College Basketball
ORLANDO, Fla. — B.J. Taylor scored 26 points, A.J. Davis added 17 and Central Florida held off Colorado’s late rally for a 79-74 victory on Wednesday night in the first round of the NIT.
Matt Williams also scored 17 points for No. 4 seed UCF (22-11), playing in its first postseason in five years. The Knights will face the Illinois State-UC Irvine winner in the second round.
Colorado used a 15-4 run in a 1:28 span to pull to 77-74 with 14 seconds left. Derrick White made a 3-pointer and converted a 3-point play during the stretch.
White scored 30 points, made three 3-pointers and had six assists to lead No. 5 seed Colorado (19-15). Johnson finished with 13 points.
SEATTLE — Washington fired coach Lorenzo Romar on Wednesday after 15 seasons at the school, a fate that seemed certain once the Huskies failed to receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight year despite a steady stream of NBA talent.
Romar was 298-196 in his 15 seasons with the Huskies and was responsible for reinvigorating a downtrodden program, taking Washington to six NCAA Tournaments and three appearances in the Sweet 16. But Romar’s shortcoming was never getting Washington to a Final Four despite a glut of talented players.
Washington went 9-22 this season, the worst of Romar’s tenure, and was 2-16 in conference play.
NBA
SAN ANTONIO — Spurs star LaMarcus Aldridge was cleared to return to full basketball activities and will start Wednesday night against the Portland Trail Blazers with no restrictions, the team announced.
Aldridge missed two games after being diagnosed with a minor heart arrhythmia, but San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich revealed Wednesday that the 31-year-old forward has been concerned about the condition all season.
Aldridge was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome — an abnormality that can cause a rapid heartbeat — as a rookie in 2007. He missed the final seven games of his first season while he was with Portland and also was held out 10 days in the preseason in 2011.
NFL
BOSTON — The Patriots have re-signed Pro Bowl linebacker Dont’a Hightower.
Hightower’s agency, SportsTrust Advisors, tweeted the agreement on Wednesday and his agent Pat Dye, Jr confirmed it. The new pact is for four years and $43.5 million.
It brings back one of the Patriots’ biggest free agents, who has helped New England win two Super Bowls in his five NFL seasons. He has 372 tackles and 17 sacks since being a first-round pick out of Alabama in 2012.
Women’s Hockey
The U.S. women’s hockey team is threatening to boycott the world championships because of a wage dispute.
The team announced Wednesday that they will not participate in the International Ice Hockey Federation tournament that begins March 31 in Plymouth, Michigan.
Players say they informed USA Hockey that they would not report to training camp March 21 unless meaningful progress is made. The U.S. is the defending champion after winning the gold medal last.
The players are seeking a contract with USA Hockey that they say “includes appropriate compensation.”
Associated Press
