HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL
The Glenwood Demons boy’s team hosts the Aspen Skiers tonight at 7 to kick off the annual Demon Invitational tournament at Chavez-Spencer Gymnasium.
The Grand Valley Lady Cardinals, coming off an 80 point win over Aspen the other night, will take on Manuel tonight at 6 at the Holy Family Tip-Off tournament in Broomfield. Game time is 6 o’clock.
SNOWBOARDING
BRECKENRIDGE (AP) – Kelly Clark began her quest for a third Olympic medal in strong fashion Wednesday, finishing first on the halfpipe in preliminaries of the season’s opening Olympic qualifier.Clark, who won gold in 2002 and bronze in 2010, scored 94.8 on her second run and will get to go last in Saturday’s finals of the Dew Tour iOn Mountain Championships, the first of five halfpipe events that will determine the U.S. Olympic team.
Others making the final included defending Olympic champion Torah Bright of Australia, 2006 silver medalist Gretchen Bleiler and 13-year-old Chloe Kim of California, who isn’t old enough to be eligible for the Olympics.Shaun White is on the mountain Thursday for halfpipe qualifying. He’ll also be riding in the slopestyle contest, one of the new Olympic events. Slopestyle qualifying is Friday.
WELKER OUT FOR TONIGHT’S GAME AGAINST CHARGERS
ENGLEWOOD (AP) – As expected, coach John Fox has officially ruled out Wes Welker for Denver’s game against San Diego on Thursday night because of a concussion.
The NFL’s protocol for concussed players would have allowed Welker only to participate in light practice Thursday and only if he had passed baseline cognitive tests earlier in the week.For competitive purposes, Fox had been coy about Welker’s status during the week, other than to say the receiver’s health was the team’s top priority.
Welker was going low to catch a pass Sunday when Tennessee safety George Wilson legally hit him in the side of his neck, knocking him from the game.Welker also sustained a concussion Nov. 17 against Kansas City but played the following week at New England. The Broncos and the Chargers kick off at 6:30 with pregame coverage from Sports Authority Field at Mile High beginning at 4:30 on KMTS.
ELSEWHERE IN SPORTS…
UNDATED (AP) – Just two games make up tonight’s NBA schedule. The Pacific Division-leading Clippers are in New York to face the Nets while the Northwest-leading Trail Blazers are home to the Houston Rockets. Each division leader is playing good ball as the Blazers have won eight of their last 10 games and the Clippers seven of 10.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) – The New York Mets have reportedly come to terms on a two-year, $20 million contract with pitcher Bartolo Colon (bahr-TOH’-loh kuh-LOHN’). A person familiar with the deal says it’s a done deal, pending a physical. Colon finished this past season 18-6 with a 2.65 earned run average for Oakland. A year before he was given a 50-game suspension for a positive testosterone test.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) – Major change could be coming soon to Major League Baseball. A ban on ban home plate collisions is expected to be implemented as early as the 2014 season, and no later than 2015, if baseball owners and the players’ association approve. New York Mets general manager and rules committee chairman Sandy Alderson made the announcement at the winter meetings, citing player safety and concern over concussions as major factors in the decision.
UNDATED (AP) – In college basketball the three ranked teams that saw action last night all won. No. 1 Arizona breezed by New Mexico State 74-48 while third ranked Ohio State beat Bryant 86-48 and No. 4 Wisconsin stopped Milwaukee 78-52.
