Basketball

Jazz, Celtics remain with Flash

For the second consecutive season the Utah Flash of the NBA Development League will be affiliated with the Utah Jazz and the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics, according to an announcement Wednesday by the NBA. The Jazz and Celtics may assign players in their first or second NBA seasons to play with the Flash.

"We are delighted to be affiliated with such storied NBA franchises and look forward to working with them," Flash owner Brandt Andersen said. "There are no better organizations in professional basketball to have the opportunity to work with on a daily basis than the Jazz and the Celtics. We look forward to a continued great relationship."

The Jazz and the Celtics each assigned two players to the Flash last season. Jazz guard Morris Almond was named the D-League Impact Player of the Year, averaging a league-leading 25.6 points over 34 games. Center Kyrylo Fesenko played in 37 games for the Flash, averaging 10.1 points and 7.1 rebounds.

Celtics guard Gabe Pruitt was assigned to the Flash the maximum three times and played in 18 games, averaging 18.6 points and 3.9 assists, while forward Brandon Wallace averaged 12.5 points and 9.2 rebounds in six games.

Baseball

All-Star event today

The American Red Cross is hosting an All-Star Baseball event at UVSC's Brent Brown Ballpark today, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Former major leaguers Vern Law, Vance Law and Dane Iorg are expected to participate. Proceeds from the game and concessions will help fund your local Chapter of the American Red Cross.

Those interested in making donations to play ($1,000 for five players) in the game or for other information should contact De Anne DeMasters at 373-8580. Business sponsors will also have banners and other marketing options during the game.

• Bees top Tacoma: At Salt Lake City, the Bees scored three runs each in the first and fifth innings and went on to beat Tacoma 7-5 in PCL action Wednesday.

With two out and the bases empty in the bottom of the first, Matthew Brown stroked a solo homer, then, after two walks, Gary Patchett and Adam Pavkovich followed with RBI singles to get the Bees off to the 3-0 lead. After Tacoma scored three times in its half of the fifth, Salt Lake scored three in the bottom of the inning, the big blow being a two-run double by Freddy Sandoval.

Track

Three Cougars qualify at NCAA meet

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Weather conditions were less than ideal at the opening day of the 2008 NCAA Outdoor Track Field Championships in Des Moines, Iowa. Field events during the morning's competition were delayed more than three hours due to heavy rain, and by the start of the last event of the day -- the men's 5,000 meters -- there were severe thunderstorm, tornado and flood warnings for much of Des Moines and surrounding areas.

"The winds were horrible in the javelin and the discus," said BYU men's coach Mark Robison. "There was some humidity that may have affected things today as well, but a little like the weather, we really haven't looked very good today."

All 10 members of the BYU team that went to the championships competed Wednesday.

Sophomore Leif Arrhenius, with the best throw in the nation this year to qualify for nationals, finished second in his qualifying round of the men's discus with a throw of 190 feet. He advanced to Friday's final.

Freshman Chase Dalton finished 17th in his qualifying round (205-3), but didn't make the final. Senior Matt Weirich and junior Bob Low tied for 16th in the qualifying round of the pole vault. Only the top 15 made it to the final. In the men's 3,000m steeplechase, Chandler Goodwin and Derek Taylor finished ninth (9:06.33) and 10th (9:07.65), respectively, in their heat and failed to qualify for the final. Junior Kyle Perry finished seventh in his heat of the 5,000m (14:37.0). The top six from each heat qualifid for the final, along with the next four best times. Perry finished 17th overall, just one spot away from qualifying.

For the women, senior Carlee Clark-Platt won the third of four qualifying heats of the women's 800m (2:06.10) to move on to today's semifinals. Junior Angela Wagner finished third in her head of the 3,000m steeplechase (10:12.28) and advanced to Friday's final.

Hockey

Sharks hire Detroit assistant as new coach

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks hired former Detroit Red Wings assistant Todd McLellan as their head coach on Wednesday, bringing in a leader with Stanley Cup winning credentials to replace the fired Ron Wilson.

McLellan will be formally introduced at a news conference with general manager Doug Wilson today.

McLellan had spent the past three seasons as an assistant in Detroit, where he was considered a bright offensive coach who led Detroit's power-play units. The Red Wings had the NHL's top power play in McLellan's first season, and the second best over his three-year tenure at 20.1 percent. McLellan helped the Red Wings knock out the Sharks in the second round of the playoffs in 2007 and win the Stanley Cup over Pittsburgh this past season.

• Red Wings, Babcock agree to 3-year contract:Mike Babcock's new contract allows the oldest of his three children to graduate from the same high school she's attending. And if all goes well with the Detroit Red Wings over the next three years, Babcock's younger two kids likely will get the same opportunity.

"Ideally, that's what will happen," Babcock said Wednesday after signing a three-year deal worth about $4.5 million.

WNBA

Liberty top Dream

ATLANTA -- Janel McCarville scored 25 points and had seven assists to help the New York Liberty beat Atlanta 81-77 on Wednesday night to keep the expansion Dream winless. The Dream failed to hold a 12-point lead with 7:09 remaining.

In other WNBA games, Nicole Powell scored a season-high 28 points to lead Sacramento to a 79-76 win over Washington, and Sophia Young returned to the starting lineup after missing a game due to injury to score 17 points and lead San Antonio to a 64-53 win oer Indiana.

College Football

Georgia State to make Curry first coach

ATLANTA -- Once again, the lure of college football is bringing Bill Curry back to Atlanta.

Almost 50 years after he began his college playing career at Georgia Tech, Curry will become the first coach of Georgia State's new football program Thursday.

Curry's hire was confirmed by a person with knowledge of the process who did not want to be identified because the school has scheduled a news conference for Thursday.

The 65-year-old Curry will join former Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves as patriarchs of the program. Reeves has served as a consultant and helped raise $1.2 million in pledged funds for the program.

Reeves said he was not part of the selection process but said "I can tell you this, I think that is a heck of a choice, a great deal for Georgia State, if that is the case.

"I think Bill will do a super job. He's got a great reputation. You couldn't ask for anyone better to start Georgia State's program. He's got college experience, he has recruited and he lieves in Atlanta. I think that's fantastic."

Reeves said he was asked if he'd be interested in the job.

"They talked to me but I just felt they needed to get somebody with college experience and who has recruited and is excited about the job," Reeves said.

Georgia state athletic director Mary McElroy and university president Carl Patton announced in April the school will begin play in 2010 as a Football Championship Subdivision team (formerly Division I-AA).

The Panthers will compete in the Colonial Athletic Association and will play their home games at the Georgia Dome.