DENVER (AP) – Nene (neh-NAY’) scored 25 points, reserve Al
Harrington had 18 points and seven rebounds, and the Denver Nuggets
rolled to a 117-100 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
Ty Lawson had 15 points and Danilo Gallinari had 11 points and
five rebounds for the Nuggets, who have won their first two games
of the season by double digits.
Al Jefferson had 19 points and rookie Alec Burks had 15 points
for Utah, which was blown out for the second consecutive night.
Paul Millsap and C.J. Miles scored 13 each for the Jazz.
Nene played an efficient 24 minutes. He hit 10 of 13 shots, made
all five of his foul shots and pulled down seven rebounds.
He also sparked a decisive run in the first half that gave
Denver control of the game.
COLORADO ST-UTEP
Colorado State defeats UTEP 56-53
EL PASO, Texas (AP) – Wes Eikmeier scored 16 points and Will
Bell added 12 to lead Colorado State to a 56-53 win over UTEP in
the Sun Bowl Invitational on Wednesday night.
Pierce Hornung had eight points and eight rebounds for the Rams
(8-4), who play the winner of Wednesday’s later game between
Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Jacksonville State for the championship on
Thursday.
Eikmeier’s 3-pointer gave Colorado State a 56-50 lead with two
minutes remaining. C.J. Cooper hit from behind the arc for the
Miners (6-7) and had a potential game-tying 3-point shot with two
seconds left, but it missed.
Gabriel McCulley scored 13 points for UTEP. Cooper added 11
points and Michael Perez had 10.
The Rams have won six in a row over the Miners, although the
former Western Athletic Conference rivals had not met since 1998.
MILITARY BOWL
Toledo holds off Air Force 42-41 in Military Bowl
WASHINGTON (AP) – Air Force’s attempt at a 2-point conversion
went awry with 52 seconds to play Wednesday, giving Toledo a 42-41
win in the Military Bowl.
Air Force lined up to kick the extra point after Zach Kauth’s
33-yard touchdown catch pulled the Falcons within a point. But
holder David Baska ran the option instead, and he was hit and
fumbled the ball out of bounds.
Bernard Reedy’s third touchdown of the game gave Toledo a 42-35
lead with 5:01 remaining. Reedy finished with a career-high 126
yards on four catches.
Toledo, from the Mid-American Conference, finishes the season at
9-4. The Rockets scored 40 or more points in each of their last six
games.
UNDATED (AP) – Toledo has its first postseason victory since
2005, hanging on to defeat Air Force 42-41 in the Military Bowl.
Also last night on the college gridiron, Texas took advantage of
five California turnovers en route to a 21-10 victory over the
Golden Bears in the Holiday Bowl.
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) – Six-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jason Taylor of
the Dolphins says Sunday’s game will be his last in the NFL. The
league’s active sacks leader has played 13 of his 15 pro seasons in
Miami. Taylor is sixth on the all-time sacks list with 139 1/2.
UNDATED (AP) – Two more teams were knocked from the Division I
unbeaten ranks last night: No. 4 Louisville lost to 12th-ranked
Georgetown 71-68 and 13th-ranked Indiana dropped an 80-65 decision
to No. 16 Michigan State. Syracuse and Baylor remain perfect with
victories, while fellow unbeatens Missouri and Murray State had the
night off.
BORMIO, Italy (AP) – Bode (BOH’-dee) Miller’s fifth-place finish
in today’s World Cup ski race in Italy boosts the American to the
top of the downhill standings. Olympic champion Didier Defago
(DIH’-dee-ay dih-FAH’-goh) was the winner.
LIENZ, Austria (AP) – Four-time U.S. Olympian Sarah Schlepper
wrapped up her 15-year World Cup career today with a ceremonial run
in a slalom race in Austria that was won by Marlies Schild
(mahr-LEES’ shild). Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States had the
fastest second run and finished in a career-best third place.
