Dec 13, 2017 3 min read

Duquesne rolls over Mississippi Valley St.

Tarin Smith came off the bench to score 16 points and Eric Williams Jr. added 10 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished five assists as host Duquesne won its fourth straight game, beating winless Mississippi Valley State 73-49 Wednesday night.

Duquesne forced the Delta Devils into 16 turnovers and blocked 10 shots, with Tydus Verhoeven rejecting five.

The Dukes (6-3) came into the contest shooting a tick under 50 percent from behind the 3-point arc (43 of 87) over their last three games and knocked down a school record 18 in a 97-48 win over Delaware State on Saturday. The hot streak cooled considerably, with Duquesne hitting 25.9 percent from deep (7 of 27) and 43.3 percent overall from the field (29 of 67).

Horn retains title

Jeff Horn followed up his contentious WBO welterweight title win over Manny Pacquiao with a successful first defense on Wednesday against Gary Corcoran in Brisbane, Australia.

The former school teacher from Australia won by technical knockout in the 11th round when Corcoran’s corner threw in the towel with the England-based boxer bleeding from a deep cut above his left eye.

It was Horn’s first fight since his unanimous decision upset over eight-division champion Pacquiao in front of more than 51,000 fans in an outdoor afternoon fight at nearby Suncorp Stadium in July in the “Battle of Brisbane – a victory that some critics dismissed as a hometown decision.

Horn, now unbeaten in 19 bouts, is hoping the win at the Brisbane Convention Centre sets him up for a fight against Terence Crawford in Las Vegas next year.

Louisville meets with NCAA

Louisville officials are meeting with the NCAA’s Infractions Appeals Committee to appeal sanctions from a sex scandal that could include vacation of the 2013 men’s basketball championship.

University spokesman John Karman confirmed Wednesday’s hearing in Atlanta with the Appeals Committee, with a decision expected by February. The NCAA in June placed the school on four years’ probation and ordered vacation of up to 123 victories, including the 2013 title. Those penalties followed an investigation into an escort’s allegations that former Cardinals basketball staffer Andre McGee hired her and other dancers for sex parties with players and recruits.

Twins sign injured pitcher Pineda

The Minnesota Twins have taken another step toward deepening their starting pitching.

This boost won’t take effect for a while.

The Twins signed former New York Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda to two-year, $10 million contract Wednesday, a move made with 2019 in mind. Pineda is recovering from Tommy John surgery performed July 18, putting him on track to return to a major league mound possibly late in the 2018 season.

“We all know, when he’s healthy, what he can do,” manager Paul Molitor said during baseball’s winter meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

For now, the focus will be on Pineda’s rehabilitation from the elbow ligament replacement procedure.

Falcons great

Nobis dies

Tommy Nobis, the first player drafted by the expansion Atlanta Falcons and a hard-hitting middle linebacker who was never fully recognized for his talents on a struggling franchise that failed to make the playoffs during his long career, died Wednesday. He was 74.