Meister der Farbe » Tar Heels offense is humming,

In the first game of the WNBA playoff semifinals between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Chicago Sky, the Sparks superstars -- two-time league Most Valuable Player Candace Parker and this years MVP Nneka Ogwumike -- were too much to handle and Los Angeles romped to a 20-point win.But in Game 2 on Friday, it was the Sparks role players, and specifically super-sixth-woman Jantel Lavender, who burned Chicago in a 99-84 victory.The Sky have one more chance to keep their season alive, as the scene shifts from Southern California to the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Ill., and Allstate Arena on Sunday afternoon for Game 3 of the best-of-five series.For the depleted Sky -- who have been without 2015 MVP Elena Delle Donne for eight straight games including its three playoff contests -- its a matter of finding their stride for long enough to counter Los Angeles talented wave after wave of clutch performances.Lavender was on target on Friday, hitting her first nine shots and 10 of her 11 attempts from the floor. Most of her damage was from outside, as the Sky tried to pack the lane to limit the touches by Parker and Ogwumike.That strategy kept the Sparks two frontcourt stars to a combined 38 points, 19 less than in Game 1, but it wasnt near enough to keep the game close or produce a win for Chicago.(Chicago) just kept leaving me open, so I was just shooting it, Lavender said. I thought about going back to the basket, but that high-post shot was going in tonight. When Im open, Im shooting it, and tonight was a good night.Lavender has excelled off the bench for Los Angeles, and leads the Sparks second-unit in performance and attitude.Jantel could be a starter for us and most teams in this league, Sparks coach Brian Agler said. We dont drop off when shes in the game.Parker set the tone for the Sparks in the early going with eight points, six rebounds and three assists in the first quarter. She either scored or assisted on Los Angeles first five baskets. Shes had double-doubles in the first two games of the series and on Friday was two assists away for her first career triple-double.Down 65-44 midway through the third quarter on Friday, the Sky forged a 14-3 run to get back to within 10 points of the lead. That effort sapped Chicago, which missed its final seven shots of the period, and Los Angeles stepped on the gas, pulling away to lead 78-59 with a quarter to play.Six players scored in double figures for the Sky in Game 2, led by reserves Clarissa Dos Santos with 15 points and Jamierra Faulkner with 14.Los Angeles has now won all five games between the two teams this season, including two on the Skys home floor when Chicago had Delle Donne in the lineup. Walter Payton Bears Jersey . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. William Perry Jersey . -- If Henry Burris has his way, he will be the starting quarterback to lead the Hamilton Tiger-Cats back to the Grey Cup next year. http://www.chicagobearfootballauthentic.com/authentic-anthony-miller-bears-jersey/ . With their top three point guards and Kobe Bryant all sidelined by injury, the Lakers signed Marshall out of the D-League on Friday before their home game against Minnesota. Walter Payton Jersey . Peter Gammons, an analyst for Major League Baseballs network and website, drew the ire of hockey fans on Sunday when he criticized the two NHL teams on Twitter for their physical game the night before. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix Jersey . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- A year ago, a 48-14 win over Illinois got North Carolina going and propelled the Tar Heels on a run to the ACC championship game and a bowl.Coming off a 33-24 season-opening loss to Georgia that knocked them out of the Top 25, the Tar Heels could use a repeat performance Saturday when they travel to Illinois.It would be a confidence booster, receiver Ryan Switzer said. The 2016 team hasnt won a game yet. Were going into a Power Five team who had a good showing in week one, whos got new energy and a new staff, and a night game at their own place.The Illini are one big win into the tenure of new coach Lovie Smith. That 52-3 victory over Football Championship Subdivision school Murray State was nice, Smith said, but Saturdays game is a bigger deal.I dont know how North Carolinas looking at the game -- the way the beat us up last year, you know, he said. But for us, its a big game, and a true measuring stick to see where we are.Things to watch for Saturday when North Carolina visits the Illini:DEFENSIVE FRONTNorth Carolina gashed the Illini for 254 yards last year, 130 of them by then-sophomore tailback Elijah Hood. But the Illinois defensive line lived up to its billing in this seasons opener as the strength of the team, holding Murray State to minus-10 yards rushing and sacking Racers quarterbacks six times. Holding Hood in check might mean the Illini will see more of quarterback Mitch Trubisky, who produced just 156 yards on 24-of-40 passing against Georgia and threw more than Tar Heel coach Larry Fedora intended.When you start to get behind the chains the whole time, and youre in long yardage situations, its tough to sit in there and say were going to run the football. Ive never done that, Fedora said.HOODS WORKLOADHood was one of the ACCs top runners with 1,463 yards and 17 touchdowns last year, but he ggot just 10 carries for 72 yards against Georgia while UNC threw 40 passes.dddddddddddd Hood is a tackler-punishing runner with the ability to wear down defenses. Getting him going on the road would be a big help.GOING DEEPThe Tar Heels like to take deep shots in their fast-paced offense, but Trubisky failed to connect on a couple that could have changed the Georgia game. When the Tar Heels offense is humming, theyre churning out big yardage totals and pushing the tempo to wear down defenses. Fedora was pleased Trubisky protected the ball in his first start, but said he needed to do a better job with his footwork on those long balls.The offense will work, just do what youre taught to do, Fedora said. And I think he was trying to do too much.STOP THE RUNUNC came into the year knowing it would have to improve its run defense, but it didnt happen against the Bulldogs and Nick Chubb. Georgia ran for 289 yards in the opener, and the Tar Heels have now surrendered 1,561 yards on the ground in the last four games dating to last season. UNC has to reverse that trend soon.ILLINOIS ON THE GROUNDThe run game the Tar Heels will be trying to stop churned out 287 yards and four touchdowns against an overmatched Murray State defense. But only 49 of those yards belonged to starting tailback KeShawn Vaughn. Illinois stuck with Vaughn, giving him 17 carries in a game it had in hand early. A more productive Vaughn will help pound the North Carolina defense and keep the Tar Heel offense off the field.---AP Sports Writer Aaron Beard in Chapel Hill, North Carolina contributed to this report.---Follow David Mercer on Twitter: (at)davidmercerAP---Online: Associated Press college football coverage: collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '