Off Topic » The Wildcats will have to play a little better if

SAN DIEGO -- Arizona avoided becoming the latest and biggest upset victim in an NCAA tournament thats been filled with them. The Wildcats will have to play a little better if they want to keep going in the bracket. Nick Johnson scored 18 points, Aaron Gordon added 16 and top-seeded Arizona overcame a shaky start and a late run by Weber State to beat the Wildcats 68-59 in the West Regional on Friday. The first full day of the tournament was a wild one filled with upsets, and the bracket-busting trend continued early Friday, when Mercer, a No. 14 seed, knocked off mighty Duke. Arizona (31-4) appeared to be next in line, falling into an 8-point hole in the opening 6 minutes. Arizona closed in around Weber State (19-12), shutting down the Wildcats during two big first-half runs, seemingly putting the fairytale to bed. Comfortably ahead, Arizona let off the gas late, allowing Weber State to trim a 21-point lead down to nine before pulling it out. Solid, but not great, particularly since the next game -- against Gonzaga or Oklahoma State on Sunday -- is the spot the Wildcats have been picked to go down. Weber State put up a fight in its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007, clearly not intimidated by Arizona and its cast of future NBA players. The Wildcats just didnt have the manpower to keep up with the long, athletic Cats during their big runs and nor did they have enough left climb all the way back after clawing back in the second half. Davion Berry scored 24 points and Richaud Gittens added 12 for Weber State. Arizona had been in this spot before, facing a quick-trigger 3-point shooting team in the opening round. A year ago, Belmont was a popular bracket buster pick against the Wildcats because of its ability to shoot the 3, but Arizona turned the slight into motivation and ran over the Bruins. Even after an opening day of upsets in the bracket, there were no calls for an upset against Arizona this year. But just as Mercer was busy taking down Duke, Weber State gave the 16-over-a-1-seed miracle a glimpse of life, holding Arizona without a field for nearly 5 minutes during a game-opening 10-2 run. The dream popped with a flurry of blocked shots, steals and runouts the other direction. After falling into the early hole, one of the nations best defences flexed its muscles against the Big Sky-champion Wildcats, jumping into passing lanes, swatting shots, turning nearly every possession into a fight against the shot clock. Weber State missed 12 of 13 shots as Arizona went on two big runs and shot 6 of 24 in the first half with nine turnovers that Arizona turned into 12 points. The desert Wildcats shook off their early offensive funk with an array of dunks and 3-pointers, racing past Weber State with runs of 14-2 and 13-3 to go up 32-20 at halftime. Arizona looked as if it was going to run away with it early in the second half, only to watch Weber State scratch a huge lead to under double digits with 4 1-2 minutes left. Arizona turned back every attempt Weber State made after that to pull out the victory, but will likely face more upset predictions in the next round after this one. Nike Air Force 1 Just Do It Italia . He will be practicing with the Norfolk Admirals (AHL) on a conditioning assignment. - @AnaheimDucks Corey Perry has a knee sprain and will miss the next three to four weeks. Air Max 720 Scontate . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. http://www.nikejustdoit.it/scarpe-air-max-97-saldi.html . Schaub will start for an injured Case Keenum and try to help the Texans end a 12-game skid. Schaubs last action in Houston came when he took over late in a game against Oakland on Nov. 17 as Keenum was struggling. Nike Just Do It Scarpe Air Max .Y. - Referee Ed Hochuli referred to replay official Tom Sifferman by his nickname Jungle Boy, which was heard on the in-stadium microphone during the Arizona Cardinals-Carolina Panthers NFC wild-card game Saturday. Nike Air Force 1 Just Do It Bianche . The 19-year-old Swiss centre back will initially have to impress in Uniteds reserve side to earn a spot in the first team. Veseli says "Manchester United has a long history of younger players coming through and hopefully I can follow and do the same. WASHINGTON -- Denard Spans approach with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning proves math pays off. Facing a five-man infield, Span hit a sacrifice fly in the ninth and the Washington Nationals, with Bryce Harper back in the lineup and stealing his first base of the season, rallied past the St. Louis Cardinals 3-2 Sunday. The Nationals loaded the bases against Seth Maness (0-1) when Danny Espinosa singled through third baseman Matt Carpenters legs with one out for his third hit, Jose Lobaton singled through the right side of the infield and pinch hitter Nate McLouth walked. In his second game since being activated from the seven-day disabled list following a concussion, Span lofted a fly to left field. Espinosa easily beat the throw from Jon Jay, who shifted over from right field as St. Louis brought in an extra infielder. "I counted: one, two, three, four, five," Span said. "Right there I told myself a groundball probably not going to do it. Try to get the ball in the air somehow." After Espinosa crossed home, the Nationals mobbed Span, who suddenly had something else on his mind. "I was screaming so loud, so into the moment, but at the same time Im thinking dont hit me upside the head too hard because I just came off the DL," said the smiling centre fielder, who grounded out with the bases full in the sixth before delivering the game-winner. The Nationals split the four-game series. They had lost eight of the previous nine meetings with the Cardinals going into the series wrap-up. "Thats a play Im expecting to make and a play that I expect myself to make and I didnt make it," Carpenter said of his ninth-inning whiff. "It ended up costing us." Harper started in left field and went 1 for 4. The two-time All-Star was pulled from the game a day earlier for what manager Matt Williams called a "lack of hustle" after he failed to run out a comebacker to the mound. The two spoke before Sundays game. "I sat with him for a couple of minutes in his locker and told him Im confident in him and Im proud of him and he was going to have impact today, which he did," Williams said. Harper had a somewhat different take on the conversation with Williams, as far as length goes. "He just said, Go get em. Thats the three words he said,&qquot; Harper said.dddddddddddd "Its good to get back out there and play and be part of a win." Harper was left stranded at second base as the possible go-ahead run as Anthony Rendon struck out against Pat Neshek in the eighth. Rafael Soriano (1-0) pitched one inning for the win. The Cardinals took an early edge against Stephen Strasburg and led 2-0 going into the seventh. Washington tied the game with four straight singles off reliever Carlos Martinez, including RBI hits from Ian Desmond and Espinosa. Strasburg struck out nine in six innings. Shelby Miller left with the lead after pitching 5 1-3 innings for the Cardinals. He also hit a two-out, RBI double off Strasburg in the fourth. St. Louis starting pitchers recorded an RBI in three of the four games versus Washington. Miller allowed four hits, striking out seven and walking five. Matt Adams doubled twice and scored for the Cardinals. "I was pretty happy we were able to put a couple together and obviously a big hit by Shelby," manager Mike Matheny said. "That gives you a little bit of room and then we get the ball into the hands of guys we like to give the ball to. Good offences are going to put together tough at-bats on tough pitching, and today they got us." True, though it took some doing. Washington left 17 runners on base and went 2 of 12 with runners in scoring position. "Talk about those opportunities and giving ourselves that multiple times in the game, you like your chances, certainly," Williams said. "Especially against a good team like that we want to create those. I dont know how many guys we had on base today but it felt like a lot." NOTES: Cardinals OF Matt Holiday didnt play. It was a day of rest, Matheny said. ...St. Louis will recall LHP Tyler Lyons from Triple-A Memphis to start at the New York Mets and send RHP Jorge Rondon to Memphis before Monday nights series opener. Last season Lyons finished 2-4 with a 4.75 ERA in 12 appearances, including eight starts for the Cardinals. He replaces RHP Joe Kelly (strained left hamstring), who was put on the disabled list Thursday. ... The Nationals open a three-game home series with the Los Angeles Angels on Monday night with Washington RHP Tanner Roark (1-1, 5.29) facing RHP Garrett Richards (2-0, 2.84). ' ' '