02082017 sports by tribune242

SPORTS SECTION E

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2017

NCAA

Lashann - Pg 2

FAST TRACK: The CR Walker Knights yesterday took a commanding lead in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association Senior High Schools track and field meet at the Thomas A Robinson national stadium. The CI Gibson Rattlers are in 2nd place after day 1 and look to pose a challenge. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

CR Walker Knights take commanding day 1 lead By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

ecent editions of the GSSSA Senior High Schools track and field meet have featured thrilling finishes, adding to the budding rivalry between the CR Walker Knights and the CV Bethel Stingrays. This year, the Knights have taken a commanding lead on day one, while the CI Gibson Rattlers look to pose a challenge once again in second place and the Stingrays follow at a distant third at the completion of day one. The Knights totalled 243 points - 41 points ahead of the Rattlers who posted 202. The Stingrays scored 180, followed by the CC Sweeting Cobras with 102 and the RM Bailey Pacers round out the top five at 98.33 points. The remainder of the field includes the Doris Johnson Mystic Marlins (89.67), Anatol Rodgers Timberwolves (51) and Government High School Magic (49). The Knights’ commanding lead in the Under-20 division was the catalyst behind the early lead, accounting for 141 points. The Rattlers were second in the division at just 97. The Stingrays have a slight lead in the closely contested U-18 division with 112 points, followed by the Rattlers at 105 and the Knights at 102. The schedule was highlighted on the track by the 100m, 400m, 1,500m and 4x100m relay in all divisions while field events included high jump, triple jump, discus and shot put in specific divisions. Topping the list of individual performers on day one was the Cobras’ Denvaughn Whymms in the U-18 boys’ division. Whymms took first place in the 100m in 11.01 seconds and also leapt 6.44m to take first in the long jump. Other 100m winners included: Shante Rolle (13.35) leading a one-two CV Bethel finish ahead

of teammate Cheriah Ferguson (13.57) in the U-18 girls, Renee Brown (12.64) of CR Walker in the U-20 girls and Kayron Dean (10.90) of CI Gibson in the U-20 boys. The Knights won three of the four divisions in the 400m final. Chanice Forbes took the U-18 girls’ event in 1:01:82, Anthonia Strachan took the U-20 girls in 1:00:56 and Mchael Gomez was the lone competitor in the U-20 boys to run sub-50 at 49.97. Edward Munroe of Doris Johnson won the U-18 boys’ event in 51.05. Charles Butler of CI Gibson led the list of winners in the middle distances, winning the U-20 boys’ 1,500m in 4:34:97. His Rattlers teammate Lovena Camille won the U-18 girls’ race in 5:41:47. Kerryann McKenzie of CV Bethel took the U-20 girls in 6:03:31 and Lhevinne Joseph of CR Waker won the U-18 boys in 4:33:31. In the field, the Knights’ Janae Thelamour won the U-18 girls’ javelin with a throw of 29.72m while the Rattlers’ Patrick Johnson took the boys’ event with his throw of 49.90m. Ronald Ferguson of CV Bethel took the U-18 boys’ triple jump at 13.44m while his teammate Aldonique Rolle took the U-18 girls’ high jump with a clearance of 1.37m. Benet Johnson of Government High tossed the U-18 girls’ discus 25.65m for first while Johnie Jean-Jacques took first in the U-20 boys’ shot put with his throw of 14.55m. On day one of the meet last year, The Knights led the eightteam field with 304.50 points with the Rattlers accumulating 257.50 the Stingrays, 238.50. They went on to win the title in their first year under head coach Ednal Rolle, who replaced longtime Knights coach Floyd Armbrister. The meet continues 9:15am this morning at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium.

ON FORM: The CV Bethel Stingrays are in 3rd place after day one.

PAGE 2, Wednesday, February 8, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Lashann Higgs scores season high 16 in Longhorns’ 85-79 win over Bears By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net LASHANN Higgs has established an important role in the rotation for the Texas Longhorns women’s basketball programme and it has helped the team’s current win streak, highlighted by an upset over an interstate rival and second ranked team in the country. Higgs finished with a season high 16 points in the No.11 Longhorns 85-79 win over the No.2 Baylor Bears Monday night on the road at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas. The Longhorns improved to 19-4, still undefeated at 13-0 in the Big 12. Texas also broke Baylor’s 21 game win streak in the Big 12 and fell to 23-2. Higgs shot 6-12 from the field in 25 minutes of play. It was also her season high in field goal attempts, free throws made and free throws attempted. It was a rare win, not only because it was the first home loss for Baylor in nearly three years, but it snapped Texas’ 14-game losing streak against the Bears. The Longhorns now boast the second-best active win streak in the NCAA with 17 and hold a perfect 13-0 record in Big 12 Conference play for the first time in programme history. “This was a really good basketball game,” said Aston. “You saw tonight how good the Big 12 was. I’m really proud of our players. I thought they were tough tonight.” As a team, Texas shot 51.6 per cent (33-64) from the field while holding Baylor to a 43.9 shooting percentage (29-66). The Longhorns outrebounded the Lady Bears 38-37 and swiped six steals to BU’s two. Next on the schedule, Texas will return home to host Kansas on Saturday, February 11 at home in the Erwin Center. In 23 games this season, with one start, Higgs is averaging 7.9 points per game while grabbing 2.9 rebounds, dishing 1.4 assists with one steal in just over 16 minutes per game. She is also shooting 52 per cent from the field but continues to struggle both at the

TEXAS guard Lashann Higgs (10) reaches for the ball against Baylor guard Alexis Jones (30) during the second half of Monday night’s NCAA game in Waco, Texas. (AP) SEE STORY AND MORE PHOTOS ON PAGE 4 line at 50 per cent and from threepoint range at 25 per cent. After a slow start to the season, Higgs has picked up her scoring load considerably in January and has reached double figures in five of her last eight games.

Higgs doesn’t shy away from big-game pressure. In last year’s NCAA Tournament, she averaged 10.2 points in UT’s four games, including a team-high 19 points in a season-ending 86-65 loss to eventual champion UConn.

She ranks second on the team in field goal percentage and third in steals. Both Higgs and her head coach discussed the resilience of the sophomore guard and Harbour Island native with the Aus-

tin American-Statesman and Hookem.com. “There have been some dark moments when she’s really gotten down on herself, and I’ve had question marks on whether she was going to overcome some mental setbacks,” Aston said. “Most of it is when she beats herself up over when she makes a mistake. Her (recent) growth has come from here persistence and her willingness to not quit on herself or her team.” Higgs said she agrees with Aston’s assessment “to some extent.” “Sometimes as a player, you get caught up in the thought that you have to do everything perfectly,” she said. “I’m now realising when you do that it tends to lead to more mistakes. … So when you become comfortable with your mistakes and learn from them, that’s when you grow as a player. I’m playing with more confidence. I’m paying more attention to details, working hard in practice to play my game.” Texas started the season at 2-4 but those losses all came against elite level ranked teams - UConn, Stanford, South Carolina and Mississippi State. According to a vote of the league’s head coaches, the Longhorns are predicted to finish second behind Baylor in the Big 12 and also finished with a single first place vote. The Longhorns are coming off a 31-5 record and an NCAA Elite Eight appearance in 2015-16. Texas went 15-3 to finish second in the league and tied the school record for most Big 12 victories with 15. The Longhorns have appeared in back-to-back Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship games. Higgs finished the final game of their season with a career high 19 points in the Longhorns’ 8665 loss to the eventual champion UConn Huskies in the Bridgeport Regional Semi-final in April. It was the second consecutive season the Huskies ended the year for the Longhorns after they routed them by 50 in the 2015 Sweet 16. Higgs appeared in 34 games and finished the year averaging 7.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 13.2 minutes.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 8, 2017, PAGE 3

STUDENTS compete yesterday in the Government Secondary Schools Sports Association Junior High Schools track and field meet at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium. Photos: Shawn Hanna/Tribune Staff

CH REEVES RAPTORS ARE JUST 1.5 POINTS AHEAD OF AF ADDERLEY FIGHTING TIGERS By RENALDO DORSETT Sports Reporter rdorsett@tribunemedia.net IF the CH Reeves Raptors are to claim a ninth consecutive GSSSA Junior High Schools track and field title, they face a much tougher challenge this year from the AF Adderley Tigers who trail just 1.5 points behind atop the leaderboard. The two schools are setting the pace for a far different race from the lopsided finish in 2016. The Raptors totalled 259.50 points ahead of the Tigers who posted 258. The HO Nash Lions are nearly 100 points behind in third place with a score of 159, followed closely by the SC McPherson Sharks with 107 and the DW Davis Royals round out the top five at 107 points. The remainder of the field includes the TA Thompson Scorpions (81), LW Young Golden Eagles (80) and Anatol Rodgers

Timberwolves (51). Both teams hold decisive leads in combined team scores in respective age groups. The Raptors lead the Under-16 group with 125 points, 30 points ahead of the Lions with 95. The Tigers are just 11 points behind with 84 points. The Tigers lead the U-16 division with 174 points. The Raptors trail in second place with 134.50 and the Sharks are third with just 77.50 points. The schedule was highlighted on the track by the 100m, 400m, 1500m and 4x100m relay in all divisions while field events included high jump, triple jump, discus and shot put in specific divisions. Topping the list of individual performers on day one were several Raptors team members who were able to pull off double victories. There was the dynamic duo of Jamal Flowers and Ahmad Evans in the U-14 boys’ division. Flowers took first place in the

100m in 11.99 seconds while Evans followed in second in 12.67. The roles were reversed in the 400m where they ran identical times of 57.33 but Evans edged out Flowers at the line to finish first. They also led the Raptors 4x100m team to a first place finish in 51.76. Their teammate Kevin Barr showed off his versatility in both the track and in the field, winning the U-14 boys’ 1200m in 4:10:29. He also took the long jump with a leap of 4.65m. Latrell Forbes of AF Adderley accomplished the same feat in the U-16 boys, leaping to first place in the long jump at 5.56m and a first place run of 56.93 in the 400m. Also in the field, Lukadanyel Rolle of the TA Thompson Scorpions was able to win first place in a pair of events. He threw 36.87m to win the U-16 boys’ javelin and also cleared 1.70m to win the high jump.

The Tigers’ Janay Higgs dominated the throws in the U-16 girls. She dominated the shot put with a throw of 10.71m and in the discus with a throw of 24.19m. The Raptors won three of the four divisions in the 100m final. Ambernique Coakley (13.95) of HO Nash won in the U-14 girls, while Raptors Dayona Williams (13.73) and Leandre Lightbourne (11.99) took the U-16 girls and boys respectively. Sherinique Sears of HO Nash took the U-14 girls’ event in 1:03:96, Rowlia Joseph of AF Adderley took the U-16 girls in 1:07:31 and Mchael Gomez was the lone competitor in the U-20 boys to run sub-50 at 49.97. Jeanne St Prelus of TA Thompson won the U-14 boys 1,200m in 4:37:35 while a pair of Raptors teammates took the 1,500m. Anton Pratt won the U-16 boys’ race in 4:52:10 while Nicola Smith won the U-16 girls in 6:04.01. In the field, the Golden Eagles’

Colin Palmer won the U-16 boys’ discus with a throw of 31.66m while the Tigers’ Miracle Newton took the U-14 girls’ shot put with her throw of 8.09m. Merrisa Chaute of DW Davis took the U-14 girls’ long jump at 4.06m while Zaria Major of AF Adderley took the U-16 girls high jump with a clearance of 1.44m. Benet Johnson of Government High tossed the U-18 girls’ discus 25.65m for first while Johnie JeanJacques took first in the U-20 boys shot put with his throw of 14.55m. After the first day of the twoday championships last year, the Raptors soared out in front of the eight-team field with a total of 305.50 points, with the Tigers behind at 186.50 and the HO Nash Lions third with 140. They eventually went on to win their eighth title, currently the longest streak in high school sports in the country. The meet continues 9:15am today at the stadium.

PAGE 4, Wednesday, February 8, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Michigan St looks to maintain momentum at Michigan By LARRY LAGE AP Sports Writer ANN ARBOR, Michigan (AP) — Michigan State is in the midst of its longest winning streak against rival Michigan since the glory days of the Tom Izzo era. The Spartans have won five straight, a run so long that players such as junior point guard Tum Tum Nairn don’t know what it is like to lose to the Wolverines. “Wanna keep it that way,” Nairn said. Michigan State (14-9, 6-4 Big Ten) appears to be getting better at a good time, increasing its chances of playing in a 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament, entering last night’s game at Michigan (14-9, 4-6) where animosity might fuel the home team. “For some reason, you just don’t like them,” Wolverines sophomore forward Moritz Wagner said. The feeling is mutual. “Hate would be a bad word, but you can’t like your rivals,” Izzo said. “That would be illegal, unAmerican.” Nairn, who is from the Bahamas, and Wagner, who hails from Germany, learned a lot about the emotionally charged series after arriving on campus. Lately, the Spartans have been teaching Michigan the tougher team usually wins. Michigan State’s winning streak is its longest since earning a school-record eight victories in a row from 1998 to 2002. During that streak, Izzo led the Spartans to a national championship, three straight Final Fours and four consecutive Big Ten titles. He may not be able to take his current team to similar heights, but with freshman Miles Bridges approaching his potential and his surrounding cast improving, the Hall of Fame coach likes what he is seeing. “We are starting to come together,” Izzo said. “We’re playing better, but we still have such a long way to go if we want to be a

MICHIGAN State head coach Tom Izzo, right, talks with guard Lourawls Nairn Jr in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game. (AP) real good team.” The Spartans ended a threegame losing streak by beating the Wolverines 70-62 on January 29 at home and won at Nebraska by 11 points on Thursday night. Bridges is leading the way. He is averaging team highs with 16.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game, primarily making shots with his left hand while showing he can shoot with his right, too. And behind the 3-point line, he is a threat to score. “Miles Bridges goes both ways, finishes with both hands and the fact that he’s now an elite 3-point shooter, it’s a really tough guard,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “We’re going to have to give a lot of help with him.” On the other end of the court, the Spartans don’t plan to leave

Nairn or freshman point guard Cassius Winston alone against Derrick Walton. The senior point guard scored 19 of 24 points in the second half of the last setback at Michigan State and followed that up with 25 points, one shy of his career high, in a loss to the Buckeyes. “Since our game, maybe before, he’s playing at another level,” Izzo said. “He’s playing the best basketball of his career and we’re going to have to limit him somewhat.” The Wolverines, though, have not had many players match Walton’s intensity. Too many of them simply don’t seem to be following Walton’s lead. “It’s on us to make up our minds and join him on his focus level, his energy level and urgency level,”

THIS photo shows Michigan State’s Miles Bridges celebrating in the closing moments of a game against Michigan in East Lansing, Michigan, on January 29. Michigan State might be getting better at a good time. The Spartans have won two straight, going into last night’s rematch at Michigan after beating their rivals a little more than a week ago. (AP) Wagner said. “He’s doing a great job of carrying us right now.” If Walton doesn’t get some help soon, his team may not reach its goal of playing in the NCAA Tournament with a road-heavy schedule to close the regular season. Michigan is 0-6 on opponents’ home courts this season

and has lost nine straight since winning February 10, 2016, at Minnesota. “We really got to bounce back now,” Beilein said. “We have eight games left, five on the road. We’re not going to survive if we don’t have an incredible resolve moving forward.”

No. 11 Texas women hold on for rare win at No. 2 Baylor WACO, Texas (AP) — Surely there had to be some sense of relief for 11thranked Texas after beating second-ranked Baylor, holding on after letting all of a big lead slip away in the second half. “I would say definitely not. I know coach always talks about being in the moment,” junior guard Brooke McCarty said. “That game was really tough, and we have to keep building from there.” Well, this was a fine moment to embrace for the Longhorns after an 85-79 victory at Baylor on Monday night. While winning its 17th consecutive game, Texas ended the Lady Bears’ 21-game winning streak and handed them their first home loss in nearly three years. “I’m glad we were really competitive, because that’s what we’re trying to learn to be,” Texas coach Karen Aston said. “We’re trying to learn how to be competitive on every play, and I thought we did a good job of that. Texas (19-4, 13-0) never trailed in the first-ever matchup of teams both 12-0 in Big 12 play, but the Lady Bears came back from a season-high 16-point deficit to tie the game before Joyner Holmes drove for a layup with a minute left. Baylor (23-2, 12-1) was even at 76-all when Alexis Jones made a jumper with 1:28 left. That wrapped up a 27-11 run in which she scored 15 of her 19 points. “We played with intensity, we played with urgency, we played like we were 15 behind,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. “Well, that’s how you’ve got to start the game. And this team hasn’t done that for about two weeks.” Holmes, who finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, had her tiebreaking score and added two free throws after a Jones miss.

TEXAS guard Lashann Higgs (10) shoots against Baylor guard Alexis Prince (12) in the second half. Texas won 85-79.

BAYLOR guard Alexis Jones (30) drives against Texas guard Lashann Higgs (10) during the first half of Monday night’s NCAA college game in Waco, Texas. (AP Photos/LM Otero) The Lady Bears had won 55 straight home games since losing to West Virginia on March 2, 2014. They also had a 14-game winning streak in their series against Texas since 2010. McCarthy had 22 points, Ariel Atkins 20 and Lashann Higgs 16 for the Longhorns, who take over the nation’s second-longest winning streak behind topranked UConn’s 97 wins in

a row. Kalani Brown had 24 points for Baylor. Alexis Prince added 14 points with four 3-pointers. BIG PICTURE Texas: The Longhorns certainly found a formula to beat Baylor for the first time since 2010. They shot over 50 per cent from the field, which had allowed only Stanford and West Virginia

had done in the Lady Bears’ previous 348 games. Texas was also the first team this season to outrebound the Lady Bears (38-37), and outscored them 42-38 in the paint. Baylor: After winning their first dozen Big 12 games by an average margin of 34 points, the Lady Bears fell behind early. Mulkey briefly replaced all five starters less than 4 min-

utes into the game. “You’ve got to come out of the gates ready to play with focus, with energy, with intensity,” Mulkey said. “That being said, we came back and had a chance to win. ... Give our team credit for that. We never quit fighting, we never quit playing.” SEE YOU AGAIN SOON After not meeting until their 13th Big 12 game, the Longhorns and Lady Bears will play again in two weeks. Their next matchup is February 20 in Austin. LUCKY 13 The Longhorns won their 13th consecutive Big 12 game, breaking a school record. They beat Kansas State on Saturday for their 12th in a row, matching the

school record set between January 2003 and January 2004. DOWN TO THE HUSKIES UConn was the only other team to beat Baylor, but the Huskies’ largest lead over the Lady Bears was 14 back in November. All of the losses by the Longhorns were to Top 10 teams in their first six games of this season, the last setback coming against UConn on December 4. UP NEXT Texas: Longhorns return home to play Kansas on Saturday. Baylor: After four games in a nine-day span, Baylor gets a little bit of a break before playing Sunday at TCU.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 8, 2017, PAGE 5

Messi, Suarez finish off Atletico, Barcelona reaches Copa final By JOSEPH WILSON Associated Press BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez teamed up again to send Barcelona to a fourth consecutive Copa del Rey final after a combative 1-1 draw with Atletico Madrid yesterday that saw three players sent off. Suarez fired in a rebound from Messi’s shot to put Barcelona ahead, but the Uruguay striker will miss the final after being dismissed for a second booking in the 90th minute of a game that helped his team to a 3-2 victory on aggregate. Suarez scored two minutes before halftime after Messi had dribbled through Atletico’s defence and forced goalkeeper Miguel Moya to make a save. Barcelona’s Sergi Roberto was the first player to be sent off after collecting a second yellow card with more than half an hour remaining. Atletico was reduced to 10 men shortly afterward following Yannick Carrasco’s second booking. Messi almost added a second goal in the 77th with a free kick that rattled the crossbar, before the match swung Atletico’s way. Moments after Kevin Gameiro had sent a penalty kick over the bar, the Atletico substitute striker equalised from Antoine Griezmann’s pass in the 83rd to add some drama to the finale. Atletico hemmed Barcelona into its area but

By CIARAN FAHEY Associated Press

BARCELONA’s Lionel Messi falls after a foul from Atletico’s Filipe Luis, right, during the the Copa del Rey semi-final second leg soccer match against Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, Spain, yesterday. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez) couldn’t find an equaliser. Atletico coach Diego Simeone said he hoped his team could build on the strong performance, despite losing. “My team played with passion, with heart. We are out, but our heads are high,” Simeone said. “I pray we can keep playing like we did in the second half of the first leg and the entire match tonight. When you lose like this, something special can grow inside the team.” While Simeone took pride in his team’s showing, counterpart Luis Enrique acknowledged that his Barcelona side was far from its best. “We didn’t look like the team that had won this

competition,” Luis Enrique said. “Atletico was dangerous from the start, but luck was on our side. It would have been dangerous to go into added time.” Last week, Messi and Suarez each scored a goal to earn a 2-1 first-leg win at Atletico’s Vicente Calderon. Barcelona has won Spain’s domestic cup for the past two seasons and holds a record of 28 Copa del Rey trophies. The defending champions will face either Celta Vigo or Alaves in the final. Celta visits Alaves in the other semi-final today after they drew 0-0 in their first leg. Simeone’s team dominated both the start and fi-

nal stretch of the match at Camp Nou. In the first half hour, Barcelona goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen was forced to turn back shots by Carrasco, Jorge “Koke” Resurreccion and Diego Godin. Atletico continued to threaten until Messi made the difference. The club’s all-time leading scorer appeared to have nowhere to go when he received the ball far outside the area and with a pack on defenders in his way. But Messi dipped his head, started his run with a quick change of foot, and soon enough he had eluded three Atletico players. Goalkeeper Miguel Moya did well to parry Messi’s left-foot strike, only for the

ball to fall right to the unmarked Suarez to finish off. Luis Enrique sent Andres Iniesta and Sergi Busquets on late in the match with both midfielders recovered from leg injuries that had kept them out of action in recent weeks. Gameiro squandered a great scoring opportunity with 10 minutes remaining when he sailed a penalty kick high after he was fouled by Gerard Pique. But Griezmann soon found him with a nice squared pass for an easy goal. And after Suarez went sent off for using his arm to challenge for a high ball, Atletico pressed right till the end for a goal that would have forced extra time.

Dzeko scores twice to help Roma beat Fiorentina 4-0 ROME (AP) — Edin Dezko is going from strength to strength in his second season in Italian football, scoring twice as Roma beat Fiorentina 4-0 in Serie A yesterday. Dzeko moved top of the goalscoring charts on 17 goals, more than double the amount he scored in a miserable first season with Roma. It was the first time Dzeko has netted at least 17 league goals in a season since he scored 22 for Wolfsburg in 2009/10. “We’ll see, there are still a lot of matches to play,” Dzeko said when asked if he was targeting Europe’s Golden Shoe, awarded to the top goalscorer. “It seemed like an easy victory but it wasn’t. They had us in difficulty in the first half, then we did well after the first goal. “I feel good, we’re working hard and you can see that on the pitch. Today we

played well against a strong team like Fiorentina, we gave everything.” Federico Fazio and Radja Nainggolan scored the other goals as Roma moved back two points above Napoli into second spot, four points behind leader Juventus. Fazio also proved crucial at the other end, with a goalline clearance to deny Federico Chiesa in the 14th minute. That was Fiorentina’s only real scoring chance as Roma began to take control. Roma had several opportunities and should have taken the lead in the 29th when Nainggolan found an unmarked Bruno Peres with a delightful chipped pass, but the Brazilian defender incredibly fired over in one of the misses of the season. The capital side did take the lead 10 minutes later following a brilliant Dan-

iele De Rossi ball over the top which Dzeko controlled on his chest before turning and driving into the bottom left corner. It was the first time Dzeko has scored in five successive matches since 2009. De Rossi also set up Roma’s second, shortly before the hour, with a free kick which Fazio headed in for his first Serie A goal. Roma extended its lead in the 75th with a wonderful team move. From a counterattack, Dzeko found De Rossi, who passed to Kevin Strootman on the left flank. The Netherlands international took one touch, looked up and picked out Nainggolan, who controlled the ball and calmly finished it off. Dzeko doubled his tally seven minutes from time, snatching the ball off Fiorentina defender Davide Astori and firing past Ciprian Tatarusanu.

PARIS (AP) — Compared to Thierry Henry by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, teenager Kylian Mbappe is living up to the hype. The 18-year-old forward showed his speed and skills to score his seventh goal for Monaco in all competitions this season as the French league leaders maintained their grip on top spot with a 2-1 win at Montpellier yesterday. Wenger recently said he could see similarities between Mbappe and Henry, who also played for Monaco when he was young. Wenger tried to recruit Mbappe this summer but the rising star of French football —who helped France win the under-19 European championship in July, scoring five goals — decided to stay in Monaco. Mbappe scored a Henrylike goal at the Stade de la Mosson following Kamil Glik’s opener for the visitors.

After Keagan Dolly gave the ball away near the Monaco box, a series of quick passes eventually saw the ball reaching Mbappe. After escaping defenders with a fast run down the left, Mbappe collected the ball and kept his composure to beat keeper Geoffrey Jourdren with a well-taken low shot, making it 2-0 after 20 minutes. Monaco had made a tentative start but managed to break the deadlock from a set piece. As Thomas Lemar sent a free kick into the box, Jourdren missed the ball in his attempt to punch clear and Glik headed home for his fourth goal this season. Montpellier captain Vitorino Hilton hauled his team back into the game soon after the interval with a header at the near post from Ryad Boudebouz’s corner, making for a tense finish to the game. Montpellier pushed for an equaliser in the last 15 minutes, missing a golden opportunity in added time when substitute Souley-

mane Camara sent a header off the crossbar. Monaco finished with 10 men following Jemerson’s dismissal for a late tackle on Boudebouz with two minutes left. CAEN 0, BORDEAUX 4 Forward Francois Kamano scored twice as Bordeaux showed clinical efficiency in its victory at Caen. Bordeaux converted all four chances and moved to sixth in the standings, 19 points behind Monaco. Diego Rolan put the visitors in front in the 11th minute after taking advantage of a blunder from Jordan Leborgne. The 21-year-old Caen midfielder completely mishit the ball as he tried to pass back to his goalkeeper. The Uruguayan striker intercepted the ball, ran down half the pitch and came out on top of his duel with keeper Remy Vercoutre from a tight angle. Vercoutre was at fault 11 minutes later when Kamano made it 2-0 with a

BERLIN (AP) — A first-half strike from Douglas Costa was enough for defending champion Bayern Munich to edge Wolfsburg 1-0 at home and scrape into the German Cup quarterfinals yesterday. Costa scored with a deflected shot in the 18th minute but Bayern failed to build on its greater possession and was made to suffer late on as Wolfsburg grew in confidence. Yunus Malli should have equalised with less than 10 minutes remaining when Manuel Neuer saved in a one-on-one and the Bayern ‘keeper was called into action again to deny Daniel Didavi. Late substitutions helped Bayern hang on and take the momentum from Wolfsburg, but there were whistles from home supporters unhappy with the display. Bayern coach Carlo Ancelotti has come in for some criticism following a dip in performance lately and the first dropped points in the Bundesliga after seven games at the weekend. The Italian gave an indication of his likely lineup for Arsenal’s visit in the Champions League next week - with no room for misfiring Thomas Mueller, while Thiago Alcantara returned from injury and Philipp Lahm and David Alaba also started. HAMBURGER SV 2, COLOGNE 0 American forward Bobby Wood sealed Hamburger SV’s progress to the quarterfinals with the winning goal. Wood intercepted a wayward pass from Pawel Olkowski in midfield, sprinted forward and played a one-two with Gideon Jung before staying cool in front of Cologne ‘keeper Thomas Kessler to score with 15 minutes remaining. Hamburg’s Luca Waldschmidt had hit the post a minute before. Jung got the home side off to a flying start in the fifth minute but Cologne came close to equalising through Anthony Modeste.

ROMA’s Radja Nainggolan celebrates after scoring yesterday during a Serie A match against Fiorentina at the Rome Olympic stadium. (AP)

TEENAGER MBAPPE SHINES AS MONACO BEATS MONTPELLIER 2-1 By SAMUEL PETREQUIN AP Sports Writer

BAYERN MUNICH SCRAPES PAST WOLFSBURG 1-0 IN THE GERMAN CUP

curled shot from the edge of the area. The ball bounced just in front of Vercoutre, who reacted too slowly and scuffed his clearance into the net. Kamano doubled his tally in the 63rd minute with a neat finish after dribbling past two Caen players and Jaroslav Plasil completed the rout with a last-minute goal. PARIS SAINTGERMAIN 2, LILLE 1 Lucas secured three crucial points for Paris SaintGermain with a last-minute winner in a controversial 2-1 victory over Lille. The in-form Brazilian midfielder scored from an offside position in added time to ensure the defending champions remain within three points of Monaco, after a blunder from keeper Alphonse Areola helped Lille equalise with only four minutes left. Facing a well-organised side, PSG monopolised possession but was often clueless with the ball until Edinson Cavani, the

league’s top scorer with 23 goals, broke the deadlock with a lucky goal in the 70th minute. PSG wingers kept peppering the box with crosses that were easily repelled and Lille keeper Vincent Enyeama made three excellent saves to deny secondhalf attempts from Hatem Ben Arfa, Angel Di Maria and Lucas. But Cavani put the hosts in front after Lille forward Ricardo Kishna deflected a free kick which fell for the Uruguay striker, who miscued his header and sent the ball into the net with the help of his shoulder. Everything went wrong for Areola in the 86th minute, with the keeper losing control of the ball in his box with a heavy touch. He managed to recover possession, but immediately gave the ball away under pressure from substitute Eric Bautheac. Lille forward Nicolas De Preville was then able to pounce, sending a shot between Areola’s legs. PSG laid siege to the Lille

GREUTHER FUERTH 0, BORUSSIA MOENCHENGLADBACH 2 An early goal from Oscar Wendt set ‘Gladbach on its way and the visiting side’s task was made easier when Hungary midfielder Adam Pinter was sent off with a straight red card for a bad challenge on Christoph Kramer in the 18th. Thorgan Hazard completed the scoring against the second-division side with a penalty before the break. ASTORIA WALLDORF 1, ARMINIA BIELEFELD 1 Second-division Bielefeld won 5-4 on penalties after fourth-tier Walldorf equalised late through Marcel Carl to take the match into extra time. Bielefeld’s Keanu Staude was sent off with his second yellow card 20 minutes after coming on in extra time but Walldorf, which had upset Darmstadt and Bochum in the previous rounds, went out when Stephan Salger converted the decisive penalty in the shootout. goal for the final minutes and was rewarded when Lucas bundled home a loose ball following a scramble.

THE TRIBUNE

Wednesday, February 8, 2017, PAGE 7

Russia picks fight over doping after IAAF ban extended By JAMES ELLINGWORTH AP Sports Writer MOSCOW (AP) — Russian athletics looked set for conflict with the IAAF over doping even as the government admitted yesterday some top coaches relied on giving banned substances to their athletes. The IAAF on Monday said Russia would probably not be reinstated to global athletics until at least November, extending a ban first imposed in November 2015. That means there won’t be an official Russia team at the world championships in August, though there may be “neutral” athletes competing. A new IAAF road map obliges the All-Russian Athletics Federation to confront World Anti-Doping Agency allegations the Russian state oversaw a vast cover-up of drug use, either by accepting them or “convincingly rebutting those findings.” ARAF first vice-president Andrei Silnov ruled

out an admission Russian doping was state-backed. “There are no facts there, just assertions, and we’re gradually proving that it’s not a state structure, a system, that kind of thing,” he told The Associated Press. A former Olympic high jump champion, Silnov said whistleblowers about doping in Russia were motivated by money, questioned claims that Russia had “a culture of doping,” and suggested the IAAF was unfairly slowing down Russia’s reinstatement. “The criteria we have, we fulfil. We fulfil them and there’s a new set,” he said. “The process goes on and on.” Silnov held a news conference alongside former long jump world recordholder Igor Ter-Ovanesyan, who said East German athletes’ steroid-fuelled successes during the Cold War should be seen as legitimate products of “good pharmacology,” rather than condemned as doping. Silnov did not challenge the claim. Those comments came

RUSSIAN track federation vice president Andrei Silnov speaks during a news conference in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday. Silnov said progress was being made, but questioned whether the country’s problems were as serious as the IAAF says. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

IN THIS December 25, 2015 file photo, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko gestures during a news conference in Moscow, Russia. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin)

as Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko sought to play down differences between Russia and the IAAF, saying Russian athletics had major problems but “over the last year, colossal work has been done” on reforms. “There were many abuses and breaches. Athletes broke the rules and many coaches don’t understand how to work without doping and it’s high time for them to retire,” Mutko told state

over various allegations of covering up doping. That isn’t considered likely to happen until November. The IAAF is also considering 35 applications from Russians willing to compete as “neutral” athletes if they can show a record of independent drug-testing by agencies other than the suspended national body. Two others — doping whistleblower Yulia Stepanova and US-based long jumper

news agency R-Sport. On Monday, Mutko was singled out for criticism by IAAF taskforce leader Rune Andersen because of his often-colourful criticism of anti-doping rulings against Russia. Following a council meeting, the IAAF laid out conditions for Russia to return to competition, including the reinstatement of the national drug-testing agency, which remains suspended

THE WEATHER REPORT

5-Day Forecast

TODAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

Mostly sunny

A moonlit sky

Mostly sunny

Sunny to partly cloudy and breezy

Plenty of sunshine

Plenty of sun

High: 83°

Low: 69°

High: 83° Low: 67°

High: 78° Low: 64°

High: 79° Low: 66°

High: 81° Low: 66°

AccuWeather RealFeel

99° F

77° F

94°-63° F

79°-62° F

80°-64° F

85°-68° F

ORLANDO

TAMPA

High: 78° F/26° C Low: 68° F/20° C

almanac

ABACO

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 66° F/19° C

6-12 knots

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 65° F/18° C

8-16 knots

FT. LAUDERDALE

FREEPORT

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 67° F/19° C

E S

WEST PALM BEACH

The higher the AccuWeather UV IndexTM number, the greater the need for eye and skin protection.

The exclusive AccuWeather RealFeel Temperature® is an index that combines the effects of temperature, wind, humidity, sunshine intensity, cloudiness, precipitation, pressure and elevation on the human body—everything that affects how warm or cold a person feels. Temperatures reflect the high and the low for the day.

uV inDex toDay

TONIGHT

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 64° F/18° C

High: 82° F/28° C Low: 67° F/19° C

MIAMI

High: 87° F/31° C Low: 68° F/20° C

6-12 knots

Statistics are for Nassau through 1 p.m. yesterday Temperature High ................................................... 84° F/29° C Low .................................................... 66° F/19° C Normal high ....................................... 77° F/25° C Normal low ........................................ 64° F/18° C Last year’s high ................................. 76° F/24° C Last year’s low ................................... 60° F/16° C Precipitation As of 1 p.m. yesterday ................................. 0.00” Year to date ................................................. 0.79” Normal year to date ..................................... 1.72”

ELEUTHERA

NASSAU

High: 83° F/28° C Low: 69° F/21° C

High: 85° F/29° C Low: 66° F/19° C

KEY WEST

High: 81° F/27° C Low: 70° F/21° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 67° F/19° C

4-8 knots

6-12 knots

ANDROS

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

tiDes For nassau High

Ht.(ft.)

Low

Ht.(ft.)

Today

5:22 a.m. 5:43 p.m.

3.1 2.5

11:51 a.m. -0.4 11:53 p.m. -0.7

Thursday

6:16 a.m. 6:37 p.m.

3.2 2.6

12:44 p.m. -0.5 ---------

Friday

7:07 a.m. 7:28 p.m.

3.2 2.7

12:47 a.m. -0.8 1:32 p.m. -0.6

Saturday

7:54 a.m. 8:16 p.m.

3.2 2.7

1:37 a.m. -0.8 2:18 p.m. -0.7

Sunday

8:39 a.m. 9:02 p.m.

3.1 2.7

2:25 a.m. -0.7 3:01 p.m. -0.7

Monday

9:22 a.m. 9:46 p.m.

2.9 2.6

3:12 a.m. -0.6 3:43 p.m. -0.6

Tuesday

10:04 a.m. 10:30 p.m.

2.7 2.6

3:57 a.m. -0.4 4:24 p.m. -0.4

sun anD moon Sunrise Sunset

6:49 a.m. 6:00 p.m.

Moonrise Moonset

3:54 p.m. 4:38 a.m.

Full

Last

New

First

Feb. 10

Feb. 18

Feb. 26

Mar. 5

CAT ISLAND

Daria Klishina — already have this right. Silnov said he was opposed to the idea of neutral athletes in principle and might have refused the status during his competitive career, but said he would accept others doing so if there was no other way to compete. “They’re Russians regardless,” Silnov said. “There’s no other way out of this (situation).”

SAN SALVADOR

GREAT EXUMA

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 68° F/20° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 72° F/22° C

High: 84° F/29° C Low: 69° F/21° C

W S

LONG ISLAND

insurance management tracking map

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 69° F/21° C

6-12 knots

MAYAGUANA High: 84° F/29° C Low: 70° F/21° C

Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.

CROOKED ISLAND / ACKLINS RAGGED ISLAND High: 86° F/30° C Low: 69° F/21° C

GREAT INAGUA High: 85° F/29° C Low: 72° F/22° C

High: 86° F/30° C Low: 69° F/21° C

3-6 knots

4-8 knots

marine Forecast ABACO ANDROS CAT ISLAND CROOKED ISLAND ELEUTHERA FREEPORT GREAT EXUMA GREAT INAGUA LONG ISLAND MAYAGUANA NASSAU RAGGED ISLAND SAN SALVADOR

Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday: Today: Thursday:

WINDS SW at 8-16 Knots WSW at 10-20 Knots SW at 4-8 Knots WSW at 3-6 Knots SW at 6-12 Knots WSW at 4-8 Knots S at 6-12 Knots NNW at 3-6 Knots WSW at 7-14 Knots WSW at 7-14 Knots SW at 7-14 Knots W at 10-20 Knots SW at 6-12 Knots WSW at 4-8 Knots S at 4-8 Knots N at 4-8 Knots SW at 3-6 Knots WNW at 3-6 Knots SSE at 10-20 Knots W at 3-6 Knots SW at 6-12 Knots WSW at 6-12 Knots SW at 3-6 Knots NNE at 4-8 Knots SW at 6-12 Knots WSW at 6-12 Knots

WAVES 3-5 Feet 4-7 Feet 1-2 Feet 0-1 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 3-5 Feet 3-5 Feet 1-3 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 2-4 Feet 1-3 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 5-9 Feet 4-7 Feet 0-1 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet 1-2 Feet

VISIBILITY 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 8 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles 10 Miles

WATER TEMPS. 73° F 73° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 77° F 79° F 79° F 75° F 75° F 78° F 78° F 77° F 77° F 80° F 80° F 79° F 79° F 85° F 85° F 76° F 76° F 78° F 78° F 76° F 76° F

PAGE 8, Wednesday, February 8, 2017

THE TRIBUNE

Hornets end losing skid, top the Nets 111-107 By JODIE VALADE Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kemba Walker, Nicolas Batum and Marco Belinelli each had 17 points as the Charlotte Hornets snapped a seven-game losing streak with a 111-107 victory over the Brooklyn Nets last night. Charlotte (24-28) had not won since a January 21 triumph over Brooklyn. In this game, the Hornets’ balanced offence included double-digit scoring from seven players and an early lead that ballooned to as many as 17 points in the second quarter.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Brooklyn lost its 10th straight game with the Nets last victory coming on January 20 at New Orleans. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 22 points and Brook Lopez added 20 for the Nets (9-43). Jeremy Lamb added 16 points for the Hornets, while centre Frank Kaminsky recorded 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. The Hornets pulled away early, using a 10-0 run in the first quarter to take a 14-4 advantage with 5:28 left in that period. In all, Brooklyn scored just 16 first-quarter points compared to Charlotte’s 24. Only the Nets’ 14-point first quarter on January 21 was a smaller opponent output for the Hornets this season. But the Nets continued to attack, and sliced Charlotte’s lead to 91-87 with 6:11 remaining when Joe Harris knocked in a 23-foot jumper. Charlotte, however, countered with quick baskets from Marvin Williams and Belinelli to give the needed cushion. Charlotte’s All-Star guard Walker caused a small scare when he doubled-over

from an elbow to the face by Harris as he drove to the basket with 1:45 left in the first quarter. Walker immediately came out of game and was tended to on the bench by medical staff. He returned to the contest with 7:29 left in the second quarter. TIP-INS Nets: Spencer Dinwiddie started at point guard, as rookie Isaiah Whitehead was moved to the bench. It was Dinwiddie’s 12th game started in 29 contests with the Nets, and came about because Brooklyn still is searching for cohesive units. “It’s about getting guys in their comfort zone and figuring out which point guard fits with each group,” Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. “Unfortunately, this late in the season, we’re still searching.” ... Former Hornets guard Jeremy Lin missed a chance to play in front of the crowd he played for last season, sitting out because of a strained left hamstring. Lin has played in just 12 games for the Nets this season. Hornets: Centre Cody Zeller missed his

JAMES HARDEN HAS 25 TO LEAD ROCKETS OVER MAGIC 128-104 By KRISTIE RIEKEN AP Sports Writer HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden had 25 points and 13 assists as the Houston Rockets built a big lead early and held off a late rally to get a 128-104 win over the Orlando Magic last night. The Rockets had led by as many as 23 before the Magic begin chipping away at the lead. Serge Ibaka made a turnaround jump shot midway through the fourth quarter to cut Houston’s lead to nine points. Harden grabbed a bad pass from Evan Fournier not long after that and dished to Eric Gordon, who finished with a 3-pointer. Trevor Ariza added a 3-pointer for Houston to extend the lead to 112-97 with about four minutes remaining to put the game away. Patrick Beverley made

ROCKETS’ James Harden scored 25 points last night. (AP) seven points after that to help extend the lead to 12099 with less than two minutes left and send Houston’s starters to the bench. It is Houston’s second

straight win and the 10th loss in 13 games for the Magic. Ibaka had 28 points for the Magic and Evan Fournier added 21.

eighth straight game with a quad contusion. The 7-foot Frank Kaminsky started at centre for Charlotte, shifting from his typical power forward position. ... Center Miles Plumlee, acquired via trade February 2, played his first game in Charlotte. He scored four points on 2-for-3 shooting in 15 minutes. UP NEXT Nets: Brooklyn returns home today to host Washington. Hornets: Charlotte hosts the Houston Rockets on Thursday in the second game of a four-game homestand.

EASTERN CONFERENCE