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NEW YORK -- Carmelo Anthony was really sharp when he was in, and the New York Knicks were even better after he went out. Good enough to be mistaken for one of the NBAs best. "I thought we were playing against the Spurs," Denver guard Ty Lawson said. "They know they pass to one side, kick, kick, and it opens 3s. It was just a tough night for us." Anthony scored 31 points in three quarters, then watched from the bench as the Knicks ran away from his old team in the fourth for a 117-90 victory over the Nuggets on Friday night. J.R. Smith added 10 of his 13 points in the fourth. He also threw the pass of the game during the decisive spurt when he went behind the back to Jeremy Tyler, who scored while being fouled. Amare Stoudemire finished with 17 points for the Knicks, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Tyler had 12 points and 11 rebounds as the Knicks shot 56.5 per cent from the field, one of their best performances of the season. "Everybody played their part tonight," Anthony said. "It was a great team win and we want to build off that." The Knicks were 13 of 20 for 34 points in the final quarter and shot 64 per cent while scoring 67 points in the second half. It was a surprisingly easy victory during a difficult season for the Knicks, who figured they would be competing for championships by now when they paid a heavy price to acquire Anthony from the Nuggets three years ago this month. Instead, they are only 20-30, currently outside the playoff picture and giving Denver hope that the first-round pick the Knicks still owe them this summer from that Anthony deal could be in the lottery. Lawson scored 24 points for the Nuggets, who had their two-game winning streak stopped and fell back to .500 at 24-24. They committed 24 turnovers that led to 27 points. The Knicks latest slump had sparked renewed reports that coach Mike Woodsons job could be in jeopardy, and he spent most of his pregame news conference repeating his confidence in himself and his team. He still believes the Knicks can be a playoff team, a thought only imaginable because they reside in the Eastern Conference. But they showed Friday how effective they can be when they get balanced scoring beyond Anthony, which has happened infrequently this season, and by the end of the night Woodson was talking about how his Knicks would be difficult for powerful Oklahoma City to handle on Sunday. Then again, they lost to the league-worst Milwaukee Bucks this week, so nothing is certain. "You know what, you cant change the past," centre Tyson Chandler said when asked if he was frustrated that the Knicks couldnt play like this more often. "So I would say more so that it gives us the opportunity to rally, because we see what its going take for us to win. Weve just got to put more nights like this together." Leading by seven in the third quarter, New York began to open a gap when Anthony made a jumper, Chandler scored and Anthony nailed a 3-pointer to make it 62-48 with about 8 1/2 minutes remaining in the period. Tim Hardaway Jr. made a 3-pointer and Anthony converted a three-point play for a quick six points in the final minute as the lead grew to 83-66. Smith had three straight baskets in the fourth, the latter two from behind the arc, to push the lead to 102-77. The Knicks helped hand the Nuggets a 26-20 lead after one, committing eight turnovers that led to 14 points. But the much-maligned Raymond Felton scored all of his nine points in the second, and New York scored the final nine points of the period for a 50-44 halftime lead. "I think at the end of the second quarter, when it was 44-44, we got five turnovers in a row and couldnt get a shot up and that kind of pushed their lead," Nuggets forward Kenneth Faried said. "They got the lead and after that I guess it was curtains." Felton also had eight assists. NOTES: The Knicks visit to Oklahoma City for a nationally televised matchup features Kevin Durant and Anthony, the NBAs top scorers. Anthony missed the Thunders Christmas Day rout of the Knicks with a sprained ankle. ... The Knicks shot a season-high 57.1 per cent against Brooklyn on Dec. 5. .C. -- Carter Ashton had a pair of goals and added an assist as the Toronto Marlies downed the Charlotte Checkers 5-2 on Saturday in the American Hockey League. . Moors, from Cambridge Ont., landed a double-twisting, double somersault in the layout position, en route to a score of 14.600 points in the womens floor exercise, more than a full point ahead of runner-up Pia Tolle of Germany. . The time off didnt slow them down. Tyler Zeller scored a season-high 18 points and grabbed a career-best 15 rebounds, Kyrie Irving added 14 points and the Cavaliers pushed their winning streak to five games Tuesday night with a 114-85 victory over the skidding Philadelphia 76ers. . - While a fast-paced offence has become more of a fixture in recent years, the San Antonio Spurs can still grind out games when needed. . LOUIS -- Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks won the matchup of unbeaten teams.Bozeman, MT (SportsNetwork.com) - Senior running back Zach Zenner is always talking about the team effort of South Dakota State football. Many times, Zenners exploits stand alone. Zenner totaled 324 yards from scrimmage and scored five touchdowns - four from at least 45 yards - to power South Dakota State past Montana State, 47-40, in a snow-filled first-round game of the FCS playoffs Saturday. South Dakota State (9-4), which has won four straight games, will visit second- seeded North Dakota State (11-1), the three-time defending FCS champion, in an all-Missouri Valley Conference second-round matchup next Saturday. NDSU beat South Dakota State, 37-17, on Nov. 1 and has won the last six meetings. Despite the field conditions, South Dakota State and Montana State (8-5) combined for 988 yards. Zenner rushed for 252 yards on 23 carries across the slippery turf, scoring on runs of 45, 7, 60, and 69 yards. He also scored on a 69-yard reception. Behind Zenner, South Dakota State trailed for only 38 seconds in the high- scoring game. Montana State sophomore Chad Newell, who rushed for 101 yards and five touchdowns, scored on a 12-yard run to give the Bobcats a 26-24 lead with 10:47 left in the second quarter. But Zenner answered with his 60-yard scoring run at the 10:09 mark, giving the Jackrabbits a 31-26 lead which they extended to 40-26. Newells final TD pulled Big Sky member Montana State within 47-40 with 1:10 left to play. The Jackrabbits misplayed the ensuing onside kick but recovered the ball and ran out the clock. South Dakota State quarterback Austin Sumner also threw a 10-yard touchdown to Connor Landberg. He finished 19-for-28 for 249 yards. Montana State signal caller Dakota Prukop returned from an MCL sprain after missing two games and was 19-for-36 for 280 yards, including a 1-yard touchdown to Mitchell Herbert. Zenner increased his career totals to 6,415 rushing yards, 8,075 all-purpose yards, 59 rushing touchdowns and 67 total touchdowns - all Missouri Valley records. He needs 114 rushing yards to become the first FCS running back to reach 2,000 yards in three separate seasons. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Sam Houston State 21, Southeastern Louisiana 17 Huntsville, TX - They didnt meet in the regular season, so Sam Houston State might be saying it won the de facto title game between the two Southland Conference co-champions Saturday. Oh yes, the Bearkats are even happier to be advancing in the FCS playoffs after they defeated Southeastern Louisiana, 21-17, in the first round. Sam Houston (9-4) will travel to third-seeded Jacksonville State (10-1), the Ohio Valley Conference champion, for a second-round showdown next Saturday. Sam Houston and Southeastern (9-4) tied for the Southland title with 7-1 records, but they didnt face each other in the 11-team conference. The Bearkats, under first-year coach K.C. Keeler, overcame four turnovers, playing well defensively in the second half and getting an important block of a Southeastern field goal attempt during the fourth quarter. The Lions were trying to extend a 17-14 lead, but defensive end P.J. Hall (four tackles for loss, one sack) blocked Ryan Adams 46-yard attempt with 8:37 left. The Bearkats then drove 59 yards in seven plays, going ahead 21-17 on Donovan Williams 5-yard run. Southeastern had three final drives, but one started at their 6-yard line and their final one from their 1. A muffed punt set up Williams for a 1-yard touchdown run and Jalen Overstreet scored from 3 yards out for Sam Houston, which trailed 10-0 at halftime. Southeastern quarterback Bryan Bennett, who played on an injured foot, ran for the Lions two touchdowns, but struggled to gain 181 yards on 17-for-48 passing, and was limited to 14 yards on 16 carries. Sam Houston lost to Southeastern, 30-29, in last years playoff second round. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Fordham 44, Sacred Heart 22 New York, NY - Jack Coffey Field has been good to Fordham in recent years, but the Road to Frisco passes through top-seeded New Hampshire, and the Rams feel up to the task after an impressive start to the FCS playoffs Saturday.. Mike Nebrich threw for 421 yards and four touchdowns as Patriot League champion Fordham passed by Sacred Heart in the first round for the second straight year, this time by a 44-22 score. Fordham (11-2) will head to Durham next Saturday to face New Hampshire (10-1), the nations No. 1-ranked team, in the second round. It wont be the same as playing at home, where the Rams have won 10 straight games and 17 of their last 18. But the Rams appear ready for the challenge. Nebrich, who completed 29-of-50 pass attempts with two interceptions, threw two touchdowns each to Brian Wetzel (eight receptions, 166 yards) and Tebucky Jones Jr. (eight receptions, 139 yards). Fordham took command of the game by scoring on its final play of the second quarter - Wetzels 14-yard reception with nine seconds left to make it 24-16 - and its first play of the third quarter - Jones 97-yard reception at the 11:45 mark to make it 31-16. The Rams outgained Sacred Heart 511 yards to 314. Chase Edmonds rushed for 91 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown. RJ Noel threw two touchdown passes to Tyle Dube for Sacred Heart (9-3), a co- champion out of the Northeast Conference, but was intercepted twice by All- Patriot League cornerback Ian Williams. Sean Bell rushed for 112 yards on 15 carries and Keshaudas Spence scored on a 22-yard run in the loss. Fordham won last years first-round matchup, 37-27. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Richmond 46, Morgan State 24 Richmond, VA - Richmond had won a playoff game already, so there was no stopping the Spiders and quarterback Michael Strauss when the actual FCS postseason began Saturday. Strauss threw four touchdowns to power Richmond to a 46-24 win over Morgan State in the first round. The Spiders (9-4) will travel to seventh-seeded Coastal Carolina (11-1) next Saturday for a second-round game. Coach Danny Roccos team basically won a playoff game last weekend at William & Mary. The winner of that game was going to be the ffourth and final playoff team out of CAA Football, and the Spiders won going away, 34-20.dddddddddddd They rolled the momentum right into their game against Morgan State (7-6), jumping to a 22-0 lead after the first quarter. Strauss capped the games first drive with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Diggs and Seth Fisher scored on two runs. Diggs (eight receptions, 132 yards) ended the first-half scoring with another touchdown reception - an 11-yarder with 20 seconds left in the second quarter - giving Richmond a 29-10 halftime lead. Strauss completed 22-of-32 pass attempts for 272 yards and one interception. He also threw touchdowns to Rashad Ponder and Fisher. Richmond has struggled with turnovers in its losses, but gained a 4-2 advantage in turnover margin, intercepting Morgan State quarterback Moses Skillon three times and forcing him into a fumble. Skillon rushed for a touchdown and threw for 285 yards and two touchdowns. Herb Walker Jr. carried the ball 21 times for 120 yards for the Bears, who made their first-ever playoff appearance. They earned the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conferences automatic bid off a tiebreaker between five first-place teams. MEAC teams have lost in the playoffs every year since 1999. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Indiana State 36, Eastern Kentucky 16 Richmond, KY - Indiana State played in its first FCS playoff game since 1984 on Saturday. Maybe the Sycamores just needed some extra time to warm up. After surrendering the first 16 points to Eastern Kentucky, Indiana State scored the final 36 points for a 36-16 first-round victory over the Colonels. The Sycamores (8-5), one of a record-tying five playoffs teams from the Missouri Valley Football Conference, will visit eighth-seeded Chattanooga (9-3), the Southern Conference champion, for a second-round game next Saturday. Senior quarterback Mike Perish led Indiana States comeback win, completing a school-record 41 passes in 57 attempts for 407 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. He now has 6,545 passing yards for his career, also a school record, and his 20 touchdown passes this season tied Ronnie Fouchs school record set in 2010. Indiana State was nearly shut out in the first half, but Perish connected with Robert Tonyan for a 4-yard touchdown pass with two seconds left, pulling the Sycamores within 16-7 at halftime. They then ran off 24 points in the third quarter. Eric Heidorn kicked a 47-yard field goal, Perish fired touchdown passes to Kyani Harris (57 yards) and Gary Owens (38), and safety Mark Sewall returned an interception of EKUs Bennie Conney for a 48-yard touchdown. DyShawn Mobley scored on an 18-yard run and finished with 96 yards on 22 carries, and Andrew Lloyd kicked three field goals as the Colonels (9-4) from the Ohio Valley Conference built their 16-0 lead in the first half. The playoff win was Indiana States second in three seasons of playoff appearances. EKU fell to 16-19 all-time in 21 playoff appearances. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Montana 52, San Diego 14 Missoula, MT - Having the most FCS playoff appearances in history against an opponent making its first one wasnt the only advantage Montana had against San Diego on Saturday. The Grizzlies took full advantage of playing at home in a snowstorm against a USD squad that probably was looking to get back home - where it wasnt 20 degrees outside - winning, 52-14, in the first round. Montana (9-4) will continue its record 23rd appearance in the FCS playoffs next Saturday at Big Sky Conference rival Eastern Washington (10-2), the No. 4 seed. The Grizzlies fell in Cheney, 36-26, on Nov. 8. San Diego (9-3), the champion of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League, never adjusted to the snow and fell behind 38-0 by halftime. The Toreros were held to eight first downs and 158 yards, and went a combined 2-for-15 on third- and fourth-down conversion attempts. Montana starting quarterback Jordan Johnson was 13-for-20 for 153 yards and three touchdowns, and backup signal caller Shay Smithwick-Hann was 3-for-4 for 39 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jordan Canada rushed for 105 yards and a touchdown and added a TD reception, while wide receiver Jamal Jones caught two touchdowns. San Diego avoided the shutout on Justin Priests two touchdown receptions in the final 6:05. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Liberty 26, James Madison 21 Harrisonburg, VA - Liberty aspires to move up to the FBS level, but the Flames have taken a quick liking to the FCS playoffs. In the first postseason game in program history, the Flames went across state to stun James Madison, 26-21, in the first round. Big South co-champion Liberty (9-4) will visit another CAA Football team, sixth-seeded Villanova (10-2), in the second round next Saturday. Coach Turner Gills program, which has sought a move to the FBS, won a strange playoff debut by jumping to a 10-0 lead in the second quarter, falling behind 21-10 by halftime and then scoring 16 unanswered points in the second half. The winning points capped a 17-play, 85-yard, 11-minute drive in the fourth quarter. Fullback Nicky Fualaau scored on a 1-yard run to lift Liberty from a 21-20 deficit with 2:53 remaining. James Madison (9-4) drove the ball to the Liberty 27, but on a fourth-down play, quarterback Vad Lees intended pass to Daniel Brown was broken up by Flames cornerback Kenny Scott. Liberty committed four turnovers to JMUs one, but held the ball for 39 minutes, 1 second. D.J. Abnar rushed for 69 yards and two touchdowns, and place-kicker John Lunsford had a 56-yarder among his two field goals. He has the three longest field goals in the FCS this season (60, 57 and 56). Lee threw for 139 yards and one touchdown with an interception, adding 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Jauan Latney finished with 119 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. Safety Dean Marlowe added two interceptions for James Madison, which entered the matchup on a seven-game winning streak. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Stephen F. Austin at Northern Iowa, (n) ' ' '
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