Date: 03/22/2013 05:29 AM
NW–SportsMinute/554
Here is the latest Washington, Oregon and Alaska sports news from The Associated Press
CHICAGO (AP) – LaMarcus Aldridge had 28 points, Damian Lillard added another 24 and the Portland Trail Blazers finished a season sweep of the Chicago Bulls with a 99-89 win last night. Portland improved to 10-25 on the road to take the season series with the Bulls for the first time since the 2008-09 season. The Blazers beat Chicago 102-94 on Nov. 18 in their other meeting this season. Joakim Noah had 18 points and Carlos Boozer added 16 points and 11 rebounds for Chicago, which shot 44 percent.
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – A March Madness warm-up turned into a great escape for Gonzaga. The Zags got pushed to the limit by Southern yesterday, pulling out a 64-58 victory in the closing minutes to avoid becoming the first No. 1 seed to lose to a 16 in the NCAA tournament. Kelly Olynyk led the Zags with 21 points. They play No. 9 Wichita State on Saturday. But it was a pair of 3-pointers – by Gary Bell Jr., and Kevin Pangos – that staked Gonzaga to a 62-58 lead only moments after the game was tied.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) – Damyean Dotson scored 17 points and Arsalan Kazemi added 11 points and 17 rebounds to help 12th-seeded Oregon extend a run that began in the Pac-12 tournament by beating fifth-seeded Oklahoma 68-55 in the second round of the NCAA tournament yesterday. The Ducks scored their first tournament win in six years. Oregon advanced to play fourth-seeded St Louis tomorrow for a spot in the Midwest regional in Indianapolis. The Billikens beat New Mexico State 64-44.
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) – Pitcher Jeff Samardzija (suh-MAR’-juh) hit his second home run this spring and also threw six innings last night to lead a split squad of Chicago Cubs over the Seattle Mariners 7-4. Samardzija, set to be the Cubs’ opening day starter, struck out seven. He allowed four runs and nine hits. Samardzija hit a solo homer and an RBI single. Alfonso Soriano (al-FAHN’-soh sohr’-ee-AH’-noh) and Brad Nelson also homered for Chicago, and David DeJesus had two hits and drove in a run.
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Olympians Christine Sinclair, Christina LeBlanc and Rachel Buehler have joined the Portland Thorns during a break from national team duty. Sinclair and LeBlanc both recently wrapped up Canada’s second-place finish in the Cyprus Cup. Buehler was on the U.S. team that won the Algarve Cup earlier this month in Portugal. Teammate Alex Morgan, who scored both goals in the 2-0 Algarve final against Germany, is to join the Thorns next week. The Thorns open the season April 13.
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) – A lawyer for a musher whose dog died after being removed from Alaska’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race plans to sue People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals unless the organization retracts public statements blaming his client. Attorney Myron Angstman says he sent a letter to PETA yesterday on behalf of musher Paige Drobny, whose 5-year-old dog, Dorado, was buried in snow in extreme winds at a checkpoint and suffocated Friday. Angstman says Drobny has suffered personal attacks due to PETA’s misrepresentations. A PETA spokeswoman says she can’t comment on the letter specifically.
Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.