worst ERA of his career. Salazar hasnt allowed a run sin

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford took a look at the Cowboys assist total against Robert Morris on Monday night and smiled the smile of an old point guard. No. 6 Oklahoma State recorded 27 assists on 32 baskets in a 92-66 romp over the Colonials that served as a prep game for the Cowboys Big 12 Conference opener on Saturday at Kansas State. It was Oklahoma States highest assist total since recording 27 against Nebraska on Feb. 19, 2000. Coming off a nine-day layoff, Phil Forte scored 20 points and Markel Brown added 18 for Oklahoma State (12-1). The Cowboys will enter 2014 with their highest ranking in The Associated Press poll since February 2005, when they were at No. 6. "Its a lot of fun when you see a team passing the ball like that," Ford said. "I told our team I enjoyed watching that. Its one of the most unselfish games Ive seen a team play, especially when you see guys who passed up wide-open layups, wide-open dunks, to pass it off to their teammate. You dont see that much in college basketball anymore." The Cowboys never trailed against Robert Morris (5-9), which posted a memorable win over Kentucky in the first round of last seasons NIT. But the Colonials of the Northeast Conference havent fared as well against major-conference foes this season, falling first at Kentucky before losing to Oklahoma State. A trip to Alabama is up next. Karvel Anderson scored 16 points for Robert Morris, which is 2-8 on the road this season. The Colonials, who entered the game shooting 40.8 per cent from 3-point range, finished 6 of 25 (24 per cent) from behind the arc. "One of the things were going through is we have some new bodies who dont understand what it takes," Robert Morris coach Andrew Toole said. "Theyre kind of living in the name that some other guys helped build and they dont understand what it takes to go out on the floor and play at that level. Were trying to teach them . how to make the right decisions in any kind of environment and its difficult. Sometimes its uglier than it is pretty." Oklahoma State shot 57.1 per cent, helped in good part by 11 dunks, six of those by Brown, who went 7 of 14 from the field. Most of those slams, Ford said, were made possible by unselfish play. "We drew a few plays up in the timeouts to get a couple of lobs, different things like that," he said. "But on the break, I thought our guys . made pretty good decisions most of the time. We changed ends very quickly and thats something weve been working on, getting out a little bit quicker than we have been. That can be, possibly, a strength of ours." Robert Morris missed its first four shots and Oklahoma State sprinted to a 9-0 lead, with Marcus Smart scoring or assisting on the Cowboys first three baskets. The Cowboys built a 15-point advantage before Robert Morris rallied within 35-27 on a basket by Anderson with 3:48 left in the first half. Oklahoma State went on an 11-2 run to rebuild its lead to 46-31 by halftime, despite playing much of the half without Smart (due to foul trouble) and starting centre Michael Cobbins, who hobbled off the floor 3 1/2 minutes into the game and never returned. Ford said Cobbins would be examined by doctors on Tuesday but the coach feared it might be an Achilles tendon injury. "It doesnt look good," Ford said. After Anderson opened the second half with a basket, the Cowboys had three dunks in a 13-3 run, punctuated by a windmill slam by Brown to cap a length-of-the-court fast break during which the basketball touched the ground only once. That built the Cowboys lead to 59-36 with 14:53 left. Smart scored a season-low seven points. He went more than 28 minutes without scoring but he ended that drought with a memorable basket, catching an alley-oop pass from Stevie Clark and throwing down a two-handed reverse dunk. That started a 13-2 run by the Cowboys that put them up 79-52 with 6:57 left and ended all doubt. "Its nice to see everyone doesnt really care who scores, who does what," Forte said. "As long we keep that going, things will be really good for us." Brian Williams scored 12 points for Oklahoma State, while Kamari Murphy had 10 points and eight rebounds and Clark finished with nine points and nine assists, matching the third-highest total ever by an Oklahoma State freshman. Anthony Myers-Pate added 10 points for Robert Morris. Oklahoma State moved to 7-2 all-time against current Northeast Conference teams, although all but three of those games were played in the 1940s. Before Monday, the Cowboys last game against a Northeast Conference foe was in January 1989, when they beat Central Connecticut State. Angel Delgado Jersey . This time, Tebow was in a groove the entire second half -- not just in the waning minutes -- and his teammates on defence were getting gobbled up. Johnathan Motley Jersey . Ricciardo made it only halfway around the Jerez track before his RB10 rolled to a stop and began spouting smoke from the back. After team mechanics tended to the car, Ricciardo went back out for a mere two trips around the circuit before calling it quits. https://www.clipperslockerroom.com/Chris-Paul-City-Edition-Jersey/ . The 22-year-old slugger, who is no stranger to adversity, made up for it at the end. Wesley Johnson Jersey . A criminal complaint filed in Hennepin County District Court said his girlfriend told police they got into the argument early Thursday at his suburban Minneapolis home. Landry Shamet Jersey . Lineup news, Fantasy and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. HEROES St. Louis Blues – After rolling the San Jose Sharks for seven goals, for the second time in a week, the Blues have a bunch of players on hot streaks.CLEVELAND -- Danny Salazar pumped his fist, broke into a big smile and hugged his teammates. A pitchers first career shutout is certainly reason to celebrate. Salazar (6-6) struck out nine and didnt walk a batter, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 7-0 on Wednesday night. "I really wanted to finish," he said. "They asked me after the eighth how I felt and I said I was ready. I felt better in the ninth than I did in the first." Salazar, who has pitched 17 consecutive scoreless innings, was given a loud ovation by the sparse crowd of 11,739 when he took the mound for the ninth. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up a one-out single to Steven Moya, but struck out J.D. Martinez for the fourth time. With the crowd on its feet and Salazars adrenaline pumping, Nick Castellanos swung and missed at a 2-2 pitch -- the 118th of the night -- to end the game. "I was excited, but I tried to keep my focus," Salazar said. "I was saying, get an out, a strikeout, a groundout, it didnt matter." Indians manager Terry Francona was pulling for Salazar to finish it off. "You want the kid to get the shutout, but that was his last hitter," he said. "He sure answered the bell tonight. He really dialed it up." Carlos Santana hit a two-run homer in the first off Justin Verlander (12-12), who allowed seventh runs in 6 2-3 innings. Cleveland scored twice in the fourth on Lonnie Chisenhalls RBI double and Yan Gomes run-scoring single. Michael Bourns RBI single and rookie Jose Ramirezs run-scoring double finished Verlander in the seventh. The Tigers (76-63), who entered play a half-game behind Kansas City in the AL Central, won the first two games of the crucial series against their division rivals. Cleveland (71-66) has won sevven of 10 and is trying to stay in playoff contention.dddddddddddd Verlander pitched for the first time since nude photos of him and model girlfriend Kate Upton were allegedly hacked from an online account and posted on the Internet. The right-hander told reporters Tuesday that he wouldnt comment on his personal life and his focus was on helping the Tigers make the playoffs. Verlander, who struck out seven and allowed nine hits, has been dealing with a sore shoulder and his 4.80 ERA is the second-worst ERA of his career. Salazar hasnt allowed a run since the third inning on Aug. 23 against Houston. The right-hander pitched five scoreless innings against Kansas City last week, a start that was cut short by a rain delay. "He was throwing mid-to-upper 90s the entire game and overpowered us at times," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. Santana homered to right on a 2-1 pitch, his 24th of the season. BIG G DH Jason Giambi started for the first time since June 11 and had a second-inning single in three at-bats. Giambi, 43, was activated from the 60-day disabled list on Monday with soreness in his left knee. FULL PEN RHP Josh Tomlin returned from paternity leave, giving the Indians a total of 11 relievers. Tomlin pitched two scoreless innings for the win Saturday against Kansas City. TRAINERS ROOM Indians: Utilityman Mike Aviles (whiplash symptoms) was out of the lineup for the second straight day. He was injured trying to make a diving catch in right field Monday. UP NEXT Tigers: RHP Max Scherzer (15-5) will start the finale of the four-game set Thursday for Detroit as the Tigers go for the series win. Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (5-7), who has pitched 11 2-3 consecutive scoreless innings, will start for Cleveland. The Indians have won each of his last four starts. ' ' '