Beauty-Ecke » No. 25 Butler to a 72-68 victory over Marquette on

Though the offense has sputtered since quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a season-ending knee injury against the St. Louis Rams one month ago, the Arizona Cardinals remain atop the NFC standings. But to build on a much-needed victory and avoid a third straight road loss Thursday night - while missing their leading passer and rusher - the Cardinals must prevent St. Louis from becoming the first team in 38 years to shut out three straight opponents. For some teams, (playing in December) doesnt mean a damn thing except the seasons almost over, Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said. This one means a lot because everything rides from here on in, so every game is a real playoff game, especially in the NFC. Arizona (10-3) has four offensive touchdowns in four games since a 31-14 win over St. Louis on Nov. 9, when Palmer tore his ACL while being sacked by safety Mark Barron in the fourth quarter. The Cardinals werent an offensive juggernaut with Palmer under center, though they recorded at least 24 points five times while going 6-0 in games he started. They scored at least 20 in the three Drew Stanton started as Palmer was sidelined with a shoulder problem earlier this season, but have averaged 14.0 during his latest starting stint as hes thrown five interceptions in four games. Top rusher Andre Ellington also struggled after Palmer went down, and he was placed on season-ending injured reserve this week with a hip problem. However, his replacement, second-year back Kerwynn Williams, came through with 100 yards on 19 carries in his third NFL game Sunday in a 17-14 home victory over Kansas City. I didnt know what my role was going to be, said Williams, who had never touched the ball prior to Sunday. I just wanted to be prepared whatever it was. The Cardinals avoided a third straight loss and remained one game ahead of Seattle in the West. They also own the tiebreaker over Green Bay for the top spot in the conference. Arizona, which fell 19-3 at Seattle on Nov. 23, hosts the rematch next weekend. The Cardinals know they first face a tough task against the Rams (6-7), who have allowed 34 points while going 3-1 since losing at Arizona. They outscored Oakland and Washington 76-0 in the last two weeks. No team has blanked three consecutive opponents since the 1976 Pittsburgh Steelers. Theyre playing as good a football as anybody now, Arizona defensive end Calais Campbell said. Its a division game, a team you know. They know us, guys youve played against multiple times. Its going to be a good football game. Though the Rams latest conquests came against two of the leagues lowest-scoring teams with a combined 5-21 record, theyre confident that dominance can continue against the offensively challenged NFC leaders. I want to see it again, said coach Jeff Fisher, whose team held Washington to 206 total yards in Sundays 24-0 road victory. We need to keep playing, keep preparing the way we are. St. Louis allowed 244 yards in a 52-0 rout of the Raiders on Nov. 30, part of an impressive three-game winning streak at home. The other two victories were against last seasons Super Bowl participants, beating Seattle 28-26 and holding Denver to its lowest point total of the season in a 22-7 win. The Rams limited the Cardinals to a season-low 28 rushing yards on 22 carries last month and have allowed an average of 58.7 while winning four of six. Weve been locked in and just getting better and tightening up on all the little plays that were hurting us, safety Rodney McLeod said. St. Louis has recorded 13 sacks in the last two games, including 4 1/2 by defensive end Robert Quinn. Guys are playing lights-out right now, said Quinn, who has 10 1/2 sacks on the season. Hopefully, we just keep it going. The Rams have recorded more than 20 points in four straight games after doing so three times in the first nine. Theyve returned two interceptions and a punt for touchdowns in those four. Shaun Hill has completed 62.0 percent of his passes with six TDs and two INTs while starting the last four games. He earned the job after Austin Davis struggled against Arizona last month, when Patrick Peterson had a 30-yard interception return for a TD and Antonio Cromartie took back Davis fumble 14 yards for a score. Five of Petersons 14 career interceptions have come against the Rams. Arizona has allowed an average of 16.5 points in the last six games, though the only time it yielded more than 20 during that stretch came in a 29-18 loss to Atlanta on Nov. 30 in its most recent road contest. Larry Fitzgerald caught a season-high nine passes for 112 yards against the Rams last month and has 29 catches for 288 with three TDs in the last three meetings. In that same span, Rams tight end Jared Cook has 274 yards and three scores. He had two TD receptions Sunday. Cheap Memphis Grizzlies Jerseys . -- Shanshan Feng was alone in her opinion about the pin positions in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Cheap Marc Gasol Jersey . -- Michael Bennett gambled last off-season that playing on a one-year deal in Seattle would pay off in the future with the long-term contract he always wanted. http://www.cheapgrizzliesjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-garrett-temple-jersey . Catch the action live on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Wild lead the Northwest Division and look to get back into the win column after having a season-high seven-game winning streak cut short with Tuesdays 2-1 loss at Winnipeg in the finale of a five-game road trip (4-1-0). Cheap Dillon Brooks Jersey . Others describe it as taking the parrot for a walk. Cheap Shareef Abdur-Rahim Jersey .com) - A pair of programs shooting for their 10th win of the season get together at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, as the NC State Wolfpack tangle with 22nd-ranked West Virginia during the challenge round of the Gotham Classic.Iowa City, IA (SportsNetwork.com) - Frank Kaminsky scored 24 points and Nigel Hayes added 14, leading fifth-ranked Wisconsin to a 74-63 victory over Iowa on Saturday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Josh Gasser and Sam Dekker each chipped in 11 for the Badgers (19-2, 7-1 Big Ten), who have won four straight since a stunning loss at Rutgers on Jan. 11. Kaminsky, who missed the game against the Scarlet Knights because of a concussion, also grabbed a game-high nine rebounds on Saturday while making half of his field goal attempts and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Wisconsin has won 12 of its last 13, including a season sweep of Iowa. The Badgers rolled to an 82-50 rout of the Hawkeyes just 11 days ago in Madison and have won five straight in the series. Aaron White scored 15 to lead Iowa (13-8, 4-4), which has lost three in a row. White had played just seven minutes in last weeks loss to Purdue because of a stinger. Final Score: (7) Villanova 68, DePaul 55 Rosemont, IL (SportsNetwork.com) - Ryan Arcidiacono scored all of his 18 points in the second half to lead No. 7 Villanova to a 68-55 win over DePaul on Saturday. JayVaughn Pinkston went 10-for-10 from the free throw line on his way to 14 points, Darrun Hilliard added 11 points and Daniel Ochefu posted seven points with 12 rebounds in the win. The Wildcats (19-2, 6-2 Big East) have won six of their last seven contests. Billy Garrett Jr. netted 14 points and was the only double-figure scoring effort for the Blue Demons (11-12, 5-5), who have lost three straight. Final Score: Pittsburgh 76, (8) Notre Dame 72 Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - James Robinson made a tough go-ahead runner in the lane with 12 seconds remaining as Pittsburgh took down No. 8 Notre Dame 76-72 in a wild finish on Saturday afternoon. The Fighting Irish nearly pulled off an improbable comeback when Jerian Grant shook off a slow start and went on a personal 9-0 run inside the final three minutes. Grants two free throws with 31.2 seconds left gave Notre Dame a 72-71 lead, but Robinson drove right, gained some space with a spin move and scored over Pat Connaughton for what proved to be the deciding bucket. Grant passed up a shot at the other end with Steve Vasturia open in the corner, and Vasturias shot was off the mark. Jamel Artis grabbed the rebound, made two free throws, and Pitt stole the ensuing inbounds pass to end its three-game losing streak. Artis finished with 20 points and eight rebounds, and Robinson added 15 points with 10 assists for the Panthers (14-8, 4-5 ACC), who shot 68 percent from the field in the second half and 59 percent overall. Demetrius Jackson led Notre Dame with 15 points, Grant chipped in with 14, and Vasturia and Zach Auguste each netted 12 in a losing cause. Notre Dame (20-3, 8-2) had won five in a row -- four in comeback fashion -- and was fresh off a signature victory over No. 4 Duke. Final Score: (9) Kansas 68, Kansas State 57 Lawrence, KS (SportsNetwork.com) - Perry Ellis had 16 points and 12 rebounds in the ninth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks 68-57 win over the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday. Wayne Selden Jr. added 14 points and four blocks for the Jayhawks (18-3, 7-1 Big 12), who have won four in a row and sit atop the Big 12 standings. Brannen Greene tallied 11 points off the bench. Thomas Gipson and Marcus Foster each scored 19 points for the Wildcats (12-10, 5-4), who have lost three of four. Final Score: (10) Louisville 78, (13) North Carolina 68 (OT) Louisville, KY (SportsNetwork.com) - Montrezl Harrell had 22 points and 15 rebounds and No. 10 Louisville rallied from 18 down in the second half to beat No. 13 North Carolina 78-68 on Saturday. Louisville outscored the North Carolina 53-25 over the last 22 1/2 minutes of the game to snap a six-game Tar Heels winning streak that began with a one-point victory over the Cardinals in Chapel Hill on Jan. 10. Terry Rozier added 22 points and 10 rebounds, scoring eight in overtime to help Louisville (18-3, 6-2 ACC) pick up its third consecutive win since a loss to Duke two weeks ago. Chris Jones scored seven of his 17 points in overtime for the Cardinals. Marcus Paige had 15 points to lead North Carolina (17-5, 7-2) and J.P. Tokoto added 11 with 11 rebounds. Brice Johnson had two points and 10 rebounds before fouling out. The Tar Heels shot 43.3 percent from the field, down from a 50.8 percent mark during their winning streak. They are 0-3 all-time against the Cardinals in Louisville, also losing games in 1929 and 1999. Final Score: (18) Northern Iowa 70, (12) Wichita State 54 Cedar Falls, IA (SportsNetwork.com) - Northern Iowa and Wichita State played the first Missourii Valley game between ranked opponents in 33 years.dddddddddddd And it was the 18th-ranked Panthers who picked up a solid home win to snap No. 12 Wichita States 27-game regular-season winning streak in conference. Seth Tuttle scored a career-high 29 points with seven rebounds as Northern Iowa defeated Wichita State, 70-54, on Saturday. The Panthers (20-2, 9-1 MVC) made 60 percent of their field goals and converted 5-of-7 shots from beyond the arc in their ninth straight win. Fred VanVleet led the Shockers (19-3, 9-1) with 18 points and Ron Baker chipped in with 12 points on just 2-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. Final Score: Richmond 64, (14) VCU 55 Richmond, VA (SportsNetwork.com) - Kendall Anthony scored 22 points, and the Richmond Spiders upset cross-town rival No. 14 VCU, 64-55, on Saturday. The Spiders (12-9, 5-3 Atlantic 10) handled the Rams Havoc defense in a 42-point second half. The Rams shot just 40.7 percent overall and made just 3-of-20 attempts from 3-point range. Terry Allen added 15 points and seven rebounds for Richmond. VCU (17-4, 7-1) saw its 12-game winning streak come to an end. Treveon Graham paced the Rams with 18 points on 6-of-11 shooting and seven boards. Briante Weber chipped in 11 before leaving late in the game with a knee injury. Final Score: (15) Iowa State 83, TCU 66 Ames, IA (SportsNetwork.com) - Georges Niang poured in 23 points and grabbed eight rebounds, leading 15th-ranked Iowa State to an 83-66 victory over TCU on Saturday at Hilton Coliseum. Monte Morris contributed 16 points and six assists for the Cyclones (16-4, 6-2 Big 12), who were coming off a three- point win on Monday against Texas and extended their home winning streak to 19 consecutive games. Iowa State owns the 10th-longest home winning streak in the country. Bryce Dejean-Jones also scored 16 points and Dustin Hogue added 12 in the victory. Each of the Cyclones first seven conference games had been decided by single digits, but Iowa State used a couple of second- half runs to make it a laugher after leading by only two at halftime. Trey Zeigler scored 14 points for TCU (14-7, 1-7), which has lost four in a row. The Horned Frogs were 13-0 before conference play began in January. Final Score: (17) West Virginia 77, Texas Tech 58 Morgantown, WV (SportsNetwork.com) - Devin Williams contributed 18 points with eight rebounds in 17th-ranked West Virginias 77-58 win over Texas Tech on Saturday. Daxter Miles Jr. chipped in with 12 points and Juwan Staten scored 11 with five assists for the Mountaineers (18-3, 6-2 Big 12), who have won three straight and four of their last five. Robert Turner supplied 18 points for the Red Raiders (11-11, 1-8), while Aaron Ross and Isaiah Manderson went for 13 and 10, respectively, off the bench in the loss. Final Score: (21) Georgetown 67, Creighton 40 Omaha, NE (SportsNetwork.com) - DVauntes Smith-Rivera and Jabril Trawick nearly outscored Creighton by themselves, combining for 39 points as No. 21 Georgetown cruised to a 67-40 victory over the cold-shooting Bluejays. Smith- Rivera totaled 24 points, Trawick added 15 and the Hoyas (15-6, 7-3 Big East) emphatically rebounded from Tuesdays home loss to Xavier with a stout defensive showing. Creighton (10-13, 1-9) followed up its first Big East win with its worst shooting performance of the season. The Bluejays shot an embarrassing 21 percent (11-for-53) from the floor and did not have a single player score in double figures. Avery Dingman led the way with eight points. Final Score: (22) Indiana 72, Rutgers 64 Bloomington, IN (SportsNetwork.com) - James Blackmon Jr. scored 20 points with five rebounds to help No. 22 Indiana in a 72-64 win over Rutgers on Saturday. Yogi Ferrell and Troy Williams each netted 14 points for the Hoosiers (16-6, 6-3 Big Ten), with Williams adding 11 rebounds in the win. Indiana snapped its two-game losing streak. Myles Mack did all he could for the Scarlet Knights (10-13, 2-8), scoring 24 points and handing out eight assists. Final Score: (25) Butler 72, Marquette 68 (OT) Milwaukee, WI (SportsNetwork.com) - Andrew Chrabascz had 30 points and seven rebounds to lead No. 25 Butler to a 72-68 victory over Marquette on Saturday. Kellen Dunham posted 17 points, Alex Barlow scored 15 with five rebounds and five assists, and Kameron Woods had 18 rebounds for the Bulldogs (16-6, 6-3 Big East), who have won three straight. Matt Carlino and Duane Wilson each scored 18 points, Luke Fischer added 12 points and six rebounds and Juan Anderson had 10 and eight for the Golden Eagles (10-11, 2-7), who have lost their past five. 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