COLLEGES

The University of Maine women’s basketball team picked up a pair of first-place votes in the America East preseason coaches poll and was picked second behind defending conference champion Vermont. The Catamounts received the other seven first-place votes.

Maine went 16-14 last season, including an 11-5 record in conference play, and reached the America East semifinals. The Black Bears return the last two winners of the conference player of the year, forward Adrianna Smith, who earned the award last season, and guard Anne Simon, who won the honor in 2021-22.

Maine opens the season Nov. 6 at Quinnipiac. The Black Bears will play Indiana and Gorham native Mackenzie Holmes at the Cross Insurance Arena in Portland on Nov. 30.

MEDIA: Longtime Syracuse basketball coach and Hall of Famer Jim Boeheim is becoming a member of the media.

Boeheim, who spent 47 years coaching the Orange but was replaced by associate head coach Adrian Autrey after last season, told Syracuse.com he’s negotiating a deal with ESPN and also expects to do radio work for Westwood One late in the season.

HIGH SCHOOLS

BOYS’ SOCCER: Matt Fallona and Kilson Joao each scored a goal and Cooper Mallar and Carter Blanche had assists as fifth-seeded Scarborough beat No. 12 Marshwood 2-0 in a Class A South prelim in Scarborough.

VOLLEYBALL: Molly Mulligan had 11 kills and two aces, Annabelle Talley had five kills and two aces and Alyssa Hilbert notched 10 digs as the fourth-seeded Rangers (11-4) beat the 13th-seeded Trojans (5-10) 3-1 in a Class B prelim in Cumberland.

BASKETBALL

NBA: Jaylen Brown scored 20 points to lead seven players in double figures as the Boston Celtics closed out their preseason with a 127-99 win over the Hornets at Charlotte, North Carolina.

Boston, which was 4-1 in the preseason, opens the regular season on Wednesday night against the Knicks at New York.

• Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden skipped practice for the second straight day, with the team officially saying the disgruntled player is away because of a personal matter.

Harden has yet to play in the preseason. He did attend training camp and continued to practice with the 76ers in the wake of his offseason trade demand. Harden said last week his fractured relationship with team president Daryl Morey could not be repaired — comparing it to a broken marriage — and said over the summer that he could not play for the 76ers.

• Former NBA head coach Terry Stotts’ return to the league as a Milwaukee Bucks assistant has reached a sudden conclusion a week before the start of the season.

Bucks Coach Adrian Griffin confirmed Stotts’ departure from Milwaukee’s staff while speaking to reporters after a practice Thursday. Griffin declined to comment on the circumstances but said the move was Stotts’ decision.

GOLF

PGA: Collin Morikawa’s last PGA Tour victory was the British Open in 2021, but his 6-under 64 to lead the Zozo Championship after the first round at Inzai City, Japan, suggests the end of the American’s mini slump might be in sight.

Japanese player Mikumu Horikawa and Americans Robby Shelton and Eric Cole were among five players just a shot back at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club on the outskirts of Tokyo, the only PGA Tour event in Japan.

EUROPEAN TOUR: James Morrison took advantage of calmer conditions early in the first round to shoot an 8-under 64 and take a one-shot lead at the Andalucia Masters at San Roque, Spain.

Morrison had seven birdies, an eagle and a lone bogey on a day in which players who teed off in the afternoon struggled while facing rain and wind gusts of more than 30 mph.

Play was suspended due to darkness and fans were requested to leave the course during the final part of the opening round for safety reasons because of the strong winds.

Morrison was ahead of Nick Bachem of Germany, and defending champion Adrian Otaegui of Spain was two shots behind after a bogey-free round.

LPGA: Ashleigh Buhai shot a bogey-free 10-under 62 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the LPGA tournament in Seoul, South Korea.

Buhai, the 2022 Women’s British Open winner from South Africa, took advantage of calm morning conditions on the newly-renovated Seowon Valley Country Club course. But it was a day for low scores — only 10 players in the 78-player, no-cut field were over par.

American Alison Lee was in second place after a 63, followed a stroke back by Ayaka Furue of Japan and Minjee Lee of Australia with 64s.

Copy the Story Link