Morning Briefing April 4, 2010
Auto Racing Kevin Harvick took advantage of a late caution to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Nashville 300 on Saturday at Gladeville, Tenn. Harvick and crew chief Ernie Cope gambled by taking two tires when the eighth yellow flag of the day came out with 34 laps to go. That enabled Harvick to seize the lead from Kyle Busch, who was unable to mount a challenge as the race wound down.
Auto Racing
Kevin Harvick took advantage of a late caution to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Nashville 300 on Saturday at Gladeville, Tenn.
Harvick and crew chief Ernie Cope gambled by taking two tires when the eighth yellow flag of the day came out with 34 laps to go. That enabled Harvick to seize the lead from Kyle Busch, who was unable to mount a challenge as the race wound down.
Basketball
Nebraska’s Connie Yori was named The Associated Press’ women’s college basketball coach of the year.
Yori received 28 votes from the 40-member national media panel, well ahead of Connecticut’s Geno Auriemma, who had 10.
Connecticut senior Tina Charles was named the The Associated Press’ women’s college basketball player of the year.
The 6-foot-4 Charles, who averaged 18.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.2 blocks, and shot 63.5 percent from the field, received 33 votes from the 40-member national media panel.
Teammate Maya Moore, who won the award last year, was second in the voting with four. Kelsey Griffin of Nebraska received two votes and Alysha Clark of Middle Tennessee got one.
DeNesha Stallworth scored 21 points and Alexis Gray-Lawson added 17 to lead California (24-13) to a 73-61 victory over Miami (22-14) in the WNIT championship game at Berkeley, Calif.
New Mexico and basketball coach Steve Alford agreed on a contract extension through 2020.
The school’s athletic department said details of the extension will be announced when the contract is complete.
Baseball
Seattle infielder Tommy Everidge hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, his second of the preseason, but the Mariners fell to the Colorado Rockies 10-4 at Albuquerque, N.M.
Football
A 17-year-old Notre Dame football recruit was killed in a fall from a fifth-floor hotel balcony during his senior-year spring break in Florida, authorities said.
Matt James, an all-state lineman from Cincinnati, died Friday around 6:30 p.m. at the Days Inn Motel in Panama City Beach. Police said he was dead when officers arrived.
“Witnesses and friends indicate he had become drunk and belligerent,” Panama City Beach police Maj. David Humphrey said. “He had leaned over the balcony rail, was shaking his finger at the people in the next room over. He fell over.”
Tennis
Kim Clijsters claimed another trophy in her career comeback, winning 17 consecutive points in the second set and beating Venus Williams 6-2, 6-1 in the final of the Sony Ericsson Open at Key Biscayne, Fla.
Horse Racing
Eskendereya blew away a strong field to win the $750,000 Wood Memorial at Aqueduct in New York, making a strong case for being the favorite in the Kentucky Derby in four weeks.
Sidney’s Candy led all the way in winning the Santa Anita Derby by 4 1/2 lengths at Arcadia, Calif., with 4-5 favorite Lookin At Lucky finishing third.
— The Associated Press