Sports Briefs: Virginia edged by Villanova

Published 12:00 am Monday, January 30, 2017

  Associated Press

College basketball …

PHILADELPHIA  — Donte DiVicenzo beat the buzzer on a tip-in to lead No. 1 Villanova over No. 12 Virginia 61-59 on Sunday.

The Wildcats (20-2) played their worst half of the season before they found their 3-point groove that fueled a second-half rally. They had the ball with 11.5 seconds left and the game tied. Josh Hart drove the lane and missed his layup. DiVincenzo zipped down the baseline and tipped the ball in with his outstretched right hand just as the horn sounded.

After a brief review, the basket stood and the Wildcats mobbed each other at center court. Virginia coach Tony Bennett watched stone faced, arms folded and in stunned disbelief.

Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges each scored 15 points for the Wildcats. Ty Jerome led Virginia (16-4) with 15 points in an ACC-Big East matchup that had a March Madness feel from the opening tip.

Arizona 77, Wash. 66

TUCSON, Ariz. — Kadeem Allen scored 14 points to lead five Arizona players in double figures and the Wildcats wore down Washington to stay alone atop the Pac-12 standings.

Cincy 94, S. Florida 53

CINCINNATI  — Freshman Jarron Cumberland scored 18 of his career-high 26 points in the second half and Cincinnati rolled to its 12th straight victory.

Nebraska 83, Purdue 80

LINCOLN, Neb. — Michael Jacobson’s putback with 42 seconds left gave Nebraska the lead, and the Cornhuskers made 4 of 6 free throws the rest of the way to hold off Purdue.

Xavier 82, St. John’s 77

NEW YORK  — Trevon Bluiett had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Xavier held off a big rally from St. John’s at Madison Square Garden.

NHL

LOS ANGELES  — Wayne Simmonds’ first All-Star weekend after a nine-year NHL career was strange enough. Having Wayne Gretzky for a coach made it even more surreal.

And after he scored the tiebreaking goal to become the All-Star Game MVP in his former home city, the Philadelphia forward could only think of one word for his West Coast trip.

“Weird,” Simmonds said with a grin.

Indeed, the 3-on-3 format of this revamped midseason showcase can lead to weird hockey. It also allows the game’s biggest stars to create moments of offensive beauty, and Simmonds’ winner with Taylor Hall certainly qualified.

Simmonds completed his hat trick with 4:58 to play, and fill-in coach Gretzky led the Metropolitan Division to a 4-3 victory over the Pacific Division on Sunday in the final match of the NHL All-Star Game.

Golf

SAN DIEGO  — Jon Rahm of Spain added his name to the burgeoning list of young stars Sunday with his big game and a big finish at Torrey Pines.

Rahm made two eagles over the final six holes, the last a 60-foot putt from the back fringe on the par-5 18th for a 5-under 67 to win the Farmers Insurance Open by three shots for his first PGA Tour victory.

Rahm, who turned 22 in November, beat Phil Mickelson’s mark as the youngest champion at this tournament. He also became the first player in 26 years to win his first PGA Tour title at Torrey Pines.

Rahm hit 4-iron into 18 feet on the par-5 13th and holed the eagle putt to tie for the lead. He stuffed a wedge into 5 feet on the 17th to take the lead, and he finished with his long eagle putt that broke hard to the right and peeled back to the left and dropped in on the side of the cup.

LPGA

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas  — Brittany Lincicome won the LPGA Tour’s season-opening Pure Silk Bahamas Classic in wind and some late rain, beating U.S. Solheim Cup teammate Lexi Thompson with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

Playing a group ahead of Thompson, Lincicome birdied the par-5 18th — after dropping strokes on 14 and 17 — for a 5-under 68 and 26-under 266 total — one off the tour record for relation to par to by Annika Sorenstam on a par-72 course in the 2001 Standard Register Ping.

In the playoff on 18, Lincicome hit her hybrid second shot from 227 yards to 20 feet and tapped in for birdie. Thompson went through the green in two and, after Lincicome holed out, missed a 15-footer.

The first U.S. winner since Brittany Lang in the U.S. Women’s Open, the 31-year-old Lincicome won her seventh tour title.

NBA

ATLANTA   — Paul Millsap had a season-high 37 points, including the go-ahead layup with 27 seconds remaining in the fourth overtime, and the Atlanta Hawks overcame Carmelo Anthony’s season-high 45 points to beat the New York Knicks 142-139 on Sunday.

Cavs 107, Thunder 91

CLEVELAND  — Kyrie Irving scored 29 points, LeBron James had 25 and 14 rebounds and Cleveland played one of its better all-around games in weeks, beating Russell Westbrook and Oklahoma City.

Warriors 113, Blazers 111

PORTLAND, Ore.  — Kevin Durant had 33 points and 10 rebounds, and Golden State overcame Stephen Curry’s absence to hold off Portland.

Curry didn’t play because of the stomach flu, missing his first game of the season. Klay Thompson added 27 points to help the Warriors in for the 10th time in 11 games.

Bulls 121, 76ers 108

CHICAGO — Jimmy Butler scored 28 points, and Robin Lopez added a season-high 21 points and had 10 rebounds to help Chicago beat Philadelphia.

Mavs 105, Spurs 101

SAN ANTONIO  — Seth Curry scored 24 points and Dallas snapped a 12-game losing streak in San Antonio.

Pacers 120, Rockets 101

INDIANAPOLIS  — Paul George had 33 points and nine rebounds while hounding James Harden on defense most of the night, leading Indiana past Houston for its third straight victory

Magic 114, Raptors 113

TORONTO   — Nikola Vucevic had 25 points and 10 rebounds, D.J. Augustin added 21 points off the bench to help Orlando beat Toronto.

Wizards 107, Pelicans 94

NEW ORLEANS  — John Wall had 18 points and 19 assists, Bradley Beal scored 27 points, and Washington beat New Orleans to extend its winning streak to four.

College hoops update

Livingstone hosts Chowan tonight in  doubleheader starting at 5:30 p.m.

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Johnathan  Gaddy (South Rowan) scored 44 points for Barber-Scotia in Saturday’s 96-65 win against Christendom College of Fort Royal, Va.

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Claflin’s Tre Williams (Carson) had 20 points, two assists and two steals in a   95-53 rout of Paine on Saturday.

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Shay Steele (West Rowan) had 12 points, five rebounds and three blocks on Saturday in a 69-68 loss to Jacksonville State.