Sports Digest: RailCats sign pair of righties

Pro baseball

RAILCATS SIGN PAIR OF RIGHTIES: The RailCats inked contracts with right-handed pitchers Nolan Nicholson and Chris Allen, the team announced Tuesday.

Nicholson has been on the staff for the last two seasons, finishing last year with a 7.37 ERA and a 4-8 record in 16 starts in 2011.

Allen had already been announced as an acquisition in November as part of a player-to-be-named deal with Lake Erie. He was 4-2 with a 1.42 ERA in 30 relief appearances last season.

Pro hockey

HAWKS FALL TO AVS: Gabriel Landeskog broke a tie 38 seconds into the third period, and David Jones added two goals, helping the Colorado Avalanche snap a five-game skid with a 5-2 win over the struggling Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

Brent Seabrook and Patrick Kane had goals for the Blackhawks, who dropped their eighth straight on the road. They haven't won away from United Center since Dec. 14 at Minnesota. Chicago is 0-3-1 on its nine-game trip.

Pro basketball

GRANGER LEADS PACERS PAST JAZZ: Danny Granger scored 12 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, and Darren Collison had 25 points to lead the Pacers to a 104-99 win over the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night.

Collison shot 10 of 14 from the floor and added five assists.

Men's basketball

EVANSVILLE KNOCKS OFF NO. 17 CREIGHTON: Colt Ryan's 17-footer with 3:08 to play broke a 56-56 tie, and Evansville pulled away for a 65-57 upset of No. 17 Creighton on Tuesday night.

The nation's best shooting team was out of sync all night and wound up losing a second straight game for the first time this season. Creighton (21-4, 11-3 Missouri Valley Conference) was led by Doug McDermott with 21 points.

Kenny Harris scored 15 points to lead Evansville (12-12, 7-7), which ended a six-game losing streak against the Bluejays.

No. 3 OHIO ST. HOLDS OFF PURDUE: William Buford scored a career-high 29 points and capped his night with a pivotal dunk in the final minute to power No. 3 Ohio State past hot-shooting Purdue 87-84.

The win was Ohio State's 39th in a row at home -- since losing to Purdue two years ago at Value City Arena.

Buford scored 21 points in the second half to carry the Buckeyes (21-3, 9-2 Big Ten) while All-America Jared Sullinger and point guard Aaron Craft were on the bench with foul trouble.

D.J. Byrd, averaging 6.5 points a game, had a career-best 24 for the Boilermakers (15-9, 5-6), while Kelsey Barlow and Lewis Jackson had 14 each, and Robbie Hummel, a Valparaiso graduate, added 13.

CHICAGO ST. DOWNS IPFW: Lee Fisher had a double-double and Chicago State closed the game with a 17-2 run to defeat IPFW 63-57.

Fisher scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for the Cougars (3-20). Jacobby Anderson added 11 points, and Ardarius Simmons 10 for Chicago State of the Great West Conference, which defeated IPFW for the first time in school history, having been 0-5.

Trey McCorkle paced the Mastodons (10-14) with 21 points.

Women's basketball

PETERS SCORES 21 IN IRISH VICTORY: Devereaux Peters had a season-high 21 points and grabbed 16 rebounds; Kayla McBride added 19 points and No. 2 Notre Dame beat Syracuse 74-55 on Tuesday night.

It was the 21st straight win for Notre Dame (24-1, 11-0 Big East) and improved its road record to 12-1 against Syracuse (15-10, 4-7).

Skylar Diggins, the Irish's leading scorer, finished with 11 points, all in the second half.

Pro football

BEARS HIRE BATES AS QUARTERBACKS COACH: The Bears hired Jeremy Bates on Tuesday to coach their quarterbacks, reuniting him with Jay Cutler.

Bates was out of the league last season, but he worked well with Cutler as an assistant for three years in Denver. In Chicago, he will serve under new offensive coordinator Mike Tice.

Cutler had a strained relationship with former Bears offensive coordinator Ron Turner during their lone season together in 2009 and took a beating at times the past two years in Mike Martz's system. But Bates played a key role in his development.

Local bowling

GCA CHAMPIONSHIPS THIS MONTH: The Greater Calumet Area Championships will take place Sunday as well as Feb. 19 and 26 at Plaza Lanes, 8101 Kennedy Ave., in Highland. Cost is $20 per event, which includes team (four person) event, singles and doubles men's and women's divisions. There will be no separate women's team event. Bowlers will have a choice of competing in pin over average or scratch divisions, or both for an additional $10 per event. For details, or to make reservations for the tournament, call (219) 923-7240.

VALENTINE TOURNAMENT AT OLYMPIA: Olympia Lanes, 4150 Calumet Ave., Hammond, will hold a Valentine Female/Child Tournament on Sunday. Bowlers aged 3 to 12 may bowl with an adult female. Cost is $9 per bowler. Squad time is at 6:30 p.m. For details, (219) 933-6677.

Local baseball

MCCLENDON GIVING COACHES CLINIC SATURDAY: Detroit Tigers hitting coach Lloyd McClendon will conduct a coaches clinic from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Triple Crown Valparaiso Baseball and Softball Training Center, 2902 Cascade Drive. To make reservations, call (219) 462-3927.

Around the horn

Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon during Los Angeles' 107-102 victory over the Magic in Orlando on Monday night. ... The New York Knicks say they expect Carmelo Anthony to miss a week or two with a strained right groin. ... Baltimore Ravens running back Ricky Williams says he's retiring from football.