SPORTS
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
East Oregonian
Page 3B
Women’s College Basketball
Start of Pac-12 play brings surprises
By STEVE GRESS
Corvallis Times-Gazete
&259$//,6 ² ,I WKH ¿UVW
week of Pac-12 Conference play
is any indication, the women’s
basketball season is going to be a
battle each week.
Three teams made it through the
¿UVW ZHHN XQVFDWKHG ZKLOH WKH\
were several upsets.
UCLA got off to a fast start as
the No. 15 Bruins won all three
conference games they played at
home, including Monday’s 71-51
blowout of No. 11 Oregon State.
Arizona State, which entered
the week No. 14, took it to No. 9
Stanford in a 49-31 win at home.
The 31 points are the fewest Stan-
ford has ever scored in a game.
“Third week of April we’ll have
a banquet and we’ll look at what
this team ultimately accomplishes
and that will be on there,” ASU
coach Charli Turner Thorne was
quoted as saying in an AP story.
³7KDW¶OOEHVRPHWKLQJIXQWRUHÀHFW
on. But right now we’re just going
to keep grinding. We have a lot of
basketball left and I think this team
is showing that they can have a big
year.”
The Sun Devils are 2-0 after
knocking off both Bay Area teams
– they topped No. 21 California,
(AP Photo/Danny Moloshok)
Oregon State guard Jamie Weisner, left, attempts to drive around
UCLA guard Jordin Canada, right, during the irst half of an NCAA
college basketball game, Monday, Jan. 4, 2016, in Los Angeles.
57-49, to open conference play.
Speaking of the Golden Bears,
they are now 0-2 after falling
47-52 at Arizona on Monday.
Arizona is just 1-1 in Pac-12 play
but the Wildcats are 10-4 overall
after winning just 10 last season.
Utah is off to a solid start in
the conference after sweeping the
Washington schools. The Utes
slipped past Washington State,
73-71, before edging Washington,
88-83, on Monday. Washington
entered the game 2-0.
Stanford and Oregon State are
both 1-1 along with Arizona. USC
and Washington State are 1-2 while
Oregon, California and Colorado
are all 0-2.
HOME COURT:
While coaches want to win
every game, it’s imperative to hold
court at home in the Pac-12. Then
you want to get at least a split on
the road. Do that and the odds of
challenging for the conference title
increase.
UCLA is off to a good start
having won all three games last
week at home. Utah and Arizona
State also both held serve at home.
Stanford, Oregon State and
Washington State all split on the
road while Washington had a solid
2-1 record in three road games.
Arizona and USC split at home,
with the Trojans losing a road
game as well.
Oregon and California both
were swept on the road while
Colorado was swept at home.
RANKINGS:
7KH 3DF KDV ¿YH WHDPV
ranked in this week’s AP poll, with
three others receiving a vote.
Monday was a showdown
between four of the ranked teams
and the lower-ranked teams came
out on top with Arizona State and
UCLA winning at home against
Stanford and Oregon State.
Stanford
leapfrogged
the
Beavers into ninth entering
Monday’s game while OSU
dropped from No. 10 to No. 11.
ASU is No. 14, UCLA No. 15
and Cal No. 21. Oregon, USC and
Washington also received votes.
CENTURY CLUB:
Oregon State’s Scott Rueck
reached 100 victories in just his
sixth season with the Beavers when
they defeated USC on Saturday.
On Monday, Washington State’s
June Daugherty also reached that
milestone with the Cougars. She
has now won 100 or more games
at both Washington State and
Washington.
TOP SCORER:
Washington junior Kelsey Plum
entered Tuesday leading the nation
in scoring at 27.9 points per game.
She is slightly above that average
at 28.7 in Pac-12 play and had
games of 33 and 35 points already.
Oregon’s Jillian Alleyne is
second at 24.0 in Pac-12 play with
Cal freshman Kristine Anigwe
third at 20.5.
THIS WEEK:
Oregon and Oregon State will
face each other twice this week as
the Beavers will host the Ducks at
7 p.m. Friday then head to Eugene
for a noon game on Sunday.
UCLA will head to USC on
Sunday to wrap up the season
series with the Trojans.
Arizona and Arizona State head
to Washington and Washington
State this Friday and Sunday while
Colorado and Utah head to Cali-
fornia and Stanford.
Men’s College Basketball
Oregon State rolling as defense picks up the pace
Stanford (8-5, 1-1), which has the
Pac-12’s lowest-scoring offense
at 71.5 points per game. The
CORVALLIS — Oregon State Cardinal is shooting 43.3 percent
came away from Sunday’s home IURPWKHÀRRUWKLQWKHFRQIHU-
win against Oregon feeling as ence.
Oregon State is playing its best
though it is making progress on
defense of the season, having held
defense.
A victory in the Pac-12 consecutive Division I opponents
&RQIHUHQFH RSHQHU DQG WKH ¿UVW to under 40-percent shooting for
40-minute team effort of the WKH ¿UVW WLPH 7KH %HDYHUV DUH
season was aided by the Beavers’ playing at a faster tempo offen-
best defensive performance so far. sively than last season and holding
The Ducks came in scoring opponents to 39.1 percent, just off
77.9 points per game and shooting the 38.6 percent they allowed for
46.5 percent but managed just the 2014-15 season.
The Oregon game showed
19 of 53 (35.8) against OSU’s
defense — primarily zone — in a OSU what it’s capable of doing in
the Pac-12.
70-57 defeat.
“Everyone was focused when
“It was the best we’ve played
that zone all year long. That it comes to executing. We were
reminded us of how we played a there talking on defense and that
year ago,” said OSU coach Wayne really helps,” said senior forward
Daniel Gomis.
Tinkle.
The Beavers have been aided
The Beavers (10-2, 1-0 Pac-12)
were focused on the game plan, by the return of Gomis, who is
got to their defensive positions playing limited minutes while
still working his way back from
and made stops.
“It was great to see, and now a broken left hand he suffered
we’ve got to challenge the guys during a late-October practice.
“His minutes are probably
to do that every time out,” Tinkle
most important out of everybody
added.
The next time out comes because he’s on that back line,”
Wednesday at home against Beavers senior guard Gary Payton
By JESSE SOWA
Corvallis Gazette-Times
(AP Photo/Timothy J. Gonzalez)
Oregon’s Dillon Brooks, left, protects the ball from Oregon State’s
Drew Eubanks, center, and Gary Payton II, right, in the second half
of Sunday’s game in Corvallis.
SCOREBOARD
MLB
Bonds, Clemens likely
to get boost with HOF
voting changes
of the Baseball Writers’
Association of America for
10 consecutive years at any
point.
NEW YORK (AP)
“We have a somewhat
— Barry Bonds, Roger different electorate,” John
Clemens and other tainted Thorn, Major League Base-
stars of the Steroids Era EDOO¶VRI¿FLDOKLVWRULDQVDLG
appear likely to get a boost Tuesday. “I think possibly
in Hall of Fame balloting, the current electorate was
but not enough to enter not content to keep kicking
Cooperstown this year.
the PED crowd down into
Ken Griffey Jr. seems a hole and leaving the Hall
assured of election on of Fame with a crater in its
WKH ¿UVW WU\ :HGQHVGD\ plaque room.”
possibly with a record vote
Marc Maturo, a reporter
of close to 100 percent. covering
New
York
Mike Piazza, Jeff Bagwell baseball for Gannett in
and Tim Raines also were the 1970s and ‘80s, was
strong candidates to gain among those who lost
the 75 percent needed for voting rights. He said
baseball’s highest honor.
he would have voted for
Following the elimina- Bonds, Clemens, Griffey
tion of about 100 retired and Raines.
baseball writers from the
“The whole process I
electorate, Bonds and think was done too quickly,
Clemens were on track for wasn’t given enough
a 5-10 percentage point thought,” he said.
increase. After drawing
Now a writer for the
about 37 percent of the weekly Rockland County
ballots last year, they Times, Maturo pointed
were in the 48 percent out players who received
range this year according one or two votes in recent
to www.bbhoftracker.com years, such as Armando
, which tabulated public Benitez, Aaron Boone,
votes adding to more than Bret Boone, Darin Erstad,
one-third of the total.
Kenny Rogers, J.T. Snow
Last July, the Hall’s and B.J. Surhoff.
board of directors cut
“They call these cour-
eligible voters from approx- tesy votes or friendship
imately 575 to roughly 475 votes,” he said, “That
by purging writers who had should eliminate you.
not been covering the game They’re not Hall of Famers
for more than a decade. by anyone’s imagination.
Previously, the electorate But people vote for them.
included people who had To me, that’s wrong.”
been active members
By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
II said. “He’s our commander
back there and he gets us where
we’ve got to go. He talks a lot.
His minutes are going to rise
throughout the year and hopefully
his hand gets better.”
Gomis has played a combined
23 minutes in three games since
his return, but he’s making an
impact nonetheless.
“He’s out there sprinting, he’s
talking, he’s communicating. He’s
helping teach the young guys
how important that is,” Tinkle
said. “Hopefully he’ll continue
to improve with his health, but I
know just by him practicing and
being around every day, the guys
are getting better.”
OSU senior guard Langston
Morris-Walker says much of what
*RPLV EULQJV WR WKH ÀRRU JRHV
unnoticed.
His vision from the back line
of the defense gets teammates in
SRVLWLRQ LGHQWL¿HV FXWWHUV DQG
his 6-foot-10 frame gives players
driving to the basket second
thoughts.
“Just his basketball IQ on the
defensive end is off the charts, and
everybody loves to play with him,
especially on the defensive end of
WKHÀRRU´0RUULV:DONHUVDLG
Local slate
PREP BOYS BASKETBALL
Thursday
Umatilla at Riverside, 7:30 p.m.
Friday
Pilot Rock at Stanield, 3 p.m.
Weston-McEwen at Culver, 4:30 p.m.
Heppner at Irrigon, 6 p.m.
Arlington at Mitchell/Spray, 7:30 p.m.
Condon/Wheeler at Ione, 7:30 p.m.
Echo at Joseph, 7:30 p.m.
Powder Valley at Nixyaawii, 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
Pilot Rock at Culver, 2:30 p.m.
Summit at Hermiston, 3:15 p.m.
Pendleton at Lebanon, 5 p.m.
Stanield at Heppner, 5:30 p.m.
Irrigon at Weston-McEwen, 5:30 p.m.
South Wasco at Arlington, 5:30 p.m.
Horizon Christian at Condon/Wheeler,
5:30 p.m.
Ione at Sherman, 5:30 p.m.
Nixyaawii at Echo, 5:30 p.m.
Powder Valley at Helix, 5:30 p.m.
PREP GIRLS BASKETBALL
Thursday
Umatilla at Riverside, 6 p.m.
Friday
Pilot Rock at Stanield, 3 p.m.
Heppner at Irrigon, 7:30 p.m.
Weston-McEwen at Culver, 7:30 p.m.
Condon/Wheeler at Ione, 6 p.m.
Arlington at Mitchell/Spray (at Spray),
6 p.m.
Powder Valley at Nixyaawii, 6 p.m.
Echo at Joseph, 6 p.m.
Saturday
Pendleton at Lebanon, 3 p.m.
Pilot Rock at Culver, 2:30 p.m.
Stanield at Heppner, 4 p.m.
Irrigon at Weston-McEwen, 5:30 p.m.
Condon/Wheeler vs. Horizon Christian (at
Fossil), 4 p.m.
South Wasco at Arlington, 4 p.m.
Ione at Sherman, 4 p.m.
Powder Valley at Helix, 4 p.m.
Echo at Nixyaawii, 4 p.m.
PREP WRESTLING
Friday
Hermiston at Bremerton (WA) meet, 9
a.m.
Pendleton, Heppner, Irrigon, Riverside at
Riverside Tournament, 9 a.m.
Mac-Hi at Nampa Tournament, TBD
Saturday
Hermiston at Bremerton (WA) meet, 9
a.m.
Pendleton, Heppner, Riverside, Irrigon at
Riverside Tournament, 9 a.m.
Mac-Hi at Nampa Tournament, TBD.
PREP SWIMMING
Saturday
Pendleton, Hermiston at The Dalles meet,
10 a.m.
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday
Eastern Oregon at Warner Paciic, 7:30
p.m.
Saturday
Columbia Basin at Blue Mountain, 4 p.m.
Eastern Oregon at Multnomah, 7:30 p.m.
COLLEGE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Friday
Eastern Oregon at Warner Paciic, 5:30
p.m.
Saturday
Columbia Basin at Blue Mountain, 2 p.m.
Eastern Oregon at Multnomah, 5:30 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 11
College Football Championship Game
Glendale, Ariz.
Clemson (14-0) vs. Alabama (13-1), 5:30
p.m. (ESPN)
NFL
Wild-card Playoffs
Saturday
Kansas City (11-5) at Houston (9-7), 1:35
p.m. (ABC/ESPN)
Pittsburgh (10-6) at Cincinnati (12-4), 5:15
p.m. (CBS)
Sunday
Seattle (10-6) at Minnesota (11-6), 10
a.m. (NBC)
Green Bay (10-6) at Washington (9-7), 1:30
p.m. (FOX)
Basketball
NBA
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
W
L Pct GB
Toronto
21 15 .583 —
Boston
19 15 .559
1
New York
17 19 .472
4
Brooklyn
10 24 .294 10
Philadelphia
4 33 .108 17½
Southeast Division
W
L Pct GB
Miami
21 13 .618 —
Atlanta
21 15 .583
1
Orlando
19 16 .543 2½
Charlotte
17 17 .500
4
Washington
15 17 .469
5
Central Division
W
L Pct GB
Cleveland
23
9 .719 —
Chicago
21 12 .636 2½
Indiana
19 15 .559
5
Detroit
19 16 .543 5½
Milwaukee
14 23 .378 11½
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Southwest Division
W
L Pct GB
San Antonio
30
6 .833 —
Dallas
20 15 .571 9½
Memphis
19 17 .528 11
Houston
17 19 .472 13
New Orleans
11 22 .333 17½
Northwest Division
W
L Pct GB
Oklahoma City
24 11 .686 —
Utah
15 18 .455
8
Portland
15 22 .405 10
Denver
12 23 .343 12
Minnesota
12 23 .343 12
Paciic Division
W
L Pct GB
Golden State
32
2 .941 —
L.A. Clippers
22 13 .629 10½
Sacramento
14 21 .400 18½
Phoenix
12 25 .324 21½
L.A. Lakers
8 27 .229 24½
———
Tuesday’s Games
Chicago 117, Milwaukee 106
New York 107, Atlanta 101
Dallas 117, Sacramento 116,2OT
Golden State at L.A. Lakers, late
Today’s Games
New York at Miami, 4 p.m.
Indiana at Orlando, 4 p.m.
Cleveland at Washington, 4 p.m.
Toronto at Brooklyn, 4:30 p.m.
Detroit at Boston, 4:30 p.m.
Denver at Minnesota, 5 p.m.
Dallas at New Orleans, 5 p.m.
Utah at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m.
Charlotte at Phoenix, 6 p.m.
Memphis at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m.
L.A. Clippers at Portland, 7 p.m.
NCAA Basketball
Men’s Top 25
Football
NCAA
Tuesday
8. Providence (14-2) lost to Marquette
65-64. Next: at Creighton, Tuesday.
9. Kentucky (11-3) lost to LSU 85-67. Next:
at Alabama, Saturday.
18. Butler (12-3) beat DePaul 77-72. Next:
vs. No. 11 Villanova, Sunday.
19. Iowa (12-3) beat Nebraska 77-66.
Next: at No. 5 Michigan State, Thursday.
22. South Carolina (14-0) beat Auburn 81-
69. Next: vs. Vanderbilt, Saturday.
23. UConn (10-4) lost to Temple 55-53.
Next: vs. Memphis, Saturday.
Women’s Top 25
Tuesday
22. South Florida (9-3) beat UCF 108-63.
Next: vs. SMU, Thursday.
24. DePaul (11-5) beat No. 25 Seton Hall
86-74. Next: vs. Georgetown, Friday.
25. Seton Hall (13-2) lost to No. 24 DePaul
85-7. Next: at St. John’s, Saturday.
Hockey
NHL
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Atlantic Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Florida
40 24 12
4 52 111 86
Detroit
40 20 13
7 47 101 106
Montreal
41 22 16
3 47 119 103
Boston
38 20 14
4 44 118 105
Ottawa
40 19 15
6 44 114 120
Tampa Bay 40 19 17
4 42 101 98
Toronto
37 15 15
7 37 99 103
Buffalo
40 15 21
4 34 92 110
Metropolitan Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Washington 39 29
7
3 61 124 85
N.Y. Islanders 40 22 13
5 49 113 99
N.Y. Rangers 40 22 14
4 48 118 105
New Jersey 40 20 15
5 45 93 95
Pittsburgh 39 19 15
5 43 93 96
Philadelphia 38 16 15
7 39 83 105
Carolina
40 16 17
7 39 92 111
Columbus 41 15 23
3 33 105 131
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Central Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Dallas
42 28 10
4 60 146 113
Chicago
41 24 13
4 52 114 99
St. Louis
42 23 14
5 51 103 103
Minnesota 39 21 11
7 49 105 92
Nashville
40 19 14
7 45 104 106
Colorado
40 19 18
3 41 113 111
Winnipeg 40 19 19
2 40 108 115
Paciic Division
GP W
L OT Pts GF GA
Los Angeles 39 25 12
2 52 105 87
Arizona
39 19 16
4 42 110 124
Calgary
39 19 18
2 40 104 122
Anaheim
38 16 15
7 39 73 90
Vancouver 40 15 16
9 39 97 113
San Jose
37 18 17
2 38 101 106
Edmonton 41 17 21
3 37 102 122
NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for
overtime loss.
———
Tuesday’s Games
Washington 3, Boston 2
Florida 5, Buffalo 1
N.Y. Rangers 6, Dallas 2
Chicago 3, Pittsburgh 2, OT
Minnesota 4, Columbus 2
Philadelphia 4, Montreal 3
Winnipeg 4, Nashville 1
Calgary 3, Tampa Bay 1
Today’s Games
New Jersey at Montreal, 4 p.m.
Pittsburgh at Chicago, 5 p.m.
St. Louis at Colorado, 7 p.m.
Carolina at Vancouver, 7 p.m.
Toronto at Anaheim, 7 p.m.
Transactions
BASEBALL
American League
CLEVELAND INDIANS — Agreed to
terms with 1B Mike Napoli on a one-year
contract.
HOUSTON ASTROS — Named Dave
Borkowski pitching coach at Corpus Christi
TL), Ramon Vazquez manager, Lancaster
(Cal), Omar Lopez manager and Chris Holt
pitching coach, Quad Cities (MW), Josh
Bonifay manager, Greeneville (SALLY),
Wladimir Sutil coach/Latin inield instructor
(Gulf) and Russ Steinhorn manager, (DSL).
Named Drew French pitching coach and Dil-
lon Lawson hitting coach at Tri-City (NYP),
Bill Murphy pitching coach at Greeneville,
Aaron DelGiudice development coach
at Fresno (PCL) and Lancaster (Cal), and
Tommy Kawamura development coach at
Corpus Christi (TL) and Quad Cities (MW).
OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Traded RHP
Arnold Leon to Toronto for cash or a player
to be named.
TEXAS RANGERS — Signed LHP Cesar
Ramos to a minor league contract.
National League
PITTSBURGH PIRATES — Promoted
strength and conditioning coach Brendon
Huttmann to sports science coordinator.
Named Kevin Fitzgerald physical therapist
and Ricky White strength coach.
FOOTBALL
National Football League
ARIZONA CARDINALS — Signed Cs
Taylor Boggs and Valerian Ume-Ezeoke, LB
Mike Reilly and S Tyrequek Zimmerman to
reserve/future contracts.
CINCINNATI BENGALS — Signed LB
Jayson DiManche to the practice squad
and PK Zach Hocker, LB Dezmond Johnson
and S Floyd Raven Sr. to reserve/future
contracts.
CLEVELAND BROWNS — Signed DBs
Sean Baker and Tim Scott, OL Dan France
and Garth Gerhart, TE Connor Hamlett and
DL Dylan Wynn to reserve/future contracts.
Named Paul DePodesta chief strategy
oficer.
GREEN BAY PACKERS — Signed DT
William Campbell to the practice squad.
Placed DE B.J. McBryde on the practice
squad injured list. Signed QB Ryan Williams
to reserve/future contracts.
HOUSTON TEXANS — Signed OT Andrew
McDonald from the San Diego practice
squad. Placed OT Duane Brown on injured
reserve.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS — Fired defen-
sive coordinator Bob Babich.
NEW YORK JETS - Signed G Jarvis Har-
rison, DT Deon Simon, WR Joe Anderson,
LB Deion Barnes, TE Brandon Bostick, LB
Julian Howsare, TE Wes Saxton, CB Kevin
Short and LB Julian Stanford to reserve/
future contracts.
OAKLAND ATHLETICS — Signed QB
Garrett Gilbert and K Giorgio Tavecchio to
reserved/future contracts.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS — Signed Cs
Josh Allen and Ben Gottschalk, WR Andre
Davis, G Antoine Everett, S Gerod Holli-
man, DE Martin Ifedi, DT Derrick Lott and
CBs C.J. Roberts and Joel Ross to reserve/
future contracts.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS — Signed
CB Cary Williams. Activated C Kory Lichten-
steiger from the injured reserve-return
list. Placed DB Kyshoen Jarrett on injured
reserve. Waived C Brian de la Puente.
Signed CB Al Louis-Jean to the practice
squad. Released LB Derrick Mathews from
the practice squad.
HOCKEY
National Hockey League
COLORADO AVALANCHE — Claimed
D Andrew Bodnarchuk off waivers from
Columbus.
DETROIT RED WINGS — Assigned C
Tomas Nosek to Grand Rapids (AHL).
PHILADELPHIA FLYERS — Assigned F
Brandon Alderson from Lehigh Valley (AHL)
to Reading (ECHL).