December, which ended his second spell at the London club.It will be the latest game in a tough period for United, which played away to Liverpool on Monday and hosts Manchester City in the L

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.orgYeezy Shoes . Speaking Thursday on TSN 1050 Thursday, the Leafs GM also touched on the questions surrounding the teams leadership and the struggles of his big-name free-agent signing. “Its not from lack of effort from the coaching staff. Cheap Yeezy . The All-Pro lineman got the leg bent under him while trying to make a tackle during the first half of a 22-20 overtime loss at Miami on Thursday night. The medical staff initially thought hed torn the ligament, and the test a day later in Cincinnati confirmed it. https://www.wholesaleyeezyauthentic.com/ . LOUIS -- St. Replica Yeezy . Patrice Bergeron and Daniel Paille scored 20 seconds apart a few minutes after Stamkos was taken off the ice on a stretcher with a broken right leg, and the Bruins beat the Lightning 3-0 on Monday afternoon. Fake Yeezy . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two.MANCHESTER, England -- Glance at the Champions League standings and it would seem all is just fine at Leicester City this season.Three matches. Three wins. No goals conceded.If only the defense of its English Premier League title was going so well.Few expected Leicester to replicate the feats of last season, when the unheralded team from central England went from relegation favorites to title winners in one of the most amazing stories in all of sports.Few, though, would have expected such a drop-off in the league the following season.When I think of the Premier League, Im very, very angry, said Leicesters usually amiable coach, Claudio Ranieri.Leicester heads into Saturdays home match against Crystal Palace in 13th place in the 20-team league, having lost four of its opening eight games. The team only lost three league matches in the whole of last season.The most obvious explanation for the drastic dip in form is a change of focus. This season, it increasingly seems, is all about the Champions League, which Leicester is competing in for the first time.Its just psychological, Ranieri explained. Because when we play in the Champions League, all the specials are switched on. Youre very, very smart, focused in every situation.The same cant be said in the Premier League. Leicester has lost to Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea by three-goal margins and also has been defeated by promoted Hull. Its only wins have come against Burnley and Swansea, both of whom -- like Hull -- are among the contenders for relegation.There are other factors to blame apart from a preoccupation with the Champions League.The loss of NGolo Kante to Chelsea has hit Leicester hard. It felt at times like the energetic Kante did the work of two players in central midfield last season, providing protection for the defense and also a springboard for the attack. Offseason recruits Daniel Amartey and Nampalys Mendy (currently injured) just arent in Kantes league.As a consequence, Leicesters defense looks vulnerable, with center backs Wes Morgan and Robert Huth exposed and making errors. That, however, doesnt explain the teams tendency to concede at set pieces this season, which is simply down to a lack of concentration and awareness.Another factor is Ranieris squad strengthening over the summer, which included signing forwards Ahmed Musa and Islam Slimani for what were club-record fees..dddddddddddd It has given the Italian coach more options for his lineup but he might no longer know what his best team is.Last season, everyone knew Leicesters first-choice lineup and Ranieri -- nicknamed Tinkerman during his time at Chelsea -- rarely rotated, but that has changed. Shinji Okazaki, for example, rarely starts now and the Japan forward was a key member of the title-winning team because of his work rate, unselfishness and qualities in linking the midfield and attack.Then theres the dip in form of star players from last season -- striker Jamie Vardy and winger Riyad Mahrez. Vardy has scored twice this season, and not since Sept. 10, while Mahrez hasnt been the same effervescent force that once flustered defenses. Have opponents worked out how to play them?A mid-table finish in the Premier League and getting to the knockout stage of the Champions League would be acceptable in this most unusual of seasons for Leicester. But for Ranieri, the quicker the team gets to the 40-point mark -- a figure widely regarded as the safety net against relegation -- the better.Here are some other things to watch out for this weekend in the ninth round of games:---CHELSEA VS. MANCHESTER UNITEDUnited manager Jose Mourinho returns to Stamford Bridge on Sunday for the first time since getting fired by Chelsea in December, which ended his second spell at the London club.It will be the latest game in a tough period for United, which played away to Liverpool on Monday and hosts Manchester City in the League Cup on Wednesday.Mourinho adopted a defensive, containing approach at Liverpool, which eked out a 0-0 draw for United. He may do the same against a Chelsea team that has won both of its games since manager Antonio Conte switched to a three-man defense.---MANCHESTER CITY VS. SOUTHAMPTONSergio Aguero has found himself in an unusual position in Citys last two games: on the substitutes bench.Rested against Everton in the Premier League after exertions on international duty, the Argentina striker was controversially left out for tactical reasons in the 4-0 loss at Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday.Aguero should return on Sunday for the league leaders against Southampton, which hasnt lost any of its last four games in the league. ' ' '