Saturday, December 31, 2011

SPORTS - Cincinnati beats Vanderbilt 31-24 in Liberty Bowl (AP)

SPORTS - Cincinnati beats Vanderbilt 31-24 in Liberty Bowl (AP)
Dave Poulin, Rick Tocchet, Mathieu Schnieder AP – Dave Poulin, left, and Rick Tocchet, center, of the Philadelphia Flyers alumni team, talk with Mathieu …

PHILADELPHIA – Eric Lindros stepped out of the dugout and pointed his stick toward the stands.

Big E had his standing O.

With a packed Philadelphia crowd standing and roaring in appreciation, Lindros made a triumphant return to the city in a Philadelphia Flyers jersey, a bitter parting more than a decade ago forgotten from the moment No. 88 hit the ice for warmups.

The red reserved for the Phillies at Citizens Bank park gave way to 40,000 fans in Flyers orange — so many who paid just to see Lindros play in the alumni showcase, a prelude to Monday's Winter Classic between the Flyers and New York Rangers.

Lindros assisted on the first goal of the game, connecting with former Legion of Doom linemate John LeClair, to help the former Flyers beat the old-time Rangers 3-1 Saturday.

Lindros last appearance for the Flyers was in May 2000 when he was laid out by New Jersey's Scott Stevens in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals.

He would be traded 15 months later to the Rangers because of a nasty falling out with former general manager Bobby Clarke.

All was forgiven Saturday.

Lindros and Clarke, who won two Stanley Cups with the Flyers in the 1970s, chatted and skated together during warmups. Clarke received a huge ovation from the 45,808 fans who filled a reconfigured ballpark. After Lindros, the loudest cheers were reserved for goalie Bernie Parent. "Bernie! Bernie! Bernie!" echoed throughout the park for the affable goalie, who sparked the phrase in the `70s, "Only The Lord Saves More Than Bernie Parent."

Mark Messier, Brian Leetch, Adam Graves and Stephane Matteau were among the former Rangers who returned for this reunion, also having won the franchise's last Stanley Cup in 1994. Glenn Anderson scored in the second period for the Rangers. Mike Keenan coached the Rangers.

Shjon Podein and Mark Howe also scored for the Flyers and Pat Quinn was behind the bench.

Flyers founder and chairman Ed Snider dropped the puck for the ceremonial faceoff between Clarke and Messier.

Wins and goals hardly mattered Saturday.

This was all about Lindros' homecoming.

Lindros and the Flyers had been estranged since their breakup more than a decade ago. Lindros won a Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, made six All-Star teams, and led the Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals in 1997. His career was shortened by a series of concussions, and clashes with management paved his way out of town.

From the moment No. 88 peeked out of the Phillies' dugout, the crowd stood and started cheering. The fans went wild when Lindros took the long walk to the infield rink that stretched from first base to third base.

He raised his arms in triumph and broke into a wide smile after his feed to LeClair put the Flyers up 1-0. LeClair, Lindros and winger Mikael Renberg comprised the popular and productive Legion of Doom line in the 1990s that helped the Flyers out of their darkest era in franchise history and into the finals.

The game served as opening act for a week's worth of games. High school, college and minor league teams will play at Citizens Bank Park and there's an open skate for fans.

The start time was pushed back two hours to 3 p.m. for more ideal temperatures for the outdoor game.

The NHL expects Monday's game to start at it scheduled 1 p.m. time.

"We have a pretty big window to get the game in," said NHL Chief Operating Officer John Collins.

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SPORTS - Police car-SUV crash: Wife of Braves trainer dies (AP)

SPORTS - Police car-SUV crash: Wife of Braves trainer dies (AP)
Andrew Alberts, Matt Greene AP – Vancouver Canucks defenseman Andrew Alberts (41) moves in to fight with members of the Los Angeles Kings …

LOS ANGELES – Anze Kopitar ended a career-worst, 17-game goal drought less than five minutes after defenseman Matt Greene's go-ahead goal in the second period, and the Los Angeles Kings beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 Saturday night in the NHL's final game of 2011.

Coming off a 1-0 overtime loss at Winnipeg on Thursday with backup goalie Jonathan Bernier in net, the Kings began a six-game homestand with their fourth victory in six games since Darryl Sutter took over as coach.

Justin Williams had a goal and an assist, Brad Richardson also scored and Jonathan Quick made 27 saves. Rookie Andrei Loktionov had two assists.

Kevin Bieksa scored Vancouver's goal and Roberto Luongo stopped 29 shots. The Canucks, who came in with the league's best percentage on the power play, were 0 for 4 — including a four-minute stretch of the second period after Kings center Mike Richards was sent off for cutting Ryan Kesler with a high stick.

Green put the Kings ahead 2-1 at 8:20 of the second with a one-timer from the right point after getting a pass from Loktionov. Kopitar added his 11th goal at 13:08, slipping behind the defense with a short pass from Williams and putting a nice deke on Luongo before flipping the puck inside the right post with the three-time All-Star goalie spread-eagled on his stomach.

Williams ended the scoring on a power play, redirecting Jarret Stoll's wrist shot from the high slot at 9:33 of the third period while Daniel Sedin was off for hooking Stoll.

The Kings outshot Vancouver 15-7 through the opening period, but could do no better than a 1-all tie. The Canucks scored on their first shot on net, as Bieksa beat Quick to the stick side at the 3:06 mark with a one-timer from 35 feet after Sedin backhanded the puck to him in the slot.

Richardson tied it at 9:13 of the period, scoring on his second whack at the puck after teammate Trevor Lewis overskated the rebound of Loktionov's sharp-angle shot from the right of the net.

Richards had a great chance to give Los Angeles the lead with about 3 minutes left in the first, but his backhander from the right of the crease slid behind Luongo and off the left post after Vancouver's Sami Salo turned the puck over to Richards deep in the zone.

Notes: Henrik Sedin also got an assist on Bieksa's goal for his 46th point, giving him the league lead by one over Philadelphia's Claude Giroux. ... The Kings' previous nine games on New Year's Eve all were on the road. The last time they played at home was in 1991, when the Canucks got all of their goals in the third period against Daniel Berthiaume for a 5-3 win. ... Vancouver finished the calendar year 54-24-6, and the Kings were 43-29-11. ... Los Angeles has allowed just 11 goals over its last seven games following an 8-2 loss at Chicago. ... This was only the second time in 18 games that the Kings scored more than two goals in regulation. ... Despite Williams' goal, the Kings are 3 for 47 on the power play over their last 13 games. Their opponents are 2 for 47 during that same stretch. Los Angeles has killed off 26 straight short-handed situations. ... Kopitar had 49 shots on net during his 17-game drought, which began after his goal on Nov. 22 at St. Louis. ... The Kings have garnered 12 standings points in their last seven games after losing six of their previous seven.

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SPORTS - Ginobili leads Spurs past Jazz, 104-89 (AP)

SPORTS - Ginobili leads Spurs past Jazz, 104-89 (AP)
Rory McIlroy AP – FILE - This Sunday, June 19, 2011 file photo shows Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, looking at the …

LONDON – Northern Irish golf stars Darren Clarke and Rory McIlroy are among the sports figures honored by Queen Elizabeth II in her New Year list, after claiming their first major titles.

The 43-year-old Clarke was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire after ending his long wait for a major victory by winning the British Open at Royal St. George's.

"It is a great honor and a fantastic way to end a great year. I am very proud for me and my family," Clarke said. "It was a life-changing moment really and in many ways my feet have not touched the floor since. And now this."

Clarke lifted the claret jug weeks after the 22-year-old McIlroy's eight-shot victory in the U.S. Open at Congressional. The second-youngest major winner since 1934, McIlroy was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire.

"It is quite humbling to be included in such a list of worthy recipients," McIlroy said. "Many people on the honors list have made huge personal sacrifices and contributed significantly to society during their lives. I feel very fortunate to be in their company."

With less than seven months to go before the start of the 2012 Olympics in London, two men involved in the organization of the games received knighthoods.

Charles Allen, a board member on the London Organizing Committee, and John Armitt, the chairman of the Olympic Delivery Authority who is recognized for services to engineering and construction, both become sirs.

World taekwondo champion Sarah Stevenson, who will be one of Britain's leading medal prospects in London, received an MBE at the end of a year in which both her parents died.

Former Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to children and young people.

The 58-year-old Mansell is the president of UK Youth, a charity that provides tools to help build young people's self-esteem, aptitude and skills.

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SPORTS - Patriots QB Brady probable for finale versus Bills (AP)

SPORTS - Patriots QB Brady probable for finale versus Bills (AP)
Ben Malena AP – Texas A&M running back Ben Malena (23) celebrates his touchdown run against Northwestern during the second …

HOUSTON – Ryan Tannehill threw for 329 yards and a touchdown and Ben Malena ran for two more scores to lead Texas A&M to a 33-22 win over Northwestern on Saturday in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

Northwestern led 7-3 early in the second quarter before A&M reeled off 27 straight points to take a decisive lead and then fight off a late rally to capture its first bowl victory since 2001.

Texas A&M broke a five-game bowl losing streak in a win the team dedicated to fired coach Mike Sherman and offensive lineman Joseph Villavisencio, who was killed in a car accident last week.

Malena ran for 77 yards, filling in ably for Cyrus Gray, who missed his second straight game with a stress fracture in his left shoulder.

Northwestern hasn't won a bowl game since the 1949 Rose Bowl, a span of nine losses.

A&M won a bowl for the first time since a 28-9 victory over TCU after the 2001 season. That also came in Houston, when this game was called the Galleryfurniture.com bowl and played next door at the Astrodome.

The Aggies were up 30-7 before Brian Peters intercepted Tannehill early in the fourth quarter and the Wildcats took advantage of that mistake when Kain Colter scored on a 1-yard run for Northwestern's first points since early in the second quarter. The 2-point conversion left A&M ahead 30-15.

Colter found Tim Riley in the corner of the end zone for on a 2-yard touchdown pass to get Northwestern within 30-22 with less than six minutes remaining.

A&M responded with a clock-eating drive capped by a 31-yard field goal to secure the win. Senior Jeff Fuller, who has had a disappointing and injury-plagued year, had a key third down catch for 29 yards on that drive and finished with a season-high 119 yards receiving.

The Aggies were led by interim coach Tim DeRuyter in his last game at Texas A&M before leaving to become Fresno State's coach. The Aggies hired former Houston coach Kevin Sumlin earlier this month to replace Sherman, but he wasn't involved in bowl preparations.

Texas A&M wore helmet decals honoring Villavisencio, who died Dec. 22. The black and white decal, which says `Joey V.,' had his No. 67 and the Texas A&M logo. There was a moment of silence for Villavisencio before the game and fellow offensive lineman Danny Baker wore his number and greeted his father before the game.

Texas A&M erased a 7-3 second quarter deficit thanks to touchdowns by Malena and Fuller and a field goal by Randy Bullock to lead 20-7 at halftime.

Malena's second touchdown came on a 19-yard run early in the third quarter that made it 27-7. Another field goal by Bullock, this one from 47 yards, pushed A&M's advantage to 30-7.

The Wildcats alternated quarterbacks for much of the day with Dan Persa leading the more traditional offense and Colter directing the wildcat offense. But neither player could generate much offense while often under heavy pressure from the Aggies, who finished with eight sacks.

Texas A&M's offense got rolling in the second quarter when Tannehill found Ryan Swope, who was a high school running back, on a short pass that he took 37 yards to the 1. Swope tight-roped the sideline and avoided a half dozen tacklers before he was brought down.

Malena scored a play later to put A&M on top 10-7.

Northwestern took a 7-3 lead in the second quarter when Venric Mark scored 2-yard option run.

Mark provided another highlight for the Wildcats on a nifty 47-yard punt return where he spun away from a pair of tacklers before hurdling another one before being pushed out of bounds in the second half.

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SPORTS - Lindros shines in return to Philadelphia (AP)

SPORTS - Lindros shines in return to Philadelphia (AP)
Josh Howard, DeJuan Blair AP – San Antonio Spurs' DeJuan Blair, right, wrestles a rebound away from Utah Jazz's Josh Howard during the …

SAN ANTONIO – Manu Ginobili scored 23 points, 14 in the second quarter, to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 104-89 victory over the Utah Jazz on Saturday night.

Ginobili was 9 of 10 from the field, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range.

The win gave Spurs coach Gregg Popovich his 800th career coaching victory. He is the 14th coach to reach that milestone and third among active coaches behind George Karl (1038) and Rick Adelman (945).

DeJuan Blair had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Tony Parker added 14 points, and Tim Duncan 12 as San Antonio moved to 3-1.

Duncan continued to struggle to find his form. The 36-year-old forward followed up his 1-of-8 performance in Houston by going 4 of 13 from the field. He had nine rebounds.

Ginobili injected life to an offense that had gone cold in Thursday's 105-85 loss to the Houston Rockets. He began the Spurs' quick turnaround in the second period, scoring the first 11 points of the quarter. That propelled San Antonio on a 22-10 run that ended with Richard Jefferson hitting a 3-pointer with 5:26 left and gave the Spurs 17-point lead.

The Spurs were 7 of 8 from the 3-point line during the second period and were 10 and 16 for the game ( 63 percent).

Al Jefferson returned to the starting lineup for Utah, scoring 21 points with 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. Jefferson sat out Utah's 102-99 win over Philadelphia on Friday night with an inflamed right ankle.

But Utah shot just 35 percent (18 of 51) from the field and had only 11 assists.

San Antonio never trailed and built its largest lead at 27 points on Blair's basket with 9:52 left that made it 89-62.

Josh Howard, who flirted with signing with San Antonio earlier in the month before committing to the Jazz, had 18 points.

Forward Derrick Favors, who had a career-high 20 points in his first career start Friday, only had seven points.

Notes: Ginobili and Blair are the only Spurs to score 20 or more points in a game this season. ... Utah is 2-14 since the AT&T Center opened in 2002-2003 season.

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SPORTS - Paralympian eyes Olympic glory after "miracle" crash (Reuters)

SPORTS - Paralympian eyes Olympic glory after "miracle" crash (Reuters)

LONDON – Andrew Lloyd Webber says London's Olympic Games will force most of the capital's theaters to close for the summer.

Lloyd Webber said Friday the games will make it "very tough" for shows in London's West End and predicted that three major musicals would not play over the games.

The composer told BBC radio that the biggest hits — such as his own "The Phantom of the Opera" — would play over the games but that others would struggle to draw crowds.

He says advance bookings for West End shows were running at only 10 percent of their normal level.

Lloyd Weber's Really Useful Group owns seven London theaters. Others in the industry have predicted a slump in demand over the summer.

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SPORTS - Lesnar retires after first-round loss at UFC 141 (AP)

SPORTS - Lesnar retires after first-round loss at UFC 141 (AP)
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SPORTS - Andrew Lloyd Webber: Olympics will hit theaters (AP)

SPORTS - Andrew Lloyd Webber: Olympics will hit theaters (AP)
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SPORTS - Williams F1 co-founder steps down from board (AP)

SPORTS - Williams F1 co-founder steps down from board (AP)
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SPORTS - Pavlik pleads not guilty to drunken driving (AP)

SPORTS - Pavlik pleads not guilty to drunken driving (AP)
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SPORTS - Clarke, McIlroy honored by Queen after major wins (AP)

SPORTS - Clarke, McIlroy honored by Queen after major wins (AP)
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SPORTS - Kings beat Canucks 4-1 to open homestand (AP)

SPORTS - Kings beat Canucks 4-1 to open homestand (AP)
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SPORTS - Marshall leads No. 19 UNLV past Hawaii 74-69 (AP)

SPORTS - Marshall leads No. 19 UNLV past Hawaii 74-69 (AP)
Brock Lesnar AP – FILE - In this Oct. 23, 2010, file photo, Brock Lesnar faces Cain Velasquez in a UFC mixed martial arts …

LAS VEGAS – Brock Lesnar took one last kick to his stomach and crumpled at the side of the cage, unable to fight back when Alistair Overeem pounced.

Lesnar had been finished by a 6-foot-5 Dutch kick boxer in the first round at UFC 141. A few minutes later, the UFC's former heavyweight champion finished his own meteoric mixed martial arts career.

Lesnar retired from the UFC after Overeem stopped him with one vicious kick to the body at 2:26 of the first round in their heavyweight bout Friday night, leaving the UFC heading into 2012 without its biggest pay-per-view star.

"This is the last time you'll see me in the octagon," Lesnar said.

Largely thanks to his fame from a career in pro wrestling, the hulking Lesnar (5-3) played a significant role in expanding the UFC's profile and fan base over the past four years. He beat Randy Couture in 2008 to win the heavyweight title, defending it twice before losing the belt to Cain Velasquez last year.

But Lesnar has fought just three times in the past 2 1/2 years while dealing with bouts of a lower-intestinal ailment that nearly killed him. The accumulation of pain and rehabilitation finally undid Lesnar, whose famed strength and stubbornness couldn't overcome diverticulitis.

"I've had a really difficult couple of years with my disease, and I'm going to officially say tonight is the last time," Lesnar said.

Lesnar's return from a 14-month injury absence was a short, one-sided beating. After taking damage from two knee blows early on, he couldn't recover from a kick to the liver from Overeem (36-11), who made a stellar UFC debut despite getting cut near his right eye by a punch from Lesnar.

The 34-year-old Lesnar's announcement stunned fans who already realized he faced a difficult matchup in the UFC's traditional end-of-the-year event in its hometown. The matchup was a classic MMA clash of styles, with Lesnar's brute wrestling contrasting sharply with Overeem's vicious striking.

"I had no idea he would do that, (but) am I surprised? No," UFC President Dana White said. "Brock Lesnar has made a lot of money in his career and has achieved a lot of things. ... He brought a lot of excitement to the heavyweight division. What he accomplished in a short amount of time is amazing, but I get it. It doesn't shock me."

Overeem is three years younger but much more experienced than Lesnar, hurting the former champion at least twice earlier in the round while Lesnar failed in his attempt at a one-legged takedown.

"I promised my wife and my kids if I won this fight, I would get a title shot, and that would be my last fight," Lesnar said. "But if I lost tonight ... you've been great."

Overeem will get the next shot at UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos, who watched from a seat near the octagon.

Overeem is a champion kick boxer who has fought in multiple promotions over the past decade, winning titles in Dream and Strikeforce with nearly unbeatable striking and size. He joined the UFC in September, finally presenting his formidable skills and intimidating physique to the sport's largest audience.

"My experience in UFC was, it's huge," Overeem said. "I think it's like 100 times bigger than Strikeforce. K-1 (kick boxing) is big, but this is a lot bigger. I was a little bit blown away, still am. I loved every second of it."

White might have given an immediate title shot to Overeem if the timing had been better, but Dos Santos only claimed Velasquez's belt in early November. Overeem welcomed a debut against Lesnar, even guaranteeing a knockout in the first two rounds.

"First or second round, I promised," Overeem said.

Lesnar hadn't fought since losing his heavyweight belt to Velasquez in October 2010, cancelling a bout against Dos Santos last June in Vancouver after another flare-up of diverticulitis. The former NCAA wrestling champion and fake WWE wrestler kept his unparalleled popularity during his recovery, and Lesnar used the time off to modify both his diet and his standup game, attempting to improve his biggest weakness.

As it turned out, Lesnar couldn't improve enough to contend with the supremely skilled Overeem, who embraced Lesnar afterward.

The undercard at the MGM Grand Garden featured two upsets: Lightweight Nate Diaz won a bloody unanimous decision over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone with superior boxing, and Johny Hendricks stopped welterweight star Jon Fitch with one punch just 12 seconds into their bout.

In the co-main event, Diaz (15-7) backed up his tough talk and rude behavior in a fight that had the sellout crowd on its feet as he battered Cerrone, nearly a 3-to-1 favorite in the MGM Grand sportsbook, for most of the three-round standup fight.

Diaz, the brother of bad-boy welterweight Nick Diaz, picked apart Cerrone's defense for most of the fight, leaving Cerrone bloody after his first loss in seven fights since September 2010.

Cerrone (17-4) knocked down Diaz at least a half-dozen times with kicks and leg-whips, but Cerrone refused to fight Diaz on the ground, repeatedly allowing Diaz to get up.

The unusual strategy showed respect for Diaz's ground skills, but also minimized the importance of those knockdown shots in the eyes of the judges, who scored the bout 30-27 twice and 29-28 once, all for Diaz.

Hendricks (12-1) ascended to elite status with one sneaky left hook that caught Fitch (27-4-1) right on the button, flattening the favored San Jose fighter, whose return from a 10-month absence was stunningly brief. Hendricks, a two-time NCAA champion wrestler at Oklahoma State, completely stunned Fitch, who had lost just one fight since December 2002.

Early in the pay-per-view portion of the card, Swedish light heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson (13-1) stopped veteran Vladimir Matyushenko with a perfect left hand midway through the first round.

Unbeaten featherweight Jim Hettes got new fans' attention with a comprehensive thrashing of veteran Nam Phan, repeatedly threatening to finish the fight with strikes and ground work.

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SPORTS - Vikings CB Sapp cited for misdemeanor assault (AP)

SPORTS - Vikings CB Sapp cited for misdemeanor assault (AP)
Vander Joaquim, Mike Moser, Anthony Marshall AP – Hawaii center Vander Joaquim, right, shoots over UNLV forward Quintrell Thomas (1) and UNLV guard Anthony …

HONOLULU – If Vander Joaquim could've stayed on the floor a little more, the outcome might've been different for Hawaii.

Instead, Joaquim was limited by foul trouble and the Rainbow Warriors fell to No. 19 UNLV 74-69 Saturday night.

Joaquim, who picked up three fouls in just four minutes in the first half. He then scored 15 points in the second half for Hawaii (8-6).

Chace Stanback scored 11 of his 13 points in the first half and Anthony Marshall added 19 to lift UNLV (15-2) to its sixth straight win.

The Rebels now lead the all-time series, 22-9, including 10-7 in games in Honolulu. UNLV has won the last five meetings.

"I really, really wanted that one. I thought that was one we could get," Hawaii coach Gib Arnold said. "Give UNLV credit, I thought defensively, they were really good. They get a lot of credit for their offense, but they're actually a very good defensive team."

Despite shooting just 38 percent in the first half, UNLV held a 35-28 lead at the intermission. The second half saw the Rebels shoot 52 percent from the field, while the Rainbow Warriors shot just 34 percent for the game.

"We really have the luxury of not having to rely on one guy to carry us through the whole game," said Marshall, who also grabbed 13 rebounds. "Chace did it in the first half and then Mike Moser, myself, as well as some others carried us down the stretch. We're a ball club with a lot of veterans who have been playing for a long time now."

Moser finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Rebels.

Despite several runs by Hawaii that brought it within a basket in the second half, UNLV coach Dave Rice was pleased with the end result.

"Coming in, we knew that this would be a game that would be a tremendous challenge for us. Hawaii has played very well of late," Rice said. "They did a good job controlling us on offense. They did a good job with their transition defense, but it's a very good win. I told our guys after the game that we certainly could have done a lot better, but I'm proud of our effort and to be able to leave the island with a win is a good accomplishment for our team."

Hawaii took an early 5-1 lead before UNLV pulled ahead for good with an 8-0 run, capped by a Stanback's free-throw line jumper with 12:42 left in the first half.

The Rebels led 20-10 at the 8:36 mark in the first half after Moser hit a 3-pointer.

Hawaii cut the deficit to within a possession several times in the second half, but each time UNLV was able to answer.

UNLV senior forward Brice Massambra was helped off the court early in the second half after he caught an inadvertent forearm to the face.

NOTES: Hawaii, which had won three straight and six of its last seven, is now 1-1 against ranked opponents this season. The Rainbow Warriors beat then-No. 14 Xavier, 84-82, on Dec. 23. ... It was the first of three consecutive road games for the Rebels, who visit Cal State-Bakersfield on Thursday. This is the Rebels' best start since the 1992-93 season, when they began 16-2.

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SPORTS - Aggies get 33-22 win over Northwestern (AP)

SPORTS - Aggies get 33-22 win over Northwestern (AP)
George Winnm, Trey Wilson, Archibald Barnes AP – Cincinnati running back George Winn (32) outrushes Vanderbilt's Trey Wilson (8) and Archibald Barnes …

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Isaiah Pead ran for 149 yards and a touchdown, and Ralph David Abernathy IV's 90-yard kickoff return early in the fourth quarter put Cincinnati ahead to stay as the Bearcats edged Vanderbilt 31-24 on Saturday in the Liberty Bowl.

The Bearcats (10-3) capped the season with their third straight victory.

But the co-Big East Conference champs had to work to put away Vanderbilt (6-7), a team that tied for fourth in the Southeastern Conference, despite forcing three turnovers and coming up with two sacks. The Commodores led 21-17 when Abernathy became the first Cincinnati player to return a kickoff for a TD in the program's 13 bowl appearances.

Vandy's Archibald Barnes blocked Tony Miliano's 39-yard field goal with 3:58 left, giving the Commodores the ball with plenty of time to go ahead. Nick Temple picked off a Larry Smith pass with 3:15 remaining, and Pead sealed the victory with a 12-yard TD run with 1:52 left.

Pead was the game's MVP.

Vanderbilt kicked a 35-yard field goal with 35 seconds left, but the Bearcats recovered the onside kick to kneel down for the victory.

Abernathy is the grandson of the civil rights leader who was in Memphis with Martin Luther King when he was assassinated in 1968.

George Winn also scored on a 69-yard TD run when he replaced Pead, while the Big East Offensive Player of the Year fixed a broken chin strap.

Zach Collaros, playing for the first time since breaking his right ankle Nov. 12, threw a touchdown pass but was intercepted twice. He was just 12 of 29 for 80 yards passing, though he moved around well.

Vanderbilt missed notching only its second winning record since 1982 with the loss.

This was only the fifth bowl for the SEC's only private university yet the second in four seasons. But the Commodores had trouble getting their offense going to match a defense that came up with three sacks and two interceptions — both by Casey Hayward.

Smith replaced Jordan Rodgers at quarterback in the third quarter, and he threw for 142 yards, including a short pass to Chris Boyd that the receiver took 68 yards up the right sideline before pulling up lame and diving into the end zone for a 21-17 lead with 14:03 left that lasted only as long as Abernathy could sprint down field after the kickoff.

The Bearcats led 14-7 at halftime and couldn't take advantage of two Vanderbilt turnovers in the third quarter.

The Commodores first muffed the opening kickoff before Rodgers was intercepted by Camerron Cheatham. Rodgers, the younger brother of NFL Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, didn't play after that. Coach James Franklin turned to Smith, who started the Commodores' Music City Bowl win in 2008.

Smith nearly pulled it off. He drove the Commodores 52 yards with a couple of key passes to set up Jerron Seymour's 5-yard TD run with 3:53 left in the quarter to tie it up at 14-all.

Zac Stacy also ran for a TD.

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SPORTS - Padres get Quentin from White Sox for 2 prospects (AP)

SPORTS - Padres get Quentin from White Sox for 2 prospects (AP)
Tom Brady AP – New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady leaves the podium after a media availability at the NFL football …

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Tom Brady is listed as "probable" on the New England Patriots injury report for Sunday's regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills.

An injury to his left, non-throwing shoulder limited Brady's participation in practice Friday for a second straight day after he sat out practice on Wednesday. He stretched with his teammates during the brief period open to reporters Friday.

The "probable" designation means that there is a "virtual certainty" a player will be available for normal duty, according to the injury report.

Sixteen other Patriots who had limited participation Friday were listed as "questionable" for the game, meaning there is a 50-50 chance they won't play.

Asked what Brady was able to do Thursday, coach Bill Belichick said Friday: "Play quarterback, the usual thing." When asked if Wednesday was a planned day off for Brady, Belichick said he thought he had covered that topic.

The Patriots have said Wednesday's absence was not injury-related.

Comcast SportsNet has reported that Brady had X-rays to check for a separated left shoulder and was told he was "all set."

Offensive linemen Logan Mankins and Sebastian Vollmer were listed as "out" for Sunday's game.

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SPORTS - No. 13 Indiana rallies past No. 2 Ohio St. 74-70 (AP)

SPORTS - No. 13 Indiana rallies past No. 2 Ohio St. 74-70 (AP)
Christian Watford, Aaron Craft AP – Ohio State's Aaron Craft drives to the basket against Indiana's Christian Watford during the first half …

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Indiana did it again. Three weeks after upsetting No. 1 Kentucky, the Hoosiers took down No. 2 Ohio State.

Victor Oladipo scored the go-ahead basket with 36 seconds left Saturday and Jordan Hulls finished with 17 points, giving the No. 13 Hoosiers a 74-70 victory — the school's first-ever sweep of the nation's top two teams.

"They've been punking us the past couple years and we realized that," Oladipo said. "This year we had to go toe-to-toe with them."

The Hoosiers (13-1, 1-1 Big Ten) didn't back down.

Indiana became the ninth team since 1996-97 to beat No. 1 and No. 2 in the same season and joined Kansas in 2007-08 and Louisville in 2003-04 as the only teams over that span to achieve the feat in the same month. Against Kentucky, the Hoosiers needed a buzzer-beating 3-pointer from Christian Watford to win it.

On Saturday, the Hoosiers needed Oladipo's layup, three free throws from Hulls and Watford, a rebound from Watford and a steal from Oladipo in the final 36 seconds to seal it.

Ohio State (13-2, 1-1) was led by Aaron Craft with 16 points and Jared Sullinger with 15 points and nine rebounds, but it wasn't enough to extend their five-game winning streak or the school record six-game winning streak against the Hoosiers.

The Buckeyes spent most of the day buried in foul trouble, and never could quite dig themselves out.

They squandered an early 19-9 lead, watching the Hoosiers close the half by converting back-to-back turnovers into easy baskets. That gave Indiana a 33-32 lead.

It was the same story in the second half.

Ohio State looked as if it might pull away after taking a 44-41 lead with 15:33 left, but the continual foul problems allowed Indiana to hang around.

The Buckeyes took a 68-67 lead when Sullinger made the basket, drew the fifth foul on Cody Zeller and then capped it with a free throw.

Jones answered with a layup to make it 69-68 and then Ohio State's Deshaun Thomas made a 15-foot jumper to give the Buckeyes a one-point lead with 1:51 to go.

That's how it stayed until Hulls forced a turnover with a deflection, and Jones tossed the ball up the court to Oladipo for a layup and a 71-70 lead with 36 seconds left.

Ohio State called its final timeout to set up a play, but Craft's bounce pass went through the hands of Sam Thompson. Hulls made 1 of 2 free throws after getting fouled.

William Buford's 3-pointer would have given Ohio State the lead again with about 5 seconds to go, but Watford grabbed the errant shot and made two free throws to seal it.

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