Date: 03/12/2013 05:29 AM
NW–SportsMinute/707
Here is the latest Washington, Oregon and Alaska sports news from The Associated Press
SEATTLE (AP) – The prospective new owner of the Sacramento Kings is calling on fans in Seattle to sign up for a “priority ticket waitlist” as a way to show the NBA how much interest there is in bringing pro basketball back to the area. Chris Hansen made the announcement on his SonicsArena.com website yesterday afternoon. It was his first statement since the announcement of the sale of the Kings from the Maloof family to Hansen and Microsoft Chairman Steve Ballmer on Jan. 21. The sale is pending.
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Kelly Olynyk had 21 points and 12 rebounds, and top-ranked Gonzaga bolstered its case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament by routing Saint Mary’s 65-51 in the West Coast Conference final last night in Las Vegas. Already headed to the NCAA tournament for the 15th straight season, Gonzaga sure had the look of a No. 1 seed, playing a superb game at both ends. The deep Zags shot 52 percent, and Elias Harris added 19 points for Gonzaga, which was 42-18 in the paint.
(AP) – Gonzaga is no one-week wonder at No. 1. Gonzaga received 54 first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. Duke, which received the other 11 first-place votes, moved up one spot to second after beating Virginia Tech and North Carolina last week. Indiana dropped one place to third. Louisville jumped from eighth to No. 4 and was followed by Georgetown, Michigan, Kansas, Michigan State, Miami and Ohio State. Oregon dropped out from 19th after losing two games last week.
LAS VEGAS (AP) – Haiden Palmer scored 18 points, Taelor Karr added 14 and Gonzaga earned its fifth straight NCAA tournament berth with a 62-50 win over San Diego in the West Coast Conference championship game yesterday in Las Vegas. The tournament’s top seed, Gonzaga struggled offensively early and didn’t shoot well from the perimeter until late. The Bulldogs made up for it with their defense and two big runs, one spanning halftime and another to pull away in the second half.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Percy Harvin is headed to Seattle to join the Seahawks. A person with knowledge of the deal tells the AP the Minnesota Vikings have agreed to trade the unhappy receiver to Seattle for a package that includes the Seahawks’ first-round draft pick in April. The person requested anonymity since the deal isn’t official until Harvin passes a physical. Foxsports.com first reported the trade and also reported that Seattle included a seventh-rounder this year and a mid-round draft pick in 2014.
SEATTLE (AP) – A Seattle police report on an incident involving Washington tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins says the driver of a vehicle involved in a weekend accident had a bloody nose consistent with hitting his face on the windshield and the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. Seattle police released the report yesterday morning. Names are redacted in the report, but a detective said Sunday that Seferian-Jenkins was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. The driver was transported to Harborview Medical Center, where he objected to a blood test before police obtained a search warrant to draw his blood.
SEATTLE (AP) – Nigerian forward Obafemi Martins says on Twitter he is leaving Spanish club Levante to join the Seattle Sounders. Martins made his posts yesterday, which was followed by an announcement from Levante that he was leaving. Martins wrote that he wanted to give thanks to Levante for the chance to play in La Liga, but that signing with Seattle is, “a big step to take in my career.” At training yesterday, Seattle general manager Adrian Hanauer told reporters there was nothing official to announce.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A former champion has grabbed the lead back in the 1,000-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in a furiously contested match between seasoned veterans. Sled positioning trackers show 2004 Iditarod winner Mitch Seavey ahead of Aliy Zirkle, last year’s runner-up, and four-time champion Jeff King Monday evening as they headed to the checkpoint at Elim, 123 miles from the Nome finish line. King took the lead earlier yesterday from Seavey, leaving the Koyuk checkpoint first.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.