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sports Diaranson 9 December 2020

Michigan’s COVID-19 outbreak cancels game against Ohio State

(AP) — Michigan can- break” on Saturday in a 52-12 least 12 positive COVID-19
celed its annual rivalry win at Michigan State after cases within the football pro-
game at Ohio State on he was relegated to watching gram, a person familiar with
Tuesday because of the the game from home. Day is the situation told The Asso-
COVID-19 outbreak with- among the coaches and play- ciated Press. The size of the
in the Wolverines football ers in the program that tested outbreak has not been dis-
program. positive for the coronavirus, closed by the school and the
leading to Ohio State cancel- person spoke to The AP only
“The number of positive ing a game at Illinois. on condition of anonymity.
tests has continued to trend Earlier Tuesday, the regular- While outbreaks have dis-
in an upward direction over season football finale between rupted more than 100 games
the last seven days,” Michi- No. 7 Cincinnati and No. 18 across major college football
gan athletic director Warde Tulsa was alsocanceled due to since late August, the prob-
Manuel said. “We have not COVID-19 cases and contact lems with the Wolverines
been cleared to participate in tracing within the Bearcats’ were closely watched in part
practice at this time. Unfor- program. The two teams are because the Buckeyes have a conference doesn’t want to Harbaugh fell to 0-5 in the
tunately, we will not be able scheduled to play Dec. 19 in lot to gain. hurt the Buckeyes chances of rivalry last year, continuing a
to field a team due to COV- the American Athletic Con- The Buckeyes have missed earning a playoff berth. trend that has seen Michigan
ID-19 positives and the asso- ference title game. two games in this pandemic- With the move to cancel the lose 15 of its last 16 games to
ciated quarantining required Last week, Michigan coach shortened season because of game in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State to knock some
of close contact individuals. Jim Harbaugh said team COVID-19 issues and one it spares Harbaugh what luster off one of the great-
This decision is disappoint- meetings that were sched- more would leave them un- would likely be another lop- est rivalries in sports. Har-
ing for our team and coaches uled to be done in person able to reach a conference- sided loss. The Buckeyes beat baugh’s winless record as a
but their health and safety is would be conducted virtually mandated minimum to be el- Michigan 56-27 at the Big coach in The Game is often
paramount, and it will always after an increased number of igible for the Big Ten cham- House last year in Day’s first scrutinized. That’s especially
come first in our decision- presumptive positive CO- pionship game. game as head coach in the se- true this season because Har-
making.” VID-19 tests. The Big Ten, however, could ries and extended their win- baugh has one year left on his
The third-ranked Buckeyes The Wolverines canceled decide Ohio State will still ning streak over the Wolver- contract at the school he led
played through what coach last weekend’s game against represent the East Division ines to a school-record eight as a quarterback in the mid-
Ryan Day called a “mini out- Maryland because they had at at least in part because the straight. 1980s.

Qatar links into Euro World Cup qualifying for friendlies

The arrangement provides League finalists, while the
Qatar with 10 friendlies in other groups in Europe con-
Europe, with the results not tain six sides.
counting in Group A as the The Qataris are also set to
Asian champions qualify as play in both regional tourna-
World Cup hosts. ments covering the Americas
next year.
The other opponents in
Group A are Serbia, Ireland, They will first contest the
Luxembourg and Azerbaijan. Copa América from June 11-
“As Qatar has already quali- July 10 as part of a group with
fied for the 2022 FIFA World co-host Colombia as well as
Cup as hosts, UEFA has in- Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and
vited them to join with the Venezuela.
teams of Group A to help Then, a Qatari team will be
their squad prepare for the in the United States for the
tournament,” the European July 10-Aug. 1 CONCACAF
governing body said in a Gold Cup, the championship
statement on Tuesday. of North and Central Ameri-
Qatar will play all the matches ca and the Caribbean.
in Europe, starting on March
24 against Luxembourg. Qa- Qatar won its first Asian Cup
(AP) - Qatar will gain World Cup by effective- an champion Portugal to tar is joining the only five- title in 2019 by beating Japan
more match experience ly joining the qualifying play friendlies. team qualifying group not in the final and is No. 59 in
ahead of hosting the 2022 group featuring Europe- featuring the UEFA Nations the FIFA world rankings.

Monte Morris agrees to 3-year, $27M extension with Nuggets

(AP) — Guard Monte season run to the Western
Morris has agreed to a Conference finals, where the
three-year, $27 million Nuggets were eliminated by
contract extension with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Denver Nuggets.
The 25-year-old Morris was
His agent, Ron Shade, con- a second-round draft pick in
firmed the deal Tuesday. It’s 2017 out of Iowa State. He
fully guaranteed with incen- has become a reliable part of
tives that can move it closer coach Michael Malone’s ro-
to $9.5 million per year. tation over the past few sea-
Morris is coming off a regu- sons.
lar season in which he aver- Morris dressed in all 82
aged 9 points and 3.5 assists games during the 2018-19
per game. He played a big season. He averaged 10.4
role during Denver’s post- points and 3.6 assists.