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Bracket Racket 4: Late night for Maryland, early exit for Georgetown

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

Fire up the coffee.Three days before Selection Sunday we enter the stretch where the Power Six leagues each reach the quadruple-header stage of their tournaments, and now that we’re finished with the “Dreaded First Round” at each of these leagues, we can focus on bubble teams trying to boost their cases for NCAA inclusion.This year’s bubble includes everybody from bluebloods like North Carolina to upstarts like Utah State, and while a win like the Tar Heels’ over Boston College last night won’t put them in the field a victory against No. 13 Virginia will go a long ways towards doing so.More Beltway Basketball BeatMore Local NewsMore Sports NewsQuadruple-headers not only means noon (or 11:30 a.m. if you’re the Atlantic 10) tipoffs, long lunches and “sales calls” in the afternoon, but Thursday’s four-packs mean the famed late games that are scheduled for 9 p.m. or 9:30 and often don’t get underway until 9:45.Sometimes, ...

Catlin and Mostert share lead at Kenya Open at 7 under

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — John Catlin and Dylan Mostert shared the first-round lead at the European tour’s Kenya Open after beginning with impressive 64s on Thursday.Catlin of the United States made five birdies and an eagle in his opening round of 7 under par. Mostert of South Africa had eight birdies and one bogey to join him.They lead by a shot from Frenchman Pierre Pineau and the Netherlands’ Wil Besseling.Catlin has won three times on the tour, with his last triumph coming in April 2021.___AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Memphis big man Steven Adams out at least a few more weeks

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — Memphis center Steven Adams will be out for a few more weeks to recover from the sprained ligament in his right knee, the team said Thursday.Adams hurt the posterior cruciate ligament in his knee on Jan. 22 in a game against Phoenix when diving for a loose ball in the final seconds. Initially, the Grizzlies said he would miss three to five weeks. But Adams had a stem cell injection on Wednesday and will “be reevaluated in approximately four weeks,” the team said in a statement. Adams was leading the NBA in offensive rebounds when he was injured and averaging 8.6 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. The Grizzlies are also without guard Ja Morant, who will not face charges in Colorado related to a livestreamed video in which he appeared to be displaying a gun in a strip club. The team said Wednesday that the earliest Morant could play is March 17 at San Antonio — and there’s no guarantee that’ll happen. ___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba and ht...

Real Madrid rejects UEFA fan refund offers for final chaos

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

GENEVA (AP) — Real Madrid has rejected UEFA’s plan to refund fans the price of their ticket to last year’s chaotic Champions League final in Paris, and said Thursday it would help them file their own legal claims.Madrid said it expected more from UEFA after talks about compensation than just the “insufficient” offer of the ticket cost with conditions attached to prove their eligibility.The offer to Madrid and Liverpool fans last week had been promised by UEFA after an investigation panel it appointed outlined serious organizational failures leading to a near “mass fatality catastrophe” at Stade de France on May 28.“Many of them were victims of ticket theft and the theft of personal belongings such as bags, phones and wallets,” Madrid said in a statement. “And more seriously, some of these fans were subjected to physical assaults that required medical attention and admission to hospital.”The dispute is the latest legal rift between the Champions League winners and the com...

Boulder therapist accused of sexual assault on children

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

BOULDER, Colo. (KDVR) — A therapist in Boulder was charged with sexually assaulting two children, and police believe there could be more victims out there. According to the Boulder Police Department, 72-year-old Mark A. Hochwender was arrested on Wednesday and charged with sexually assaulting at least two children by a person in a position of trust. Amber Alert for missing Texas girl may now be in Colorado BPD said the victims were juveniles at the time of the crime but came forward after they became adults.The victims told detectives the alleged crime occurred when Hochwender worked as their therapist between August 1999 to the present day. The incident took place at Hochwender's home office in Boulder and Westminster.At the time of these crimes, Hochwender was in his 40s. Now, police believe there may be additional victims and are asking anyone with information on Hochwender to contact Detective Lutz at 303-441-4374. If you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact the Northern ...

Florida man saves dog following alligator attack near Orlando

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

DELTONA, Fla. (WSVN) — Winston the chocolate Labrador Retriever is lucky to be alive after a close call with a predator. His owner was forced to fire at the gator invader in his backyard. Now, he’s talking about what happened. A homeowner near Orlando had to think fast when an alligator started attacking his chocolate lab in his backyard. The more than seven-foot-long reptile latched onto the side of his head. That was when the homeowner grabbed his gun and shot it 4 times. “I don’t even think there was a thought. I think it was – my heart just dropped, and I was like, ‘OK, I have to go do something,'” said the homeowner. “So, I mean, you just spring into action and do what you have to do to save your dog. 20 seconds later, probably would’ve had a dead dog.”The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission came out to help get rid of the gator.Winston is doing OK; he had a minor puncture wound on his ear. “Leading...

Former NBA star Shawn Kemp arrested in drive-by shooting

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — Former NBA star Shawn Kemp was arrested in connection with a drive-by shooting in Tacoma, Washington, and was set to appear in court Thursday.Online jail records show Kemp was booked for investigation of felony drive-by shooting shortly before 6 p.m. Wednesday. Pierce County Superior Court records showed that Kemp, 53, was scheduled to make a court appearance Thursday afternoon.Kemp was a six-time NBA all-star and played for the Seattle SuperSonics from 1989 to 1997. He also played for Cleveland, Portland and Orlando.Kemp debuted in the NBA during the 1989-90 season as a 20-year-old who had never played college basketball. He became known for his high-flying, athletic dunks.Kemp owns two cannabis stores in Seattle.

Jury deliberations underway in murder trial of slain South Florida rapper XXXTentacion

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

The murder trial of a South Florida rapper has been handed to a jury. Soon, the three men who are accused of murdering him could learn their fates. This jury has deliberated since late Wednesday afternoon and resumed those deliberations, Thursday morning.A verdict could be decided as some point Thursday.During day two of deliberations in the murder trial of rapper XXXTentacion, Dedrick Williams, Trayvone Newsome and Michael Boatwright are accused of robbing, shooting and killing the rap star at Riva Motorsports in Deerfield Beach back in June 2018.Surveillance video showed XXXTentacion’s car being cut off and rushed by gunmen. Fifty-thousand dollars in cash were stolen. The defendants took to social media the next day and posted pictures showing wads of money. XXXTentacion, whose real name was Jahseh Onfroy, was only 20 years old when he was murdered. All three defendants are facing charges of first-degree murder. If found guilty, they will be sentenced to life in prison with...

No NATO yet, Turkey tells Sweden and Finland

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

BRUSSELS — Ankara showed no signs of lifting its blockade on Stockholm and Helsinki’s NATO accession in a meeting on Thursday. Representatives from the three countries came together for the first time since November as alliance officials sought Turkey’s sign-off. Sweden cast the meeting as a step forward — regardless of lacking concrete results.“The most important thing today is that we have gathered,” Sweden’s negotiator Oscar Stenström told reporters at NATO headquarters in Brussels following the talks. The sides, he said, “have agreed to further meetings.”While 28 out of NATO’s 30 allies were quick to approve Sweden and Finland joining the alliance, the parliaments of Turkey and Hungary have yet to ratify their membership bids. Ankara, Stockholm and Helsinki signed a memorandum outlining steps the sides would take to address Turkish concerns on arms exports and terrorism at the alliance’s summit in Madrid last summer, when NATO leaders dec...

Britain’s top sports host can’t stop fighting with ministers and it’s all getting a bit weird

Published Wed, 19 Feb 2025 21:02:40 GMT

LONDON — Gary Lineker, leader of the opposition?The footballer-turned-TV-presenter — one of the U.K.’s most recognizable and highly paid media stars — has spent most of the week embroiled in a news bulletin-topping row about his views on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s new immigration plan.Some Tory MPs want his head, accusing him of making a crass comparison with Nazi Germany, while liberals on Twitter are swooning.The former Leicester City and England star on Wednesday took a hefty swipe at Sunak’s Illegal Migration Bill, which is aimed at making it easier for British authorities to detain and deport those who enter the country by crossing the English Channel in small boats. Sunak’s vowed to make solving the problem a top priority for his Conservative government, and Tory voters want to see action.Lineker — no stranger to airing his political views on social media — wasn’t impressed. He claimed the language used to announce the bill was “not dissimi...