LOS ANGELES (AP) — The United States will play Puerto Rico tonight in Los Angeles in the title game of the World Baseball Classic. The matchup was set up by the U.S. team’s 2-1 nail-biter victory Tuesday night over Japan at Dodger Stadium. A daylong downpour, rare in Southern California, couldn’t dampen the resilient U.S. team led by former Major League Baseball manager Jim Leyland (LAY’-land). Brandon Crawford scored the tie-breaking run when Japanese pitcher Noburhiro Matsuda bobbled Adam Jones’ grounder toward third base in the third inning.
CHAPEL HILL, North Carolina (AP) — North Carolina Coach Roy Williams is preaching the value of rebounding as he gets his Tar Heels ready for another run for the men’s NCAAA championship. The tournament is now down to 16 teams remaining, and the Tar Heels will face Butler on Friday night in Memphis, Tennessee. North Carolina (29-7) has been a strong rebounding team throughout the season, leading the nation with a rebounding margin of 13-1. It’s the highest average for a Division I team since Michigan State out-rebounded opponents by more than 15 a game in 2001.
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials say three of the country’s athletes have been retroactively disqualified from the 2012 Olympics after failing doping retests. The three women who were disqualified include two hammer throwers and a triple jumper. None of the trio was a medalist. Russian officials didn’t say which substances were involved and the International Olympic Committee had no immediate comment.
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Vlad Brodziansky scored 20 points, Kenrich Williams had the first triple-double in TCU history and the Horned Frogs rolled over Richmond 86-68 to win their bracket of the NIT and advance to the Final Four for the first time. Williams had 11 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists for TCU (22-15), which was seeded fourth and knocked out top-seeded Iowa in the second round. Desmond Bane added 13 points and Alex Robinson had 12. In another Round Three NIT showdown, Georgia Tech defeated Mississippi 74-66.
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Rice coach Mike Rhoades is returning to VCU to become the Rams’ head coach. The 44-year-old Rhoades spent five years as an assistant to Shaka Smart from 2009-14. He replaces Will Wade, who resigned Monday night to take the same position at LSU. Rhoades told Fox 26 TV in Houston the VCU job is a “dream come true.” Virginia Commonwealth University has not officially announced the hire, but scheduled a news conference for Wednesday to introduce its new men’s coach.
