Sports: Wings hold on for 4-3 win

Red Wings

The Red Wings built a 4-0 lead and then had to hang on to beat Montreal 4-3 last night at Joe Louis Arena. Riley Sheahan scored two goals, and Luke Glendening and Anthony Mantha also found the back of the net. It was Mantha's first goal of his NHL career.

But Montreal clawed back into it in the final period with three unanswered goals.  Montreal had a two man advantage with :16 seconds left, but Petr Mrazek and the Wings were able to hold for the win and two points.  The win gives the Wings 85 points, which puts them back in the final playoff wildcard spot, two points ahead of the Flyers.  Detroit returns to the ice Saturday when they host the Penguins.

NCAA Tourney

Villanova 92, Miami  69

Oklahoma 77, Texas A-and-M 63

Oregon 82, Duke 68.

Kansas 79, Maryland 63.

Four more regional semifinal games are tonight. Virginia takes on Iowa State, followed Syracuse against Gonzaga.   Wisconsin plays Notre Dame and North Carolina takes on Indiana.

NBA/Pistons

The Pistons have won four in a row and continue their 9-game home stand tonight against the Charlotte Hornets. They are in the eighth and final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, a half game behind the seventh place Pacers.

Tigers

Tigers’ lefty Daniel Norris will start the season on the disabled list.  After seeing a back specialist, the Detroit Tigers left-hander was diagnosed with three non-displaced fractures in the spinal process.  Team trainer Kevin Rand says it “sounds a whole lot worse than it is.”  Norris was obtained from the Blue Jays last summer in the David Price trade, along with another 5^th starter candidate, Matt Boyd.  Boyd surrendered four runs, three earned, on seven hits in just 3 1/3 innings of work Thursday afternoon in a 6-4 loss to Toronto.

Shane Green has the inside track to be the Tigers’ fifth starter, a job he had a year ago when the team headed north.   The Tigers take on the Braves in Lakeland today.  Shane Green will start for Detroit.

College Hockey

Michigan plays Notre Dame today at 5:30 pm in an N-C-A-A Midwest Regional in Cincinnati.

High School Basketball

Marshall High School’s Jacob Brubaker has been named to the Class B Second-Team All-State team.

The Boys High School Basketball State Finals are this Saturday in East Lansing.   WBCK will carry the MHSAA Class D Final at 10am. Waterford Our Lady will face undefeated Powers North Central.

The Class B final that begins at 6:25pm.   It’ll be the winners of tonight’s games, as

Detroit Henry Ford takes on Williamston and Big Rapids plays Stevensville Lakeshore.

Denzel Honored Again

Michigan State senior guard Denzel Valentine is on the cover of the April edition of Basketball Times, the first Michigan State player to win the publication's honor since Scott Skiles did it 30 years ago.  The award marks the fourth national player of the year honor for Valentine, after he also won awards from USA Today, Sports Illustrated and NBC Sports.