>>UCF’s Griffin Impresses At NFL Combine
(Indianapolis, IN) — Former Central Florida linebacker Shaquem [[ sha-KEEM ]] Griffin is gaining a lot of new fans at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis. Griffin, who only has one hand due to a birth defect, ran a 4.3 40-yard dash on Sunday. It the fastest time by a linebacker in more than a decade. Griffin also racked up 20 bench press reps on Saturday using a prosthetic on his left arm to help grip the bar.
>>Bulls Host Celtics
(Chicago, IL) — The Bulls are back on the hardwood tonight to welcome the Celtics to town. Chicago is coming off a 108-100 win over the Mavericks that snapped a five-game slide. The Bulls are 24-and-41. Boston is second in the Eastern Conference at 44-and-20. The teams have split the first two meetings this season.
>>Kobe Bryant’s “Dear Basketball” Takes Home Oscar
(Los Angeles, CA) — Kobe Bryant is now an Oscar winner for his animated short film “Dear Basketball.” The Laker great accepted his Academy Award last night. Bryant wrote a poem called “Dear Basketball” in 2015 and collaborated with animator Glen Keane to make the short film.
>>Loyola-Chicago Wins Missouri Valley Tournament
(St. Louis, MO) — Loyola-Chicago is headed to the NCAA Tournament. The Ramblers earned an automatic berth by beating Illinois State 65-49 in Sunday’s Missouri Valley Tournament title game in St. Louis. Loyola-Chicago ran its record to 28-and-5 and will now make its first appearance in the Big Dance since 1985.
>>College Basketball Roundup
(Undated) — Conference championship week is in full swing. The Big Ten Tournament wrapped up yesterday with Michigan topping Purdue 75-66 in the championship game. Wright State takes on Milwaukee in the Horizon League semifinals tonight. Notre Dame meets Pitt in the first-round of the ACC Tournament tomorrow. DePaul will take on Marquette in the Big East tourney on Wednesday. On Thursday, Chicago State meets New Mexico State in the WAC Tournament quarterfinals. UIC, Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois have already been bounced from their respective conference tournaments.
>>Ducks Double Up Blackhawks
(Anaheim, CA) — The Ducks jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held on the top the Blackhawks 6-3 in Anaheim. Nick Schmaltz found the back of the net twice and Tomas Jurco had a goal of his own for Chicago. The Blackhawks have lost three of four. They return home tomorrow to welcome the Avalanche to the United Center.
>>Blues Off Until Thursday
(St. Louis, MO) — The Blues are off until Thursday when they resume their four-game road stretch at San Jose. They dropped a 3-2 overtime decision at Dallas on Saturday. The Blues have lost eight of their last nine games and are sixth in the Central Division with 75 points, two out of the second wild card spot in the West.
>>Cubs, White Sox Continue Spring Training This Week
(Undated) — The Cubs and White Sox both continue spring training this week in Arizona. The Cubbies fell to the Diamondbacks 2-0 in Cactus League play yesterday. Jon Lester tossed two-and-two-thirds innings of one-run ball in the loss. The Sox lost to the Padres 7-6 in Cactus League action yesterday. They return to the field today against the Athletics while the Cubs take on the Rockies.
>>Cardinals Kept Quiet By Astros
(Jupiter, FL) — Michael Wacha [[ WAH-kuh ]] gave up five hits and two runs in three innings as the Cardinals lost 4-1 to the Astros in Grapefruit League play in Jupiter. Harrison Bader went 2-for-4 with and RBI to highlight the St. Louis offense. Yairo Munoz also had two hits in defeat. The Cards host the Nationals today.
>>Mickelson Wins WGC-Mexico Championship
(Mexico City, Mexico) — Phil Mickelson edged Justin Thomas in the first playoff hole to win the WGC Mexico Championship in Mexico City. The 47-year-old Mickelson carded a five-under 66 in Sunday’s final round to tie Thomas at 16-under through 72 holes. Thomas fired a seven-under 64 in his final round. It’s Mickelson’s first win since the 2013 Open Championship and the third WGC title of his career.
>>Report: SFPD Seeking Aldon Smith
(San Francisco, CA) — Former 49ers and Raiders linebacker Aldon Smith is in trouble with the law again. Multiple reports state Smith fled the scene late Saturday night after a woman called police stating he was beating her. Smith’s previous legal issues have derailed his NFL career after he was the seventh overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. He last played for the Raiders in 2015.
>>Harvick Dominates At Vegas, Earns 100th Career Win
(Las Vegas, NV) — Kevin Harvick is the champion at the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Harvick swept all three stages and finished nearly three-seconds ahead of his closest competitor as he earned his second-straight Cup Series win. It was his 100th-career victory across the three NASCAR national touring series.