College basketball

GORDON'S HAND AILS: Eric Gordon's father said a wrist injury wouldn't keep Indiana's star guard out of tonight's Big Ten showdown with Wisconsin.

"He did injure his wrist, but there's no swelling," Eric Gordon Sr. told The Indianapolis Star on Wednesday. "He's going to be able to play. What they'll probably do is put some protective padding on it, and he'll play."

Eric Gordon, the leading scorer in the Big Ten at 21.7 points per game, came down hard when going for a rebound in practice Tuesday and put his left (non-shooting) hand out to protect himself.

For more on Gordon, visit nwi.com/sports.

HARANGODY NOMINATED FOR NAISMITH: Notre Dame sophomore and Andrean grad Luke Harangody is among 30 candidates selected for the 2008 Naismith Trophy Midseason Candidate List. The Naismith Trophy is considered the most prestigious national award presented annually to the men's and women's college basketball players of the year. Earlier this week, the 6-foot-8 forward was named as one of the top 30 candidates for the John R. Wooden Award.

NOTRE DAME WOMEN ROLL: Lindsay Schrader had 15 points and nine rebounds and No. 20 Notre Dame forced 29 turnovers en route to an 85-54 victory over Providence.

The Irish (16-5, 4-3 Big East), who gave up 81 points against DePaul and Connecticut to lose back-to-back games at home for the first time in five years, had little trouble in improving to 16-0 all-time against Providence (11-9, 1-6).

Wheeler grad Becca Bruszewski had four points and three rebounds in 17 minutes of play.

NORTHWESTERN WINS: Kevin Coble scored 21 of his game-high 29 points in the second half to rally Northwestern to a 68-59 victory over Texas-Pan American on Wednesday night.

Michael Thompson added 18 points for Northwestern (7-11), which had lost seven of the past eight games.

K-STATE TOPS KANSAS: Michael Beasley scored 25 points and Bill Walker had 19 and No. 22 Kansas State ended a 24-year, home-court losing streak against Kansas with an 84-75 victory Wednesday night against the previously unbeaten No. 2 Jayhawks.

MEMPHIS STAYS UNBEATEN: Chris Douglas-Roberts scored 30 points and Joey Dorsey grabbed a career-high 22 rebounds as No. 1 Memphis finished the night as the only undefeated team left in Division I, defeating Houston 89-77.

TUCKER SCORELESS IN CAVS' LOSS: Greivis Vasquez scored 25 points, James Gist had 17, and Maryland extended Virginia's road woes with an 85-75 victory in which Virginia sophomore and West Side grad Jamil Tucker was scoreless in three minutes with a pair of missed field goals.

CARDINALS CONTINUE STRUGGLES: Brian Moten scored 19 points as Bowling Green beat Ball State 63-53 Wednesday night in the Mid-American Conference.

Darryl Clements scored 13 and Nate Miller had 12 points and eight rebounds for the Falcons (10-9, 5-2 MAC). The Cardinals (3-16, 2-5) shot just 33.3 percent from the field.

College baseball

VU PICKED TO FINISH LAST: The Valparaiso University baseball team was picked by the Horizon League's preseason poll to finish last out of seven teams in its new league. The Crusaders return 18 letter-winners from last year's 22-34 squad, which finished third in the Mid-Continent Conference and qualified for the league tournament for the first time since 2003.

Wright State was picked to finish first in the Horizon.

Local sports

NATIONAL GIRLS AND WOMEN IN SPORTS DAY IS SATURDAY: E.C. Central is hosting a luncheon in honor of National Girls and Women in Sports Day at noon Saturday in the Mini Theater at E.C. Central.

The luncheon features a history of the day and five guest speakers. Four are East Chicago natives -- Bridgett Pettis, Normela Upshaw, LaTaunya Pollard and coach "Bobbie" DeKemper. Former ESPN commentator Vera Jones will also speak.

Speaking topics will include personal experience with Title IX, as well as topics such as leadership, perseverance, being or becoming a champion, facing/overcoming adversity and making a difference in a life.

For more information, call (219) 391-4000, ext. 4050.

Around the horn

James Easter Heathman, the teenager who raced to a field near his family's central Kansas farm to find the plane crash that killed Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne, has died. He was 90. ... Montreal police have issued an arrest warrant former hockey star Guy Lafleur, accused of giving contradictory evidence as a witness at his son's bail hearing. Lafleur's lawyer says the former Montreal Canadiens great will turn himself over to police Friday morning.