Arbanas named HL freshman of the week

Arbanas named HL freshman of the week

Youngstown State guard Nikki Arbanas has been named the Horizon League women’s basketball freshman of the week, the conference announced Monday.

Arbanas (Hickory High) averaged 16 points and 3.5 assists for the Penguins, who went 1-1 during week. She scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half in a 75-70 win over Wright State on Thursday.

Arbanas then made a career-high six 3-pointers, the most by any player in a Horizon League game this season, in a 20-point performance at Oakland on Saturday.

Aldridge earns top freshman honors

Davidson’s Peyton Aldridge (LaBrae High) has been named the Mid-Major Madness freshman of the week.

Aldridge scored 22 points in the Wildcats’ 77-60 win over No. 22 Dayton. He was 9-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-5 from 3-point range, while also adding six rebounds and three assists.

The 6-foot-7 freshman is averaging 9.6 points and 5 rebounds per game for Davidson.

Snow forces NBA to postpone Knicks, Nets

The NBA has postponed home games for both the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets because of a snowstorm expected to batter the area.

The Knicks were to have hosted the Sacramento Kings on Monday night at the same time the Nets were scheduled to face the Portland Trail Blazers.

Sacramento will instead return to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, March 3, adding an extra game to what was to have been a seven-game trip. The Trail Blazers-Nets game was rescheduled for Monday, April 6.

Crosby out, Letang could return today

Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby will miss Tuesday night’s game against Winnipeg after undergoing treatment for a lower-body injury.

Coach Mike Johnston says there’s a possibility Crosby could return on Wednesday when Pittsburgh plays in Washington. The two-time MVP received an injection to deal with the injury last Thursday, causing him to miss the All-Star festivities over the weekend in Columbus.

Center Evgeni Malkin did not practice with his teammates on Monday and is out indefinitely, also with a lower-body injury. Johnston says he won’t know how much time Malkin will miss but added he does not expect Malkin to skate for several days. Defenseman Kris Letang did practice on Monday and could play Tuesday. Letang sat out the final game before the All-Star break with concussion-like symptoms.

Playoff not interested in moving NYE semis

The College Football Playoff says there is no interest in ESPN’s suggestion to move next season’s semifinals from New Year’s Eve to Saturday, Jan. 2.

The Sports Business Journal first reported high-ranking ESPN executives had talked to College Football Playoff officials about switching the dates for the 2016 semifinals. College Football Playoff executive director Bill Hancock and ESPN acknowledged having discussions about a one-time schedule shift in separate statements to The Associated Press on Monday.

Next season’s semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 31, at the Orange Bowl and Cotton Bowl. The following weekend is the last of the NFL regular season, when the league plays all its games on Sunday, leaving Saturday relatively free.

ESPN pays about $470 million a year over 12 years for TV rights to the playoff.

Poland-Canfield boys hoops tickets on sale

The Poland High School athletic department is selling tickets to the boys basketball game against Canfield on Friday.

Tickets can be purchased any day this week from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the athletic office. Anyone wishing to use a Poland Activity Pass for the game must come to the office and receive a game pass.

Contact the athletic office at 330-757-7021 with any questions.

Staff/Wire reports