Final Scores Sat Nov 15th, 2008

(Saturday, November 15th)

Final Score: (1) Alabama 32, Mississippi State 7

Tuscaloosa, AL - Javier Arenas’ exploits on special teams, which included an 80-yard punt return for a touchdown, helped top-ranked Alabama overcome a rather anemic offensive effort in the Crimson Tide’s 32-7 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Arenas finished with 153 yards on six punt returns, setting up another touchdown for the SEC West champions with a 46-yard return in the first half. John Parker Wilson was less than stellar, throwing for 148 yards on 10-of-17 efficiency while adding a rushing touchdown for Alabama (11-0, 7-0 SEC), which closes out its regular season November 29 at home against in-state rival Auburn in the Iron Bowl. Mark Ingram and Glen Coffee led the rushing attack with 78 and 71 yards on the ground, respectively, with Ingram posting a TD for the Tide, who will likely remain atop the Bowl Championship Series rankings and has a December 6 date with No. 3 Florida in the SEC title game standing in their way of a shot at the national championship. The Bulldogs had little success against a stout Alabama defense, as Tyson Lee passed for 132 yards and a touchdown on 11-of-28 attempts. Anthony Dixon was also stymied to the tune of 26 yards on 11 carries for Mississippi State (3-7, 1-5) which was coming off a bye after losing to Kentucky 14-13 and had beaten ‘Bama in its previous two meetings. Jamayel Smith accounted for MSU’s only touchdown on a 31-yard reception.

Final Score: (3) Florida 56, (24) South Carolina 6

Gainesville, FL - Percy Harvin rushed for a career-high 167 yards and two touchdowns on a mere eight carries, as No. 3 Florida further solidified itself as a national title contender with a 56-6 thumping of Steve Spurrier’s 24th-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. Tim Tebow rushed for a touchdown and threw two more while compiling 173 passing yards on 13- of-20 throws for Florida (9-1, 7-1 SEC), which closed out its conference schedule with six consecutive lopsided victories. After a home loss to Ole Miss on September 27, the Gators outscored their opponents, 299-63, a differential of 39.3 points per game. Jeffery Demps and Chris Rainey each scored while adding 43 and 55 yards on the ground, respectively, and Deonte Thompson caught three balls for 66 yards and a score for the Gators, who outgained the Gamecocks, 519-173. Before taking on top-ranked Alabama in a highly anticipated SEC title game on December 6, Florida has a tuneup with Citadel next Saturday before closing out its regular season against No. 20 Florida State. The quarterback carousel of Chris Smelley and Stephen Garcia failed to yield much offense for South Carolina (7-4, 4-4), which went 1- for-15 on third-down conversions en route to snapping a two-game win streak. Smelley threw for 92 yards on 13-of-24 passes with two interceptions, while Garcia hit 6-of-13 attempts for 28 yards and a pick. Eric Baker was the Gamecocks’ leading rusher with 23 yards on six carries, as former Gators coach Spurrier fell to 1-3 with South Carolina against his alma mater.

Final Score: (4) Texas 35, Kansas 7

Lawrence, KS - Colt McCoy threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns and also ran for 78 yards and another score, as fourth-ranked Texas rolled to a 35-7 victory over Kansas. The two touchdowns gave the quarterback 30 on the season, breaking his own school record of 29, set in 2006. His record as a starter now stands at 30-7, tying the record for wins as a Longhorns starter with Vince Young. McCoy was an efficient 24-of-34 through the air, with six of those completions going for 70 yards to Quan Cosby, who also caught a nine-yard scoring pass. Vondrell McGee and Chris Ogbonnaya each found the end zone via the ground game for Texas (10-1, 6-1 Big 12). Todd Reesing completed 25-of-50 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown for Kansas (6-5, 3-4). Dezmon Briscoe caught nine passes for 115 yards, and Johnathan Wilson added eight catches for 93 yards in defeat.

Final Score: (6) Southern California 45, Stanford 23

Stanford, CA - Mark Sanchez threw two touchdown passes and the Trojan ground game amassed 282 yards as sixth-ranked Southern California shook off a slow start with 28 second-half points to spoil the Stanford Cardinal upset bid with a 45-23 victory. Sanchez was 11-of-17 passing for 136 yards, but the rushing attack did most of the damage with Stafon Johnson leading the way with two TDs and 115 yards rushing on just 14 carries. C.J. Gable gained 85 yards on 14 attempts, scored on the ground and returned a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. The Trojans (9-1, 7-1 Pac-10) stayed in step with Pac-10 rival Oregon State in a heated race for the conference championship. OSU is in control of its own destiny for the Pac-10 title. The Beavers are 6-1 in the conference, but own both a game at hand over the Trojans and the tie-breaker due to their 27-21 upset of USC earlier this season. If the Beavers win out, they will be Pac-10 champions but that quest will be put to the test next Saturday with a road date in Tucson against Arizona before facing Oregon. USC is idle next weekend, hosts Notre Dame on November 29 and finishes the season December 6 in Los Angeles against UCLA. Saturday’s win was a measure of revenge for last season, when Stanford went to USC as 41-point underdogs, but came out with a 24-23 victory. Toby Gerhart ran for 101 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries while Anthony Kimble also scored on the ground for Stanford. Tavita Pritchard was intercepted once in completing 9-of-22 passes for 111 yards. The Cardinal (5-6, 4-4) fell short in their bid to post their first perfect home season since Bill Walsh’s 1977 team, having stood at 4-0. Stanford finishes off the season next Saturday with a road date in Berkeley against Cal, and needs one more victory to earn bowl eligibility.

Final Score: (7) Penn State 34, Indiana 7

University Park, PA - Derrick Williams ran for 61 yards with a touchdown and added 62 yards receiving with another score, as No. 7 Penn State pulled away for a 34-7 victory over Indiana on a dreary afternoon at Beaver Stadium. Daryll Clark completed 20-of-36 passes for 240 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for the Nittany Lions (10-1, 6-1 Big Ten), who are one victory away from at least a share of the conference crown and a BCS bowl berth. The Nittany Lions lost a chance at a national title after falling at Iowa, 24-23, last Saturday. Evan Royster carried the football 12 times for 63 yards and Clark added 26 yards on the ground. Deon Butler passed Bobby Engram for the most catches in school history as part of a five-catch, 56-yard, one-touchdown performance. The reliable hands of Jordan Norwood pulled in a team-best seven passes for 69 yards in the victory, Penn State’s 12th straight in the series. Kellen Lewis was on the run most of the afternoon, passing for just 57 yards on 9-of-21 passing for the Hoosiers (3-8, 1-6). Ironically enough, Indiana’s biggest play of the day — a 57-yard touchdown run by Marcus Thigpen — equaled Lewis’ game- long passing yardage. Thigpen ran for 72 yards overall in Indiana’s third straight setback.

Final Score: (8) Utah 63, San Diego State 14

San Diego, CA - Brian Johnson threw for 283 yards and a career-high five touchdowns as eighth-ranked Utah remained unbeaten with BCS aspirations following a 63-14 pounding of San Diego State. Johnson connected on 27-of-38 passes and was picked off once. Freddie Brown had 11 receptions for 110 yards and a pair of scores for the Utes (11-0, 7-0 MWC), who secured at least a share of the Mountain West Conference title. They will aim to finish the regular season unbeaten when they host nationally-ranked BYU next Saturday. Deshawn Richard returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns in a 70-second span in the fourth quarter. Matt Asiata gained 83 yards on the ground and scored for the Utes, who rolled up 520 yards of total offense. Ryan Lindley connected on 23-of-41 passes for 247 yards with two TDs and was picked off twice for San Diego State (1-10, 0-7), which dropped its seventh consecutive contest.

Final Score: (9) Boise State 45, Idaho 10

Moscow, ID - Jeremy Avery rushed for a career-high 156 yards and a pair of touchdowns on 11 carries, as the ninth-ranked Boise State Broncos routed the Idaho Vandals, 45-10, to keep their BCS hopes alive. Kellen Moore racked up 210 yards on 23-of-31 passing for the Broncos (10-0, 6-0 WAC), who clinched at least a share of the WAC title for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. Vinny Perretta and Ian Johnson also rushed for scores in the win. Jeremy Childs hauled in 11 balls for 99 yards. Nathan Enderle tallied 225 yards with a TD and two picks on 15-of-26 passing for the Vandals (2-9, 1-6), who have dropped two in a row and eight of nine overall. Daniel Hardy had four catches for 91 yards and a touchdown. Deonte’ Jackson was the leading rusher for Idaho with 53 yards on 15 touches.

Final Score: (10) Ohio State 30, Illinois 20

Champaign, IL - Chris Wells and Terrelle Pryor each ran for more than 100 yards with a touchdown, leading 10th-ranked Ohio State to a 30-20 victory over Illinois at Memorial Stadium. Wells finished with 143 yards on 24 carries and Pryor chipped in 110 on 13 attempts, as the Buckeyes churned out 305 yards on the ground. Ohio State (9-2, 6-1 Big Ten) has won two straight since its lone conference loss to Penn State. The Buckeyes can still earn at least a share of the Big Ten title for the fourth straight year with a victory next week at home against arch-rival Michigan, but would also need a Michigan State win at Penn State to earn a Rose Bowl berth. Juice Williams completed 17-of-26 passes for 192 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception for Illinois (5-6, 3-4), which has lost two straight and three of its last four. A loss in the season finale next week at Northwestern would make the Illini the first Big Ten school since Michigan in 1965 to have a losing record the year after a Rose Bowl appearance. The Illini pulled off one of the biggest upsets of 2007 with a 28-21 win over a top-ranked Buckeye squad in Columbus, but on Saturday could not duplicate last year’s success. Illinois has now lost seven straight home matchups with Ohio State and hasn’t beaten the Buckeyes in Champaign since 1991.

Final Score: (11) Oklahoma State 30, Colorado 17

Boulder, CO - Zac Robinson threw a 29-yard touchdown to Dez Bryant and ran for another, as 11th-ranked Oklahoma State slipped past Colorado, 30-17, at Folsom Field. Kendall Hunter collected 102 yards rushing and a touchdown on 11 carries while Robinson finished 15-of-23 passing for 217 yards with an interception but also ran for 61 yards on 15 rushes. Bryant hauled in four passes for 82 yards Brandon Pettigrew made seven receptions for 75 yards for the Cowboys (9-2, 5-2 Big 12), who opened the season with seven consecutive victories but have since fell victim to a grueling conference schedule with a pair of defeats in two of the previous three weeks. First came a four-point setback to then No. 1 Texas in Austin on October 25th and last weekend the Cowboys were trounced by No. 2 Texas Tech, 56-20. While a trip to the national title game is out of reach at this point, the Cowboys are still very much alive in the race for an at-large bid to a BCS bowl and will close out their regular season at home against bitter rival Oklahoma on November 29th. OSU is idle next weekend. Cody Hawkins completed 19-of-37 pass attempts for 171 yards and a score while Demetrius Sumler gained 86 yards on 22 carries with a touchdown. Scotty McKnight had four catches for 51 yards and a TD for the Buffaloes (5-6, 2-5), who halted a two-game slide last weekend with a 28-24 triumph over Iowa State. The Buffs still need one more victory to earn bowl eligibility and close out the season in Lincoln against Nebraska, November 28. Colorado is idle next weekend.

Final Score: (12) Missouri 52, Iowa State 20

Ames, IA - Chase Daniel completed 32-of-40 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns, as 12th-ranked Missouri defeated Iowa State, 52-20, to clinch the Big 12 North title and a spot in the conference championship game. Jeremy Maclin had eight catches for 103 yards and a touchdown, and Jimmy Jackson scored twice on the ground for Missouri (9-2, 5-2 Big 12), while Derrick Washington carried the ball 11 times for 128 yards and a pair of scores. Austen Arnaud registered 326 yards on 36-of-54 passing and two interceptions. Alexander Robinson led the Cyclones (2-9, 0-7) on the ground with 11 carries and 59 yards. Darius Darks had eight catches for 59 yards, and Derrick Catlett caught six balls for 69 yards, but the Cyclones lost their ninth straight game. Missouri outgained the Cyclones 479-444, but Iowa State posted 25 first downs to the Tigers’ 24.

Final Score: (13) Georgia 17, Auburn 13

Auburn, AL - Matthew Stafford threw a pair of touchdown passes and Knowshon Moreno ran for 131 yards, but 13th-ranked Georgia needed a last-minute defensive stop to pull out a 17-13 victory over Auburn at Jordan- Hare Stadium. Stafford completed 15-of-24 passes for 215 yards for the Bulldogs (9-2, 6-2 SEC), who have won two straight and will close the regular season on November 29 against Georgia Tech. Georgia’s only two losses have come against Alabama and Florida — two of the top three teams in the nation. Mario Fannin ran for a score and caught a touchdown pass from Kodi Burns, who threw for 179 yards on 16-of-30 passing in defeat. Auburn (5-6, 2-5), coming off last week’s victory over Tennessee-Martin of the FCS, has lost five of its last six and needs a victory on November 29 at Alabama in the Iron Bowl to qualify for a bowl game. The Tigers last failed to reach a bowl game in 1999 — Tommy Tuberville’s first season as head coach.

Final Score: (16) BYU 38, Air Force 24

Colorado Springs, CO - Max Hall threw a pair of touchdowns to Austin Collie, and Harvey Unga added two scores on the ground, as 16th-ranked BYU defeated Air Force, 38-24. Hall completed 28-of-37 passes for 354 yards and one interception for the Cougars (10-1, 6-1 MWC), who have won four straight and will close out the regular season on November 22 at Utah. Collie had 130 yards on seven receptions, while Dennis Pitta made nine grabs for 113. Unga rushed for 88 yards on 19 carries. Todd Newell amassed 116 yards rushing and scored a touchdown for the Falcons (8-3, 5-2), whose five-game winning streak was snapped. Tim Jefferson threw for only 98 yards on 12-of-20 passing and ran for 75 yards in defeat.

Final Score: Maryland 17, (17) North Carolina 15

College Park, MD - Obi Egekeze booted the game-winning field goal with 1:42 to play and the Maryland Terrapins downed the 17th-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels, 17-15, at Byrd Stadium. Maryland was trailing by a point when the team got the ball back with 10:25 to play in the game. Facing a 3rd-and-10 near midfield, Chris Turner found Ronnie Tyler for 18 yards for the third third-down conversion of the drive to that point. Then facing, a 4th-and-5 at the UNC 32, Turner kept it himself for nine yards to move the sticks. The drive faltered at the nine-yard line, but Egekeze hit a 26-yard field goal for a two-point lead with 1:42 to play. North Carolina had one last chance to retake the lead, but, on 3rd-and-22, Cameron Sexton was picked off by Jamari McCollough and Maryland killed off the clock to seal the win. Da’Rel Scott had 129 yards on 29 carries with a touchdown while Davin Meggett added 86 yards on 13 carries with a score for the Terrapins (7-3, 4-2 ACC), who have won three of their last four. Turner went 16-for-31 with 141 yards through the air. Sexton completed 10-of-24 passes for 166 yards and a score along with the pick, and Cooter Arnold had two catches for 64 yards and a touchdown for the Tar Heels (7-3, 3-3), who had won five of six coming into the game. Shaun Draughn had 13 carries for 46 yards.

Final Score: (19) LSU 40, Troy 31

Baton Rouge, LA - Charles Scott’s four-yard touchdown run with 4:50 remaining in the game climaxed an incredible comeback, as 19th- ranked LSU avoided a monumental upset by scoring 30 fourth-quarter points to beat the Troy Trojans, 40-31, at Tiger Stadium. Jarrett Lee threw for 216 yards on 20-of-34 passing with one touchdown and one interception as the Tigers (7-3) rallied from a 28-point deficit in the third quarter to complete the biggest comeback in school history. Scott ran for 90 yards on 24 carries and Brandon LaFell caught 12 passes for 126 yards and a score. The Trojans (6-4) led by as many as four touchdowns behind Levi Brown, who completed 34- of-72 attempts for 316 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. DuJuan Harris led Troy with 14 carries for 65 yards, and Jerrel Jernigan had 10 receptions for 63 yards.

Final Score: Boston College 27, (20) Florida State 17

Tallahassee, FL - Montel Harris ran for 121 yards and one touchdown on 25 carries, as Boston College notched a 27-17 win over 20th- ranked Florida State. Marcellus Bowman returned an interception 87 yards for a touchdown for the Golden Eagles (7-3, 3-3 ACC), who have won two in a row. Chris Crane threw for 181 yards and one TD on 14-of-26 passing, with one interception, in the win for BC. If Boston College goes on to defeat Wake Forest and Maryland — the school’s final two opponents of the season — it will represent the Atlantic Division in the ACC Championship game for the second-straight season. Christian Ponder threw for 183 yards on 15-of-31 completions for Florida State (7-3, 4-3), but was intercepted three times. He also ran for a touchdown. The Seminoles were without five players — all wide receivers — who head coach Bobby Bowden suspended on Friday for their apparent involvement in an on-campus fight earlier this week.

Final Score: (23) Oregon State 34, California 21

Corvallis, OR - James Rodgers rushed for a score and returned a kick 86 yards for a touchdown, while little brother Jacquizz Rodgers rushed for 144 yards on 27 carries with a score, as the Oregon State Beavers continued their march toward a Pac-10 title with a 34-21 victory over the California Bears. The 23rd-ranked Beavers (7-3, 6-1 Pac-10) have now posted five straight wins overall and six in a row against league foes, becoming bowl eligible for the eighth time in 10 years with last weekend’s 34-6 win over UCLA. OSU is in control of its own destiny for the Pac-10 title, as the school is at 6-1, with the Beavers owning both a game in hand over the Trojans and the tie-breaker due to their 27-21 upset of USC earlier this season. USC moved to 7-1 in conference play with a win against Stanford Saturday and is idle next weekend before hosting Note Dame and closing out the season in Los Angeles against UCLA. If the Beavers win out, they will be Pac-10 champions, but that quest will be put to the test next Saturday with a road date in Tucson against Arizona before facing Oregon to close out the season. Lyle Moevao connected on 14-of-28 pass attempts for 145 yards and an interception for Oregon State. Jahvid Best rushed for 116 yards and a TD on 15 carries for the Bears (6-4, 4-3), whose slim hopes for a shot at the Pac-10 championship were further dimmed with the loss, their second straight in league play and fourth consecutive defeat on the road. Kevin Riley was 11-of-25 passing for 117 yards with a TD and a pick for Cal.

Final Score: Houston 70, (25) Tulsa 30

Houston, TX - Case Keenum threw for a career-high six touchdowns to lead the Houston Cougars in a 70-30 rout of No. 25 Tulsa. Keenum threw for 402 yards on 24-of-37 passing and also rushed for 43 yards and another score for the Cougars (6-4, 5-1 Conference USA), who have won two in a row and five of six overall. Andre Kohn gained 25 yards on four carries with a score. Tyron Carrier had six grabs for 127 yards and a pair of scores and four kickoff returns for 142 yards with a score for Houston, which plays Texas-El Paso on November 22 and closes out the regular season on November 29 at Rice. Mark Hafner gained 93 yards on eight catches with a couple of touchdowns. L.J. Castile and Bryce Beall both had TD catches. Loyce Means had three picks defensively. David Johnson threw for 271 yards, four touchdowns and a pick on an 18-of-29 day for the Golden Hurricane (8-2, 5-1), who have lost two straight since an 8-0 start. Charles Clay, Slick Shelley and Brennan Marion each had a touchdown grab in the loss. Tulsa hosts Tulane on November 22 and plays at Marshall the following week to close out the regular season.

(Saturday, November 15th)

Final Score: Golden State 121, LA Clippers 103

Los Angeles, CA - In his first career start, undrafted rookie Anthony Morrow tallied 37 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Golden State Warriors to a 121-103 victory over the hapless Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Morrow, who didn’t appear in the team’s first six games and played a total of 40 minutes in the last three, hadn’t scored more than eight points in any game this season. He logged just under 42 minutes Saturday and shot 15-of-20 from the field. Stephen Jackson scored 20 points and dished out 10 assists for the Warriors, who have won two of three. Andris Biedrins recorded a double-double with 17 points and 16 rebounds, while Corey Maggette added 17 points in his first game since departing the Clippers organization in the offseason. Baron Davis led the Clippers with 25 points and 11 assists in his first game against the Warriors since leaving Golden State, and Cuttino Mobley scored 19 points for Los Angeles, which has dropped eight of nine to open the season. Chris Kaman and Marcus Camby each had a double-double, as Kaman had 15 points and 13 rebounds, while Camby recorded 12 points and 11 boards.

Final Score: New Jersey 119, Atlanta 107

Atlanta, GA - Devin Harris continued his strong play with 33 points and 10 assists, as the New Jersey Nets topped Atlanta, 119-107, sweeping the home-and-home set with the Hawks. Harris has scored at least 30 points in his last three games, but Saturday’s effort was his first double- double for the Nets, who won back-to-back games for the first time this season. Vince Carter finished with 29 points and moved into third place on the Nets’ all-time scoring list, passing Jason Kidd. Ryan Anderson was one of three bench players to reach double-figure scoring with 17 points; Jarvis Hayes and Keyon Dooling had 14 and 10 points, respectively, in the win. Joe Johnson had 31 points for the Hawks, who have lost three in a row since opening the season with six straight wins. Ronald Murray and Marvin Williams each scored 14 points for Atlanta.

Final Score: Philadelphia 110, Oklahoma City 85

Philadelphia, PA - Thaddeus Young scored 23 and Samuel Dalembert had 13 points and 16 rebounds, as the Philadelphia 76ers manhandled the Oklahoma City Thunder, 110-85, at the Wachovia Center. Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala both had 15 points and five assists for the Sixers, who have won a season-high three straight games. Andre Miller doled out nine assists and had four steals in the win. Jeff Green notched 21 points and four assists for the Thunder, who have dropped seven in a row. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant scored 13 points apiece. Johan Petro hauled in 12 boards in defeat.

Final Score: Cleveland 105, Utah 93

Cleveland, OH - LeBron James scored 38 points and doled out seven assists to help lead the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 105-93 victory over the Utah Jazz. Mo Williams added 20 points and four helpers for the Cavs, who have rattled off seven straight wins. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 16 points and Delonte West 12 in the win. Carlos Boozer gave 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists for the Jazz, who have dropped three straight and four of five since winning five consecutive games to start the season. Paul Millsap chipped in 15 points off the bench, while C.J. Miles and Ronnie Price ended with 12 each.

Final Score: Portland 88, Minnesota 83

Minnesota, MN - Brandon Roy led the way with 24 points, and the Portland Trail Blazers overcame a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves, 88-83, at Target Center. Greg Oden added a career- high 13 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots for the Blazers, who have won five of six. Steve Blake added 10 points, while Joel Przybilla also had 10 points and eight rebounds in the win. Al Jefferson scored a game-high 26 points for the Timberwolves, who have lost seven straight since winning their opener. Mike Miller and Randy Foye contributed 10 points apiece, while Kevin Love added eight points in the loss.

Final Score: Chicago 104, Indiana 91

Chicago, IL - Derrick Rose had 23 points and eight assists, and the Chicago Bulls defeated the Indiana Pacers by a 104-91 margin at United Center. Andres Nocioni had 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Ben Gordon added 19 points in the win for the Bulls, who finished out their five-game homestand with two wins. Luol Deng posted 17 points, and Larry Hughes scored 12 in the victory. Six Pacers scored in double figures, led by T.J. Ford with 16 points. Danny Granger posted 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, who have dropped two in a row after winning three straight. Radoslav Nesterovic and Troy Murphy each had a double-double for Indiana, with Nesterovic scoring 12 and grabbing 12 boards, while Murphy had 12 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.

Final Score: Houston 91, New Orleans 82

Houston, TX - Yao Ming scored 21 points, and Tracy McGrady added 18 points and nine rebounds as Houston beat New Orleans, 91-82. Luis Scola contributed 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Ron Artest ended with 10 points and seven assists. Von Wafer also scored 10 in the win, as the Rockets bounced back from a two-point loss at San Antonio on Friday. That was the finale of a 10-day road trip for the Rockets. Chris Paul had 12 points and 12 assists for the Hornets, but shot an awful 2-of-10 from the field. David West led the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds for New Orleans, which has lost two straight road contests. Tyson Chandler had 16 points and Devin Brown scored 13 in a reserve role.

Final Score: Boston 102, Milwaukee 97 (OT)

Milwaukee, WI - Ray Allen finished with 27 points and made four key free throws late in overtime, as the Boston Celtics pulled out a 102-97 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Paul Pierce led Boston with 28 points — including a 14-for-15 effort from the free-throw line. Kevin Garnett scored 15 before fouling out as the Celtics rebounded from a loss Friday to Denver. They have won seven of eight overall. Andrew Bogut led Milwaukee with 20 points despite not playing in the final four minutes of regulation and overtime. He was ejected with 3:58 left after receiving his second technical foul. Luke Ridnour finished with 19 points, which included the game-tying layup with 1.4 seconds in regulation, before also fouling out. The Bucks were coming off an overtime win over Memphis on Friday.

(Saturday, November 15th)

Final Score: (1) North Carolina 86, Penn 71

Chapel Hill, NC - Deon Thompson scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and top-ranked North Carolina survived Penn 86-71 in the season-opener for the wounded Tar Heels. Tyler Zeller scored 18 points, and Wayne Ellington had 13 points, five assists, and five rebounds for North Carolina (1-0), which won despite missing two starters to injuries. Star forward Tyler Hansbrough, the reigning national player of the year, hasn’t practiced in two weeks due to a stress reaction condition in his right shin. Marcus Ginyard will be out until mid-December after undergoing surgery on October 8th to repair a stress fracture in his left foot. Ty Lawson and Danny Green each scored 12 points for North Carolina, which returns to the court on Tuesday night in Chapel Hill against Kentucky. Ed Davis had 10 points and 14 rebounds for the Tar Heels. Tyler Bernardini poured in 26 points to lead the Quakers (0-1), who stayed within striking distance throughout the game, vastly improving on last season’s matchup between the squads, a 106-71 Tar Heels victory.

Final Score: (10) Gonzaga 83, Montana State-Billings 52

Spokane, WA - Austin Daye had 15 points and 12 rebounds, as 10th-ranked Gonzaga crushed Montana State-Billings, 83-52, in the season opener for both teams. Josh Heytvelt had 15 points and eight rebounds, while Matt Bouldin added 12 points for the Bulldogs (1-0), who scored 28 points off of turnovers. Michael Hall led all scorers with 24 points, while Brad Hodge added eight points for the Yellow Jackets (0-1), who shot just 32.7 percent from the floor.

Final Score: (13) Memphis 90, Fairfield 63

Memphis, TN - Tyreke Evans scored 19 points and had five rebounds, as the 13th-ranked Memphis Tigers opened their 2008-09 season with a 90-63 rout of Fairfield. Shawn Taggart recorded a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Tigers (1-0), who are coming off a solid 2007-08 campaign, which saw Memphis win 38 games against just two defeats. Unfortunately, the second loss occurred in last year’s national title game against Kansas. Doneal Mack collected 14 points, while Antonio Anderson added 12 points and dished out seven assists for Memphis. Warren Edney poured in a game-best 24 points for Fairfield (0-1), which posted a 14-16 record last year. Jonathan Han had 18 points and seven assists in a losing effort.

Final Score: (14) Tennessee 114, Chattanooga 75

Knoxville, TN - Tyler Smith scored 21 points and Cameron Tatum added 19 as 14th-ranked Tennessee opened its 2008-09 campaign with a 114-75 thrashing of Chattanooga. Scotty Hopson scored 17 points and Wayne Chism had 14 points and 13 boards for the Volunteers (1-0), who won their 33rd straight home game, tying the longest home winning streak in school history. The Vols also won 33 straight home games from January 3, 1966, to February 3, 1968. Bobby Maze had 12 points and 10 assists and J.P. Prince had 14 points for Tennessee, which is looking to reload after losing its top two scorers — Chris Lofton and JaJuan Smith — from last year’s Southeastern Conference championship team. Stephen McDowell scored 20 points for the Mocs, who only lost by six to the heavily favored Vols last season, but did not put up as tough a fight this time around. Nicchaeus Doaks had 16 points and nine rebounds, and Ty Patterson also scored 16 for Chattanooga, which returns three starters from last year’s squad, which finished 18-13 — 13-7 in the Southern Conference.

Final Score: (17) Miami-Florida 96, Florida Southern 60

Coral Gables, FL - Dwayne Collins scored 18 points and pulled down 16 rebounds as 17th-ranked Miami-Florida began its season with a 96-60 rout of Florida Southern at the BankUnited Center. Jack McClinton also scored 18 and backcourt mate Eddie Rios tallied 17 for the Hurricanes (1-0), who have won 16 straight season openers. Brian Asbury had 13 points and seven rebounds, while Cyrus McGowan finished with seven points and 10 boards in the win. John Thompson was the lone player in double figures for Florida Southern (3-1) with 10 points. The Moccasins shot 28.4 percent from the field and were dominated on the glass by a 56-37 count. The Moccasins, ranked No. 2 among NCAA Division II men’s basketball programs, won three games on a neutral court to claim last weekend’s Disney Classic, but were no match for the Hurricanes.

Final Score: (18) Southern California 78, UC Irvine 55

Los Angeles, CA - Dwight Lewis scored 18 points and Taj Gibson added 17 with six rebounds and five blocked shots, as 18th-ranked Southern California opened its season with a 78-55 victory over Cal-Irvine at the Galen Center. The Trojans (1-0) come off a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament a year ago with freshman O.J. Mayo leading the way. Mayo left after just one year for the NBA, but another talented freshman, DeMar DeRozan, stepped in Saturday and scored 14 points in his first collegiate game. Darren Moore scored 16 points and Brett Lauer added 12 for Cal-Irvine (0-1), which has just two starters returning from last year’s team that went 18-16 and reached the Big West Tournament title game for the first time in 14 years.

(Saturday, November 15th)

Final Score: Philadelphia 2, Montreal 1

Montreal, QC - Martin Biron made 24 saves and the Philadelphia Flyers snapped a seven-game losing streak against Montreal with a 2-1 win over the Canadiens at the Bell Centre. Scottie Upshall and Jeff Carter each scored a goal for the Flyers, who last defeated Montreal in the regular season on November 25, 2006. Mike Richards and Simon Gagne had the primary assists for Philadelphia, which had dropped four of five coming into the game. Alex Tanguay scored the lone goal while Jaroslav Halak made 29 saves in the loss for the Canadiens, who have dropped four of five.

Final Score: New Jersey 6, Washington 5 (SO)

Newark, NJ - Zach Parise scored the winning goal in the shootout and the New Jersey Devils, who surrendered the tying goal to Alexander Ovechkin with one second left in regulation, recovered to beat Washington, 6-5, at the Prudential Center and split a home-and-home set. The Capitals posted a 3-1 win Friday in Washington. New Jersey goaltender Scott Clemmensen made a glove save on Viktor Kozlov to begin the shootout. Parise then beat Jose Theodore on a backhand-forehand deke. After a scoreless second round, Clemmensen poke-checked an unsuspecting Boyd Gordon to preserve the win. Patrik Elias registered two goals and an assist for the Devils, who snapped a four-game losing streak. Travis Zajac collected three assists, while Parise recorded two helpers. Clemmensen made 25 saves and picked up his first win since January 1, 2008. Nicklas Backstrom had a goal and four assists to lead the Caps, who saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. Ovechkin finished with two goals and an assist, while Kozlov scored a goal and assisted on another. Theodore allowed five goals on 33 shots in defeat.

Final Score: NY Islanders 3, Ottawa 2

Uniondale, NY - Jon Sim recorded a goal and an assist, and the New York Islanders fended off Ottawa, 3-2, to complete a home-and-home sweep of the Senators. Joey MacDonald continued to fill in admirably for the injured Rick DiPietro, as he stopped 38-of-40 shots for the Islanders, who had lost three straight before taking two in a row from Ottawa. Sean Bergenheim and Chris Campoli each scored for the victors. Dany Heatley had a goal and an assist and Jason Spezza also lit the lamp for Ottawa, which has lost four consecutive contests. Alex Auld allowed three goals on 31 shots in defeat.

Final Score: NY Rangers 3, Boston 2 (SO)

New York, NY - Chris Drury scored the game-winning goal in the fourth round of the shootout, and the New York Rangers used a fierce third period rally to down the Boston Bruins, 3-2, at Madison Square Garden. With the shootout scoreless after three rounds, Drury took a wrist shot in the slot. It caught goaltender Tim Thomas off guard, and the puck went right through his legs for the goal. Patrice Bergeron had a chance to tie the shootout for the Bruins, and the referees originally claimed that he had scored. But the replay clearly showed that the puck went off Henrik Lundqvist’s right skate and hit the left post, staying out of the net. Nigel Dawes and Markus Naslund scored for the Rangers, who have won two straight. Lundqvist allowed two goals on 25 shots. New York was awful on its power-play despite the victory, failing on all six chances it had, including two 5-on-3 opportunities. Thomas stopped 29-of-31 shots for the Bruins, who had a five-game winning streak snapped. Zdeno Chara and Dennis Wideman provided Boston’s offense, while Marc Savard tallied two helpers in the loss.

Final Score: Vancouver 4, Toronto 2

Vancouver, BC - Roberto Luongo halted 28-of-30 Toronto shots as the Vancouver Canucks downed the Maple Leafs, 4-2, at General Motors Place. Kyle Wellwood, Ryan Kesler, Willie Mitchell and Daniel Sedin each notched goals for Vancouver, which had a three-game winning streak snapped with a shootout loss to Colorado Wednesday. Pavol Demitra, who had missed the previous 10 games with a rib contusion, had three assists. The loss also marked the end of an incredible stretch for Luongo, who entered against the Avalanche with three straight shutouts and eclipsed his own franchise- record scoreless streak by blanking Colorado over the first 41:28 to reach 242 minutes and 36 seconds of scoreless hockey. The Canucks polished off of a season-high, six-game homestand at 4-1-1 and are now 6-2-1 as the host this season. Ian White and Matt Stajan had the Leafs’ scores as Toronto completed a three- game tour of western Canada at 1-2 and has claimed victory only twice in its last seven games overall. Vesa Toskala surrendered four goals on nine shots and was lifted in the second period in favor of Curtis Joseph, who stopped all six of Vancouver’s shots thereafter. The Maple Leafs next head back to Toronto for a three-game homestand, starting Monday against Boston.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 5, Buffalo 2

Pittsburgh, PA - Evgeni Malkin had a goal and three assists and Jordan Staal scored twice, as the Penguins ripped off four unanswered goals in the latter half of the third period to come away with a 5-2 victory over Buffalo at Mellon Arena. Alex Goligoski and Ruslan Fedotenko each had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who have won six in a row. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 21-of-23 shots in the come-from-behind win. Ryan Miller was solid through 2 1/2 periods but wound up surrendering four goals on 24 shots in the loss for Buffalo, which has dropped four of its last five. Thomas Vanek kept up his terrific season with another goal while Jason Pominville scored for the third straight game in the setback.

Final Score: Minnesota 3, Columbus 2 (SO)

St. Paul, MN - Marek Zidlicky scored the game-winner in the shootout as the Minnesota Wild downed the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-2, at Xcel Energy Center. Minnesota’s second shooter, Zidlicky skated in on net and fired a wrister over the glove of Steve Mason. After Derick Brassard lost the puck while stickhandling on his shot attempt, Antti Miettinen sealed the win with a wrister between the pads of Mason. Erik Reitz and Benoit Pouliot each scored in regulation for the Wild, who have won three of their last four. Niklas Backstrom made 24 saves in the win. Rick Nash and Kristin Huselius each lit the lamp while Mason stopped 28 shots in the loss for the Blue Jackets, who have dropped two of three.

Final Score: Dallas 3, Phoenix 2

Phoenix, AZ - Loui Eriksson scored two goals and Mike Ribeiro collected three assists, as the Dallas Stars defeated the Phoenix Coyotes, 3-2. Mark Parrish found the back of the net for Dallas, which won for just the second time in its last seven games. Marty Turco stopped 25-of-27 shots to pick up the win. Steven Reinprecht and Kevin Porter both scored for the Coyotes, who have lost two straight after a three-game winning streak. Ilya Bryzgalov, making his ninth consecutive start for Phoenix, allowed three goals on 19 shots in defeat.

Final Score: Colorado 3, Edmonton 2 (SO)

Edmonton, AB - Darcy Tucker scored the game-tying goal in the last minute of regulation, as well as the game-winner in the fifth round of the shootout, as the Colorado Avalanche pulled off a stunning 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. With Edmonton holding a 2-1 lead late in the third period, Colorado had a 6-on-3 opportunity. The Oilers’ Fernando Pisani was in the penalty box for hooking and Ethan Moreau was there for tripping, and the Avs pulled goaltender Peter Budaj. The move paid off, as with just 11 ticks left Tucker tipped a shot under Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson. After overtime didn’t determine the game’s winner, the teams went to the shootout. Colorado’s Wojtek Wolski and Edmonton’s Sam Gagner each scored in the first round, with the Avs going first. Budaj and Roloson turned aside the next three shooters they faced, bringing up Tucker’s turn. He skated in and sent the puck beneath Roloson, then Budaj turned aside Shawn Horcoff’s shot to seal the win for Colorado, which has won three straight — two in a row by shootout. Budaj made 33 saves in the win. Roloson stopped 30 shots for the Oilers, who have lost two in a row. Robert Nilsson and Liam Reddox scored in regulation for Edmonton, while Ryan Smyth lit the lamp for Colorado. It was Smyth’s first goal against his former team, the Oilers, for whom he played for more than 11 seasons.

Final Score: Nashville 3, Los Angeles 1

Los Angeles, CA - J.P. Dumont scored the go-ahead goal on the power play with 2:28 remaining in the third period, boosting the Nashville Predators to a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Shea Weber was credited with an empty-net tally with 47.7 seconds left, even though LA’s Dustin Brown sent the disc the length of the ice into his own net. Jason Arnott also scored for the Predators, who finished 3-3 on a six-game road trip. Dan Ellis made 33 saves in the win, Nashville’s third straight. Michal Handzus had the lone goal for the Kings, who had a four-game win streak broken. Erik Ersberg made 19 saves.

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