Sports in brief: Minnesota drops Mason after bowl collapse
Minnesota fired coach Glen Mason on Sunday, two days after the Gophers blew a 31-point third quarter lead against Texas Tech and exactly one year after signing a four-year contract extension.
Mason was 64-57 in 10 years at Minnesota and led the Gophers to seven bowl games. But he was just 3-4 in those games, with his latest loss proving to be the backbreaker despite the lengthy contract extension.
The 44-41 loss in the Insight Bowl, the biggest comeback in bowl history, dropped the Gophers to 6-7 for the season, the first time the Gophers have finished under .500 in five years.
“Georgia Tech cornerback Jamal Lewis might sit out the Gator Bowl after being involved in a car crash that killed a family friend in Jacksonville, Fla.
Lewis was riding Saturday with Corey L. Russ, an off-duty Jacksonville police officer. Russ drove the wrong way on a downtown street when his patrol car ran a red light and was hit by another motorist, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey said he would let Lewis decide whether to play. The junior was treated for minor injuries. The driver of the second car was not injured.
Baseball
Orioles sign Huff
Aubrey Huff has reached a preliminary agreement on a three-year, $20 million contract with the Baltimore Orioles, who hope the versatile free agent can add punch to a lineup that ranked 11th in the A.L. in home runs last season.
The contract will be finalized if Huff passes a physical, which will likely be administered this week in Baltimore.
Huff, 30, can play first base, third base and both corner spots in the outfield. But his value to the Orioles is his bat: Huff hit 21 homers last season with Tampa Bay and Houston, and averaged 27 from 2002-05 with the Devil Rays. Huff is a .285 career hitter with 141 homers and 487 RBIs.
Miscellany
U.S. advances
Defenseman Jack Johnson scored a power-play goal in overtime to lift the United States to a 3-2 win over Sweden and into the quarterfinals of the World Junior Hockey Championship at Leksand, Sweden.
Johnson made a high shot past the Swedish goalie 3:16 into overtime, securing a matchup against Finland on Tuesday.
“Sania Mirza won her singles and doubles matches to lead India to a 2-1 win over the Czech Republic in her country’s debut at the Hopman Cup mixed teams tournament in Perth, Australia.
Mirza beat Lucie Safarova 6-2, 6-2 before Tomas Berdych evened it for the Czech Republic with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Rohan Bopanna. Mirza combined with Bopanna in the doubles, winning 10-5 in the match tiebreaker after splitting the first two sets 6-3, 5-7.