Oregon State edges Pitt, 3-0
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The Associated Press - Published: January 1, 2009
EL PASO, Texas — Justin Kahut kicked a 44-yard field goal late in the first half and No. 24 Oregon State beat No. 18 Pittsburgh 3-0 Wednesday in a defensive struggle at the Sun Bowl.
The game included 20 punts and nine sacks. Pitt kicker Connor Lee tried a 58-yard field goal in the closing minutes but the ball, helped by a steady wind, dropped just short of the crossbar.
The Beavers (9-4) improved to 5-0 in bowls since coach Mike Riley began his second stint as their coach in 2003. Pitt (9-4) managed just 178 total yards.
It was the lowest-scoring Sun Bowl since a scoreless tie in 1940 between Catholic and Arizona State.
NBA
Pistons 83, Nets 75
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Allen Iverson scored 19 points, and Tayshaun Prince added 16 to help the undermanned Detroit Pistons win their fifth straight game, 83-75 over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday.
Both teams lost key players during the game. New Jersey's Vince Carter was ejected after for arguing a second-quarter call with referee Derrick Stafford, and Rasheed Wallace didn't play in the second half after injuring his foot in the first quarter.
Detroit's Richard Hamilton (groin) missed his third straight game, and Antonio McDyess sat out after injuring his ribs Monday in a win over Orlando.
Rookie Brook Lopez led the Nets with 23 points and 12 rebounds in their lowest-scoring game of the season. Devin Harris added 19 points.
Harris' three-point play made it 75-70 with 3:45 left, and Yi Jianlian followed with a hook to make it a three-point game.
Iverson, though, hit a pair of high-arcing jumpers and Detroit held on.
Magic 113, Bulls 94
CHICAGO — Rashard Lewis set the tone by scoring 16 of his 21 points in the first half and the Orlando Magic rolled over the Chicago Bulls 113-94 Wednesday for their eighth win in nine games.
Hedo Turkoglu added 18 points. Dwight Howard scored 15, and the Southeast division leaders came through with a dominant performance after their seven-game win streak ended in a six-point loss at Detroit on Monday.
Orlando took control as soon as the game started while sending the Bulls to their fourth loss in five games. The Magic led 33-17 after the first quarter, 65-38 at halftime, with Lewis and Howard leading the way.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Wisconsin 73,
No. 23 Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Wisconsin's hot shooting helped it avoid losing consecutive games for the first time in nearly two years.
Marcus Landry and Trevon Hughes each scored 16 points and the Badgers beat No. 23 Michigan 73-61 Wednesday in a Big Ten opener.
Jon Leuer added 12 points for the Badgers (10-3), coming off a five-point loss to then-No. 9 Texas last week. Wisconsin has not lost consecutive games since falling to Ohio State and Michigan State in February 2007.
"It answered a bunch of questions for us," Hughes said. "Obviously, it showed we can still play Wisconsin defense and take care of the ball. We shot over 50 percent and that's tremendous. Everything we threw up basically went in."
Freshman Zack Novak scored a season-high 20 points and DeShawn Sims had 14 for the Wolverines (10-3). Michigan had won five in a row.
BC 89, Sacred Heart 76
BOSTON — Boston College can certainly expect a different atmosphere in its next game.
Rakim Sanders scored 20 points and Tyrese Rice added 18 to lead BC to its ninth straight win, a 89-76 victory over Sacred Heart on Wednesday afternoon in front of a tiny, quiet crowd due to a snowstorm.
Josh Southern chipped in with 13 points and nine rebounds for the Eagles (12-2), who open Atlantic Coast Conference play at No. 1 North Carolina on Sunday.
"If you can't get pumped up for that game," BC coach Al Skinner said, after chastising his team for its lackadaisical play against Sacred Heart.
Pittsburgh 78, Rutgers 72.
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Sam Young had 18 points and Brad Wanamaker scored 13 of his career-high 15 in the second half as No. 3 Pittsburgh wore down Rutgers 78-72 Wednesday in the Big East opener for both teams.
The Panthers (13-0, 1-0) kept up their best start since going 15-0 in the 2005-06 season.
Rutgers led 55-50 midway through the second half. Wanamaker then scored five points in a 9-0 run as the Panthers pulled away.
Wanamaker led a bench that outscored Rutgers' reserves 31-9. Levance Fields and Gilbert Brown each had 11 points, Jermaine Dixon added 10 and Tyrell Biggs had 10 rebounds.
Mike Rosario had 22 points for Rutgers (9-5, 0-1). Anthony Farmer had 20 and Corey Chandler 17.
Duke 92,
Loyola of Maryland 51
DURHAM, N.C. — Kyle Singler scored 20 points to help fifth-ranked Duke beat Loyola of Maryland despite playing much of the game without starting point guard Nolan Smith.
Gerald Henderson added 19 points for the Blue Devils (11-1), who had no trouble winning their first game after an 11-day break for Christmas. But Duke lost Smith midway through the first half to an apparent left-knee injury, leaving the sophomore to spend most of the day sitting on the bench and wearing an ice bag on his knee.
NHL
Islanders 4, Panthers 2
UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Mike Comrie scored twice in New York's three-goal second period — first with his skate and then with his stick — and the Islanders beat the Florida Panthers 4-2 on Tuesday.
After Brett McLean gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead with 1:36 left in the first period, the Islanders took over.
Comrie stretched his goal streak to three games with the tying tally, and put New York in front later in the frame.
Sean Bergenheim added insurance in the final minute of the second, and defenseman Mark Streit scored a power-play goal in the third to give New York its first win over Florida since Dec. 9, 2006.
Joey MacDonald, subbing for a third straight game for oft-injured regular Rick DiPietro, made 27 saves for his 11th win of the season.
NASCAR
SMI buys Kentucky Speedway
SPARTA, Ky. — Speedway Motorsports Inc. purchased Kentucky Speedway, clearing the way for SMI owner Bruton Smith to try and bring a coveted NASCAR Sprint Cup race to the 1.5-mile tri-oval in northern Kentucky.
The deal was finalized Wednesday, more than seven months after SMI agreed to buy the track from the speedway ownership group led by Jerry Carroll. According to papers filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Smith agreed to pay $78.3 million for the speedway that cost $152 million to build.
The track joins a growing portfolio for SMI, which owns seven other NASCAR-sanctioned facilities, including Lowe's Motor Speedway.
"NASCAR has a great fanbase in Kentucky and the surrounding area, which is why we always look forward to racing there," NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "However, as we have said consistently there will be no consideration for a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series date until the pending lawsuit against NASCAR, ISC and SMI is resolved."
BASEBALL
Indians acquire DeRosa
CLEVELAND — After some debate and a trade, the Cleveland Indians have decided not to shift their infield.
The club acquired versatile infielder Mark DeRosa to place third base on Wednesday, trading three minor leaguers to the Chicago Cubs.
They dealt pitchers Jeff Stevens, Chris Archer and John Gaub for DeRosa, who played six different positions for the NL Central champions.
In Cleveland, he'll be the club's everyday third baseman and fill in occasionally in the outfield.
"We're going to take advantage of his versatility," Indians general manager Mark Shapiro said. "As the season unfolds, that's one of the many assists he can bring to the table."
The 33-year-old DeRosa hit a career-high 21 homers and drove in 87 runs last season in 149 games.
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