COLLEGE FOOTBALL-PAC 12 TITLE GAME
Ducks clobber Wildcats to win conference
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) β Third-ranked Oregon has staked its claim on a CFP semifinal berth, and Marcus Mariota (mar-ee-OH’-tah) took another step toward a possible Heisman Trophy.
Mariota ran for three touchdowns and threw for two others as the Ducks ripped eighth-ranked Arizona 51-13 in the Pac 12 title game in Santa Clara, Calif. He was 25 of 38 for 303 yards and no interceptions to help Oregon improve to 12-1 overall.
Darren Carrington and Charles Nelson each had over 100 receiving yards, and Royce Freeman had 21 carries for 114 yards in the rout.
Oregon finished with 640 total yards, including over 300 yards on the ground. The Ducks’ defense was equally effective, causing two turnovers and keeping the Wildcats under 200 total yards until late in the game.
The selection committee will announce the four-team playoff field Sunday, and Oregon is almost surely guaranteed a berth. The Ducks entered the week ranked second in the playoff rankings.
NBA-SCHEDULE
Six straight for Cavs…Wiz crush Nuggets
UNDATED (AP) β The San Antonio Spurs won for the ninth time in 10 games, while handing the Memphis Grizzlies their first home loss since last February 5.
Manu Ginobili (MAN’-oo jih-NOH’-blee) scored 17 points and Tim Duncan added a triple-double as the Spurs downed the Grizzlies 107-101. Duncan finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Spurs, who bounced back nicely from Wednesday’s loss at Brooklyn.
The Grizzlies had been 8-0 at home this season and had won their previous 22 games in Memphis. Marc Gasol (gah-SAHL’) led the Grizzlies with 28 points and 12 rebounds, while Mike Conley had 23 points and 10 assists.
Elsewhere in the NBA:
β LeBron James had 24 points and a season-high 13 assists as Cleveland downed the Eastern Conference-leading Toronto Raptors 105-91. Tristan Thompson set season highs with 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who are 11-6 following their sixth straight win.
β Phoenix ended the Mavericks’ five-game winning streak as Goran Dragic (DRAH’-gihch) had 28 points and a season-high 13 assists in the Suns’ 118-106 victory at Dallas. Markieff (MAHR’-keef) Morris provided 22 points and helped the Suns jump out to an 18-point lead in the first quarter.
β Kendall Marshall came off the bench and scored a season-high 20 points, including three big 3-pointers in the fourth quarter on Milwaukee’s 109-85 win over Miami. The Heat lost their third in a row despite Dwyane (dwayn) Wade’s 28 points.
β Houston pulled out a 114-112 at Minnesota on Nick Johnson’s driving layup with 0.8 seconds left in overtime. James Harden dropped in 38 points on 11 of 17 shooting and had six assists before fouling out late in the game.
β Washington posted its most lopsided victory of the season as Kris Humphries scored 20 points in a 119-89 romp over Denver. Rasual (rah-SOOL’) Butler and Kevin Seraphin each had 16 points in the Wizards’ fourth consecutive win.
β DeMarre Carroll scored 16 of his 18 points in the first half of Atlanta’s fifth straight win, a 98-75 rout of Brooklyn. Paul Millsap had 17 points for the Hawks, who led by as many as 32 before improving to 4-4 on the road and 12-6 overall.
β Russell Westbrook had 27 points on 8 of 14 shooting to lead Oklahoma City past Philadelphia 103-91. Serge Ibaka (ih-BAH’-kah) finished with 19 points and Jeremy Lamb 15 in the Thunder’s 11th straight win over the 1-18 76ers.
β Carl Landry banked in a jumper with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to give Sacramento a 102-101 win over Indiana and end the Kings’ four-game losing streak. Rudy Gay scored a game-high 27 points and Darren Collison added 20 to help the Kings climb back over .500.
β Tyler Zeller had season highs of 24 points and 14 rebounds in Boston’s 113-96 win against the Los Angeles Lakers. Jeff Green scored 19 points and Jared Sullinger had 17 points and 13 rebounds in the Celtics’ second straight win since a five-game skid.
β Charlotte ended its 10-game skid by beating New York 103-102 on Kemba Walker’s buzzer-beating layup. Gerald Henderson scored a season-high 22 points for the Hornets, who blew a 20-point lead before handing the Knicks their seventh straight loss.
β It’s now an eight-game losing streak for Utah after Tobias Harris scored 22 points and Victor Oladipo (oh-lah-DEE’-poh) had 20 to lead Orlando’s 98-93 triumph over the Jazz. Harris made a 3-pointer from the corner and then converted a three-point play on a drive to give the Magic an 88-78 lead with 4:04 remaining.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL-T25 SCHEDULE
Wildcats knock off Longhorns
UNDATED (AP) β Top-ranked Kentucky finally played a tight game on Friday, but it also was one of their two-most impressive wins of the season.
Willie Cauley-Stein poured in a season-high 21 points and had 12 rebounds as the Wildcats beat sixth-ranked Texas 63-51 to improve to 8-0. The game was tied at 26 heading into the second half before Cauley-Stein made several key plays during an 18-2 spurt. Cauley-Stein also added a free throw and a dunk after the Longhorns got back within five points with 1:44 remaining.
Dakari Johnson added 11 points to help the Wildcats win their SEC/Big 12 Challenge game.
In other top-25 finals:
β Anton Gill scored a career-high 15 points and Montrezl Harrell contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds to fifth-ranked Louisville’s 82-57 pounding of Florida International. The Cardinals forced 25 turnovers and scored 18 straight points in improving to 7-0.
β No. 11 Kansas trailed by as many as 18 points before a 25-4 run led the Jayhawks past Florida 71-65. Wayne Selden Jr. scored 21 points, while Cliff Alexander and Frank Mason each added 12 to help the Jayhawks improve to 6-2.
β Ryan Spangler scored a season-high 18 points and No. 22 Oklahoma won its SEC/Big 12 Challenge game by whipping Missouri 82-63. Buddy Hield had 17 points for the Sooners, who shot 57 percent from the field and made 10 of 20 3-pointers.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
QB Petty cleared to play against K-State…Kansas hires Beaty
UNDATED (AP) β Fifth-ranked Baylor is getting a boost for its regular-season home finale against ninth-ranked Kansas State tomorrow night.
Bryce Petty has been cleared to play in the Big 12 title game, one week after suffering a concussion in the Bears’ 48-46 win over Texas Tech. Petty was a full participant in practice Thursday, although he was still progressing through the concussion protocol. Baylor needs a victory to keep its CFP hopes alive.
Baylor is 10-1 overall, 7-1 in the Big 12 and ranked No. 6 in the College Football Playoff standings. It can make a strong case for inclusion in the new four-team national playoff with a win over K-State.
In other college football news:
β David Beaty is the new head football coach at Kansas after three seasons as Texas A&M’s receivers coach. He previously was on the Jayhawks staff as receivers coach under Mark Mangino and Turner Gill from 2008-09, and served as the team’s co-offensive coordinator in 2011. Beaty takes over a program that has occupied the Big 12 cellar since 2010 and won just three games this season.
β Nebraska has announced that it will pay newly-hired football coach Mike Riley $2.7 million a year for the next five seasons. Former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini was paid $3.1 million this year. Riley was 93-80, with wins in six of eight bowl games during two stints totaling 14 years at Oregon State. The Beavers were 5-7 this season.
NFL-BEARS
Marshall ruled out for Chicago
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) β Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall has been ruled out for next Sunday’s home game against the Saints due to two fractured ribs and a lung injury. He suffered the injuries during Thursday night’s loss to Dallas.
A team spokesman says whether Marshall plays again this year will depend on further evaluation of his injuries.
Marshall has 61 catches for 721 yards and eight touchdowns for the Bears.
In other NFL news:
β The St. Louis Rams have signed punter John Hekker to a six-year contract extension, keeping him with the team through the 2020 season. The 24-year-old was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season. Hekker is sixth in the league this season with a net average of 41.4 yards per punt.
β Buffalo Bills backup receiver Mike Williams has been ruled out from playing against the Denver Broncos on Sunday because of a calf injury. The fifth-year player has been inactive in three of Buffalo’s past seven games. He’s not had a catch since an 8-yard reception in a 17-14 win at Detroit on Oct. 5.
MLB-TRADE
Three team deal worked out
UNDATED (AP) β The Tampa Bay Rays have named Kevin Cash as their new manager, replacing Joe Maddon.
The 37-year-old Tampa native has no previous managerial experience and served as Terry Francona’s bullpen coach in Cleveland the last two seasons. Cash becomes the youngest active manager in the majors and takes over a team that made the playoffs four of the past seven seasons before Maddon left to become the Chicago Cubs’ manager.
Also in the majors:
β The New York Yankees have made a couple of moves, signing lefty reliever Andrew Miller to a four-year, $36 million contract and obtaining shortstop Didi Gregorius (greh-GOHR’-ee-uhs) from Arizona as part of a three-team trade with the Tigers. Miller held opponents to a .153 average this year while going 5-5 with a 2.02 ERA for Boston and Baltimore. The Yankees sent pitcher Shane Greene to Detroit to acquire Gregorius, who hit .226 with six homers and 27 RBIs in 80 games this year.
β Washington Nationals outfielder Jayson Werth has been convicted of reckless driving and sentenced to 10 days in jail for driving his Porsche over 100 mph on the Capital Beltway earlier this year. Werth’s lawyer sought unsuccessfully to have the case tossed out, questioning the reliability of the trooper’s pacing of Werth.
NHL-SCHEDULE
Five straight for Hawks
UNDATED (AP) β The Chicago Blackhawks staged a third-period rally to earn their fifth straight win.
Brandon Saad (sahd) scored with 27 seconds left to give the Hawks a 4-3 triumph over the slumping Montreal Canadiens. Jonathan Toews (tayvz) tied it with a power-play goal early in the third period before Saad sent the Blackhawks to their eighth victory in nine games.
Brendan Gallagher’s one goal and one assist couldnt’ stop the Canadiens from losing for the fifth time in six games.
Elsewhere on ice:
β Third-period goals by Tim Jackman and Matt Belesky sent Anaheim past Minnesota 5-4. Ryan Kesler had two goals and an assist as the Ducks won their third in a row to regain the Western Conference lead, two points ahead of Vancouver.
β Bryan Little notched his second career hat trick and first in nearly six years to lead Winnipeg’s 6-2 assault of Colorado. Little completed his hat trick by scoring twice during a 32-second span early in the third period.
NHL-MAPLE LEAFS
Parros retires
TORONTO (AP) β Veteran forward George Parros has announced his retirement after nine NHL seasons. Known for his trademark mustache and long hair, Parros became a fan favorite for his tough style of play and protecting teammates on the ice. He made his biggest impact during his run of five-plus seasons with Anaheim, winning the 2007 Stanley Cup with the Ducks.
Parros also played for the Los Angeles Kings, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens during his career.
NHL-PENGUINS
Deal for Pens and Coyotes
PITTSBURGH (AP) β The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Rob Klinkhammer and a conditional draft pick from the Arizona Coyotes for defenseman Philip Samuelsson. Klinkhammer has three goals in 19 games for the Coyotes this season. Samuelsson, the 23-year-old son of longtime NHL defenseman Ulf Samuelsson, played in five games for the Penguins last season.
GOLF-HERO WORLD CHALLENGE
Spieth in front
WINDERMERE, Fla. (AP)β Jordan Spieth (SPEETH) was at 11 under par on the 18th hole of the second day of the Hero World Challenge golf tournament when play was suspended for the day. His closest competitor is Patrick Reed, who shot a 9-under 63 playing alongside Tiger Woods. Woods shot a 2-under 70 but remains in last place in the 18-player field.
A two-hour rain delay caused the incomplete round.
GOLF-BABOON SCARE
Donald jumps out of the way
SUN CITY, South Africa (AP) β Golfer Luke Donald got quite a scare during the second round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa. While lining up a shot playing partner Shane Lowry yelled for him to “watch out.” It was at that time that Donald saw a large baboon charging toward him from the adjoining wilderness.
The baboon wasn’t interested in Donald or his golf ball as it just kept running by the Englishman.
