SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2014 SPORTS Kentucky tops Louisville Fellaini denies spitting Mickelson makes Open cut SAN ANTONIO: Phil Mickelson made the cut on the number in the Texas Open on Friday, INDIANAPOLIS: Nobody will accuse these Kentucky kids of being the fastest learners. Not this sea- LONDON: Marouane Fellaini has insisted he did not spit at Pablo blasting out of a greenside water hazard to 5 feet to set up a birdie on the final hole. son. And certainly not during most of Friday night’s game against Louisville. But once again, late in Zabaleta during this week’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford. Mickelson shot a 2-under 70 after opening with a 77 - his worst score of the season - on the game with everything on the line, they figured things out just in time. Following United’s 3-0 defeat on Tuesday, footage emerged on the TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks Course. Lefty was 11 strokes behind leader Steven Bowditch, Aaron Harrison hit a 3-pointer for the go-ahead score with 39 seconds left and Julius Randle YouTube website appearing to show midfielder Fellaini spitting near Zabaleta’s head while the City defender was on the turf following a clash the Australian who had a 67 to reach 8-under 136. made a pair of clutch free throws to lift the fantastic freshmen of Kentucky to a 74-69 victory over Bowditch, ranked 339th in the world, holed out from 83 yards for an eagle on the par-4 their in-state rivals. The eighth-seeded Wildcats (27-10) led for a grand total of 65 seconds in this between the pair. It is understood the Football Association are aware of the clip, with the governing body now deciding whether to charge Fellaini 12th. The 30-year-old topped the leaderboard at the end of a round for Midwest Regional semifinal. They’ll play Michigan on Sunday for a trip to the first time in his PGA Tour career. the Final Four. “I told them before the game, you’ll get punched in the with misconduct. The FA are now due to request sharper footage from match broadcasters Sky before ruling on whether Fellaini should face dis- “My wedge shots have been pretty good,” he said. “I was try- mouth and you’re going to taste blood,” coach John Calipari said. ing to hit (the one on No. 12) a little past the pin and hope it “You can fight or you can brace yourself for the next shot. They ciplinary action, with a decision anticipated some time early next week. But United manager David Moyes, who signed Fellaini from former came back to a reasonable distance. Got lucky.” fought.” Fourth-seeded and defending champion Louisville ends Chad Collins (66) and rookie Andrew Loupe (70) were a its season at 31-6. Few expected a run this deep for the Wildcats club Everton, said he’d discussed the incident with the Belgium interna- stroke back. Only two of the top 15 players on the leader- as this season played out and their five freshmen starters strug- tional and that his player was adamant he’d done nothing wrong. “I’ve gled to play a team game. But they’ve been learning slowly. They spoke with Marouane and he says it isn’t the case,” Moyes said. board are in the top 100 of the world rankings. Sixth- trailed by 13 midway through the first half, then by seven with “We will work with the FA if that is what we have to do. Marouane is place Kevin Na is 78th in the world and ninth-place Zach 41/2 minutes left. Suddenly, things kicked in. Actually, it was a adamant that at no time did he do that (spit at Zabaleta). I don’t think it is Johnson is 10th. Collins is 315th and Loupe 505th. sophomore, Alex Poythress, who scored five points and blocked a completely conclusive, from what I’ve seen,” the Scottish boss added. No. 5-ranked Mickelson was in the stream that runs in Russ Smith layup attempt during a 7-0 run that tied the Earlier this month, the FA banned Hull’s George Boyd for three front of the 18th green after attempting to reach the game at 66 with 2:11 left. “Alex Poythress won the matches after he spat at Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart. par 5 in two from 288 yards with a 3-wood. He game for us,” Calipari said. “We were begging him Moments before the alleged spitting incident, Fellaini was booked by pulled off his left shoe and rolled up that the whole game to start playing, and he played at match referee Michael Oliver on Tuesday for elbowing Argentinian full- pants leg and gave it a shot with his back Zabaleta. —AFP the right time.”—AP foot in the water. —AP Study: MMA brain injury risk higher than boxing ALBANY: About one-third of profes- studies aimed at not only preventing sional mixed martial arts matches end long-term brain injuries, but also iden- in knockout or technical knockout, tifying those predisposed to them, the indicating a higher incidence of brain UFC demonstrates true commitment trauma than boxing or other martial to the safety of all professional ath- arts, according to a new study in the letes,” Epstein said. American Journal of Sports Medicine. Preliminary results from the University of Toronto researchers Cleveland studies found athletes with examined records and videos from 844 higher exposure to head trauma - Ultimate Fighting Championship bouts based on a formula including number from 2006 to 2012 for the study pub- of fights, years fighting and fights per lished this month. They found that 108 year - were likelier to score lower on matches, or nearly 13 percent, ended cognitive testing. Researchers con- in knockouts. Another 179 matches, or ducting the free, ongoing assessments 21 percent, ended in technical knock- of fighters’ brain health are examining outs, usually after a combatant was hit factors like genetics, lifestyle or head in the head five to 10 times in the last trauma exposure and susceptibility to 10 seconds before the fight was injury. The Toronto researchers, who stopped. examined UFC matches, found the “We’re taking the premise with this time from a knockout blow - often a that what you see on TV is one thing, punch to the jaw - until matches were but to kind of add scientific rigor to stopped averaged 3.5 seconds, with document it objectively,” said Michael losers on average getting hit 2.6 more Hutchison, co-author and director of times to the head. With TKOs, they the concussion program at the univer- found that in the last 30 seconds sity’s MacIntosh Sports Medicine before a match was stopped, the loser Clinic. was hit on average 18.5 times, 92 per- With the technical knockouts, or cent of those to the head. TKOs, they reviewed videos and found Hutchison acknowledged that “an increasing number of repetitive unlike the knockouts, which meet the strikes to the head” during the last 30 criteria for brain concussions, they seconds of a match, he said. can’t definitively identify the particular Professional mixed martial arts injury from a TKO. Professional rules includes elements of wrestling, judo, say that happens when a referee stops boxing and kickboxing inside an a fight because one competitor can no enclosure with fighters wearing small, longer defend himself. “We can accu- fingerless gloves and no headgear. rately suggest ... this can’t be good for Officials from UFC, the sport’s major their health,” he said. brand, seeking approval to stage Citing data from other research, the bouts in New York have argued that study said the mixed martial arts head COLUMBUS: Marc-Andre Fleury No. 29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins flips the puck past Mark Letestu No. 55 of the Columbus Blue Jackets during the second period. —AFP mixed martial arts has evolved over 20 trauma rate also outpaces American years with many safety regulations to football and hockey. protect fighters, including mandatory The researchers proposed introduc- Penguins clinch playoff spot suspensions after concussions. They ing rules like in boxing where a fighter say it’s safer than boxing, with no his- gets a 10-second count and is evaluat- COLUMBUS: Chris Kunitz and FLYERS 4, MAPLE LEAFS 2 10 times since the NHL’s trade Ottawa beat Chicago. It was tory of deaths or traumatic brain ed after a knockdown. They also pro- Beau Bennett scored goals 47 sec- Vinny Lecavalier, Scott Hartnell, deadline on March 5 and four of Anderson’s first game back injuries sustained in the ring. posed more training to help referees onds apart midway through the Claude Giroux and Wayne them have been winners, includ- since being injured March 10. Lawrence Epstein, chief operating identify fighters who are defenseless third period and Marc-Andre Simmonds scored goals, leading ing his goal with 7.8 seconds left Erik Condra, Cody Ceci, Milan officer of UFC, called the Toronto study or have lost consciousness so they can Fleury made 35 saves as the Philadelphia over Toronto. in the second period. He also Michalek and Kyle Turris also “somewhat flawed” and said a forth- stop fights more quickly. Pittsburgh Penguins clinched an Toronto’s James van Riemsdyk scored the shootout winner in scored for the Senators. Patrick coming study by researchers who Most US states have legalized and NHL playoff spot with a 2-1 win scored 4 seconds into the second, Calgary’s 2-1 win at home over Sharp, Marian Hossa and Brent have enrolled nearly 400 active and regulated professional mixed martial over the Columbus Blue Jackets matching an NHL record for the San Jose Sharks on Monday.