Michigan
With Lauren Betts out, No. 1 UCLA survives No. 22 Michigan State upset bid in thriller
Londynn Jones made a pull-up jumper.
Kiki Rice got a steal.
Janiah Barker scored a tough putback layup.
Rice hit free throws.
And then, Timea Gardiner hit the biggest three of the season for the Bruins with 44 seconds to go.
Top-ranked UCLA has proven to be one of the deepest teams in the nation, and they showed it again Sunday night, overcoming the absence of their leading scorer to defeat No. 22 Michigan State 75-69 in a March Madness-like thriller.
Bruins coach Cori Close let out a big sigh at the start of her postgame news conference.
“I aged a few years in that game,” she joked. “I am really proud of the confidence, and the grit and the toughness that we earned. We’ve been talking a lot about not relying on your talent or making it look pretty, but doing whatever it takes to find a way to win.”
UCLA star center Lauren Betts did not play because of a foot injury. She wore an air cast during pregame warmups and is considered day-to-day, the team announced.
Making up for Betts’ absence required a collective effort, and Barker did her part. One of her best plays came with just over a minute left before halftime when she stole the ball from Michigan State’s Nyla Hampton and scored on an easy layup to put the Bruins ahead 41-28 with just over a minute before halftime.
“We’re a super deep team as well, and so I think we did a phenomenal job,” Gardiner said. “Janiah Barker set us up today, she played 31 minutes and got a double-double, and she played phenomenal. Obviously, we’re missing a huge piece with Lauren out, but everyone stepped up in their own way, and I think that that makes a really great team.”
Barker finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and two steals. Gardiner also had 18 points for the Bruins to go along with four rebounds. Rice’s 16 points and seven assists were also crucial.
But UCLA (24-1 overall, 12-1 Big Ten) missed Betts’ defensive presence, the Spartans scoring 40 points in the paint.
“The biggest thing that hurt us not having Lauren tonight was how we would play defensively,” Close said. “And it took us a long time to figure out how we could adjust with her not being there as a rim protector. … When I got the text that Lauren wasn’t going to be able to go, I started thinking about how they had already earned this. They beat a top-25 team in Creighton, and they did it without Lauren. They know how to do this. We got plenty to do it. It’s time for next woman up.”
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1. UCLA’s Londynn Jones tries to drive past Michigan State’s Theryn Hallock in the second half. 2. UCLA’s Londynn Jones, left, tries to strip the ball away from Michigan State’s Jaddan Simmons. 3. UCLA’s Kiki Rice (1) smiles with teammates in the final minute of the Bruins’ win Sunday. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Michigan State (19-6, 9-5) was the more physical team early in the second half with an aggressive press, forcing five UCLA turnovers in the first five minutes.
Theryn Hallock and Julia Ayrault led the way for Michigan State as they erased UCLA’s eight-point halftime lead. The Spartans took their first lead late in the third quarter off a Jocelyn Tate layup and held a 55-53 lead going into the fourth.
Michigan State extended its lead with two free throws on the first possession and led for most of the fourth until Gardiner’s critical three-pointer put the Bruins ahead by two.
Rice extended the lead to four after hitting two free throws following a Michigan State team technical foul. She hit another two free throws with 13 seconds left to secure an important win for UCLA following their first loss of the season Thursday to rival USC.
“I think [the win] meant a lot to us,” Rice said. “We didn’t want to let one loss derail our season because we know the kind of team we are, but it was really great to just have so many different people step up tonight. I think it brings everyone confidence, and it really just puts us in a good mindset going into the next few games, which will be tough.”
As time expired, Barker grabbed a missed layup by Grace VanSlooten and waved to the raucous Pauley Pavilion crowd.
With March looming, Close knows the Bruins are in position to get a high NCAA tournament seed, but she wants to see more from her team over the final stretch of the regular season.
“I think we can play grittier,” Close said. “I’m proud of how we did it [tonight], but I even think there’s more in us. I think there’s more. We still let the game happen to us in too many possessions, and I just started to think about how good we are now, but if we could, every practice, fight for a few more inches, if we could fight for more consistent rebounding, if we could fight for more talk out there and more connectivity, who knows?”
Michigan schools, libraries and nonprofit groups are set to receive more than $280,000 in literacy funding, according to a community announcement issued by Dollar General Literacy Foundation. The money is intended to support reading and education programs across the state.
The grants are part of a nationwide single-day award total of nearly $16 million. The funding supports adult, family and summer literacy programs in the 48 states where Dollar General operates.
In Michigan, the grants are expected to affect more than 9,600 people, according to the announcement.
The grants are for nonprofit organizations, libraries and schools. According to the announcement, eligible groups must be within a 15-mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center.
The money may be used for new technology, books, materials or software. The grants can help groups start literacy programs or expand existing ones.
Several Michigan organizations received grants of $10,000, the highest amount. Those recipients included:
- Adrian Rea Literacy Center in Adrian
- Arab Community Center For Economic And Social Services (Access) in Dearborn
- Literacy Center Of West Michigan in Grand Rapids
- Houghton Lake Community Education in Houghton Lake
- Livingston County Literacy Coalition in Howell
- Goodwill Industries Of Southwestern Michigan in Kalamazoo
- Kalamazoo Literacy Council in Kalamazoo
- Capital Area Literacy Coalition / The Reading People in Lansing
- The Global Institute Of Lansing
- Van Buren Intermediate School District in Lawrence
- Reading Patch Literacy Foundation Inc. in Niles
- Grace Centers Of Hope in Pontiac
- Oakland Literacy Council in Pontiac
- Literacy And Beyond Inc. in Port Huron
- Gigi’S Playhouse — Detroit LLC in Southfield
- Southgate Community Schools in Southgate
Other larger grants included $9,999 for Wayne State University in Detroit, $9,500 for Iosco Regional Educational Service Agency in Tawas City and $8,500 for Plymouth-Canton Community Literacy Council in Plymouth.
The recipient list also included many grants of $3,000. Those went to:
- Allendale Public Schools
- Boys And Girls Club Of Alpena
- Cedar Springs Public Library
- Clinton Community Schools
- Coloma Public Library
- Mason County Eastern Elementary in Custer
- North Dickinson County School in Felch
- Wilson School Parent Advisory Committee in Herron
- Hillman Community Schools
- Ida Public Schools
- Lawton Public Library
- Luther Area Public Library
- Saginaw African Cultural Festival Inc.
- Sebewaing Township Library
- Tekonsha Community Schools
- Columbia Township Library in Unionville
- Wakefield Public Library
- Whitmore Lake Public Schools
Other awards listed were $2,000 for Taymouth Township Library in Burt; $2,100 for Clinton-Macomb Public Library in Clinton Township; and $2,500 for Friends Of Cadillac Wexfod Public Library in Cadillac, Teamer Dreams Foundation in Eastpointe, Michigan Adult, Community & Alternative Education Association in Lansing and Palomino Hope Equine Experience in Tawas City.
The list also showed a $1,000 grant for Townline Elementary in Grand Rapids and a $4,500 grant for D House Of Angels in Pontiac.
Also receiving grants were Houghton Lake Community Education and Reading Patch Literacy Foundation in Niles.
A full list of grant recipients is available at dgliteracy.org.
“Since the foundation’s inception in 1993, our focus has remained on making meaningful investments in students, teachers and the organizations that support literacy and learning at every stage of life,” Denine Torr, executive director of the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, said in the announcement. “These funds will help educators enhance their instruction and create opportunities that help empower students to reach their full potential.”
This story was created with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing process. Learn more at https://cm.usatoday.com/ethical-conduct/.
FLINT, Mich. (AP) — A man in Michigan who got married and then ran over his best friend that same day, killing him, after an alcohol-fueled argument was sentenced Monday to least 30 years in prison.
“The only thing I can do for the rest of my life is express my apology and remorse. … I will forever be sorry,” James Shirah said in Genesee County court.
Shirah, 24, was driving when his vehicle struck Terry Taylor Jr. in Flint, about an hour’s drive northwest of Detroit, on Aug. 30, 2024. He and Savanah Collier were married earlier that day and the celebration had moved to a house.
Shirah’s attorney had argued that the crash was not intentional. Prosecutors, however, said Shirah had left the scene and had time to reflect before returning and striking Taylor, MLive.com reported.
“Mr. Shirah, I believe that you are not a criminal. You are, however, a killer,” Judge Khary Hanible said.
In April, Shirah pleaded no contest to second-degree murder and other offenses. He will be eligible for parole after 30 years.
“I hope that they throw the book at you,” Taylor’s cousin, Eren Taylor, said before Shirah received his sentence.
Shirah’s wife will be sentenced later in May for being an accessory.
BENTON HARBOR — Vinyl collectors and music fans are invited to dig through thousands of records and music collectibles at the Southwest Michigan Record Show.
The event is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 16 at Grand Upton Hall inside Lake Michigan College’s Mendel Center in Benton Harbor, according to a press release.
Now in its fourth season, the show features 25 vendors from five states, offering 70 tables filled with vinyl records, CDs, cassettes, record supplies and music memorabilia.
Free admission begins at 10 a.m.
General admission is free starting at 10 a.m., while early entry is available at 8:30 a.m. for $5. Door prize drawings are planned for 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., including $25 shopping certificates and record supplies from BCW Supplies. The first 75 attendees will receive free tote bags.
A food truck will be on site, and cash is preferred for purchases. Some vendors may accept cards, PayPal, Venmo and other payment methods, but there is no ATM on site.
Vendors from across the Midwest and beyond
The show is expected to feature a wide selection of music genres, including classic rock, pop, ’80s, metal, punk, jazz, blues, R&B, country and soundtracks.
“This show is still being discovered, and that’s part of what makes it exciting,” event organizer Jeremy D. Bonfiglio said in the release. “We’ve built a strong group of experienced vendors, so whether you’re just getting into vinyl or digging for something rare, there’s a real opportunity here to find something unexpected.”
Free parking is available near the entrance of Mendel Center, 2755 Napier Ave.
Future dates planned
The Southwest Michigan Record Show is also scheduled to return Sept. 19.
For more information, visit southwestmichiganrecordshow.com or follow the event on Facebook.
This story was created by reporter Cheryl Morey, with the assistance of artificial Intelligence (AI). Journalists were involved in every step of the information gathering, review, editing and publishing.
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