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Tuesday

Dec032019

Scoreboard roundup -- 12/2/19

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iStock(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Monday's sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Phoenix 109, Charlotte 104
Philadelphia 103, Utah 94
Atlanta 104, Golden State 79
Indiana 117, Memphis 104
Milwaukee 132, New York 88
Chicago 113, Sacramento 106

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Buffalo 7, New Jersey 1
Vegas 4, NY Rangers 1
NY Islanders 4, Detroit 1
St. Louis 4, Chicago 0
Anaheim 4, Los Angeles 2

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Seattle 37, Minnesota 30

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Washington 75, South Dakota 55

Copyright © 2019, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019 at 6:40AM

JTP

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Monday

Dec022019

Howard volleyball player skips final conference tournament to make lifesaving donation to a stranger

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iStock(NEW YORK) -- A senior volleyball player at Howard University spent her final conference tournament in recovery after making a lifesaving blood stem cell donation to a stranger.

Jurnee Farrell, 21, has played volleyball for Howard University throughout her four years at the school. During sophomore year her coach, Shaun Kupferberg, encouraged the women on his team to register with Be The Match, an organization that works to save lives through marrow donation, through a registration table they had on campus.

"Growing up my dad worked at a children’s hospital in Chicago. I grew up in that type of environment and saw what an organ donation or a tissue donation can do for a family,” Kupferberg said. “If somebody’s life can be saved by a simple donation it’s obviously an easy thing to do and we should be helping."

Farrell got her cheek swabbed and registered as a potential donor with Be The Match. Two years later she received a call letting her know that she was a match for a 57-year-old woman with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The organization informed her that becoming a donor would involve several months of physicals and blood tests -- but that Farrell’s donation could also save this woman’s life.

“It wasn’t registering to me that I would be saving someone’s life. I was just like, okay, I registered for this thing and I’m going to go through with it,” Farrell said. “It took me a lot of time to realize what I was doing.”

According to Be The Match’s website, African Americans have just a 23% chance of finding a matched adult donor through its registry.

Farrell's donation date was Nov. 19. Recovery from the procedure, doctors informed her, would take 7 to 10 days.

Donating that day also meant that she would miss playing in the final conference tournament with her teammates, taking place that weekend.

"It was bittersweet, but it was definitely a no-brainer," Farrell said. "If somebody gets the opportunity to save someone’s life, whether it be a stranger or a family member, I would hope that it’s a no-brainer for everybody."

Kupferberg encouraged her to go through with the donation. “You’re doing something bigger than volleyball," he told her.

“I talk to our team all the time about priorities. Obviously, contributing something of this magnitude is a priority,” Kupferberg said. “It was a pretty easy decision. If you want to talk about what you contribute to the world in twenty years and you can tell anybody that you had the chance to save someone’s life -- that’s a major accomplishment.”

Farrell went through the donation procedure and a few days later was sitting on a bench cheering while her teammates won the conference title. They advance to the NCAA volleyball tournament, in which Farrell will take part.

"It’s one of those things that everything always works out the way it’s supposed to,” Kupferberg said. “You want to see her rewarded for making the right decision. Getting to play in the NCAA tournament is a blessing after all of that.”

Farrell will find out in one year through Be The Match if her donation was successful. If so, she has the option to anonymously reach out to the donor.

“I really want to meet her and put a face to such a big part of my life now,” Farrell said. “I think it becomes real when you’re donating but that feeling would be elevated even more if I were able to meet this person.”

For anyone looking to become a donor, Farrell has a message.

“You’re saving someone’s life and it’s super, super easy,” Farrell said. “For you to be in pain for four or five days is nothing compared to someone who’s been in pain for months. If you get the opportunity to save someone’s life with such an easy process -- you shouldn’t hesitate.”

Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Monday, December 2, 2019 at 7:59PM

Dana Schaeffer

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Monday

Dec022019

Dwyane Wade fires back at trolls criticizing his 12-year-old in Thanksgiving family photo

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Phil Ellsworth / ESPN Images(New York) -- Gabrielle Union's husband Dwyane Wade took to Twitter on Saturday to respond to "some post-thanksgiving hate" over a family photo she shared last week on Instagram.

The photo shows Union posing alongside Wade, their daughter Kaavia, and Wade's son Zion, who sports long fingernails and a crop top.

"I’ve seen some post-thanksgiving hate on social about my family photo. Stupidity is apart of this world we live in—so i get it. But here’s the thing—I’ve been chosen to lead my family not y’all. So we will continue to be us and support each other with pride, love & a smile!" the retired Miami Heat star wrote.

Wade received numerous responses from other Twitter users who praised the couple for supporting their children.

One user wrote, "Idk if @DwyaneWade & @itsgabrielleu know how POWERFUL & MOVING it is that they’re embracing their son’s individuality. (Damnit I’m crying) In our community, being given autonomy over your body, beliefs, image, & statements as a child isn’t a thing. That child is free & happy."

"As a parent my only goal is that my kids feel that I see them, love them and support them," Wade replied.

It’s not the first time the couple has drawn criticism from trolls online.

In October, Wade shared a photo of Union, Kaavia, and Zion on social media, labeling the image "My girls." One user then reposted the shot with the caption, "What y’all think about this?"

"Looks like love to me," Union responded. "I truly hope that everyone gets the love, support and hugs they deserve. Also Kaav ain't with the dumb s***. Peace & Blessings good people."

Copyright © 2019, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Monday, December 2, 2019 at 10:30AM

CJC

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Monday

Dec022019

Scoreboard roundup -- 12/1/19

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iStock(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Sunday's sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Miami 109, Brooklyn 106
Memphis 115, Minnesota 107
Boston 113, New York 104
Dallas 114, L.A. Lakers 100
Detroit 132, San Antonio 98
Oklahoma City 107, New Orleans 104
Orlando 100, Golden State 96
Toronto 130, Utah 110
L.A. Clippers 150, Washington 125

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Minnesota 3, Dallas 2
Boston 3, Montreal 1
Edmonton 3, Vancouver 2

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE
Miami 37, Philadelphia 31
Cincinnati 22, NY Jets 6
Tennessee 31, Indianapolis 17
Pittsburgh 20, Cleveland 13
Washington 29, Carolina 21
Green Bay 31, NY Giants 13
Baltimore 20, San Francisco 17
Tampa Bay 28, Jacksonville 11
L.A. Rams 34, Arizona 7
Kansas City 40, Oakland 9
Denver 23, L.A. Chargers 20
Houston 28, New England 22

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Maryland 84, Marquette 63
Arizona 73, Wake Forest 66
Villanova 83, La Salle 72

Copyright © 2019, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Monday, December 2, 2019 at 6:46AM

JTP

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Sunday

Dec012019

Scoreboard roundup -- 11/30/19

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iStock(NEW YORK) -- Here are the scores from Saturday's sports events:

NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final OT Sacramento    100 Denver     97
Final Philadelphia 119 Indiana    116
Final Houston       158 Atlanta    111
Final Milwaukee     137 Charlotte 96

NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final NY Rangers     4 New Jersey   0
Final OT Philadelphia    4 Montreal     3
Final Calgary         3 Ottawa       1
Final Washington      5 Detroit      2
Final Florida         3 Nashville    0
Final N-Y Islanders   2 Columbus     0
Final Carolina        3 Tampa Bay    2
Final OT Toronto         2 Buffalo      1
Final San Jose        4 Arizona      2
Final St. Louis       5 Pittsburgh   2
Final Colorado        7 Chicago      3
Final Vancouver       5 Edmonton     2
Final Los Angeles     2 Winnipeg     1

TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
(17)Tennessee 72 (20)VCU         69
(21)Colorado   59 Sacramento St. 45
(25)Xavier     87 Lipscomb        62

TOP-25 COLLEGE FOOTBALL
(1)LSU          50 Texas A&M          7
(2)Ohio St.     56 (10)Michigan      27
(3)Clemson      38 South Carolina     3
(4)Georgia      52 Georgia Tech       7
(16)Auburn      48 (5)Alabama        45
(6)Utah         45 Colorado          15
(7)Oklahoma     34 (21)Oklahoma St. 16
(13)Wisconsin   38 (9)Minnesota      17
(11)Baylor      61 Kansas             6
(12)Penn St.    27 Rutgers            6
(14)Oregon      24 Oregon St.        10
(15)Notre Dame 45 Stanford          24
(24)Navy        56 Houston           41
(8)Florida 40 Florida St. 17

Sunday, December 1, 2019 at 8:33AM

Anthony Ali

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Saturday

Nov302019

NFL free agent Terrelle Pryor stabbed in Pittsburgh, also charged with assault

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MicroStockHub/iStock(PITTSBURGH) -- NFL free agent wide receiver Terrelle Pryor was stabbed early Saturday morning in Pittsburgh, Allegheny District Attorney spokesman Mike Manko confirmed to ABC News.

And now Pryor, and the person who allegedly stabbed him, have both been arrested.

Shalaya Briston, 24, of Munhall, Pennsylvania, was charged with criminal attempt homicide and aggravated assault. Pryor faces a simple assault charge, according to the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police.

Police officers said they were called to Mercy Hospital after a male stabbing victim walked into the emergency room just after 4:30 a.m. The department said it wouldn't share the name of any victims of a violent crime, but released Pryor's name after he was charged.

Pryor's injuries were sustained during a domestic dispute inside an apartment on the 200 block of Heinz Street in Pittsburgh, and, according to police, Briston also suffered injuries during the incident. Both were arrested as "mutual combatants" in the altercation.

This year, Pryor was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars but was quickly cut. He's played for five NFL teams in seven years.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Terrelle Pryor and his family," the Washington Redskins, for whom Pryor played in 2017, said in a statement.

Pryor, 30, was a star quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes from 2008-2010, until he left the university following a scandal involving taking money for signing autographs. The Oakland Raiders drafted him in the NFL Supplemental Draft in 2011.

Once in the NFL, Pryor struggled to sustain success. His most successful season came with the Cleveland Browns in 2016 when he played wide receiver. That year, he had 77 catches, more than a thousand yards receiving and four touchdowns.

Pryor has not played an NFL game since 2018, when he was a member of the Buffalo Bills.

Copyright © 2019, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Saturday, November 30, 2019 at 5:16PM

Leighton Schneider

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Thursday

Nov282019

San Francisco 49ers' Richard Sherman clears over $27,000 in schools' cafeteria debt

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Cabrillo Middle School(SANTA CLARA, Calif.) -- San Francisco 49er Richard Sherman is making his mark off the football field by paying off thousands of dollars in school lunch debt for public school students.

The day after the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) named Sherman as the Week 11 Community MVP, he handed the principal of Cabrillo Middle School in Santa Clara, California, a "personal check" for $7,491.27 to clear the cafeteria's outstanding bill.

Sherman was given the honor by the NFLPA on Nov. 22 for his charity work through his two organizations -- Richard Sherman Family Foundation and Blanket Coverage Foundation.

Principal Stan Garber posted the news on the school's website on Tuesday along with a photograph he took posing with Sherman. "Richard’s gesture created such goodwill for the 49ers that they went on to sack Aaron Roger’s and the Green Bay Packers the next day on national TV by a score of 37-8," wrote Garber. "Go 49ers, Go Richard Sherman."

"It's the most generous thing to happen for these kids, there's plenty in need and he didn't neglect them, it was the perfect way to give back and help them," Garber told ABC News on Thursday about the 60 students that will benefit from Sherman's contribution. "It was the kindest most generous gesture."

Garber said the middle school is the closest to Levi's Stadium and praises the 49ers organization for continuing to give back to the community since their arrival to town five years ago.

This wasn't the only school that had their debt cleared by Sherman.

Last month, Sherman wrote a check for over $20,000 to the Tacoma Public Schools in Tacoma, Washington, to relieve their student's lunch debt, according to a press release issued by NFLPA.

Since 2013, Sherman has raised $1.5 million and "helped more than 70,000 people in carrying out their mission of providing students in low-income communities with school supplies and clothing so they can more adequately achieve their goals," wrote Brandon Parker, NFLPA's communications manager.

Request for comment from Sherman's representatives were not immediately returned.

Thursday, November 28, 2019 at 2:51PM

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Thursday

Nov282019

Hurricane Dorian fundraiser for Stephen F. Austin player who knocked off Duke crosses $100,000

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iStock(NACODOCHES, Texas) -- A lot of people in the country strongly dislike Duke University men's basketball, it was just never easy to quantify in monetary form. Now, we know it's at least $100,000.

Of course, there's some goodwill for Stephen F. Austin University forward Nate Bain, as well, whose fundraiser to help out his family in the wake of Hurricane Dorian crossed into six digits on Wednesday night -- about 24 hours after he hit a game-winning shot against Duke.

More than a few of those donating to the cause celebrated the downfall of Duke in the comments.

Go back to Tuesday night and Stephen F. Austin's game against Duke. Stephen F. Austin, a little-known public school in Nacogdoches, Texas, faced perennial power Duke, currently the No. 1 team in the country, in what was expected to be an easy win for the Blue Devils.

Power schools often schedule so-called "cupcakes" early in the season to get ready for the conference schedule and eventually the postseason.

The Blue Devils were 28-point favorites against the Lumberjacks -- who last visited the NCAA tournament in 2016 -- and yet the two teams were tied 81-81 heading into overtime at the always daunting Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke had won 150 straight games against nonconference opponents at their home court.

But Bain, a senior, was undaunted. Duke turned the ball over with less than 10 seconds left, and Bain ended up taking the ball the length of the court with seconds left on the clock and hitting the game-winning layup as time expired.

Bain is a native of the Bahamas, which was slammed hard by Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 1. More than 60 people were killed in the Bahamas, and while Bain's family was fine, his house was destroyed and his church was as well. Bain's father is the minister at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Freeport.

The fundraiser was created on GoFundMe on Sept. 17 -- but it curiously spiked Tuesday night. And even more on Wednesday. It's likely a game-winning basket had something to do with that.

"I was just in disbelief at what basketball had done for my family," Bain told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "It was truly a blessing."

Nearly 3,000 people have donated to the campaign, which is officially run by the Stephen F. Austin Athletics Department.

It was the second-most popular campaign on the website, a spokesperson for GoFundMe said Wednesday afternoon.

Copyright © 2019, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.

Thursday, November 28, 2019 at 8:16AM

Anthony Ali

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Tuesday

Nov262019

Pittsburgh Steelers Name Rookie Devlin Hodges starting QB

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tupungato/iStock(PITTSBURGH) -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have named rookie quarterback Devlin Hodges starter for this weekend's game against AFC North rival Cleveland, according to head coach Mike Tomlin.

"We met as a staff, we've decided that we're going to start Duck this week,' Tomlin said. "The decision is clear for us... I thought he provided us a spark in game. I'm hopeful he is capable of continuing to provide that spark as we step into this stadium."

Hodges came in on the second drive of the second half against Cincinnati in replacement of Mason Rudolph on Sunday.

He led the Steelers to a 3 play touchdown drive, including a 79 yard touchdown pass, in his first series.

The rookie out of Samford finished 5 of 11 for 188 yards and one touchdown in the 16-10 win.

Head coach Mike Tomlin says that he is not setting expectations for this game.

"There's going to be enough pressure on Devlin just peforming, so I'm not going to add to it by talking about expectations,' says Tomlin. "I expect him to not kill us."

Rudolph was replaced after going 8 of 16 for 85 yards and an interception in seven series as quarterback.

Tomlin told the media this move has no bearing on their plans for Rudolph in the future.

"It means nothing about our intended plans for the foreseeable future or the trajectory of Mason's career," said Tomlin. "We're just not of that mentality. We're not in a position to be of that mentality. We're putting piece's together on a week by week basis because of the adversity the game presents."

Since replacing an injured Ben Roethlisberger in the second game of the season, Rudolph has thrown for 1,636 yards with 12 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.

In the seven game's Rudolph started and finished, Pittsburgh went 4 and 3.

Pittsburgh sits at 6-5 on the season.

Copyright © 2019, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 4:37PM

Leighton Schneider

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Tuesday

Nov262019

Sen. Bernie Sanders goes to bat for minor league baseball teams

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cmannphoto/iStock(NEW YORK) -- Sen. Bernie Sanders made a pitch to Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred in an open letter Monday, urging the league to reject a proposal to restructure its minor league system.

Sanders, I-Vt., argues that the plan, which would potentially eliminate as many as 40 minor league teams and convert the lower-level minor leagues into one developmental league that would be co-owned and controlled by the MLB, as opposed to independent owners under the current system, would "destroy thousands of jobs and devastate local economies" -- a very public and high-profile extension of his efforts advocate on behalf of the working class and in opposition to the nation's wealthy.

In Sanders' open letter, he claims that Major League Baseball is making "record-breaking profits" and attendance rose at minor league games this past year, all while players in such low-level leagues were making less than a living wage -- an issue that is currently the subject of ongoing litigation.

"Let’s be clear. Your proposal to slash the number of minor league teams has nothing to do with what is good for baseball, but it has everything to do with greed," writes Sanders. "Your proposal to throw about 1,000 ball players out of work comes less than three months after an appeals court ruled that Minor League Baseball players could move forward with a class action lawsuit seeking higher wages."

"In other words, instead of paying Minor League Baseball players a living wage, it appears that the multi-millionaire and billionaire owners of Major League Baseball would rather throw them out on the street no matter how many fans, communities and workers get hurt in the process," the senator continues.

ABC News reached out to Major League Baseball for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

The letter comes on the heels of Sanders tweeting his dissatisfaction with the move last week and it's potential effect upon his local Vermont Lake Monsters. Sanders' original tweet quoted a post authored by Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle, who also expressed his dismay at the potential restructuring. Doolittle, whose Nationals won the 2019 World Series last month, garnered attention earlier this month for declining to join his teammates on a trip to the White House to meet with President Trump following their championship victory.

Copyright © 2019, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019 at 1:17PM

CJC

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