Isaiah Wong scored 21 points as Miami snapped a three-game losing streak, defeating Boston College, 85-58, on Wednesday night in Coral Gables, Fla., in men’s college basketball. The Hurricanes (12-12, 4-10 Atlantic Coast Conference) broke it open with a 24-2 run that began midway through the first half. Harlond Beverly scored 7 points during the surge and Anthony Walker’s dunk with 3:55 remaining capped the spurt and gave Miami a 38-17 lead. Miami maintained a double-digit advantage following its first-half run as Boston College (12-13, 6-8) got no closer than 55-42 on Derryck Thornton’s 3-point play with 10:06 remaining in the second half. Kamari Williams scored 14 points for Boston College. Chris Lykes finished with 16 points and Kameron McGusty added 12 for the Hurricanes . . . Michigan State persuaded Mel Tucker to leave Colorado after just one season to coach the Spartans’ football team. Tucker succeeds Mark Dantonio, the school’s all-time winningest coach, who retired less than two weeks ago. Michigan State offered Tucker a six-year contract worth about $30 million.
Rule changes will proceed
Major League Baseball went ahead with its planned rules changes for this season, including the requirement a pitcher must face at least three batters or end the half-inning, unless he is hurt. The three-batter minimum will start in spring training games on March 12. Other rules going into effect involve roster limits, adjustments to the injured list and option periods for pitchers and two-way players, and a reduction in the time managers have to challenge a play.
Hamels out three weeks
Atlanta Braves lefthander Cole Hamels won’t be ready for the start of the season after hurting his pitching shoulder during an offseason workout. General manager Alex Anthopoulos said Hamels will be shut down for at least three weeks. Anthopoulos said the 36-year-old hurt his shoulder while throwing a weighted ball in an attempt to build strength for spring training. Hamels signed an $18 million, one-year deal with Atlanta on Dec. 4 to add experience to a young rotation . . . Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Pedro Báez became the first player to win in salary arbitration this year and will earn $4 million rather than the team’s offer of $3.5 million . . . Outfielder Cameron Maybin and the Detroit Tigers agreed on a $1.5 million, one-year contract . . . Toronto Blue Jays catcher catcher Reese McGuire is facing an indecent exposure charge in Florida. McGuire was charged with a misdemeanor count of exposure of sexual organs and given a notice to appear in court on March 16. He was not taken to jail.
Pride’s semifinal on March 8
The Boston Pride’s Isobel Cup semifinal of the National Women’s Hockey League is set for Sunday, March 8, at 2:30 p.m. at Warrior Ice Arena. Tickets for the game go on sale Thursday at 9:30 a.m. at pride.nwhl.zone/tickets. In the semifinal, the Pride will host the winner of the play-in game between the league’s No. 4 and 5 seeds . . . The NHL and NHL Players’ Association have scheduled another round of labor talks next week after concluding two days of negotiations in Toronto. In an email to the Associated Press, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote he wasn’t prepared to comment on what was discussed and whether the additional meetings reflect any signs of progress being made . . . Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice signed a multiyear extension with the Jets.
Towns out with wrist injury
Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns missed the game against the Charlotte Hornets with a left wrist injury, the team announced. The Timberwolves said Towns had an MRI on Tuesday, which revealed the injury. Towns will be further evaluated over the All-Star break . . . Skylar Diggins-Smith is going to Phoenix to join Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner. The Dallas Wings traded the four-time All-Star to the Mercury for the No. 5 and 7 picks in the 2020 WNBA draft and Phoenix’s 2021 first-round pick. The Wings then sent the 2021 pick the team acquired in the deal to the Chicago Sky in exchange for Astou Ndour . . . Salt Lake City may shift its focus to bidding for the 2034 Winter Olympics rather than the Games being held four years earlier following the announcement last month that Sapporo, Japan, will bid for 2030, organizing committee members said . . . The Federal Aviation Administration issued a flight restriction for Sunday’s Daytona 500 indicating that President Donald Trump is expected to attend the NASCAR race . . . The US men’s national team urged the US Soccer Federation to sharply increase pay of the American women and accused the governing body of making low-ball offers in negotiations with the men.