HORNETS-PELICANS
Davis powers Pelicans past Hornets 100-91
NEW ORLEANS (AP) β Anthony Davis had 24 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks, and the New Orleans Pelicans beat the Charlotte Hornets 100-91 on Tuesday night.
Tyreke Evans added 16 points and 10 rebounds in New Orleans’ first victory since its season opener. Ryan Anderson scored 16 points and Austin Rivers had 12, helping the Pelicans bounce back from Monday night’s 93-81 loss at Memphis.
The Pelicans (2-2) shot 46 percent and outscored Charlotte by 10 points in the second half when they turned the ball over just three times.
Charlotte (1-3) played without starting forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who bruised his ribs in a 96-93 loss at New York on Sunday. Al Jefferson led the Hornets with 20 points.
HURRICANES-BLUE JACKETS
Ward makes early lead stand for Hurricanes, 4-2
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) β Zach Boychuk, Riley Nash, Justin Faulk and Eric Staal scored in the Carolina Hurricanes’ 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
The Hurricanes, who started 0-6-2, have won three in a row. Cam Ward made 17 saves.
Nick Foligno scored twice for the injury-riddled Blue Jackets, who have lost six in a row. His jam shot with 5:23 left cut the lead to 3-2. Columbus threatened to tie it, but Ward stopped Scott Hartnell’s point-blank shot and Ryan Johansen’s rush.
Curtis McElhenny, the backup to the injured Sergei Bobrovsky, stopped 33 shots.
The Blue Jackets last lost six in a row (0-5-1) from Jan. 19-Feb. 1, 2013. They haven’t lost six straight in regulation since Nov. 10-20, 2006. Coach Gerard Gallant was fired three days later.
NASCAR-FIGHT PENALTIES
NASCAR penalizes 6 Hendrick crew members for fight
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gordon have avoided any penalty from NASCAR for their post-race altercation at Texas, but two crew chiefs and four crew members from Hendrick Motorsports have been punished for their roles in the brawl.
NASCAR suspended three Hendrick crew members for six races on Tuesday and fined them each $25,000. A fourth Hendrick crew member was fined $10,000 and suspended for three races.
Gordon crew chief Alan Gustafson and Kasey Kahne crew chief Kenny Francis were each fined $50,000 and placed on probation for six races.
Hendrick Motorsports said it would not appeal, and the punished team members would not face further sanctions from the organization.
The fight began when Gordon confronted Keselowski on pit road after the race.
NASCAR-HAMLIN-KESELOWSKI
Hamlin: Most drivers don’t respect Keselowski
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) β Denny Hamlin says most drivers don’t respect Brad Keselowski, and it’s over the lack of remorse he shows for his aggressive driving.
Hamlin also says the consensus is that Keselowski did not have enough space to attempt a pass of Jeff Gordon in the closing laps at Texas.
Keselowski’s bid to squeeze his car through a gap between Gordon and Jimmie Johnson after a restart led to contact between Gordon and Keselowski. It caused Gordon to spin after his tire went down, and he went from racing for the win to a 29th-place finish Sunday.
Gordon confronted Keselowski on pit road, and Kevin Harvick shoved Keselowski from behind to trigger a brawl between teams that left both Gordon and Keselowski slightly bloodied.
T25-CLEMSON-BACK TO WORK
Coach: QB Watson ready to play for No. 19 Clemson
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) β Injured quarterback Deshaun Watson is healthy enough to return for No. 19 Clemson, although Tigers coach Dabo Swinney says he might not use the freshman against Wake Forest on Thursday night.
Watson has missed the past two games for Clemson (6-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) with a broken bone in his right, throwing hand. Swinney said Tuesday that Watson’s condition improved greatly during the team’s bye week, that he was throwing the ball strongly and was ready to play should the Tigers need him against the Demon Deacons (2-6, 0-4). Watson is expected to start Nov. 15 when Clemson (No. 21 College Football Playoff) plays at Georgia Tech.
Senior Cole Stoudt will start his third consecutive game after leading the Tigers to wins over Louisville, Boston College and Syracuse.
S CAROLINA-RODGERS
Freshman Na’Ty Rodgers back with South Carolina
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) β South Carolina’s Na’Ty Rodgers is back with the Gamecocks after coach Steve Spurrier had said the redshirt freshman was no longer with the team and seeking to transfer.
Spurrier said Sunday that Rodgers had trouble adhering to team polices and both coach and player thought it was a good idea to look elsewhere to continue playing. But Rodgers spoke with South Carolina coaches Monday and all decided he’d return.
Defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward said Rodgers had moved from offensive line to defensive tackle, working out with that group during South Carolina’s off week.
Rodgers is a 6-foot-5, 280-pound player from Waldorf, Maryland.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA
Stewart, Loyd headline AP preseason women’s team
UNDATED (AP) – Connecticut teammates Breanna Stewart and Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis headline The Associated Press’ preseason women’s All-America team for the second straight season.
They are the first teammates to twice be honored as preseason All-Americans.
Joining them on the squad announced Tuesday are Notre Dame’s Jewell Loyd, Duke’s Elizabeth Williams and South Carolina’s Tiffany Mitchell.
Stewart and Loyd received all 35 votes from a national media panel, becoming the 10th and 11th players to be unanimous selections. Chiney Ogwumike was a unanimous choice last season.
Stewart was the AP’s player of the year last season and is the only player returning from last season’s All-America team.
