NOTES: USC men’s basketball beats UC Riverside 67-62 in overtime
as head coach.
Neuheisel has worked primarily with the receivers and quarterbacks during his three seasons back in Westwood. He began his coaching career with Texas A&M as an offensive quality control coach in 2017.
Neuheisel replaces Jimmie Dougherty, who left UCLA after four seasons to join Arizona’s staff as quarterbacks coach.
Neuheisel is the son of former UCLA quarterback and coach Rick Neuheisel.
USC thwarts UC Riverside’s upset claim with 67-62 win in OT
LOS ANGELES — Evan Mobley scored 20 points with 11 rebounds and Isaiah Mobley scored 16 with 12 and Southern California escaped an upset bid by UC Riverside, beating the Highlanders 67-62 in overtime on Tuesday night.
Evan Mobley’s dunk with 4:05 left in the extra session gave the Trojans (9-2) the lead for good but they never created safe distance from the Highlanders (4-3).
Drew Peterson recorded back-to-back 3-point plays for the Trojans for a 61-56 lead with 2:35 left in overtime. Dominick Pickett came back with a 3 for UC Riverside 19 seconds later, but Evan Mobley sank a pair of free throws, Peterson hit a jumper and the Trojans had enough room to hold on.
Peterson scored 12 points and Tahj Eaddy 10.
The Highlanders went on a 16-0 run in the first half and led 25-14 on Wil Tattersall’s 3-pointer with 7:56 before halftime.
UC Riverside led 32-27 at halftime. USC’s 52-47 lead in the second half with 3:10 left was the largest lead for either team prior to overtime.
Browns’ cornerback Ward off COVID list
Browns top cornerback Denzel Ward is back with the team after missing Cleveland’s past two games — one of them a playoff win — with COVID-19.
Ward was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday along with cornerback Kevin Johnson as the Browns (12-5), who have dealt with numerous virus-related issues over the last month, began practicing for Sunday’s playoff game at Kansas City against the top-seeded Chiefs.
If he can play, Ward would give Cleveland’s secondary a major boost as it faces Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his numerous offensive weapons. Ward typically is assigned to the other team’s top wide receiver.
Johnson, who has made six starts this season, will help as well.
The Browns gave up 501 yards passing on Sunday to Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who picked on Cleveland’s backups.
Ward’s return could be followed by coach Kevin Stefanski’s. The first-year coach also missed Sunday’s shocking wild-card win at Pittsburgh after testing positive for COVID-19 last week. Stefanski is on track to be back at the team’s facility on Thursday.
Pro Bowl left guard Joel Bitonio could be joining him. He missed last week’s game as well with coronavirus, along with Ward, Johnson, wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge and four assistant coaches.
MLS’s Canadian teams to face challenges again
MLS Players Association executive director Bob Foose says delaying the start of the 2021 season would be the “best solution” for Canadian teams given the pandemic-related border issues.
Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver were forced to relocate south of the border for much of the 2020 season because of travel complications caused by COVID-19. Toronto headed to East Hartford, Connecticut; Montreal moved to Harrison, New Jersey; and Vancouver went to Portland, Oregon.
Foose said on a conference call “the last thing we want to do is repeat that experience this year.”
MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday the league plans to start the season in mid-March.
Garber said while he felt for the challenges facing the Canadian teams, the league had to abide by made-in-Canada health guidelines.
MLS players won’t be rushed into decision on revising CBA
The Major League Soccer Players Association won’t be rushed into a decision on proposed changes to the collective bargaining agreement with the league amid uncertainties about the 2021 season, the union’s executive director said.
MLSPA executive director Bob Foose on Wednesday decried the league’s decision to invoke the agreement’s “force majeure” clause to reopen negotiations on the CBA after the sides had two difficult negotiations a year ago — one in February that seemed to indicate labor peace, and a second in June when players took a pay cut in order to resume the 2020 season.
Fox, Rodman selected with the top picks in the NWSL draft
North Carolina defender-midfielder Emily Fox was the first player taken in the National Women’s Soccer League draft Wednesday night, going to expansion team Racing Louisville.
With the second pick, the Washington Spirit selected 18-year-old forward Trinity Rodman, daughter of former NBA player Dennis Rodman and a standout on the U.S. youth national teams.
Fox is taking part January training camp with the U.S. women’s national team in Florida. She was applauded by her teammates at dinner after the selection was announced.
“I feel like its a very unique opportunity for me to go on there and try to do as best that I can and work my way up, and do anything I can for the team,” said Fox, one of three college players who were invited to take part in the national team’s camp.
Rodman was a freshman at Washington State, but the coronavirus outbreak postponed the fall season in the Pac-12. Because of an NCAA waiver, she could play for the Cougars this spring and join the Spirit afterward, but she said Wednesday she had decided to forgo her college career.
Midfielder Brianna Pinto out of North Carolina went to Sky Blue with the third pick. Pinto announced on Twitter on Tuesday that she was going to pursue a pro career, but said she would play this spring with the Tar Heels.
Stanford’s Kiki Pickett was selected by Kansas City with the fourth pick. Kansas City sent $175,000 in allocation money to Sky Blue in exchange for the pick.
Not only goalies wear masks: NHL coaches must cover faces
Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice struggled to blow a whistle while wearing a mask.
Barry Trotz couldn’t see if one of his New York Islanders players was skating toward him because his mask had helped fog up his glasses.
“It was ugly there for a while,” Maurice said. “There’s some challenges to it.”
One of the new challenges for NHL coaches this season is the requirement to wear a mask behind the bench during games and on the ice for practices. Now that goaltenders won’t be the only masked men around the rink, coaches will learn and adjust on the fly like those in other sports have had to in recent months.
“Just being around the rink all day wearing one is an adjustment, but we’ll work it out,” Joel Quenneville of the Florida Panthers said. “Sometimes when you really want to get your point across, you might have to pull your mask down to make yourself clear. But I’ve never changed lines with a face mask on.”
Hockey coaches are more responsible than their counterparts in baseball, football or basketball to bark out directions in real time at a fast pace, which makes this an even steeper learning curve. Get ready for loud yelling and maybe a few more bench minor penalties for too many men on the ice.
FIFA grants approval for Macario to play for US
Brazilian-born midfielder Catarina Macario received permission from FIFA on Wednesday to play for the U.S. national team.
The governing body’s approval means she could appear in a pair of national team exhibition games in Florida against Colombia later this month.
“Now that I’m approved to play, it’s up to me to show the coaches I deserve to be on rosters and get playing time,” Macario said in a statement. “Nothing is guaranteed, and everything needs to be earned, so it’s up to me to get my fitness to the level needed and keep learning every day. Just to be in the position is a dream come true and I’ll never take any of it for granted.”
Macario, who came to the United States when she was 12 and played for Stanford, is currently in camp with the national team. She became an American citizen in October but hadn’t been able to play for the team while awaiting FIFA’s permission.