Cardinals in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge figures

NEW YORK -- Its been a difficult few years for Australia basketball star Liz Cambage, on and off the court.She says shes grown up while dealing with injuries and an ongoing battle with depression.I feel like Im ready and healthy, Cambage told The Associated Press. Its been a long road back, but Im so excited for the Olympics.The 24-year-old will be key if Australia is going to continue its streak of medaling in every Olympics since 1996. Her physical problems started when she tore her Achilles before the 2014 world championship and couldnt play in that tournament. Australia finished a disappointing fifth. It was a tough road back from the injury, but Cambage said shes in the best shape shes ever been in.Ive been working on my fitness and it really shows, she said.She helped Australia go 2-1 in a pre-Olympic tour last week in the U.S. She had 22 points in a loss to the Americans on Sunday despite being saddled by foul trouble. Her size and strength make her a difficult matchup for anyone.Theres no one in the world like her because of her size and strength, U.S. center Sylvia Fowles said. Shes tough to guard.Cambage has also been working on her mental health. She admitted to Australian media last month that she has battled depression since she was a teenager. She confirmed that with the AP.Its something that Ive been constantly working on, Cambage said. Ive been getting help.Cambage admits she has made some mistakes over the last year. She missed an Australian training camp to attend a music concert in 2015 which didnt go over well with the coaching staff and teammates. She was also criticized for being outspoken on social media when a teammate dressed up as Kanye West at a party, complete with blackface.She has grown over the last few years and like all athletes gone through her ups and downs and questioned themselves, Australia coach Brendan Joyce said. One thing that Joyce doesnt want to see Cambage lose is her playful personality. She still exhibits a youthful exuberance whether shes bounding off the court, or joking with the media in the mix zone. She proudly sports a lion tattoo above her elbow. No, its not in honor of the Lion King shes quick to point out. Its her Zodiac sign. Shell celebrate her 25th birthday in Rio.She burst onto the international basketball scene at the 2010 world championship and then was taken at No. 2 by Tulsa in the 2011 WNBA draft. Being nearly 9,500 miles away from Australia didnt help her mentally and left her homesick.I was so far from home and was so young it just was a difficult situation, she said.That depression resurfaced after her last Olympics in 2012.Youre on such a high at the Olympics, she said. Its the pinnacle of sports and youre representing your country and then when its finished you drop down to such a low. Its like whats next? I have matured. It is four years later and I am still the same crazy kid deep down inside.She made a splash at the London Games, becoming the first woman to dunk in the Olympics. She has bigger goals in Rio.Its a pretty cool thing to have done, but there are other goals I want to accomplish, Cambage said. Winning a gold medal for Australia would be unbelievable.Cambage said when the Olympics end shell take some time off to relax. Unfortunately for WNBA fans she said she wouldnt potentially rejoin the league until maybe 2019.I really like Dallas, I talked to coach Fred Williams when we were training there, she said. I want to relax next year and then in 2018 we have the Commonwealth Games and the world championship again. Australia will always be my No. 1 priority.She hopes she can lead Australia to new heights in Rio.---Follow Doug on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/dougfeinberg Zapatillas Vans Online Rebajas .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. Zapatillas Vans Baratas Outlet . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. http://www.baratasvans.es/ .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Comprar Vans Baratas España . - Blake Griffin had 30 points and 12 rebounds, J. Zapatillas Vans Baratas Online . One game after a miserable showing in Oklahoma City, Gay tied a career high with 41 points and the Sacramento Kings cruised to a 114-97 victory at the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. LAS VEGAS -- Maryland trailed for much of the game, grew frustrated by its miscues and needed to make key plays down the stretch under pressure.Just what the No. 6 Terrapins were craving.Brionna Jones had 20 points and a career-high 20 rebounds and Maryland pulled away late to beat Washington State 79-69 on Saturday.Maryland (6-0) entered having won each game by at least 32 points. The Terrapins largest deficit was 2-0 and it had trailed for less than 2 minutes total in five games.This team is really, really competitive, so I think theyd much rather play in games like this where youre tested to be able to see how to work through a game, coach Brenda Frese said. We really enjoyed it.The Cougars led by six in the first half and for much of the third quarter. With game tied at 61, Jones hit two free throws and Destiny Slocum added a 3-pointer and two free throws in a 10-2 run to put Maryland ahead 71-63 with 1:39 left at the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout.I think this just shows how hard we have to compete going forward, Jones said.The senior centers offensive rebounds helped keep her teammates in it in the first half. She delivered clutch plays down the stretch as her teammates found a rhythm.She was huge, Frese said. We knew we were going to be able to go inside, but her presence, they had no answer for her on both ends of the floor.Kaila Charles scored 19 points, Shatori Walker-Kimbrough had 15 and Slocum 11 for Maryland in its final tuneup before its showdown at No. 4 Louisville on Thursday.Borislava Hristova scored 25 points on 11-of-19 shooting for Washington State (4-2). The Cougars were 7 of 21 from the foul line.Im really proud of our team. I thought we had a good tournament here, Washington State coach June Daugherty said. We played very well the other night against Nebraska and I thought for about three and a half quarters, we played pretty well against the No. (6) team in the couuntry.ddddddddddddBIG PICTUREMaryland: Winning games by 56, 45 and 64 points before routing No. 23 Arizona State by 41 Friday may have led to a lack of intensity. There were plenty of missed layups and poor passes allowing the Cougars to gain confidence in a physical game.Washington State: The Cougars, picked to finish 10th in the Pac-12, have plenty of contributors. For the sixth straight game, 12 players saw action. Daugherty, in her 10th season, had her players diving for loose balls and drawing charges in an inspired performance.POLL IMPLICATIONS:Maryland could move up a spot by jumping over the loser of Sundays game between No. 3 South Carolina and No. 4 Louisville. Thursdays matchup with the Cardinals in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge figures to be the top game of the week.JONES DOMINANCEJones said she maybe had a 20-20 game in high school, but not recently. Her previous career high was 19 rebounds.HRISTOVA SHINESHristova, the Pac-12s second-leading freshman scorer last season, was held to nine points against Nebraska and previously suffered through 4-of-13 and 5-of-14 shooting games.She has not been happy with her play on both ends of the floor, Daugherty said. To her credit, she just relaxed a little bit and let the game come to her for a while. Then she got some confidence and she tried to take over the game, which is great to see.FREE THROW WOESDaugherty looked at the stats sheet and the 14 missed free throws and declared, Thats ballgame.Caila Hailey went 2 for 8 from the line.UP NEXTThursday will be Marylands first trip to Louisville since beating the Cardinals to advance to the 2014 Final Four.Washington State returns home to face San Diego on Friday, its fourth West Coast Conference opponent of the season. The Pac-12 opener is Dec. 27 at No. 15 Washington. ' ' '