Dein erstes Forum » set match in Tour Finals history

LOS ANGELES -- Jordan McLaughlin really didnt mind seeing No. 24 Southern California pushed to the limit by a big underdog.McLaughlin scored 19 points, including a go-ahead floater in the lane with 48 seconds left, and USC remained undefeated with an 82-77 comeback victory over Troy on Saturday night.This was good for our young guys to get a game like this with conference coming up, McLaughlin said. It will help us mature.Southern California (10-0) has its best start since going 16-0 to open the 1971 season. It remains one of two undefeated Pac-12 schools, along with UCLA, which beat Ohio State on Saturday to improve to 12-0.With the shot clock winding down in the final minute, McLaughlin drove into the lane, created separation and put a soft shot over two defenders to give USC the lead for good.Down the stretch, I feel like nine times out of 10 Ill make the right play, McLaughlin said. Coach has always had confidence in me. Thats why I came here.USC coach Andy Enfield said McLaughlins go-ahead basket was a perfect example of the maturity hes developed over the past two-plus seasons.Jordan is playing at such a high level for us, Enfield said. This year, hes taken it to another level. The last three, four weeks, hes playing as good as any point guard in the nation. Thats why were 10-0. It all starts with him.Chimezie Metu added 18 points and eight rebounds, Elijah Stewart had 11 points and Nick Rakocevic 10.We came out slow, Metu said. But we picked up our defensive intensity down the stretch and got some stops.Wesley Person had 19 points to lead Troy (6-5). Jordan Vonardo added 17 points and eight rebounds, and Kevin Baker had 15 points. It has won three straightAfter a pair of USC blocks and a Troy turnover, McLaughlin added two free throws with 13 seconds left. DeAnthony Felton added a free throw with 3 seconds left for the final margin.For us to be 10-0 with our lack of experience, to be without Bennie Boatwright, Im so proud of our players, Enfield said. Weve got a long way to go. Weve still got a lot of things to improve. Its a long season and there will be games like this.Trailing most of the way and by as many as 10 points, Southern California took a 70-68 lead on Stewarts 3-pointer with 4:58 to play.Metu hit a jumper in the lane and then made one of two free throws to pull USC even at 77 after Jeremy Hollimons three-pointer with 1:16 left had given Troy a 77-74 lead.Up 40-38 at half, Troy reeled off a 10-2 spurt, opening its biggest lead 50-40 on a free throw by DeVon Walker with 16:45 to play. Troy led 60-51 on Walkers layup with 12:35 to play.BIG PICTURE:Troy: Person is the son of former NBA player Wesley Person and nephew of former NBA player Chuck Person. The Trojans lost for the first time this season after leading at halftime. Saturday nights game marked the first time the Trojans played a Top 25 team since playing at No. 17 Mississippi State on Dec. 10, 2011.Southern California: This was the first time this season the Trojans trailed at half. USC won its 17th consecutive nonconference game at the Galen Center. Seven of their 10 wins this season have come on their home floor. USC played its third straight game without sophomore forward Boatwright, expected to be out six weeks with a sprained left knee injured on Nov. 30 against San Diego.UP NEXT:Troy: At Wyoming on Monday night.Southern California: Host Cornell on Monday night.Clay Matthews Super Bowl Jersey . Rousey will put her perfect 8-0 record and hardware on the line against another undefeated fighter, 7-0 Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada on February 22nd. Kyler Fackrell Super Bowl Jersey . The Americans, skipped by John Shuster, seized the advantage in the eighth end by scoring five points for a 7-3 lead. The Czechs pulled two back in the ninth, but Shusters team of third Jeff Isaacson, second Jared Zezel and lead John Landsteiner ended with another point to secure the last Olympic berth on offer. http://www.officialgreenbaypackerspro.com/Reggie-white-packers-jersey/ . Any real chance at payback wont come until the playoff. Still, Pittsburgh knows its taut 3-2 win over the Bruins on Wednesday night is a pretty good place to start laying the groundwork. "They are a very good defensive team," Penguins forward Brandon Sutter said. JK Scott Super Bowl Jersey . Darren Helm scored on Detroits sixth attempt in the shootout and then Jonas Gustavsson stopped Andrew Shaws shot, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 5-4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday night. Paul Hornung Super Bowl Jersey . Despite the cost, effort and an improved steroid test, its possible that very few -- if any -- positives will be detected, Dr. Richard Budgett told The Associated Press in an interview. "We just dont know what the results from Torino will be," Budgett said.LONDON -- It was a foreboding touch to hear a gong-type noise played on U.K. television coverage as Andy Murray failed to save a fifth set point against Kei Nishikori in an epic 18-minute first-set tiebreaker on Wednesday.A similar booming sound played over Arthur Ashe Stadiums loudspeakers in Septembers US Open. After the mysterious noise, Murray melted down in a five-set quarterfinal defeat to Nishikori. But this time, Murray just about regrouped at the World Tour Finals to beat the world No. 5 6-7 (9), 6-4, 6-4.He still flirted with disaster here. Several times he got wound up into a similar state of agitation as he had in that fourth set at Flushing Meadows; he was distracted throughout, remonstrating with himself and shouting at his box.I didnt feel like I was hitting the ball as well as I would have liked, Murray later told a news conference. He was dictating so many of the points. For me it was frustrating. Didnt matter whether I tried to hit the ball a bit harder, adjusted my position on the court, nothing was making me hit the ball cleaner.As the match went on, I was getting kind of frustrated, then becoming like sarcastic with myself that I couldnt seem to hit the ball as clean as I wanted to. Yeah, I dont often do that, but today I was definitely being more sarcastic towards myself than usual.His frustrations almost cost him dearly when he failed to take two set points at 5-4 in the second set, having already been broken back once. He then needed four games to finally put away Nishikori, after building a 5-1 lead in the decider.No doubt about it, this was a step up in class for the Scot -- not since his French Open final defeat to Novak Djokovic in June had he faced a top-five opponent.There was nothing really in it, Murray admitted. He could have won in two sets, for sure. He was dictating many points. He had a number of chances.Murrays place in the semifinals is far from guaranteed, though, after Stan Wawrinka?rebounded from an opening loss to beat Marin Cilic 7-6 (3), 7-6 (3) in Wednesdays evening session at Londons O2 Arena.If Wawrinka beats Murray in two sets, and Nishikori wins against Cilic, then Murray will be out of the tournament and Djokovic will finish as year-end No. 1. But if Cilic gets his first win here, Murray and Wawrinka will both qualify for the semifinals regardless.All I know is if I want to have a chance to qualify, I need to win, said Wawrinka. Thats all I know. Thats all Im trying to do.ddddddddddddIm going to try to play my best tennis, to beat the world No. 1. Its going to be a tough match. We played many times each other. Hes playing his best tennis so far. Its going to be interesting. Im happy to play here in front of his home crowd. Im sure its going to be a great atmosphere.One man who definitely wont be here at the weekend is Gael Monfils, who withdrew from the Tour Finals with a rib injury that he first picked up in Stockholm last month. The Frenchman had lost his opening two matches to Milos Raonic and Dominic Thiem -- Djokovic will now play alternate David Goffin in his final round robin match Thursday.Definitely I cant play for tomorrow because I still feel worse and worse, my ribs, that I had lately, Monfils told a news conference. Yeah, I feel that even yesterday was tough in the game. I feel unfortunately today I couldnt be feeling great and couldnt practice, so I just decide that I couldnt play tomorrow.Monfils announcement pushed Murrays own news conference even further back -- the Scot had already been scheduled to come in to press two hours after his match against Nishikori finished.I was in the ice bath after the match, he said when he finally turned up. That obviously helps kind of make you feel a bit better. But, yeah, sort of 10, 12 hours afterwards the body starts to stiffen up. Im sure tomorrow Ill be a bit sore. But its positive I get a days rest, a days recovery tomorrow.He will need the rest -- this was officially the longest three-set match in Tour Finals history at 3 hours, 20 minutes.Not quite as long as the near five-hour epic between Murray and Nishikori that went five sets in the Davis Cup in March, nor the three hours, 57 minutes they played in New York, but still draining.While it wasnt a vintage performance, Murray found a way to get the job done, stretching his win streak to 21 matches, one short of his career-best set earlier this summer.For now, he is quickly learning that it is one thing to get to the top of the rankings, and another thing to stay there. He must match or outdo Novak Djokovics results here to finish year-end No. 1, and it could come down to a straight shootout in Sundays final.I think for the tournament and for everyone interested in tennis that would probably be the perfect way to finish the year, admitted Murray. ' ' '