Weir guides Westminster

ALMA, Mich. –Senior Drew Weir from Salem scored 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting to lead four players in double figures as Westminster College rolled to a 100-64 victory over Alma on Wednesday afternoon.

Eighteen players saw action at Art Smith Arena, helping Westminster reach 100 points for the second time this season. The Titans shot 14-of-30 (.467) from the three-point line and made a season-high 40 field goals.

Trey DePietro from Boardman and Nick Ryan from Warren JFK added 14 points apiece, while Mick Hergenrother from Mooney finished with 13 points.

Alex Rockwell from Springfield Local contributed six points on 3-of-3 shooting with four rebounds, Jaxon Hendershott from West Branch scored five points, Luke Rohan from South Range had three points, and Trevor Siefke from Lisbon made one steal.

Westminster (5-3) will play at Otterbein’s Smokey Ballenger Classic on Dec. 29-30.

Chicago bulls past Cavaliers

CHICAGO (AP) — Josh Giddey scored 23 points as part of his sixth triple-double this season, Coby White added 25 and the hot-shooting Chicago Bulls beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 127-111 on Wednesday night.

Giddey had 11 rebounds and 11 assists. He also matched a career high with five 3-pointers. Nikola Vucevic added 20 points and nine rebounds in the opener of the home-and-home series.

The Bulls shot 56.2% overall and made 14 of 36 3-pointers on the way to a rather convincing win after losing eight of nine. They led by 15 in the third quarter and went on a run in the fourth to break the game back open on the way to a rare win over Cleveland. They had dropped 12 of 13 against the Cavaliers.

Donovan Mitchell led Cleveland with 32 points, but the Cavaliers fell to 15-13 with their seventh loss in 10 games, the latest troubling performance for a team considered a favorite in the Eastern Conference. They didn’t sustain their 13th loss last season until March 19.

Jaylon Tyson scored 21. Darius Garland added 15 points and six assists

The Bulls led 106-97 midway through the fourth when Vucevic nailed a 3 to spark an 11-3 run. He also had a layup and a tip-in during that stretch. Giddey broke for a layup, and White added two free throws to make it 117-100 with 4:59 remaining.

Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu missed his third consecutive game because of a sprained right thumb. The Chicago product is fourth on the team in scoring at 15.2 points per game.

“Rest is probably going to be the best thing, but he’s probably not going to have time to rest it for it to be fully healed,” coach Billy Donovan said.

The teams meet again in Cleveland on Friday.

Ohio University fires football coach

ATHENS, Ohio (AP) — Football coach Brian Smith was fired Wednesday by Ohio University, which cited “serious professional misconduct.”

Smith had been placed on indefinite leave on Dec. 1. The university said it terminated Smith’s contract for cause following an administrative review that found him “engaging in serious professional misconduct and participating in activities that reflect unfavorably” on the school. It did not provide specifics.

Rex Elliott, who is Smith’s attorney, said in a statement that: “We vigorously dispute Ohio University’s grounds for the termination for cause of Coach Brian Smith.

“He is shocked and dismayed by this turn of events, and we plan to fight this wrongful termination to protect his good name. Coach Smith is an ethical man who has done an exemplary job for the University. He wants nothing but the best for the players, coaches, and the entire Bobcat community.”

The 45-year old Smith was named the head coach on Dec. 18, 2024, after Tim Albin left to become the coach at Charlotte. Smith came to Ohio as running backs coach and passing game coordinator in 2022, then was promoted to associate head coach in 2023 and offensive coordinator in 2024.

The Bobcats went 9-4 under Smith, including a win in last year’s Cure Bowl over Jacksonville State and a 17-10 victory over West Virginia this season. Defensive coordinator John Hauser will serve as interim coach for the Frisco Bowl on Dec. 23 against UNLV. The search for a permanent coach is under way.