AP Tuesday Sports Roundup

Tide takes title

GLENDALE, Arizona. (AP) — Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide have nailed down another national championship. The Tide are champions for the fourth time in seven years following a wild 45-40 win over Clemson at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

It is Saban's fifth national championship, one shy of former Tide coach Bear Bryant for the most all-time.

Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry carried 36 times for 158 yards and three touchdowns. He scored twice in the first half and iced the victory by running for a one-yard TD with 1:07 remaining. Henry opened the scoring with a 50-yard TD scamper in the first quarter.

Jake Coker was 16 of 25 for 335 yards and two touchdowns. Coker hit O.J. Howard for touchdowns of 53 and 51 yards in the second half, with each putting Alabama ahead.

Howard also had a 63-yard reception on a screen pass in the second half. He finished with five catches for 208 yards, the most receiving yards for an Alabama player in a bowl game.

The Crimson Tide's other touchdown came on Kenyan Drake's 95-yard kickoff return in the fourth quarter, which followed a Clemson field goal.

The Tigers failed to become the first team to go 15-0 in a season despite a strong game by Deshaun Watson, who completed 30 of 47 passes for 405 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. Watson also had 73 yards on 20 carries.

Clemson was seeking its first national championship since 1981.

The Tide finish 14-1, with the lone loss coming at home against Mississippi on Sept. 19.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-KANSAS STATE

Long-time coach coming back

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Kansas State football coach Bill Snyder says he plans to coach the Wildcats again next season, ending speculation that the 76-year old Hall of Famer might retire for a second time. Snyder is entering his 25th season and needs seven wins to reach 200. K-State went 6-7 this season, winning its first and last three games before losing to Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL-INDIANA

Hoosiers coach gets extension

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana football coach Kevin Wilson has signed a six-year contract that will pay him $15.3 million. It replaces the final two years on the deal Wilson originally signed after the 2010 season and will theoretically keep him in Bloomington through the 2021 season.

The deal comes less than two months after the Hoosiers ended an eight-year bowl drought, winning the final two Big-Ten games on the road to become bowl-eligible.

NFL-BURFICT

NFL suspends Burfict

CINCINNATI (AP) — Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict has been suspended for the first three games of next season for repeated violations of the NFL's rules against dangerous hits on opposing players.

The punishment has been doled out two days after he drilled Steelers receiver Antonio Brown after an incompletion during Pittsburgh's 18-16 playoff win. Brown suffered a concussion on the play, and Burfict was penalized for targeting a defenseless receiver.

The NFL said it's also reviewing the conduct of other players and coaches during the acrimonious game.

NFL-RELOCATION

NFL owners to take up LA bids

UNDATED (AP) — NFL owners are poised to start two days of meetings Tuesday in Houston to consider relocation to Los Angeles.

The Raiders, Rams and Chargers have petitioned the league to leave their current homes for the nation's second largest market, which has been without an NFL team since 1994.

Commissioner Roger Goodell has indicated the stadiums in Oakland, St. Louis and San Diego are all inadequate.

Twenty-four of 32 owners must approve any move.

NFL-DRAFT

Irish linebacker turning pro

UNDATED (AP) — Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith has announced that he will skip his final year of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. He was projected by some to be a possible top 10 pick before suffering a serious injury to his left knee in the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State.

Smith has led the Irish in tackles the past two years and won the Butkus Award as college football's best linebacker this season.

In other decisions:

— Mississippi quarterback Chad Kelly has decided to return to school for his senior season. The nephew of Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Kelly was considering jumping to the NFL after leading the Rebels to a 10-3 record this season, including a Sugar Bowl victory over Oklahoma State. He threw for 4,042 yards, 31 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

— Defensive tackle Vincent Valentine plans to skip his senior season at Nebraska and enter the NFL draft. He was limited to 10 games because of injuries this season. Valentine started 24 of his 36 games, making 76 tackles with seven sacks.

NBA-SCHEDULE

Warriors, Spurs win again

UNDATED (AP) — The NBA's two best teams were winners again last night. The Golden State Warriors earned their seventh consecutive victory, and the San Antonio Spurs extended their winning streak to eight games.

The Warriors are a league-best 36-2 after Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson led them to a 111-103 win over Miami. Curry shot just 11-for-27 from the field and 4-for-7 from 3-point range, but he still finished with a game-high 31 points. Green delivered 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists, while Thompson added 17 points and seven boards.

Golden State picked up its 36th consecutive regular-season home win despite shooting just 7-for-23 from beyond the arc and hitting 73 percent of its free throws.

LaMarcus Aldridge contributed 25 points and 11 rebounds as the Spurs crushed the Nets 106-79 in Brooklyn. Kawhi Leonard had 17 points for the Spurs, who led by seven before outscoring Brooklyn 32-18 in the third quarter.

The Nets absorbed their 10th straight home loss and fifth in a row overall to fall to 10-28. They were playing just one day after interim coach Tony Brown replaced Lionel Hollins.

The Spurs improved to 33-6.

In other NBA action:

— John Wall had 17 points and 10 assists as Washington earned a 114-100 victory over the Bulls in Chicago. Ramon Sessions had 16 points in the Wizards' second straight win, while Garrett Temple, Otto Porter Jr. and Nene scored 14 apiece.

NBA-BULLS-NOAH

Noah back after nine-game absence

CHICAGO (AP) — Bulls center Joakim (JOH'-keem) Noah is playing tonight against Washington after missing Chicago's previous nine games with a left shoulder sprain. The former NBA Defensive Player of the Year is averaging 4.5 points and 8.8 rebounds in 25 games this season.

NHL-SCHEDULE

Canucks end Panthers' win streak

UNDATED (AP) — The Vancouver Canucks have gotten into the habit of ending an opponent's long winning streak.

The Panthers had won an NHL season-high 12 in a row before the Canucks scored the last three goals in a 3-2 overtime win against Florida. Vancouver also ended Montreal's season-opening nine-game winning streak in October.

Daniel Sedin ended the game with a power-play goal 2:21 into OT after starting Vancouver's comeback with a second-period goal.

Jake Virtanen also scored and Jacob Markstrom stopped 26 shots for the Canucks.

Roberto Luongo was sensational at times while making 27 saves in Florida's net.

Jussi Jokinen and Jonathan Huberdeau scored first-period goals for the Panthers, whose 12-game winning streak is a team record.

Florida now leads the Atlantic Division by six points over Detroit following their first loss since Dec. 12.

Elsewhere on NHL ice:

— Alec Martinez scored a power-play goal early in the third period to snap a 2-2 tie in the Kings' 4-2 triumph over Detroit at Los Angeles. Anze Kopitar had a goal and three assists as the Pacific Division leaders won for the seventh time in nine games.

— Third-period goals by Derick Brassard and Jesper Fast gave the Rangers a 2-1 comeback win over the Bruins at Madison Square Garden. Brassard tied it 35 seconds into the period, and Fast notched the game-winner with 1:42 remaining to give the Rangers a 4-2-1 record since a 3-9-2 skid.

— Brent Burns and Joe Thornton each had a goal and an assist while San Jose was scoring five times on 18 shots in a 5-4 win at Calgary. The game was tied 3-3 until Burns and Joel Ward scored 4:51 apart in the third period.

NHL-MAPLE LEAFS

Toronto loses forward

TORONTO (AP) — Toronto Maple Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk is expected to miss six to eight weeks because of a non-displaced fracture in his left foot. He was injured on a shot taken by teammate Deon Phaneuf in Saturday's 7-0 loss to San Jose.

The left wing has 29 points in 40 games this season.

T25-MEN'S POLL

Top teams remain the same

UNDATED (AP) — Kansas and Oklahoma were tagged as 1 and 2 in The Associated Press Top-25 men's basketball poll last Monday, hours before the Jayhawks beat the Sooners 103-100 in triple overtime. They remain the top two teams in the latest poll, with Kansas receiving 63 of 65 first-place votes.

Maryland is third, followed by Michigan State and North Carolina. Villanova, Xavier, Miami, Duke and SMU round out the top 10.

SMU is in the top 10 for the first time in 31 years. The Mustangs and No. 19 South Carolina are each 15-0 on the season.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL-SMU-BROWN

Brown back at practice

DALLAS (AP) — SMU basketball coach Larry Brown directed practice on Monday, 24 hours after missing the second half of the Mustangs' victory over UCF because he felt dizzy. Brown wasn't feeling well all day Sunday, when he coached the first half of SMU's 88-73 victory over UCF. The 10th-ranked Mustangs and South Carolina are the only unbeaten teams in Division I men's basketball.

T25-WOMEN'S POLL

Huskies are still No. 1

UNDATED (AP) — Connecticut remains No. 1 in The Associated Press women's poll after winning three games last week, all by double-digits.

The Huskies are followed by South Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas and Ohio State in the new poll.