MEEKS HELPS UK INHERIT THE WIN
Jodie Meeks scored 27 points as Kentucky crushed Missouri-St. Louis 111-53 last night in exhibition basketball action. Kentucky took a 10-0 lead on a layup by Meeks, and led 62-23 at halftime. They expanded the lead to 64 at 107-43 on a jumper by Josh Harrellson who finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie praised his team’s performance but added that there were still improvements to make. Gillispie said guard A.J. Stewart sat out the game because of a team rules violation.

LAKERS 6TH, TIGERS 9TH IN AP POLLS
The new High School Football polls are out from the AP. In class 4A, Bell County is still number one, Lone Oak is third and Calloway County is sixth. In 2A, Ft. Campbell is still number one, but Murray High has cracked the poll in 9th place. The Tigers are off Friday while the Lakers visit Graves County. Both local teams have secured home games for the first round of the playoffs.

MSU DUO CLAIM VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
Freshmen Kayleah Sauer and Jade Guo earned Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week. Sauer earned the Defensive Player of the week accolades for the first time in her career after recording the third highest number of digs in a five-set match in Division I this season with a career-best 42 against Southeast Missouri. Guo earned her second Setter of the Week honor after tallying the Racers first triple-double of the season with 10 kills, 58 assists, and 13 digs in the 3-2 win over Austin Peay. The Racers will continue OVC action this weekend when they travel to battle Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky this Friday night and Satruday.

RACERS LOOK FOR STRONG FINISH
With any hopes of an OVC title dashed with a loss at Eastern Illinois, Murray State will try to close the season with three wins and a 6-6 record. The Racers host improving Southeast Missouri on Saturday. Murray had no significant injuries in the Panthers game. What appeared to be a nasty looking leg injury for receiver Marcus Harris turned out to be minor, and he was on the stationary bike yesterday showing no ill effects. Kickoff time is 1pm Saturday, with airtime at 12:30 on Froggy and 1340 WNBS.

ANOTHER TOP 10 MATCHUP ON WNBS
Our College Football game of the week returns to Lubbock Texas Saturday night as Oklahoma State visits second-ranked Texas Tech. Airtime is 6:30 on 1340 WNBS.

VOLS FANS HAVE FILL OF PHIL
His teams won 150 games, two Southeastern Conference titles, and a national championship, but after 17 years, Tennessee Vols football coach Phillip Fulmer's time is over. In an emotional press conference Monday afternoon, Fulmer announced he will step down at the end of the season. Fulmer made it clear he did not want to leave, but is accepting a decision by athletic director Mike Hamilton and the administration to replace him. The Vols have struggled against the top programs in the SEC in recent years, and enter this week's home game against Wyoming with a 3-and-6 record, 1-and-5 in SEC play. Fulmer's contract calls for a six-million dollar buyout over four years, and he is expected to paid all of it.

TITANS DEALING WITH KEY INJURIES
Tennessee Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch continue to be question marks for Sunday's game at Chicago. Bulluck left the Green Bay with sore ribs but returned following 16 plays. He later told reporters that X-rays were negative, noting he only suffered only catilage damage. Vanden Bosch saw limited action after he aggrevated a groin injury suffered against Baltimore. The Pro Bowler started on Sunday but took himself out of the game after he said he couldn't cut or make sudden lateral movements needed to play at 100 percent...The Titans game at Chicago has been moved to a 3:15 start. Tennessee will try to go to 9-0 against the Bears. Airtime is 2pm on 1340 WNBS.

RAMS INJURY LIST GROWS
The Rams are dealing with several new injuries as they prepare for back-to-back road games beginning this weekend. Wide receiver Drew Bennett is expected to be placed on injured reserved today, along with receiver Dante Hall. Linebacker Chris Draft and running back Steven Jackson are considered day-to-day.

LAKER VOLLEYBALL AWARDS
Calloway County Volleyball recenty announced its post-season awards:

Junior Varsity --Allison Rogers - Most Assists Award, Most Points Award, and Most Aces Award, Janea Smith - Best Team Spirit Award, Lidia Vazquez - Most Improved Player Award, Emily McKnight - Most Kills Award, Maegan Lusk - Most Kills Award and 110% Award, Karissa Wilcox - Best Team Spirit Award

Varsity --Allison Rogers - Most Assists Award, Nisa Dunn - Best Team Spirit Award, Kristen Phillips - Most Aces Award, Lexie Watson - Most Aces Award and Most Points Award, Katlynn Knight -- Most Kills Award, Katie Bazzell -- 110% Award, Brittnee Deitz - Most Improved Player Award

NATIONAL SPORTS REPORT

National Basketball Association
-------------------------------
LeBron James poured in 29 points and pulled down eight rebounds, and Cleveland
pulled away in the fourth quarter and shut down Dirk Nowitzki for a 100-81 win
over the Dallas Mavericks. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added 17 points and 11 boards
for the Cavaliers, who beat the Mavs for just the fourth time in the last 16
meetings. This was Cleveland's largest margin of victory ever in Dallas. Mo
Williams and Delonte West each scored 14 for the Cavs, who bounced back from a
12-point loss at New Orleans on Saturday.

Elsewhere in the NBA:
---------------------
Detroit Pistons 101, Charlotte Bobcats 83
Orlando Magic 96, Chicago Bulls 93
Philadelphia 76ers 125, Sacramento Kings 91
Memphis Grizzlies 90, Golden State Warriors 79
Utah Jazz 89, Los Angeles Clippers 73


National Hockey League
----------------------
For a second straight game, the Islanders blew a three-goal lead in the third
period, but this time Chris Campoli's score in overtime gave New York a 4-3
victory over Columbus. Campoli scored twice, while Richard Park and Bill
Guerin had the other goals for the Islanders, who halted a six-game losing
streak. Mike Comrie and Trent Hunter each had two assists for the Isles, who
beat Columbus for just the second time in nine all-time meetings.

Elsewhere in the NHL:
---------------------
Buffalo Sabres 2, New Jersey Devils 0
Chicago Blackhawks 6, Colorado Avalanche 2


=== NBA ===

The Detroit Pistons pulled off a big deal on Monday, acquiring star guard
Allen Iverson from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for three players. Leaving
the Motor City will be guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess and
reserve center Cheikh Samb. Iverson is averaging 18.7 points and 6.7 assists
hrough three games this season. The 33-year-old is in his 13th NBA season and
has compiled 27.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest over 832 career games
with Philadelphia and Denver. Billups, in his 12th NBA season and seventh with
the Pistons, holds averages of 12.5 points and 7.5 assists in two contests
this year. The former third- overall pick of the Boston Celtics has recorded
14.8 points, 5.5 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game over 760 contests with the
Celtics, Raptors, Timberwolves and Pistons. The well-traveled McDyess posted
7.0 points and 4.0 boards through two games with Detroit this season. He spent
his first two professional campaigns with the Nuggets from 1995-97, then came
back for four seasons from 1998-2002. Over a 14-year career, the Mississippi
native has played for four teams and compiled averages of 13.4 points and 7.7
rebounds in 805 games. Samb, the Lakers' second-round pick in 2006, saw
limited action in four games this season.

===

The Pistons have also reportedly signed guard Richard Hamilton to a three-year
contract extension. Hamilton's extension, reported by a Detroit newspaper,
could allow the franchise to present one of the league's more formidable
backcourt duos should the team retain Iverson past this season when his
contract is set to expire. The 30-year-old Hamilton is in his ninth season out
of Connecticut with career averages of 17.9 points, 3.3 assists and 3.3
rebounds while shooting 45.4 percent from the field.


=== COLLEGE FOOTBALL ===

Longtime Tennessee head coach Phillip Fulmer announced at a Monday afternoon
press conference that he will not return as head coach next season. Fulmer, a
Tennessee alum, is in his 17th year as head coach of the Volunteers, who are
a dismal 3-6 this season. The Vols are also just 1-5 in SEC play. Since being
named head coach in 1992, Fulmer has a record of 150-51 with two SEC titles.
He also guided the Vols to the 1998 national championship, the school's first
since 1951. Tennessee has been to 15 bowl games in Fulmer's first 16 seasons,
missing out only in 2005 with a 5-6 record. Nine times his teams have reached
double-digit wins.

===


The University of Toledo will be in the market for a new head coach at the
conclusion of the season after Tom Amstutz announced Monday that he will step
down and take another position with the school. Amstutz has compiled a record
of 57-38 in eight seasons at his alma mater, capturing Mid-American Conference
titles in 2001 and 2004. He led the Rockets to four bowl appearances,
including wins in the 2001 Motor City Bowl and the 2005 GMAC Bowl. Toledo is
just 2-6 this season, but one of those wins was a 13-10 stunner over Michigan
at the Big House.


=== NFL ===

Blitzburgh is back, as the NFL's top-ranked defense sacked Jason Campbell
seven times, and Byron Leftwich inserted a spark in the lifeless Pittsburgh
offense in place of injured Ben Roethlisberger, as the Steelers smothered
Washington, 23-6. Six different Steelers registered a sack, as Pittsburgh
conjured up an assortment of blitzes, including a one-down-lineman formation.
Washington managed just 13 first downs, finished 3-of-15 on third-down
conversions and mustered 221 total net yards. Not that Pittsburgh's offense
was much better prior to two extended second- half scoring marches
orchestrated by Leftwich, who finished 7-of-10 for 129 yards and a touchdown
in place of Roethlisberger, who left at halftime with a right shoulder injury
and did not return. Before the injury, Roethlisberger was inaccurate and
looked shaky in a crumbling pocket, completing just 5-of-17 passes for 50
yards with an interception and one-yard touchdown plunge. Willie Parker came
back from an injury to rush for 70 yards and a touchdown, while Santonio
Holmes caught three passes for 30 yards and a score for Pittsburgh (6-2),
which won its first game against an NFC East opponent this season in three
tries. The victory means more than a one-game edge over Baltimore in the AFC
North standings. When Washington has lost its final home game before a
presidential election, the party that won the popular vote in the preceding
White House run lost in that election. The stat has come true in 17 straight
presidential elections. Campbell did little to put Washington (6-3) in
position for victory, completing 24-of-43 passes for 206 yards and two
interceptions. The NFL's leading rusher Clinton Portis ran for just 51 yards
against the league's top rush defense.

===

Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith confirmed at his Monday press conference that
quarterback Kyle Orton has a right ankle injury, but did not elaborate.
However, a Chicago newspaper is reporting that Orton could be out for up to a
month with a high ankle sprain. The paper reported that he is scheduled to
undergo an MRI exam later on Monday. The injury occurred late in the second
quarter of the game against the Lions on Sunday when Orton was scrambling and
sacked by Cory Redding. As Orton was going down, Detroit defensive end Dewayne
White fell on top of him. Orton lay on the ground for several minutes in
obvious pain as he was attended to by trainers. He was eventually carted off
the field. Rex Grossman took over for Chicago under center in the second half
and guided the team to two touchdowns in a 27-23 victory for the Bears. Orton
was 8-for-14 with 108 yards along with a rushing touchdown in the game before
leaving.

===

Texans quarterback Matt Schaub will miss the next few weeks after injuring the
medial collateral ligament in his left knee in Sunday's loss at Minnesota.
Sage Rosenfels, who replaced Schaub in the second half on Sunday, will serve
as starter for the 3-5 Texans in this Sunday's game against the Baltimore
Ravens. Head coach Gary Kubiak would not commit to naming Rosenfels the
starter for the duration of Schaub's absence. Schaub injured his knee when
Vikings defensive end Jared Allen hit the quarterback on the first series on
Sunday. Schaub played through the injury in the first half, despite getting
sacked three times. The fifth-season veteran completed 11-of-16 passes for 139
yards with an interception and a fumble. Rosenfels came on in the second half
and completed 21-of-29 passes for 224 yards with two touchdowns and an
interception in Houston's 28-21 loss to the Vikings.

===

Cleveland's Brady Quinn will get his long-awaited debut as an NFL starter at
home on Thursday against the Denver Broncos. The Browns confirmed the benching
of Derek Anderson on Monday after last year's Pro Bowl selection led the
promising club to a 3-5 mark to begin the season. Anderson has completed just
49.8 percent of his passes (121-of-243) for 1,454 yards with nine touchdowns
and seven interceptions for Cleveland, which entered Sunday ranked 30th in the
league in total offense. Quinn was selected with the 22nd overall pick in the
2007 draft after Cleveland traded Dallas their second round selection (36th
overall) in that draft and their first-round selection in the 2008 draft to
take the Notre Dame standout. The Columbus, Ohio native set countless
records while leading the Irish as a four-year starter, including career
completions (929), passing yards (11,762) and touchdowns (95).


=== MLB ===

The World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies introduced Ruben Amaro Jr. as
the team's new general manager Monday. Amaro replaces Pat Gillick, who had
previously announced that the 2008 season would be his last running the day-
to-day operations of the club. He went out a champion, as the Phillies
captured the second World Series title in franchise history with a five-game
triumph over Tampa Bay last week. The 43-year-old Amaro had served as an
assistant general manager under Gillick and previously worked under former GM
Ed Wade. A Philadelphia native, Amaro played for the Angels, Phillies and
Indians during an eight-year pro career. He was also a Phillies bat boy from
1980-83.

===

The Tampa Bay Rays announced on Monday that the team has declined the 2009
options on the contracts of designated hitter Cliff Floyd and pitcher Trever
Miller. Floyd appeared in 80 games last year, which included 72 starts as the
designated hitter. He batted .268 on the season and had 11 home runs and 39
RBI. The 35-year-old has been in the majors since 1993 and in 1,611 games he
has 233 home runs and 865 RBI along with a .279 average. He has also played
for Montreal, Florida, Boston, the Mets and the Cubs. Miller made 68
appearances for Tampa last season out of the bullpen and went 2-0 with a 4.15
earned-run average in 43 1/3 innings of work. Since his first appearance in
the majors in 1996, he has pitched in 519 games and has a 14-14 record with a
4.43 ERA. He has played for Detroit, Houston, the Dodgers, Philadelphia,
Toronto and Houston.

===

Francisco Rodriguez was one of 19 players that filed for free agency Monday.
"K-Rod" will likely command a substantial contract after arguably the single
greatest season by a reliever. Rodriguez, 26, recorded a single-season record
62 saves for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim a season ago with a 2.24
earned-run average. He finished with seven blown saves in 76 appearances. In
seven seasons -- all with the Angels -- the right-hander is 23-17 with 208
saves and a 2.35 ERA in 408 career appearances. The Los Angeles Dodgers'
Rafael Furcal was among three veteran shortstops filing free agent papers on
Monday. An injured back cost Furcal a majority of the 2008 season, but when
healthy, the 31-year-old hit .357 with five homers and 16 RBI in 36 games.
Detroit's Edgar Renteria, San Francisco's Omar Vizquel and Milwaukee's Craig
Counsell were the other shortstops deciding to test the market.

===

The Boston Red Sox and general manager Theo Epstein have agreed to a new
contract. Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but Epstein told a Boston-area
newspaper on the first day of the annual GM meetings that he signed the deal
"a while back." Terms of the contract weren't released. Epstein became the
youngest general manager in major league history at age 28 when he took over
the Red Sox on November 25, 2002. In his second year at the helm, Boston swept
the St. Louis Cardinals to capture the franchise's first World Series title
since 1918. Shortly after the conclusion of the 2005 campaign, Epstein
resigned from the Red Sox, citing philosophical differences with president and
chief executive officer Larry Lucchino. He returned a few months later and
inked a three-year contract which was set to expire at the end of the 2008
season. In 2007, Boston won its second championship in four seasons with a
sweep of the Colorado Rockies.


=== NHL ===

Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin returned to the team on Monday
after spending the past week with his sick grandfather in Russia. Ovechkin
missed two games while he was gone, ending a streak of 203 consecutive games
played. He had missed just one game overall in his three-plus seasons in the
league before his current absence. The top overall pick in the 2004 draft, he
missed a 4-3 win against Nashville on October 28 and a 5-0 loss at Buffalo on
Saturday. Ovechkin received the Hart Trophy as league MVP in 2007-08 after
leading the NHL in goals (65) and points (112) en route to helping Washington
win its first division crown since the 2000-01 campaign. The 23-year-old
winger has two goals and three assists through the first eight games this
year.


=== TENNIS ===

World No. 1 star Rafael Nadal has pulled out of next week's season-ending
Tennis Masters Cup, citing fatigue. Nadal retired during his quarterfinal
match against Nikolay Davydenko at last week's Paris Masters because of a knee
injury. The 22-year-old Spaniard will finish 2008 as the year-end No. 1 after
supplanting Roger Federer from the perch in August, as he captured the French
Open, Wimbledon and Olympic titles this year. The exclusive eight-player
Masters Cup will get underway Sunday in Shanghai. The top seed now will be
Federer, while Frenchman Gilles Simon enters the field in Nadal's place.