Update on the latest sports

NHL-SCHEDULE

McAvoy, Rask lead Bruins to 4-1 win over Rangers

NEW YORK (AP) — Charlie McAvoy had a goal and an assist, leading the Boston Bruins to a 4-1 win against the New York Rangers on Sunday.

Tuukka Rask made 20 saves and earned his 299th NHL victory. Charlie Coyle scored twice and David Pastrnak added two assists as the Bruins snapped a two-game skid. Trent Frederic also scored for Boston.

Alexandar Georgiev made 31 saves, but the Rangers fell for the second time in games. Colin Blackwell scored for New York.

McAvoy hammered a one-timer to push the Bruins’ lead to 3-0 at 10:20 of the second period. Pastrnak and Brad Marchand assisted on the play.

The Bruins and Rangers have met four times in the month of February this season, all at MSG. The teams are scheduled to play four more times at TD Garden in Boston during this abbreviated 56-game season with revamped divisions because of COVID-19.

T25 MEN’S BASKETBALL-SCHEDULE

Bulldogs show some bite in 73-61 win over No. 8 Villanova

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Chuck Harris scored 20 points and Jair Bolden added 15 to lead Butler to a 73-61 upset over No. 8 Villanova.

The Bulldogs have won two straight since snapping a three-game losing streak and have beaten the Wildcats in four of the last five meetings in Indianapolis.

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl led the Wildcats with 16 points and 16 rebounds as Villanova became the sixth Top 15 team to lose this weekend. No. 2 Baylor, No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 11 Florida State, No. 13 Creighton and No. 14 Texas all lost Saturday.

Butler swung the game with a 16-3 run over a four-minute span in the first half and Villanova never got closer than five again.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NBA

Raptors’ virus issues worsen, game vs. Bulls called off

UNDATED (AP) — The Toronto Raptors’ issues with the coronavirus have worsened, prompting the NBA to call off their game scheduled for Sunday night against the Chicago Bulls.

The league said the Raptors are dealing with positive test results, without disclosing how many, and that combined with ongoing contact tracing issues meant they would not have the league-required eight players available to play.

Toronto played Friday without head coach Nick Nurse, several other assistants and staffers and starting forward Pascal Siakam (see-A’-kam) because of virus-related issues. Assistant coach Sergio Scariolo coached the team to a win over Houston and was in line to coach again Sunday.

The Raptors-Bulls game is the 30th to be postponed so far this season because of COVID-19 testing or contact tracing. The only teams that have not had a game postponed by virus issues so far this season are Brooklyn, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Chicago had traveled to Tampa on Saturday for the game and after the postponement was announced changed its travel plans to fly back home Sunday afternoon. The Bulls are scheduled to play Monday at home against Denver.

Toronto’s next game is scheduled to be Tuesday against Detroit.

NBA-HAWKS-BOGDANOVIC

Bogdanovic progresses in recovery from fractured knee

ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic (BOY’-ahn bahg-DAH’-noh-vich) has progressed to one-on-one drills with contact as he recovers from a fractured right knee.

The 28-year-old has been out since a Jan. 9 game against the Charlotte Hornets. The next step in his rehab will be to take part in team practices.

The Hawks signed Bogdanovic to a four-year, $72 million contract during a free-agency spending spree designed to upgrade a roster that has undergone a complete overhaul since the team last made the playoffs in 2017.

The 6-foot-6 shooting guard was averaging 9.9 points in nine games with two starts before his injury. He had hoped to return before the March 5-10 All-Star break, but it appears his recovery will take a bit longer.

MLB-ROYALS-DOZIER

AP source: Royals, Dozier agree to $25M, 4-year deal

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals and third baseman Hunter Dozier have agreed to a $25 million, four-year contract that includes a fifth-year option, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Sunday because the deal was pending a physical. ESPN.com was first to report the extension, which buys out two years of free agency and includes several escalators and bonuses.

The 29-year-old Dozier has long been considered a cornerstone of the Royals rebuild, especially after a breakthrough 2019 season in which he hit 26 homers, tied for the American League lead with 10 triples and drove in 84 runs. But he missed the start of last season with COVID-19 and wound up hitting just .228 with six homers and 12 RBIs in 44 games.

Still, the Royals believe Dozier will revert to form with a full spring training and 162-game season.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-CLEMSON-KENDRICK

Clemson all-ACC cornerback Kendrick no longer with Tigers

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Clemson starting cornerback Derion Kendrick is no longer part of the Tigers’ program. A team spokesman confirmed Kendrick’s status on Sunday.

Kendrick, a 6-foot, 190-pound senior from Rock Hill, South Carolina, was a highly talented player who last season had several discipline issues and did not play in three games.

Kendrick started eight of the nine games he played in last season. He had 20 tackles and led the team with six pass breakups. He also had a 66-yard fumble recovery touchdown in a victory over Virginia Tech. He was named a first-team all-ACC cornerback.

Kendrick becomes the second defensive starter gone from last year’s group, which finished 15th nationally with 326 yards allowed a game.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-SUPER SENIORS

College football super seniors could change fortunes in 2021

UNDATED (AP) — As major college football returns to normal in 2021, one of the lingering effects of the pandemic season will be the return of hundreds of older players who choose to stick around for another year. That’s due to The NCAA’s decision to grant every fall sport athlete who played through the pandemic an extra season of eligibility.

With spring practice approaching, more than 1,000 scholarship players are expected to take advantage of the NCAA’s eligibility mulligan, according to an Associated Press review of rosters provided by 129 schools.

The number of these super seniors on each team is subject to change and likely to go down as players continue to assess the value of playing an extra year of college football. But their presence is likely to have a major impact on the 2021 season.

The NCAA ruled that super seniors will not count next season toward the Bowl Subdivision cap of 85 scholarship players per team. As of now, athletes using their COVID-19 year of eligibility after 2021-22 will count toward scholarship and roster limits in all NCAA sports.