Boxengasse » run, the Wildcats stretched the lead behind Grant and Gre

MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve is an expert at analyzing her team, but this is one thing she really cant explain.In each of their five WNBA Finals appearances, the Lynx have had the best record and been the host for the first two games. However, theyve lost the opener now three times.Isnt that crazy? Reeve mused. I kind of went back and thought about it. I think each year is different, but it was surprising to me.Los Angeles won 78-76 on Alana Beards buzzer-beater on Sunday in Game 1 of the WNBA Finals. Even while the game was being played, the Lynx knew what their biggest problems were: turnovers and fouls. But they werent able to satisfactorily fix those things before it was too late.Its two good teams going against each other, Minnesotas Maya Moore said. We cant give up easy points in transition off their aggressive defense. Its about moment-by-moment getting the ball where we want it on offense.Of course, the Sparks feel like they have things to clean up as well, despite winning the game.Theyre going to adjust to our pressure, for sure, L.A.s Candace Parker said. But we lost a lot of statistical categories, too. So this isnt just about them having to adjust to us. We have to make adjustments, too.Now well see which path the series takes from here. The teams meet again at Target Center on Tuesday (ESPN2, 8 p.m. ET) and the Lynx will try to become the first team to hold court in this series in 2016. The visiting team has won all four previous meetings this season.Sometimes, results of past seasons are irrelevant because personnel is different. But since Minnesotas core and coaching staff are the same, there is some reason to look back on those two previous Game 1 losses to see what the Lynx did then and how they responded.In 2012, the Lynx lost Game 1 to Indiana 76-70, and turnovers cost Minnesota then, too. The Lynx bounced back and won the second game, but then lost twice at Indiana, and the Fever got the championship.Then last year, again going against Indiana, the Lynx lost 75-69 in Game 1. Once more, turnovers were a factor, as was the Lynxs 15-of-23 shooting from the line, while the Fever went 16-for-16.But the Lynx ended up winning the series, taking the second game behind powerful performances from Maya Moore and Sylvia Fowles, and the third game on Moores buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Indiana won Game 4, but Minnesota won the decisive fifth game basically by attrition, 69-52. The Lynx had worn out the Fever by then.That might be a factor in this 2016 WNBA Finals, too, especially if it goes five games. Sunday, Los Angeles coach Brian Agler stuck with a seven-player rotation, while Reeve used 10 players.I think well go deeper, but [Sunday] just wasnt that time, Agler said. It was sort of a gut feeling, and sometimes you just go with what was working. Im sure that going forward, well use our eighth and ninth players a little bit more.When the teams first met this season, on June 21 in Los Angeles, it was close throughout with the Lynx winning 72-69 on Renee Montgomerys 3-pointer with 2.9 seconds left.Three days later in Minneapolis, the Sparks took over the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lynx 29-17 for a 94-76 victory.They didnt play again until Sept. 6 in Los Angeles, and the Lynx were up by 10 with 35 seconds left. Game over? Not quite. The Lynx won 77-74, but a scoring surge from Sparks guard Chelsea Gray kept things uncomfortable down the stretch.The Sparks prevailing on Sunday in Minneapolis sent the crowd home disappointed, and the Lynx players were frustrated, too. But not overly so, since theyve been through this before. The Lynx dont lose a lot of games, period. But they especially dont lose much when they shoot 51 percent from the field, as they did Sunday (31 of 61).Minnesotas Seimone Augustus said after the game, she shut off her phone -- I didnt want to talk to anybody -- and went home to get a good nights sleep. She knew Mondays film session wouldnt be much fun, but would help.You can hit the rewind button and play it again. And hit the rewind and play it again, Augustus said of reviewing mistakes the Lynx made. Its something that we need.Its minor details that weve got to work out. Weve got to be smarter with the passes. Just knowing that theyre going to collapse on the ball. Youve got to be able to handle the pressure. Its the Finals and [the Sparks] came in to win, and thats what they did. Now weve got to put the pedal to the metal. Kanken Backpack Pink Australia . -- Damian Lillard and LaMarcus Alrdridge were again the go-to duo for the Trail Blazers against the Kings. Kanken Mini Backpack Ox Red . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. http://www.kankenbackpackaustralia.com/ . Toronto has dropped games to Indiana and Miami since a five-game winning streak and closed out a three-game road trip at 1-2. Kanken Backpack Green Australia .Y. -- Sabres defenceman Tyler Myers had no intention of changing his hard-hitting style before taking part in a disciplinary hearing for his illegal check to New Jersey forward Dainius Zubrus head. Fjallraven Kanken Bags Australia . 1 position. The Mustangs (6-0), who beat Queens 50-31 last weekend, earned 17 first-place votes and 287 points in voting by the Football Reporters of Canada. Western was last ranked first in the country in October 2011. TUCSON, Ariz. -- Brandon Dawkins ran toward the sideline, where his momentum carried him an additional five yards into Miss Arizona. The Arizona quarterback ended up going down from the collision, landing right on top of Tommy Lynn Calhoun.Turned out to be one of the best tackles of the night against a Wildcats ball carrier.Arizona turned the Territorial Cup into a walkover, running through, past and around Arizona State while racking up a school-record 511 yards rushing in a 56-35 victory over the rival Sun Devils Friday night.The holes were there all day long and we took advantage of it, Dawkins said.Arizona coach Rich Rodriguez promised a new wrinkle for the Wildcats biggest rival. No one expected what he came up with: Ditching the no-huddle.Working almost exclusively out of a huddle, Arizona (3-9, 1-8 Pac-12) reeled off one big play after another, starting with Dawkins 71-yard touchdown run on the games third play.The Wildcats kept running away from the Sun Devils, finishing with three players over 100 yards rushing for the first time since 1993.Dawkins was the catalyst, his run/pass ability keeping Arizona State off-balance while finishing with 183 yards rushing and two touchdowns, 77 yards and another score passing.Samajie Grant, a receiver pressed into running back duties due to injuries, had 176 yards and three touchdowns. Zach Green added 126 yards and two touchdowns for the Wildcats, who didnt throw a pass in the second half while ending an eight-game losing streak.It doesnt make up for a tough season, but its a great night, Rodriguez said.Arizona State (5-7, 2-7) came into the game with the nations worst pass defense for the second straight season, only to get burned by the run in the biggest game on its schedule.Thanks to missed tackles and assignments in the run game, the Sun Devils likely will not play in a bowl game for the first time in five seasons under coach Todd Graham.Manny Wilkins threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns for the Sun Devils.This was the worst performance weve had since weve been here, Graham said. That was embarrassing. We let our university down.dddddddddddd.The Sun Devils and Wildcats labored through the first 11 games of the season, fighting injuries and breakdowns to set up the first Territorial Cup with two losing since 2003.The 90th Duel in the Desert certainly got off to a wild start with a first quarter that included a long TD run, three turnovers -- one returned for a TD -- and a badly-missed field goal by the NCAAs career leader.Dawkins opened the second quarter on a 10-yard, tackling-breaking run, then found Nate Phillips , who was left uncovered on a screen and raced 64 yards for a touchdown. Greens 1-yard TD run put Arizona up 21.Arizona State made a game of it for a little while, pulling within 28-21 on Kalen Ballages 2-yard run in the third quarter.Then Arizona ran away with it.Going exclusively to the run, the Wildcats stretched the lead behind Grant and Green.Grant scored on a 9-yard run in the third quarter, Green on a 1-yarder. Grant added a 2-yard TD run to start the fourth and went 63 yards for a score to cap the runaway.We just absolutely didnt show up defensively and gave up one big play after another, Graham said.THE TAKEAWAYArizona State battled injuries all season, but so did Arizona. Ending the season with a loss like this to their biggest rival will not go over well with Sun Devils fans.Arizona had a disappointing season, but putting up a performance like this against its rival will go a long way to washing away some of the bad taste.DAWKINS AND MISS ARIZONADawkins immediately apologized after running over Miss Arizona , did it again during an in-game interview with her on ESPN and was still apologetic after the game.I owe her one, he said. She wants to go to dinner, Ill take her any time.UP NEXTArizona States season will likely end without a bowl game for the first time since 2010. The Sun Devils can still technically get a bid if not enough six-win teams qualify, but it appears to be a longshot.Arizonas season since 2004 is over. ' ' '