Woods finds himself atop leaderboard
Golf: Tiger Woods is in a place he hasn’t been in 30 months – atop the leaderboard on the PGA Tour going into the weekend.
With alarming control, Woods putted for birdie on every hole and made short work of the par 5s Friday at Bay Hill for a 7-under-par 65, giving him a share of the lead with Charlie Wi after two rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, Fla.
Wi rolled in a 25-foot birdie putt on his last hole for a 68 to join Woods at 10-under 134.
• Pernice Jr. off to strong start at Fallen Oaks: In his first Champions Tour event this year, Tom Pernice Jr. was 7 under through 12 holes before play was suspended because of darkness at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic began play at Fallen Oaks in Saucier, Miss.
• Tseng leads Kia Classic: Top-ranked Yani Tseng shot a 4-under 68 to open a two-stroke lead over Se Ri Pak after the second round of the LPGA’s Kia Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.
Tseng, tied for the first-round lead after a 67, had a 9-under 135 total on La Costa’s Legends Course.
Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., missed the cut by one stroke, closing the second round with a 74.
Shaw beats Ashland for NCAA D-II title
Women’s basketball: Sequoyah Griffin scored 24 points and Shaw (29-6) rallied to win its first national title, beating Ashland (33-2) 88-82 in overtime in the NCAA Division II championship game in San Antonio.
Heat add voices to shooting protest
NBA: LeBron James and Dwyane Wade were among several Miami players who took the floor against the Detroit Pistons at Auburn Hills, Mich., with messages on their sneakers about the death of an unarmed black teenager who was shot by a neighborhood crime-watch volunteer in a suburb of Orlando, Fla. The Heat made quick work of the Pistons in an 88-73 victory, but the focus afterward was on the team’s decision to speak out.
Miami also posed for a picture earlier in the day wearing team-logo hoodies. Trayvon Martin was wearing a hooded sweatshirt when he was shot last month.
“As leaders, as role models, we’re happy that we’re able to shed light on a situation that we feel isn’t right,” James said. “That’s why we did that today.”
The game also marked the Heat debut of former Gonzaga University star Ronny Turiaf, who was with the Washington Wizards when he broke his hand in January and had not played since. The Wizards traded Turiaf last week to Denver, which waived him on Sunday. He then signed as a free agent with Miami.
Turiaf played 11 minutes and scored four points and grabbed four rebounds.
• Sixers stay in first: Elton Brand scored 20 points, and Spencer Hawes had 12 points and 10 rebounds to help the 76ers remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with a 99-86 victory over the Boston Celtics in Philadelphia.
There was a serious scare when Celtics guard Mickael Pietrus left on a stretcher and was to be hospitalized overnight after an awkward collision late in the first half. He was listed as having a “closed head injury.” No other details were available.
• Thunder survive Love’s 51: Russell Westbrook scored 45 points, Kevin Durant added 40 points and a season-high 17 rebounds and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a career-high 51 points from Minnesota All-Star Kevin Love to beat the visiting Timberwolves 149-140 in double overtime.
• Lakers beat Trail Blazers: Andrew Bynum had 28 points and nine rebounds, point guard Ramon Sessions had 20 points and 11 assists in his first start for the Lakers, and host Los Angeles beat the Portland Trail Blazers 103-96.
• Hornets’ Smith punished for foul on Griffin: Hornets forward Jason Smith was suspended two games for his hard foul Thursday on Los Angeles Clippers’ star Blake Griffin.
Jets rally to keep playoff hopes alive
NHL: Tim Stapleton scored 2:37 into overtime, and the Winnipeg Jets rallied from three goals down and kept themselves in the playoff hunt with a 4-3 victory over the Capitals in Washington.
Spencer Machacek scored his first NHL goal with 3:45 remaining in regulation to tie it, and the Jets went on to break a two-game losing streak and pull within four points of the final postseason spot in the Eastern Conference.
• Oilers slip past Panthers in shootout: Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the deciding goal in the fourth round of a shootout to give the Edmonton Oilers a 2-1 victory over the Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla.
• Leafs top Devils in shootout: James Reimer made 43 saves and all three Toronto players scored in the shootout to lead the Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J.
• Blackhawks’ Keith suspended: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Duncan Keith was suspended for five games without pay for elbowing Vancouver star Daniel Sedin in the head during a game Wednesday night. The suspension will cost him $149,688.
Hamlin wins pole at Auto Club Speedway
Auto racing: Denny Hamlin has won the pole at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., with teammate Kyle Busch joining him in the top two spots for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race.
Hamlin turned a lap of 186.403 mph in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota during a qualifying session, running low on the track while most drivers went high.
Bears RB Barber says he will retire
NFL: Chicago Bears running back Marion Barber, 28, said he plans to retire.
His decision, posted on the team’s web site comes one day after Michael Bush signed a four-year, $14 million contract to be part of a backfield that includes Pro Bowl running back Matt Forte.
• Seahawks agree to deal with Lumpkin: The Seattle Seahawks announced it had agreed to terms with backup running back Kregg Lumpkin, 5-foot-11 and 228 pounds, who spent the last two seasons with Tampa Bay. No details of the agreement were released.
• Saturday signs with Packers: The Green Bay Packers signed veteran center Jeff Saturday to a two-year deal. The Packers also signed former Colts defensive lineman Daniel Muir.
• Ravens make moves: The Baltimore Ravens strengthened their defense and special teams by signing a two-year deal with cornerback Corey Graham, a three-year contract with Brendon Ayanbadejo, and a one-year deal with safety Sean Considine.