Tiervermittlung Frankreich » me.Boise State learned a powerful les

MINNEAPOLIS -- In a championship series filled with stars, Alana Beard sometimes can get lost with so much attention on Minnesotas four Olympians and the two MVPs in Los Angeles.Thats exactly what happened in the closing moments of Game 1 of the WNBA Finals, and Beard hit a jumper from the baseline just before time expired to lift the Sparks to a 78-76 victory over the defending champion Lynx.With the defense collapsing on Candace Parker and Nneka Ogwumike in the paint, Beard found herself all alone in the corner. She took the pass from Chelsea Gray and knocked down jumper with Maya Moores in her face.As the ball splashed through, Moore put her head in her hands, and the Sparks celebrated a thrilling victory, their second on Minnesotas court this season.You may not recognize the importance of her statistically for us a lot of times, Sparks coach Brian Agler said. But her presence, her leadership, obviously how disruptive she can be defensively, and then for her to hit a shot like that, it was incredible.Kristi Toliver scored 19 points to lead Los Angeles and Parker had 14 points and nine rebounds in her finals debut. League MVP Ogwumike added 19 points for the Sparks in the opener of the best-of-five series.Sylvia Fowles had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Lindsay Whalen scored 18 points for top-seeded Minnesota. Moore scored all 18 of her points in the second half to move into first place on the WNBAs career finals scoring list, but the Lynx committed 16 turnovers and got caught scrambling on the final possession of the game.I think we were more worried about not letting anyone get to the hole, Fowles said. Im not sure exactly what happened on that last play to make her get wide open. But we learned from this.There was a time not too long ago when Beards name belonged on the marquee with players Parker and Ogwumike or Lynx stars Moore, Sylvia Fowles, Seimone Augustus and Lindsay Whalen. She was the national player of the year at Duke, the No. 2 overall pick by the Washington Mystics in 2004 and a four-time All-Star before injuries set her back.She re-emerged in Los Angeles as a defensive specialist, but she took center stage in Game 1. Before she hit the game-winner, Beard also had a spectacular block of a shot by Whalen and then a steal off an inbounds to set up Ogwumikes bucket for a 76-72 lead.Moore scored on a coast-to-coast layup to tie the score at 76 with 24.7 seconds to play, but she helped aggressively on Grays drive on the other end, leaving Beard open for just her second bucket of the game.I dont think Ive ever hit a game-winner, Beard said quietly. So its pretty cool. Pretty cool.NEW LOOK: In years past these two teams never could have met in the finals because both are in the Western Conference. But the league changed its playoff format this year and seeded all of the teams based on record, not geography. The result in the first year could not have been better for the league with the top two teams throughout the season meeting.I dont think its a fluke that were here now in the finals, Fowles said. Im loving this new format.PARKERS DEBUT: Parker has been one of the leagues brightest stars for years, but has never been able to reach the leagues biggest stage. She hit 5 of 12 shots and had three assists.At first obviously theres some nerves, but you kind of get lost in the game and just trying to execute, Parker said. We had to take it possession by possession because you never know whats going to happen.MOORES MARK: The Minnesota star was 0 for 4 in the first half, but made 7 of 10 shots in the final two quarters to move past Diana Taurasi for first place on the WNBAs career scoring list for the finals. She set the mark with 5:20 to play after hitting a jump shot and converting the three-point play.TOP 20: The WNBA hosted more than a dozen members of the top 20 players in league history for a halftime ceremony. Each player was presented with a ring to commemorate it. Whalen, Moore, Parker and Augustus all participated in the ceremony, and the league extended the length of halftime to allow them to receive their rings and then get back to the locker room to meet with coaches and teammates.UP NEXT: Game 2 is on Tuesday in Minneapolis. 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BOISE, Idaho -- Jeremy McNichols rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns, Alex Mattison had a career-high 100 yards rushing and one touchdown, and No. 24 Boise State beat San Jose State 45-31 on Friday night.The Broncos (8-1, 4-1) had two players over 100 yards on the ground in one game for the first time since Nov. 8, 2014, against New Mexico.San Jose State (3-7, 2-4), looking to get consecutive wins for the first time this season, finished with 495 yards of offense behind Kenny Potters 23-of-36 passing for 278 yards.After suffering a gut-wrenching loss last week to Wyoming on a safety in the waning minutes of the game, Boise State looked sluggish in the first quarter as it held a 7-6 lead.However, the Broncos got the spark they needed with a little razzle dazzle. On fourth-and-12 from the Boise State 37, Broncos punter Sean Wale took the snap and raced 29 yards for a first down.Finally after four years, I had a chance to do something so I had to make the most of it, Wale said. It was my one chance to shine, and I certainly wasnt sliding. But I didnt really know what to do once I got into the open field.Three plays later, Mattison scored on a 19-yard run to extend Boise States lead to 14-6.It couldve been a stop on downs for us if wed been able to make the play, San Jose State coach Ron Caragher said. But we didnt and it changed the momentum of the game.I was very proud of this teams response after last weeks loss, Boise State coach Bryan Harsin said. We have to stay focused on what we can control and try to go out and play our best each and every week.ddddddddddddSan Jose State kept the pressure on Boise State, edging within 14-13 with 10 minutes remaining in the first half. But that was as close as the Spartans would get as the Broncos took control of the game.Boise State learned a powerful lesson last week, and they got back to running the football and controlling the line of scrimmage behind their big offensive line, Caragher said.Boise State, which finished with 517 total yards of offense, had a season-high 298 yards rushing. McNichols performance was his seventh 100-plus yard game this season and fourth in a row.Malik Roberson led the Spartans on the ground with 109 yards and a touchdown, his second 100-yard game of the season.TAKEAWAYSSan Jose State: The loss squelched the Spartans chances of becoming bowl eligible, but they still have a chance to finish strong after a 1-5 start. Their final two opponents, Air Force and Fresno State, have combined for only two conference wins.Boise State: The Broncos no longer control their own fate in the Mountain division, but the victory keeps their hopes alive. They still need either Wyoming to lose two games or New Mexico to win out to win the division.UP NEXTSan Jose State: The Spartans take a week off before returning home to host Air Force on Nov. 19.Boise State: The Broncos will take travel to Hawaii next Saturday in a conference tilt. ' ' '