Stu Douglass designed a layup with 36.5 seconds remaining, with no. 19 Michigan held on via a wild final sequence to conquer No. 9 Michigan Condition 60-59 on Tuesday evening.

On Michigan State's last possession, Keith Appling drove towards the basket, but his shot was blocked by Jordan Morgan. Brandon Wood from the Spartans emerged using the ball, and Draymond Eco-friendly could get another shot removed from close to the free throw line, however it skipped.

Newcomer Trey Burke obtained 20 points for Michigan. He rebounded a miss by Appling within the final minute and switched it right into a transition chance, eventually passing to Douglass for that winning layup.

Michigan (15-4, 5-2 Large Ten) has won three consecutively versus. Michigan Condition (15-4, 4-2).

Derrick Nix brought Michigan Condition with 13 points.

Following the final shot, Michigan Condition coach Tom Izzo located the authorities to go over something, but following a brief conversation the authorities headed from the court.

It had been the very first meeting between your in-condition rivals with both teams rated since 1998.

Michigan brought by four points at the start of the other half when Burke, a newcomer, obtained seven straight points. His three-pointer gave the Wolverines their biggest lead, 47-36.

Austin Thornton clarified having a three-pointer, the beginning of a 16-2 run by Michigan Condition. A 3-pointer by Wood - his first area goal after five misses - managed to get 47-44 and forced Michigan to consider a timeout with 9:34 remaining. The Spartans finally required their first lead at 50-49 on the three-pointer by Brandan Kearney in the left corner.

Michigan Condition brought 57-53 when Burke designed a free throw and Tim Hardaway Junior. added a go in the perimeter. Thornton's two free throws pressed the Spartans' result in three, but Hardaway managed to get 59-58 having a baseline drive.

Michigan coach John Beilein tweaked his beginning selection, placing Douglass for that battling Evan Smotrycz. The Wolverines were in a little of the shooting slump in conference play, but Zack Novak made two three-pointers, enhancing the Wolverines have a 13-4 lead.

Michigan Condition was playing catch-up through the first half, battling to protect the Wolverines because they with patience spread a legal court on offense.

Michigan continued a small-go to push charge to 10. Hardaway made two free throws, then blocked a go by Eco-friendly. Morgan obtained inside for that Wolverines, then Burke obtained off a turnover to really make it 30-20.

The Spartans responded with nine straight points, tugging within one on the three-pointer by Kearney, but Douglass clarified having a rare four-point play, creating a three-pointer in the right wing while being fouled.

Michigan brought 36-29 at halftime. Hardaway started the other half having a dunk for his first area goal.

Stu Douglass designed a layup with 36.5 seconds remaining, with no. 20 Michigan held on via a wild final sequence to conquer No. 9 Michigan Condition, 60-59, last evening in Ann Arbor, Mich.

On Michigan State’s last possession, Keith Appling drove towards the basket but had his shot blocked by Jordan Morgan. Brandon Wood from the Spartans (15-4, 4-2 Large Ten).emerged using the ball, and Draymond Eco-friendly could get another shot removed from close to the free throw line, however it skipped.

Newcomer Trey Burke obtained 20 points for Michigan (15-4, 5-2). He rebounded a miss by Appling within the final minute and switched it right into a transition chance, eventually passing to Douglass for that winning layup.

Kentucky 86, Arkansas 63 - Newcomer Anthony Davis obtained work-high 27 points and blocked seven shots to create a season school record with 84 because the No. 2 Wildcats (18-1, 4- SEC) blasted the going to Razorbacks (13-5, 2-2) to win their tenth consecutively.

Georgetown 83, DePaul 75 - Jason Clark obtained work-high 31 points and also the No. 10 Hoyas (15-3, 5-2 Large East) got beyond the host Blue Devils (10-8, 1-5).

Women

Notre Dame 120, Pitt 44 - Devereaux Peters obtained 20 points and also the No. 2 Fighting Irish (18-1, 6-) beat the going to Panthers (8-11, -6) for his or her most uneven Large East victory ever.

St. John’s 62, Rutgers 57 - Eugeneia McPherson obtained 17 points and also the host Red-colored Storm (12-7, 4-2 Large East) upset no. 7 Scarlet Knights in combat (15-3, 4-1).

North Dakota 60, Harvard 57 - Victoria Lippert obtained 15 points however the Crimson (8-7) fell to going to North Dakota (9-9).

The NHL announced Friday that it won't go ahead with realignment in 2012-13 because it says the players association won't agree to the new format.

The change to a four-conference setup was approved 26-4 in December by the NHL's board of governors. Under the plan, the top four teams in each conference would make the playoffs and the first two rounds of the playoffs would be played within the conference.

The league said it will stick to its current format — six divisions, with the top eight teams in the Eastern and Western conferences making the playoffs — for next season.

NHLPA executive director Don Fehr said in a statement that the association was unable to give its consent because its concerns weren't adequately addressed before the league's imposed deadline of Jan. 6.

"We continue to be ready and willing to have further discussions should the league be willing to do so," he said.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly issued the following statement:

"It is unfortunate that the NHLPA has unreasonably refused to approve a plan that an overwhelming majority of our clubs voted to support, and that has received such widespread support from our fans and other members of the hockey community, including players.

"We have now spent the better part of four weeks attempting to satisfy the NHLPA's purported concerns with the plan with no success. Because we have already been forced to delay and, as a result, are already late in beginning the process of preparing next season's schedule, we have no choice but to abandon our intention to implement the realignment plan and modified playoff format for next season.

"We believe the union acted unreasonably in violation of the league's rights. We intend to evaluate all of our available legal options and to pursue adequate remedies, as appropriate."

The NHL was forced to realign because the Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg and were temporarily kept in the Southeast Division. The league needed to move the Jets to the Western Conference. A one-for-one swap was possible, but a four-conference setup was also pitched.

Jets chairman Mark Chipman plans to address the postponed realignment at a news conference on Saturday morning.

The realignment plan was viewed as more helpful to Western Conference teams because it set up conferences based on time zones, thus cutting back on travel. Because it required that every team play a home-and-home with at least every other team in the league, that meant more travel and wear-and-tear for teams in the Eastern Conference.

Also, under the setup, the westernmost conferences had eight teams and the easternmost conference had seven. That meant there was less of a chance to make the playoffs in the West.

Fehr said the NHLPA had raised questions about the unbalanced conferences and travel.

"In order to evaluate the effect on travel of the proposed new structure, we requested a draft or sample 2012-13 schedule, showing travel per team," Fehr said. "We were advised it was not possible for the league to do that. We also suggested reaching an agreement on scheduling conditions to somewhat alleviate player travel concerns (e.g., the scheduling of more back-to-back games, more difficult and lengthier road trips, number of border crossings, etc.), but the league did not want to enter into such a dialogue.

"The travel estimation data we received from the league indicates that many of the current Pacific and Central teams, that have demanding travel schedules under the current format, could see their travel become even more difficult. On the playoff qualification matter, we suggested discussing ways to eliminate the inherent differences in the proposed realignment, but the league was not willing to do so."

The league and NHLPA will being negotiating a collective-bargaining agreement around the All-Star break later this month. The current agreement runs out on Sept. 15.

A slow-developing market for free-agent shortstop Jose Reyes could receive some juice as soon as this weekend, when Mets general manager Sandy Alderson plans to reopen the lines of communication with Reyes' agents at the Winter Meetings, which start Monday in Dallas.

"I certainly would hope that we'll have conversations ... by the time we get to Dallas, or at Dallas," Alderson said Thursday afternoon, noting that he has not spoken recently with Reyes or his representatives. "I do expect to have them over the next handful of days."

Publicly at least, Alderson says he does not have any better sense of the market for Reyes than he did two weeks ago, when unconfirmed reports of Miami's six-year, $90 million offer first surfaced. Though the Brewers and Phillies have also displayed tepid interest in the free-agent shortstop, no reports of additional offers have leaked since mid-November.

That may be in part due to the strategy of Reyes' agents, who have declined comment on their negotiations throughout the offseason.

"There's just a general uncertainty about the marketplace and where values are," Alderson said. "It may have something to do with the top free agents not having moved -- [Albert] Pujols and [Prince] Fielder and Jose Reyes. It may just be the dynamic between clubs and free agents.

"As far as the market for Jose is concerned, I only know what I read in the paper. There haven't been additional reports I've heard about other offers. So I'm not sure there's much more clarity than we had the first time, when Miami's bid/proposal was reported."

Certainly there is a wide range of thinking regarding Reyes, a wildly talented shortstop in his prime whose extensive injury history has dampened his value. The Mets have maintained all offseason that they would like to re-sign Reyes -- but if Miami's reported $90 million deal represents the floor of his market, they may not be able to.

With roughly two-thirds of their stated 2012 payroll tied up in six players, the Mets still must sign at least one late-inning reliever, at least one starting pitcher and as many as four bench players, in a process they hope will progress next week in Dallas. The only details Alderson offered on those pursuits Thursday was that despite a report to the contrary, the Mets have not had any contact with longtime Yankees catcher Jorge Posada.

In many ways, the Mets remain in wait-and-see mode. Despite deals elsewhere for Jonathan Papelbon, Joe Nathan and Jonathan Broxton, Alderson says he is still analyzing the market for free-agent relievers. The Mets do not appear to have made significant progress on their bench or starting pitching pursuits. And there is little they can do regarding Reyes, who continues to feel out the market on his own terms.

Simply put, Reyes wants to maximize his contract. The Mets want to minimize it.

An expectant fan base can only hope the two sides draw closer at the Winter Meetings next week.

"The free agents would like to think that a certain market exists, and clubs at this point are holding out some hope that that market doesn't exist," Alderson said. "I don't know. But it can all change in three days in Dallas."

An arbitrator awarded Nashville defenceman Shea Weber a record $7.5 million US for next season on Wednesday.

Weber and the Predators made presentations to an arbitrator Tuesday in Toronto. Weber, through his Titan Sports representation, reportedly asked for $8.5 million, while the team put forth a case for $4.75 million, a minimal increase from last season.

On a media conference call Wednesday, both sides rejected the notion that the arbitration process, which can be contentious, would irrevocably harm the relationship between captain and team.

Nashville general manager David Poile said he congratulated Weber on the award.
"Today's award is certainly reflective of his value to the Predators and his worth in the National Hockey League," Poile said.

"My vision hopefully in the near future, is with Shea raising the Stanley Cup in a Predators uniform," Poile added.

The previous record for an arbitrator's award was $7 million, to John LeClair of Philadelphia in 2000 and Scott Niedermayer of New Jersey in 2004.

The Predators filed for arbitration in mid-June with Weber in order to prevent other clubs from making an offer sheet and in an unsuccessful attempt to buy themselves several weeks before the scheduled hearing to hammer out a long-term deal with their team captain.

Poile said the two sides couldn't come to an agreement to the length and structure of a contract.

Weber, who turns 26 later this month, was a Norris Trophy finalist the past season. The Sicamous, B.C., native had 16 goals and a career-high 32 assists while appearing in all 82 games.

He averaged $4.5 million per year during the term of his last deal.

"It's nice to get this arbitration process out of the way here for now and hopefully this can lead to further negotiations between my agents and the Predators, and hopefully we can something done long term," Weber said.

Weber said he feels the Predators are close to contending for a Stanley Cup. One of the youngest teams in the NHL, Nashville won its first ever playoff series this spring and fell to Vancouver in the Western Conference semifinals.
It was the first arbitration session of the summer in the NHL, with other clubs able to avoid the often contentious hearings hours before they were scheduled. New Jersey signed Zach Parise to a $6 million deal last week in such an instance.

It was one of the few times since the current system of arbitration was set up in the mid-1990s that a team-initiated filing ended up going all the way to an arbitrator.

As it stands currently — which could change, given that the NHL's collective bargaining agreement expires in 2012 — Weber next summer will again be a restricted free agent,

Because it was team initiated, the Predators must accept the ruling and they will not be able to initiate an arbitration filing for Weber next year.

Titan Sports, exercising its rights, opted for a one-year instead of a two-year ruling for its client.

Poile and assistant Paul Fentonn will several decisions to make in the next several months. Star goalie Pekka Rinne, shutdown defenceman Ryan Suter are unrestricted free agents on July 1, 2012.

"If I had my utopia you'd like to deal with everybody together but I don't think it quite works like that," Poile said.

The GM said he will get a better sense of his team, and where his players are coming from, at training camp in September.

The federal judge overseeing the dispute between NFL owners and players Monday ordered the sides to participate in mediation to help resolve the work stoppage that threatens the coming season. U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson ordered the players' attorneys and their former union's executive director, DeMaurice Smith, to meet Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Minneapolis with veteran Chief Magistrate Arthur J. Boylan, who is scheduled to meet with the owners' representatives Wednesday and preside over face-to-face mediation with both sides starting Thursday. Nelson ordered that both sides keep the mediation confidential. The sides tried mediation before, negotiating for 16 days in Washington with Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service Director George Cohen. Those talks ended March 11, allowing the collective bargaining agreement to expire. Spokesmen for the owners and players didn't immediately comment on Nelson's ruling. The judge wrote in her three-page order that the mediation was a form of "alternative dispute resolution" to address the players' antitrust lawsuit (Brady vs. NFL) against the league. While owners' attorneys have declared that mediation is most effectively done over the sides' collective-bargaining disagreements, the players argue that working to settle the lawsuit filed by star quarterbacks Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and others is the best route to strike labor peace. The former NFL Players Assn. decertified last month, and the players' group has expressed concern that anything other than lawsuit settlement talks would allow the owners to bolster their claim that decertification was a sham. In her order, Nelson assured the players, "the fact of participation in this Court-ordered mediation … shall not be admitted or used against any party in any other proceeding or forum, for any purpose." Nelson continues to weigh whether to impose a preliminary injunction against the owners' lockout of the players after hearing arguments in her courtroom last week. She urged the sides to engage in mediation at the end of that Wednesday hearing, but neither side moved significantly to do so. The judge wrote in her order that the lockout injunction "remains under advisement, with an order to issue in due course."

March 29 (Bloomberg) -- Japan’s bonds snapped a two-day loss as concern that radiation leaks from a crippled nuclear reactor will worsen supported demand for the safety of debt. Ten-year yields fell from a one-week high after radiation levels that can prove fatal were detected outside reactor buildings at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi plant, damaged this month in a tsunami triggered by the nation’s biggest earthquake. Bonds were also supported after Japanese Economic and Fiscal Policy Minister Kaoru Yosano signaled the government can’t rely on bond sales for spending and needs to push ahead with making changes to its tax and social welfare system. “It remains to be seen how the nuclear issue will affect stocks, and the extent of the earthquake damage is still unknown,” said Keiko Onogi, a Tokyo-based fixed-income strategist at Daiwa Securities Capital Markets Co. “We hear talk about how much the government may need to spend, but nothing has been finalized. As investors find it hard to price in the various factors, there’s no clear direction in bonds.” The yield on the 1.3 percent bond due March 2021 fell one basis point to 1.235 percent at 9:33 a.m. in Tokyo at Japan Bond Trading Co., the nation’s largest interdealer debt broker. The price rose 0.089 yen to 100.576 yen. The yield rose 2.5 basis points to 1.245 percent yesterday, the highest since March 22. A basis point is 0.01 percentage point. Ten-year bond futures for June delivery were little changed at 139.65 at the Tokyo Stock Exchange. Ten-year yields have dropped two basis points this month and gained 12.5 basis points this quarter. Radiation Levels The Nikkei 225 Stock Average fell 1.2 percent, and the broader Topix index dropped 1.5 percent. Water in a tunnel outside the Fukushima No. 2 reactor had radiation levels exceeding 1 sievert an hour, a spokesman for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. told reporters yesterday. Exposure to that dose for 30 minutes would trigger nausea and four hours might lead to death within two months, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. “Japan’s bonds are likely to remain in a gridlock until the government gets freed from the burden of dealing with the nuclear plant so that it can focus on earthquake reconstruction,” Chotaro Morita, chief strategist at Barclays Capital Japan Ltd. in Tokyo, wrote in a research note today. Japan is close to its limit in terms of the amount of bonds it can sell, Yosano said at a press conference in Tokyo today. That followed comments yesterday by Vice Finance Minister Fumihiko Igarashi that the government may scrap a planned 5 percentage-point cut in company tax rates. The deputy chairman of the Democratic Party of Japan’s tax committee, Ikkou Nakatsuka, said yesterday: “We can’t avoid raising taxes as the great earthquake may worsen an already dangerous fiscal situation.”

STILLWATER, Okla. — Marshall Moses had 18 points and eight rebounds, and third-seeded Oklahoma State had its highest-scoring first half of the season in a 71-54 victory over sixth-seeded Harvard on Tuesday night in the first round of the NIT. Oklahoma State (20-13) scored 41 points in the first half and won an NIT game for the first time since 1997. The Cowboys had lost three straight from 2006 to 2008. Reger Dowell went 6 for 7 from the field and scored 15 and Matt Pilgrim added 12 as six Cowboys scored six or more points. Kyle Casey led Harvard (23-7) with 13 points, while Ivy League player of the year Keith Wright scored 10 and hit double figures for the 15th straight game. Laurent Rivard added 10 off the bench for Harvard, which scored its fewest points since managing 52 in a loss to Connecticut on Dec. 22. Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Love recorded his 52nd double-double in a row to surpass Moses Malone for the longest such streak since the ABA and NBA merged in 1976 in the Minnesota Timberwolves' 101-75 over the free-falling Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. Love overcame a bruised left knee to put up 16 points and 21 rebounds in just 27 minutes to help the Timberwolves win for just the 16th time this season. Love didn't waste any time extending the streak, reaching double figures in points and rebounds with just under seven minutes to play in the first half. Tyler Hansbrough scored 21 points for the Pacers, who shot a season-low 29 percent to lose their fifth straight game. Forward Danny Granger managed just 10 points on 2-for-19 shooting. Michael Beasley added 16 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes for Minnesota. Love wasn't even certain he was going to play in the game until shortly before tipoff after bruising his left knee in a loss to Dallas on Monday. But he decided to give it a go. With the Pacers clanging shot after shot, Love had 10 rebounds in just 12 minutes of playing time. And the crowd knew it, too. Love grabbed his first rebound in the first 10 seconds of the game and one fan yelled, "That's one! That's one!" He stepped to the free throw line with 6:51 to play in the first half and nine points and 10 boards, and the crowd rose to its feet and roared. The first free throw splashed through, and Love let out a big sigh of relief as his achievement was announced. He gave a wave to the crowd, then went back to work. Only nine players in NBA history - both before and after the merger - have had at least 50 double-doubles in a row. All eight besides Love - Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Walt Bellamy, Wilt Chamberlain, Elvin Hayes, Jerry Lucas and Bill Russell - are in the Hall of Fame. Next up on the list of longest streaks is Hayes with 55 in a row in 1973-74. Even better, Love got to watch the entire fourth quarter from the bench, resting a knee that was clearly bothering him while he was on the court. The Timberwolves won for just the 12th time during his streak. The Pacers are in the middle of a streak of their own, and it's not a good one. After winning seven of their first eight games following the firing of coach Jim O'Brien, the Pacers have lost seven of their last eight games and are losing by an average of 17 points over the past five. They entered the night 1 1/2 games ahead of Charlotte for the eighth and final playoff spot and hit a new low in getting blown out by the worst team in the Western Conference. Hansbrough made two of his first four shots, but his teammates missed their first 15 field goals. The game got out of hand in the third quarter when Indiana scored just two points in the first six minutes to fall behind by 22. Notes: Pacers F Josh McRoberts left the game in the second quarter with a sore right knee and did not return. ... Love also set a franchise record early in the third quarter with his 309th offensive rebound of the season. ... Wolves F Wes Johnson did not play in the second half because of an upset stomach. ... Timberwolves F Lazar Hayward missed the game with an illness.

JPMorgan Chase (JPM) is reportedly attempting to cobble together a group of banks to put together a new loan package for the New York Mets, a team mired in total debt of more than $1.6 billion in the wake of the Madoff Ponzi scheme and a $900 million new ballpark. According to the New York Post, the Mets and Major League Baseball are “exerting strong pressure” on JPMorgan to make that loan happen after the New York banking giant led a consortium that loaned the team about $430 million last year. JPMorgan also finances MLB’s operations. The Mets’ finances have been in shambles due at least in part to investments by Fred Wilpon, its owner, in the Madoff Ponzi scheme. The trustee in the Madoff case is seeking up to $1 billion from the Wilpon family, alleging the family knew or should have known the investment fund was a fraud. The Wilpons have denied any wrongdoing. According to the Post, the Mets’ franchise debt totals $1.66 billion, including $505 million on the team, $700 million in construction debt tied to its Citi Field ballpark and $450 million in loans for its cable TV station, SportsNet New York. Amid the financial uncertainty, the Wilpons unveiled plans to sell a minority stake in the franchise, triggering a slew of potential part owners to emerge, including former manager Bobby Valentine, Donald Trump and others. The Mets have already passed on to MLB the qualifications of more than a dozen groups of potential buyers, the Post reported. It’s not clear if the Mets will be able to convince the banks to contribute to the new loan package. "They [JPMorgan] believe the Mets still have the capacity to borrow," a source told the Post. Then again, another source said of the loan, “Are you kidding me?..You don't lend into a distressed situation.” The new JPMorgan-led loan package would be used to fund the team’s operating costs, including player salaries, the Post reported. JPMorgan, which is also being sued by the Madoff trustee for $6.4 billion, last year led a syndicate of banks that included Bank of America (BAC) and Citigroup (C) to refinance $430 million of Mets debt.

With the Panthers trading veterans Cory Stillman and Bryan McCabe in the past few days – with a good many more trades likely coming Monday – coach Pete DeBoer was asked about his team’s general mood. “What would you guess?’’ DeBoer asked sarcastically moments after the Panthers lost to the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Sunday at BankAtlantic Center. “We’re professional and battled through. But it’s not easy days when you see guys walking out who you know can help you win games.’’ The Panthers might have let the trade rumors affect their play in bad losses to the Islanders and Senators last week, but if some were worried about Sunday being their last game with the Panthers, it didn’t really show. The Devils were just the better team Sunday. The Devils, who have won 17 of 21 games, took a two-goal lead and held on. The Panthers, a team many around the league will be watching as the 3 p.m. Monday trade deadline approaches, have lost 14 of 19. “We kept playing hard, just needed a break at the end,’’ said Marty Reasoner, who scored Florida’s lone goal late in the third period and could be headed to a contender on Monday. “They play really well when they have the lead.’’ Said Mike Weaver: “Everyone says [trade talk] doesn’t bother them, but it affects guys in different ways. But on the ice, you’re not thinking about it, you’re focused on the game itself.’’ FAILING TO CONNECT The Panthers had numerous chances against Martin Brodeur in the opening period but failed to connect. Darcy Hordichuk, a fourth-line grinder, missed a shot in front of the net just moments before he couldn’t put a loose puck into an empty net as Brodeur was splayed on the ice. After a scoreless first, the Devils opened things up in the second, with David Clarkson and Brian Rolston scoring less than four minutes apart. Rolston’s goal came with Weaver in the penalty box and was only the fourth power-play goal the Panthers’ excellent penalty kill has surrendered since Feb. 1. Florida made it 2-1 when Reasoner one-timed a pass from Michal Repik – one of five AHL players in the Panthers’ lineup on Sunday – with 4:29 remaining. MCCABE’S REASON McCabe said Sunday morning he wanted to stay with the Panthers “and be part of the process.’’ McCabe said he waived his no-movement clause and accepted Saturday’s trade to the Rangers after “it was made very clear over the past few days that I wasn’t going to be part of their plan for next season.’’ Said assistant general manager Mike Santos: “He asked us if we would re-sign him to a new contract. Both [GM] Dale Tallon and I told him that we would look at that in the summer. We just weren’t willing to sign him now.’’ • Dmitry Kulikov was surprisingly back in the lineup Sunday. Out for the past two weeks with an ankle injury, Kulikov had been skating on his own for three days.