realize Halfpenny was up near the play, shys Priestland to run

Blacksburg, VA (SportsNetwork.com) - Pat Connaughton made five of Notre Dames 12 3-pointers and the eighth-ranked Fighting Irish cruised to an 85-60 road victory over Virginia Tech on Thursday. Connaughton finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds in the wire-to-wire win for the Irish (18-2, 6-1 ACC), whose only loss in the last 15 games came against No. 2 Virginia. Jerian Grant totaled 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Zach Auguste added 16 points and eight boards, and Demetrius Jackson scored 12 in the rout. The Hokies (8-10, 0-5) have been trending the opposite way and dropped their sixth straight overall, though the last three came against ranked opponents. Ahmed Hills 13 points paced Virginia Tech in the absence of leading scorer Justin Bibbs, who sat out a second straight game due to a concussion. Auguste was not in the starting lineup the previous two games due to an academic issue that has presumably been resolved. The 6-foot-10 forward wasted little time getting involved in his return with six points in the first four minutes, including a dunk that provided Notre Dame with a 12-4 lead. The margin grew to a dozen, 27-15, following a Grant 3-pointer, and it was a 38-28 difference at halftime. Jackson drained a pair from the long range in the first three minutes of the second half to keep the Irish in front by double digits, and Grant fueled an 8-0 run that extended the lead to 55-34. Grant assisted on a Connaughton 3-pointer, converted a three-point play and fed Auguste for a layup after picking Jalen Hudsons pocket at midcourt. The closest the Hokies got from there was 16 and the largest they trailed was 27. Game Notes Notre Dame is off to its best 20-game start since its 1973-74 team opened 19-1 ... The Irish, who came in second nationally in field goal percentage (.528) connected on 49.2 percent from the field... Notre Dame held a 43-29 rebounding advantage and posted a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio (19-to-6) ... Both teams play Sunday as Notre Dame visits NC State and Virginia Tech hosts Virginia. Cheap NBA Jerseys Authentic . Costa Rica followed up its wins over Uruguay and Italy by holding England to a dour 0-0 draw on Tuesday, enough to finish first in Group D. Discount NBA Jerseys . Millsap will miss Wednesday nights game against the Chicago Bulls. The Hawks say Millsap also will be held out on Thursday at Boston. https://www.nbachinajerseys.us/ . Signs of a turnaround have emerged in this series at Minnesota. Brian Roberts had three doubles and a triple for the first four-extra-base-hit game of his 14-year career, and the Yankees used their bullpen to preserve a 6-5 win over the Twins on Friday. Cheap Nike Basketball Jerseys . Knapp defeated American Alison Riske 6-3, 7-5 to secure Italys victory in the best-of-five series. She held a 5-2 lead in the second set, only to let Riske tie it at five. Nike NBA Jerseys China . You can watch coverage on TSN, TSN2 and CTV beginning today at 3pm et/Noon pt. The championships will feature approximately 250 of Canadas best figure skaters in senior, junior and novice as they vie for spots on the national team, international assignments and will act as the final step in the 2014 Olympic qualification process. DUBLIN, Ireland -- Ireland has a sniff of its first Six Nations rugby title in five years after humbling defending champion Wales 26-3 at Lansdowne Road on Saturday. Ireland scored the games only two tries from superb rolling mauls while Jonathan Sexton kicked four penalties, his only miss from beyond halfway. By contrast, Wales only shot in anger was a second-half try disallowed, while Irelands superior discipline gave Leigh Halfpenny only one penalty kick, nearly an hour in. Wales, trying to become the first team to win the championship three successive times outright, promised to be direct and physical but was overwhelmed by a swarming defence and forced into multiple errors; 15 penalties and two free kicks, 16 missed tackles, 10 turnovers, two chargedowns. Wales paid for it with a first away loss in the championship since 2011, when it also last failed to score a try. Coach Warren Gatland, following Wales biggest Six Nations defeat in his seven-year tenure, called it his lowest moment. "We wont be thinking in terms of retaining the Six Nations, well be thinking about improving for our next game against France," he said. Gatland was taken aback by Irelands rugged defence, and his side conceding 17 penalties and free kicks. "I cant remember any occasion when they moved the ball through the backline at us," he said. "They dominated us up front and caused us a lot of problems. We have a target of 10 (penalties) or loss, so to give 17 away was simply unacceptable." After two successive wins for the first time since 2010, Ireland was in pole position for this years title, though it must win at least one of its two away games, against England next in two weeks, or France in the tournament closer next month. "Im not going to think too far ahead," Ireland coach Joe Schmidt said. "But its certainly a gathering of confidence for us." He said replacement lock Dan Tuohy may have a broken forearm. The 13-0 halftime score fairly reflected Irelands control. By the time Sexton kicked them 6-0 ahead in the 17th minute, Wales had conceded five penalties to one. The scrums were a mess ffor both sides but the lineout was an Irish pressure point, thanks to OConnell and Devin Toner.dddddddddddd Even in the collisions, the Welsh came off second best. Scott Williams cut down Irish opposite Brian ODriscoll, who was winded for a bit, but it was Williams who soon walked off cradling his right shoulder. With Wales putting out a dozen Lions to Irelands nine, some big Welsh names were left in the shade: Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones by Cian Healy and Mike Ross in the front row, Sam Warburton and Dan Lydiate by Chris Henry and Peter OMahony in the loose, and George North and Alex Cuthbert by Andrew Trimble and Dave Kearney on the wings. Sexton, Paul OConnell, Toner were also Irish standouts. Wales coming off second-best everywhere was no better encapsulated than about half an hour in. Wales earned a lineout throw-in on the Irish 22, but Wales blew the lift and Toner didnt even have to jump to take the gift catch. Moments later, Wales turned over the ball near halfway and Sexton had the foresight to realize Halfpenny was up near the play, so he kicked down the line and No. 8 Jamie Heaslip forced Rhys Priestland to run the ball out. Given an attacking lineout five meters out, Toner took the catch, handed the ball to Henry, and the flanker was trailered in a fast rolling maul into the right corner for his first test try. Sexton converted from the touchline. After Sexton made it 16-0 in the 46th, Irish fans began singing, their confidence rising. When Halfpenny, on the occasion of him becoming the youngest Wales player to 50 caps at 25, finally kicked their first points, OMahony drew a second penalty for Ireland and Sexton delivered. Wales one try chance came after scrumhalf Mike Phillips tapped two consecutive penalties and replacement prop Rhodri Jones burrowed over but he was penalized for a double movement. In the last minute, Ireland expressed its power again when it rolled a maul from a lineout 20 metres out, which sucked in so many Welshman that replacement flyhalf Paddy Jackson ran in untouched, until Liam Williams dropped an elbow on his face. Jackson still had the last say, with the conversion. ' ' '