No. 1 Kentucky sets record in easy victory

Men’s basketball: Freshman Anthony Davis scored 15 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and had eight of a school-record 18 blocks in No. 1 Kentucky’s 81-59 victory over St. John’s on Thursday night at Lexington, Ky.

Terrence Jones added 26 points and nine rebounds for the Wildcats (7-0), who head into a highly anticipated showdown with No. 5 North Carolina on Saturday.

Davis blocked four shots before the first timeout, and Kentucky set the team record with Eloy Vargas’ swat with 2:42 to go.

God’sgift Achiuwa scored 18 points for the Red Storm (4-4).

• Thompson’s long 3-pointer lifts Hoyas: Hollis Thompson hit a long 3-pointer with 1.8 seconds left to lift the Georgetown Hoyas (6-1) to a 57-55 win over No. 12 Alabama (7-1), ending the Crimson Tide’s 24-game winning streak at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Seventh-ranked Duke stops No. 13 Purdue

Women’s basketball: Haley Peters scored 14 points to help No. 7 Duke beat No. 13 Purdue 64-53 at Durham, N.C.

Chloe Wells added 13 points for the Blue Devils (5-1), who won for the 50th time in 51 home games, including 27 straight. Courtney Moses scored 17 points to lead Purdue (6-1).

• National scoring leader guides Blue Hens: Elena Delle Donne, who leads the nation in scoring at 30 ppg, scored 32 points to help No. 24 Delaware beat Princeton 81-70 at Princeton, N.J.

It was the Blue Hens’ (5-0) first game as a ranked team. Princeton fell to 6-1.

Penguins continue surge with Crosby

NHL: Chris Kunitz scored the tiebreaking goal at 2:36 of the third period, and the visiting Pittsburgh Penguins beat Washington 2-1 to keep the Capitals winless under new coach Dale Hunter.

Craig Adams also scored for the Penguins, who improved to 4-1-1 since captain Sidney Crosby returned to the lineup following an 11-month absence with a concussion.

• Stars win on late goal: Eric Nystrom scored the tiebreaking goal with 2:20 left and the Dallas Stars rallied for a 3-2 victory over the visiting Ottawa Senators.

Boise State hires ‘rising star’ as A.D.

College athletics: Boise State University President Bob Kustra named Mark Coyle as the school’s new athletic director, describing the 43-year-old as a “rising star” and the right choice to lead Broncos athletics in an era in which fundraising and brand development is just as essential as winning games.

Coyle previously served in assistant roles at athletic departments at the University of Kentucky, where he was in charge of fundraising, and the University of Minnesota.

Kennedy moves from M’s to Dodgers

Baseball: The Los Angeles Dodgers signed infielder Adam Kennedy to a one-year contract worth $800,000, bringing the Southern California native back home where he won a World Series title in 2002 with the Anaheim Angels.

Kennedy, who can play first, second and third base, gives the Dodgers an experienced left-handed hitter. He hit .234 with seven home runs and 38 RBIs in 114 games with the Seattle Mariners last season.

• Orioles acquire Teagarden: The Texas Rangers traded catcher Taylor Teagarden to the Baltimore Orioles for minor league right-hander Randy Henry and a player to be named.

Teagarden hit .235 in 14 games for Texas last season.

He hit .281 for the Spokane Indians in 2005.

NBA players approve return of union

NBA: NBA players authorized the return of the players’ association, with more than 300 submitting the necessary signatures to a third-party accounting group.

The union must re-form before players and owners can continue negotiating a collective bargaining agreement.

The hope is to complete the CBA next week so both sides can ratify it in time to open training camps Dec. 9.

Choi fights gusts, leads Woods by three

Golf: K.J. Choi and Tiger Woods did most of their work before the wind arrived at the Chevron World Challenge at Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Choi birdied his opening five holes at Sherwood Country Club, then held on in gusts up to 30 mph for a 6-under-par 66 that gave him a three-shot lead over Woods and Steve Stricker at the final official tournament in America this year.

Torres places second at Winter Nationals

Swimming: Dara Torres climbed to the second step on the podium.

It’s been a few years.

With her surgically repaired left knee aching a bit, Torres was runner-up in the 50-meter freestyle at the U.S. Winter Nationals in Atlanta, her highest finish since the Beijing Olympics.

The 44-year-old Torres, who won three silver medals in Beijing, is coming back from a radical operation with hopes of making one more trip to the Olympics.