Waco Tribune-Herald from Waco, Texas • 15

MIT KftW.TmfVHHIHWJ HOUSTON 100, ORLANDO 93 SPORTS BRIEFS Fram staff and wire reports Anderson leads Sockets past Magic Just six of 26 attempts during the first two quarters. Gordon, Beverley and Harden had eight points each to lead Houston going into halftime. By TERRANCE HARRIS Associated Press ORLANDO, Fla. Ryan An-down had 19 points, all in the second half, and Eric Gordon scored 17 off the hwh as the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to seven games with a 100-93 victory over the Orlando Magic on Friday night. In a game that was dose throughout, Anderson led five Rockets players in double figures.

He hit five 3-pointers on a night when Houston attempted 49 of them and made Patrick Beverley also scored 17 points, while leading scorer James Harden had an off shooting night and flnkhnH with 14. J. Augustin led five Magic players in double figures with 19 points. Aaron Gordon added 18, while Surge Ibaka had 16 points and 12 rebounds. The game featured nine ties and 14 lead changes before Houston (29-9) began to pull away late in the third quarter.

The Rockets biggest lead of the night was eight points. After trailing by eight at halftime, the Rockets bepm to heat up in the third and took a 79-75 lead going into the fourth peri- Backets; Nene was not in the starting lineup but did play. Montreal Harrell started at center. Rookie big man Chi-nanu Onuaku shared file floor with his brother, Arlnae, for the first time in their basketball careers. Arlnze, who is 9 years older, is a reserve for the Magic.

The Rockets attempted 13 3-pointers in the first nine minutes, hitting three. Magic: Evan Fournier returned to his starting spot after coming off the bench Wednesday. Before that, he missed five games with a heel injury. Attendance was 19,272. UP NEXT Rockets: Continue their road trip in Toronto on Sunday.

Magic Orlando begins an 11-day, six-game West Coast trip against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The Magic return home on Jan. 20. Assodated Press Mm kw Houston's James Harden (13) drives around Orlandos Aaron Gordon (00) during the Rockets 100-93 road victory over the Magic on Friday. od.

Anderson scored 17 points in after replacing Elfrid Payton at the third, including five 3-point- point guard during the first half era. Orlando, which led by as ma- Augustin came off the bench ny as 10 points in the second in the first half to give the Mag- quarter, shot the ball effident-ic (16-22) a spark with 16 points, ly in the first half, converting and Orlando led 52-44 at half- 43 percent from the field and SO time. He was 4 of 6 from the percent from 3-point range, field, 3 of 4 from 3-point range The Rockets struggled from and 5 fra: 5 at the free throw line the 3-point arc, connecting on MCC women beat Victoria College 78-41 The McLennan Hlghlassles plundered the Victoria College Pirates 78-41 this afternoon In Victoria. McLennan jumped out eariy, taking a double-digit lead at the end of the tint quarter, 20-10. The HqMassies extended the lead In the second and held the 38-23 advantage at the break.

McLennan dominated the third quarter to put the game away, scoring 19 points and holding Victoria to just seven. The High lassies continued to roll In the fourth and proved to be too much for the Pirates to handle. Freshman Desirae Devine led three Hlghlassles In double figures with 16 points. RaIUiu 1 a-LI I reflow iiMNirai Asniey Moore mo rauiCKia Daily added 12 and 11, respectively. McLennan opens conference play on Saturday, Jan.

14 at Ranger. Womens action begins at 2 pm, followed by the men's game at 4 pm Mavs change tipoff to avoid conflict with Cowboys The Dallas Mavericks and their fans should be done in time to watch the Dallas Cowboys Ju, Hi aim -a. -i-i pioy umr Nrt oivtsionai piayon panw. The NBA team announced Friday that tipoff for its Jan. 15 game against Minnesota was being moved up two hours to 1 pm Central.

While the Mavericks didnt offer a reason for the time switch, the Cowboys' home playoff game that dry starts at 3ri0 pm It is the second Mavericks home game in a month with time change. When the Cowboys home game against Tampa Bay on Dec. 18 was moved to prime time, the Mavs played their game against Sacramento at 3 pm Instead of the scheduled 6 pm Rangers agree to deal with Travis Snider Free agent outfielder Travis Snider has agreed to a minor league contract with the Texas Rangers and will attend big league spring training. As part of Friday's deal, Snider would get a $1 million, one-year contract If added to the 40-nun major league roster. He could earn $500000 In performance bonuses based on plate appearances: S50JW0 each for 200, 250, 300 and 350b and $75000 apiece for 400, 450, 500 and 550.

Snider didnt appear In the major leagues last season. He hit .244 with 54 homers In 630 games from 2006-15 with Toronto, Pittsburgh and Baltimore. His most extensive action came In 2014 when he hit 264 in 140 games for the Pirates. Current Rangers manager Jeff Banister was then on Pittsburgh's staff. Jones expects Gregoiy to return to Cowboys Dallas owner and general manager Jerry Jones expects defensive end Randy Gregory to play for the Cowboys again despite a suspension that wiU last at least a year.

A day after the NFL announced Gregorys nrasiHpenimmsMsonTorvioiaDngm leagues substance-abuse policy, Jones said Friday that ha doesn't want to put a timeframe on a possible return. Gregory could be eligible for the playoffs next season If the Cowboys make again, although a return for the 2018 season the last of Gregory! rookie contract more likely. Texas Motor Speedway to undergo makeover the track that opened in 1997. The track was last completely Associated Press-laiiy NpkSbkfe Texas Motor Speedway will repave its 1 12-mlle track and reduce the high banking in the first and second turns. The project announced Friday comes after rain hampered both NASCAR weekends and the IndyCar race at Texas last year.

By STEPHEN HAWKINS Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas Tex-' as Motor Speedway is going to 1 completely repave its 1 tt-mile track and reduce the high bank-- ingin the first and second turns. The project announced Friday comes after both NASCAR weekends and the IndyCar race at Texas last year were hampered by rain. TMS President Eddie Gossage said the old asphalt has become porous, al-; most like sponge, making it dif-r ficult to dry in a timely matter. "The initial response youre going to get from some drivers is an immediate no," Gossage said. "But they were all here, whether it was the NASCAR i guys in the two races in 2016, or the IndyCar drivers that had to come back a couple of months i later.

They all experienced it and I think once they all think about it, win realize that there really wasnt a choice. We needed to do this. Extensive drainage improve-ments win also be made on the ftuntstreteh and backstretth of repaved in 2001, and this project wUl add a new layer of asphalt. Work is scheduled to begin Monday and be completed by early Mhrch. The next Cup race in Texas is April 9, part of a NASCAR doubleheader weekend.

The changes at Texas will include a re-profiling of Turns 1 and 2, whore the banking win be reduced from 24 degrees to 20 degrees and the racing surface wiU be widened from 60 to 80 feet in that area. Gossage, who wouldnt disclose the cost, said the project was necessary after thousands of cars, minions of laps. It was Just an opportunity. The track is tom up, so why not do something? Gossage said. This once and for all dearly wiU make Texas unlike any other race track, and cant be charged with being a cookie cutter.

Its an opportunity fin: us to be unique and be special. With the lower banking, the speeds should be reduced in that area and set up passing oppor tunities in those turns and onto the back straightaway. Gossage said there could be passing opportunities on the front stretch as well since drivers wfil be carrying different speeds through Turns 3 and 4, which wfil be unchanged at 24 degrees. The start of the Cup race in Texas last November was delayed nearly six hours and eventually shortened 41 laps be cause of more rain. That was seven months after the spring race was delayed more than two hours because of rain and didn't end until after midnight In June, the IndyCar Series race was initially postponed a day because of the wet track even after drying attempts for several hours after the rain had stopped.

After starting late the following day, the race didnt get to the halfway point before there was more rain, and then wasnt completed until 2 months later. Cup drivers lost their two rimrtnlml fuftim tknW thf day before the November 2015 race while officials tried to dry the track following overnight rain, though the Xfinity Series race was run later that day. The Cup race in April 2014 was postponed a day by rain. Emergency goaltenders provide unique, chaotic service By STEPHEN WHYNO I kind ofjust woke up not knowing anything and all of a sudden here I am. Ive got to get ready to gear up fin: foe Canucks, Hewitt said.

While Hewitt was at least an active goalie at the time, Fenton's pads were bone dry. He hadnt played goal in months after hie time at Division I American International College when the Coyotes called him in December 2010. Preparing to fly home to see his parents in Ontario, Fenton waa getting a trim at a Supercuta in White Plains, New York, when hia phone kept vibrating. He finally picked up fixe sixth rail from a local president of youth hockey who told Fenton: Pick up your phone, you dumb idiot Youre going to play tor the Phoenix Coyotes at Madison Square Garden. Driving a friends SUV, Fenton made hie way into Manhattan, parked in a ptddk lot dragged his equipment into the Garden and en-Joyed what he considers one of fixe best days ofhls life even though he didnt play in the gams.

Near the end, Fenton said, Coyotes captain Shane Doan tried to persuade the referees to give fixe backup goalie a penalty just to get him cm the acoresheet Fenton had to settle fix: a game puck, but the Coyotes this past February again turned to Schoenfeld, a financial adviser and son of former coach and player Jim Schoenfeld. An injury to Anders Lindback took Schoenfeld from a Presidents Day off with bmily to the rink, where he got to beck up Louis Dominque and enjoy the i of a winning locker ni driver among other duties as manager cf operations for Matta-my Athletic Centra at the old Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, has dressed twice fbr the American Hockey Leagues Marlies. Ayres had been pranked so many times by the Marlies equipment staff foit he didn't believe he was really needed last season in Rochester, New York, until Maple Leafe assistant GM Kyle DubastoM Mm: Dave, no, were serious. We need you. So get your stuff in the truck, get driving." Ayres arrived 20 minutes before warmups.

Brett Leonhardt gotafew hours notice tax 2008 that Washington's Jose Theodore waa hurt A website producer at the time after playing at Division Neumann University, Leonhardt was the backup only until Semyon Varlamov could make it to foe rink but said of taking warmups: Its like the greatest memory of your life. Leonhardt backed 19 for an entire game in 2013, too, and is now the Capitals video coech. Another one-time emergency goalie is now living out his dream. Undraftsd goalie Carter Hut-tmx was playing during the weekends an in AHL amateur contract while finishing rfasswt at UMase-Lowell when the Flyers made him the backup fix' one game tax March 2010. Hutton thinks that exposure helped him land a contract with the San Jose Sharks and now hes a veteran of 88 NHL games and saves si the foil-time backup lor the St Louis Blues.

Hutton happened to be on foe fare fix Hewitts big day and got to congratulate him. It is very surreal, but make sure you soak it tax bxxt still work hard and you never know, Hutton said. If such a unique situation where you get a guy, just a local guy or someone tax tiie area that can play to be up there and youre one situation away from stepping on tiie ice to play tax tiie NHL." Tom Fenton was in a barbers chair when he got the calL Nathan Schoenfeld was giving hie 5-week-. old twin boys a bath. Eric Sembor-r ski was teaching kids to play at a suburban rink.

Within hours, each was wearing i a mask, pads and an NHL uniform as an emergency goaltender, per-; ihaps the moet unique position in all of sports. i Calling up someone wife a bit of playing experience and saying, Get your gear together, we need you, la a storybook scenario fix amateur athletea everywhere and it is Incredibly rare in U.S. profes-jSlonal sports. But It has already happened a handflil of times in hockey fide season, moet recent-ly when longtime Carolina Hurricanes equipment manager Jorge Alves made history as the first emergency goalie to play tax an NHL game in the modem era. 7To actually get out fixers, aU cf a sudden file lights seemed bright er, said Alves, who played an unforgettable 7.6 seconds at foe end of Carolina's game at Tunpa Bay New Years Eve.

"The lights were brighter out there and it was Just like, OK this is crazy. Alves, a 37-year-old former minor league goalie and Marine, feced no shots and couldnt care less as he happily joined an exclusive chib of wiwiyMy gnn He had watched weeks earlier as Sexnbarskl, a programs coordinator and youth hockey coach at the Philadelphia Flyers practice facll-ity, dressed for the Blackhawks on Dec. 3 when Corey Crawford needed an emergency appendectomy. He didn't play against the Flyers, but the 23-year-old former Temple goalie was on the bench in a Na 50 Jersey with his own name on it instead of Crawford's and he called feeing shots from Patrick Kane and Co. during warmups "the best 15 minutes of hockey Associated Press Ub M.

AUsw Me Capitals backup goaltender Brett Leonhardt warms up before an NHL game against the Senators. Hockey Is the only professional sport where someone can go from being a fan to suiting up. Injuries and illnesses to goaltenders have allowed anyone from equipment managers to Zamboni drivers to dress or even play goal in an NHL game. "Its definitely a uxxique situation in sports that really only happens In hockey, Semborski said. While fixe emergency goalie situation might seem a bit chaotic, it used to be even mare nebulous.

Then came March 3, 2015, when the Florida Panthers were tax a bind: Starter Roberto Luongo left a borne game against Toronto with an unspecified upper-body injury, but then backup A1 Montoya suffered a groin injury. Play was stopped while goaltending coach Robb Tafias, a 41-year-old former NHL goalie, prepared to go in, as did forward Derek MacKenzie aa a last ream! The NHL was asked if Tallas could take the ice, but the red tape waa avoided when Luongo rushed back from a nearby hospital to return to fixe game. The NHL instituted a ride beginning the fixUowing season requiring each team to have a list of lo-cal emergency goalie options for themsdves and for visiting teams and theyve been needed. After hearing rumors on a group chat with his teammates that Ryan Miller might not be aide to dress, University of British Columbia goalie Matt Hewitt got the call to be die backup for the Vancouver Canucks cm Oct 18. His coach told him, Youre going up to play tax the big leagues.

room. "I was sitting there and I stayed fliDy dressed because my old) eon waa coming down to get some photos and I'm just listening to the guys talk and Shane Doan gives me the (teams) MVP belt, Schoenfeld said. When that happened, that was kind of the icing on the cake ofthe whole thing. Dave Ayres, who Is i Zambo.