Duke's Filipowski hobbled following collision with fan
N.C. >> Wake Forest did everything it needed Saturday to take a major step toward earning an NCAA Tournament bid, a moment that sent its celebrating fans sprinting onto the court as the clock hit zero.
That moment of exuberance left Duke star Kyle Filipowski hobbled after a collision with a fan, reigniting discussions about the dangers of court storming and overshadowing the afterglow of the Demon Deacons' 83-79 win against the eighth-ranked Blue Devils.
The 7-footer was hobbled when he appeared to bang his right leg into the leg of a fan running by him. Filipowski, who had raised his arms as though to brace for a potential collision, spun off balance and ended up wrapping his arms around a manager and walk-on teammate Stanley Borden for help getting to the locker-room tunnel amid the chaos.
He spoke to reporters after the game with his right knee wrapped in a bag of ice, though he wasn't significantly limping afterward.
“Just like any other upset game where the fans rush the court, all hell goes crazy,” Filipowski said. “Just trying to get my way off the court, and you know, you've got these crazy college students just doing whatever they want. It's got to be a little more protective when things like that happen.”
Coach Jon Scheyer added: “When are we going to ban court-storming? Like, when are we going to ban that? How many times does a player have to get into something where they get punched or they get pushed or they get taunted right in their face? It's a dangerous thing.”
Pro football
SHERMAN ARRESTED >> Former NFL star Richard Sherman was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to the Washington State Patrol.
In a probable cause statement, Trooper Jordan Hazzard-Thomas, who helped respond to the traffic stop, reported talking to Sherman and noticing “the odor of intoxicants” and that Sherman's eyes appeared to be “bloodshot and watery.”
The King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said in a statement that
Sherman was expected to have a court hearing Monday.
Sherman, a three-time All-Pro cornerback, had an 11-year career in the NFL and helped lead the Seattle Seahawks to a Super Bowl title during the 2013 season. He spent seven seasons in Seattle before going to San Francisco for three.
Baseball
UNION DOESN'T LIKE SHORTER CLOCK >> Major League Baseball's move to slice two seconds off the pitch clock with runners on base is too much, too soon, according to players' association head Tony Clark.
The clock is shortening to 18 seconds from 20 with men on base and will stay at 15 seconds with no one on.
“That's a conversation that should have warranted a much longer dialogue than what we had,” Clark said. “We voiced those concerns, players voiced those concerns, and yet, the push
through of the change to the pitch clock still happened.”
Golf
KNAPP SEIZES CONTROL >> PGA Tour rookie Jake Knapp ran off 11 birdies and seized control of the Mexico Open at Vidanta with an 8-under 63, giving him a four-shot lead going into the final round with a spot in the Masters on the line.
Knapp began the third round in a four-way share of the lead and playing in front of the largest gallery while paired with Alvaro Ortiz of Mexico.
GONZALEZ WINS >> Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina ran off four straight birdies on the back nine and closed with a 3-under 70 for a one-shot victory in the Trophy Hassan II, giving him membership on the PGA Tour Champions for the first time.
Gonzalez got into the field — the only PGA Tour
Champions event outside North America except for the Senior British Open — by finishing among the top four on the European Legends Tour last season. He made it pay off in a big way. TAVATANAKIT TAKES LEAD >> Local favorite Patty Tavatanakit shot a 6-under 66 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA Thailand tournament.
Tavatanakit had a threeround total of 16-under 200 on the Siam Country Club Old Course at Chonburi southeast of Bangkok.
Motor sports
MCDOWELL WINS POLE >> Michael McDowell insisted his first NASCAR Cup Series pole in his 467th career start was not a surprise.
After starting beside Daytona 500 pole winner Joey Logano on the front row last week, McDowell edged Logano in qualifying for Sunday's race. McDowell was first with a fast lap of 178.844 miles per hour on Atlanta Motor Speedway's 1.54-mile track. Logano continued another strong day for Ford drivers by claiming the No. 2 spot at 174.424 mph.
Skiing
ODERMATT CLINCHES OVERALL TITLE >> Marco Odermatt clinched his third consecutive World Cup overall title by claiming a 10th giant slalom victory in a row.
The 26-year-old from Switzerland has been so dominant this season that he is assured of taking home the crystal globe for having the most points in the standings even though there are still 10 of 38 races remaining on the schedule.