Kentucky whips No. 1 Tennessee
PJ Washington scored 23 points, Keldon Johnson added 19 and No. 5 Kentucky flexed its muscles in taking down No. 1 Tennessee 86-69 in an SEC showdown Saturday night in Lexington, Kentucky.
The Wildcats (21-4, 10-2 SEC) had a plus-13 rebounding edge and 16 more points in the paint while ending the Volunteers’ schoolrecord 19-game winning streak. Tennessee (23-2, 111) dropped into a tie for first with LSU.
Washington made 9 of 12 shots and reached 20 points for the seventh time in the past eight games.
Jordan Bone led Tennessee with 19 points.
Admiral Schofield scored 17 points. Grant Williams, the reigning SEC Player of the Year, had 16 points and eight rebounds, but the physical Kentucky defense limited him to four shots from the field. WASHINGTON RALLIES, BEATS WSU >> Jaylen Nowell scored 20 points, and Noah Dickerson added 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds as Washington rallied in the second half for a 72-70 victory against rival Washington State in Pullman.
The Huskies (20-5, 11-1 Pac-12) trailed by as many as 14 points in the first half and were down 45-36 at halftime.
Sophomore Marvin Cannon had career highs with 25 points and eight rebounds for the Cougars (1015, 3-9).
UNLV DOWNS SAN JOSE STATE >> Noah Baumann set a San Jose State record by making a 3-pointer in his 22nd consecutive game, but the Spartans (3-21, 0-12 Mountain West) lost their 15th straight, 71-64 to UNLV (1411, 8-5) at the Event Center. Forward Michael Steadman led San Jose State with 16 points and seven rebounds. SANTA CLARA TURNS BACK PACIFIC >> Josip Vrankic scored 18 points to lead Santa Clara (14-13, 6-7 WCC) past visiting Pacific 64-59. Tahj Eaddy hit three free throws in the final minute as the Broncos held off a second-half rally from the Tigers (13-14, 3-9). Pacific, which trailed at halftime by 20 points, got within three points twice in the final 1:19 but could not get closer.
Winter sports
SHIFFRIN WINS FOURTH
STRAIGHT WORLD SLALOM >> Despite fighting a chest cold, Mikaela Shiffrin became the first Alpine skier ever to win consecutive gold medals in the same discipline at four world championships when she won the slalom in Are, Sweden.
The 23-year-old American finished third in her
first run, but improved in her second run before collapsing in the finish area. She finished 0.58 seconds ahead of Sweden’s Anna Swenn Larsson. Shiffrin, who also won gold in Super G and bronze in giant slalom, now has five golds and seven medals overall in four world championships — just one behind Lindsey Vonn.
Golf
THOMAS, SCOTT IN FRONT AT SOGGY RIVIERA >> Justin Thomas owns a 1-shot lead after play was suspended in the third round of the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
Thomas finished the second round in the morning by carding a 6-under 65 on the par-71 layout, then eagled the first hole and parred the second to start his third round before the siren calling play wailed just before 6 p.m. Thomas stands at 13-under par. Adam Scott trails Thomas by a stroke after matching his 65 in the second round, while Patrick Rodgers and J.B. Holmes are tied for third at 11-under.
Tiger Woods barely made the 36-hole cut, thanks in part to a birdie that finished his second round, but electrified the gallery by starting his third round with a birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie stretch. Woods is 6 under for the tourney.
The third round will resume this morning. Tour officials hope to have it finished by 11 a.m., followed by the final 18 holes.
CROWD AT TOP IN CHAMPIONS TOUR EVENT >> Ten players are within one stroke of the lead entering today’s final round of the PGA Tour Champions Chubb Classic in Naples, Florida. Glen Day, Ken Tanigawa and Stephen Ames were at 11-under after the second round at The Classics at Lely Resort, followed by seven players at 10 under.
HALL OF FAMER LITTLER DIES >> Gene Littler, a U.S. Open champion and Hall of Fame golfer, has died at the age of 88, the PGA Tour announced. Littler, whose silky smooth swing earned him the nickname “Gene the Machine,” won 29 PGA Tour events. Those victories included the 1961 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills in Michigan.
Motorsports
ANNETT GETS XFINITY WIN AT DAYTONA >> After an offseason change from No. 5 to No. 1 on the sides and roof of his JR Motorsports Chevrolet, Michael Annett held off teammate Justin Allgaier in the NASCAR Racing Experience 300 at Daytona (Florida) Speedway to claim his first victory in the NASCAR Xfinity Series in his 230th start.
NHL
STREAKING BLUES MAKE IT NINE STRAIGHT WINS >> Jake Allen had 32 saves for his second shutout of the season, Vladimir Tarasenko and Zach Sanford scored 57 seconds apart, and the St. Louis Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-0 in Denver. Tarasenko added an assist, and Jaden Schwartz also scored to help the Blues to their ninth straight win. It’s the club’s longest winning streak since 2002.
Football
FORMER NFL RECEIVER INJURED IN ACCIDENT >> Former Denver Broncos and Houston Texans wide receiver Demaryius Thomas came away with minor injuries early Saturday morning after the vehicle he was driving was involved in a rollover crash near downtown Denver, multiple reports indicated. Thomas, 31, reportedly lost control of the car and it came to rest on a median. All three passengers were transported to a local hospital.
BROWN CRITICIZES ROETHLISBERGER AGAIN >> Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro receiver Antonio Brown didn’t hold back when a Twitter user asked him about the differences he has with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, saying the two lack “mutual respect.”
“No conflict just a matter of respect! Mutual respect! He has a owner mentality like he can call out anybody including coaches. Players know but they can’t say anything about it otherwise they meal ticket gone. It’s a dirty game within a game. #truth”
Brown and the Steelers ended the 2018 season on bad terms. He was benched for the final game of the season, reportedly after he threw a football at Roethlisberger when they had a disagreement earlier in Week 17.
Track and field
ETHIOPIAN TEEN SETS INDOOR RECORD >> Ethiopian teenager Samuel Tefera outduelled compatriot Yomif Kejelcha to break the world indoor 1,500 meters record in Birmingham, England. Tefera, 19, clocked 3 minutes, 31.04 seconds at the IAAF World Indoor Tour meeting to take down Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj’s 1997 record of 3:31.18.
Kejelcha finished second in a personal best of 3:31.58.