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| AP Photo | Ted S. Warren Connecticut guard Kemba Walker (15) drives to the hoop as Gongaza guard Jeremy Pargo defends, in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday at KeyArena in Seattle. |
From The Associated Press
No. 2 UConn rallies past No. 8 Zags in OT
SEATTLE—A.J. Price scored a season-high 24 points — including the 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime — and Jerome Dyson scored six of his 21 points in the extra period to rally No. 2 Connecticut to a wild, 88-83 victory over eighth-ranked Gonzaga on Saturday.
Dyson and Price rallied the Huskies (10-0) from 11 points down with 12 minutes remaining inside sold-out KeyArena. The raucous scene reminded Seattle what big-time basketball was like in the arena before the NBA’s SuperSonics became awful, then moved to Oklahoma City last summer.
Steven Gray scored a career-high 23 points for the Bulldogs (8-2), who fought through the frustration and foul trouble of leading scorer Josh Heytvelt but still lost for the second time in three games.
Ravens beat Cowboys in Texas Stadium finale
IRVING, Texas— Dallas Cowboys fans and Hall of Famers came early and stayed late, making sure they savored every bit of the 313th and last game at Texas Stadium.
The Baltimore Ravens will remember it fondly, too.
Willis McGahee ran 77 yards for a lead-stretching touchdown when things got tight late in the fourth quarter, then Le’Ron McClain topped that by going 83 yards for the real victory-clinching touchdown with 1:18 left, sending the Ravens past the Cowboys 33-24 Saturday night in a game both teams needed to boost their playoff chances.
ISU hires Paul Rhoads as football coach
DES MOINES, Iowa—After getting burned by Gene Chizik, Iowa State has turned to Iowan and former Cyclones assistant Paul Rhoads to revive a program that went 2-10 last season and didn’t win a Big 12 Conference game.
Iowa State hired Rhoads away from Auburn, which lured Chizik from Iowa State earlier this week.
Rhoads has never been a head coach. He spent last season as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator after having the same role for Pittsburgh from 2000-07. He was an assistant with the Cyclones under Dan McCarney from 1995-99.
Iowa State said Rhoads agreed to a five-year deal worth $5.75 million in guaranteed compensation, with incentives available to increase that total.
Valuev stops Holyfield by majority decision
ZURICH, Switzerland—Nikolai Valuev likely ended Evander Holyfield’s last chance at winning a fifth heavyweight title, narrowly defending his WBA title by majority decision on Saturday night.
The 46-year-old American, attempting to become the oldest heavyweight to win a major belt, started the fight by moving around the ring to neutralize Valuev’s long reach advantage.
The 7-foot Russian, the tallest and heaviest champion ever, struggled to close down Holyfield early but began asserting his jab as Holyfield tired.
One judged scored the bout a draw, while the others had Valuev winning 116-112 and 115-114.
“Of course I am disappointed,” Holyfield said. “I thought I had done enough to get the win. Now I have to go home and think about my future.”
Holyfield (42-10-2) had not fought since losing a one-sided decision to then-WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov over a year ago, and was much criticized for this latest comeback attempt. Some critics suggested he was putting his health at risk by fighting at such an advanced age.
Still, the “Real Deal” appeared in great shape for the fight and was never seriously hurt by Valuev (51-1), who has avoided the top heavyweights and did little to improve his standing in the division. He was vulnerable to Holyfield’s right hooks, many of which landed, even if the Russian also was never stunned.
BYU basket overturned, Sun Devils survive
GLENDALE, Ariz.—Referees overturned a basket by BYU’s Charles Abouo at the buzzer Saturday, preserving No. 20 Arizona State’s 77-76 come-from-behind victory over the previously unbeaten Cougars.
James Harden made the last of his 21 free throw attempts with nine seconds left to give Arizona State (9-1) its first lead of the second half. Harden scored 21 of his 30 points after halftime, and finished 16-of-21 at the line.
Jonathan Tavernari scored 24 for BYU (10-1). Jeff Pendergraph had 22 points and nine rebounds for the victorious Sun Devils.
Summers carries Spartans past Texas
HOUSTON—Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told Durrell Summers before Saturday’s game against Texas that he was disappointed in how the sophomore guard practiced the previous day.
Summers atoned in a big way, hitting a 3-pointer with 18.6 seconds left to lift the 19th-ranked Spartans to a 67-63 win over the fifth-ranked Longhorns at the Toyota Center.
Summers went 5-for-11 from the field and finished with 14 points. Goran Suton had 18 for the Spartans (8-2), who went 8-for-17 from the free-throw line and were outrebounded 37-34.
Suton was playing his second game since missing a month with a left knee injury. Izzo was hoping to get 15 minutes out of the 6-foot-10 senior, and got 26. Suton also had two rebounds and two steals.
No. 6 Duke cruises past No. 7 Xavier
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—Duke couldn’t play a much better first half. Xavier can’t play much worse than it did in the opening 20 minutes.
No. 6 Duke beat No. 7 Xavier 82-64 on Saturday, but don’t let the final score fool you. It was over at halftime when the Blue Devils were up by 31 points.
It never looked like a matchup of top 10 teams as the Blue Devils were ahead 22-3 before Xavier managed its first field goal, a layup by C.J. Anderson 5:54 into the game.
Everything Duke tried worked, whether it was 3-point shooting or drop passes close to the basket that turned a short jumper into a layup. Meanwhile, Xavier couldn’t get anything right as passes flew out of bounds and shots missed by a mile.
No. 2 UConn rallies past No. 8 Zags in OT
SEATTLE—A.J. Price scored a season-high 24 points — including the 3-pointer that sent the game into overtime — and Jerome Dyson scored six of his 21 points in the extra period to rally No. 2 Connecticut to a wild, 88-83 victory over eighth-ranked Gonzaga on Saturday.
Dyson and Price rallied the Huskies (10-0) from 11 points down with 12 minutes remaining inside sold-out KeyArena. The raucous scene reminded Seattle what big-time basketball was like in the arena before the NBA’s SuperSonics became awful, then moved to Oklahoma City last summer.
Steven Gray scored a career-high 23 points for the Bulldogs (8-2), who fought through the frustration and foul trouble of leading scorer Josh Heytvelt but still lost for the second time in three games.
Ravens beat Cowboys in Texas Stadium finale
IRVING, Texas— Dallas Cowboys fans and Hall of Famers came early and stayed late, making sure they savored every bit of the 313th and last game at Texas Stadium.
The Baltimore Ravens will remember it fondly, too.
Willis McGahee ran 77 yards for a lead-stretching touchdown when things got tight late in the fourth quarter, then Le’Ron McClain topped that by going 83 yards for the real victory-clinching touchdown with 1:18 left, sending the Ravens past the Cowboys 33-24 Saturday night in a game both teams needed to boost their playoff chances.
ISU hires Paul Rhoads as football coach
DES MOINES, Iowa—After getting burned by Gene Chizik, Iowa State has turned to Iowan and former Cyclones assistant Paul Rhoads to revive a program that went 2-10 last season and didn’t win a Big 12 Conference game.
Iowa State hired Rhoads away from Auburn, which lured Chizik from Iowa State earlier this week.
Rhoads has never been a head coach. He spent last season as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator after having the same role for Pittsburgh from 2000-07. He was an assistant with the Cyclones under Dan McCarney from 1995-99.
Iowa State said Rhoads agreed to a five-year deal worth $5.75 million in guaranteed compensation, with incentives available to increase that total.
Valuev stops Holyfield by majority decision
ZURICH, Switzerland—Nikolai Valuev likely ended Evander Holyfield’s last chance at winning a fifth heavyweight title, narrowly defending his WBA title by majority decision on Saturday night.
The 46-year-old American, attempting to become the oldest heavyweight to win a major belt, started the fight by moving around the ring to neutralize Valuev’s long reach advantage.
The 7-foot Russian, the tallest and heaviest champion ever, struggled to close down Holyfield early but began asserting his jab as Holyfield tired.
One judged scored the bout a draw, while the others had Valuev winning 116-112 and 115-114.
“Of course I am disappointed,” Holyfield said. “I thought I had done enough to get the win. Now I have to go home and think about my future.”
Holyfield (42-10-2) had not fought since losing a one-sided decision to then-WBO champion Sultan Ibragimov over a year ago, and was much criticized for this latest comeback attempt. Some critics suggested he was putting his health at risk by fighting at such an advanced age.
Still, the “Real Deal” appeared in great shape for the fight and was never seriously hurt by Valuev (51-1), who has avoided the top heavyweights and did little to improve his standing in the division. He was vulnerable to Holyfield’s right hooks, many of which landed, even if the Russian also was never stunned.
BYU basket overturned, Sun Devils survive
GLENDALE, Ariz.—Referees overturned a basket by BYU’s Charles Abouo at the buzzer Saturday, preserving No. 20 Arizona State’s 77-76 come-from-behind victory over the previously unbeaten Cougars.
James Harden made the last of his 21 free throw attempts with nine seconds left to give Arizona State (9-1) its first lead of the second half. Harden scored 21 of his 30 points after halftime, and finished 16-of-21 at the line.
Jonathan Tavernari scored 24 for BYU (10-1). Jeff Pendergraph had 22 points and nine rebounds for the victorious Sun Devils.
Summers carries Spartans past Texas
HOUSTON—Michigan State coach Tom Izzo told Durrell Summers before Saturday’s game against Texas that he was disappointed in how the sophomore guard practiced the previous day.
Summers atoned in a big way, hitting a 3-pointer with 18.6 seconds left to lift the 19th-ranked Spartans to a 67-63 win over the fifth-ranked Longhorns at the Toyota Center.
Summers went 5-for-11 from the field and finished with 14 points. Goran Suton had 18 for the Spartans (8-2), who went 8-for-17 from the free-throw line and were outrebounded 37-34.
Suton was playing his second game since missing a month with a left knee injury. Izzo was hoping to get 15 minutes out of the 6-foot-10 senior, and got 26. Suton also had two rebounds and two steals.
No. 6 Duke cruises past No. 7 Xavier
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.—Duke couldn’t play a much better first half. Xavier can’t play much worse than it did in the opening 20 minutes.
No. 6 Duke beat No. 7 Xavier 82-64 on Saturday, but don’t let the final score fool you. It was over at halftime when the Blue Devils were up by 31 points.
It never looked like a matchup of top 10 teams as the Blue Devils were ahead 22-3 before Xavier managed its first field goal, a layup by C.J. Anderson 5:54 into the game.
Everything Duke tried worked, whether it was 3-point shooting or drop passes close to the basket that turned a short jumper into a layup. Meanwhile, Xavier couldn’t get anything right as passes flew out of bounds and shots missed by a mile.
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