Sports briefs
Bills great Kelly says cancer has returned
Buffalo Bills Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly has once again been diagnosed with oral cancer.
Kelly released a statement Thursday through his publicist saying he is “shocked and deeply saddened” by the news, and vows to once again fight to overcome the disease. He did not go into specifics on the diagnoses except to say the cancer was discovered following a test.
“As our family has faced many trials and triumphs throughout the years, you have blessed us with your prayers. We are asking for those prayers once again,” Kelly said. “With all of you by my side, we will fight and win this battle together.”
Kelly then closed his statement by saying: “Staying ‘Kelly Tough’ and trusting God will carry us through this difficult time.”
The diagnosis comes a few weeks after Kelly celebrated his 58th birthday.
Cavs suspend Smith
Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith has been suspended one game by the team for detrimental conduct.
The team gave no further specifics about the punishment. Smith served the penalty Thursday night as the Cavs hosted the Philadelphia 76ers.
Smith has started 56 games, averaging 8.3 points and is shooting 36 percent on 3-pointers.
In the NHL
Justin Williams scored two goals, Cam Ward stopped 21 shots and the Carolina Hurricanes snapped a six-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers.
The Flyers had been the hottest team in hockey, winners of six straight overall and riding a 10-0-2 streak for their longest span without a regulation loss since 2003. They were even 4-0-1 against the Hurricanes in their last five against them at home.
U.S. edges Germany
Megan Rapinoe scored in the 17th minute and the U.S. women’s soccer team held on for 1-0 victory over Germany on Wednesday night in a matchup of the world’s top two teams.
The top-ranked Americans controlled the pace on a cold, rainy central Ohio night in the SheBelieves Cup, a four-team round-robin tournament that also includes England and France.
Arizona’s Trier cleared
The Arizona athletic department says Allonzo Trier has been cleared by the NCAA and was in the lineup when the 19th-ranked Wildcats faced Stanford Thursday.
The junior guard – tied for second in the Pac-12 in scoring at 19.6 points per game – missed both games last week after tests showed a reappearance of the banned substance that led to his 19-game suspension last season.
The university appealed, saying the positive test was attributable to remnant from the substance Trier unknowingly ingested a year ago.