Sports briefs
Bucs lose one, split one
The Pittsburgh Pirates played a pair of split-squad games Thursday, losing 9-1 to the New York Yankees in Bradenton, Fla., and playing the Toronto Blue Jays to a 2-2 tie in Dunedin.
Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller gave up a pair of home runs to the Yankees. Keller allowed three runs on four hits with four strikeouts.
Against Toronto, Roansy Contreras gave up one run on one hit and one walk while striking out three.
In the NBA
LeBron James is expected to miss most of March with an injured tendon in his right foot, the Los Angeles Lakers said on Thursday.
If that timetable holds, the Lakers will have to find a way to stay in the playoff race without the league’s all-time scoring leader.
The Lakers did not disclose the full extent of the injury, saying it was a tendon issue and that he will be “reevaluated in approximately three weeks.” If James misses three more weeks, starting with Thursday, that would keep him out for at least 10 of the Lakers’ final 19 games.
- Kyle Kuzma scored the game’s first 10 points and finished with 30, Kristaps Porzingis added 25 points, and the Washington Wizards beat the Toronto Raptors 119-108 on Thursday night in the opener of a two-game set between Eastern Conference playoff contenders.
W&J schedule changes
The Washington & Jefferson College baseball and softball programs announced changes to this weekend’s schedule.
The baseball team’s scheduled doubleheader at Case Western Reserve has been moved to Sunday. First pitch for the doubleheader will be 11:30 a.m. in Cleveland.
The season-opening softball doubleheader with Mount Aloysius has been pushed back to Sunday with a 1 p.m. start time.
In golf
Carson Young gave his rookie season on the PGA Tour quite a spark Thursday when he made three eagles on his way to a 9-under 63, giving him a three-shot lead after the opening round of the Puerto Rico Open.
Young has made only three cuts in 12 starts, most recently Sunday in the Honda Classic. The 28-year-old from South Carolina found Grand Reserve to his liking.
He made two eagles on the front nine, then expanded his lead with a third eagle on the par-5 15th by hitting 3-wood to about 10 feet.
Young had a three-shot lead over Max McGreevy and Akshay Bhatia, the 21-year-old who regularly plays on the Korn Ferry Tour.
In college basketball
Former Iowa State basketball player Caleb Grill said he has been battling mental illness and regrets what led to his dismissal.
Coach T.J. Otzelberger announced Wednesday that Grill had failed to meet program expectations and was no longer on the team. Grill was the Cyclones’ third-leading scorer.
As part of a social media post in which he thanked Otzelberger for the opportunity to play for the Cyclones, Grill said he had been battling mental illness.
Otzelberger did not elaborate on the reason for Grill’s removal from the team. He was called for a technical foul in the second half of the Cyclones’ 72-69 loss to West Virginia on Monday.
- Jamal Shead scored a career-high 25 points, Marcus Sasser added 24 and
- No. 1 Houston defeated Wichita State 83-66 Thursday night.
In the NHL
Kevin Lankinen made 30 saves and the Nashville Predators put a dent in the playoff hopes of the Florida Panthers with a 2-1 win Thursday.