In brief: Kentucky avenges only loss this year

Men’s basketball: Patrick Patterson had 23 points, DeMarcus Cousins added 19, and No. 2 Kentucky avenged its only loss this season with an 82-61 win Thursday over South Carolina in Lexington, Ky.

The Wildcats (27-1, 12-1) need just one more victory or a Vanderbilt loss to clinch at least a share of their 44th Southeastern Conference championship.

South Carolina (14-13, 5-8) proved a pesky opponent until near the end. However, Kentucky had too much offensive firepower, and its defense gave up 26 points to the SEC’s leading scorer, Devan Downey, but little else.

•Vandy survives Georgia in OT: Jermaine Beal scored a career-high 28 points and No. 16 Vanderbilt overcame a five-point deficit in the final 33 seconds of regulation and went on to a 96-94 overtime victory against Georgia in Nashville, Tenn.

A.J. Ogilvy’s tip-in with 15 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 77. Georgia’s Travis Leslie then missed two chances to win the game.

Tennessee clinches SEC with victory

Women’s basketball: Fourth-ranked Tennessee celebrated another Southeastern Conference championship after an 81-65 win over No. 16 Kentucky in Knoxville, Tenn.

The victory gave Tennessee (26-2, 13-1 SEC) its 15th SEC regular season title and first since 2007, when they won the school’s seventh national championship.

Angie Bjorklund (University High) scored 12 points for Tennessee. She had consecutive 3-pointers during a 14-0 first-half run.

Cavs turn it on late to defeat Celtics

NBA: LeBron James had 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, Mo Williams scored 14 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter, and the Cleveland Cavaliers surged past the Boston Celtics 108-88 in Boston.

James kept the Cavaliers in it for three quarters on a night they lost Shaquille O’Neal (sprained right thumb) in the first half. Williams made four 3-pointers when Cleveland blew by the Celtics in the fourth, outscoring them 35-14.

•Karl misses Nuggets’ game: Denver Nuggets coach George Karl missed the game against the Golden State Warriors, the first time he has not been on the bench since revealing he has throat cancer.

Karl did not accompany the Nuggets to Oakland, Calif., because of his ongoing treatment. Assistant Adrian Dantley filled in against the Warriors. Chauncey Billups scored 37 points and the Nuggets won 127-112.

•No. 2 draft pick gets demoted: The Memphis Grizzlies assigned rookie center Hasheem Thabeet to the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League.

A 7-foot-3 Thabeet, the second overall pick last year, averaged 2.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 50 games. The former Connecticut player had a career-best 10 points on Jan. 2 at Phoenix.

Williams barely avoids upset bid

Tennis: Top-seeded Venus Williams rallied from down four games in the third set to beat qualifier Laura Pous Tio of Spain 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the Mexican Open in Acapulco.

Williams trailed 1-5 in the final set against the player ranked 399th in the world.

On the men’s side, the top seed could not avoid the upset. Juan Monaco of Argentina beat No. 1 Fernando Verdasco of Spain 7-5, 6-3.

Villegas ties first-round record

Golf: Camilo Villegas tied the Phoenix Open first-round record with a 9-under-par 62 to take a one-shot lead over former Florida teammate Matt Every.

Villegas regrouped with a bogey-free round after making the semifinals of the Match Play Championship last weekend, but missing a 3-foot putt that would have put him in the final.

Spokane’s Alex Prugh did not enter.

•Ochoa shoots 68 for share of lead: Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa birdied two of the final three holes for a 4-under 68 and a share of the first-round lead on a hot, windy day at the HSBC Champions in Singapore.

Cristie Kerr, Angela Stanford and Hee Young Park also shot 68s.

Wendy Ward of Edwall, Wash., is seven back at 75.

Dallas Stars’ Auld clears waivers

NHL: Dallas Stars goalie Alex Auld was assigned to the AHL’s Texas Stars after clearing waivers.

When Auld was waived earlier this week, it provided a strong indication that starting goalie Marty Turco won’t be moved before the trade deadline next week. Turco and backup Kari Lehtonen remain on the Stars’ roster.

Jury wants extra day in murder case

Miscellany: Jurors in the first-degree murder trial of a man accused of killing an Iowa high school football coach say they’ve reached a stalemate.

The jury gave an Iowa District Court judge a note saying they couldn’t reach a verdict and requested one night to “sleep on our discussion.”

Mark Becker is accused of gunning down Aplington- Parkersburg High School coach Ed Thomas on June 24. He has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity.

Jurors will resume their deliberations this morning.