Cavaliers continue downward spiral with loss to Mavericks

NBA: Over one season or two, no team in NBA history has lost as many games in a row as these Cleveland Cavaliers.

The surging Mavericks beat Cleveland 99-96 on Monday night in Dallas, making it 25 straight losses for the Cavs.

Cleveland already held the record for the most losses in a single season, but the league also keeps a record for losses spread over two seasons. This topped that one, too, making it the most consecutive losses in league history, period.

Cleveland had a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer in the final seconds, but made one pass too many and time expired without a shot going up.

• Aldridge leads Blazers past Bulls: LaMarcus Aldridge had a career-high 42 points and the Trail Blazers defeated the Chicago Bulls 109-103 in Portland.

Derrick Rose had 36 points for the Bulls.

No. 2 Kansas hangs on over Missouri

Men’s basketball: Marcus Morris had 22 points and reserve Mario Little added 17, sparking a second-half charge that led No. 2 Kansas past No. 19 Missouri 103-86 in a high-energy clash between the Big 12’s highest-scoring teams at Lawrence, Kan.

Markieff Morris added 16 points for the Jayhawks (23-1, 8-1), who beat their archrivals at home for the 12th straight time. Missouri (18-6, 4-5) dropped to 0-5 in conference road games and 14-41 all time in Allen Fieldhouse.

• Mississippi State suspends Johnson: Mississippi State coach Rick Stansbury said guard Ravern Johnson has been suspended indefinitely after violating the school’s class attendance policy. This is the latest is a series of suspensions for off-court misconduct.

• Ohio State still on top: Ohio State is a unanimous choice as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press Top 25 for a second straight week.

The Buckeyes are 24-0 and the only unbeaten team.

The Big East has six representatives in the top 12 with No. 4 Pittsburgh, No. 8 Notre Dame, No. 9 Villanova, No. 10 Connecticut, No. 11 Georgetown and No. 12 Syracuse.

Florida moved in at No. 17 after falling from the rankings last week. Temple returned at No. 24. Meanwhile, Minnesota and Washington dropped out.

No. 13 Tarheels upset rival Blue Devils

Women’s basketball: Waltiea Rolle had the go-ahead three-point play with 3:20 left and blocked Chelsea Gray’s shot on the final play to help No. 13 North Carolina (21-3, 7-2 ACC) beat No. 5 Duke 62-60 at Chapel Hill, N.C.

Italee Lucas scored 17 points to lead the Tar Heels.

Gray had a season-high 20 points to lead the Blue Devils (21-2, 7-1).

• Lady Lions, Red Foxes return to Top 25: Big Ten leader Penn State (20-5, 9-2) returned to the AP Top 25 after more than a year coming in at No. 23.

Marist, riding a 17-game winning streak, also climbed into the poll for the first time this season at No. 25.

Flames in hunt after beating Blackhawks

NHL: Curtis Glencross scored the winner in the third period and Miikka Kiprusoff turned aside 22 shots to lead the Flames to a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Calgary.

Mikael Backlund also scored and Rene Bourque got an empty-netter for the Flames, who moved into a playoff spot in the Western Conference for the first time since Oct. 29.

Northeastern, BC in Beanpot finale

College Hockey: Boston College will play Northeastern for the 59th Beanpot championship.

Tommy Cross scored on a power play with 3:17 gone in overtime and BC beat Green Line rival Boston University 3-2 to advance to the title game in Boston.

Boston University will play in the consolation game for just the third time in 28 years. The Terriers will play Harvard, which lost to Northeastern 4-0 earlier in the night.

Wilson wins playoff in Phoenix Open

Golf: Mark Wilson won the frost-delayed Phoenix Open in Scottsdale, Ariz., holing a 9-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff with Jason Dufner.

Wilson, two strokes ahead when play resumed, closed with a 2-under 69 to match Dufner at 18 under. Dufner shot a 66, birdieing Nos. 16 and 17.

Delays for frost and frozen turf the first four days forced the Monday finish.

Vonn, Nadal receive Laureus Awards

Miscellany: Rafael Nadal and Lindsey Vonn won this year’s individual Laureus Sports Awards in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, with Spain’s World Cup champions taking the team prize.

French soccer great Zinedine Zidane won the lifetime achievement award and American surfer Kelly Slater was the action sportsperson of the year.

Italy’s seven-time motorcycle world champion Valentino Rossi took the comeback of the year award after he returned to MotoGP just 41 days after breaking his leg.