e of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just lov

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Great Britains mens rugby team will return home with a silver medal to their name and given their less than ideal build up to the Games, it is a remarkable achievement.While they were comfortably beaten in the final, the margin of defeat should not detract from what had gone before. Fiji would have beaten a world sevens dream team with that sort of performance.Heading into the Olympic Games Great Britain were an unknown quantity with form and logic weighing against their favour, yet here in Rio they found an inner belief forged from squad unity and a game plan built on sheer bloody-mindedness.The players only had four tournaments together before the Games after a World Rugby Sevens Series competing under the separate flags of England, Wales and Scotland.After meeting in May as a squad of 25, this was then whittled down to a squad featuring eight players from England, two from Wales and two from Scotland. It was a party drawing on the best resources available to coach Simon Amor and he deserves huge credit for the work done on the training pitch to bring this silver-medal charge together.I am so proud of my boys, Amor said. They gave so much, every single time, and unfortunately the last game was just one too many, but I have never seen a team play with such heart and fight.It has been amazing. We always knew we would have 10 weeks to make this work, and we had a lot of rugby in the build-up. It has been an interesting journey. We knew we had talent, and the team spirit was extraordinary.Unlike New Zealand, who had Sonny Bill Williams in their squad, and South Africa, who had a long look at Bryan Habana but eventually decided against bringing him to Rio, Great Britain did not have the scope to call on players like George North or Christian Wade. Scotlands Mark Bennett was the only capped 15s international in their squad and there was a feeling this would cost them.But instead they laughed in the face of the doubters. Before the start of the tournament USA coach Mike Friday said GBs point of difference was their guile and in captain Tom Mitchell they had one of the players of the tournament. The sweeper kept the whole squad ticking over, popping up at key moments to unleash quicker players, such as Dan Norton or Marcus Watson.Mitchell is a hugely impressive individual but around him were a group who had been thrown together, in the best sense of the phrase, to win a medal. Cross-nationality friendships were forged -- James Davies and Ollie Lindsay-Hague dubbed themselves the cub and the swan. That unity translated into performances on the pitch.After beating Kenya and Japan, they put in their best half of rugby across the three days by running up a 21-0 lead over New Zealand at halftime. They eventually won by a couple of points but then came their quarterfinal against Argentina which was locked at 0-0 at full time. After a Mitchell penalty sailed wide in extra time, Dan Bibbys try, in the fourth minute of added on time, eventually booked their place in the final four. They didnt lose focus.Against South Africa they were forced to work on a gameplan marrying resolute defence and counter-attacking rugby with Nortons try one of the best youll see. They dug in resolutely at the end to win 7-5. It was emblematic of the feeling within the group.In the final they came unstuck but Ben Ryans side put together, by his own admission, their best performance since he took the job almost three years ago. No team could have handled them but as Great Britain stood on the podium, they were united.We showed a never-say-die attitude, said Davies. We have shown it in so many games.It just sums us up as a group of players: just grinding out those wins. A team that doesnt play very well but puts in those wins is a sign of a great team. Look at these 12 [players] and that is a great team.It bodes well for this group. Itd be wonderful to see a composite Team GB team compete on the World Series next year but that is one for the various powers that be.Tonight they will feel that small pang of sadness at having lost the final but can feel hugely proud of everything they have achieved.Everyone has worked so hard, and it has been an amazing journey. It is a nice little way to finish it with a silver medal, Mitchell said. There were those who thought we wouldnt do so well out here, and we knew we had to come here and scrap. We knew it was about working hard.The silver medal is just reward for their remarkable effort. Robert Covington Jersey . Reassurance came from Paul Tesori, his caddie and close friend whose newborn son is in intensive care in a Florida hospital. "Paul sent me a text this morning, just told me he loved me and wanted to go out and fight as hard as I would any other day," Simpson said Sunday after doing just that. Karl-Anthony Towns Jersey . PAUL, Minn. http://www.timberwolvesgear.com/authentic-karl-anthony-towns-timberwolves-jersey/ .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. Robert Covington Timberwolves Jersey . Mickelson barely made the cut but had the best round of the day with nine birdies and an eagle coupled with two bogeys to sit two shots behind leader Craig Lee of Scotland. Lee shot a 69 for a 12-under 204 total. "I just love the fact I am in contention and have an opportunity in my first tournament of the year here in Abu Dhabi," Mickelson said. Jerryd Bayless Timberwolves Jersey . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. LAKE CHARLES, La. -- Steve Evans had 16 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as NAIAs Louisiana College shocked McNeese State for the second year in a row, knocking off the Cowboys 85-75 on Tuesday night.Last year, Louisiana College battled back from a double-digit deficit to beat the Cowboys 73-70. It was a different story this time as the Wildcats jumped out to a 41-22 lead at the break and then held off McNeese States second half charge. McNeese (0-2) won the second half 53-44 but could not catchh the Wildcats.ddddddddddddKevin Cottonham was 10 of 11 from the free throw line for 15 points, John Parker hit 6 of 8 from the floor to total 13 points and Taylan Grogan chipped in 12 for Louisiana. The Wildcats won the rebound battle 42-29 and hit 53.1 percent of their field goals while holding McNeese to 27 of 70 shooting.Jamaya Burr led the Cowboys with 19 points. ' ' '