WVU names Eilert as basketball coach
Josh Eilert, who for 16 seasons has been a member of the West Virginia University men’s basketball coaching staff, was named Saturday as the Mountaineers’ interim coach, replacing Bob Huggins, who resigned and announced his retirement after a DWI arrest in Pittsburgh earlier this month.
“Josh Eilert is the right person to lead our men’s basketball program next season,” said athletic director Wren Baker. “He has been an important part of our success.”
He came to WVU in 2007 from Kansas State, where he served as a graduate assistant in 2006-07.
Maulers
The Maulers advanced to the USFL championship game with a 31-27 victory Saturday night at Canton, Ohio, but it wasn’t easy.
Cole Murphy’s 47-yard field goal for the Michigan Panthers with four seconds remaining sent the Maulers and Panthers to overtime with a berth in the USFL championship game at stake. A series of three alternating plays from the 2-yard line decided the overtime — much like a hockey shootout — and the Maulers won by scoring twice and holding the Panthers out of the end zone.
The Maulers believed they’d won the game in regulation when Troy Williams threw a 6-yard, fourth-down touchdown pass to Ishmael Hyman with 44 seconds to play to put the Maulers up 27-24, E.J. Perry drove the Panthers to Murphy’s tying field goal.
The championship game will be played Saturday at Canton with the Maulers facing the winner of Sunday’s game between the New Orleans Breakers and Birmingham Stallions.
Golf
Keegan Bradley shot a 6under 64 to take a one-shot lead ahead of Chez Reavie after two rounds of the PGA Travelers Championship at Cromwell, Conn. Bradley birdied three of his final five holes to finish his bogey-free round.
• The PGA Champions Dick’s Sporting Goods Open at Endicott, N.Y., has a threeway tie for the lead at 12-under headed into Sunday’s final round. Miguel Angel Jimenez, Brett Quigley and Ernie Els are one shot ahead of Joe Durant.
• Leona Maguire shot a 2under 69 to hold a one-stroke lead in the KMPG Women’s PGA Championship at Springfield, N.J. Jenny Shin shot a 66 with five birdies and no bogeys to move into second place.
• Joost Luiten birdied four of his last six holes and will take a three-shot lead into the final round of the DP World Tour BMW International Open at Munich, Germany.
Motorsports
After an early accident, AJ Allmendinger rallied to win the NASCAR Infinity Tennessee Lottery 250 at Nashville, Tenn.
Hockey
The Colorado Avalanche filled their second-line center void by acquiring Ryan Johansen from the Nashville Predators. Colorado sent pending free agent Alex Galchenyuk to Nashville.
Tennis
Carlos Alcaraz reached his first ATP final on grass and moved one win away from reclaiming the top ranking by taking out Sebastian Korda 6-3, 6-4 at the Queen’s Club Championships in London. Alex de Minaur, who beat Holger Rune, 6-3, 7-6 (2), stands between Alcaraz and the trophy and No. 1 ranking.
• Alexander Bublik will play Andrey Rublev in the final of the Halle Open after straight-sets semifinal wins at Halle, Germany. Bublik defeated Germany’s Alexander Zverev, 6-3, 7-5, and Rublev beat Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, 6-3, 6-4, on grass.
• Top-seeded Barbora Krejcikova and No. 2-seeded Jelena Ostapenko will meet in the Birmingham Classic final. Krejcikova beat Zhu Lin, 6-3, 6-2, and Ostapenko beat Anastasia Potapova, 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, in the semifinals.
College World Series
Cade Beloso’s home run in the 11th inning gave LSU a 4-3 win in Game 1 of the College World Series at Omaha, Neb. LSU starting pitcher Ty Floyd struck out 17 to set a nine-inning CWS record.
Tommy White’s mammoth home run in the top of the pulled LSU into a 3-3 tie that led to extra innings.
Wild Things
Washington dropped a 104 decision on the road against the Gateway Grizzlies. The Wild Things scored their runs in the ninth, highlighted by Tristan Peterson’s home run.