• Devil Rays hire Maddon • Kelly is WAC special teams player of week • Connecticut heads to Women’s NIT semifinals Devil Rays hire Maddon By ASSOCIATED PRESS ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have hired Los
• Devil Rays hire Maddon
• Kelly is WAC special teams player of week
• Connecticut heads to Women’s NIT semifinals
Devil Rays hire Maddon
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Devil Rays have hired Los Angeles Angels bench coach Joe Maddon as manager, six weeks after beginning their search to replace Lou Piniella.
The team confirmed Maddon’s hiring Monday. The St. Petersburg Times and Tampa Tribune reported in Monday editions that the team selected Maddon over incumbent Devil Rays bench coach John McLaren the day before.
“I’m very happy, excited, eager, all those things, Maddon told the Times. “It’s a great situation and I’m really looking forward to it.”
Maddon did not immediately return phone messages left by The Associated Press.
Kelly is WAC special teams player of week
The Garden Island
HONOLULU — Hawaii place kicker Dan Kelly on Monday was named the Western Athletic Conference special teams player of the week.
Kelly, a freshman from Temecula, Calif., made both field goals and all six extra point attempts in Hawaii’s 50-23 win over Utah State on Saturday night.
He made a career-long 46-yard field goal and added a 31-yarder, both coming in the first quarter.
Connecticut heads to Women’s NIT semi-finals
ASSOCIATED PRESS
STORRS, Conn. — Ann Strother scored 19 points and Charde Houston added 18 and Connecticut cruised to the semi-finals of the Women’s NIT with an 86-43 win over Indiana State on Monday night.
The ninth-ranked Huskies (2-0) dominated inside and out to put the game away early. Strother had four of UConn’s seven first-half 3-pointers, including three in a 28-3 run that blew the game open.
The Huskies led by as many as 34 in the first half and took a 50-21 lead at the break.
The Sycamores (1-1) had no answer for UConn’s disruptive defense, which turned 20 Indiana State turnovers into 33 points. The backcourt tandem of Ketia Swanier and Mel Thomas combined for nine assists and four of UConn’s 12 steals.
Inside, the Huskies were just too big and strong for the Sycamores. Barbara Turner grabbed nine boards as UConn out-rebounded Indiana State 49-27. The Sycamores were outscored 42-16 in the paint.
Melanie Boeglin finished with 13 points, the only player in double figures for the Sycamores.
