Sports briefs

BASEBALL

Mets, Mejia agree to pact

The Mets and closer Jenrry Mejia avoided arbitration yesterday by agreeing to a one-year contract for a reported $2.595 million. Mejia went 6-6 with a 3.65 ERA and 28 saves last season.

Yank minor leaguer banned

Yankees minor-league shortstop Tyler Palmer was suspended yesterday for 50 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for amphetamines. Palmer, 22, was signed by the Yankees last June as an undrafted free agent. He hit .262 in 51 games in the rookie level Gulf Coast League. NCAA

Academic misconduct

said to be on the rise

The head of NCAA enforcement says academic misconduct has been on the rise in college athletics and his department is handling 20 open investigations. Vice president of enforcement Jon Duncan said yesterday in an interview with The Associated Press the cases involve both prospective and incoming athletes trying to become eligible for college competition, and enrolled athletes receiving impermissible assistance from university and athletic department personnel. Eighteen of the cases involve Division I schools, though NCAA policies preclude Duncan from revealing which programs are under investigation.

NBA

LeBron sits, Irving has 55

Cavaliers superstar LeBron James could miss several games with a sprained right wrist sustained during a hard fall against Detroit. James, who got hurt while trying to brace himself from the fall on Tuesday night, sat out last night's game against Portland. But he wasn't missed. Kyrie Irving scored 55 points, hitting 11 of 19 three-pointers, as the host Cavaliers beat the Trail Blazers, 99-94. Irving buried a trey with 6.4 seconds left to break a 94-94 tie, and as James danced near the bench, Irving dropped two free throws with 2.1 seconds left to seal the win.

Robert Covington scored 19 points, Michael Carter-Williams had 14 points and 10 assists, and host Philadelphia 76ers (9-37) snapped a six-game losing streak with an 89-69 win over Detroit . . . Tony Parker scored 17 points, Danny Green had 16, and Tim Duncan added 12 points and 14 rebounds as host San Antonio beat Charlotte, 95-86 . . . Jamal Crawford scored 21 points and the visiting Los Angeles Clippers won a franchise-record 13 straight games against the Jazz in a 94-89 win in Salt Lake City, Utah.

COLLEGE HOOPS

Irish knock off Duke

Jerian Grant had 23 points and 12 assists and No. 8 Notre Dame (20-2, 8-1 ACC) made two shots in the final 67 seconds as the shot clock ran out to beat No. 4 Duke, 77-73. Jahlil Okafor had 22 points and 17 rebounds for Duke (17-3, 4-3), which is off to its worst start in league play since 1995-96.

NHL

Devils top Leafs

Jacob Josefson and Patrik Elias scored in the shootout and the host Devils rallied late to beat Toronto, 2-1, to extend the Maple Leafs' losing streak to a season-high seven games. Cory Schneider made 29 saves through OT and handled both Toronto shootout attempts.

AUTO RACING

Stewart buys Sprint tour

Tony Stewart won't be back in a sprint car, by his own estimation, for "a very, very long time." But the three-time NASCAR champion can't bear to be away from the grass-roots level of racing, and he has added another piece to his growing portfolio by acquiring the All Star Circuit of Champions Sprint Car Series -- one of the oldest, traveling sprint car organizations in the country. Stewart broke his leg in a 2013 sprint car accident in Iowa that has had lingering repercussions on his career. He missed the final 15 races of the NASCAR season, has had four surgeries on his right leg and faces a fifth to remove a titanium rod at the end of this year. -- AP