AP – Tiger Woods intends to remain out of golf at least until the Masters, two people with knowledge of his plans told The Associated Press on Thursday.

AP – Lazar Hayward gave Marquette the lead for good with a 3-pointer with 1:51 to play, then added the clinching free throws with 3.2 seconds left, and the Golden Eagles went on to another close win, 80-76 over No. 10 Villanova on Thursday in the Big East tournament quarterfinals.

AP – Five birdies were enough to put Charl Schwartzel among the leaders at the CA Championship. No mistakes is what put in the lead alone Thursday on a rough-and-tumble day at Doral.

AP – Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen, who helped form one of the NFL’s greatest defensive lines before embarking on a successful career in television, died Thursday after a battle with cancer. He was 69.

AP – Mushers in the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race take care of their dogs first when they stop to rest, massaging sore paws and serving up stews of hearty grub for their teams.

AP – The group of Denver Broncos players arrived at the Safari nightclub to celebrate New Year’s Eve and was whisked inside by bouncers. One of the dozens of people waiting in line to get in — an alleged Tre-Tre Crips gang member — took exception.

AP – Michael Cuddyer homered, reigning AL MVP Joe Mauer had two hits and the Minnesota Twins beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-3 on Thursday night.

AP – Jamal Crawford scored 29 points and the Atlanta Hawks avoided a three-game losing streak by beating the Washington Wizards 105-99 Thursday night.

AP – Derrick Favors had 18 points, nine rebounds and five blocks to help Georgia Tech hold off North Carolina 62-58 in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament Thursday night.