SPORTS digest

Phantoms trade for NAHL player

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Phantoms have acquired defenseman Carter Ekberg from the Janesville Jets (NAHL) in exchange for defenseman Sean Petrie. The deal was completed Saturday before the USA Hockey trade deadline for all American-based leagues.

“Sean Petrie is a great young man, teammate, and competitor,” Phantoms General Manager Jason Koehler said. “We appreciate his time with the Phantoms, and wish him nothing but the best moving forward.

“We wanted to give Sean a chance to play a more prominent role and get more ice time down the stretch, and felt Janesville was the ideal fit.

Ekberg is a 1997 born right-shot defenseman. The McMurray, Pa., native played last season for the Esmark Stars U18 AAA team in the NAPHL. Ekberg started this season with the Des Moines Buccaneers and joined Janesville in late October.

“Carter is a regional kid coming from Pittsburgh, he is someone our staff has seen and knows well,” Koehler said. “Unfortunately we didn’t have the chance to draft him last year, but an opportunity presented itself to bring him in and hopefully develop him for the future.”

The USHL trading deadline is Feb. 29.

OSU’s Jones, Boren will be in Niles

NILES

Ohio State quarterback Cardale Jones and center Jacoby Boren will sign autographs at the Everything Buckeyes store in the Eastwood Mall on Saturday from 1-3 p.m.

Pricing for Jones is $15, $39 and $49. Prices for Boren are $10 and $15.

Fitch will send 9 to Elite track meet

AUSTINTOWN

The Fitch High School will send nine athletes to Saturday’s Elite High School Track and Field meet in Geneva. The event is called “The Spire Scholastic Showcase” and features

top athletes and teams from the USA and Canada.

Eva Rivera will run in the 200 and be part of the 4x400 team that includes Lauren Dolak, Kelly Hofmann and Carolina Spalding. Dolak also will run in the 800.

For boys, Matt Rozic will run the 3200 while Logan Kusky and Jake Dorbish will throw the Kusky, Dorbish, Brent Fairbanks and Joe Pfeffer will compete in the weight throw.

Knicks fire Fisher; Rambis takes over

GREENBURGH, N.Y.

Derek Fisher had just finished a long playing career when Phil Jackson picked him to coach the New York Knicks. Just 1 1/2 seasons later, Jackson decided he needed someone else.

Fisher was fired Monday, with his team having lost five straight and nine of 10 to fall well back in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Associate head coach Kurt Rambis was promoted to interim head coach at least through the rest of the season. Rambis, like Fisher an ex-Laker player and a former assistant under Jackson, went 56-145 in two seasons as Minnesota’s coach and part of a season leading the Lakers.

The Knicks have fallen to 23-31, dropping Fisher’s overall record to 40-96.

Protesters demonstrate Baylor’s response

WACO, Texas

A candlelight vigil to protest Baylor University’s response to campus sexual violence drew scores of demonstrators to the street in front of the university president’s home Monday night.

About 100 people participated in the vigil in front of President Kenneth Starr’s home. The group then marched to a brief prayer service outside Baylor’s Truett Seminary.

The protest comes after ESPN reported earlier this month that three students said the Southern Baptist-affiliated university in Waco failed to act on allegations that they were sexually assaulted by a former football player later convicted in one of those cases.

Policies regarding Baylor’s compliance with federal requirements that it address and prevent sexual harassment “are inconsistently followed.”

Staff/wire report