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The Carey Panthers braced themselves for a tough tussle with the Murtaugh Red Devils Thursday night in the all-important second-place game of the Northside Conference boys basketball tournament at Shoshone High School gym.

On Jan. 10, host Carey out-scored Murtaugh 70-43 in a league gamedoing most of its damage with a 24-7 fourth-quarter surge. But the Red Dev-ils have won seven of their last 10 and have averaged 60.5 ppg in that streak of games.

Murtaugh coach Clayton Nebekers squad has done much of its damage from be-hind the arc, including 25 3-pointers in its two consolation bracket wins over Castleford and Lighthouse, at Shoshone.

No. 2-seeded Carey (14-9) dropped into the consolation bracket of the eight-team Northside tournament with a 69-57 loss to top-seeded Dietrich Wednesday at Shoshones gym.

Leading Panther scorer Hayden Wayment (21 points including five 3-pointers), sen-ior Toby Whitworth (17) and senior Derrick Baird (12) led coach Dick Simpsons Carey team. It was a season-high total for Careys Whitworth.

With its 16th consecutive win, reigning State 1A Division 2 tournament champ Dietrich (22-1, averaging 69.3 ppg) won its fourth Northside tourna-ment title in five years.

Senior Garrett Astle (14 points) led four Blue Devils in double figures, and Dietrich outpointed Carey 17-7 at the free throw line for the game.

That result, combined with Murtaughs 57-49 win over No. 5 Lighthouse Christian (10-12) earlier Wednesday, sent No. 4-seeded Murtaugh (15-9) up against Carey Thursday. It was Murtaughs third game in three nights, and Careys second game in two evenings.

Carey was trying for the programs 21st state tourna-ment berth in the last 25 years.

Murtaughs last state visit was in 2011, when coach Adam Johnsons Red Devils lost 54-36 to Carey in the state semi-finalsand Carey (24-2) went on to capture its first state hoops title 47-46 over Nezperce.

At stake Thursday was the Northsides second berth in the 2017 State 1A Division 2 tour-ney March 2-4 at Caldwell.

The winner of Thursdays knockout game between Carey and Murtaugh will play Boise-area champion Council (13-5) Thursday, March 2 at 6:15 p.m. in a first-round game of the eight-team tournament at Caldwell High School gym.

The Lumberjacks from Council (22-4) fell in last Marchs state championship game 68-55 to Dietrich (22-4).

Council defeated Salmon River 55-47 Wednesday night at McCall for the 3rd District title. Salmon River (15-7) played Tri-Valley (10-11) Thursday for a state play-in berth on Saturday, Feb. 25.

Dietrich opens the state tournament next Thursday at 3 p.m. against District 2 cham-pion Kendrick (17-5), a team that went two-and-out at 2016 state.

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Panthers battle Red Devils for state hoops spot - Idaho Mountain Express and Guide

Feb 24, 2017- Even by the standards of modern soccer management mayhem, the vertiginous rise and equally stunning fall of Leicester City coach Claudio Ranieri takes the breath away.

The Italian was sacked by the Premier League club on Thursday less than 24 hours after his team battled to a creditable 2-1 defeat in the first leg of a Champions League last 16 knockout game against European specialists Sevilla.

Leicester and the Champions League in the same sentence is not something fans of the Midlands club would ever have thought about before last year, let alone a brilliant group stage campaign they swept through as winners with a game to spare.

The club are three points, three places and millions of pounds better off than they were at this stage of the Premier League campaign two years ago.

There is also the little matter of writing one of the most amazing stories in the history of world sport as they defied odds of 5,000-1 to win the title and enter the lexicon of the English language as people now talk of doing a Leicester.

So, of course, having had such amazing success after a century of mediocrity, at the first sign of trouble, the manager had to go.

After all that Claudio Ranieri has done for Leicester City, to sack him now is inexplicable, unforgivable and gut-wrenchingly sad, the clubs former striker-turned pundit Gary Lineker said in comments echoed across social media.

PERIPATETIC CAREER

Moving on is something Ranieri is used to, of course, having led and now left no fewer than 14 clubs and one country during his peripatetic 30-year coaching career.

Not small clubs either as he has led Napoli, Roma, Atletico Madrid, Juventus, Inter Milan, Monaco and, of course, Chelsea, where he was and still is universally loved by the fans.

He led the Londoners to a second-place finish in the league, their best for 49 years, and the Champions League semi-finals.

New owner Roman Abramovich, however, decided he was not a big enough name and Jose Mourinho arrived to develop the team Ranieri built and reap the glorious returns.

More European wanderings, including a short spell as manager of Greece, brought him yet more friends, but little tangible success - the theme of his career.

Although his CV was glittering in terms of location, it was less so in terms of trophies, with a smattering of domestic cups and lower-tier titles to show for his efforts.

So, there was hardly dancing in the streets of the East Midlands when he was appointed as Leicester boss to succeed Nigel Pearson, who was sacked despite engineering one of the all-time great escapes in the last weeks of the 2014-15 season.

Most Leicester fans would have been happy with another season of survival, with the club having climbed out of the Championship two years earlier. Little did they know the lovable Italian was about to take them on the ride of their lives.

STRONG START

Leicester started strongly last season and then defied the almost weekly predictions that they would fall away.

In much the same way Brian Clough turned second division Nottingham Forest into European champions almost 40 years ago, Ranieri fashioned a team of also-rans into a tight unit with unquenchable spirit who played incisive counter-attacking football.

Journeymen like Jamie Vardy and Danny Drinkwater suddenly became England internationals, while Riyad Mahrez and NGolo Kante, barely noticed as they plied their trade in the French lower leagues, were catapulted into the 'world class' bracket.

As early season promise developed into a top-of-the-table New Year, Ranieri was a picture of Kiplingesque calm, dealing with the impending, and rare, triumph in the same way that he had so often accepted its "twin imposter" of disaster.

With every win came the question: Can you win it, followed by a smile, and his answer: Why not?

But Leicester did not just win the Premier League, they cantered to the title, finishing an incredible 10 points clear in a fairytale success toasted in every corner of the soccer world.

Nobody expected a repeat this season, and the fans were happy to continue enjoying more heady nights with a deeply impressive first Champions League campaign.

But City's slide down the Premier League table spooked their Thai owners. Like so many before who have had a taste of the high life, the shadow of normality meant the man they described on Thursday as the club's most successful manager had to go.

Published: 24-02-2017 15:14

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Ranieri sacked again, but now has a golden legacy - The Kathmandu Post

There's no such thing as fatigue for Chris Ross and San Miguel, which has seen its starters play heavy minutes in their Philippine Cup semifinals series with TNT. Richard Esguerra, ABS-CBN Sports

MANILA, Philippines San Miguel guard Chris Ross dismissed concerns regarding the extended minutes he has played, along with the team's other starters, in their Game 7 victory over TNT KaTropa in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.

Ross logged 44 1/2 minutes of playing time, and the other starters save for June Mar Fajardo also played more than 40 minutes in the game (Fajardo played 38 1/2 minutes).

San Miguel's starting five was on the floor for virtually the entire second half, including the third quarter wherein they outscored TNT 36-21.

"It's Game 7. It's Game 7," Ross told reporters after San Miguel's 96-83 win that sent them to their third straight All-Filipino Finals.

"You gotta keep your horses out there," he said. "I told coach (Leo Austria), 'I'm good, I can play. I can play 48 (minutes) if you need me.' I'm sure the other starters said the same thing."

San Miguel's starters combined for all but eight points in Game 7, and the Beermen's near-flawless execution on offense in the third simply overwhelmed the KaTropa. Yet the champions showed no sign of exhaustion as the game wore on; Fajardo even found the hops for a two-handed dunk in the fourth quarter.

For Ross, his teammates' minutes in the knockout game was a sign of faith from Austria, who has been criticized repeatedly for his short rotation and penchant for giving his key guys long minutes.

"Coach has a set of guys that he is comfortable with in Game 7s," said Ross. "It's win or go home, so you go with your guys that got you here. Luckily, it worked out for us."

The Beermen now have three days to rest, recover, and prepare before Game 1 of best-of-seven Finals, and Ross expects that they'll be in peak form by then and ready to play extended minutes if need be.

"Everyone will get some good food in them, get some good rest, and get ready to go on Friday," he said.

(For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.)

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PBA: Chris Ross downplays extended minutes, says it's sign of coach's faith - ABS-CBN News

Manchester City advanced to the knockout stages of the Champions League thanks to a strong showing at home within their group. Home victories over Barcelona and Borussia Mnchengladbach and a draw against Celtic helped confirm Citys place in the knockout rounds. Finishing second in their group means City were drawn against a team who won their group in the Round of 16, and it turned out to be the powerful French side AS Monaco.

Featuring a deadly attack has been the key to Monacos excellent start to the season and Pep Guardiola will need to choose his defensive players carefully. Aleksandar Kolarov seems fine after exiting the FA Cup match at the weekend with a minor knock, though captain Vincent Kompany appears to be dealing with yet another issue.

For Citys attack Pep will have a lot of decisions to make. Chief among them is, does Sergio Agero fit in Guardiolas vision? Its easy to see Agero is still one of the best strikers in the world, but his form has been poor recently and in a knockout game over two legs Pep might want someone hes more comfortable with leading the line.

Below is the predicted lineup I believe Pep will choose against Monaco. The 4-3-3 should continue as it allows Citys best players higher up the field.

Goalkeeper: Willy Caballero

Apparent backup keeper Claudio Bravo played well against Huddersfield, but Pep would be wise to go with the more consistent of the two as of late. Caballero has played in plenty of big games for City so his confidence or nerves shouldn't be an issue.

Defense: Bacary Sagna, John Stones, Aleksandar Kolarov, Gal Clichy

For the defense Pep should really go with four natural defenders. As good as others have looked at full-back, now is the time for Pep to use his best and fastest defenders, especially out wide. Sagna and Clichy can provide defensive support, even if both lack the offensive talents of other options. Stones and Kolarov seem like Peps preferred options in the center of the defense.

Midfield: Fernandinho, Yaya Tour, David Silva

In the middle of the park should be Fernandinho, Tour and Silva. The Spaniard will obviously be pushed the furthest forward and his form has been blistering as of late. Tour and Fernandinho can provide extra defensive help in addition to linking defense and attack. Dinho allows Yaya to push further if he sees an opening, and hopefully the pair can match Monacos excellent midfield players.

Forwards: Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Leroy San

Im not sure if Guardiola will go with this front three, but its the one he needs at the moment. Ageros form is lying at the bottom of the ocean at the moment and this game means a lot for City. De Bruyne has proven he can slot into that role up front and do an admirable job, plus he offers a tenacity in the pressing game. Out wide Sterling and San have been some of Citys best players lately and should continue their very excellent play.

So thats our predicted lineup. As for a score prediction, a nice 2-1 home win for City seems like a possible result. Keeping Monaco off the scoresheet would be a huge accomplishment but seems unlikely. Goals from San and De Bruyne see City take a lead into the away leg.

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Manchester City vs. AS Monaco, 2017 Champions League: Predicted Lineup - Bitter And Blue (blog)

Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone has urged his players to match the "intensity" of Bayer Leverkusen in their Champions League last-16 clash on Tuesday.

Simeone's side head to the BayArena for the first leg in high spirits having not tasted defeat in LaLiga since the turn of the year.

However, despite an eight-game unbeaten run in the league, Los Rojiblancos are fourth - seven points adrift of leaders Real Madrid - and were knocked out of the Copa del Rey earlier this month by Barcelona.

Atletico's hopes of silverware this term realistically lie in Europe but Simeone has warned his troops not to be complacent in Germany.

Leverkusen have never won a last-16 knockout game in the competition and come into the tie placed a modest eighth in the Bundesliga.

Yet Roger Schmidt's outfit have hit form at the right moment, registering back-to-back wins for the first time since November.

"We are going to find a team that displays everything their coach asks for: heart, enthusiasm and a lot of intensity," Simeone told Atletico's official website.

"Surely it is the most intense rivals we have faced in the Champions League. Talent is important, but the heart has much more (of a) place in football."

Simeone has some big decisions to make with centre-back Diego Godin, right-back Juanfran and midfielder Tiago all set to miss out.

Goalkeeper Jan Oblak, sidelined since December with a shoulder injury, has been recalled to the squad though after returning to training last Wednesday.

Kevin Gameiro could join Antoine Griezmann up front, having netted a hat-trick off the bench in the 4-1 win over Sporting Gijon on Saturday.

Simeone, who guided Atletico to the Champions League final in 2014 and 2016, added: "I think the team has grown at the beginning of 2017, compared to the end of 2016.

"I think we still have a lot of room for improvement and hopefully we can understand it, because there will be a leap in quality."

Javier Hernandez has been key to Leverkusen's upturn in fortunes - netting five times in his last three matches, including braces against Eintracht Frankfurt and Augsburg.

As a former Real Madrid player he is no stranger to the rivalry with Atletico and scored the goal which settled the 2015 quarter-final between the city rivals.

"Chicharito (Hernandez) is in sensational form," acknowledged manager Schmidt.

"He's really hit the ground running after the winter break. He's working very hard for the team and is doing a great job of sticking away the chances that come his way."

Schmidt is already without the injured Jonathan Tah and the suspended Hakan Calhanoglu and has doubts over Lars Bender's fitness.

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Diego Simeone urges Atletico Madrid to match Bayer Leverkusen's intensity - ESPN FC