In brief: Adenhart killer gets extended sentence
Baseball: After two hours of tear-filled pleas for both maximum justice and mercy, a judge in Santa Ana, Calif., on Wednesday sentenced the man convicted of murder in the drunken driving crash that killed Los Angeles Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart and two others to 51 years to life in prison.
Andrew Thomas Gallo, 23, will be eligible for parole after serving 49 years.
“You’re right – I am a horrible person,” Gallo told Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard Toohey before his sentencing. “They had big, bright futures ahead of them. And because of me, they’re gone.”
Toohey gave prosecutors what they sought: consecutive sentences on three second-degree murder charges and other felonies stemming from the April 2009 crash that killed Adenhart, 22, and friends Courtney Stewart, 20, and Henry Pearson, 25. Jon Wilhite, 24, survived the crash but sustained major injuries.
Celtics escape 76ers for 14th straight win
NBA: Ray Allen scored 22 points and Paul Pierce recovered after missing his first seven shots to score 11 in the second half and lead the Celtics to their 14th straight victory, 84-80 over the Philadelphia 76ers in Boston.
Shaquille O’Neal had 13 points and nine rebounds, but he missed two free throws with 1:02 left and Boston nursing a two-point lead.
• Hawks, Thrashers owners settle: The owners of the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Thrashers settled a long legal battle, resulting in Boston-based Steve Belkin’s share being purchased by others in the group.
Michael Gearon and Bruce Levenson emerged from the settlement as the managing partners of the NBA Hawks, NHL Thrashers and Philips Arena, the home for the two teams. No other details were released.
Texas finds rare win at Michigan State
Men’s basketball: Jordan Hamilton scored 21 points and No. 18 Texas (10-2) beat No. 12 Michigan State (8-4) 67-55 at East Lansing, Mich.
The Longhorns became the first nonconference team to win at the Breslin Center since Duke on Dec. 3, 2003, snapping a 52-game winning streak.
Michigan earns upset over Boston College
Women’s basketball: Carmen Reynolds scored 11 of her 18 points in the final 4 1/2 minutes to help Michigan (7-5) hand No. 24 Boston College (11-1) its first loss of the season with a 68-55 victory in Ann Arbor, Mich.
• VanDerveer reaches 800 wins: Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer became the sixth women’s coach to reach the elite 800 wins mark, doing so in her third try as the eighth-ranked Cardinal routed host San Francisco 100-45.
VanDerveer is 800-197 in 32 seasons as a head coach, 25 of those years at Stanford – where she is 648-146.
Tavares’ overtime goal lifts Islanders
NHL: John Tavares scored 3:23 into overtime for the Islanders, who snapped the Tampa Bay Lightning’s four-game winning streak with a 2-1 victory in Uniondale N.Y.
Tavares got to a loose puck near the left post and swept a shot past goalie Dan Ellis to give the Islanders the win.
Federer, Nadal square off for charity
Tennis: Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-1 in Madrid to square a two-match exhibition series for charity between the world’s top-ranked tennis players.
Federer beat Nadal 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 Tuesday in the opening match in Zurich, Switzerland.
Deal saves Preakness, Maryland racing
Horse racing: Horse racing representatives in Annapolis, Md., agreed to a plan that would allow a full season of 146 days of racing in Maryland and keep the Preakness Stakes in the state.
Joseph Bryce, Gov. Martin O’Malley’s chief legislative officer, met for nearly an hour with industry representatives, track owners, horseman and breeders to work out details in the governor’s office.