Nov 26, 2019 3 min read

Cal women move up in rankings

The California University jumped four positions to No. 9 in the latest Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Top 25 Coaches’ Poll that was released Tuesday.

The Vulcans have been featured in the top 10 of the national poll in five consecutive years. Cal is tied with Lee (Tenn.) and Lincoln for the most wins in the country this season with seven and is one about 40 remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II.

NCAA rejects Missouri’s appeal

The NCAA rejected an appeal by the University of Missouri to limit or overturn sanctions for infractions tied to the case of a former tutor Tuesday, angering school officials and leaving in place postseason bans in three high-profile sports along with other restrictions.

The school had filed a 64-page brief to the NCAA’s appeals committee in March, arguing that the penalties handed down Jan. 31 were contrary to precedent, not supported or appropriate given the nature of the allegations and could have a chilling effect on future NCAA enforcement.

The five-member NCAA infractions appeals committee rejected those assertions, and said in its decision Tuesday that it was “hesitant to overturn a penalty within the appropriate penalty guidelines unless there is a clear indication of arbitrary decision-making.”

The Tigers’ basketball programs were not involved in the case.

The case in question dates to 2016, when tutor Yolanda Kumar acknowledged she had violated NCAA rules by doing course work and ensuring athletes in football, baseball and softball passed certain courses. The school immediately launched an investigation and self-imposed many penalties, hoping its proactive approach would curry favor when the NCAA rendered its punishment.

The Tigers were instead hit with postseason bans and scholarship and recruiting restrictions in each sport while the entire athletic department was placed on probation.

In the NHL

David Pastrnak recorded his second hat trick of the season and the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins routed the Montreal Canadiens 8-1 Tuesday night.

Jake Debrusk, Brad Marchand, Anders Bjork, Charlie Coyle and Danon Heinen also scored for the Bruins (16-3-5), who have won four straight.

Kaapo Kahkonen made 32 saves in his NHL debut, defenseman Ryan Suter scored the winner early in the third period and the suddenly hot Minnesota Wild beat the Devils 3-2 in a game the NHL said New Jersey got credit for a goal that should not have counted.