Fifa expels Zimbabwe

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Zimbabwe have been expelled from the 2018 World Cup qualifying competition for failing to pay a former coach.


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Zurich - Zimbabwe have been expelled from the 2018 World Cup qualifying competition for failing to pay a former coach, soccer's governing body Fifa said on Thursday.


“The expulsion comes as a result of the non-payment of an outstanding debt by ZIFA (the Zimbabwe Football Federation) to the coach Jose Claudinei Georgini,” Fifa said in a statement.


Georgini, a Brazilian usually known as Valinhos, coached Zimbabwe in 2008.


ZIFA had failed to pay the outstanding amount despite twice being ordered to do so by Fifa's disciplinary committee, Fifa said.


On the second occasion, ZIFA were told they would be expelled from the World Cup qualifiers without further warning if they did not settle up.


“ZIFA was informed that the expulsion would be ordered automatically without any further decision needed from the Fifa Disciplinary Committee and, once more, ZIFA did not appeal the decision,” said Fifa.


“Given ZIFA's failure to make any payment within the granted periods and the request presented by the creditor, the Fifa Disciplinary Committee - in line with its second decision - ordered the expulsion of ZIFA from the preliminary competition of the 2018 Fifa World Cup Russia.”


The African zone qualifiers are due to kick off in October, with the draw to be made in St Petersburg in July.


Known as the Warriors, Zimbabwe are 124th in the Fifa world rankings and have never qualified for the World Cup. They have twice played at the African Nations Cup, in 2004 and 2006. – Reuters






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Bale’s Spanish adventure turning sour

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Gareth Bale was warned about how fickle the Real Madrid fans can be when he signed for the Spanish giants in 2013.


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Madrid - Gareth Bale may have been warned by his new employers about how fickle the Real Madrid fans can be when he signed for the Spanish giants for a world record fee in 2013.


Just how fickle is now painfully clear to the Wales winger, who has become a target for supporters angry with Real's recent slump and has been whistled along with captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas in recent outings at the Bernabeu.


Bale has not scored for the European champions in nine matches since he converted a penalty against Cordoba on January 24 and is struggling to shake off a perception that he neglects his defensive duties and sometimes selfishly opts to shoot himself when a team mate is better placed.


That Bale had a successful debut season in Spain, scoring the winning goal against Barcelona in the King's Cup final and netting in the Champions League showpiece against Atletico Madrid, has quickly been forgotten.


While it is unfair to blame Bale for all of Real's recent woes, it cannot be denied that he appears to be struggling for form and confidence.


His travails have even prompted speculation he could be sold, with English Premier League side Manchester United said to be interested.


The 25-year-old, who barely made an impact in Tuesday's 4-3 Champions League reverse at home to Schalke 04, has a chance to set things right when second-placed Real host Levante in La Liga on Sunday.


By the time the game kicks off, they could find themselves four points behind leaders Barcelona.


Barca leapfrogged their great rivals, who they host for the 'Clasico' on March 22, into top spot last weekend and play at Eibar on Saturday.


Real centre back Pepe defended Bale, who he described as “shy”, in an interview with Spanish radio on Thursday.


“Ball hog? A forward lives on goals,” the Portugal international said.


“When he gets into a position to score it's the instinct of the killer. If you put me in front of the goal I will shoot.”


Champions Atletico Madrid, six points behind Real in third, are looking to get back to winning ways after draws against Sevilla and Valencia when they play at Espanyol on Saturday.


Fourth-placed Valencia can climb above Atletico if they avoid defeat at home to Deportivo La Coruna on Friday. – Reuters






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Falcao resigned to United exit

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Manchester United centre forward Radamel Falcao is resigned to his stay at Old Trafford being short-lived.


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Manchester United centre forward Radamel Falcao is resigned to his stay at Old Trafford being short-lived, with sources close to the Colombian striker now convinced the 29-year-old simply joined the wrong club last summer.


Speculation about Falcao’s future has been rife as the South American has struggled during a loan spell from Monaco to recapture the form that made him a world superstar.


But in the wake of being relegated to United’s Under 21 team on Tuesday night (left), it is understood Falcao realises that his dream of a long-term deal at United is over.


Falcao has scored only four times since he joined the club out of the blue on the final day of last summer’s transfer window.


He was taken off during the home win against Sunderland last month and has not played first-team football since.


Sources close to him last night revealed his ‘total shock’ at being told to report for reserve-team duty on Tuesday night, just 24 hours after being left on the bench as United failed to rescue their FA Cup tie against Arsenal at Old Trafford.


Falcao and his allies believe now that United manager Louis van Gaal never had a particular fancy for him and only agreed to take him on deadline day because other targets had proved too hard to get. – Daily Mail






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Chelsea acted like ‘babies’

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PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic accused Chelsea's players of acting like 'babies' during his side's triumphant draw at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League.


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Paris Saint-Germain striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic accused Chelsea's players of acting like “babies” after he was sent off during his side's triumphant draw at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League.


Ibrahimovic was shown a straight red card by Dutch referee Bjorn Kuipers in the 32nd minute of Wednesday's game following a 50-50 challenge with Oscar, despite the fact that both players had seemed equally committed to the tackle.


Kuipers was quickly surrounding by Chelsea players in the immediate aftermath of the incident and Ibrahimovic expressed irritation with their behaviour.


“I don't know if I have to get angry or start to laugh,” he told reporters at Stamford Bridge. “For me, when I saw the red card I was like, 'The guy doesn't know what he's doing.'


“That is not the worst. The worst is when I got the red card, all the Chelsea players come around. It felt like I had a lot of babies around me.”


Despite Ibrahimovic's dismissal, PSG twice came from behind to force a 2-2 extra-time draw that took the French champions into the quarter-finals on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate draw.


“It was an amazing performance because we were playing with one less (player),” Ibrahimovic added.


“They played with big hearts. It's not easy to play with 10 guys, especially against a team like Chelsea. We showed quality and big heart.”


PSG coach Laurent Blanc coach suggested after the game that his club would ask European governing body Uefa to review Ibrahimovic's dismissal.– AFP






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Ancelotti running out of Real friends

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Carlo Ancelotti's position as coach of Real Madrid is under scrutiny following a string of poor performances from the ten-time European champions.


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The woman in the main entrance of the Bernabeu Stadium two hours before kick-off against Schalke had come to support Real Madrid but not Carlo Ancelotti.


She had the words “Soy de Mou” stitched into her club tracksuit jacket. Mou is a reference to Jose Mourinho and the sentiment was “I'm one of his”.


It was not a crude, home-made alteration either; she had asked the manufacturer to sew in the slogan with the same lettering they might use for “European Cup winners 2014-15”.


The fan in question may or may not have been one of those who whistled Ancelotti's name a few minutes before kick-off as it was read out to supporters along with the teams. Moments earlier, images of last season's Champions League triumph against Atletico in Lisbon had been shown on the big screens above the pitch. No one seemed to make the connection.


As Ancelotti said in his pre-match press conference: “When we win it's got nothing to do with me, when we lose it's my fault.” Post-match, after Real had gone through to the Champions League quarter-finals despite a nerve-shredding 4-3 loss, he was even asked if, “Knowing the business as he does, would he be surprised if he was sacked after defeat to Schalke?” He took it all with the usual calm. Sometimes, neutral spectators could be forgiven for wishing he would be a little bit more Mourinho-esque with the answers: “Sack me? Sack me nine months after I won the trophy the club had been trying to claim for 12 years?”


Outside the press room Cristiano Ronaldo had told waiting television crews that he would not speak to them again until the end of the season. He had not enjoyed scoring twice yet still being on the losing side. “Embarrassing” he could be seen saying to team-mate Karim Benzema.


Neither had Ronaldo appreciated being told by his captain Iker Casillas to make his way to the centre circle at the end of the game to applaud the supporters, who promptly got out the white handkerchiefs and voiced their disapproval with some more whistling. Casillas had been at fault for the first and second goals but the keeper had saved at the death to prevent Schalke going through.


Gareth Bale wore the face of a man not quite sure what was happening. Against the German side he had his poorest game for a long time. But is it any wonder when his first mistake is always met with such vocal disapproval?


The late-night football radio programmes asked if he should be left out of the Clasico against Barcelona a week on Sunday - a two-thirds majority said yes. It would certainly make the Barça coach Luis Enrique's job a lot easier at the Nou Camp on 22 March if he does not have to contemplate Bale attacking the space in behind left-back Jordi Alba.


It is hard to understand why Ancelotti does not have his face printed on a huge banner behind the goal as might be the case if he had won the European Cup at Liverpool, for example. And it is difficult to know in how many finals Bale has to score decisive goals before his worth is understood.


Such developments are being closely watched in England. Manchester United wanted Ancelotti to follow David Moyes last year. Ancelotti wants another job in England. United would love to have Ronaldo back at Old Trafford. It would have to be on their terms but it would be a coup for the club.


United also tried to sign Bale from Tottenham just before he went to Real in 2013. They have made it known he is not an unrealistic target for the end of the season. Real want David De Gea to replace Casillas and they are encouraged with every passing week that he does not sign a new deal at Old Trafford.


There is just over a month before Real are back in the Champions League. If the draw is kind you can still see them reaching the last four without particularly impressing and being back to full strength come the semi-finals.


No one is ruling out Real Madrid being in Berlin for the final. But this mid-season slump will leave its mark whatever happens. The chips have been thrown up in the air and some - clearly, not all but some - could even land back in the Premier League. – The Independent






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Bayern dreaming of home final

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Bayern Munich could be forgiven for sneaking a peek towards the Champions League final in Berlin in June after their 7-0 destruction of Shakhtar Donetsk.


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Bayern Munich could be forgiven for sneaking a peek towards the Champions League final in Berlin in June after their 7-0 destruction of Shakhtar Donetsk sent them through to the last eight.


The five-time European champions, who last won in 2013 and also played in the 2010 and 2012 finals, were in a class of their own as they equalled the biggest win in knockout stage history of the Champions League.


“We desperately want to go to Berlin,” said defender Jerome Boateng, who was on target on Wednesday. “We will have to see who we will face in the last eight and it is still a long way until the final.”


Bayern played the 2012 final in their home stadium, losing to Chelsea on penalties. This year's final in Berlin is their chance to make amends with a win on German soil.


They rightly count themselves among the select group of favourites for the title, having had another extremely consistent season both at home and in Europe.


In the Champions League, they have yet to let in a goal in four home games, scoring 13 times themselves.


Coach Pep Guardiola had said before Wednesday's second leg that he was aware of what to expect if his team were eliminated.


He can expect even more pressure for the quarter-finals with expectations now sky-high in Munich.


The domestic league title looks set to stay in Munich with Bayern 11 points clear at the top while a German Cup defence is also on track.


But it is the European trophy that Bayern want to lift again and that Guardiola needs in order to turn his second season at the Bavarians into a potentially legendary one.


With title holders Real Madrid showing none of their dominance of last season, former winners Chelsea eliminated and only Barcelona in the kind of form that could seriously threaten Bayern over two games, the enthusiasm is understandable.


With captain Philipp Lahm set to return from a broken ankle, Medhi Benatia fit again and defender Holger Badstuber in fine form after almost two years out, Bayern will be even stronger in the closing stages of all three competitions.


Long-term injury absentees Thiago Alcantara and Javi Martinez are also working towards their return to action, further boosting Guardiola's options.


“We have earned the great respect of football-playing Europe,” Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told reporters. “Now I don't think we are on a club's wish list for the last eight draw.” – Reuters






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News sport : American tournament preview: Top seed SMU still hungry after NCAA snub last year

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The Dagger will be previewing this week's eight marquee conference tournaments. Here's our look at the American Athletic Conference tournament:


American Conference Tournament

Dates: March 12-15

Site: Hartford, CT. (XL Center)

Top four seeds: 1. SMU 2. Tulsa 3. Cincinnati 4. Temple

Draw: Click here http://ift.tt/1xf5QvW


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Best draw: SMU didn’t lose a game to any opponent on its side of the bracket during the regular season. That track record helped it earn the top seed and an easier road to the championship game. Possible semifinal matchups with Memphis or Temple certainly won’t be cakewalks, but it beats facing a Cincinnati team it lost twice to in the regular season before getting to the title game. Worst draw: Cincinnati is likely to have the three toughest games if it’s going to play for a championship. Unless something odd happens, the Bearcats will start with defending national champs UConn and then move on Tulsa before encountering the winner of the other half of the bracket. Assuming it unfolds with those opponents, it’s a tougher slate of games than any other team would face. Three players to watch: • James Woodard, G, Tulsa — Leads the team in scoring at 14.9 points a game and is coming off a 40-point performance in the regular season finale at SMU. • Nic Moore, G, SMU — The junior can be a bit streaky offensively, but when he’s making shots, he is one of the toughest guards in the conference. He enters the tournament having made only six of his previous 24 field goal attempts. • Octavius Ellis, F, Cincinnati — The only player on the Bearcats roster who is averaging at least 10 points per game. He scores 10 points with eight rebounds and two blocks and probably needs to turn it up to carry his team to a title here. Bubble implications: Tulsa doesn’t have the strength of schedule and it lacks the marquee wins to any confidence its going dancing, even though it has 14 conference wins. The Golden Hurricanes absolutely must survive and advance here. Anything short of a run to the championship game and this team will be sweating it out on Sunday. In fact, it could make that run, lose the championship game and still not get in depending on how other tournaments turn out. Basically, Tulsa needs to win here to remove any doubts.


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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Calgary Flames defying injuries, stats and logic

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The Calgary Flames weren’t supposed to be a playoff team this season. Yet here they are, third in the Pacific Division.


The Flames were supposed to be cooked after losing defenseman Mark Giordano to injury for the season, their captain in every sense of the term. Yet here they are, hanging tough, going 5-3-2 in their last 10.


The Flames couldn’t possibly sustain the shooting percentage that’s carried them all season. Yet they remain sixth in the NHL at even strength. And then on Wednesday night, they finished with a preposterous shooting percentage of 26.1 in a 6-3 win over the first-place Anaheim Ducks – a win that featured a second period in which the Flames scored three times on just four shots on goal.


It was a game in which the Ducks took a 2-0 lead in the first 2:51 of the game, having lost in regulation just three times in their previous 38 games in which they scored the first goal.


It was a game in which the Ducks dominated in possession: 62.63 percent corsi-for vs. 37.37 percent for the Flames. (The Flames were out-possessed in the second period, and then were dominated in the third after establishing their lead.)


It was a game that featured something just as confounding as unsustainable stats: Deryk Engelland fighting Patrick Maroon after that two-goal deficit, and the Flames tying the game within the next seven minutes of the first period.


“It was huge. He’s a leadership guy. He saw an opportunity to change the tide, and I think he did that,” said defenseman Kris Russell.


It all flies in the face of logic. We all wait for their bubble to burst. But to the Flames’ credit, this is the culmination of two years under Bob Hartley in which the veteran coach instilled a tireless work ethic and a lack of ‘quit’ in the face of adversity for any of these players. It’s not grit or truculence or any of the other clichés associated with team president Brian Burke; it’s being one of the toughest outs in hockey, which the Flames have been under Hartley.


And then this season, they’re getting better than expected goaltending from the likes of Karri Ramo (29 saves). They’re getting a Calder worthy season from Johnny Gaudreau, who had two goals vs. the Ducks and had coach Bob Hartley calling it his best game as a pro.


“He was quick. He was supersonic,” he said. “We were watching Johnny like fans from the bench.”


So Calgary continues its inexplicable playoff push, against the odds and against logic. But we’ve seen this movie before.


Teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2013 and the Colorado Avalanche last season had unsustainable shooting and better than expected goaltending, and then fell off a cliff in the following season. It’s a short-term high followed by a painful detox, with the anti-analytics gloaters left find their next outlier to use as troll-bait for the smarts.


But try telling that to the Flames as they continue their playoff push, confounding as it is.






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United can’t afford to lose to Spurs

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Manchester United's season reaches a pivotal stage in the Premier League on Sunday at home to Tottenham Hotspur.


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London - Out of the FA Cup and with Champions League qualification hanging in the balance, Manchester United's season reaches a pivotal stage in the Premier League on Sunday at home to Tottenham Hotspur.


United were knocked out of the Cup by Arsenal in the quarter-finals on Monday, a result which effectively ended their hopes of major silverware for the second season in a row.


Finishing in the top four and qualifying for Europe's top tier competition is now considered essential but United's 10-game run-in to the end of the season also includes matches against Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal.


Fourth-placed United, who have 53 points from 28 matches, hold a slender two-point advantage over resurgent Liverpool, while Spurs are a further point back in sixth.


Tottenham have won at Old Trafford in the last two seasons having not previously tasted victory there since 1989 and they are unbeaten against United in their last five meetings.


The Manchester side can ill-afford another loss to Mauricio Pochettino's team but, after defeat by Arsenal exposed their much-discussed flaws, manager Louis van Gaal knows his side must recover quickly with a top-four finish at stake.


“All the players are very disappointed and that's logical,” the Dutchman said after the Arsenal defeat. “We have to see how we recover from that.


“I can't say the motivation of the team was bad - it's always good. We showed fantastic fighting spirit again.


“This is a big blow for us but we are sportsmen, so we have to recover.”


Champions Manchester City travel to relegation-threatened Burnley in Saturday's late kick-off knowing they must not allow leaders Chelsea to extend their five-point lead at the top.


Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side host Southampton on the back of their surprise Champions League defeat on away goals by Paris St Germain at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.


Third-placed Arsenal welcome London rivals West Ham United to the Emirates on Saturday hoping to give themselves a bit of breathing space from the teams battling it out for fourth.


Liverpool are the side to beat on current form, however, as Brendan Rodgers's team are unbeaten in the league since mid-December and are ready to pounce if United falter.


They travel to ninth-placed Swansea City on Monday, hoping to record their third win of the season against the Welsh side after beating them at Anfield in the league and League Cup. – Reuters






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10-man PSG stun Chelsea

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Paris St Germain reached the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals after securing a brave 2-2 draw with Chelsea.


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London - Thiago Silva's extra-time header sent Paris St Germain into the Champions League quarter-finals on away goals after they overcame the sending-off of talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic to secure a brave 2-2 draw with Chelsea on Wednesday.


PSG, who had striker Ibrahimovic dismissed after 31 minutes, went through after the two sides battled to a 3-3 draw over the two legs of their last-16 tie.


The deciding goal was headed home in the 114th minute by Thiago Silva, who redeemed himself after he had given away the penalty nine minutes earlier that put Chelsea 2-1 ahead by handling a high cross.


Eden Hazard coolly converted that spot kick in the 95th minute which looked like settling a fiery tie that threatened to boil over several times, but also had plenty of good football.


“Our performance was not good enough,” Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho told Sky Sports.


“The opponent was stronger than us, they coped better with the pressure of the games. Because they had 10 men we felt more the pressure of winning and they had nothing to lose.


“We couldn't cope with that, we concede two goals in two set pieces, that is difficult to accept.”


The pendulum seemed to swing Chelsea's way when Ibrahimovic saw red for a clumsy challenge on Chelsea midfielder Oscar, but the visitors never gave up the fight against the side that knocked them out at the quarter-final stage last year.


They came storming back after Gary Cahill gave Chelsea the lead when he lashed home after 81 minutes and their never-say-die attitude was rewarded with four minutes of normal time to go.


Former Chelsea defender David Luiz scored with a powerful header from a corner that flew in off the underside of the bar to make it 1-1 on the night and force extra time.


The French side should have taken the lead after 58 minutes when Edinson Cavani rounded goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, but he hit the inside of the near post.


Despite an electrifying start to the match that included an attempt from Cavani after two minutes, and end-to-end play, neither team actually had an effort on target in the first half.


Yet the football both were producing was ruggedly entertaining with Chelsea's Hazard creating opportunities for his front men which they could not capitalise on.


PSG dominated possession but Chelsea were never seriously troubled and Ibrahimovic had a forgettable 30 minutes before departing.


Costa was unlucky not to win a first-half penalty after a mazy run through the Chelsea defence ended when he appeared to be tripped by Cavani.


But it was PSG's fans who celebrated a famous success as Chelsea lost to a French side for the first time in the Champions League. – Reuters






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News sport : NHL Three Stars: Flames rout Ducks; Tyler Bozak, Leafs hero

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No. 1 Star: Tyler Bozak, Toronto Maple Leafs


Bozak scored a game-tying power play goal and then scored the lone goal in the shootout as the Toronto Maple Leafs did themselves no favors with a 4-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Sonnets will be composed to commemorate this victory.


No. 2 Star: Johnny Gaudreau, Calgary Flames


Johnny Hockey scored two goals to close within three points of the rookie lead, as the Flames rolled the Anaheim Ducks, 6-3.


No. 3 Star: Cam Talbot, New York Rangers


The backup was strong again for the Blueshirts, making 28 saves in their 3-1 victory over the Washington Capitals to move into first place in the Metro and overall in the NHL. One of his best saves came against Nicklas Backstrom:





Honorable Mention: Alex Ovechkin scored his 45th of the season. … Tyler Ennis scored his 17th for the Sabres. … Ryan Getzlaf scored two goals for Anaheim. … Matt Stajan had two goals for Calgary. … Kris Russell had three assists.


Did You Know? The Flames scored three goals on four shots in the second period.


Dishonorable Mention: Alex Ovechkin was given an illegal check to the head penalty. … Mike Weber put the puck over the glass, leading to Bozak’s power-play goal. … Ryan Kesler was a minus-3.






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News sport : Andy Enfield sees better days ahead soon for rebuilding USC

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LAS VEGAS — Ten minutes after Shaquielle McKissic's potential game-tying half-court heave bounced harmlessly off the back iron, USC coach Andy Enfield still seemed surprised the Arizona State guard missed.


"Did you think that shot was going in?" he asked his wife outside the locker room after the Trojans' 67-64 opening-round Pac-12 tournament win. Then Enfield asked a couple other bystanders the same question.


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Excuse Enfield for expecting bad luck to befall his team because more often than not this season it has. Seven losses by five or fewer points and five on the final possession obscured the progress rebuilding USC has made in Enfield's second season and doomed the Trojans (12-19, 3-15) to a second straight last-place finish in the Pac-12.


A Pac-12 tournament win against middling Arizona State certainly isn't proof USC has turned the corner, but it does show Enfield hasn't lost his team. Facing a 15-point deficit with 10 minutes left in a game that could have mercifully ended a disappointing season, the Trojans showed impressive resolve in closing the game with a 25-7 surge to earn a quarterfinal matchup with fourth-seeded UCLA.


What's most encouraging for USC is that the players who spearheaded the comeback all have at least two years eligibility remaining. Freshman wing Elijah Stewart scored 14 of his game-high 27 points in the final 10 minutes. Sophomore point guard Julian Jacobs delivered four points and three assists during the run. Sophomore big man Nikola Jovanovic made the biggest defensive play of the game, swatting away McKissic's attempt at a go-ahead layup with seven seconds remaining.


"As a coaching staff, we've never been more excited about the future of our program," Enfield told Yahoo Sports. "With the lack of wins on paper, it might look like we're not improving, but we have improved. We have everyone coming back next year and in fact the next couple years. We feel like we have a good nucleus to build around, but they have to put on 10, 15 pounds of muscle, work on their skills and have a hunger from losing all these close games this year."


All the losing is an unfamiliar experience for a coach who had experienced nothing but success in all walks of life.


Enfield graduated from prestigious Johns Hopkins University, thrived in the business world as an entrepreneur and married a model who previously graced the pages of Maxim. After transitioning to basketball, Enfield rose from shooting guru for NBA players, to architect of a stunning Sweet 16 run at Florida Gulf Coast, to USC's ballyhooed new coach.


There's pressure on Enfield to make progress in year three at USC because of the fanfare that accompanied his arrival.


In 2006, USC traded the decaying Los Angeles Sports Arena for the state-of-the-art Galen Center. In 2010, the Trojans replaced an athletic director disinterested in basketball with one in Pat Haden who was willing to increase the recruiting budget and pay top dollar for assistant coaches. And in 2013, Haden went in search of a coach capable of reviving a basketball program that by the USC athletic director's own admission had "not been relevant for a while."


What Haden liked most about Enfield was that he won at FGCU playing an appealing, fast-paced style. Though Enfield didn't win a league title either of his seasons at FGCU and wasn't on USC's radar until after the 2013 NCAA tournament, Haden believed the 43-year-old coach could take advantage of the Trojans' newfound resources, recruit the fertile Los Angeles area and put fans in the seats at the Galen Center.


Enfield landed three Rivals 150 prospects in his first recruiting class and has two more set to arrive next fall, but he needs more time for the infusion of young talent to translate into sustained success and increased fan support. USC averaged a paltry 3,552 fans per home game this year, last in the Pac-12 and nearly 700 fewer per game than what the Trojans drew the season before Enfield arrived.


"This year has been challenging and frustrating, but it has made me a much better basketball coach," Enfield said. "When you have such a young team, the leadership has to come from within the coaching staff. Some of these guys are developing leadership skills but we're not there yet. It's a lot easier coaching when you have upperclassmen on the court and when the going gets tough, you don't have to say a word."


Next season, Enfield will no longer be able to use youth as an excuse for losing.


Highly touted point guard Jordan McLaughlin will return from shoulder surgery. Stewart, Jacobs, Jovanovic and the rest of this season's nucleus is expected to be back. And a pair of freshman big men will arrive, bolstering a frontcourt that frequently gets pushed on the glass by bigger teams this season.


That's enough talent and experience for the Trojans to ascend in the Pac-12 pecking order, especially if they duplicate the resolve they displayed Wednesday night.


"We expect to win more games than we did this year," Enfield said. "That's part of improving. That's why we need to have a huge offseason so that come next year, we can really compete."


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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Senior guard keeps FIU alive in Conference USA with banked-in buzzer beater

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If you missed the first-round game in the Conference USA tournament Wednesday afternoon between Florida International and Texas San Antonio, and let's be honest, plenty of folks did because they have jobs, then you missed the best buzzer beater of buzzer beater season so far.


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Just seconds after Keon Lewis made a 3-pointer for UTSA to tie the game at 54, Dennis Mavin dribbled the ball to halfcourt and launched a running prayer that banked in to give the Golden Panthers a 57-54 victory at the buzzer.


Mavin, a senior guard from Gainesville, Fla., led his team with 15 points. He also had nine rebounds and gave his teammates coaches and FIU fans a memory they will be talking about for years to come. This is why folks love college basketball in March.


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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : Smart's alley-oop and-one, Bradley's dagger over Gasol push Celtics past Grizzlies

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Last Wednesday, Marcus Smart was the one who made the picture-perfect inbounds lob pass that propelled the Boston Celtics to victory. This time, he was on the receiving end.


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With 52.2 seconds remaining in a nip-and-tuck battle with the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, the Celtics found themselves trailing 90-88 after a Zach Randolph layup and looking for a bit of inspiration to keep pace. They turned, as they have so often this season, to the mind of head coach Brad Stevens, who drew up yet another bit of fried gold out of a timeout.


As Evan Turner prepared to trigger the play, guarded somewhat loosely by ex-Celtic Jeff Green, Boston wing Jae Crowder cut off a high Kelly Olynyk from the top of the key through the paint to the near corner. As he did, Smart curled around backcourt partner Avery Bradley and also-ex-Celtic Tony Allen at the left elbow, gaining just enough of a lead over also-ex-Celtic Courtney Lee to hit the lane unfettered.


Because the Celtics had gone small out of the timeout, Grizzlies center Marc Gasol was up top guarding 3-point threat Olynyk, and Crowder's cut had drawn his man clear of the paint, there was absolutely nothing but open air and opportunity between Smart and the rim once he beat Lee off the curl. Unmolested by Green, Turner lofted a lob toward Smart at the tin, but his pass was a bit short, which gave Lee a chance to defend the play.


The sturdy 6-foot-4 Smart made the catch, though, and put the ball off the window and through the net, finishing through Lee's body contact to draw an and-one foul shot. The rookie out of Oklahoma State made his freebie, giving Boston a one-point lead with 51.6 seconds left. (Apparently, an awful lot can happen in six-tenths of a second.)


With so much time still remaining on the clock, though, the game was far from over. The Grizzlies had possession and a chance to tie, but Boston center Tyler Zeller swallowed up Green's driving attempt to regain the lead for his third block and sixth rebound of the game, prompting Gasol to foul him and send him to the line for a pair of free throws that pushed Boston's lead to three. The 7-footer's interior defense was a touch less stout on the ensuing Grizz trip, though, as Green was able to grab his own miss and put it in to cut the lead back to one with 29 seconds left.


Boston had possession and needed a dagger. Over the past couple of weeks, this is when they would have turned to pint-size powerhouse Isaiah Thomas, who's been an offensive dynamo — 21.4 points and 5.4 assists in 27.6 minutes per game — since coming over from the Phoenix Suns at the trade deadline. But with Thomas out, perhaps through next week, after bruising his back and right elbow in a tough fall suffered late in the Celtics' 100-90 win over the Miami Heat on Monday, Stevens had to call on someone else, and Bradley answered the bell:



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After ragging some clock to ensure that the Grizzlies wouldn't get the ball back with too much time no matter what happened, Bradley worked a switch on a high screen-and-roll and wound up one-on-one with Gasol. He stutter-stepped, raised up and splashed through a 21-footer that gave Boston a three-point lead with seven seconds remaining.


The Grizzlies had a chance to tie, but point guard Mike Conley — back in the game after suffering a scary third-quarter injury that, thankfully, turned out to be simply a sprained ankle — missed an open straight-on look in the final second, allowing Boston to finish off a 95-92 win that had the TD Garden faithful in full throat.


Bradley led five Celtics in double figures with 17 points on 8-for-17 shooting to go with five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 34 minutes in the win, Boston's seventh in its last eight home games. The win improved the Celtics to 27-36 on the season, drawing the C's within one game of the ninth-place Charlotte Hornets and 1 1/2 games of the eighth-seeded Miami Heat in the race for the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot.


It wasn't the prettiest game, with the two teams combining for just 78 first-half points and the Celtics coughing up 21 turnovers on the evening. But it was a tough, physical, hard-fought battle — the sort of game on which Memphis has built its reputation over the last several years — and this time, it was the guys in kelly green who made just enough plays when it counted.




Meanwhile, in the other locker room, the Grizzlies — who have been playing just over .500 ball for more than a month (8-7 over their last 15 games) — apparently sounded a bit like the grind might be getting to them:




Conley finished with a team-high 20 points on 9-for-12 shooting, including a pair of big fourth-quarter 3-pointers, though he did turn the ball over five times in 33 minutes of work. Allen added 16 points on 7-for-9 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, two steals and two blocks in 27 minutes of typically frenetic work off the bench in the loss, which who left Memphis sitting six games back of the top-seeded Golden State Warriors and just 1 1/2 games up on the No. 3 Houston Rockets.


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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : Ticket punched: Lafayette survives American rally to claim Patriot League

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Lafayette held a 13-point lead early in the second half of the Patriot League championship game Wednesday night and seemed to be in control against American, but the Eagles came storming back to take the lead with 5 minutes remaining.


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But Seth Hinrichs and Zach Rufer made 3-point shots to put Lafayette back in front and Nick Lindner scored the final four points as it held on to win 65-63 in an electric atmosphere at Kirby Sports Center. The Lafayette crowd stormed the court to celebrate the Leopards first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2000 and only their fourth trip overall.



The victory capped a run through the tournament by the fourth-seeded Leopards that included a win over No. 5 seed Boston University, an upset of top-seeded Bucknell and Wednesday's victory. The Leopards lost four of their final six games entering the tournanent and became the lowest seed in league history to capture the title.


Lindner scored 25 points, making nine of his 13 shots, and Hinrichs added 16. Pee Wee Gardner and Marko Vasic each scored 15 to lead American, which was the defending champion, but enter the tournament as the No. 6 seed with an 8-10 regular season record in conference play.


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[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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