GOLF

Portland’s Hayes bounced from Mid-Amateur tourney

John Hayes of Portland lost to 22nd-ranked Josh Nichols of Kernersville, North Carolina, on Wednesday in the second round of match play at the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship in Atlanta.

Hayes, ranked 54th after stroke-play qualifying, was 1 up through 14 holes on Capital City CC’s Crabapple course, but bogeyed on the par-3, 215-yard 15th hole, while Nichols shot par to tie the score.

Hayes bogeyed again on the par-4, 486-yard 16th, and Nichols parred to go 1 up. Both shot par on the 17th and 18th holes.

COLLEGES

MEN’S BASKETBALL: The NCAA said it will form a commission to study the inner workings of college basketball in response a federal investigation into bribery and fraud that rocked the sport and implicated several assistant coaches.

The NCAA announced the commission Wednesday and said former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will lead it.

“We need to do right by student-athletes,” NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. “I believe we can – and we must – find a way to protect the integrity of college sports by addressing both sides of the coin: fairness and opportunity for college athletes, coupled with the enforcement capability to hold accountable those who undermine the standards of our community.”

Emmert said “substantive changes” will focus on relationships between the NCAA, schools, athletes and coaches with outside entities like shoe companies, agents and financial managers. He said the committee will also examine the effects of the “one-and-done” rule that prompts players on a pro track to play in college for one season, as well as college basketball’s broad relationship with the NBA.

FOOTBALL: Auburn has hired a law firm to review allegations that a part-time academic staffer took an online test for a football player.

ESPN’s Outside the Lines reported Wednesday that a mentor took the final exam for a player from the 2016 team.

PREP SCHOOLS

GIRLS’ SOCCER: Caroline Starr scored three goals and Aaliyah Farid had a goal and three assists to lead Berwick Academy (9-1) to a 5-0 win over Beaver Country Day at South Berwick.

Laura Hoy also scored for the Bulldogs.

TENNIS

SHANGHAI MASTERS: Top-ranked Rafael Nadal lost only four points on serve Wednesday in a 6-2, 6-1 win over Jared Donaldson in the second round at Shanghai, while No. 2 Roger Federer beat Diego Schwartzman 7-6 (4), 6-4, winning the match with his 14th ace on his second match point.

Nadal and Federer are both in contention for the season-ending No. 1 ranking.

Sixth-seeded Grigor Dimitrov saved three match points before finally defeating Ryan Harrison 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (6).

Also, U.S. Open finalist Kevin Anderson lost to Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (5), 7-6 (2), while Gilles Simon, Alexander Zverev, Sam Querrey and John Isner all advanced.

• Nick Kyrgios was fined $31,085 by the ATP after walking off the court during his opening match at Shanghai on Tuesday.

SOCCER

SPANISH LEAGUE: Barcelona says it expects to generate more than $1 billion for the first time this season and become club soccer’s biggest moneymaker.

The club released the forecast as part of its financial results for 2016-17. Revenue rose 4 percent to a record $839 million last year.

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