PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) — James Akinjo scored 15 points and No. 6 Baylor beat Michigan State 75-58 for the Battle 4 Atlantis championship. The reigning national champions led just 38-36 at the break. But they began to take control in the opening minutes of the second half. The Bears used an 8-0 run to finally stretch out to a double-digit lead midway through the second half. Gabe Brown had 13 points for Michigan State. Baylor shot 49%. The Spartans shot just 37% after halftime and missed all seven of their 3-point tries in the half.
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — No. 20 North Carolina State will be playing for more than bragging rights when it plays host to North Carolina tonight. The Wolfpack need a victory to keep alive their hope of winning the ACC’s Atlantic Division. The Tar Heels have won the last two meetings and are seeking their first three-game winning streak in the series since 2006. They’re also trying to add to coach Mack Brown’s remarkable streak of having won 23 of his last 24 games against in-state ACC opponents. The Wolfpack has won nine straight at home and is trying to complete its first unbeaten season at Carter-Finley Stadium since 1986.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars have ruled out starting cornerback Shaquill Griffin for Sunday’s game against Atlanta. Griffin is dealing with a concussion. But coach Urban Meyer says running back James Robinson and rookie cornerback Tyson Campbell are good to go and will start. He also says center Brandon Linder and tight end James O’Shaughnessy will be activated from injured reserve and are expected to play.
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The Pittsburgh Steelers should have stars T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick back Sunday against Cincinnati. Fitzpatrick returned to practice this week after being placed on the COVID-19 list following a tie against Detroit. Watt is questionable after missing last week’s loss to Los Angeles with hip and knee injuries. Watt, Fitzpatrick and veteran cornerback Joe Haden texted each other while watching the Steelers give up 533 yards to the Chargers. Watt says he felt helpless sitting at home but added he’s also relieved because he avoided serious injury.
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — Golf, cricket and rugby have become the first major sports to be affected by the new COVID-19 variant. The emergence of the new variant first identified in South Africa is prompting renewed travel restrictions and threatens to disrupt events just as they were returning to normal nearly two years into the pandemic. European golfers withdrew midway through the season-opening DP World Tour tournament in Johannesburg and were scrambling to catch flights out of South Africa. Visiting cricket and rugby teams were doing the same.