KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2010 / SPORTS
7A
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
Martinez runs wild as Huskers roll
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MANHATTAN — Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez rushed for 242 yards and four touchdowns Thursday night and the seventh-ranked Cornhuskers ended a 99-year rivalry with Kansas State in the same lopsided fashion it began, thrashing the slower, outmanned Wildcats 48-13.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Daniel Thomas, a senior running back who was averaging 157 yards a game for the Wildcats (4-1), was held to 63 yards on 22 carries.
Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez gets past Kansas State defensive tackle Ray Kibble to score a touchdown during the first quarter of the game Thursday in Manhattan.
Martinez, the redshirt freshman who has rushed for 737 yards in his first five games for the Huskers (5-0), also threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to Kyler Reed for a 38-6 lead in the third quarter. His rushing total broke Jammal Lord's Nebraska record for a quarterback and his four rushing TDs tied the team quarterback mark. He was replaced by Cody Green with almost 10 minutes left in the game.
Kansas State did not have nearly enough quickness to keep up with Martinez and the Huskers. Roy Helu broke loose for a 68-yard TD run in a 21-point third quarter that made a rout of what could be the last game these two schools
Martinez finished 5 of 7 for 128 yards as the Huskers piled up 587 yards total offense in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
ever play. In a rousing start to their farewell Big 12 tour, the Huskers' shortest touchdown play was 14 yards.
Headed next year to the Big Ten, they said goodbye to Kansas State with a six-game winning streak that raised their overall record against the Wildcats to 78-15-2, a series they began in 1911 with a 59-0 blowout and dominated almost start-to-finish.
In one four-game stretch in the 1980s, Nebraska outscored Kansas State 183-9. So getting kicked around by Nebraska was nothing new to Kansas State fans who had hoped to send them out of the Big 12 with a loss.
But the Huskers had too much speed and too much Martinez. Their scoring drives in the third quarter covered 80 yards in three plays, 68 in one and 80 in two.
Kansas State's only TD came on a 2-yard pass on fourth down from Carson Coffman to Chris Harper late in the fourth quarter. Brodrick Smith, Kansas State's sophomore wide receiver, hurt his left leg on the third-down play and was taken off the field on a cart as play was stopped for several minutes.
Martinez got the Huskers rolling with a 14-yard TD run in the first quarter. In the second, he went around right end, the linebacker bit on the fake to the running back, and Martinez went 35 yards to the end zone. He
made it 24-3 58 seconds into the third quarter when he burst up the middle through a big hole and raced 80 yards untouched.
Helu's 88-yard run made it two touchdowns in four plays for the Huskers.
In the fourth quarter, a personal foul was called on Kansas State's Brandon Harold for a blow to Martinez's head. After the penalty, Martinez went 41 yards to the end zone.
NBA
Wall shines late, carries Washington to win
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — Rookie John Wall missed his first nine shots before showing the skills that made him the top overall pick in this year's NBA draft, pacing the Washington Wizards to a 97-83 preseason win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday night.
For most of three quarters, Wall looked like your average first-year pro.
After scoring 21 in his preseason debut on Tuesday in Dallas, Walt didn't get his first basket until there was just 3:15 left in the third quarter. He hit a driving layup
off a fast break, something he's certain to do hundreds of times this season.
From there on, he hardly missed.
Wall scored 12 points in a span of 8:26, and finished with nine assists in 37 minutes before coach Flip Saunders pulled him with 6:49 to play and the Wizards comfortably ahead.
Yi Jianlian scored 16 points and Gilbert Arenas 13 for Washington.
J. J. Hickson scored 16, Daniel "Boobie" Gibson 10 and Ryan Hollins had 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers, still finding their way
without superstar LeBron James and in new coach Byron Scott's uptempo offense. Cleveland had 26 turnovers and shot only 35 percent.
Wall displayed some of the jaw-dropping speed that convinced the Wizards he can be the face of their franchise and the one to bring them back following an embarrassing 26-56 season marked by Arenas' 50-game suspension for a felony gun conviction.
With the third quarter winding down, Wall took the inbounds pass, darted past several Cavaliers and streaked down the lane for a layup in the final second. In the
fourth, Wall converted a threepoint play underneath that helped the Wizards open at 74-57 lead.
Wall's offensive repertoire tends to overshadow what he can do defensively. However, he had four steals in his first game at Dallas and Saunders has been impressed with the point guard's relentless attitude on defense.
MLB
Yankees take a 2-0 lead home to NY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MINNEAPOLIS Andy Pettit and the New York Yankees stumbled through September and landed in the AL wild-card spot.
As the Minnesota Twins can attest, the Yankees are hardly an underdog in October.
Pushing the home-field advantage back in Minnesota's face, Pettitte turned in a vintage postseason performance with seven smooth innings and Lance Berkman had two big hits for New York in a 5-2 victory over the Twins on Thursday evening for a 2-0 lead in their best-of-five division series.
The Twins haven't won a postseason game since 2004, matching the Philadelphia Phillies (1915-1976) for the second-longest streak in history behind the Boston Red Sox (1986-1995) and their 13 in a row.
Berkman hit a go-ahead home run in the fifth and a tiebreak double in the seventh against Carl Pavano, sending the Twins to their 11th straight postseason loss. Eight of those have come against the Yankees, who trailed in each of those games.
Berkman, vet another big-name veteran finding a place on a Yankees postseason roster, even on the downside of his career, made it 2-1 with his drive into the left-center bullpen in the fifth. His double in the seventh — one pitch after it appeared Pavano sneaked strike three past him — drove in Jorge Posada and gave New York a 3-2 lead.
Derek jeter chased his old teammate Pavano off the mound with a half-swing RBI single to make it 4-2. Curtis Granderson scored New York's first run and came up with three more hits. And the Yankees headed back home for Game 3 on Saturday night, with a commanding lead over the team they own in October.
The disputed call by plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt led to the ejection of Twins manager Ron Gardenhire following Berkman's double.
Pettit retired 12 in a row until Orlando Hudson's homer tied it at 2 in the sixth, but after Delmon Young's two-out triple he escaped with a weak groundout by Jim Thome. Pettit needed only 88 pitches to finish seven innings, with five hits and two runs allowed. He walked one and struck out four.
This was the same matchup on the mound as Game 3 of last year's series, and despite a savvy, poised performance by Pavano, Pettitte was a step ahead.
The old man, as Hudson respectfully referred to him the night before, broke a bunch of bats and was able to escape a bases-loaded, one-out situation in the second by allowing Danny Valencia's only sacrifice fly.
Pettitie spoke the day before about how, while he doesn't change his approach, these October appearances simply feel different to him. As one of the Yankees' famed Core Four, he sure would know. This was his 41st career postseason start and 19th win — both major league records.
After an outstanding first half, Pettite strained his left groin muscle and missed two months until returning for three starts at the end of the regular season. His absence compounded concerns about the rotation, but after winning a so-start by CC Sabathia in Game 1 and getting this vintage effort from Pettitte the Yankees so far don't look as though they'll be affected by any pitching problems.
Pavano walked Posada to start the seventh and thought he had Berkman struck out on a 2-2 pitch that appeared to be a strike, but Berkman sent a long drive to center and Posada raced around the bases.
Gardenhire was steamed, so he lured Wendelsted to the mound during an extended conversation with his players — then got tossed after arguing on his way back.
NBA
Lakers fall to Euroleague champs in preseason game
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Spanish center Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 24 points but had only one field goal in the second half. His homecoming was spoiled by the Euroleague champion in a game that lived up to the billing of an informal intercontinental showdown.
BARCELONA, Spain Juan Carlos Navarro scored 25 points to help Barcelona beat the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers 92-88 in an exhibition on Thursday.
"You always want to win, but it was an emotional game," Gasol said. "The fans enjoyed it, and the atmosphere was spectacular. We lost, but when your friends win you have to be happy for them."
"They played much better in the fourth quarter." Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, ruing his team's turnovers. "We anticipated they would not take a back seat and that they would be very physical. They did a good job doubling Pau in the second half and making him go to the foul line for his points."
The Lakers blew a 12-point advantage in the second half and were outplayed down the stretch after the game was tied at 72 midway through the fourth quarter.
obe Bryant played 25 minutes, compared to six on Monday in a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he recovers from knee surgery.
He scored 15 points but went 2 for 15 from the field and missed two 3-pointers with a chance to tie the game with under a minute to play.
Bryant said his knee was feeling
good, but Jackson said his guard played above his fitness level.
With the loss to the Timberwolves, the NBA champions head home with a 0-2 preseason record.
"He is not ready to play. He went out there to show his good-will for the fans and to support his team." Jackson said.
Pete Mickael had 24 points and Terrence Morris chipped in with four 3-pointers for the Euroleague titleholders.
Gasol was the center of attention from the moment he stepped on the court, receiving a constant barrage of camera flashes throughout warmups, and a roaring standing ovation when he addressed the
"It was a wonderful feeling to be so well supported and appreciated after so many years playing abroad, and I am very proud to have been received in this way." Gasol said
crowd before the game.
Barcelona extended its lead to 30-26 in the opening minutes of the second, as the Lakers struggled to score with Gasol on the bench.
Navarro took charge for Barcelona, scoring nine in the first quarter. He assisted Erazem Lorbek for a 3-pointer to tie it at 20, and a free throw by Mickeal gave the home team a one-point lead with 2.07 to play in the first.
The Lakers went right to Gasol from the opening tip. He scored the game's first basket, a baseline jumper, and he notched his 10th point in six minutes to give the Lakers an early 18-12 lead.
shots, we held on to get the win" Navarro said.
"The fans enjoyed it, and the atmosphere was spectacular."
Bryant and Barcelona's stars Ricky Rubio and Navarro also drew huge applause when they were introduced.
Navarro admitted it was not a "pretty" game.
PAU GASOL Lakers center
Neither team played like it was merely an exhibition. Three technical fools were called.
"The first thing you noticed was the crowd," Bryant said. "It was great to see a packed house."
Rookie Devin Ebanks scored four straight points — a layup off a pass by Gasol and two more from the foul line after he rebounded his own free throw miss —
"It was physical, and despite the fact we missed a lot of outside
The University of Kansas University Theatre Presents the winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Drama Desk and Tony Award
to put the Lakers in front 37-36. But back-to-back 3-pointers by Navarro and Morris sent Barcelona into the break up 45-44.
The celebratory atmosphere did not stop the crowd from jeering the referees when they called a technical on Navarro for protesting a foul on Bryant, who converted the three free throws to put the Lakers in front 53-47 early in the third.
A 3-pointer by Mickael put Barcelona ahead 84-78 with under three minutes to go.
Neil Simon's
LOST IN YONKERS
Reserved seat tickets are on sale in the KU ticket offices: University Theatre, 864-3982; Lied Center, 864-ARTS, and online at www.kutheatre.com. Tickets are $18 for the public, $17 for senior citizens and KU faculty and staff, and $10 for all students. All major credit cards are accepted. The University Theatre is partially funded by the KU Student Senate Activity Fee; funding is also provided by the Kansas Arts Commission, a state agency, and the National Endowment for the Arts, a national agency. The University Theatre's 2010-11 season is sponsored by the KU Credit Union.
KU UNIVERSITY THEATRE
The University of Kansas
7:30 p.m.
October 7, 8, 9, 12, 2010
2:30 p.m.
October 10, 2010
Crafton-Preyer Theatre
Kansas Arts Commission
KU CREDIT UNION
A DIVISION OF 18 FEDERAL CREDIT UNION
Saturday, October 9th, 7pm - Spring Hill Suites Ballroom
All proceeds will benefit the Alpha Gamma Delta Foundation to support Diabetes Research