to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32

CINCINNATI -- No second-half slump. No. 13 Xavier held on tightly to this lead, right to the finish.J.P. Macura emerged from his shooting slump by scoring 18 points, and RaShid Gaston helped No. 13 Xavier get the edge up front against the nations top rebounding team, leading the Musketeers to a 77-69 victory over Utah on Saturday.The Musketeers (8-2) were coming off back-to-back road losses that featured long scoring droughts in the second half. Xaviers balanced offense built a 15-point lead in the first half, and the Musketeers stayed ahead the rest of the way.Weve dropped two in a row by taking our foot off the gas pedal in the second half, Gaston said . We wanted to keep the pressure on and finish down the stretch.After you take two losses back-to-back, theres not much that needs to be said. You approach it with the right mentality -- by any means necessary, youve got to get the win.Gaston had 11 points and 14 rebounds, helping Xavier to a 33-28 edge on the boards. The Utes (6-2) came in averaging 47.7 rebounds. Gaston had nine points and 10 rebounds -- one less than Utahs total -- in the first half.RaShid has always been tough, said guard Malcolm Bernard, who had 11 points. Hes a bull down there, for real. His offense doesnt get as much credit as it needs to get.Macura was 5 of 7 from beyond the arc after going only 2 of 16 in his last three games. Trevon Bluiett also scored 18 points, hitting all six of his free throws in the final minute as Xavier closed it out.Down the stretch, we just have to be a smarter team, coach Chris Mack said . Maybe we just havent been in that situation enough. Well get better.Freshman Devon Daniels had a career-high 19 points for the Utes , whose two losses have been against ranked Big East teams. They also lost to Butler at home.That was our first true test on the road, coach Larry Krystkowiak said. I had to see how we would respond. We need consistency. We have different guys having good games, but not many back-to-back. It is usually someone different every night.BIG PICTUREUtah: The Utes top two scorers -- Kyle Kuzma and Tyler Rawson -- were a combined 2 of 10 for five points in the first half as Xavier took control. Kuzma finished with 11 points -- his second-lowest total of the season -- and Rawson a season-low three.Xavier: The Musketeers went through long second-half scoring droughts during their losses. Utah opened the second half with an 11-4 spurt but couldnt get any closer.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Musketeers figure to slip in the Top 25 based upon their 68-66 loss at Colorado on Wednesday, but limited the damage with their win on Saturday.BAD LUCK STATEThe Utes fell to 0-5 in the state of Ohio, also losing twice at Ohio State and twice at Cincinnati.NO SLUMPSXavier hasnt lost three in a row since 2013-14, its first season in the Big East.FROM THE LINEXavier shot only 66 percent from the free-throw line in its two losses. The Musketeers all 10 of their free throws in the final minute against Utah and finished 15 of 21.UP NEXTUtah hosts Prairie View A&M next Saturday, and then closes nonconference play the following week in Hawaii as part of the Diamond Head Classic.Xavier plays the first of four straight home games leading into Big East play, hosting Wake Forest next Saturday in the Skip Prosser Classic.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org Cheap Broncos Jerseys . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. Broncos Jerseys China . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. http://www.cheapbroncosjerseysauthentic.com/ . JOHNS, N. Wholesale Broncos Jerseys . It says Pocklingtons lawyer filed the appeal Friday in a California court. CTV Edmonton also says Pocklington gave a $100,000 cash deposit as part of the conditions of his bail, and that he will be out on bail until his appeal is heard. Cheap Broncos Jerseys Authentic . Once again Jordan Cieciwa (@FitCityJordan) and I (@LynchOnSports) go head to head in our picks. Last weekend at UFC Fight Night 32 my #TeamLynch got the best of #TeamJC by a score of 9-6. Let us know which side youre on for UFC 167 use the hashtag #TeamLynch or #TeamJC on Twitter.SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers have signed undrafted punter and kickoff specialist Colton Schmidt to a three-year contract. The 49ers announced the deal Monday. Schmidt will compete against punter Andy Lee and kicker Phil Dawson, likely serving as the backup and providing breaks for each during training camp. Schmidt finished his career at UC Davis with 235 punts for 9,664 yards and a school-record 41.1 grooss punting average.dddddddddddd He also served as the teams kickoff specialist, recording 34 touchbacks in 62 attempts. The Bakersfield native surpassed the previous single-season UC Davis record of 42.3 gross punting average with a 44.5 average to earn first team All-Big Sky Conference last year. He also was selected to the second team All-Great West Conference following his sophomore and junior seasons. ' ' '