In brief: Badgers cool off Spartans; Lucas injured

Men’s basketball: Jason Bohannon scored 19 points to lead No. 16 Wisconsin to a 67-49 victory over No. 5 Michigan State on Tuesday night, snapping the Spartans (19-4, 9-1) perfect Big Ten start and leaving them without leading scorer Kalin Lucas.

Jordan Taylor added 17 points as Wisconsin (17-5, 7-3) won its third game over a team ranked sixth or better this season.

Lucas, last season’s Big Ten player of the year, left with just less than 11 minutes to play when he came down awkwardly on the foot of Wisconsin’s Keaton Nankivil and injured his ankle.

•Syracuse continues hot start: Standout reserve Kris Joseph had a career-high 23 points, Arinze Onuaku added a season-high 20, and No. 3 Syracuse beat Providence (12-10, 4-6 Big East) 85-68 in Syracuse, N.Y.

Syracuse (22-1, 9-1) has won nine straight and is off to the best start in school history.

James, O’Neal lead Cavs over Grizzlies

NBA: LeBron James tied a career high with 15 assists and Shaquille O’Neal ruled underneath, collecting 13 points and 13 rebounds in 21 minutes to help the Cavaliers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 105-89 in Cleveland for their ninth straight victory.

James scored 22 but was more focused on setting up his teammates. It was the fifth time in six games he has had at least 10 assists, accepting the challenge of running Cleveland’s offense while the club waits for guards Mo Williams and Delonte West to return from injuries.

•Nets assistant Harris retires: Longtime NBA coach Del Harris resigned as an assistant coach with the New Jersey Nets.

The Nets issued a statement from Harris after they lost 97-93 to the Detroit Pistons.

Capitals top Bruins for 11th straight win

NHL: The Washington Capitals set a franchise record with their 11th straight win and sent the Bruins to their eighth consecutive loss as Brooks Laich broke a tie early in the third period of a 4-1 win in Boston.

Alex Ovechkin added an empty-netter for his 36th goal of the season.

During their 11 wins, the Capitals, who lead the Eastern Conference, have outscored opponents 51-22.

•Islanders to visit China: The New York Islanders are making plans to spend part of next season’s training camp in China. The team will head to China for about 10 days in September as the NHL continues to work on making the league and the sport of hockey more prominent on the world stage.

Ex-coach explains ’98 U.S. soccer move

Soccer: Breaking more than a decade of silence, former U.S. soccer coach Steve Sampson said he dropped John Harkes from the national team roster two months before the 1998 World Cup because the American captain was having an affair with the wife of teammate Eric Wynalda.

Harkes has long denied having an affair with Amy Wynalda.

UConn earns 61st consecutive victory

Women’s basketball: Kalana Greene scored 18 points to help top-ranked Connecticut overcome a sluggish first half and beat No. 11 West Virginia (20-3, 7-2 Big East) 80-47 for its 61st straight victory.

UConn led by eight at half.

Maya Moore added 15 points and a season-high 14 rebounds for Connecticut (22-0, 9-0), which is only nine wins short of the NCAA and school record of 70 consecutive victories.

Hingis eager to make partial return

Miscellany: Martina Hingis’ two-year suspension from tennis ended Sept. 30, and the 29-year-old is eager to get the chance to play more tennis this year: She has committed to a full season of World Team Tennis, the coed league founded by Billie Jean King and heading into its 35th season.

Martina Hingis retired for the second time in 2007, when she was given the two-year suspension for testing positive for cocaine. Hingis denied taking the drug but did not appeal the ruling.

•McCarron offers apology: Golfer Scott McCarron has apologized to Phil Mickelson for using the word “cheating” when he disagreed with Mickelson and others who use the Ping Eye2 wedges that are only allowed because of a legal loophole.

PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem met with players at the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles and, according to one player, said the tour was working with Ping to figure out a solution.

•Porter wants out of Miami: Joey Porter says he wants to be released by the Miami Dolphins because he was frustrated about his reduced role last season and doubts his relationship with coach Tony Sparano can be repaired.