Shuck entered the game in left field. Bourjos said he was t as

GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Virginia coach Tony Bennett didnt know exactly what to expect in the eighth-ranked Cavaliers season opener, between being down two forwards to losing so much from the team that made a deep NCAA Tournament push.When it was over, he saw the Cavaliers have some balance and depth to work with, along with a defense that looked ready from the tip.Marial Shayok scored 15 points to lead the offense in Virginias 76-51 win against UNC Greensboro on Friday night. Meanwhile, the defense -- the bedrock of Bennetts program -- held the Spartans scoreless for more than 11 minutes spanning halftime as the game turned into a methodical rout.With this team and us this year, I think theres even more unknowns because of the amount of newcomers, the lack of experienced guys, Bennett said. So we just didnt know what to expect. I just want them to battle and play hard each possession. It was a welcome first step for a team that lost a lot of production from its first trip to the NCAA Tournaments Elite Eight since 1995. London Perrantes was the only returning player to average at least five points per game, but Virginia had four players hit double figures Friday night.Virginia ran off a 22-0 run to blow the game open, shot 52 percent and made 8 of 16 3-point attempts with a juggled rotation with the absences of Memphis transfer Austin Nichols and Mamadi Diakite inside.Honestly I didnt know what to think coming in (defensively), said Isaiah Wilkins, who had 10 points and nine rebounds. Well take this as a marker and try to improve it on Tuesday.Francis Alonso scored 14 points for UNCG, which shot 37 percent. It marked the first time the program has hosted a ranked opponent in a season opener, though the Spartans ended up falling to 2-55 all-time against Atlantic Coast Conference teams.We just ran into a buzzsaw tonight, sixth-year UNCG coach Wes Miller said. I think its something we can learn from and grow from.BIG PICTUREVIRGINIA: The Cavaliers were thin inside with Nichols out due to a violation of team rules, and Diakite sitting due to an NCAA review of his amateur status. That gave Bennett an extended look at some players who have spent time developing within Virginias program. Of note: 6-foot-11 redshirt sophomore Jack Salt got the start and had seven points in 27 minutes as he tries to earn steady rotation minutes and provide interior depth this season.UNCG: Picked to finish fifth in the Southern Conference, the Spartans quickly fell behind by double figures and made what amounted to only a 2-minute flurry of resistance. Hardly the start that Miller wanted from a team with four returning starters.My biggest disappointment was I think when it got away from us ... we were frustrated and disappointed and we let that affect us in the next possession, Miller said, adding: Were too mature, we have too much experience to let being down 15 points affect who we are on the next possession.POLL IMPLICATIONSBennett has described preseason rankings as more of a compliment for what the program has done in recent years as opposed to a measure of the current teams standing. But Miller was sold on the No. 8 team in the AP Top 25 , noting, We can talk for days about their defense.WING OPTIONSBehind Shayok, Darius Thompson scored 12 points with three 3-pointers, while Perrantes had 10 and freshman guard Kyle Guy scored seven on 3-for-5 shooting in his college debut.Guard-wise, I feel like we dont have certain starters every night, Thompson said. Anybody can come in and contribute ... so really it shows how deep we can be.UP NEXTVIRGINIA: The Cavaliers should get their first chance to integrate Nichols into the lineup Tuesday against St. Francis Brooklyn.UNCG: The Spartans play at home Monday against Presbyterian.---Follow Aaron Beard on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/aaronbeardap---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org or http://www.twitter.com/AP-Top25 Louis King Pistons Jersey . Ryan Garbutt had a goal and two assists as Dallas snapped a six-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. Caron Butler Jersey https://www.pistonsrookiesshop.com/Reggie-Bullock-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. Sekou Doumbouya Pistons Jersey . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. Caron Butler Pistons Jersey .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night.HOUSTON -- Josh Hamilton turned from his locker and saw a group of reporters waiting to talk to him after Saturdays game against Houston. "Im not answering any questions about hitting," he said. That was just fine after the defensive show the Angels struggling slugger put on in Los Angeles 7-2 win over the Houston Astros. Joe Blanton pitched seven sharp innings, and Howie Kendrick and Chris Iannetta both homered to lead the Angels. Alberto Callaspo and Erick Aybar drove in two runs apiece in a big fourth inning, but it was Hamilton who everyone was talking about. He likely robbed Houston of two home runs with his glove. "Through this whole struggle on the offensive side with him trying to find his comfort zone in the box, hes played great defence for us," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said. "Great range, today he took away a couple home runs. Josh made them look easy." Blanton (2-10) tied season lows with three hits and two runs, pitching six scoreless innings before a two-run home run by Brett Wallace in the seventh. He appreciated the work of Hamilton perhaps more than anybody. "They were both great catches," Blanton said. "Short field over there, he played the wall great, timed his jumps perfectly, made two outstanding plays." Kendricks solo homer came in the fifth and Iannetta tacked on two with a home run in the eighth. Houston starter Jordan Lyles (4-3) was done in by a four-run fourth inning by the Angels. He allowed five hits, four runs and walked two in four innings for his first loss against Los Angeles in three starts. Blanton was perfect through 3 1-3 innings before a double by Jose Altuve. Altuve advanced to third on a wild pitch before a two-out walk to Chris Carter. Blanton escaped the jam when Hamilton leaped to grab a fly ball hit by J.D. Martinez at the wall in right field. It was the second time Martinez hit the ball hard and came away empty. Mike Trout caught another drive from him on the warning track in left-centre in the second inning. Hamiltons second nifty defensive play came when he jumped and reached over the short wall in right field to catch a ball hit by Matt Dominguez in the seventh inning. Hamilton tumbled to the ground after the catch while Dominguez stood motionless and stared at him in disbelief. He didnt think the first one would have been a home run, but was certain that the second one would have gone out. Hamilton, who joined the Angels this season after signing a five-year, $125 million contract, is hitting just .221 with 10 homers this season. He was disappointed in a span earlier this season when he wasnt hitting well and he was struggling on defence. "If you dont do it at the plate you want to do it in the ffield, and during that stretch I wasnt doing it either way," he said.dddddddddddd "I felt like I wasnt. But I feel better. Everybody keeps telling me to go out and play and have fun. Just relax." He did just that on Saturday, and said making plays like that "are favourite things for me, more fun than hitting a home run." Mark Trumbo singled to get things going in the fourth inning. Lyles then started to struggle with control, plunking Howie Kendrick before walking Hamilton to load the bases. Callaspos single scored Trumbo and Kendrick to make it 2-0. Things continued to go downhill for Lyles when he hit Peter Bourjos with a pitch. Aybars two-run single pushed the lead to 4-0, but he was out trying to stretch it into a double. Lyles finally escaped the inning when Trout lined out to Brandon Barnes in centre field. "I think it is one of those things where you try to make the perfect pitch, and you are falling behind and you try to make a better pitch and a better pitch and a better pitch. He could not get his fastball command back," Houston manager Bo Porter said of Lyles in the fourth inning. Kendrick hit his ninth homer of the season to the seats in right field off Josh Fields with two outs in the fifth to make it 5-0. Carter walked with no outs in the seventh before Wallace hit his first homer of the season with one out to the Crawford Boxes in left field to make it 5-2. Bourjos bruised his right wrist when he was hit by a pitch, and he left the game in the bottom of the fourth inning. Trout took over in centre field for Bourjos, and J.B. Shuck entered the game in left field. Bourjos said he was sore after the game. Scioscia said he would have X-rays on the wrist as a precaution. NOTES: Houston reliever Travis Blackley shoved Shuck when he tagged him in the back on a rundown eighth inning. He regretted the move soon afterward. "I never try to be malicious toward anyone," he said. "It was one of those things where the heat of the moment kind of got me. I dont mean anything by it." ... The series wraps up on Sunday when Los Angeles left-hander C.J. Wilson opposes Lucas Harrell. ... Someone from Houstons dugout yelled "got it," causing Los Angeles catcher Hank Conger to let a foul ball he could have caught drop during Friday nights game. Porter wouldnt say who did it, but was unhappy with the incident and called Scioscia to apologize on Saturday morning. "I apologized to him on behalf of our ball club," Porter said. "Its not something that I condone, and I take full responsibility. It wont happen again." Scioscia wasnt that concerned about it. "He called and I appreciated it but its no big deal," he said. ' ' '