• Roy fever for real
Can you believe what the Trail Blazers did Sunday at the Rose Garden?
• Need an assist? Never fear . . . Faucher's here
At halftime of Portland State's Jan. 3 women's basketball game at Sacramento State, Vikings coach Sherri Murrell had to do a double take when she read Claire Faucher's statistical line.
• It's Woods, of course, by 8 shots
Tiger Woods joined some elite company Sunday in San Diego, even though he might as well have been playing alone.
• Around the NBA Skip the envelopes, here are the winners
The writers' strike in Hollywood forced cancellation of the Golden Globes award show and threatens the Oscar bash, but this writer remains on the job and is handing out the midseason awards in the NBA:
• A wildly 'successful trip'
Late Saturday night at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, after UCLA had beaten Oregon State 85-62, Bruins center Kevin Love stood near center court, surrounded by deadline-pressed reporters in an impromptu news conference.
• Guard deficiencies are a pointed issue
Just as having a senior quarterback boosted the Oregon football team into national title contention, inexperience at basketball's quarterback position -- the point guard -- continues to knock the Ducks down toward the bottom of the Pacific-10 Conference.
• Like Blazers, Hawks bank on youth
When the Blazers faced the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday at the Rose Garden, they saw a team that looked a lot like themselves.
• PSU risks losing edge during layoff
Portland State guard Jeremiah Dominguez doesn't like anything about the current 11-day break in the Vikings' schedule.
• UCLA's Howland offers scant praise
UCLA coach Ben Howland gave struggling Oregon State a few compliments (sort of) after the No. 8 Bruins roared away in the second half for an 85-62 win at Gill Coliseum Saturday night.
• Youthful Blazers tear down 'Wall'
The Trail Blazers may have accomplished more than a shocking 94-93 come-from-behind victory Sunday night at the Rose Garden -- they might have resuscitated a stagnant offense that had players and coaches wondering aloud if the youngest team in the NBA had finally hit The Wall.