LYNX FORCE DECISIVE WNBA GAME 5 WITH WIN OVER SPARKS
ANGELES» Sylvia Fowles scored 22 LOS points and the Minnesota Lynx beat the Los Angeles Sparks 80-69 on Sunday night to force a decisive Game 5 in the WNBA Finals.
Maya Moore and the Lynx will try for their fourth championship in seven years Wednesday night at home. The Sparks won Game 5 at Minnesota last season to take the crown.
Candace Parker and the Sparks are hoping to become the league’s first repeat champion since Los Angeles in 2002.
For the second consecutive year, the Lynx found themselves down 2-1 on the Sparks’ court. And just like last season, Minnesota pushed the series to a winner-take-all game.
Facing an end to their season, the Lynx were aggressive from the start, grabbing a lot of loose balls and dominating the glass. They trailed 10-8 before scoring 11 straight points in the first quarter. Minnesota led the rest of the way.
Board to hear corruption probe.
KY.» Louisville’s governing LOUISVILLE, board has called a meeting for Monday, and a spokesman said its members are due to hear about a federal corruption investigation involving college basketball.
University spokesman John Karman tells The Courier-Journal it’s possible the board of trustees will take no action. Karman says he believes the main purpose of the meeting is to update the board about the events of last week.
The university acknowledged its involvement in the federal investigation, placed men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino on unpaid administrative leave and placed athletic director Tom Jurich on paid administrative leave. University interim president Greg Postel introduced David Padgett as the interim basketball coach Friday.
The board of trustees wasn’t supposed to have its next regular meeting until Oct. 18.
“The Voice” dies of cancer at 62.
Dave Strader, the hockey broadcaster known affectionately as “The Voice,” died after battling bile duct cancer for more than a year. He was 62.
The Dallas Stars said Strader died Sunday at his home in Glens Falls, N.Y. Strader was a play-by-play man with the Stars and a national broadcaster on NBC Sports.
“He was a guy who made every team he was a part of better,” said Sam Flood, executive producer and president of production for NBC and NBC Sports.
Steve Torrence wins at Gateway.
ILL.» Top fuel points leader MADISON,
Steve Torrence won the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park for his eighth victory of the season.
Torrence had a 3.684-second pass at 329.34 mph to beat Doug Kalitta in the final round. Torrence has 16 career victories.
Philly still in contention in MLS.
Roland Alberg scored in the 88th minute and Andre Blake had his ninth shutout as the Philadelphia Union defeated the Seattle Sounders 2-0.
Philadelphia won for just the second time in its last nine games to keep its slim MLS playoff chances alive. Seattle needed a win to clinch its ninth straight playoff spot. The Sounders have two home games left, against FC Dallas and Colorado.
Legal betting could expand.
N.J.» Legal sports betting ATLANTIC CITY, could be offered in 32 states within five years if the U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of New Jersey’s quest to offer such gambling, according to a new report.
Eilers & Krejcik Gaming LLC, which tracks state-by-state gambling legislation, says a new market would be worth more than $6 billion. If all 50 states got on board, legal sports betting could be worth $7.1 billion to $15.8 billion, they estimate.