PACERS FANS MIGHT BE EXPOSED TO RABIES

INDIANAPOLIS» Indiana health officials said people who had contact with a bat last week during an Indiana Pacers game have possibly been exposed to rabies.

The Indiana State Department of Health said anyone who may have touched the bat with bare skin when it flew around at the Pacers game Thursday in Indianapolis is urged to contact the department or a health care provider about receiving rabies vaccinations. The game was against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The department said the rabies status of the bat, which is no longer inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, is unknown.

Health officials said a person is considered potentially exposed to rabies only if direct contact occurs between a bat and the person’s bare skin. So far there have been no reports of anyone having direct contact with the bat.

Washington State gets new QB.

WASH.» Former Eastern PULLMAN,

Washington quarterback Gage Gubrud will become a graduate transfer at Washington State this season.

Coach Mike Leach said Gubrud will enroll at WSU this spring and participate in spring practice.

Gubrud, who led Eastern Washington to an upset of Washington State in his first game as a starter in 2016, is a two-time finalist for the Walter Payton Award, which is given to the top offensive player in FCS.

The record-setting quarterback was injured five games into this past season and did not play further as Eastern Washington lost in the FCS national title game. He received a medical redshirt year from the NCAA on Saturday.

Americans win ice dancing.

CALIF.» Americans Madison ANAHEIM,

Chock and Evan Bates captured the first major international title of their career, winning the ice dancing competition at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

Chock and Bates, who were second at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships two weeks ago, scored 126.25 points during their free dance, which was to a medley of Elvis Presley tunes. They finished with 207.42 points to edge Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, who totaled 203.93 points.

Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier were third. Two-time U.S. champions Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue led after the rhythm dance but finished fourth after having an illegal lift on the opening component of their free dance. Americans Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker, the reigning Four Continents champions, were fifth.

U.S. tops medal count in snowboard worlds.

PARK CITY,

UTAH» Zoi Sadowski-Synnott of New Zealand and American Chris Corning were crowned the snowboard slopestyle winners after the finals were canceled due to wind on the last day of the world championships.

Team USA topped the medal count at world championships with five gold and 14 overall.

The organizers based the medalists on the qualifying rounds given the windy weather conditions Sunday.

Corning’s score in qualifying edged Mark McMorris of Canada. Judd Henkes of La Jolla, Calif., took third.

Panama wins Caribbean Series.

CITY» With a team that entered PANAMA only after the tournament was moved from Venezuela because of security concerns, Panama beat Cuba 3-1 to win its second Caribbean Series and first since 1950 — when a roster full of Americans did it.

Javy Guerra, a shortstop in the minor leagues with the San Diego Padres, was named tournament MVP.

Injury sidelines Whittaker at UFC.

Australia’s UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker withdrew from his championship defense against Kelvin Gastelum at UFC 234 because of an abdominal injury and subsequent emergency surgery.