EAST LANSING, Mich. -- J.P. Tokoto had 12 points and a career-high 10 rebounds to help North Carolina beat No. 1 Michigan State 79-65 Wednesday night, giving the Tar Heels another impressive victory in their inconsistent season. The Tar Heels (5-2) have been talented enough to defeat the top-ranked Spartans and then-No. 3 Louisville this season, but theyve also lost to Belmont and UAB. "You cant tell in college basketball whats going to happen," North Carolina coach Roy Williams said. "At one point, we had three freshmen, a sophomore and a junior on the court." Michigan State (7-1) fell to an unranked nonconference team at home for the first time in more than a decade. The Tar Heels took control from the start, never trailed and used a 12-1 run to take a 65-52 lead with 6:02 left. "Michigan State did not want it that much more than we did," Williams said. Kennedy Meeks scored 15 points for North Carolina and Brice Johnson had 14. Marcus Paige and Nate Britt added 13 apiece. Gary Harris had 17 points and Keith Appling scored 13, but both Michigan State guards missed 10 of 15 shots. Adreian Payne had 16 points and eight rebounds for the Spartans, whose last loss at home against an unranked nonconference team was Toledo on Dec. 30, 2002. The Tar Heels beat a No. 1 team for the first time since March 4, 2006, at Duke, and they have a nation-high 13 wins over top-ranked teams. Theyve won seven straight against the Spartans, including in the 2009 NCAA final. Tokoto has taken advantage of an expanded role while P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald sit out because of NCAA eligibility concerns. The 6-foot-5 Tokoto, who is from Wisconsin, made some friends and family members in the stands at the Breslin Center happy while green-and-white clad fans didnt have much to get excited about. Tokoto blocked a shot early in the second half, got to a loose ball and threw it to Appling -- while the Spartans player was standing out of bounds -- and made three straight shots later in the half to help the Tar Heels pull away. "J.P. was really active," Williams said. "He did a lot of things." Michigan State pulled into a 32-all tie at halftime after an awful start, struggling to take care of the ball or make shots. The Tar Heels scored the first six points of the game and led 16-4 while holding the Spartans to 1-of-7 shooting with four turnovers. On the bench, North Carolina freshman Isaiah Hicks implored his teammates to keep playing and avoid looking at the scoreboard. The Tar Heels seemed to do that, building a 20-6 lead midway through the first half as Michigan State missed 9 of 11 shots and turned the ball over six times. The Spartans got a scare later in the half when Appling landed hard on his right hip after defending a shot. He hobbled off the court, but was able to return to action before halftime. Michigan State outscored the Tar Heels 13-2 over the last several minutes of the first half. . A top pitching prospect, one who the ball club is pinning some of its future hopes, takes the spot of a veteran who once was viewed as a future ace but who, to this point, hasnt realized his potential and may never. . Mission accomplished. Now the Royals will take the field on Saturday with a World Series lead for the first time in team history when they play Game 4 of the Fall Classic against the Giants at AT&T Park.
http://www.cheapbrownsjerseyssale.com/? ... ersey-sale. Catch all the action on TSN2 and TSN GO at 9pm et/6pm pt. San Antonio took the series lead Monday night with a 122-105 home victory in Game 1. The Spurs used a balanced scoring attack and clamped down defensively late in the third quarter to claim the win. . The Heat centre scored 10 of his 30 points early in the first quarter to silence the Toronto fans as Miami defeated the Raptors 113-101 on Friday night. .2 million deal for the upcoming season with right-hander Garrett Richards.The person spoke on condition of anonymity Saturday because the announcement hadnt been made.CLEVELAND - On the flight to Brazil, Kevin Loves new teammates told him to stop trying so hard to fit in.He listened.Love picked up the offensive slack with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving out, scoring 25 points to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 106-100 exhibition win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.Dion Waiters added 23 for the Cavs, who were missing three starters in their first game after facing the Miami Heat in Rio De Janeiro on Saturday. Love had 25 in that one, but the All-Star forward acknowledged it has taken him some time to feel comfortable in Cleveland.Love made five 3-pointers — completing a four-point play after a step-back 3 in the first half — and also shook off banging knees with Bucks rookie Jabari Parker while making a basket in the lane during the third quarter. He and Waiters spent the final period on the bench.Love said recent talks with his teammates have helped his transition.Im just trying not to fit in so much, Love said. I had a talk with the guys on the plane ride over and also in different practices off the floor, and they told me fit out and just be myself. I kind of laughed and smirked at that. ... I want to be Mr. Reliable.Following the game, Love iced both knees and ankles. He said the blow from Parker deadened my leg for a while. Its the second straight game hes taken a blow to the lower leg. Love was struck near his Achilles on Saturday by Miami big man Chris Andersen.Paarker, the No.dddddddddddd 2 overall pick in this years draft, scored 18 in 27 minutes. He and some of Milwaukees other starters played into the fourth quarter as first-year coach Jason Kidd worked on some things with his young team.James is fine, but Cavs coach David Blatt wanted to give the superstar a night off as Cleveland began a stretch of three games in four nights. James is expected to play Wednesday night in Cincinnati against the Indiana Pacers.Irving rolled his ankle last week in practice before the Cavs went to Brazil, and Blatt would prefer his All-Star guard gets through a full practice before returning to the floor. The Cavs also were without starting centre Tristan Thompson, who has a sore shoulder.Blatt wasnt happy that the Cavaliers attempted 34 3-pointers. However, he didnt think his team forced many shots, and as far as hes concerned, Love can shoot whenever he wants to.Told that Love is 9 of 12 on 3-pointers in the past two games, Blatt knocked on the wooden table and said theres no limit on Loves attempts.He can take all he wants, said Blatt, adding that Love will play both power forward and centre in certain lineups.Wearing warmups, James didnt join his teammates on the bench until midway through the second quarter. By then, Love had 15 points.In the fourth quarter, an animated James left his chair and was on the floor cheering as Clevelands reserves held off Milwaukees rally. ' ' '
