and isnt racing for the title for the first time in three seaso

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands -- Abdul-Malik Abu scored 25 points, and North Carolina State pulled away in the second half to beat Montana 85-72 Friday in the opening day of the Paradise Jam tournament.Dennis Smith Jr. added 21 points and Torin Dorn had 16 for the Wolfpack (3-0), who didnt overcome a pesky Grizzlies team until midway through the second half.Montana (0-3) had battled with N.C. State, even leading 40-38 at the half in a game that had 10 ties and 14 lead changes. But the final lead change went the Wolfpacks way, thanks to a 12-2 run that put N.C. State in command.We had to dig down in the second half, N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said. Defensively, we were a lot better in the second half. From the 15-16 minute mark down, we really defended really well.The Wolfpack went on to lead by as many as 16 points, going up 77-61 with 2:31 remaining on Terry Hendersons 3-pointer.Walter Wright had 22 points, Ahmaad Rorie 15 and Sayeed Pridgett 12 for the Grizzlies.We tried to do a little too much, Montana coach Travis DeCuire said. We were playing well together on both sides of the ball, but they hit a stretch where they started hitting some tough shots. We let some guys get going.BIG PICTUREMontana: The Grizzlies are off to their worst start in coach Travis DeCuires three seasons. Under DeCuire, Montana has gone 20-13 and 21-12.N.C. State: Finally has a win over a team from the Big Sky -- the only one of the 31 Division conferences the Wolfpack did not have a victory against. N.C. State was 0-1 against the conference all time, having lost to Weber State 94-80 in the 1993 Great Alaska Shootout.UP NEXTMontana: Plays the loser of Friday nights Washington State-No. 22 Creighton game on Saturday.N.C. State: Faces the Washington State-Creighton winner in the semifinals on Sunday. Calgary Flames Store . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. Stitched Flames Jerseys . LOUIS -- Lance Lynn was one of the more enthusiastic participants as the St. https://www.cheapflames.com/ . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. Calgary Flames Pro Shop . Rousey will put her perfect 8-0 record and hardware on the line against another undefeated fighter, 7-0 Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada on February 22nd. Calgary Flames Gear .Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled forward Kevin Porter and defenceman Chad Ruhwedel from the minors as part of a five-player roster shuffle made by the NHLs worst team. HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- Carl Edwards became the early favorite to win NASCARs championship with a strong showing in the final practice before Sundays title-deciding finale.Edwards was the fastest championship contender in the category that is the best indicator for race readiness. On pure speed, his Toyota was second fastest overall in Saturdays practice. Edwards was fifth on the chart for best 10 consecutive lap averages, and thats typically the clue as to who has a strong car.I couldnt have asked for a better practice than that, Edwards said. We didnt have any problems.Edwards, Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano and teammate Kyle Busch will race Sunday for the Chase championship. The highest finisher at Homestead-Miami Speedway wins the title.Edwards last raced for a championship in 2011, when he lost the title on a tie-breaker to Tony Stewart. Now a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, hes in the championship finale for the first time in the three years of this elimination format. One of the most structured and regimented drivers in the series, hes handling the stress of a hectic championship week like a pro.Hes been loose and funny, despite total chaos. His motorhome broke down on the way to Miami, the loaner was a dud, and when he finally got some accommodations, he had none of his personal belongings. Edwards had to make an emergency trip to a Macys to buy clothes to wear to a Miami Beach dinner party.Yet hes managed to focus on Sunday and give thought to what might transpire.Anything can happen in this race. You kind of visualize it beeing straight forward, but theres a lot of fast cars that arent one of us four guys racing for a championship, so I think its going to be a really good battle, he said.ddddddddddddIndeed, those outside the championship four are a pretty stout group of potential winners. Martin Truex Jr., the strongest driver in the first round of the Chase before he was eliminated in the second round, was fastest on speed.Kevin Harvick had the best 10 consecutive lap average. He was eliminated from the finale last week and isnt racing for the title for the first time in three seasons.Also in the mix is Stewart, who is retiring Sunday from NASCAR competition. He has a decent car for his last Cup race in a Chevrolet, a brand he has long represented but will take his Stewart-Haas Racing organization to Ford next year.Johnson, seeking a record-tying seventh championship, was ninth in the final practice. He hit a hose that fell off another car, dismissing it as just a little scratch.Driving much better, great speed, short run speed, long run speed, he said. We made some good improvements there at the end of that.Busch was 13th and Logano, trying to become the first Ford driver to win a title since 2004, was 21st and didnt sound thrilled with his car.Were OK. We need to work on our stuff a little bit, he said. I know weve been on both sides of the fence, and we havent been the fastest yet, so well keep working on it. ' ' '