In brief: Cards open with win over No. 16 Butler

College Basketball: Rakeem Buckles scored 17 points and the Cardinals christened their new downtown arena in Louisville, Ky., with an 88-73 upset of No. 16 Butler on Tuesday night.

Terrence Jennings added 13 points and eight rebounds while Elijah Justice and Preston Knowles added 12 points each as Louisville (1-0) withstood a late surge by the Bulldogs to open the KFC Yum! Center with a win.

Shelvin Mack tied a career high with 25 points for Butler (1-1) and Matt Howard had 23 points and nine rebounds, but the Bulldogs shot just 35 percent from the field and couldn’t overcome a 24-point deficit.

• Sullinger, Lighty lead Ohio State charge: With Jared Sullinger dominating inside and David Lighty breaking guys down outside, No. 4 Ohio State had too much power for No. 9 Florida.

Sullinger and Lighty scored 26 points apiece and the Buckeyes beat the Gators 93-75 in Gainesville, Fla.

William Buford added 16 points for the Buckeyes (2-0), who hit 24 of 34 shots in the second half. Jon Diebler scored 14.

The Gators (1-1) shot 61 percent from the field and led by seven points in the first half.

• Jardine leads Orange rally: Scoop Jardine scored a career-high 27 points, Rick Jackson had 10 points and a career-best 22 rebounds, and No. 10 Syracuse rallied past Detroit 66-55 in the Legends Classic in Syracuse, N.Y.

Jardine had eight assists and five steals for The Orange (3-0), who trailed for much of the first half and finally broke open the game with two big runs in the second half to foil the upset bid by the Titans (0-2).

Maple Leafs erase three-goal deficit

NHL: Kris Versteeg scored second-period power-play goals 59 seconds apart and the Maple Leafs overcame an early three-goal deficit in a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators in Toronto.

Nikolai Kulemin’s goal late in the second period completed a big comeback as the Leafs scored four power-play goals in the period.

Toronto lost starting goaltender J.S. Giguere to an apparent injury early in the third period.

Matthews, Blazers hold on over Grizzlies

NBA: Wesley Matthews, subbing for injured guard Brandon Roy, scored a career-high 30 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Memphis Grizzlies 100-99 in Memphis, Tenn.

Matthews shot 11 of 19 from the field, including 5 of 10 from 3-point range.

Zach Randolph had 19 points and 14 rebounds for Memphis.

• Bryant powers Lakers past Bucks: Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Shannon Brown added 16 of his 21 in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Bucks 118-107 in Milwaukee to snap a two-game losing streak.

• Lakers center Theo Ratliff will be sidelined for at least four to six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.

• Karl’s future depends on health: Denver Nuggets coach George Karl said he’ll only return to the NBA next season if he doesn’t have any setbacks in his recovery from throat and neck cancer.

Karl is in the last year of his contract in Denver and said that while he wants to continue coaching beyond this season, he won’t hesitate to call it a career if he has to reduce the stress in his life. Karl is in his 23rd NBA season and is closing in 1,000 wins.

Braves snag All-Star second baseman

Baseball: Power-hitting second baseman Dan Uggla was dealt from the Florida Marlins to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Omar Infante and left-hander Mike Dunn in the first trade of the general managers’ meetings.

Uggla, a two-time All-Star who made $7.8 million this year, is eligible for salary arbitration and can become a free agent after the 2011 World Series.

• Westbrook, Cardinals agree to deal: Right-hander Jake Westbrook and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a $16.5 million, two-year contract.

His deal includes an $8.5 million mutual option for 2013.

• Mets narrow down field: Terry Collins, Bob Melvin, Wally Backman and Chip Hale are the four finalists to become New York Mets manager.

The team narrowed the field, assistant general manager John Ricco announced, and intends to complete second interviews by Friday.

• Lee gets visit: Texas Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said he met with free-agent pitching ace Cliff Lee and his agent on Monday in Arkansas, the left-hander’s offseason home.

Northern Colorado fires football coach

Miscellany: Northern Colorado football coach Scott Downing has been fired after five seasons and a 9-47 overall record.

Downing was hired in December 2005 after stints as an assistant at Wyoming, Purdue and Nebraska. The Bears were 5-35 in conference play during his tenure.

• MLS reserve league will return: Major League Soccer’s reserve league will return in 2011, another step in improving player development.

The reserve league will have a 10-game regular season and playoffs, giving young players match experience on a consistent basis. Most top European soccer leagues have similar systems.