WPPA/T102 SPORTS-MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2009

HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

SCHUYLKILL LEAGUE

GIRLS

TAMAQUA AT POTTSVILLE
PINE GROVE AT JIM THORPE
PANTHERVALLEY AT NORTH SCHUYLKILL
NATIVITY AT MARIAN
MINERSVILLE AT SCHUYLKILL HAVEN
TRI VALLEY AT WILLIAMS VALLEY
SHENANDOAH VALLEY AT MAHANOY AREA

NON LEAGUE

LOURDES AT SHIKELLAMY

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - DONOVAN MCNABB THREW FOR ONE TOUCHDOWN AND RAN FOR ANOTHER, DESEAN JACKSON HAD 140 YARDS RECEIVING AND THE EAGLES BEAT THE SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS 27-13 YESTERDAY TO CLINCH A PLAYOFF BERTH FOR THE EIGHTH TIME THIS DECADE. THE EAGLES HAVE WON FIVE STRAIGHT GAMES AND HAVE A ONE-GAME LEAD OVER DALLAS IN THE NFC EAST.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - PHILADELPHIA EAGLES QUARTERBACK MICHAEL VICK WAS FORCED OUT OF YESTERDAY'S GAME AGAINST SAN FRANCISCO WITH A BRUISED THIGH. VICK WAS STOPPED ON A THIRD-AND-1 LATE IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND LEFT THE FIELD ON HIS OWN POWER. HE TOOK A SEAT ON THE BENCH AND WAS TREATED BY THE TRAINING STAFF, BEFORE LEAVING FOR THE LOCKER ROOM.

PITTSBURGH (AP) - BEN ROETHLISBERGER ENDED THE GAME THE WAY HE STARTED IT BY THROWING A TOUCHDOWN PASS TO MIKE WALLACE, A DESPERATION 19-YARDER ON THE FINAL PLAY THAT RALLIED PITTSBURGH TO A 37-36 VICTORY OVER GREEN BAY YESTERDAY. THE WIN ENDED THE PACKERS' FIVE-GAME WINNING STREAK AND THE STEELERS' FIVE-GAME LOSING STREAK.

CLARKSVILLE, TENN. (AP) - JANIA SIMS' JUMPER WITH 1:04 LEFT IN OVERTIME GAVE NO. 21 PITTSBURGH THE LEAD FOR GOOD AND THE PANTHERS BEAT AUSTIN PEAY 76-75 YESTERDAY. BRITTANY THOMAS LED PITTSBURGH WITH 15 POINTS AND CHELSEA COLE FINISHED WITH 19 REBOUNDS FOR PITTSBURGH, INCLUDING AN OFFENSIVE REBOUND AND KICKOUT TO SIMS FOR A TYING 3-POINTER.

AKRON, OHIO (AP) - STEVE MCNEES SCORED 17 POINTS AND 12 AKRON PLAYERS SCORED IN THE ZIPS' 80-51 VICTORY OVER ST. FRANCIS (PA.) YESTERDAY. AKRON HIT 11 3-POINTERS, HELD ST. FRANCIS TO SIX FIRST-HALF FIELD GOALS AND SHOT 68.2 PERCENT FROM THE FIELD IN THE SECOND HALF FOR ITS THIRD CONSECUTIVE VICTORY.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - DARRIN GOVERNS SCORED 15 POINTS AND LED FIVE PLAYERS IN DOUBLE FIGURES IN SAINT JOSEPH'S 77-66 WIN OVER LEHIGH LAST NIGHT. CHRIS PRESCOTT, CARL BAPTISTE AND CARL JONES SCORED 13 POINTS APIECE FOR SAINT JOSEPH'S. GABE KNUTSON CHIPPED IN 13, MICHAEL OJO HAD 12 AND C.J. MCCOLLUM SCORED 10 FOR LEHIGH.

UNDATED (AP) - FOUR MORE TEAMS CLAIMED NFL PLAYOFF BERTHS YESTERDAY. SAN DIEGO BEAT CINCINNATI 27-24 TO WIN THE AFC WEST, MINNESOTA TOOK THE NFC NORTH WHEN GREEN BAY LOST TO PITTSBURGH 37-36 AND ARIZONA CLAIMED THE NFC WEST WITH A 31-24 WIN AGAINST DETROIT AND PHILADELPHIA'S 27-13 ROUT OF SAN FRANCISCO, WHICH ALSO PUT THE EAGLES IN THE POSTSEASON.

SAN DIEGO (AP) - CHAD OCHICINCO WAS IN TEARS DURING A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR FORMER TEAMMATE CHRIS HENRY BEFORE YESTERDAY'S GAME IN SAN DIEGO. HENRY DIED THURSDAY AT AGE 26, ONE DAY AFTER FALLING OUT OF A PICKUP TRUCK DURING A DOMESTIC DISPUTE. OCHICINCO POINTED TO THE SKY AND PATTED HIS HEART AFTER SCORING THE BENGALS' FIRST TOUCHDOWN.

KANSAS CITY, MO. (AP) - CLEVELAND'S JOSHUA CRIBBS HAS SET AN NFL RECORD SUNDAY WITH HIS SEVENTH AND EIGHTH CAREER KICKOFF RETURNS FOR TOUCHDOWNS. HE BROKE THE MARK WITH A 100-YARD RETURN IN THE FIRST QUARTER AT KANSAS CITY BEFORE EXTENDING THE RECORD WITH A 103-YARD BURST IN THE SECOND PERIOD. TEAMMATE JEROME HARRISON RUSHED FOR 286 YARDS, BREAKING JIM BROWN'S SINGLE-GAME TEAM RECORD OF 237 YARDS.

UNDATED (AP) - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HAS LEARNED THE NFL IS PARTNERING WITH BOSTON UNIVERSITY BRAIN RESEARCHERS WHO HAVE BEEN CRITICAL OF THE LEAGUE'S STANCE ON CONCUSSIONS. THE LEAGUE NOW PLANS TO ENCOURAGE CURRENT AND FORMER NFL PLAYERS TO AGREE TO DONATE THEIR BRAINS TO THE BOSTON UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY. THE CENTER HAS SAID IT FOUND LINKS BETWEEN REPEATED HEAD TRAUMA AND BRAIN DAMAGE IN BOXERS, FOOTBALL PLAYERS AND, MOST RECENTLY, A FORMER NHL PLAYER.

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - JEFF QUINN IS LEAVING THE UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI TO BECOME BUFFALO'S HEAD FOOTBALL COACH. QUINN WAS THE BEARCATS' OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND WILL SERVE AS CINCINNATI'S INTERIM COACH FOR THE TEAM'S UPCOMING SUGAR BOWL GAME AGAINST FLORIDA. HE TAKES OVER FOR TURNER GILL, WHO LEFT THE BULLS TO BECOME HEAD COACH AT KANSAS.

SUNDAY'S GAMES

TENNESSEE 27, MIAMI 24, OT
ARIZONA 31, DETROIT 24
ATLANTA 10, N.Y. JETS 7
HOUSTON 16, ST. LOUIS 13
NEW ENGLAND 17, BUFFALO 10
CLEVELAND 41, KANSAS CITY 34
OAKLAND 20, DENVER 19
SAN DIEGO 27, CINCINNATI 24
BALTIMORE 31, CHICAGO 7
TAMPA BAY 24, SEATTLE 7
PITTSBURGH 37, GREEN BAY 36
PHILADELPHIA 27, SAN FRANCISCO 13
CAROLINA 26, MINNESOTA 7

MONDAY'S GAME

N.Y. GIANTS AT WASHINGTON, 8:30 P.M.

NBA

SUNDAY'S GAMES

TORONTO 98, NEW ORLEANS 92
MEMPHIS 102, DENVER 96
L.A. LAKERS 93, DETROIT 81
PORTLAND 102, MIAMI 95
BOSTON 122, MINNESOTA 104
NEW YORK 98, CHARLOTTE 94
DALLAS 102, CLEVELAND 95

MONDAY'S GAMES

MILWAUKEE AT INDIANA, 7 P.M.
UTAH AT ORLANDO, 7 P.M.
SACRAMENTO AT CHICAGO, 8 P.M.
L.A. CLIPPERS AT SAN ANTONIO, 8:30 P.M.
CLEVELAND AT PHOENIX, 9 P.M.

NHL

SUNDAY'S GAMES

CHICAGO 3, DETROIT 0
ST. LOUIS 3, VANCOUVER 1

MONDAY'S GAMES

N.Y. RANGERS AT CAROLINA, 7 P.M.
FLORIDA AT PHILADELPHIA, 7 P.M.
TAMPA BAY AT N.Y. ISLANDERS, 7 P.M.
MONTREAL AT ATLANTA, 7 P.M.
BUFFALO AT TORONTO, 7 P.M.
BOSTON AT OTTAWA, 7:30 P.M.
NEW JERSEY AT PITTSBURGH, 7:30 P.M.
COLORADO AT MINNESOTA, 8 P.M.
SAN JOSE AT DALLAS, 8:30 P.M.
COLUMBUS AT PHOENIX, 9 P.M.
ST. LOUIS AT EDMONTON, 9 P.M.