second half was welcomed after they clung to the 7-3 halftime lead. Aft

The Toronto Raptors are still seeking improvement even though they own the Eastern Conferences best record. The Detroit Pistons are near the other end of the standings amid their worst single-season home losing streak in nearly half a century. The Raptors will be in search of a fifth straight victory tonight when they try to extend the Pistons home slide to 12 games. Toronto (20-6) posted a 105-89 home win over Brooklyn on Wednesday, gaining a measure of revenge against the team that knocked it out of the playoffs a season ago. Kyle Lowry had 20 points and 12 assists, and Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Raptors, who reached 20 wins quicker than any team in club history. My hat is off to (the players), coach Dwane Casey said. But everybody in that room knows there are a lot of areas where we can get better. There are clearly plenty of areas where Detroit (5-21) can improve. The Pistons fell 117-106 to Dallas on Wednesday for their 11th consecutive defeat at The Palace of Auburn Hills, marking their longest single-season home skid since a franchise-record 15 straight Dec. 6, 1966-Jan. 31, 1967. Smith, the teams second-leading scorer at 13.2 points per game, had seven points and four field-goal attempts Wednesday. It marked his lowest shot total since he took three April 13, 2011, with Atlanta. Jennings, meanwhile, is shooting 24.1 percent in December for the lowest mark of any player with at least 50 attempts. He averaged 4.7 points during a string of seven straight games without reaching double digits before scoring 13 versus the Mavericks. He could get untracked in the first game with Toronto since he averaged 21.0 points in last seasons three meetings in his point guard matchup with Lowry, who averaged 22.7 and 7.3 assists in those games. The Raptors swept the series for the second time in their history, winning by an average of 14.7 points. Pistons center Andre Drummond averaged 12.0 points and 14.0 rebounds last season against the Raptors. Drummond was spectacular Wednesday with 19 points and 24 rebounds - two shy of his career high. That was probably Andres best game of the season, and it is definitely the hardest he has played all year, coach Stan Van Gundy said. He was getting up and down the floor and he was active on defense. Drummond is among the NBA leaders with 12.3 rebounds per game and 14 double-doubles. He figures to be matched up with Valanciunas, who has half of his eight double-doubles in the Raptors last six games. Toronto isnt taking anything for granted heading into a weekend in which it faces two of the Easts worst teams, with New York visiting Sunday. Right now, my minds beginning to think about Detroit and what we can do tomorrow, what we can do in shootaround to get ready for Detroit, Casey said after Wednesdays win. Weve got New York coming back through so we cant rest and think about a rivalry or whoever were playing. Weve got to go to next game. Tobin Heath USA Jersey .com) - Carmelo Anthony scored 31 points with eight rebounds to lead the New York Knicks to a 92-80 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Morgan Brian USA Jersey .com) - Manchester City will face a steep test in the Champions League knockout stage as the English champions were drawn with Barcelona on Monday. http://www.officialsocceruswntshop.com/adrianna-franch-usa-jersey/ . LOUIS -- Joe Thornton and the San Jose Sharks won the matchup of unbeaten teams. Blank USA Jersey . Simona Halep of Romania claimed the fifth title of her career by beating Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (1), 6-2 in the womens final. After trading sets, Gasquet trailed 4-3 in the decider but broke back to 4-4 in a game that went to seven deuces with Kukushkin constantly failing on his forehand shots. Allie Long Jersey . "Im going to send Webbie a six-pack (of beer) tonight," she said. Webb wasnt sure that would help. "Ill probably drink one and go to sleep," the Australian veteran said. The two players set up a Sunday showdown between former HSBC champions after finishing off their third rounds with identical birdies over three of the last five holes Saturday to separate themselves slightly from the rest of the crowded leaderboard.Philadelphia, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - The irony is almost too good. The unbalanced schedule in the 10-team Missouri Valley Football Conference prevented its co-champions, Illinois State and North Dakota State, from facing each other during the regular season. They will be dance partners in the end, however. The two Missouri Valley teams will square off Jan. 10 in the FCS championship game at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas. North Dakota State is the pre-eminent FCS program and will try to win an unprecedented fourth straight title with its stifling defense. But Illinois State, in NDSUs shadow all season, has the size and athleticism to make this perhaps the Bisons toughest opponent in Frisco. The Bison beat Sam Houston State from the Southland Conference in 2011 and 12, and Towson from CAA Football to end last season. North Dakota State has won the last three meetings, including 28-10 last season. Its probably the matchup both teams wanted when the 24-team playoffs began Thanksgiving Weekend. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- No. 5 seed Illinois State (13-1) 21, No. 1 seed New Hampshire (12-2) 18 Durham, NH - If ever there was doubt about the Missouri Valley Football Conference being the top conference in the FCS, Illinois State provided a reminder on Saturday. The Redbirds rallied past top-seeded New Hampshire, 21-18, with two fourth- quarter touchdowns in the FCS semifinals and gave the Missouri Valley both national finalists. The Jan. 10 title game in Frisco, Texas, will be a fitting end to the 24-team playoffs as it matches fifth-seeded Illinois State (13-1) against second-seeded North Dakota State (14-1), which will try to win an unprecedented fourth straight FCS title. The two teams were crowned Missouri Valley co-champions after not facing each other in the regular season. Illinois State qualified for the championship game for the first time with a clutch fourth-quarter performance after being limited by UNH to only two field goals in the first three quarters. Running back Marshaun Coprich scored on a 2-yard run in the first minute of the fourth quarter to pull the Redbirds within 18-13. Quarterback Tre Roberson then capped their next possession with a go-ahead 47-yard touchdown run with 7:55 left. When Jon-Marc Anderson ran in the two-point conversion, they had a 21-18 lead. New Hampshire (12-2), the CAA Football champion, reached Illinois State territory on its next drive, but was stopped on downs with 4:08 remaining. Coach Brock Spacks Redbirds then converted two first downs to run out the clock. The Redbirds lived dangerously in their first-ever meeting with New Hampshire after having come into the game with a 40.5-point average. Roberson, a junior transfer from Indiana, had accounted for 36 total touchdowns in their first 13 games, but was limited to one touchdown run while totaling 373 yards (278 passing, 95 rushing). Coprich had rushed for over 100 yards in each game and entered with an FCS-high 2,089 yards and 26 touchdowns, but he was held to 79 yards on 24 carries. Under Sean McDonnell, who won the Eddie Robinson Award for the second time in his 16th season at UNH, the Wildcats had a 14-game winning streak and appeared to be in control of the game until Illinois State began to wear them down with bigger size and Robersons dual-threat skills. Their two touchdown drives went for 84 and 89 yards. Lechein Neblett was Robersons favorite target with eight receptions for 147 yards. Defensive end Teddy Corwin led the defense with a career-best 12 tackles, while defensive tackle Collin Keoshian added six stops, a sack, a tackle for loss and an interception of UNH quarterback Sean Goldrich. Goldrich was 19-for-33 for 214 yards, adding 17 yards and a touchdown on the ground. Nico Steriti rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while All-American wide receiver R.J. Harris had six receptions for 68 yards, but was helped off the field twice during the game. New Hampshire, appearing in the playoffs for the 11th straight season - the current active high - took a 15-6 lead into halftime after Illinois State was plagued by missed opportunities in the first half. The Redbirds reached the UNH red zone four times yet came away with only two field goals by Nick Aussieker, who also missed an attempt. The big mistake came late in the first quarter when at the end of an 8-yard run Roberson fumbled the ball away to UNH cornerback Dougie Moss while spinning into linebacker Akil Anderson at the 1-yard line. The Wildcats went on a 96-yard scoring drive from there and Steriti reacheed the Illinois State end zone on a 6-yard draw up the middle early in the second quarter.dddddddddddd Andy Vailas then ran in the two-point conversion to put the Wildcats ahead 15-3. Earlier in the first quarter, New Hampshire took a 7-3 lead when Goldrich scrambled into the Redbirds end zone for a 3-yard score. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Friday Night No. 2 seed North Dakota State (14-1) 35, Sam Houston State (11-5) 3 Fargo, ND - Sam Houston State might have won a national title or two and be headed back to the FCS championship game for more. If, that is, the Bearkats success in the postseason hadnt been occurring during North Dakota States four-year dynasty. The Bison did it again to Sam Houston Friday night as senior running back John Crockett totaled 232 yards from scrimmage and scored three touchdowns in eliminating the Bearkats, 35-3, in the FCS semifinals at the Fargodome. Next up for the second-seeded Bison (14-1) is a return to the national championship game in Frisco, Texas, where on Jan. 10 they will try to win an unprecedented fourth straight FCS title against fellow Missouri Valley Conference co-champion Illinois State (13-1). The first two of North Dakota States three straight wins in the national final came against Sam Houston. The Bison are a combined 57-3 over the last four seasons, and their senior class has the chance to finish with more national championships than losses in their career. Only two other FCS programs, Eastern Kentucky (1979-1982) and Youngstown State (1991-1994), have advanced to four straight title games. The visiting Bearkats (11-5) from the Southland Conference had hoped for a different result under their first-year coach K.C. Keeler, who had led Delaware to the FCS title in 2003 as well as two other championship appearances. But the Bison, after playing poorly on offense in first half, ran away from the Bearkats behind Crockett (166 rushing yards, 66 receiving) and their powerful offensive line as well as a defense that slowed down Sam Houstons speed in the skills positions. The Bison extended their playoff winning streak to 15 games and their home winning streak to 23. North Dakota State managed only 99 yards in the first half while taking a 7-3 halftime lead, but the Bison nearly matched that total on their second drive of the third quarter when they began to take control of the game. On the third play, Crockett went undefended coming out of the backfield for a 35-yard reception from quarterback Carson Wentz. On the next play, Crocketts backup, King Frazier, sliced through the Sam Houston defensive line for a 33- yard touchdown run which put the Bison ahead 14-3 midway the quarter. On the first play of North Dakota States next drive, Crockett went around left end to explode for a 55-yard touchdown run which extended the lead to 21-3 with 6:52 remaining in the quarter. That margin is usually insurmountable for North Dakota State, but for good measure, Crockett scored on a 10-yard run early in the fourth quarter before Wentz connected with R.J. Urzendowski for a 14-yard touchdown pass with 3:18 left to play. In the statement performance by coach Chris Kliemans squad, the Bison outgained Sam Houston by a decisive 217 yards to 49 in the third quarter and 398-338 overall to end the Bearkats eight-game winning streak. The Bisons improved offensive success in the second half was welcomed after they clung to the 7-3 halftime lead. After the first three Sam Houston possessions didnt produce a first down in the first quarter, the Bison ran off a nine-play, 68-yard scoring drive for a 7-0 lead. Crockett caught a 31-yard reception on the drive and then went off right tackle to ease into the Sam Houston end zone from 3 yards out with 3:52 left. Sam Houston quarterback Jared Johnsons 39-yard pass to Gerald Thomas to the Bison 11 on the first play of the second quarter set up the Bearkats for their only score, Luc Swimberghes 22-yard field goal which completed a 15-play, 82- yard drive and pulled them within 7-3 with 13:37 left in the first half. Johnson, facing great pressure by Bison pass rushers, was 20-for-31 for 227 yards and was picked off in the fourth quarter by linebacker Nick DeLuca (13 tackles), and he added another 66 yards on 25 carries. Wentz was 13-for-19 for 179 yards and one interception in the win. Bison defensive end Kyle Emanuel, the 2014 Buck Buchanan Award winner, had a career-high 11 tackles with 2 1/2 sacks, tying the schools career record of 41 sacks set in 1974 by Jerry Dahl and tied in 1990 by Phil Hansen. ' ' '