GORHAM — Hunter Richardson went 3 for 3 and drove in two runs on Wednesday as St. Joseph’s shut out the University of Southern Maine 5-0 in baseball.
Dylan Fournier and Drew Healy each drove in a run for the Monks (9-9), who won their third straight.
The Huskies (10-5), who have lost 4 of 5, managed just four hits against five St. Joe’s pitchers.
MEN’S LACROSSE
SOUTHERN MAINE 17, SALEM STATE 2: The Huskies (1-3) earned their first win of the season in drubbing the Vikings (0-2) at Salem, Massachusetts.
Andrew Lawrence led USM with five goals and two assists, and Tristan Dundas scored four goals. Joe Cullinan, Evan Owen and Colin Kinney each scored twice, with Cullinan adding three assists. Cruise Lizotte-Johnson and Hunter Rushing added one goal a piece.
Kevin Albert scored both goals for Salem State, with Hunter Spencer assisting one.
ST. JOSEPH’S 16, RIVIER 15: Zavier Balzano’s goal 19 seconds into overtime gave the Monks (5-3) a win over the Raiders (2-2) in Nashua, New Hampshire.
Shane Puleo led the Monks with five goals and five assists. Brendan Martin and Max Lacy added three goals apiece.
WOMEN’S LACROSSE
ST. JOSEPH’S 15, SIMMONS 6: Three players had hat tricks as the Monks (5-1) cruised past the Sharks (1-2) at Boston.
Carson Battaglia, Lydia Dexter and Cailyn Wesley all had three goals for St. Joseph’s, with Dexter adding six assists. Goalie Madelyn Nelson made 15 saves.
Olivia Balsamo led Simmons with two goals.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
ARIZONA: Arizona had stuck by men’s basketball coach Sean Miller through an NCAA infractions investigation that stretched nearly four years.
When the school didn’t extend his contract beyond next season, it became clear a decision would need to be made. The wait came to an end Wednesday when the school announced Miller was leaving after 12 seasons and associate head coach Jack Murphy will serve as interim head coach.
“We appreciate Sean’s commitment to our basketball program and to the university,” Arizona Athletic Director Dave Heeke said in a statement. “After taking the many factors involved into account, we simply believe that we need a fresh start and now is the time. I want to thank Sean, Amy and their sons for their service to the university and wish them the very best in the future.”
Miller and the Wildcats have been in the NCAA’s crosshairs since being ensnared in a 2017 FBI investigation into shady recruiting practices. The NCAA issued a Notice of Allegations last year and the case is currently going through the Independent Accountability Resolution Process. Arizona issued a self-imposed postseason ban this year and finished 17-9, 11-9 in the Pac-12.
Miller became the third Wildcats coach to reach 300 wins with the program and went 302-109 in 12 seasons. Arizona reached the Elite Eight three times, won five Pac-12 regular-season titles and three Pac-12 Tournament titles under Miller. But Arizona failed to reach the Final Four under Miller and had not won an NCAA Tournament game since reaching the Sweet 16 in 2017. The school said it will honor the final year of Miller’s contract.
Miller routinely pulled in some of the nation’s top recruiting classes after being lured from Xavier in 2009, but his recruiting methods came under scrutiny when assistant coach Emanuel Richardson was among 10 people arrested as part of a federal corruption investigation into college basketball. Richardson was fired by the university and later pleaded guilty to accepting $20,000 in bribes from aspiring business manager Christian Dawkins. He was sentenced to three months in prison in 2019.
Miller sat out a game in 2018 after ESPN reported that he was heard on an FBI wiretap discussing a $100,000 payment to future No. 1 overall NBA pick Deandre Ayton. Miller vehemently denied the report and Robbins announced a few days later that Miller would remain the Wildcats’ coach.
TENNESSEE: Freshman guard Keon Johnson says he’s declaring for the NBA draft and will sign with an agent, becoming the Vols’ second freshman to leave after one season. Johnson announced his decision Wednesday on social media, saying he has been thinking, praying and consulting with family and coaches since Tennessee’s season ended in a first-round loss to Oregon State in the NCAA Tournament.
“I am forever thankful to God for blessing me with talents, surrounding me with a solid support system and positioning me to take this next big step,” Johnson wrote.
He thanked Tennessee Coach Rick Barnes, the rest of the Vols’ staff and fans. Jaden Springer declared for the draft last week.
The 6-foot-5, 186-pound Johnson started 17 games and was the second-leading scorer, averaging 11.3 points a game. Johnson averaged 12.1 points a game in Southeastern Conference play, including a career-best 27 in a win at Kentucky in February. He also led Tennessee in charges drawn and was third with 1.1 steals per game.
FLORIDA: Penn State’s leading scorer is heading to Florida and could be a huge help right away.
Guard Myreon Jones joins fellow transfers Brandon McKissic from Kansas City and CJ Felder from Boston College as new additions for Coach Mike White.
The 6-foot-3 Jones averaged 15.3 points last season and scored in double figures in all but two of the Nittany Lions’ games. He closed the season with 10 consecutive games in double figures and finished as the Big Ten’s 10th-highest scorer.
He chose Florida over Arkansas, LSU, Ole Miss and others. The Birmingham, Alabama native was the top prospect in the state in 2018. He landed at Penn State after de-committing from Memphis after Tubby Smith was fired.
He will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Gators.
MICHIGAN STATE: Michigan State has added high-scoring guard Tyson Walker, a transfer from Northeastern.
Spartans Coach Tom Izzo made the announcement a little more than a week after sophomore guard Rocket Watts entered the transfer portal to leave the program.
Walker averaged 18.6 points, 4.8 assists and 2.4 steals last season as a sophomore, leading the Huskies to an 8-2 record in the Colonial Athletic Association. He scored 27 points in a game at North Carolina and had 30-plus points twice last season.
SYRACUSE: Forward Marek Dolezaj is not returning to the Orange for a final season and will seek to play professionally, he announced on social media.
Dolezaj had one year of college eligibility remaining due to the coronavirus pandemic.
MISSISSIPPI: Graduate transfer center Nysier Brooks has signed to play with Mississippi.
The 7-footer played last season at Miami. Brooks averaged 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season while shooting 51.7% from the field.
Brooks has played in 130 college games and started 62, spending his first three seasons at Cincinnati. He started 25 games last season as a senior and was the Hurricanes’ leading rebounder and shot blocker.
MARYLAND: Maryland agreed with Coach Mark Turgeon on a contract extension through the 2025-26 season.
Turgeon has led the Terrapins to five NCAA Tournament appearances during his decade at the school. Most recently, Maryland reached the second round this season before losing to Alabama.
Turgeon succeeded national championship-winning coach Gary Williams as Maryland’s coach in 2011. He recently landed transfers Qudus Wahab, a center from Georgetown and Fatts Russell, a point guard from Rhode Island.
WAKE FOREST: Randolph Childress is leaving the Demon Deacons’ coaching staff.
The school announced Childress’ move, with Childress saying it was time to explore “other opportunities” after his ninth season on the Wake Forest staff as an assistant. He had worked under former head coaches Jeff Bzdelik and Danny Manning, as well as current coach Steve Forbes.
The plan now is for Childress to work with AD John Currie and university leadership on “strategic projects” benefiting the school as well as exploring other coaching jobs.
Childress – whose No. 22 jersey is retired – is the program’s No. 2 career scorer with 2,208 points and holds the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament record with 107 points in the 1995 tournament, which ended with Wake Forest’s first title in 33 years.
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