NAPLES, Fla. -- Steve Stricker returned from a long layoff to team with Jerry Kelly to take the first-round lead in the Franklin Templeton Shootout.The Madison, Wisconsin, duo shot a 16-under 56 on Thursday in the scramble format for a one-stroke lead over Harris English and Matt Kuchar at Tiburon Golf Club.It was just a great team effort today, Stricker said. We both played well. We both kept the pedal down all the way around, we never let up. We made a lot of good birdies, threw in an improbable eagle at the sixth hole, but other than that, it was just good, solid golf all the way around, all the way to the end. Usually we have little hiccups here and there or a little lull period, and today that never happened. We just continued that good play every hole really.On the eagle, Stricker holed a breaking 60-footer on the par-5 sixth.The pin was in a very difficult position kind of on the left side of the green, Stricker said. It was kind of up and over, and speed was tricky. He put a good putt on it, on the first one. It was difficult, it had a lot of break. But speed was the issue, and he gave me great speed and the line because I ended up giving it a little bit more.The 49-year-old Stricker had not played since the Deutsche Bank Championship on Labor Day. Hes teaming with the 50-year-old Kelly for the record eighth time. They won in 2009, and Kelly also won with Rod Pampling in 2006.We know everybodys going to get in the fairway and get on the green in this format, so its really rolling in the putts, Kelly said. I just need to do my job and hit solid putts, so he can see where the line is and make it like he does.Harris and Kuchar won in 2013 in their first start together and finished second the past two years.Charles Howell III?and?Rory Sabbatini were third at 59, and defending champions Jason Dufner and Brandt Snedeker were at 60 with Kevin Chappell-Kevin Kisner and Luke Donald-Russell Knox.Lexi Thompson and Bryson DeChambeau were eighth after a 62. Thompson is the second woman to compete in the event, following Annika Sorenstam with Fred Couples in 2006.The teams will play modified alternate shot Friday and close with better ball Saturday. Joe Hudson . -- Vincent Lecavalier got everything but the desired result in his return to Tampa Bay. Vince Coleman . Soukalova missed only one target and completed the 15-kilometre course in 40 minutes, 32.6 seconds for both victories in this seasons individual discipline. Darya Domracheva of Belarus was second, 34. http://www.custommlbcardinalsjersey.com/custom-ozzie-smith-jersey-large-71q.html . With the short-handed Warriors needing help from someone -- anyone -- to stop a three-game skid, ONeal returned from right knee and groin injuries that had sidelined him for four games and put up season highs with 18 points and eight rebounds. It was just enough to help lift Golden State to a 102-101 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night. Authentic Custom Cardinals Jersey . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. Chris Carpenter . - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons, Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap. LAHAINA, Hawaii -- Rodney Pryor had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Georgetown withstood a furious second-half rally to hold on for a 65-61 victory over No. 13 Oregon on Monday in the first round of the Maui Invitational.Georgetown (1-2) led by 17 after a superb first half, capped by Pryors running 3-pointer at the buzzer. The Ducks (2-2) swarmed their way back, using pressure defense to create turnovers and easy baskets in transition.Unlike their loss to Maryland last week, the Hoyas weathered the Duck storm and will advance to the second round against No. 16 Wisconsin.LJ Peak added 17 points and hit two free throws with 2.7 seconds left to seal Georgetowns victory.Payton Pritchard led Oregon with 18 points. Dillon Brooks had eight points in his first game of the season, including a long 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left to get the Ducks within 2.No. 5 KANSAS 83, UAB 63KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Josh Jackson had 22 points, Frank Mason III and Devonte Graham were nearly as productive and Kansas rolled to a victory over Alabama-Birmingham in the CBE Classic semifinals.Mason finished with 20 points and Graham had 16 for the Jayhawks (3-1), who advanced to play George for the title on Tuesday night. The Bulldogs beat George Washington 81-73 in the other semifinal.Kansas raced to a big early lead, weathered several runs by UAB, then relied on their backcourt of Jackson, Mason and Graham to pull away from the Blazers down the stretch.Dirk Williams led the Blazers (2-2) with 13 points. Tyler Madison had 12.No. 8 ARIZONA 71, NORTHERN COLORADO 55TUCSON, Ariz. -- Lauri Markkanen scored 17 points, Parker Jackson-Cartwright had 15 points and a career-high 11 assists and Arizona pulled away over the final 12+ minutes to beat Northern Colorado.Kadeem Allen added 10 for the Wildcats (4-0).Gerard Davis scored 20 for the Bears (1-3). Chaz Glotta, a transfer from Southern Illinois, made 5 of 11 3-pointers for 15 points.Jackson-Cartwright, whose previous career best was five assists, committed just one turnover. He had none in the previous game against Sacred Heart.The Wildcats outscored the Bears 34-16 over the final 12:15.But most of the night, Northern Colorado -- picked by coaches and the media to finish near the bottom of the Big Sky Conference -- gave the Wildcats all they could handle.No. 12 CREIGHTON 86, MISSISSIPPI 77ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands -- Marcus Foster scored 25 points, and Creighton had to rally in the second half to beat Mississippi in the championship game off the Paradise Jam tournament.ddddddddddddKhyri Thomas added 16 points, Toby Hegner had 12 and Justin Patton 11 for the Bluejays (5-0), who trailed by as many as 11 points in the first half and were down 50-40 with 18:44 left in the game.But Creighton began its rally at that point, whittling down the Rebels lead until tying the score twice, the last at 74-74 with 5:45 left. Thomas then put the Bluejays ahead to stay with his three-point play with 3:40 remaining.That ignited a 12-3 Creighton run to close out the game, capped by a pair of free throws from Thomas with 40 seconds left.Deandre Burnett and Rasheed Brooks scored 22 points each, and Cullen Neal added 10 for Mississippi (4-1).No. 16 WISCONSIN 74, TENNESSEE 62Bronson Koenig scored 21 points, Nigel Hayes had 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Wisconsin opened the Maui Invitational with a win over Tennessee.Wisconsin (3-1) built a big early lead and rallied after Tennessee made two runs to take the lead early in the second half. Hayes hit a couple of big 3-pointers and the Badgers pulled away late to earn a spot in the second round on Tuesday.Wisconsin, in its third Maui Invitational, shot 56 percent and used its size advantage inside to pull down 11 more rebounds. Ethan Happ added 16 points for the Badgers.Tennessee (1-2) trailed by 17 midway through the first half before finding its footing in Maui.Shembari Phillips led Tennessee with 16 points, and Detrick Mostella and Robert Hubbs III had 12 each.NORTHWESTERN 77, No. 22 TEXAS 58NEW YORK -- Bryant McIntosh had 20 points and five assists to lead Northwestern to a convincing victory over Texas in the semifinals of the Legends Classic at Barclays Center.The Wildcats (3-1) will play Notre Dame, which beat Colorado 89-81, in the championship game Tuesday night.Northwestern opened the game with an 11-0 run and closed the first on a 9-0 spurt to take a 34-26 lead.The Wildcats opened the second half on a 10-1 run to go up by 17 points and the Longhorns (3-1) were never closer than 14 points the rest of the way.Scottie Lindsey had 16 points and Dererk Pardon had 10 points and 11 rebounds for Northwestern which took advantage of an out-of-synch Texas offense for the easy win.Tavin Mack scored 18 points for the Longhorns, who finished with 14 turnovers and just seven assists. Texas didnt help itself at the free throw line going 13 for 27. ' ' '