Staff and news report

Three members of the University of Maine’s defense were honored by the Eastern College Athletic Conference on Monday.

Senior linebacker Sterling Sheffield, who was named an Associated Press second-team all-American last week, was named to the all-ECAC Division I Football Championship Subdivision first team. Defensive end Kayon Whitaker and cornerback Manny Patterson, both juniors, were named to the all-ECAC second team.

All three were first-team selections in the Colonial Athletic Association. In addition, redshirt freshman running back Ramon Jefferson, who became the first freshman to rush for over 1,000 yards in Maine history, received honorable mention honors on the HERO Sports FCS all-America team.

NOTRE DAME: Brian Kelly is The Associated Press college football Coach of the Year after guiding the Fighting Irish to a 12-0 record. He becomes the third coach to win the award twice since it was established in 1998, having won it in 2012.

Kelly received 16 of 58 first-place votes from AP college football poll voters and 81 total points. Alabama’s Nick Saban was second with 16 first-place votes and 66 points. Central Florida first-year coach Josh Heupel was third with 33 points (five first-place votes).

MEN’S BAKSETBALL

AP POLL: Kansas, Duke and Tennessee are atop the latest AP Top 25 poll for the second straight week.

The Jayhawks earned 56 of 65 first-place votes to stay at No. 1, a perch they held in the preseason before being overtaken by Duke and later Gonzaga. Kansas returned to the top last week then beat reigning national champion Villanova.

Michigan and Virginia each climbed a spot into the top 5. Gonzaga slid four spots to eighth after losing at North Carolina, which jumped three spots to ninth.

(11) FLORIDA STATE 85, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 68: Trent Forrest scored a career high 23 points and freshman Devin Vassell added 16 points as host Florida State (9-1) overcame a sluggish first half to beat Southeast Missouri (5-7).

VANDERBILT 81, (18) ARIZONA STATE 65: Saben Lee scored 14 points to lead five players in double figures and sharp-shooting Vanderbilt (7-2) beat the Sun Devils (8-2) at Nashville, Tennessee.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

AP POLL: Baylor fell out of the top five for the first time in nearly a year after losing at Stanford, which moved up to eighth.

Kim Mulkey’s team last was ranked outside the top five on Jan. 1, 2018, when Baylor was No. 6.

UConn and Notre Dame still are the top two teams in the country.

(15) SYRACUSE 94, NIAGARA 45: Miranda Drummond scored 19 points and freshman Emily Engstler added a season-high 16, leading Syracuse (9-2) in a romp at home.

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