Pirate Galaxy » leaders in any cate

AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- George King had a quandary on a breakaway late in a tight game: Dunk it or dribble the ball back out.He slammed it. Wise choice, given the way Colorado was shooting free throws.Xavier Johnson scored 14 points to lead five Colorado players in double figures, and the Buffaloes withstood some faulty foul shooting down the stretch to hold off Air Force 75-68 on Monday night.Its always something with this team, Colorado coach Tad Boyle said. But we found a way to win.That despite missing six straight free throws over the final 1:18 and being out-rebounded by a 38-33 margin. The free throws? The Buffs can fix that. The rebounding deficiency? Now thats a growing concern since its the third time in four games Colorado has been beaten on the boards.Guess what? Were going to play against bigger, more athletic teams than Air Force coming down the road, Boyle said.Freshman Deleon Brown scored eight of his 10 in the second half as the Buffaloes (9-3) extended their winning streak to seven in a row over Air Force.CJ Siples had 15 points for Air Force (6-6), which has dropped six of seven after starting the season 5-0.Were going to build off this and try to continue. Were going to set the bar here, Air Force senior guard Zach Kocur said. Never like to lose, but if we can learn from it thatd be good for us.Tied at 48 with just under 10 minutes remaining, Colorado went on a 23-10 run to gain some much needed breathing room. However, the Buffaloes couldnt close out the Falcons from the line. Finally, King had a breakaway and wrapped up the win on his two-handed dunk with 26 seconds remaining.Honestly, I thought I shouldve pulled it out, King said. Maybe I shouldve pulled it out and have them foul me.King absolutely made the right decision, Dominique Collier maintained.If he wouldve brought it out, I wouldve taken it from him, Collier cracked.BIG PICTUREColorado: Collier returned after missing the last nine games with a foot injury. He scored nine points in 19 minutes. Even more, he stabilized the offense in the first half when the Buffaloes were struggling. ... Colorado leads the all-time series 23-3 over Air Force.Air Force: The Falcons drop to 2-10 against the Pac-12 Conference since 1999. ... Air Force came into the game averaging 79.8 points. Great effort from our guys, really proud of them, Falcons coach Dave Pilipovich said.FAMILIAR CITYThis was a homecoming of sorts for senior Derrick White, who began his career down the road at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs. He was an All-American for the Mountain Lions, before transferring to Colorado. White sat out last season and has lived up to Boyles preseason hype. White is one of the Buffaloes top scoring threats this season. He had 12 points before fouling out with 1:28 remaining.I saw some people in the stands I (used to see) in the Springs, White said. It was cool to come back here and have the people to support me.FROSH FACEBrown provided quite a charge in the second half. He now has 25 points over his last two games after scoring 33 in his first 10.I feel like Im starting to get more comfortable in the offense, playing within the flow of the game and getting to my spots, Brown said.TEAMMATES TURNED OPPONENTSSiples knows Kings game very well. After all, they were once teammates on an AAU team.You know he has confidence. Hell let you know hes confident in himself, Siples said. Obviously, you can see the way he plays. It was fun.UP NEXTColorado: Host Eastern Washington on Thursday.Air Force: Host UC-Davis on Thursday.---More AP college basketball at http://collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 Jace Sternberger Youth Jersey . The home side created most of the chances but struggled to break down Braunschweigs resilient defence, resulting in the Bundesligas 1,000th scoreless draw. Jace Sternberger Jersey . Batiste, who briefly signed with the Eskimos in 2006, has spent time with several NFL teams including the Pittsburgh Steelers and Washington Redskins. http://www.shoptheofficialpackers.com/Elite-Paul-Hornung-Packers-Jersey/ . World champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 237.71 points, Moore-Towers and Moscovitch followed at 208.45 and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia were third at 187. Custom Green Bay Packers Jerseys . -- Jakob Silfverberg is making himself right at home with the Anaheim Ducks, scoring four goals in his first four games. Aaron Rodgers Packers Jersey .1 million pounds ($61.2 million) on Saturday, giving the beleaguered English Premier League champions a major lift. ALLEN PARK, Mich. -- AShawn Robinson said he had enough skills on basketball courts to draw offers to play at UCLA, Boise State and Holy Cross.When he was a 6-foot-4 freshman at Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, Texas, he had hoop dreams.When I got bigger, I didnt anymore, Robinson said.Taking his talents to football fields, and keeping them there, has panned out for him and the Detroit Lions.The 6-foot-4, 320-pound rookie defensive tackle is emerging as a key player for the NFC North-leading Lions (7-4) as they surge into contention for their first division title since 1993 .Robinson started in his first game on Thanksgiving when Detroit beat the Minnesota Vikings, breaking a first-place tie.Hes been good and steady, Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. Hes made some plays for us and does a good job of when he doesnt get to the passer, getting his hands up. Hes got a bit of a knack for that, but hes also made plays in the running game. Hes coming along.Robinson has knocked down five passes, tying him for third among NFL defensive linemen.Despite not being an every-down player this season, it is an impressive feat to rank among league leaders in any category and Robinson credits his hoops history.I think it helps my ability to know when the ball is going to get released from the quarterback and when to get my hand up and bat it, he said.When the New Orleans Saints (5-6) host the Lions on Sunday, theyve got a plan to combat Robinsons knack for knocking down passes when Drew Brees is throwing.Anytime a guy puts his hands up, we like to try too get back into his chest and get him to lower his hands, Saints right tackle Zach Strief said.ddddddddddddut ultimately if a guy stops and jumps, all you can really do is push him. Theres been more and more of an emphasis of guys doing that as the passing game has gotten a little quicker over time. Sometimes you cant get home, and thats what you do.Lions defensive line coach Kris Kocurek puts his players through drills designed to rush and sack quarterbacks, not bat down passes.So when Robinson is hailed for his ability to do it, he makes it clear his coach isnt celebrating.If I cant get a sack, a batted ball takes a down away from the other team and I see it as a great thing, Robinson said. Coach Kris doesnt like it. He wants sacks instead. But you cant always get to the quarterback, so the next best thing is to bat the ball down.Robinson has two sacks this season and is credited with two quarterback hurries. He has made 17 tackles, including four for losses.Knocking down passes, though, has become his best asset because he clearly has a feel for passing lanes and the timing of throws.Hes reminded me a couple times that he was a basketball player and offered a scholarship by a couple schools, Caldwell said with a grin. So, hes a pretty good athlete.---AP freelance writer Guerry Smith in Metairie, Louisiana, contributed to this report.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '