Tony Meier scored 16 points to lead Wisconsin-Milwaukee past Loyola 66-57 on Thursday night.Milwaukee (14-11, 9-5 Horizon) raced to a 16-2 lead and never trailed in the contest. The lead reached 26-7 later in the first half and the Panthers held a 32-20 edge at the break.Tone Boyle added 12 points for Milwaukee and Kaylon Williams just missed a double-double with 10 rebounds and eight assists.Andy Polka had 16 points and 14 rebounds for Loyola (13-12, 4-10). Terrance Hill scored 15 points and Ben Averkamp added 10 for the Ramblers, who never got closer than eight points after UWM’s opening run.

 

“I don’t think there’s any great need for panic,” he said, before adding that his general manager is always evaluating players and moves the team can make. “We’re not looking to trade anybody. We’re looking to make our team hopefully better on the floor.”

It didn’t help that three former Jazz players came back to haunt Utah.Boozer was a two-time Western Conference All-Star in Utah, but there were always questions about team chemistry with him in Salt Lake. He made it be known he wanted out, and eventually signed as a free agent with the Bull after laser last season.His first game back in Utah elicited the most media attention surrounding the Jazz since the NBA playoffs.He was booed during introductions and every time he touched the ball.He also got a rude welcome from Millsap, who blocked his first shot, knocked the ball out of his hands twice in the first four minutes and got Boozer to dribble it off his own foot.Boozer had just six points at halftime on 3-of-9 shooting. Millsap, meanwhile, was within one rebound of a double-double by halftime with a team-high 13 points.The Jazz won the rebounding battle 48-41 and outshot the Bulls, but Utah also was only 11 of 21 from the free throw line while the Bulls made 20 of 26.

NOTES—Sloan will resign at a press conference later Thursday. Along with Sloan, assistant coach Phil Johnson will step down as well.This comes after the Salt Lake Tribune reported that Sloan was visibly shaken after a tough loss to the Bulls last night. Making the media wait an extended time, which is abnormal for Sloan, and just said there would be a press conference today.Sloan of course is the longest tenured coach in professional sports, having coached the Jazz for 23 seasons and that’s happened in 2001 after Tom Kelly resigned from the Minnesota Twins. Sloan just signed a one-year extension with the team last week.As for why, that’s up for speculation at this point. Some are already running out this being an effort to keep Deron Williams who will be a free agent soon. Some are saying that Sloan has been at odds with management for a while. In reality, nobody really knows at this point and it’s probably just best to wait and see…..The Bulls entered the game as one of only four NBA teams that had not lost more than two in a row this season.

EDMONTON—A trip to Edmonton was just what the Blackhawks needed to get back on track.Not that they have dominated the last place Oilers this season Patrick Kane scored twice and the Blackhawks snapped a two-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Oilers on Wednesday.Patrick Sharp and Brian Bickell also scored for the Blackhawks, who have won just two of six.The defending Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks are 11th in the Western Conference, three points behind eighth-place Calgary.Jordan Eberle had the lone goal for the Oilers, who have lost five of six and 19 of 23. he Blackhawks had the first prolonged pressure of the game midway through the first period, and it paid off as Toews passed to a hard-charging Sharp, who scored his 27th goal.The Blackhawks went up 2-0 five minutes into the second as Taylor Hall’s errant pass to the point was taken up ice on a breakaway by Bickell, who beat Devan Dubnyk with a backhand deke.Dubnyk was coming off his first career shutout on Monday at Nashville.Corey Crawford was barely tested in the first 40 minutes. His biggest stops came in the closing seconds off a pair of shots in tight from Hall.The Blackhawks took a three-goal lead four minutes into the third period on their sixth power play. Tomas Kopecky made a nice backhand feed from behind the goal line to Kane, who snapped the puck into the net to make it 3-0.Eberle ruined Crawford’s shutout bid with 3:40 left in the game as he scored on the rebound of Jim Vandermeer’s point shot.Kane put the game away with an empty-net goal with 43 seconds left.Just before the game, the Blackhawks traded winger Jack Skille to Florida along with prospects Hugh Jessiman and David for forward Michael Frolik and highly touted Czech goalie Alexander Salak, who has been starring in the Swedish Elite League.

NOTES—It was the fourth and final meeting of the season between the teams. Edmonton won two of the first three. …Niklas Hjalmarsson didn’t practice Tuesday after blocking four shots against Calgary on Monday, but was in the lineup on Edmonton.

ANN ARBOR—Jordan Morgan scored a career-high 27 points, and Michigan held off a valiant Northwestern rally in a 75-66 win Wednesday night.The Wolverines (15-10, 5-7 Big Ten) led 67-52 before the Wildcats scored 14 straight points late in the second half. Michigan’s Darius Morris finally stopped the run with a pair of free throws with 2:16 remaining.Morgan then blocked JerShon Cobb’s shot and made a pair of baskets himself – the second an alley-oop dunk set up by Morris that made it 73-66.Juice Thompson scored all 17 of his points in the second half for the Wildcats (14-9, 4-8).Morgan scored 17 of his points in the first half.

ROSEMONT—Sean Kilpatrick scored 19 points, Ibrahima Thomas added 16 and struggling Cincinnati hung on to beat DePaul 71-68 on Tuesday night.The Bearcats (19-5, 6-5 Big East) had dropped five of eight after a 15-0 start and were coming off back-to-back losses to West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Nothing like playing a last-place team to break a slump.Cincinnati led by 17 early in the second half only to see DePaul (6-18, 0-11) whittle it to four.It got particularly interesting when Moses Morgan converted a four-point play, burying the free throw after nailing a 3-pointer while getting fouled. That pulled DePaul within 69-65 with 1:34 left.Cincinnati’s Darnell Wilks hit a free throw to make it 70-65 with 13 seconds left, but DePaul’s Brandon Young nailed a 3 with 0.4 seconds left. After Cincinnati threw away the inbounds pass, a shot by DePaul’s Jimmy Drew rolled off the rim.

PORTLAND—LaMarcus Aldridge scored so easily against the Bulls that he allowed himself a broad smile and a few high-fives from teammates before the game was even over. Aldridge put up a career-high 42 points Monday night in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 109-103 victory against the Bulls. Derrick Rose had 36 points for the Bulls, who lost their second straight. He was blunt about the problem.The Bulls have not lost three in a row this season, and they visit the Jazz on Tuesday. Aldridge’s 20-foot jumper with 1:11 left made it 100-93 and appeared to seal it for the Blazers, but Rose answered with a 3-pointer with just more than a minute to go. Aldridge hit a turnaround jumper and Andre Miller made a pair of free throws with 30 seconds left to make it 104-96. Luol Deng had a reverse layup on the other end, but the Bulls could not catch up. Miller finished with 27 points and 11 assists, and he was 13 for 13 from the free-throw line. The Blazers outrebounded the Bulls 41-31 and made 37 free throws to the Bulls 11.The Bulls (34-16) were coming off a 101-90 loss at Golden State that snapped a six-game winning streak. They dropped to 11-12 on the road.The injury-depleted Blazers were short again because forward Dante Cunningham fractured his right eye socket Saturday in Portland’s 111-105 victory at Cleveland. Cunningham wore special eye gear and was listed as probable against the Bulls, but did not play.Just before the game, Brandon Roy told The Oregonian newspaper that he could return to the lineup as early as this weekend. The three-time All-Star had arthroscopic surgery on both knees three weeks ago. The team said Roy was cleared to return to practice.Roy watched Monday night’s game on the bench dressed in street clothes, as did center Marcus Camby, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Jan. 20.Afterward, coach Nate McMillan said Roy and Camby will practice this week, but their return is uncertain. The Blazers play at Toronto on Friday.The Bulls went on a 9-0 run to open the second quarter, capped by Ronnie Brewer’s layup to make it 35-28. Portland took the lead at 44-43 after Rudy Fernandez hit a pair of free throws and it was back and forth for the rest of the half.Wesley Matthews scored on a fast-break dunk off an off-balance, one-handed hurl from Fernandez that made it 50-49, but Rose made one of two free throws as time wound down and the game was tied at halftime.The Blazers came out strong in the second half, going up 63-56 early after Aldridge’s dunk. He had 16 points in the third quarter alone.The Bulls pulled within 75-64 early in the fourth on Deng’s jumper, but the Blazers extended it again when Fernandez hit a 3-pointer to make it 80-74.Brewer’s dunk narrowed it to 82-81 with 7:20 left but the Bulls could not grab the lead. Rose had a decisive dunk that pulled the Bulls to 91-87, but again the Blazers held on. Aldridge’s alley-oop dunk from Miller put Portland up 98-91 with 2:17 left.The Blazers (28-24) have won two straight, but only three of their past seven.

NOTES—Oregon basketball coach Dana Altman was at the game. Altman coached Kyle Korver at Creighton in Nebraska……Portland shot 78.6 percent from the floor in the first quarter, but led only 28-26……Aldridge had 40 points in the Blazers’ previous home game, a 99-86 victory against San Antonio…..The Bulls have lost four straight and 11 of their past 13 at the Rose Garden.

CALGARY—Curtis Glencross scored the winner in the third period and Miikka Kiprusoff turned aside 22 shots to lead the Calgary Flames to a 3-1 win over the Blackhawks on Monday night.Mikael Backlund also scored and Rene Bourque got an empty-netter for the Flames, who moved into a playoff spot in the Western Conference for the first time since Oct. 29.After taking a feed from Olli Jokinen off the rush, Glencross took a couple strides before firing his 14th goal of the season past the glove of Corey Crawford at 8:37 of the third. Jokinen finished with two assists on the night.After sitting outside the top eight in the West for exactly 100 days, the Flames move ahead of the idle Long Angeles Kings and into sole possession of the eighth spot.Calgary is 7-0-1 in its last eight games and continues a four-game homestand Wednesday against the Ottawa Senators.Patrick Kane scored for the Blackhawks. The defending Stanley Cup champions have lost four of their last five and sit tenth in the West. The Blackhawks are 1-2-0 halfway through a six-game road trip, which continues Wednesday in Edmonton.Calgary has won two in a row against the Hawks at the Scotiabank Saddledome after entering this season having lost seven straight against the Blackhawks on home ice.After backing up Marty Turco the past two games, Crawford was inserted back in the lineup and responded with an excellent effort. He stopped 20 of 21 shots to keep the game tied 1-1 after two periods with his best saves coming late in the frame.Backlund took a pass from Alex Tanguay and ripped a shot from 15 feet out that Crawford got his blocker on. Minutes later on a power play, Bourque’s wrist shot deflected wildly and was going in before Crawford stuck out his leg.Crawford also had some luck on that man advantage with Jokinen blasting a shot off the post. Earlier in the period, Jarome Iginla also hit the iron.Brent Seabrook hit the post early in the third with the game still tied.The Hawks tied the game 1-1 at 5:56 of the second period on a tough shift for the Flames’ top defensive pairing.Robyn Regehr was unable to contain Jonathan Toews along the boards and eventually he ended up with the puck behind the Calgary net. In the slot, Jay Bouwmeester got caught watching as Toews zipped a pass out to the wide open Kane, who fired his 15th goal past Kiprusoff.Calgary grabbed the lead with just over 5 minutes left in the first thanks to a good shift from the fourth line.After crossing the blue-line, recent AHL call-up Lance Bouma threaded a perfect pass to Backlund, who beat Crawford with a nifty deke to his backhand. The Hawks top-ranked power play went 0 for 4, getting blanked for the second straight game. Calgary was 1 for 4 with the extra man.

NOTES—Calgary lost D Adam Pardy (upper body) to injury in the second period. … The next point for Marian Hossa will be his 800th. He will become the 137th player in NHL history to reach that milestone. … Bourque’s goal was his first at home since Dec. 16. … Calgary is just 2-9 in its last 11 games against the Blackhawks. … Calgary has appeared in a league-high 12 shootouts, three more than anyone else. Their seven wins also lead the league. In shootout goals scored, Tanguay (seven) and Bourque (five) are ranked first and second.

ARLINGTON—Aaron Rodgers tossed three touchdown passes,was named the game’s MVP and the Green Bay Packers played turnover free football while getting three takeaways that led to three TD’s and the Pack won their fourth Superbowl in five tries 31-25 over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kind of a awkward National Anthem as Christina Aguilera forgot the words. The 45th Superbowl in this giant Stadium “on steroids” gets started with Pittsburgh calling TAILS and they lost,giving Green Bay the ball first. With Lovie Smith not here, Green Bay still chose to defer! Mason Crosby kicked to Antonio Brown who returned to his 36.The Steelers went three and out,then Jeremy Kampinos punted to Tramon Williams who fumbled,but the Packers recovered at their 21.Rodgers hit Donald Driver for 23 yards to the GB 46.That’s where this drive ended and Tim Masthay punted into the end zone.Rashard Mendenhall ran around the right side for 16 yards after Ben Roethlisberger checked off,then Mendenhall got nine on the next play,but a false start caused it to be second and six at the Pittsburgh 39. A pass to Mike Wallace got the ball to the 43 for a third and two.Roethlisberger then overthrew Heath Miller,forcing a Kamipos punt which hit the ground and took a wicked bounce into the end zone.On a third and one,James Starks broke two tackles and got a first down to his 37.Rodgers then hit Jordy Nelson for nine.Starks then picked up the first down to the 48. Brandon Jackson then caught a pass to the Pittsburgh 38. Starks ran for 8 to the 30.After a two yard gain, it was third and 2, Rodgers then lofted one from the 29 which Nelson grabbed over his shoulder to put Green Bay in front 7-0 with 3:44 left in the quarter,capping an 80 yard,nine play drive.A nice return by Brown was nullified by an illegal block in the back penalty,so the Steelers had to start at their own seven.Roethlisberger then lifted up a dying quail which Nick Collins picked off without any Steelers near him and took it 37 yards for a TD,making it 14-0. An unsportsmanlike conduct forced a kickoff from the 20 and Steelers started at their 35.Mendenhall on a second down git 8 for a first down at the Pitt 48.On the next play the Steelers picked up another illegal block in the back.On a third and 9, Roethlisberger scrambled for 18 to the GB 32.The first quarter ended 14-0 Green Bay. The Steelers got something going in the second period,but after driving 49 yards in 13 plays,they had to settle for a Shaun Suisham 33 Yard Field Goal.But Green Bay answered after Pittsburgh got the ball back on a Jarrett Bush interception off a Roesthlisberger pass at his own 47. Just 4 plays and 53 yds later, Rodgers hit Greg Jennings with a 21 yard TD pass to pretty much put this game away since no team has ever come from more than ten points down to win a Super Bowl.The Steelers were able to drive to the GB 26 than thanks in part to a pass to Brown. Roethlisberger hit Hines Ward at the 21,then hit Ward again(diving catch)for the first Steeler TD to cut the Packers lead to 21-10 at halftime.

Then came the Halftime Show with the Black Eyed Peas. They performed Tonight’s A Goodnight, Boom Boom Pow, Pump It Louder and Let’s Get It Started.then Usher appeared on stage.

Green Bay received the second half kickoff for a touchback.After a holding penalty on first down, Rodgers hit James Jones for the ten they were penalized,but then a false start moved it back to the 15.Rodgers then hit Nelson for ten.William Gay broke up the third down pass and Masthay punted to Brown who was forced out at his 40 and a late hit moved the ball to midfield.On a neat play fake by Roethlisberger, Mendelhall ran the right side for 17.On third and one from the 21, Issac Redman went the left side to the GB 8. Mendenhall then crashed into the endzone to close the GB lead to 21-17

with 10:19 left in the third quarter.This time the Packers started at their18.On third and 7, James Harrison sacked Rodgers back at the sixteen and Masthay punted and the Steelers took over at their 40.An 8 yard pass to Mike Wallace on second down made it third and 2. Mendenhall broke a tackle and got 7 to the GB 44 for a first down.Roethlisberger hit Ward for 15 to the GB 29.On second down, a pass to Miller lost three yards. Roethlisberger then ran out of time and was sacked by Frank Zombo. Suisham’s 52 yard field goal try was wide left,giving the Packers the ball at their own 42.On first down,Rodgers hit Nelson for 16 yards to the Pittsburgh 40.Starks was hit for a 3 yard loss on first down.Arnez Battle then caught a five yarder leaving a third and 8. The third down pass was off target and Masthay punted to Antwan Randle El at the 13.Mendenhall went off right tackle for 4 yards.Roethlisberger then connected with Wallace,leaving a third and two. The same connection to Wallace failed as the pass was overthrown and Kampinos punted dead on the 25. An late hit on Green Bay moved the ball back to the 12.Two incompleted passes made it third and ten.A pass to Brett Swain was caught and droppped and ruled incomplete,and Mike McCarthy challengd the ruling on the field which was upheld,making it forth down. Masthay punted,but an ineligible man down field forced a re-kick.This time the kick resulted in the Steelers starting at the GB 40.Mendenhall ran eight as the third quarter ended.

Mendenhall coughed up the ball on first down and Desmond Bishop grabbed it at the GB 41.The Packers picked up a first down at the Pitt 40.Two incompltions later, Rodgers hit Nelson on a slant play and he got to the Steelers 3.Rodgers was sacked by Harrison again at the 8.He then tossed a lob that Jennings caught to make it 28-17 with 11:57 left.The Steelers,again down two possessions,started at their 33 after the kickoff.Roethlisberger hit Wallace on second down to the GB 46.Next Wallace caught a 14 yarder to the 32.A holding made it first and 20 at the 42.A pass to Ward for 14 gave the Steelers a third and four.Wallace caught a 26 yarder for a TD and the Steelers went for two.Randle El ran it in to close the Packers lead to 28-25 with 7:34 left.Crosby added a 23 yard field goal with 2:07 left. The Steelers moved to their own 33,but turned the ball over on downs. Game over.

NOTES—Two hours before Super Bowl kickoff, Cowboys Stadium wasn’t ready for its possibly record crowd.As the Packers and Steelers were warming up on the field, workers were still installing temporary seats in the top level of the stadium’s west end.The NFL shuffled things around to make space for the folks who had paid $600 for those seats — or, at least, as many as they could. “Most of the fans affected will have been accommodated in their seats or relocated to similar or better seats,” the league said in a statement. “Fans who are not accommodated with seats inside the stadium will each receive a refund of triple the cost of the face value of their ticket. We regret the situation.” ….Rodgers was named the Super Bowl MVP.

LES

OAKLAND—Monta Ellis scored 33 points, Stephen Curry had 23 and the Golden State Warriors snapped the Bulls six-game wining streak with a 101-90 victory on Saturday night.The Bulls simply collapsed in the fourth quarter,being unable to score or get any stops.The Ellis-Curry tandem sparked a 15-0 run in the fourth quarter that sealed Golden State’s third straight win in one of its more impressive defensive efforts of the season. Dorell Wright added 20 points and David Lee scored 13 for the Warriors.Carlos Boozer had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Derrick Rose finished with a quiet 14 points and 10 assists for the Bulls, who were playing only their second game of a critical road stretch. They were never in rhythm and fatigued early, dropping their first game in more than two weeks.This was hardly the kind of effort a Bulls team looking to be considered one of the NBA’s elite wanted to show.Even not at their best, the Bulls took a 75-74 lead on Boozer’s jumper with 10:54 remaining. Then it all came crashing down with a spotty defensive effort against one of the more prolific scoring teams.The Warriors ran off 15 straight points behind Ellis and Curry, who had 13 points during the run. The undersized guards blew by Rose and Co., pulling away for an easy victory.Surely this one left the Bulls frustrated.They have quietly stayed in the thick of the race for the Eastern Conference’s top spot despite being short-handed for most of the season, with Boozer missing the first 15 games because of a broken bone in his right hand and Joakim Noah out until after the All-Star break recovering from thumb surgery.They just never could stay consistent against a Golden State team they blew out at the United Center several weeks ago.Rose had his usual eye-popping plays, perhaps the best coming on a twisting layup over — and around — Warriors center Andris Biedrins that even brought Golden State fans to their feet. Kyle Korver followed with a pair of 3-pointers, and the Bulls went ahead by 12 points in the second quarter.All that was quickly erased with a technical foul by Boozer and an uncontested dunk that Ronnie Brewer short-armed and missed badly. Ellis rallied the Warriors with some stealth offense, slicing through the paint for layups and dunks to give Golden State a 48-47 halftime lead.The Warriors stayed steady from there and finally showed some fight during their longest homestand of the season.Golden State has only two games left in a stretch of 13 of 14 at home, and they’re 7-5 so far. The Bulls and Utah are their only victories during the stretch against teams with winning records.

NOTES—Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said Noah is making progress in his recovery but is still likely a few weeks away from returning. “He’s doing well,” Thibodeau said. “He’s coming along, right on schedule, doing more and more every day. He’s making good, steady progress.” … Warriors backup SG Acie Law missed the game with a sprained right wrist.The Warriors didn’t miss him a bit … Thibodeau said he would’ve voted for Warriors G Monta Ellis to make the All-Star team if he was in the Western Conference. Ellis was one of the last few to miss out despite being No. 6 in the NBA in scoring.

DALLAS—At long last former Bears defensive end Richard Dent is a Hall of Famer. The Colonel, or Sack Man if you prefer remains the Bears all-time sack leader. He was named Super Bowl XX MVP as part of perhaps the best defensive unit for one season. Dent becomes the 27th Bear to be elected. He will join RB Marshall Faulk, LB Chris Hanburger, LB Les Richter, filmmaker and founder of NFL Films Ed Sabol, CB/ KR/PR Deion Sanders and TE Shannon Sharpe in the Class of 2011.

In two tours over 12 years with the Bears, Dent recorded a franchise record 124.5 sacks. Dent recorded a team single-season record and career-high 17.5 sacks in 1984, his second season in the NFL. One of the most dominant defensive ends of his era and a cornerstone of uddy Ryan’s “46” defense, Dent recorded double-digit sack totals each season from 1984 to 1988. Dent totaled eight double-digit sack seasons as a Bear while leading the team in sacks in eight seasons.

Dent moved on from the Bears to play a total of 15 years in the NFL, earning a Super Bowl ring with San Francisco in 1994 before finishing his career with single seasons with Indianapolis in 1996 and Philadelphia in 1997. Concluding his overall career with 137.5 sacks, Dent ranks tied for sixth all-time with John Randle in sacks in NFL history behind only Bruce Smith (200.0), Reggie White (198.0), Kevin Greene (160.0), Chris Doleman (150.5) and Michael Strahan (141.5).