FRIDAY, December 12, 2014 The Herald-Palladium Section B Blackhawks beat Bruins SPORTS Page B3 Tigers get Cespedes from Red Sox for Porcello Detroit also adds SP pedes is a dynamic all-around To make room on the roster for player who hits for power, pro- Cespedes and Wilson, the Tigers Simon in separate deal vides solid run production and designated right-handed pitcher will play left fi eld. Alex Wilson is Melvin Mercedes for assign- By ANTHONY FENECH a solid performer who has pitched ment. Detroit Free Press (TNS) at the major league level and will Cespedes, 29, will make $10.5 compete for a job in our bullpen million in 2015. Porcello, 25, is SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The this spring. Gabe Speier is a projected by mlbtraderumors. Detroit Tigers at last have execut- young player that our scouts com to earn $12.2 in arbitration. ed the long-rumbled-about Rick like.” Both players are due to hit free Porcello-for-Yoenis Cespedes Meanwhile, in a later deal, the agency next winter. trade. Tigers acquired starting pitcher Cespedes is a lifetime .263 hit- In addition to the slugging out- Alfredo Simon from the Cincin- ter over three big-league seasons. fi elder, they also obtained minor nati Reds in exchange for infi eld- The Cuban import was coveted league pitchers Alex Wilson and er Eugenio Suarez and pitching by Detroit when he came state- Gabe Speier. prospect Jonathan Crawford. side before the 2012 season but “We’re thrilled to be adding an The acquisition of Cespedes, signed with the Oakland A’s in- All-Star to our team in Yoenis 26, beefs up a Tigers outfi eld that, stead. He has posted three con- Winslow Townson / AP Cespedes,” said Tigers general on paper, appeared thin with J.D. secutive 20-plus-homer seasons. Boston’s Yoenis Cespedes follows through on a RBI double against the Toronto manager Dave Dombrowski said Martinez, Rajai Davis and An- HeraldBlue Jays during Palladium the third inning of 12/12/2014 a game in September. in a releasedCopy statement. Reduced “Ces- tothony %d%% Gose frompenciled original in. to fit letter pageSee TIGERS, page B3 COLLEGE BASKETBALL Basketball adding Bears’ to U-M’s woes Tucker By NOAH TRISTER said Thursday. “Some- AP Sports Writer times guys want to win so not much.” ANN ARBOR — Just Michigan (6-3) has won wait until basketball sea- two Big Ten titles in bas- focused son. ketball over the last three That refrain became an seasons — with a Final expression of hope for Four appearance in be- Michigan fans over the tween. The program’s rise on future last few months — as foot- under Beilein was especial- ball Saturdays turned in- ly welcome since it came at By ANDREW SELIGMAN creasingly dreary in Ann a time when the football AP Sports Writer Arbor. Everything would team was going through be fi ne, the thinking went, an unusually rough patch. LAKE FOREST, Ill. — once the Wolverines took It’s been a decade since Chicago Bears defensive the court at Crisler Cen- Michigan won the Big Ten coordinator Mel Tucker ter. in football, and the Wol- insisted he is only focused Over the last week, how- verines fi red coach Brady on one thing. ever, the hardwood has Hoke last week. That would be the next been as unkind as the grid- Beilein’s basketball team game, not his future. iron. looked ready to pick up “That may be hard to First came a stunning the slack again, beating believe, but it’s not hard home loss to the New Jer- Syracuse the same day as a coach or as a player sey Institute of Technolo- Hoke was fi red. But then to get ready for this gy on Saturday. Then came NJIT. And Eastern matchup,” Tucker said. Michigan lost to Eastern Michigan. Chicago hosts New Or- Michigan at Crisler. The The football coaching leans on Monday in a fi rst defeat was national search is providing enough game between disappoint- news. The second stung as drama at Michigan. Now ing teams that are 5-8. well, coming against a the basketball team might While the Saints are school located only a few end up on the NCAA tied with Atlanta for the miles away. tournament bubble? NFC South lead, the “We tried too hard a few Bears will miss the play- times,” coach John Beilein See U-M, page B3 offs for the seventh time in eight years. Their defense has ranked among the league’s worst in two seasons un- Bulls’ Rose getting der Tucker, who shrugged off questions about his job security and reiterated his confidence back several times his focus is on preparing for the By JAY COHEN ing Chicago’s 105-80 vic- Saints. AP Sports Writer tory over Brooklyn on Tucker said he hasn’t Wednesday night. He discussed his future with CHICAGO — Derrick scored seven straight points his bosses. If he is gone, Rose had that twinkle in during an impressive Don Campbell / HP staff few would be surprised. his eyes, that same relent- stretch in the second quar- Lake Michigan College’s Arsenio Arrington, left, reaches for a rebound against Andrews Univer- A franchise built on the less confi dence he had ter, converting a three- sity’s Robert Moon, center and Colby Maier during the first half of Thursday’s game. strength of its defense, when he won the NBA point play before driving with names such as But- MVP award what seems inside for a layup and mak- kus and Singletary, has like an eternity ago. ing nifty fl oater off a feed been coming up short in a The rhythm is coming from Pau Gasol. big way. back. The comfort level is Rose fi nished with 23 Slow them down Whether it’s the coach- growing. Rose is beginning points, going 8 for 15 from ing or talent, injuries or to feel like himself again. the fi eld and 4 for 5 at the execution, the Bears have “You all are going to be line. He also went 3 for 7 Andrews men beat taken a big step back in surprised by the way that I from 3-point range after that area after consistent- am playing. Just give me a struggling from beyond the LMC with defense; ly ranking among the little minute,” he said with arc in the previous two LMC women win big league’s best under former a sly grin. “I know where I games. coach Lovie Smith. am going to be. I know “I thought he was more By AARON GREEN They’re allowing a how good I am, and I’m aggressive in general the HP Sports Writer league-high average of very confi dent with my whole night,” coach Tom 29.1 points, which is about craft and how good I am. Thibodeau said, “and BENTON TOWNSHIP as bad as last season when Period.” that’s what we need from — Andrews University’s they allowed 29.9 per Rose showed more fl ash- men’s basketball team game and tied for second es of his All-Star form dur- See ROSE, page B3 found a way to slow Lake worst in the NFL. Michigan College down Chicago is also tied for Thursday 28th in yards allowed Andrews night. (377.8 yards per game) 47 The Cardi- and ranks 30th against LMC men nals sat in the pass despite a major 41 their 3-2 zone offseason overhaul. defense and Injuries can’t be over- frustrated the looked. LMC women Red Hawk They were hit hard in 77 offense in a that area a year ago, and Andrews 47-41 win. it’s been more of the same 21 LMC this time around. struggled all They’ve lost four start- night to hit ers to season-ending inju- shots as it could not solve ries, with middle lineback- the Andrew’s zone. er D.J. Williams (neck), The Red Hawks (7-3) joining defensive end La- shot 15-for-56 (27 percent) marr Houston, corner- for the game as it settled for back Charles Tillman and outside jump shots most of linebacker Lance Briggs the game. on injured reserve on “We dictated the tempo Thursday. tonight which was out goal “First of all, we’re not Chuck Burton / AP coming into the game,” An- in the business of making Chicago’s Derrick Rose (1) drives between Charlotte’s Al Jef- drews coach Michael Pallas Don Campbell / HP staff excuses for injuries; we ferson (25) and Kemba Walker (15) during the first half of Lake Michigan College’s Nicole Decker puts up a shot during the Wednesday’s game. See SPLIT, page B2 first half of Thursday’s game. See BEARS, page B3 Copyright (c)2014 The Herald-Palladium 12/12/2014 December 12, 2014 2:25 pm / Powered by TECNAVIA B2 – FRIDAY, December 12, 2014 SPORTS The Herald-Palladium IN BRIEF HIGH SCHOOL ROUNDUP Disputed Okla. playoff replay of the Nov. 28 3A Boys swimming Myers, John Vann), 3:29.03. Wrestling 4:51; quarterfinal game between 145 — Robert Sours (J) d. Corbin Eck- game won’t be replayed Douglass and Locust Girls basketball Wednesday’s results enberger 4:48; 152 — Blaker (J) d. Alex PORTAGE CENTRAL 107, ST. JOSEPH 67 Shell 1:22; 160 — Sam Burge (B) d. Wednesday’s results Brandywine 40, Homer 33 OKLAHOMA CITY Grove. Jordyn Eley 3:21; 171 — Kristian Hert- (AP) — A spokeswoman An improperly enforced 200 medley relay — PC (Steven Wadas, 103 — Jacob Martin (H) by forfeit; 112 Ben Maddus, Chris Allen, Charley Rogers), ANDREWS ACADEMY 45, — Michael Kachur (B) p.