Sports briefs
State’s deer season for rifle hunters starts
Pennsylvania’s Game Commission estimates about 550,000 hunters with rifles are expected to take to the woods in search of white-tailed deer.
The rifle season opened just before sunrise on Monday and continues through Dec. 9.
Hunters are allowed to harvest one buck, as well as an antlerless deer for each antlerless permit they hold.
Experts believe the deer population is up due to last year’s milder temperatures. As a result, there has been more food for the deer. However, it also means the deer are not moving as much so hunters are being asked to be patient.
In terms of total deer harvest numbers, Pennsylvania ranked third in the country in 2016. Only Texas and Michigan had higher harvest totals.
Roa returning
to Wild Things
The Washington Wild Things announced Monday the contract extension of right fielder Hector Roa for the 2018 Frontier League season. Roa is the first outfielder and the 10th Wild Things player to re-sign.
The 22-year-old Roa, who was born in Washington, D.C., before moving to the Dominican Republic, played his first season in the Frontier League with the Wild Things in 2017. The former Houston Astros minor leaguer had a .247 batting average with 15 home runs and 62 RBI. The 15 home runs seventh in the league.
“It was quite impressive to see Hector produce at such a high level, considering he was one of the youngest players in the Frontier League. He learned so much about himself as a hitter and we saw enormous growth with his mental game,” said general manager Steven Zavacky
Roa joins catcher Kyle Pollock and third baseman Mike Hill as position players to re-sign with Washington. Seven pitchers have re-signed.
In the NBA
The Memphis Grizzlies fired coach David Fizdale Monday, with the team at 7-12 and a day after he benched center Marc Gasol for the fourth quarter of an eighth straight loss.
General manager Chris Wallace announced the move. Associate head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been named interim head coach.
Gasol, given a maximum deal by the Grizzlies in July 2015, sat throughout the fourth quarter of a 98-88 loss to the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday. Gasol leads the Grizzlies in points, rebounds and assists, and he was an All-Star in Fizdale’s inaugural season. But the center spent plenty of time after the game making it clear to reporters how upset he was at sitting out a full quarter.
In the NHL
Jared McCann scored the go-ahead goal and Roberto Luongo made 23 saves to become the second goalie to win 200 games with two different teams as the Florida Panthers beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 Monday night.
Luongo’s 200th win with Florida was a see-saw affair in the third period. He also won 252 with Vancouver to join an exclusive club.
The other netminder to accomplish the feat was Hall of Famer Patrick Roy with 289 wins for Montreal and 262 for Colorado.
Syracuse still unbeaten
Tyus Battle scored 13 of his 18 points in the second half, Oshae Brissett and Frank Howard each scored 15 and Syracuse held off Maryland 72-70 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge Monday night.
It was the first true road game of the season for Maryland (6-2), which was playing its third game in four nights and was coming off a two-point loss to St. Bonaventure on Friday night in the semifinals of the Emerald Coast Classic. Syracuse (6-0) has won its last four against the Terps.
Battle, the Orange’s leading scorer, suffered a bruise to his lower back in a win over Toledo on Wednesday night, but he was in the lineup at tipoff and played 37 minutes.