French doubles team wins

Nicolas Mahut and Pierre-Hugues Herbert kept French hopes alive in the Davis Cup final with a 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (3) win over Croatia’s Ivan Dodig and Mate Pavic in the doubles Saturday in Lille, France.

Croatia now leads France, 2-1, as it chases its first Davis Cup title since 2005.

Chasing an 11th title in the team event, France is back in the final but still faces a big challenge. The French singles players looked out of their depths on Friday, casting doubt on the chances of a comeback in Sunday’s reverse singles.

No team has overturned a 2-0 deficit in a final since Australia beat the United States in 1939.

VOLLEYBALL Jaali Winters

and Tayrn Kloth had 19 kills apiece as Creighton turned back Marquette, 26-28, 25-22, 25-21, 25-21, in the championship match of the Big East tournament Saturday in Omaha, Neb.

Allie Barber had 20 kills for the Golden Eagles (26-6), who now await the NCAA selections on Sunday night.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Amani Wilborn scored 18 points and the 22ndranked Marquette women’s team drubbed IllinoisChicago, 96-32, at Fiserv Forum.

The 32 points were the lowest opponent point total for an MU team since a 68-19 victory over Vermont on Dec. 4, 2010.

UWM women 56, UC Riverside 54: Ryaen Johnson's put-back at the buzzer gave the Panthers a victory over the Highlanders in the St. Mary’s (Calif.) Thanksgiving Classic.

Wisconsin women 58, Tennessee State 53: Marsha Howard had 15 points and the Badgers beat the Tigers in the second round of the Challenge in the Music City in Nashville.

HOCKEY

Anthony Richard and Justin Kirkland tallied in a shootout to lead the host Milwaukee Admirals to a 2-1 victory over the Rockford IceHogs.

Kirkland scored Milwaukee’s goal in regulation at 3 minutes 44 seconds of the first period.

Goaltender Troy Grosenick had 31 saves.

SKIING

Federica Brignone of Italy won a giant slalom for her ninth career World Cup victory in Killington, Vt.

On a windy afternoon, Brignone mastered the Killington course in a combined time of 1 minute, 51.33 seconds to beat first-run leader Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway by 0.49 of a second.

Mikaela Shiffrin fell during a morning training session but was able to race. Sixth after the opening run, the reigning Olympic GS champion from Colorado moved up to fourth by being more aggressive.

Men: Max Franz of Austria was the first racer on the course and his blistering time held up in the season-opening World Cup downhill in Lake Louise, Alberta.

Franz finished in 1:46.18 to hold off Christof Innerhofer of Italy by 0.28 of a second.

AUTO RACING

Five-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton clinched pole position for the seasonending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver’s 11th pole of the season and record-extending 83rd of his career looked in some doubt as Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel was quicker at the first time split.

But Vettel went too wide on the last turn and qualified only third behind the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas.

From Journal Sentinel wire reports

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