Sports FYI
BY Staff and Wire reports
Friday, December 28, 2012
12/28/12 at 2:51 AM
Basketball
OU's Ellenberg honored: Oklahoma's Aaryn Ellenberg is the Big 12 Women's Basketball Player of the Week for her performance in the Sooners' 70-46 victory over UC Riverside on Dec. 20. Ellenberg matched a season high with 27 points in Oklahoma's ninth win of the season in earning her sixth career weekly honor.
OSU's Martin honored: For the second time this season, Oklahoma State's Brittney Martin is the Big 12 Women's Basketball Freshman of the Week. On Dec. 22, Martin logged the program's first triple-double, finishing with 10 points, 14 rebounds and a career-high 10 assists in the Cowgirls' victory at UT Arlington. Martin also had two blocks and five steals in 34 minutes.
Hockey
US routs Germany 8-0 at junior hockey worlds: The United States routed Germany 8-0 Thursday at the world junior ice hockey tournament behind a goal and two assists each from Alex Galchenyuk and Riley Barber. This was the first Group B game for the Americans, who are tied for first place with Canada. The Canadians downed Germany 9-3 on Wednesday. The U.S. plays Russia on Friday.
U.S. goaltender John Gibson stopped 19 shots through two periods. He was replaced for the third by Jon Gillies, who made seven saves. Sean Kuraly added a goal and an assist for the U.S.
Tennis
Murray loses to Tipsarevic in Abu Dhabi tournament: Andy Murray's 2013 season got off to a shaky start with a 6-3, 6-4 loss to Janko Tipsarevic in the opening match of the World Tennis Championship exhibition tournament.
Two early breaks in each set helped Tipsarevic dispatch the third-ranked Murray. The Serb next faces Nicolas Almagro, a late replacement for Rafael Nadal who pulled out of the tournament with a stomach bug.
"It's not every day that you get to play a Grand Slam champion and an Olympic gold medalist," said Tipsarevic, ranked No. 9. "I know it's an early-season tournament but I can tell you that the six of us take this very seriously."
"I knew I could beat Andy as I have beaten him before," he added. "He's a totally different animal now as he won a Grand Slam and Olympic gold so beating him here has given me confidence. Both of us have very similar games so it's great to come out on top."
In Thursday's other match, fifth-ranked David Ferrer defeated sixth-ranked Tomas Berdych 6-2, 6-4 to set up a semifinal against top-ranked Novak Djokovic, who won the tournament last year. Ferrer easily won the first set after jumping to a 5-0 lead. He broke serve early in the second.
Soccer
Beckham in no rush to join new club: Nearly a month after leaving the Los Angeles Galaxy, David Beckham is considering "a number of serious proposals" but is in no rush to find a new team.
He has been linked to clubs in France, Australia and Asia in what would be the final chapter of the playing career of the 37-year-old midfielder and former England captain.
Beckham's management company says in a statement Thursday that offers are "on the table from a host of clubs across the world," but it's "early days in the process."
The statement says Beckham is "in no hurry to make a decision," adding that "the key is making the right one as he has always done."
Beckham ended his five-year stint in Major League Soccer on Dec. 1.
