and they tend to do better than outsiders anticipate in these

HAMPTON, Va. -- A.J. Astroth made a layup off an assist from Lawrence Cooks with 29 seconds left in overtime and Hampton held on to beat Division II Chowan 70-69 on Thursday night.Two Cooks free throws had given the Pirates (1-1) a 68-65 lead with 2:05 left in the extra period. But Chowans Jeremy Smith made a layup, followed by a jumper two possessions later to push the Braves into the lead, setting up Astroths late-game heroics.Astroth led Hampton with 18 points and nine rebounds. Jermaine Marrow added 11 points, and Charles Wilson-Fisher finished with 10 points and nine boards.Kevin Kuteyi led the Braves with 15 points. Marco Haskins and Tim Hewett each added 14.Hampton trailed 60-56 with 40 seconds left in regulation. But Marrow hit a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left and made a layup on the Pirates final possession to push it to overtime. Josh Okogie Jersey . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. Minnesota Timberwolves Jerseys . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. http://www.timberwolvesgear.com/authentic-robert-covington-timberwolves-jersey/ . -- Brandon Jennings made the most of his first game with the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night. Kevin Garnett Timberwolves Jersey . -- Jonathan Drouin gave Halifax the boost it needed to edge host Sherbrooke Phoenix 3-2 in a shootout in Quebec Major Junior Hockey League action. Jerryd Bayless Jersey . Uniteds eighth defeat of a wretched campaign means Liverpool, which currently occupies the fourth and final Champions League place, could go nine points clear of its fierce rival by beating West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. Charlie Adam scored both of Stokes goals at Britannia Stadium either side of Robin van Persies equalizer, with a miserable day for seventh-place United capped by first-half injuries to centre halves Jonny Evans and Phil Jones that forced them off. Sweden versus Russia, 3 p.m. ET (ESPN)The precise offensive juggernaut of Team Sweden will attempt to use its lineup depth to exploit a weak Russian defense. Sweden is one of the better puck possession teams in the World Cup of Hockey, and it needs to dominate in that area in order to have success. It starts with faceoffs, and that was one of the primary concerns during training camp. The one positive aspect of an embarrassing loss to Team Europe in Swedens final preseason game was the Swedes success in the faceoff dot.Controlling the puck immediately will be a key factor for Sweden. When the Swedes dont have the puck, goalie Henrik Lundqvist needs to be at his best. He struggled in the first round of the playoffs for the New York Rangers last spring and wasnt sharp in the two World Cup exhibition games. He has shown in the past that he can play well on the big stage, especially at the international level. Russia is a top-heavy team with many offensive weapons, including Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Vladimir Tarasenko. In order for Russia to win, it will need to score a lot of goals because its defense is suspect. Sweden needs to force Russia to make mistakesLine watch: Team Sweden possesses one of more cerebral lines, not only for the World Cup, but also in the NHL, with Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin and Loui Eriksson. Swedens top line also comprises part of the teams first power-play unit. Those three forwards, along with two-way defenseman Erik Karlsson and fellow blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson, form a dangerous combination, so opponents need to remain disciplined. Eriksson may not look strong, but he can play a heavy game in front of the net. There isnt just one dangerous line for Russia. Ovechkin, Malkin, Nikita Kucherov, Tarasenko, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Pavel Datsyuk and Artemi Panarin all have the ability to score goals.?-- Joe McDonaldTeam North America versus Finland, 8 p.m. ET (ESPN2)As they wound down their final practice of an extended training camp on Saturday, you could tell the kids had just about enough of the preparation. TTheyre ready to play in something that counts.ddddddddddddOn Sunday, the youngest team in the World Cup tournament will get its chance, and its a fascinating matchup with an opponent in Team Finland that is the opposite in many ways to Team North America.In Finland, you have a team with a distinct style of play. The Finns defend exceptionally well, play as a five-man unit with a nice mix of skill and sandpaper. You know what youre getting in the Finns, and they tend to do better than outsiders anticipate in these tournament.Team North America? Nobody is quite sure what to expect. The team is loaded with speed and skill, but its questionable whether it will defend enough to win tight games and whether the young guns will respond to physical play. It makes this game fascinating.Its also a high-profile showcase for two of the newest stars entering the NHL this season, with No. 1 overall (Toronto Maple Leafs) pick Auston Matthews squaring away against No. 2 overall (Winnipeg Jets) pick?Patrik Laine.Laine has impressed his counterparts in this tournament with a shot that has been compared to greats from Brett Hull to Alex Ovechkin. He has the potential to be the breakout star of this tournament.Line watch: The line to watch in this game is the newly assembled top line for Team North America, featuring Connor McDavid at center with Auston Matthews and Mark Scheifele on the wings. Team North America coach Todd McLellan constantly shuffled his lines throughout the exhibition season, looking to get his top guys going. McDavid went three games without a single point during the prelims, but this line could be dangerous, with Matthews and Scheifele giving Matthews linemates with size, strength and the necessary hockey sense to play effectively with McDavid. Matthews has slowly worked his way up the Team North America depth chart, and the teams youngest player hasnt looked out of place even for a moment.?-- Craig Custance ' ' '