Jan 5, 2018 4 min read

Watkins scores 30

in Penn State victory

Lamar Stevens set a Bryce Jordan Center record with 14 field goals and scored 16 of a career-high 30 points in the first half to lead Penn State over Northwestern 78-63 on Friday.

Mike Watkins notched 18 points and grabbed 17 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season and Tony Carr added 12 points for the Nittany Lions (12-5, 2-2 Big Ten) who led for all but 1:01.

Bryant McIntosh returned to the Northwestern lineup from a one-game injury absence and led the Wildcats (10-7, 1-3) with 18 points.

Penn State took control with its best shooting half in more than a decade. The Nittany Lions made 71 percent of their field goals on 17-for-24 shooting in the first half and led 41-34 at halftime. Penn State last made at least 70 percent of its shots against VMI in 2006.

They used an 8-0 run that spanned 4:05 midway through the second to keep the game out of reach. In that time, the Wildcats went 0 for 7 from the floor and wouldn’t come closer than six points.

Wild Things trade Peoples-Walls to TC

The Washington Wild Things traded outfielder-third baseman Kenny Peoples-Walls to the Traverse City in exchange for a player to be named and the Beach Bums’ first-round drafty pick (No. 2 overall) at the Frontier League tryout in April.

The trade was announced Friday by the Wild Things.

Peoples-Walls played one season with Washington, appearing in 74 regular-season games last year. He batted .246 with two home runs and 45 RBI and nine stolen bases. A former fourth-round draft pick of the St. Louis Cardinals, Peoples-Walls has played seven minor-league seasons.

“League roster rules require us to make some difficult decisions at times. With the return of all-star Mike Hill at third base, we felt like Traverse City would offer Kenny the best opportunity in 2018,” Wild Things general manager Steve Zavacky wrote on the team’s Twitter account Friday. “We believe we can turn the No. 2 pick and (player to be named) into quality contributors.”

Cal lands two on

All-America team

Two members of the California University football team, seniors Luke Hrapchak and Taylor Nikithser, were named to the D2Football.com All-America team Friday.

Hrapchak, a linebacker, was a second-team All-American after finishing with 118 tackles (58 solo), which is the most by a Cal player since 2003. He also had 12 tackles for loss, 3 1/2 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and two blocked kicks.

Nikithser, a two-year team captain at center, started all 12 games. He recently was named the NCAA Division II recipient of the Rimington Award as the top center in the country. Nikithser made 37 starts during his career.

Cal has had at least one D2Football.com All-American each of the last 14 seasons.

Jackson declares

for NFL draft

Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson, the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner, has declared for the NFL draft.

Jackson is the first player in college football history to record at least 3,500 passing yards and 1,500 rushing yards in consecutive seasons.

He finished his college career with 13,175 yards of total offense and 119 total touchdowns.

Jackson joins what is believed to be a deep quarterback group, including other underclassmen UCLA’s Josh Rosen, USC’s Sam Darnold and Wyoming’s Josh Allen.

U.S. junior team

nets bronze medal

Trent Frederic scored four times in leading the United States to a 9-3 victory over the Czech Republic in the world junior championship bronze-medal game Friday.

Kieffer Bellows scored twice, including once on a penalty shot, and added an assist. U.S. captain Joey Anderson and Patrick Harper had a goal and assist each, and Ryan Poehling also scored.

Jake Oettinger finished with 28 saves, and stopped the first 13 shots he faced before giving up two goals on three shots in the first 2:11 of the third period.

The defending champion Americans bounced back from a 4-2 loss to Sweden in the semifinal a day earlier, to earn a medal for a third straight year to mark the nation’s longest streak since in tournament history. The U.S. also finished third in 2016.

At The Meadows

The Meadows Racetrack & Casino has canceled Saturday’s live card due to the dangerously frigid conditions forecast. The track and its Harmar facility will remain open, with their regular hours, for simulcast viewing and wagering.

Live racing at The Meadows resumes Monday when the program will feature the $15,000 total-pool Pick 4 guarantee originally scheduled for Saturday. First post Monday is 1:05 p.m.