Morning Box Score

By Matt Motyka in News on Mar 9, 2009 3:00PM

Avs Roll ‘Hawks
The Chicago Blackhawks were smothered by the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, losing 5-1. The Avalanche jumped ahead 2-0 in the first period before Jonathan Toews snuck in his eleventh goal in as many games to give the ‘Hawks a chance. Colorado then poured it on, however, with two scores in the second period and another in the third to pad their lead. The ‘Hawks struggled to sustain a significant offensive push, attempting only 25 shots on their opponent’s net, and didn’t fare much better on the defensive end, surrendering the five goals on 29 Avalanche attempts. Cristobal Huet had a night off, and Antti Niemi had an off night in his stead. Chicago will look to bounce back on Wednesday when they host the Carolina Hurricanes.

College Basketball
Northwestern suffered a let down against the Ohio State Buckeyes Sunday evening, falling 52-47. The Wildcats seemed to run out of opportunities when Kevin Coble missed a three-pointer to tie with 13 seconds left, but hustle D and a Buckeyes turnover gave the Evanston squad a second chance. The ball found Luka Mirkovic for the Wildcats’ final shot, but the big man couldn’t convert on a contested jumper from behind the arc. Northwestern finishes the regular season in the Big Ten’s ninth spot, and will likely need the conference tournament title to earn an invite to the Dance. They’ll launch their campaign on Thursday against a motivated Minnesota team.