio Bonifacio became the second player to defeat the team in arbitration this year and will receive a $2.2 million salary. Right-hander Anibal Sanchez won his case Monday and will make $8 million.

DRUG EDUCATION: The Baseball Hall of Fame is starting a drug education program for students and young adults, and in the same year that Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Sammy Sosa will appear on the ballot for the first time after careers marked by steroid accusations.

While adding PEDs to RBIs and ERAs among its interests, the Hall emphasized Wednesday that its new initiative wasn't tied to the former stars up for election or the people who will choose them.

"It is not intended to cast a directive to voters about Hall of Fame worthy candidates," shrine president Jeff Idelson said.

Mark McGwire, 10th on the career home run list, has never come close to election after admitting he used steroids and human growth hormone. Neither has Rafael Palmeiro, who was suspended for a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs.

ASTROS: Shortstop Jed Lowrie avoided arbitration, agreeing to a $1.15 million, one-year contract.

ORIOLES: First baseman Nick Johnson, 33, is close to agreeing to a minor-league deal.

PADRES: Right-hander Jeff Suppan, 37, agreed to a minor-league contract.

RANGERS: Shortstop Elvis Andrus finalized a $14.4 million, three-year contract that avoided arbitration.

REDS: Outfielder Ryan Ludwick, 33, signed a one-year contract, and left-hander Jeff Francis, 31, signed a minor-league deal.

RED SOX: Australian left-hander Daniel McGrath, 17, signed a professional contract. He'll join the team for spring training then return to Australia to finish high school.

YANKEES: Infielder Russell Branyan agreed to a minor-league contract and will try to win a bench job. Branyan, 36, spent part of the 2006 season with the Rays.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Times wires
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Tennis

Ex-Star: Parents squandered money

MADRID — In a book published Tuesday, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario says her parents lost about $60 million of her earnings via mismanagement.

Sanchez Vicario, 40, won three French Opens and a U.S. Open as well as 10 Grand Slam doubles or mixed doubles titles.

In the book, Sanchez Vicario writes her parents were obsessed with her career and controlled most aspects of it. She adds she got a monthly payment from her father and trusted him to invest the rest.

"I never doubted that my father would manage my assets in the most efficient and beneficial way," she wrote.

But she wrote she was shocked after retiring in 2002.

"They left me with nothing, and I owe the tax authorities," she wrote. "How can it be that everything I achieved has vanished, that it does not exist?"

Sanchez Vicario's mother, Marisa, said she and her husband are devastated by the accusations: "We never took advantage of Arantxa, and under no circumstances is she broke."

More tennis

Spaniards threaten suit

The Spanish federation said it will sue a French TV channel for using its logo while mocking Rafael Nadal. On the satirical program The Puppets, a cartoon Nadal urinates into a gas tank before racing off and being pulled over by police for speeding. "Spanish athletes. They don't win by chance," flashes on the screen — insinuating they dope. It came a day after Spain's Alberto Contador was stripped of his Tour de France title for doping. Nadal's coach said Nadal wasn't insulted.

College football

Slive: No change imminent

SEC commissioner Mike Slive said any changes to the BCS are a couple of years away even if an agreement is reached this year. The comments came a day after the Big Ten, previously against a four-team playoff, said it is reconsidering. The BCS has two years left on its contract with ESPN. "What would it look like and whether it's actually going to happen, all of that is premature," Slive said. "I think we need the time to sit down and analyze it. We need time to take ideas back to our respective conferences."

et cetera

Soccer: Four months before the European championships, Fabio Capello quit as England's coach in a dispute over John Terry. The defender faces a trial for allegedly racially abusing an opponent. As a result, England stripped Terry of his captaincy. Capello criticized the decision, and federation chairman David Bernstein said Capello's opinion was not considered in the decision. The federation did not comment on a successor. … Zambia (1-0 over Ghana) and Ivory Coast (1-0 over Mali) reached Sunday's African Cup final with wins in Equatorial Guinea.

WNBA: Tamika Catchings, the reigning league MVP, re-signed with Indiana. Terms were not disclosed.

Times wires

By Stephen F. Holder, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

The Bucs on Wednesday were linked to a third candidate for their vacant offensive coordinator post when former North Carolina assistant John Shoop was reported to be under consideration.

Shoop, 42, was the Tar Heels offensive coordinator from 2007 until last month. He was not retained when Larry Fedora took over as coach.

The news was reported by Foxsports.com, which earlier this week reported Ron Turner and Bill Lazor also were candidates.

Shoop was Bucs quarterbacks coach in 2004 under coach Jon Gruden. He moved on to the Raiders as quarterbacks coach under Art Shell in 2005 and became offensive coordinator for them in 2006. He also was offensive coordinator for the Bears under Lovie Smith from 2001-03.

Meanwhile, it remains unclear if the Bucs have made progress in filling their defensive coordinator post. Florida coordinator Dan Quinn was offered the job but on Monday declined.

Holmes guarantee kicks in: It appears Santonio Holmes will stay with the Jets. By remaining on the roster through Tuesday, the second day of the league's waiver period, the receiver was guaranteed $7.5 million for 2013 per a clause in his contract. His $7.75 million salary for 2012 already was guaranteed, his $15.25 million over two seasons making it unlikely a team would trade for him. Holmes helped New York reach the AFC title game in 2010. But this season, he criticized the Jets offensive line for not giving quarterback Mark Sanchez time. ESPN.com reported he and Sanchez argued during a late-season team meeting. And he was benched during the final regular-season game with the Jets down 19-17 and needing to win to make the playoffs. Neither Holmes nor the Jets were available for comment.

Cardinals: John McNulty was moved from receivers coach to quarterbacks coach. The Cardinals denied the Bucs permission to interview him for offensive coordinator. Ex-Bills quarterback Frank Reich was hired as receivers coach. He previously held the same title with the Colts.

Packers: Ben McAdoo was moved from tight ends coach to quarterbacks coach. The Packers denied the Bucs permission to interview him for offensive coordinator.

Raiders: Al Saunders, offensive coordinator last season under the since-fired Hue Jackson, will be a senior offensive assistant under Dennis Allen. The Raiders hired Greg Knapp as offensive coordinator.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

Times wires
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Kris Joseph had a career-high 29 points and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute of overtime, and No. 2 Syracuse beat 12th-ranked Georgetown 64-61 on Wednesday night to give coach Jim Boeheim his 880th career win.

Boeheim took sole possession of third place in Division I, surpassing North Carolina's Dean Smith, and trails Mike Krzyewski and Bob Knight.

The score was tied at 55 after regulation, and freshman Otto Porter scored the first four of overtime for the Hoyas, swishing two free throws and hitting a baseline jumper to give Georgetown 61-59 lead with 2:19 left.

Dion Waiters tied it with two free throws for the Orange, and after Porter lost the ball out of bounds at the other end, Scoop Jardine fed Joseph in the left corner, and he sank his career-best sixth 3-pointer of the game with 29 seconds left.

Jardine sealed it by forcing a turnover by Jason Clark with 4.9 seconds left, allowing Syracuse (24-1, 11-1 Big East) to improve to 16-0 at home. Georgetown (18-5, 8-4) had won five of six entering the game.

Fab Melo had 11 points, seven rebounds and six blocks for Syracuse, which won despite being outrebounded 52-35. Jardine had eight assists.

Porter led Georgetown with 14 points, Clark had 12 and Hollis Thompson 10.

The 87th meeting between the rivals — Syracuse leads 48-39 — had added significance. With Syracuse's impending move to the Atlantic Coast Conference, it might have been the last time the teams meet as Big East foes at the Carrier Dome.

It turned into one to remember for the crowd of 27,820.

Syracuse held Georgetown, second in the Big East in 3-pointers, to 5-of-21 (23.8 percent).

Syracuse, which trailed 31-27 at halftime, scored the first eight of the second to gain the lead.

NO. 7 KANSAS 68, NO. 6 BAYLOR 54: Jeff Withey scored a career-high 25 for the visiting Jayhawks (19-5, 9-2 Big 12), who went ahead to stay during a 14-3 first-half run while Thomas Robinson was on the bench and routed the Bears (21-3, 8-3) for the second time this season.

NO. 11 MICH. ST. 77, PENN ST. 55: Draymond Green had 23 points and 12 rebounds and made some timely shots for the host Spartans (19-5, 8-3 Big Ten), who pulled within a game of conference-leading Ohio State to set up a big game Saturday on the road against the Buckeyes.

NO. 19 VIRGINIA 68, WAKE 44: Mike Scott made all nine of his shots and scored 19 for the host Cavaliers (19-4, 6-3 ACC), who ended a six-game losing streak against the Demon Deacons.

NO. 22 MICHIGAN 62, NEBRASKA 46: Zack Novak scored 14 to go over 1,000 for his career for the Wolverines (18-7, 8-4). Michigan outscored the Cornhuskers 15-4 to start the second half and improved to 2-4 in Big Ten road games.

UCF 67, MARSHALL 60: Keith Clanton scored 20 for the host Knights (18-6, 7-3 C-USA), and Marcus Jordan hit a key 3-pointer with 14.3 seconds left after the Thundering Herd cut a 14-point deficit to two.

SAINT LEO 71, TAMPA 44: Marcus Ruh had 23 points for the host Lions (11-10, 5-6 Sunshine State), who shot 50.9 percent to 39.5 percent for the Spartans (6-16, 3-10).

UCONN PROPOSES PENALTIES: Connecticut proposed reducing the number of games it will play next season if the NCAA grants a waiver to allow the Huskies to play in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The school is currently barred from the tourney, a penalty for years of below-standard academic results, but it requested a waiver last month.

Self-imposed penalties would include forfeiting the revenue awarded to the Big East for participating in the 2013 tournament, reducing the regular-season games played in the 2012-13 season from 27 to 23 and barring coach Jim Calhoun from meeting off campus with prospective recruits during the fall 2012 contact period.

AIR FORCE: Coach Jeff Reynolds was fired after five seasons. Assistant coach Dave Pilipovich was named interim coach. Reynolds is 11-10 this season and 63-82 overall with the Falcons.

ST. JOHNS: Junior guard Malik Stith withdrew from the team, citing personal reasons.

Women

ST. JOHN'S 67, USF 57: The host Red Storm (16-8, 8-4 Big East) pulled away early in the second half from the short-handed Bulls (12-13, 4-7). USF, which lost its fourth straight conference game, was without leading scorer Jasmine Wynne (concussion) and starting point guard Shalethia Stringfield (personal reasons). Sasha Bernard had a career-high 14 points for the Bulls.

SAINT LEO 74, TAMPA 68: Chelsea Williams had 24 points for the host Lions (7-14, 1-10 Sunshine State), who pulled away from the Spartans (9-13, 2-10) with a 15-2 second-half run.

FLA. SOUTHERN 67, ECKERD 61: The visiting Mocs pulled away late to sweep the season series from the Tritons (12-8, 6-6 SSC).

NO. 6 MIAMI 61, NO. 23 UNC 37: Shenise Johnson scored 19 for the Hurricanes (21-3, 10-1 ACC), who won their 38th straight home game and forced the Tar Heels (17-7, 7-4) into a season-high 35 turnovers.

NO. 14 G'TOWN 56, SETON HALL 51: Sugar Rodgers had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the host Hoyas (19-5, 8-3 Big East), who have won six of seven.

NO. 15 TEXAS A&M 67, KANSAS ST. 36: Kelsey Bone and Karla Gilbert scored 14 each to lead the host Aggies (17-5, 8-3 Big 12) to their fourth straight win heading into Saturday's showdown with league leader Baylor.

NO. 25 ST. BONAVENTURE 69, UMASS 54: Megan Van Tatenhove and Armelia Horton scored 17 each for the Bonnies (23-2, 10-0 Atlantic 10), who tied a school record for wins and set regular-season marks with their 12th straight win and their 11-0 start on the road.

Times wires
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Austin Rivers never looked like a freshman in his first Duke-North Carolina game, especially when he hit a shot that will live on in the lore of this fierce rivalry.

Rivers hit a 3-pointer at the horn to give No. 10 Duke an 85-84 win over No. 5 North Carolina on Wednesday night, snapping the Tar Heels' school-record 31-game home winning streak.

"This is a great feeling," Rivers said in an oncourt interview with ESPN. "UNC's one of the best teams in the country, so for us to come in and not give up and get a win, it means a lot."

Rivers scored a season-high 29 and hit six 3s, the last over 7-footer Tyler Zeller with the Blue Devils (20-4, 7-2) trailing by two in the final seconds. The ball swished through, sending Rivers running down the court in celebration while the rest of his teammates gave chase before mobbing him in front of a stunned UNC crowd.

The 3 capped a wild rally for the Blue Devils, who trailed by 10 with 2:38 left.

Harrison Barnes scored 25 for the Tar Heels (20-4, 7-2), and Zeller had 23 points and 11 rebounds. But Zeller missed two free throws in the final minute, including one with 13.9 seconds left that set up Rivers' winner.

It was a finish befitting the rivalry, from Rivers' shot to Barnes' second-half surge to Zeller accidentally batting an airball into the Duke basket on a rebound attempt, bringing the Blue Devils within a point with 14.2 seconds left.

North Carolina was 8-for-15 from the line in the second half.

"This one hurts," UNC coach Roy Williams said. "Our kids really played and competed and did some really good things. Duke is awfully good."

NO. 2 SYRACUSE 64, NO. 12 G'TOWN 61, OT: Kris Joseph had a career-high 29 points and hit a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute of overtime, and the host Orange (24-1, 11-1 Big East) beat the Hoyas (18-5, 8-4) to give coach Jim Boeheim his 880th career win. Boeheim took sole possession of third place in Division I, passing North Carolina's Dean Smith, and trails Mike Krzyzewski and Bob Knight.

NO. 7 KANSAS 68, NO. 6 BAYLOR 54: Jeff Withey scored a career-high 25 for the visiting Jayhawks (19-5, 9-2 Big 12), who went ahead to stay during a 14-3 first-half run while Thomas Robinson was on the bench and routed the Bears (21-3, 8-3) for the second time this season.

NO. 11 MICH. ST. 77, PENN ST. 55: Draymond Green had 23 points and 12 rebounds and made some timely shots for the host Spartans (19-5, 8-3 Big Ten), who pulled within a game of conference-leading Ohio State.

NO. 19 VIRGINIA 68, WAKE 44: Mike Scott made all nine of his shots and scored 19 for the host Cavaliers (19-4, 6-3 ACC), who ended a six-game losing streak against the Demon Deacons.

NO. 22 MICHIGAN 62, NEBRASKA 46: Zack Novak scored 14 to go over 1,000 for his career for the Wolverines (18-7, 8-4), who improved to 2-4 in Big Ten road games.

UCF 67, MARSHALL 60: Keith Clanton scored 20 for the host Knights (18-6, 7-3 C-USA), and Marcus Jordan hit a key 3-pointer with 14.3 seconds left after UCF's 14-point lead was cut to two.

SAINT LEO 71, TAMPA 44: Marcus Ruh had 23 points for the host Lions (11-10, 5-6 Sunshine State), who shot 50.9 percent to 39.5 percent for the Spartans (6-16, 3-10).

ECKERD 98, FLA. SOUTHERN 90, OT: The host Tritons (16-5, 9-3 SSC) scored the final five of regulation, then Lance Kearse scored Eckerd's first 10 of overtime and finished with 24.

UCONN PROPOSES PENALTIES: Connecticut proposed reducing the number of games it will play next season if the NCAA grants a waiver to allow the Huskies to play in the 2013 NCAA Tournament. The school is currently barred from the tourney, a penalty for years of below-standard academic results, but it requested a waiver last month.

Self-imposed penalties would include forfeiting the revenue awarded to the Big East for participating in the 2013 tournament, reducing the 2012-13 regular-season games from 27 to 23 and barring coach Jim Calhoun from meeting off campus with prospective recruits during the fall 2012 contact period.

AIR FORCE: Coach Jeff Reynolds was fired after five seasons. Assistant coach Dave Pilipovich was named interim coach. Reynolds is 11-10 this season and 63-82 overall with the Falcons.

ST. JOHNS: Junior guard Malik Stith withdrew from the team, citing personal reasons.

Women

ST. JOHN'S 67, USF 57: The host Red Storm (16-8, 8-4 Big East) pulled away early in the second half from the short-handed Bulls (12-13, 4-7). USF, which lost its fourth straight game, was without leading scorer Jasmine Wynne (concussion) and starting point guard Shalethia Stringfield (personal reasons). Sasha Bernard had a career-high 14 points for the Bulls.

SAINT LEO 74, TAMPA 68: Chelsea Williams had 24 points for the host Lions (7-14, 1-10 Sunshine State), who pulled away from the Spartans (9-13, 2-10) with a 15-2 second-half run.

FLA. SOUTHERN 67, ECKERD 61: The visiting Mocs pulled away late to sweep the season series from the Tritons (12-8, 6-6 SSC).

NO. 6 MIAMI 61, NO. 23 UNC 37: Shenise Johnson scored 19 for the Hurricanes (21-3, 10-1 ACC), who won their 38th straight home game and forced the Tar Heels (17-7, 7-4) into a season-high 35 turnovers.

NO. 14 G'TOWN 56, SETON HALL 51: Sugar Rodgers had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the host Hoyas (19-5, 8-3 Big East), who have won six of seven.

NO. 15 TEXAS A&M 67, KANSAS ST. 36: Kelsey Bone and Karla Gilbert scored 14 each to lead the host Aggies (17-5, 8-3 Big 12) to their fourth straight win.

NO. 25 ST. BONAVENTURE 69, UMASS 54: Megan Van Tatenhove and Armelia Horton scored 17 each for the visiting Bonnies (23-2, 10-0 Atlantic 10), who tied a school record for wins.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

ORLANDO — Dwight Howard had 25 points and 24 rebounds, Ryan Anderson scored 27 and the Magic hit 17 3-pointers in a 102-89 victory over the Heat on Wednesday night.

Anderson had five 3s, all in the first half, and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Magic. Howard posted his 20th double double of the season.

Orlando fell two shy of its season high for 3s and set a team record with 42 attempts.

The Magic has won four of five since its season-high four-game losing streak. It has beaten Miami in nine of the past 11 meetings in Orlando.

Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 33 points, but he had only 11 after halftime. LeBron James added 17.

The Heat had its three-game winning streak end.

In the middle of a stretch of 20 games in 32 days before the All-Star break, the Magic got a rare day off from game action Tuesday. It seemed energized from the opening tip against the Heat, racing out to a 17-point lead in the first half.

That cushion was 16 at the start of the fourth quarter thanks to all those 3s.

The Heat got within 89-80 on a basket by Chris Bosh before Jameer Nelson's 3 from the corner pushed the Magic's advantage back to 12 with 3:53 to play. The Heat never got any closer.

Stay, dwight: Magic owner Richard Devos, 85 and in a wheelchair, addressed the media after a locker room visit before the game and said he wants to keep Howard, who has demanded a trade and is eligible to become a free agent after the season.

Several players greeted Devos, but Howard did not acknowledge the owner upon entering the locker room, according to ESPN.com.

"We like to think we're making headway," Devos said of talks with Howard and his representatives. "But I don't know. He probably won't know until the end and I won't either. … You never give up."

MIAMI (89): James 5-15 7-10 17, Bosh 5-13 2-2 12, Anthony 0-1 0-0 0, Cole 4-8 0-0 9, Wade 15-24 3-3 33, Battier 3-5 0-0 8, Pittman 1-2 0-2 2, Haslem 1-4 0-0 2, Miller 1-3 0-0 3, Harris 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 1-1 0-0 3, J.Howard 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 36-76 12-17 89.

ORLANDO (102): Turkoglu 1-6 0-0 3, Anderson 8-19 6-9 27, D.Howard 9-14 7-10 25, Nelson 5-13 0-0 12, J.Richardson 3-12 0-0 9, Q.Richardson 2-4 0-0 6, Davis 2-3 2-2 6, Duhon 1-2 0-0 3, Redick 4-10 0-0 11. Totals 35-83 15-21 102.

Miami 18 32 11 28— 89

Orlando 26 27 24 25— 102

3-Point Goals—Miami 5-15 (Battier 2-4, Jones 1-1, Cole 1-3, Miller 1-3, Wade 0-2, James 0-2), Orlando 17-42 (Anderson 5-11, Redick 3-7, J.Richardson 3-8, Q.Richardson 2-3, Nelson 2-6, Duhon 1-2, Turkoglu 1-4, D.Howard 0-1). Rebounds—Miami 43 (Bosh 9), Orlando 56 (D.Howard 24). Assists—Miami 20 (James 10), Orlando 24 (Turkoglu 7). Fouls—Miami 17, Orlando 17. Technicals—Miami defensive three second. A—18,972.

Times wires
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

BOSTON — No. 15 Florida State thought too much of itself as it climbed to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference and not enough of a scrappy Boston College team that had lost six in a row.

"Starting off the game, what we did, not respecting that team — we weren't as focused as we should have been and that caught up with us at the end of the game," guard Michael Snaer said Wednesday night after BC beat the Seminoles 64-60 to snap their seven-game winning streak. "We get national recognition, and we didn't handle it well."

Jordan Daniels scored a career-high 19, hitting four 3-pointers as the Eagles upset an FSU team that went in tied atop the ACC. Boston College (8-16, 3-7) had lost nine of 11 and had not beaten a ranked team in three years.

But the Eagles took the lead midway through the first half by hitting six 3-pointers during a 23-3 run that turned a 13-point deficit into a seven-point lead. Daniels started it with a jumper, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers that cut the deficit from seven points to one.

"It got my whole team going. It let us be able to make plays," he said. "They had something to focus on defensively, and it let other guys open up."

Snaer scored 16 for FSU (16-7, 7-2 ACC). But he shot 6-for-18 from the floor and made 1 of 7 3s.

"I'm disappointed in myself, and I'm disappointed with the effort," he said. "We didn't have a sense of urgency to get to the shooters."

Matt Humphrey scored 15 and Ryan Anderson had 14 points and six rebounds for the Eagles.

FSU, which had attained its highest AP ranking since 1998, had been tied with North Carolina atop the ACC. The Seminoles won the head-to-head matchup.

But they couldn't beat the team that entered the night at the bottom of the conference standings.

"That's the way it is in the ACC, if you're not on your game. Somebody else will be on theirs and that showed up in the result," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said.

Times wires
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

BOSTON — No. 15 Florida State thought too much of itself as it climbed to the top of the ACC and not enough of a scrappy Boston College team that had lost six in a row.

"Starting off the game, what we did, not respecting that team — we weren't as focused as we should have been and that caught up with us at the end of the game," guard Michael Snaer said Wednesday night after BC beat the Seminoles 64-60 to snap their seven-game winning streak. "We get national recognition, and we didn't handle it well."

Jordan Daniels scored a career-high 19, hitting four 3-pointers as the Eagles upset an FSU team that remained tied atop the ACC when North Carolina lost to Duke. Boston College (8-16, 3-7) had lost nine of 11 and had not beaten a ranked team in three years.

But the Eagles took the lead midway through the first half by hitting six 3-pointers during a 23-3 run that turned a 13-point deficit into a seven-point lead. Daniels started it with a jumper, then hit back-to-back 3-pointers that cut the deficit from seven points to one.

"It got my whole team going. It let us be able to make plays," he said. "They had something to focus on defensively, and it let other guys open up."

Snaer scored 16 for FSU (16-7, 7-2 ACC). But he shot 6-for-18 from the floor and made 1 of 7 3s.

"I'm disappointed in myself, and I'm disappointed with the effort," he said. "We didn't have a sense of urgency to get to the shooters."

FSU is in a three-way tie atop the ACC with North Carolina and Duke after the Blue Devils' win at Chapel Hill. But the Seminoles couldn't beat the team that went in at the bottom of the standings.

"That's the way it is in the ACC, if you're not on your game. Somebody else will be on theirs and that showed up in the result," FSU coach Leonard Hamilton said.

Times wires
Wednesday, February 8, 2012

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Next season's Winter Classic will feature the Red Wings and Maple Leafs at the 110,00-seat University of Michigan football stadium, the league is expected to announce at two news conferences this morning.

The matchup and location have been reported for weeks. Michigan's Board of Regents on Wednesday authorized athletic director Dave Brandon to seek a contract with the league for a game Jan. 1.

The game could draw the league's largest crowd. The Wolverines and Michigan State attracted a Guinness World Record 104,173 for a hockey game on Dec. 11, 2010. The stadium's official capacity is 109,901, but Michigan has drawn more than 114,000 for a football game.

game highlights: The Oilers' Sam Gagner scored two goals to give him eight in the past four games, but the Red Wings won their 18th straight at home, 4-2. Edmonton coach Tom Renney was back behind the bench after missing Monday's game at Toronto because he was hit in the head by a puck at the morning skate. … Sabres goalie Ryan Miller stopped 36 shots for his second shutout in three games and the host Sabres beat the Bruins 6-0. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff watched from the press box two days after breaking three ribs in a practice collision.

around the league: Canucks center Henrik Sedin, who has the league's second-longest active streak of consecutive games played at 552, missed practice and was in a walking boot after a slap shot hit his right ankle Tuesday vs. the Predators. The Canucks play the Wild tonight.

First Period—1, Detroit, Franzen 21 (White, Datsyuk), 13:18 (pp). Penalties—Jones, Edm, major (fighting), 6:03; Abdelkader, Det, served by Bertuzzi, minor-major (cross-checking, fighting), 6:03; Belanger, Edm (holding stick), 12:10; Emmerton, Det (holding), 15:27; Stuart, Det (boarding), 16:13.

Second Period—2, Detroit, Emmerton 6 (Abdelkader, Cleary), 2:45. 3, Edm, Gagner 12 (Jones, Petry), 11:08. Penalties—Smid, Edm (tripping), 5:11; Belanger, Edm (boarding), 14:17; Holmstrom, Det (goaltender interference), 15:29; Detroit bench, served by Bertuzzi (too many men), 18:34.

Third Period—4, Edm, Gagner 13 (Paajarvi), 8:23 (pp). 5, Detroit, Miller 11 (Abdelkader), 10:46. 6, Detroit, Zetterberg 10 (Stuart, Kronwall), 14:44. Penalties—Hemsky, Edm (tripping), 3:13; Abdelkader, Det (tripping), 7:31; White, Det (tripping), 15:42. Shots—Edm 4-5-8—17. Detroit 5-15-10—30. PP opportunities—Edm 1 of 7; Detroit 1 of 4. Goalies—Edm, Khabibulin 11-16-4 (30 shots-26 saves). Detroit, MacDonald 1-1-1 (17-15).

First Period—1, Buff, Ehrhoff 4 (Myers), 6:23. 2, Buff, Pominville 18 (Leino, Weber), 14:49. Penalties—Thornton, Bos, major (fighting), 2:26; McCormick, Buf, major (fighting), 2:26; Lucic, Bos, major (fighting), 12:16; Kaleta, Buf, major (fighting), 12:16.

Second Period—3, Buff, Ennis 4 (Sekera), 1:52. 4, Buff, Kaleta 5 (Gaustad), 18:11. Penalties—Chara, Bos (interference), 4:00; McQuaid, Bos (delay of game), 14:20; Thornton, Bos, minor-major-misconduct (instigator, fighting), 19:05; Weber, Buf, minor-major (roughing, fighting), 19:05.

Third Period—5, Buff, Pominville 19 (Leino, Sekera), 1:18. 6, Buff, Stafford 9 (Ennis, Gerbe), 18:58. Penalties—McQuaid, Bos, double minor-misconduct (roughing), 17:37; Lucic, Bos, minor-misconduct (cross-checking), 17:37; Gaustad, Buf (roughing), 17:37; Kaleta, Buf, minor-misconduct (roughing), 17:37; Weber, Buf (roughing), 17:37. Shots—Boston 12-7-17—36. Buff 9-11-9—29. PP opportunities—Boston 0 of 0; Buff 0 of 2. Goalies—Boston, Rask 11-7-2 (10 shots-7 saves), Thomas (1:52 second, 19-16). Buff, R.Miller 15-15-3 (36-36).

Times staff
Thursday, February 9, 2012

Action sports

Winter Dew Tour, 2 p.m., Ch. 8

Autos

NHRA: Winternationals (taped), 11 p.m., ESPN2

College basketball

Butler at Cleveland State, 11 a.m., ESPN2

Ball State at Kent State, 11 a.m., ESPNU

Louisville at West Virginia, noon, ESPN

Women: Navy at Army, noon, CBSSN

Miami at Florida State, 1 p.m., Ch. 44; 1040-AM

Connecticut at Syracuse, 1 p.m., Ch. 10; 1010-AM

Nebraska at Penn State, 1 p.m., ESPNU

Ark.-Little Rock at Middle Tennessee State, 1 p.m., ESPN2

Georgia at Mississippi State, 1:30 p.m., Ch. 38

Kansas St. at Texas, 2 p.m., ESPN

Utah at Arizona, 2 p.m., Sun Sports

Navy at Army, 2:30 p.m., CBSSN

Cincinnati at Marquette, 3 p.m., ESPNU

New Mexico State at Utah State, 3 p.m., ESPN2

Tennessee at Florida, 4 p.m., Ch. 38; 620-AM

Maryland at Duke, 4 p.m., ESPN; 1040-AM

Clemson at Wake Forest, 4 p.m., Sun Sports

California at UCLA, 4 p.m., FSN

San Diego State at UNLV, 4 p.m., NBCSN

USF at Providence, 4 p.m., 1250-AM

Women: Charlotte at Duquesne, 4:30 p.m., CBSSN

George Washington at Richmond, 5 p.m., ESPNU

Wichita State at Creighton, 5 p.m., ESPN2

Michigan State at Ohio State, 6 p.m., ESPN

Women: Texas A&M at Baylor, 6 p.m., FSN

DePaul at Notre Dame (taped), 6 p.m., BHSN

Women: TCU at Colorado State, 6:30 p.m., CBSSN

Harvard at Princeton, 7 p.m., ESPNU

Alabama at LSU, 7 p.m. ESPN2

Women: Villanova at USF, 7 p.m., 1010-AM

Women: Georgetown at Connecticut (taped), 8 p.m., BHSN

Xavier at Temple, 9 p.m., ESPN2

Kentucky at Vanderbilt, 9 p.m., ESPN

Boise State at Air Force, 9 p.m., CBSSN

Women: Southern Cal at California, 11 p.m., Sun Sports

Golf

Europe: Dubai Desert Classic, 4 a.m., Golf

Women's Australian Open, 10 a.m., Golf

PGA: Pebble Beach Pro-Am, 1 p.m., Golf

Europe: Dubai Desert Classic (taped), 3 p.m., Golf

PGA: Pebble Beach Pro-Am, 3 p.m., Ch. 10

Champions: Allianz Championship (taped), 6:30 p.m., Golf

High school soccer

Girls 3A final: Ponte Vedra vs. Plantation American Heritage ,11 a.m., BHSN

Girls 4A final: Lakeland Jenkins vs. Cape Coral Baker, 1:30 p.m., BHSN

Girls 5A final: Oviedo Hagerty vs. Fort Lauderdale Aquinas, 4 p.m., BHSN

NBA

Magic at Bucks, 9 p.m., FSN; 1010-AM

NHL

Jets at Penguins, 2 p.m., NHL

Lightning at Sabres, 7 p.m., Sun Sports; 970-AM

Canadiens at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m., NHL

Rugby

USA Sevens, 3:30 p.m., Ch. 8

Soccer

EPL: Liverpool at Manchester United, 7:30 a.m., ESPN2

EPL: Chelsea at Everton 10 a.m., FSC

EPL: Newcastle at Tottenham, 12:30 p.m., FSC

Italian: Palermo at Cagliari, 2:30 p.m., FSC

Mexican: Guadalajara at Monterrey, 6 p.m., TeleFutura

Mexican: U.A. de G at Pachuca, 8 p.m., TeleFutura

Mexican: America at Atlas, 10 p.m., TeleFutura

Australian: Brisbane at Wellington, 11 p.m., FSC

Tennis

Davis Cup: U.S. at Switzerland, 8:30 a.m., Tennis

TV: BHSN: Bright House Sports Network; CBSSN: CBS Sports Network; FSC: Fox Soccer Channel; NBCSN: NBC Sports Network