Stanford women sweep Minnesota to reach NCAA finals
Kathryn Plummer had 26 kills and defending champion Stanford swept Minnesota 25-19, 25-22, 25-22 on Thursday night in Pittsburgh to reach the NCAA women’s volleyball final.
Stanford (29- 4) will face Wisconsin on Saturday night, seeking their third title in four years and ninth overall. The Badgers (27- 6) beat Baylor in the first semifinal.
Plummer, the reigning AVCA player of the year, hit .340% on 50 total touches and also had nine digs and five blocks. Morgan Hentz had 23 digs, MeghanMcClure added 15 and the Cardinal held Minnesota to a .164 hitting percentage.
Stephane Samedy led Minnesota with 13 kills, and Alexis Hart had 12. CC McGraw had 17 digs.
In the first semifinal, Dana Rettke had 17 kills, MollyHaggerty added 14, andWisconsin beat Baylor 25-27, 25-21, 25-17, 25-19.
Rettke also had eight blocks, and Tiffany Clark added 18 digs for Wisconsin. The Badgers are 3-0 innational semifinals, also winning in 2000 and 2013 before falling in the finals both times.
Yossiana Pressley, the unanimous Big 12 player of the year, led Baylor (29-2) with 25 kills and 16 digs.
Men’s college basketball
WISEMAN LEAVES MEMPHIS TO FOCUS ON NBADRAFT » James Wiseman’s college career has come to an end after just three games with theMemphis center and likely NBA lottery pick saying on socialmedia he has withdrawn fromschool to begin focusing on his pro career rather than sitting out the rest of a 12-game NCAA suspension.
The 7-foot-1 freshmanannouncedhis decision in an Instagrampost, saying he was leaving school to start “preparing for the next chapter of my life.”
“Ever since I was a little kid, it’s been a dream of mine to play in the NBA,” Wiseman wrote.
The NCAA suspended Wiseman 12 games because his family received $11,500 to assist inamove fromNashville toMemphis in the summer of 2017.
Without Wiseman, Memphis (9-1) currently is ranked No. 11 in the country MICHIGANSTATE’SLANGFORDHASSEASONENDING FOOT SURGERY » Michigan State senior Joshua Langford has had seasonending foot surgery. Spartans coach Tom Izzo said Thursday the surgery should help Langford have a chance to play professional basketball in the future.
The shooting guard averaged 15 points a game last season. Langford was one of the team’s top defenders before hurting his right foot and needing surgery after playing in 13 games as a junior. He hasn’t played at all this season. DEFENSE LEADS SETON HALL TO UPSET OF NO. 7MARYLAND » QuincyMcKnight scored a game-high 17 points, including two key free throws with 1.1 seconds left, as host Seton Hall upset No. 7 Maryland 52- 48.
Maryland (10-2) has lost two in a row after winning its first 10 and being ranked as high asNo. 3 in the country. SetonHall (7- 4) was playing without top scorerMyles Powell (21.2 points per game), who suffered a concussion in last Saturday’s loss to Rutgers, andNo. 2 scorer SandroMamukelashvili (10.9 ppg), who has a broken wrist.
College football
GOREJR. DECOMMITSFROMFAU, SIGNSWITH SOUTHERN MISS » Running back Frank Gore Jr., who announced in June that he would play college football at Florida Atlantic, flipped his commitment Thursday to sign a national letter of intent with Southern Miss.
The son of current Buffalo Bills and former 49ers running back Frank Gore played at Miami Killian Senior High, and he was ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 65 running back and No. 129 Florida high school prospect on the 247Sports composite.
COLORADOWRNIXONCHANGESMINDABOUT ENTERINGDRAFT » Colorado wide receiver K.D. Nixon changed his mind about entering the NFL draft and will return to the Buffaloes for his senior season in 2020
Nixon never signed with an agent. He caught 35 passes for 465 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games in 2019, raising his three-year career totals to 89 receptions for 1,118 yards and seven scores. COACHING CHANGE HELPS UTES » The ripple effect of a coaching change at Boston College seems to have benefited Utah in recruiting. The Utes signed highly touted cornerback Clark Phillips, the second day of the early signing period. Phillips had been committed to Ohio State but flipped late after Buckeyes co- defensive coordinator and secondary coach Jeff Hafley took the head coaching job at Boston College.
Phillips, from La Habra, is a four-star prospect and the fourth-rated cornerback in the 2020 class, according to 247 Sports’ composite rankings.
Horse racing
NOCRIMINALWRONGDOINGATSANTAANITA IN HORSE DEATHS » The California horse racing industry at Santa Anita Park, reeling from a series of equine deaths and threats from state and national officials, was cleared of any criminal wrongdoing by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.
After a nine-month investigation, a special task force that looked into 30 deaths at Santa Anita during this year’s winter/ spring meeting, issued 17-page report that “did not find evidence of criminal animal cruelty or unlawful conduct.”
The report did offer 27 recommendations, most of which have already been acted upon or were also recommended by the California Horse Racing Board.
The CHRB is also planning to issue a report, likely in January, that will include the results of necropsies on the horses.
“Greater precautions are needed to enhance safety and protect both horses and their riders,” said Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey.
Baseball
BREWERSTOSIGNSMOAK » TheMilwaukee Brewers are in agreement with free-agent first baseman Justin Smoak on a one-year, $5 million contract with a club option for 2021, multiple outlets reported.
The deal is pending a physical for the 33-year- old Smoak, who batted .208 with 22 homers and 61 RBIs in 121 games last season with the Toronto Blue Jays. TEHERAN, ANGELS AGREE TO DEAL » Freeagent pitcher Julio Teheran has agreed to a one-year contractworth $9millionwith the Los Angeles Angels, according to published reports.
The right-handed starting pitcher compiled a 10-11 record with a 3.81 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 174 2/3 innings over 33 starts in 2019 for the Braves.
Teheran, a two-time All-Star selection, played seven seasons and parts of two others for the Braves, compiling a 77-73 career record with a 3.67 ERA in in 229 games (226 starts). PÉREZFINALIZESDEALWITHREDSOX » Martín Pérez and Boston finalized a one-year contract that guarantees $6.5 million, a deal thatwouldbeworth$14.5millionover two seasons if the Red Sox exercise a 2021 option and the 28-year-old left-hander regularly starts.