DENVER -- Paul Pierce scored 18 points and the Brooklyn Nets rebounded from their worst loss more than 10 years by routing the slumping Denver Nuggets 112-89 on Thursday night. Joe Johnson, Marcus Thornton, and Mason Plumlee each added 10 points for the Nets, who snapped a six-game losing streak in Denver. The Nets hadnt won in the Mile High City since a 112-102 victory on Jan. 27, 2007. Randy Foye had 15 points to lead Denver, which has lost four in a row and nine of 10. Brooklyns 7-foot centre Jason Collins, the NBAs first openly gay player appearing in his third game since being signed to a 10-day contract, was given a round of applause from the crowd when he entered the game for the first time with 8:02 left. Collins finished with three points. Before the game, Collins said he planned to meet afterward with the family of Wyoming college student Matthew Shephard, who was tortured and murdered in 1998 because he was gay. Collins wears his No. 98 jersey in Shepards honour, and he said during a pregame news conference that the chance to meet Dennis and Judy Shepard was "one of those cool treats in life." The Nets were coming off a 104-80 loss at Portland the night before, their biggest loss since a 47-point defeat to Memphis on Dec. 13, 2003. But they quickly put that behind them with a runaway win of their own in a game in which they never trailed. Pierce scored 11 points in the third quarter, helping the Nets extend their lead to 38 points. Brooklyn took an 89-56 advantage into the fourth quarter and played reserves for most of the rest of the game. The offensive struggles by Denver, which was without leading scorer Ty Lawson (left rib fracture) for an eighth consecutive game, were epitomized in the first quarter. The Nuggets were held to a season-low eight points on 3-for-18 shooting from the floor (16.7 per cent) and trailed by as many 31 points in the second quarter before managing to get within 23 at the half. It got bad enough for the Nuggets that the crowd, after seeing Timofey Mozgov and Kenneth Faried both miss dunks in the first quarter, cheered derisively when Mozgov hit a layup early in the second. The Nets took advantage of the Nuggets horrible start to pull out to 59-36 halftime lead. Each of 10 Nets players seeing action to that point scored at least once. Denver ended up with as many turnovers in the first quarter as points. NOTES: The Nuggets were also without F Wilson Chandler, who was held out of the game because of sore right knee. ... The previous low for points in a quarter by the Nuggets was 12, against Oklahoma City on Jan. 9. ... The Nets Shaun Livingston made his 33rd start of the year, the most in a season in his career. ... Brooklyn improved to 4-10 in the second of back to back games. ... Since the beginning of January, the Nets have gone 17-8, fourth-best among Eastern Conference teams in that stretch. ... Denver, historically one of the teams with the strongest home-court advantage, fell to 14-15 at the Pepsi Center this season. ... All 13 Nets playing in the game scored. China Jerseys Wholesale . "Youre not really spending time to sit back and analyze what your competitions doing and things like that," Anthopoulos said. "Youre so focused on what were trying to get done." Ultimately, while the landscape around them changed with trades both major and minor, the Blue Jays did nothing before Thursdays non-waiver deadline. China Jerseys Cheap . Bryce Harper? He also came into Wednesday without a long ball and hadnt driven in a run. He was hitting .160, had nearly three times as many strikeouts as hits and was dropped to seventh in the batting order. https://www.chinajerseyscheap.us/ . Serbia captain Bogdan Obradovic said his team will include 9th-ranked Janko Tipsarevic and 27th-ranked Viktor Troicki as he decided to let the top-ranked Djokovic rest. China Jerseys Stitched . Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and Frank Thomas appeared to be on track to gain election from the Baseball Writers Association of America on Wednesday, and Craig Biggio could join them. Fake China Jerseys . Garcia had eight birdies overall to go with a lone bogey on the fourth to move to an 18-under total of 198 at the Asian Tour event. "I was able to hit some really nice shots and then was able to roll two or three really good putts in and it was nice to be able to finish birdie, birdie on this difficult finishing stretch," Garcia said.Villanova, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - They have the same Sam Houston State players who opened the season by losing three of their first four games. But realistically, this is a much different team. The Bearkats are headed back to the FCS semifinals for the third time in four seasons after beating sixth-seeded Villanova, 34-31, in the quarterfinals Saturday while the Wildcats played without star quarterback John Robertson because of symptoms from a concussion. Unseeded Sam Houston State (11-4), which has won three playoff games, will play at second-seeded North Dakota State (13-1) in the semifinals next weekend. The Bearkats lost to the Bison in both the 2011 and 12 national championship games. Sam Houston has few key players from those recent powers and even has a first- year coach in K.C. Keeler, who coached against Villanova for 11 seasons in CAA Football while at Delaware from 2002-12. The Bearkats had prepared to face Robertson in the teams first-ever meeting, but that changed Saturday after he awoke with a headache from the concussion he suffered in last weekends playoff win over Liberty. Robertson, a redshirt junior who was the CAA Football offensive player of the year, went through concussion protocols during the week and was cleared to play against Sam Houston State, but he was scratched by the teams medical staff following an examination Saturday morning. Jalen Overstreets 1-yard touchdown run with 4:03 left to play gave Sam Houston its 34-31 lead. Villanova (11-3), behind Robertsons replacement, senior Chris Polony, moved the ball down to the Bearkats 29, but drew an ill-timed delay- of-game penalty while setting up for a potential, game-tying 46-yard field goal attempt. That made it a 51-yard attempt for Chris Gough and he missed wide to the left with 32 seconds left. Polony played well in relief of Robertson. He completed 13-of-24 pass attempts for 228 yards and one touchdown, and carried the 13 times for 87 yards and two touchdown. Very Robertson-esque, in fact. Sam Houston seems so different because it has jelled with a team that has eight FBS transfers and 18 starters who didnt start in Keelers first spring game. New quarterback Jared Johnson, last years backup behind four-year starter Brian Bell, was 22-for-27 for 303 yards and three touchdowns in the win. Leading 17-16 at halftime, Sam Houston scored on the first play of the third quarter when Johnson threw a 66-yard bomb to LaDarius Brown for their second touchdown connection. But Villanova tailback Kevin Monangai scored on a 58-yard run with 9:36 left in the third quarter and Kevin Gulyas caught the two-point conversation from Polony to tie the game 24-24. Luc Swimberghes 30-yard field goal with 10:54 left in the fourth quarter put Sam Houston back in front, 27-24. But Villanova answered with a nine-play, 67-yard drive, which was capped by Polony rolling out from a shotgun for a 1-yard touchdown run to make it 31-27 Wildcats with 7:15 left. Sam Houston had an answer as well, moving 75 yards in 10 plays and going ahead 34-31 on Overstreets 1-yrd run up the middle at the 4:03 mark. Polony had originally beaten out Robertson for the No. 1 job in 2012, but Robertson had made 35 straight starts for the Wildcats before Saturdays game. Polony accounted for two touchdowns in the first quarter. He connected with wide receiver Poppy Livers for a 54-yard touchdown pass to pull Villanova within 7-6 before the extra point was missed. He later scored on a 36-yard keeper to give the Wildcats a 13-7 lead. But Sam Houston answered that score with a 12-play, 80-yard drive, moving back ahead 14-13 after Johnsons second touchdown pass, a 4-yarder to Gerald Thomas with 9:54 remaining in the second quarter. Swimberghe extended Sam Houstons lead with a 32-yard field goal, but Gough, who missed the earlier extra point, closed the half with a 46-yard field goal to pull the Wildcats within 17-16. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 1 seed North Dakota State (13-1) 39, No. 7 seed Coastal Carolina (12-2) 32 Fargo, ND - North Dakota State trailing in the fourth quarter has been a rarity during its three-year reign as the FCS champion, but the Bison have come from behind to win two consecutive playoff games in eight days. Indeed, they continue to have the collective heart of a champion even as teams get closer in the rear-view mirror. Running back John Crockett rushed for 227 yards and two touchdowns and became the Bisons new single-season rushing leader while second-seeded North Dakota State held off seventh-seeded Coastal Carolina, 39-32, Saturday for the second consecutive year in the national quarterfinals. The game was far different from North Dakota States 48-14 playoff rout of Coastal last season, but the Bison (13-1) will host unseeded Sam Houston State (11-4) in the national semifinals next weekend. The Bison defeated Sam Houston in both the 2011 and 12 FCS championship games. A week ago, the Bison rallied past Missouri Valley Conference rival South Dakota State in the final minute of their second-round game. On Saturday, they fell behind for the first time, 32-31, on Coastal running back DeAngelo Hendersons 2-yard touchdown run to open the fourth quarter. The Chanticleers, however, failed on a two-point attempt after a second straight score, keeping their lead at one point. North Dakota State then retook the lead two possessions later when Crockett found running room along the Coastal sideline and scored on a 45-yard dash with 9:28 remaining to play. Quarterback Carson Wentz ran up the middle to score a two-point conversion and lift the Bison advantage to 39-32. On Coastals next drive, the Chanticleers converted a fake punt just inside their territory, but didnt gain another first down on the drive. After NDSUs Adam Keller missed a 49-yard field goal that could have put the win away, Bison safety Colten Heagle stymied the Chants final drive with an interception of Alex Ross just inside Bison territory with 53 seconds remmaining.dddddddddddd Crockett, whos gained three 1,000-yard seasons, has 1,754 this season on a school-record 320 carries, including 26 on Saturday. Hes scored 17 of his 18 touchdowns on the ground. Wentz accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) in the win. But Big South co-champion Coastal Coastal Carolina (12-2) was nearly up to the challenge as Henderson had 143 rushing yards and the touchdown, and Ross rushed for two touchdowns. It was the most points scored against NDSU during the playoff win streak. North Dakota State, which had won 22 straight home games and 14 consecutive playoff games, had hoped to assert itself in the second half after clinging to a 24-20 halftime advantage. After Coastals offense went three-and-out to begin the third quarter, the Bison completed a nine-play, 69-yard drive with Wentzs 2-yard scoring run around right end providing a 31-20 lead. But Ross capped the Chanticleers following possession by diving into the North Dakota State for a 4-yard touchdown and they pulled within 31-26 at the 3:29 mark. Hendersons go-ahead touchdown capped a quick-strike, four-play drive which went 95 yards when Ross had a 48-yard pass to John Israel, Henderson a 32-yard run and Ross a 13-yard pass to Osharmar Abercrombie. The first half featured offensive firepower as North Dakota State took a 24-20 lead at halftime. Crockett opened the scoring with a 70-yard touchdown and Wentz fired touchdowns to Kevin Vaadeland and Luke Albers. But Coastal moved the chains and Devin Brown returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown midway through the second quarter, tying the game at 17-17. Alex Catrons 25-yard field goal on the final play of the half pulled Coastal within 24-20. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Saturday, Dec. 13 FCS Playoff Quarterfinals No. 5 seed Illinois State (11-1) at No. 4 seed Eastern Washington (11-2) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday, Dec. 12 No. 1 seed New Hampshire (12-1) 35, No. 8 seed Chattanooga (10-4) 30 Durham, NH - All-American wide receiver R.J. Harris is noted as being New Hampshires hardest worker. No doubt hes the Wildcats best player. Harris caught two touchdowns, including on a 61-yard screen pass in the fourth quarter that helped put away top-seeded New Hampshires 35-30 victory over eighth-seeded Chattanooga in the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs Friday night. The win gives the Wildcats (12-1) a semifinal-round date at home next weekend against either fourth-seeded Eastern Washington or fifth-seeded Illinois State, who face each other in another quarterfinal on Saturday. New Hampshire, making its 11th straight playoff appearance under coach Sean McDonnell, has captured 12 straight wins and 14 straight home games, both program records. Harris decisive second touchdown was electrifying. New Hampshire clung to a 28-24 lead in a back-and-forth game when it took possession of the ball at its 39 following a Chattanooga punt early in the fourth quarter. On first down, Harris went in motion and took a handoff from quarterback Sean Goldrich. Harris lateralled the ball to fellow wide receiver Jimmy Giansante, who then flipped it back to Goldrich. The senior signal caller lofted a screen pass to Harris in the backfield at the 30, who immediately picked up blocks and blew past Chattanooga defenders along the sideline to give the Wildcats the games first double-digit lead, 35-24, with 11:04 remaining to play. Nick Cefalo then intercepted Chattanooga quarterback Jacob Huesman on the Mocs ensuing drive and New Hampshire begin milking game clock from there. Huesman had dominated the first half before the Wildcats had defensive answers after halftime. But on Chattanoogas next possession, running back Derraine Craine scored on an 8-yard pass from Huesman with 1:32 left to pull the Mocs with 35-30. With no remaining timeouts, the Mocs needed to recover the ensuing onside kick, but New Hampshires Keith Parkinson did. The Wildcats ran out the clock from there and advanced to the national semifinals for the second consecutive season. Last year, they were eliminated at eventual national champion North Dakota State one step shy of the national championship game. Harris finished with seven receptions for 172 yards. Until his second touchdown, the first-ever meeting between the two conference champions - New Hampshire in CAA Football and Chattanooga in the Southern Conference - was extremely tight. Huesman had 428 total yards and accounted for three touchdowns in Chattanoogas loss, which ended a seven-game losing streak. Goldrich threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns and ran for a score for New Hampshire. The Wildcats went ahead for good 28-24 on Nico Steritis 6-yard draw with 13:23 left in the fourth quarter. But the play nearly didnt happen. Chattanooga defensive back Trevor Knight intercepted Goldrich in the Mocs end zone. But video replay confirmed Knight didnt re-establish himself in the end zone before catching the ball. On the next play, Steriti scored his second touchdown of the game to erase a 24-22 New Hampshire deficit. An attempt for a two-point conversion failed, however. Trailing 22-21 after three quarters, Chattanooga (10-4) went ahead when Henrique Ribeiro kicked a 27-yard field goal on the second play of the fourth quarter. The kick stopped a string of four straight missed field goal attempts by Ribeiro during the playoffs. New Hampshire had kept seven of its previous opponents to under 20 points, but Chattanooga took a 21-15 lead into halftime after Huesman scored from 1 yard out with 21 seconds remaining in the second quarter. It completed a huge first half in which he was 15-for-17 for 167 yards and rushed for another 64 yards and two touchdowns. His second touchdown erased a 15-14 Mocs deficit. Goldrich threw a 49-yard scoring pass to Harris with 4:47 left and then holder Andy Vailas ran in a faked extra point for the two-point conversion. ' ' '