MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State center Ayoka Lee will miss roughly four weeks because of an ankle injury. The seventh-ranked Wildcats said Lee had surgery Friday, a day after tests revealed a small fracture in her ankle. The senior from Minnesota is averaging 19.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.7 blocked shots. She ranks second in the nation and leads the Big 12 in field-goal percentage, shooting a career-best .677. She is fourth in the Big 12 in scoring average and second in blocks per game.
UNDATED (AP) — Buffalo receiver Gabe Davis and cornerback Christian Benford are starters who will be out with knee injuries when the Bills host Kansas City in an AFC divisional playoff game. Bills coach Sean McDermott also said backup safety Taylor Rapp (calf) and backup linebacker Baylon Spector (back) won’t play against the Chiefs. Davis and Rapp will miss their second straight games. Davis caught 45 passes for 746 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He caught eight passes for 201 yards against the Chiefs in a playoff loss two years ago.
HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — Las Vegas players have lobbied for Antonio Pierce to get the job full time ever since he became the Raiders interim coach at midseason. He got the job on Friday. Pierce is the fourth interim coach the Raiders have elevated. The others were Art Shell, Tom Cable and Marty Feldman. Pierce took over as interim coach on Halloween night after Josh McDaniels was fired. The Raiders went 5-4 under his watch and the team went 8-9 overall.
ATLANTA (AP) — Bill Belichick has completed his second coaching interview with the Atlanta Falcons, moving closer to joining the franchise that endured its biggest disappointment with him on the opposite sideline. The Falcons also met virtually with Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn. But all eyes were on Belichick amid reports that he was the team’s top choice and had flown to Atlanta on one of owner Arthur Blank’s private jets. The Falcons haven't had a winning season since 2017 and have never won a Super Bowl. Belichick is a six-time Super Bowl champion with the New England Patriots.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida's football program is under NCAA investigation a year after a failed name, image and likeness deal worth more than $13 million with former signee Jaden Rashada. The Gators released the NCAA’s notice of inquiry Friday to The Associated Press and the Tampa Bay Times after the newspaper’s lawyers got involved. The NCAA’s letter, dated June 9, 2023, is addressed to school president Ben Sasse and states the NCAA enforcement staff has begun an investigation into the football program. Names of investigators were redacted, and Rashada was not mentioned.
UPDATE (AP) — A person familiar with the negotiations tells The Associated Press that hard-throwing reliever Josh Hader and the Houston Astros have agreed to a $95 million, five-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical. Hader’s deal can be considered the most lucrative for a relief pitcher, even while falling short of the total dollars in Edwin Díaz’s $102 million, five-year contract with the New York Mets that began last year. Díaz’s contract includes $26.5 million in deferred payments he won’t completely receive until 2042 and was valued at $93.2 million for baseball's luxury tax.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jimmie Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus were inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame together on Friday night. Together, the duo won a record-tying seven Cup championships. The first-ballot inductees joined driver Donnie Allison, an original member of the “Alabama Gang,” in a celebration at the Charlotte Convention Center as part of the Class of 2024. Janet Guthrie was inducted as the Landmark Award winner for contributions to NASCAR. Guthrie was the first woman to race in both the Daytona 500 and Indianapolis 500. Johnson won 83 Cup races in the Hendrick Motorsports No. 48 Chevrolet, all but two of them with Knaus as crew chief.
UPDATE (AP) — The jobs of people who produce Sports Illustrated were in limbo after the company that paid to maintain the iconic brand’s print and digital products told staff that its license was revoked. In an email to employees Friday morning, the Arena Group, which operates Sports Illustrated and related properties, said that because of the revocation, “we will be laying off staff that work on the SI brand.” Authentic later said in a statement it intends to keep Sports Illustrated going. The company is negotiating with Arena and other publishing entities to determine who will do that, according to a person with knowledge of the talks who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly about them.
FRIDAY SCORES
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (11)Wisconsin 91 Indiana 79
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Dallas at Golden State 10 p.m. (Postponed)
Final Charlotte 124 San Antonio 120
Final Philadelphia 124 Orlando 109
Final Denver 102 Boston 100
Final Phoenix 123 New Orleans 109
Final Atlanta 109 Miami 108
Final Portland 118 Indiana 115
Final Brooklyn 130 L.A. Lakers 112
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE
Final New Jersey 4 Columbus 1
Final Carolina 4 Detroit 2
Final Minnesota 6 Florida 4
Final OT Chicago 4 N-Y Islanders 3