Clan Talk » Phoenixs Shane Doan was out with a

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- So much for the undercard. Now No. 3 Ohio State must take on the heavyweights in the main events remaining on its schedule. Lenzelle Smith Jr. scored 17 points and LaQuinton Ross added 15 to lead the Buckeyes past overmatched and undermanned Louisiana-Monroe 71-31 on Friday night. An announced crowd of 18,534 didnt see much drama after the Buckeyes rolled to a big lead -- scoring the first 12 points of the game and the first 15 of the second half -- to turn it into a landslide. Many left before the end. Not even the players really enjoy playing such lopsided games. "The better competition, the more exciting the games are for us," Ross said. "Sometimes during the non-conference as you play some of these teams that are not as good as you are, you actually play down to (their level). Thats not good for teams. Thats not what youre supposed to do. Definitely when we come out in Big Ten play, its going to be teams that are just as good as us and were going to have to play better." Amedeo Della Valle chipped in with 14 points for the Buckeyes (13-0), who have won their first 13 games in a season for the fifth time in school history (1961, 62, 91 and 2011). Ohio State opens Big Ten play on Dec. 31 at Purdue. After not facing a ranked opponent up to now, the Buckeyes will be tested by the likes of No. 4 Wisconsin, No. 5 Michigan State, No. 22 Iowa and the rest of the conferences bullies. "We tell our guys, Youve got 18 battles coming up (and) the wars decided in March," coach Thad Matta said. "Just from the standpoint of the challenges that lie ahead, thats what guys sign up for when they come to play at Ohio State. Theres going to be some tremendous battles every night we take the floor." The Buckeyes won each of their first 11 games by double digits. They had far from an easy time of it in their most recent game. Down by eight points in the last minute, they went on a 14-3 run over the last 48 seconds to beat Notre Dame 64-61 on Dec. 21 at Madison Square Garden in the finale of the BlackRock Gotham Classic. In that game they scored 17 points in the first 19:12 of the second half and 14 in those last decisive 48 seconds. "We got a win but we didnt execute and we didnt do the things that we needed to do in the Garden," Smith said. "Today was about establishing ourselves. We know whats getting ready to come down the pipeline starting in the Big Ten. ... So we just wanted to come out strong, get back to our system and what works for us, and being on top of our game." Smith said if the non-conference season did anything, it marked the Buckeyes as a team that no opponent will overlook. "Everybody else is watching now," he said. "Everybody cant wait to knock us off in the Big Ten." Friday nights game was a mismatch of epic proportions. Jayon James led the Warhawks (3-5), who have lost their last four, with eight points. They hit just 19 per cent of their shots from the field (10 of 54) and 17 per cent on 3-pointers (3 of 18). Ohio State came into the game fifth in the nation in scoring defence (55.9 points) and 13th in field goal percentage defence (.379). They went a long way toward padding those numbers while holding the Warhawks to 20 points on 23.3 per cent shooting in the opening half. The game was never in doubt after Ohio State bolted to a 12-0 lead in the opening 4 minutes. The Warhawks didnt score until Tylor Ongwae hit a baseline drive at the 15:34 mark. Ross got things going early with eight of the first 12 points, hitting his only two attempts from the field, including his lone 3, and adding a perfect 3 for 3 at the free throw line. Up 41-20, the Buckeyes opened the second half the same way they did the first -- on a run. Amazingly, ULM coach Keith Richard benched his starters at halftime and did not play them at all in the final 20 minutes. "The only way to make things happen is by playing hard. Im about tired of it. Its been going on at certain times during different games," Richard, who didnt attend a postgame news conference, said in a statement issued by the sports information office. "Those guys just arent going to play. Were not in a good place right now obviously after the last two ball games, mentally or physically." The Warhawks finally ended a 15-0 Ohio State run and a scoring drought of 9:50 when Chinedu Amajoyi hit two free throws at the 10:40 mark for their first points of the second half. It was all about getting ready for the next game for the Buckeyes. "I wouldnt say we got done everything we needed to get done but we definitely got better every time we stepped on the floor," Smith said, analyzing Ohio States first 13 games. "Just looking back to how we started the season until now, weve come a long way. I know we still have a long way to go. "Thats what we need to work to, getting ready for this game coming up on the 31st." Michael Jordan White Sox Jersey . Braves reliever David Carpenter was also fined for throwing at Rockies outfielder Corey Dickerson in the same game, which featured several ejections, including Colorado manager Walt Weiss. Luis Alexander Basabe White Sox Jersey . His fellow Finn, 21 years his junior, had just arrived in Anaheim and was hoping to stick with the Ducks. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/2844e-geor...-white-sox.html. The Durban-based Sharks withstood a furious second-half fightback to beat the Queensland Reds 35-20 for a fourth straight win which gave them a five-point lead atop the championship table. The Hamilton-based Chiefs scored two late tries to beat the Cape Town-based Stormers 36-20 for their third win, after the Stormers rallied from 24-6 down to 24-20 with six minutes remaining. Bobby Jenks Jersey . Scott scored a career-high 30 points, Jeff Teague added 28 and the Hawks rallied to beat the New York Knicks 107-98 on Saturday night. "We were down Paul, down so many bodies," Scott said. Edd Roush White Sox Jersey . Colton Sissons also scored for Milwaukee (19-12-8), which went ahead with a two-goal third period. Wade MacLeod and Greg McKegg replied for Toronto (23-12-4).GLENDALE, Ariz. -- When Mike Ribeiro first arrived in Phoenix, he wasnt sure how he would fit in, on the ice and in the locker room. Having the added honus of being the scoring saviour on a team thats needed one for a decade didnt help much. Once Ribeiro found his comfort level with his new teammates and role on his new team, the points started flowing -- and havent stopped since. Ribeiro scored two goals for the second straight game and extended his points streak to seven games, lifting the Coyotes to a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames Tuesday night. "It took a while for me to get comfortable with the guys and for them to know me and, I guess to like me," Ribeiro said. "So now that we did that, Im comfortable and its fun to come to work." Ribeiro had a quiet start in the desert after signing a four-year, $22 million contract, failing to register a point his first three games. Realizing he had been thinking too much instead of reacting, Ribeiro shifted his game into a new, freewheeling gear, starting with an assist in Phoenixs 3-0 win over Detroit on Oct. 10 that kick-started what had been an awful start to a five-game road trip. Ribeiro hasnt stopped scoring since, notching two goals against the Red Wings in Phoenixs comeback victory on Saturday and two more against Calgary, including the game-winner just a few minutes after the Flames tied it in the third period. Rob Klinkhammer added an empty-net goal for Phoenix, which has earned 12 of a possible 14 points in its past seven games. The Coyotes, with 14 points (6-2-2), are off to their best start since opening the 2000-01 season 7-1-2. "He likes to make a difference in games and hes doing that for us right now," Coyotes coach Dave Tippett said. The Coyotes needed Ribeiros big night after a couple of defensive miscues allowed the Flames back into a game they had been dominated in for most of the first two periods. Sluggish after facing Los Angeles the night before, Calgary fell behind 2-0 in the second period after Radim Vrbatas 200th career goal and Ribeiros first of the night. The Flames finally found some life late in the second, using a turnover to set up Lee Stempniaks goal in the second period and another that led to Joe Colbornes breakaway goal early in the third. Calgary couldnt sustain it, though, unable to get anything past Miike Smith the rest of the third period to lose for the third time during a five-game road trip that ends at Dallas on Thursday.dddddddddddd Jiri Hudler had an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to nine games for the Flames. "The first period, we didnt skate very well, I felt our energy level was not very good, we were not throwing enough pucks at the net," Flames coach Bob Hartley said. "The second period, we got going. I really liked our last 40 minutes. We gave ourselves a chance to win the game." Phoenix wanted to jump on the Flames early after they played the night before and did just that, scoring on a power play when Vrbata gathered a pass from Keith Yandle and wristed it past Joey MacDonald from the right circle for his fifth goal of the season. Phoenix was at its defensive best early on as well, blocking shots and pushing the Flames toward the boards while holding them to three shots in the first period. Ribeiro made it 2-0 in the second period, raising his stick waist high to deflect a shot by Mikkel Boedker past MacDonald. "They took it to us in the first period," Stempniak said. "I didnt think we played very well, lost a lot of puck battles. Calgary finally showed some life late in the second period, with Stempniak scoring late on a rebound and Colborne tying it early in the third. Ribeiro came through again less than three minutes later. Set up to the right of MacDonald, he ripped a one-timer from a tough angle on another crossing pass from Yandle, putting the Coyotes up 3-2 with his fifth of the season. The Flames tried to generate a final push, but Smith made some big saves and Klinkhammer sealed Phoenixs victory with his fourth of the season. "It wasnt a masterpiece, lets put it that way," Tippett said. "It was a quirky game that could have gone a lot of different ways." It ended up in Phoenixs favour, thanks to Ribeiro. NOTES: Both teams played without their captains. Phoenixs Shane Doan was out with a lower-body injury and Calgarys Mark Giordano was scratched after leaving during pregame warm-ups. ... The Coyotes recalled F Brandon Yip before the game and sent F Tim Kennedy to Portland of the AHL before the game. Yip started in place of Doan. ... Hudler has 12 points in nine games this season. ' ' '