National Sports News

Last Update on February 04, 2012 19:43 GMT

SUPER BOWL

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The 46th Super Bowl is just one day away. The Super Sunday matchup has the AFC Champion Patriots facing the NFC champion Giants. The game features two of the top quarterbacks in the game, Eli Manning for New York and Tom Brady for New England.

The game marks the seventh appearance for the Patriots in the Super Bowl and fifth for the Giants.

The Giants have a walkthrough practice scheduled today. The Pats had their walkthrough yesterday and plan a team picture at the game site.

NFL-HALL OF FAME

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The Pro Football Hall of Fame will announce its class of 2012 this afternoon. The finalists being considered are Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Jack Butler, Cris Carter, Dermontti Dawson, Edward DeBartolo (deh-BAHR'-tuh-loh) Jr., Chris Doleman, Kevin Greene, Charles Haley, Cortez Kennedy, Curtis Martin, Bill Parcells, Andre Reed, Willie Roaf, Will Shields, Dick Stanfel and Aeneas Williams.

The induction ceremony at the Canton, Ohio, shrine will take place this summer.

NFL-LONDON GAME

LONDON (AP) -- Ticket sales for the NFL's annual game in London have been suspended while the St. Louis Rams try to solve an issue regarding the lease on their home stadium. The Rams are scheduled to host the Patriots at Wembley on Oct. 28 and have agreed to give up a home game in each of the next three seasons to play in London. However, that apparently clashes with the team's lease on the Edward James Dome in St. Louis.

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (guh-DEHL') said Friday that the game will be played and that he hopes "it will be with the Rams and the New England Patriots."

T25 MEN'S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE

UNDATED (AP) -- Syracuse, the highest-ranked team in men's basketball playing this afternoon, had an easy time of things with St. John's, winning 95-70. The win gave the Orange a record of 23-1 on the season and 10-1 in the Big East. For Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim (BAY'-hym) the victory tied him with Dean Smith for third place on the all-time list with 879 wins. Fab Melo scored a career-high 14 points in his return after a three-game absence for the Orange. The 7-footer had missed the last three games as he resolved an academic issue.

-- Georgetown, the 14th-ranked team in the AP poll, got 13 points and nine rebounds from Henry Sims in a 75-45 win over South Florida. Otto Porter added 12 points, and Jason Clark had 11 for the Hoyas, while Augustus Gilchrist scored 15 points to lead the Bulls.

Kentucky, the top team in the men's basketball poll, is on the road tonight for a game at South Carolina. The No. 1 Wildcats are 22-1.

Connecticut played without veteran Hall of Fame coach Jim Calhoun today. He announced yesterday that he is taking an indefinite medical leave because of severe back pain. The Huskies, with assistant coach George Blaney in charge, beat Seton Hall, 69-46 for their 15th win of the season.

NBA-SCHEDULE

UNDATED (AP) -- Two of the top clubs in the NBA's Western Conference are meeting tonight in San Antonio as the Spurs play host to Oklahoma City. The Spurs have won 15 of their first 24 games this shortened season, while the Thunder are 18-4, best record in the NBA following last night's 101-94 comeback win over Memphis.

The Clippers continue to surprise some people with their play this season. L.A. is contesting for the Pacific Division lead with the Lakers and tonight the Clippers are in Washington to face the Wizards, who are hoping a home date might do them some good after last night's loss in Toronto. Chicago's Bulls continue to dominate the East and this evening they are on the road in Milwaukee. A good Eastern Division battle has Philadelphia playing in Atlanta. The Sixers top the Atlantic Division while the Hawks are challenging Miami in the Southeast.

In other games tonight, Orlando is at Indiana, Dallas plays in Cleveland, the Knicks are hosting the Nets. New Orleans is playing in Detroit against the Pistons, Minnesota is home to Houston, Charlotte plays at Phoenix, the Lakers are at Utah, Denver plays at Portland and Golden State is at Sacramento.

NBA-HAWKS

ATLANTA (AP) -- The Atlanta Hawks say reserve center Jason Collins will miss the next two weeks with a sprained left elbow. Collins was injured in Thursday's home loss to Memphis. An 11-year NBA veteran, Collins has started 31 of 81 career games in three seasons with Atlanta. He is averaging 3.8 points and four rebounds this season in 22 minutes per game.

NHL-SCHEDULE

UNDATED (AP) -- There are four afternoon games today in the NHL. In Boston the Stanley Cup champion Bruins are playing host to Pittsburgh. The Bruins top the Northeast Division, while the Penguins are third in the Atlantic. In an Atlantic Division matchup the second-place Flyers are hosting fourth-place New Jersey. The Devils are fighting for an Eastern Conference playoff berth.

Washington is looking at making the playoffs in one of two ways, either as the Southeast Division champion or as a low seed in the East. Entering this afternoon's game at Montreal, the Caps are contending for the division lead with Florida while on the bubble for the final playoff spot in the East, if they fail to win the division.

The final day game has Vancouver skating at Colorado.

On tap this evening, Toronto is at Ottawa in a Northeast Division game, L.A. is at Carolina, the Islanders are home to Buffalo, Florida is at Tampa Bay, first-place San Jose of the Pacific Division is at Phoenix, Dallas is home to Minnesota, St. Louis plays at Nashville and Detroit is at Edmonton.

DOWNHILL-VONN

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) -- Lindsey Vonn ranks among the all-time greats in women's alpine skiing. She captured her 50th World Cup victory today by winning a downhill race in Germany. She now trails only Annemarie Moser-Proell (PREHL) of Austria and her 62 victories and Vreni Schneider of Switzerland and her 55.

With the temperature at minus-13 degrees at the starting hut, Vonn trailed early but recovered at the bottom to win by nearly half a second on a slope that gave her trouble at last year's world championships.

Vonn's winning time was 1 minute, 44.86 seconds. She leads the overall World Cup standings by 482 points and the downhill standings by 230 points.

TENNIS-FED CUP

WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) -- Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka (ah-zah-REN'-kuh) of Belarus has withdrawn from her Fed Cup match against the United States because of a lower back injury. The Australian Open champion was scheduled to play Christina McHale in today's opening singles of the second-tier series. Azarenka says her lower back has been sore since the Australian Open.