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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Wagner wins U.S. women’s skating title

Ashley Wagner won her first title at the U.S. championships. (Associated Press)

Figure skating: Ashley Wagner won her first title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, Calif., salvaging what was an otherwise dismal night of splats and spills with a majestic rendition of “Black Swan.” She finished with a score of 187.02 points and then watched as two-time champion Alissa Czisny and Agnes Zawadzi melted down.

World champion ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White routed the competition on their way to a fourth straight title.

Plushenko wins seventh European title: Russian great Evgeni Plushenko produced a career-best performance of 176.52 in the free skate to win his seventh men’s European figure skating title in Sheffield, England. Italian star Carolina Kostner won her fourth women’s title.

Iowa State upsets fifth-ranked Kansas

Men’s college basketball: Royce White had 18 points and nine rebounds as Iowa State (15-6, 5-3 Big 12) upset fifth-ranked Kansas (17-4, 7-1), in Ames, Iowa, snapping the Jayhawks’ win streak at 10.

In other Top 25 highlights: Brandon Triche had 18 points, including a pair of free throws that broke the final tie with 88 seconds left, and host No. 3 Syracuse (22-1, 9-1 Big East) beat West Virginia (15-7, 5-4) 63-61. … Nasir Robinson scored 23 points and made all nine of his field-goal attempts to lead host Pittsburgh (13-9, 2-7 Big East) past No. 9 Georgetown (16-4, 6-3) 72-60. … Wes Eikmeier scored 19 points and Colorado State (14-6, 3-2 Mountain West) made all 23 of its free throws, beating No. 13 San Diego State 77-60 (18-3, 4-1) for its first home win over a ranked team in more than eight years at Fort Collins, Colo. SDSU had an 11-game winning streak snapped. … Bradley Beal scored 19 points and No. 14 Florida (17-4, 5-1 SEC) beat No. 18 Mississippi State (17-5, 4-3) 69-57 in Gainesville Fla., extending its home winning streak to 17 games. … Steven Pledger scored 30 points and Oklahoma (13-7, 3-5 Big 12) weathered a second-half charge by No. 22 Kansas State (15-5, 4-4) to give coach Lon Kruger a 63-60 victory over his former team in Manhattan, Kan.

• Towson snaps long losing streak: Towson (1-22) ended its NCAA-record 41-game losing streak with a 66-61 victory over North Carolina Wilmington (8-13) in Towson, Md.

BYU women win ninth consecutive game

Women’s college basketball: Kristen Riley had 17 points and 11 rebounds to help No. 23 Brigham Young beat host Santa Clara (8-13, 1-7 West Coast Conference).

BYU (20-3, 9-1) has won nine straight since dropping its first WCC game at Saint Mary’s (7-3 WCC). The Cougars entered the Top 25 this week for the first time since 2006. They are a half-game ahead of 22nd-ranked Gonzaga (8-1), which has not yet played BYU.

Stanford wins in OT: Chiney Ogwumike scored three of her career-high 27 points in overtime to help No. 4 Stanford (18-1, 9-0) wrap up a perfect first half of the Pac-12 season with a 74-71 victory over rival California (15-6, 6-3) in Stanford, Calif.

Vonn dominates World Cup downhill

Skiing: American Lindsey Vonn dominated yet another World Cup downhill, winning by 1.42 seconds on the Engiadina course in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

Cuche wins men’s downhill: Didier Cuche of Switzerland won his second consecutive World Cup downhill race in Garmisch- Partenkirchen, Germany.

Undermanned Bucks still beat Lakers

NBA: Drew Gooden scored 23 points and the undermanned Milwaukee Bucks made sure the Lakers’ road struggles continued, beating Los Angeles 100-89. The Bucks were missing injured Andrew Bogut and suspended Stephen Jackson.

Kobe Bryant scored 27 for the Lakers, who are 1-7 on the road this season.

Jazz spoil Fredette’s return: Gordon Hayward scored a season-high 21 points and C.J. Miles added 20 as the Utah Jazz snapped a two-game losing streak, defeating Sacramento 96-93 and spoiling Jimmer Fredette’s return to the state where “Jimmermania” took hold.

Fredette had a chance to give the Kings the win with 4.2 seconds left, but launched an air-ball 3-pointer.

Fredette, a former Brigham Young star and last year’s national player of the year, finished with 14 points but only hit 5 of 13 field-goal attempts.

• Houston continues hot play: Chase Budinger scored 19 points, Samuel Dalembert grabbed 14 rebounds and the host Houston Rockets beat the New York Knicks 97-84 for their ninth win in 10 games.

Penguins’ Crosby also has neck injury

Miscellany: Sidney Crosby isn’t just dealing with the lingering effects of a concussion. A doctor says the Pittsburgh Penguins star also is recovering from a neck injury.

Crosby visited with neurological spine specialist Dr. Robert S. Bray in Los Angeles this week as he continues treatment for symptoms that resurfaced during a loss to Boston on Dec. 5.

The 2009 league MVP missed more than 10 months after sustaining head shots in consecutive games in early January 2011. He returned on Nov. 21 and had 12 points in eight games before the symptoms resurfaced.

North wins Senior Bowl: Michigan State’s Kirk Cousins and Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson threw touchdown passes to lead the North to a 23-13 victory over the South in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala.

Brooks Robinson hurt in fall: Hall of Fame baseball player Brooks Robinson, 74, broke two bones in his shoulder area, including his clavicle, when he fell backward at least 6 feet from an elevated stage during a charity event Friday night in Hollywood, Fla., the Palm Beach Post reported. He has battled serious health problems the past few years, including cancer.

Stanley ties Woods’ mark: Kyle Stanley overpowered Torrey Pines golf course and opened a five-shot lead in the Farmers Insurance Open in San Diego. He tied Tiger Woods’ 54-hole record for the South Course with an 18-under 198.

Evans scores MMA win: Former light heavyweight mixed martial arts champion Rashad Evans scored a unanimous decision over Phil Davis in the main event of UFC Chicago. The victory set up an April 21 title fight with current champion Jon Jones.