PORTLAND, Ore. -- Xavier Johnsons 19 points helped Colorado hand Portland its first home loss in the Terry Porter era on Saturday night, 76-63.We gave away too many offensive rebounds and turned the ball over too much, Pilots senior guard Alec Wintering said. But we were hanging close (and then) just let it get away.Josh Fortune added 14 points, Derrick White had 13 and George King 12 for Colorado (6-2), which was coming off a 14-point loss to in-state rival Colorado State on Wednesday. Johnson hit 8 of 10 from the line and was 5 for 11 from the field.Jazz Johnson led Portland (4-3) with 18 points, Wintering added 17 and DMarques Tyson had 14.A 3-pointer from Tyson with less than nine minutes left brought Portland within three and the Pilots bench to their feet but the celebration was short lived. A jumper from Johnson ignited Colorados offense and Portland soon trailed by double-digits.We knew coming into the game that their physicality and ability to rebound would be a game changer, Porter said. They really scrapped and we didnt do a good enough job of keeping them off the boards and then we turned it over too many times.But the Pilots gave Colorado a run for their money in the first half.Both teams opened slow and struggled offensively -- neither capitalizing on the first five possessions. The Pilots gave up 10 turnovers, including five from Wintering and the Buffs committed eight. A 12-2 Portland run put them up by as many as eight but a 7-0 run by the Buffs cut the Pilots halftime lead to two.In the second half, an early 7-0 run by CU tied the game up at 35. The two teams traded points before Colorado was able to pull away on Deleon Browns 3-pointer with just over 11 minutes remaining. Although the Pilots later got within three, and had some good minutes from Tyson late, they never caught up.The second half we were better, CU coach Tad Boyle said. We battled. We competed and guys stepped up and made plays. Josh Fortune made plays, X (Xavier) Johnson made plays. West (Gordon) made a big play at a critical time. Derrick (White) made plays down the stretch. Thats what you have to have. Your fifth year seniors are only good if they play like fifth year seniors. In the second half tonight, they did.Wintering and Johnson never sat, playing all 40 minutes for Portland.BIG PICTUREColorado: The Buffaloes led the pac-12 in 3-point percentage last season and finished just 26.3 percent from outside the arc against the Pilots on Saturday.Portland: The undersized backcourt of Johnson and Wintering -- who are fourth in scoring in the country behind Central Michigans Marcus Keene and Braylon Rayson, St. Bonaventures Jalen Adams and Matt Mobley and Pittsburgs Jamel Artis and Michael Young -- put up a combined 35 points against the Buffs. The pair is coming off a combined 62-point performance.UP NEXTColorado: Returns home to host Xavier on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m.Portland will stay at home and host UT Rio Grande Valley at 7 p.m. on Monday and will look to end their last home game for two weeks with a win.Air Max Tn Plus Sverige . The Vancouver coach and an announced sellout crowd of 18,910 watched in dismay as the Canucks lost 7-4 to the New York Islanders on Monday night by squandering a 3-0 lead in the third period. Nike Vapormax Dam . Tomas Berdych and Radek Stepanek defeated Nenad Zimonjic and Ilija Bozoljac 6-2, 6-4, 7-6 (4) on the indoor hard-court at Belgrade Arena. The victory improved the Czech pairs impressive cup doubles record to 14-1. http://www.airvapormaxsverige.com/nike-zoom-sverige/pegasus-35.html . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. Vapormax Flyknit Dam . Miikka Kiprusoff had just announced his retirement after a decade-long run in Calgary and it would be up to Berra and Ramo to fill the void. Vapormax 2020 Sverige . Mitch Holmberg added a goal and three assists. Connor Chartier also scored for the Chiefs (3-0-0). Luke Harrison spoiled Garrett Hughsons shutout bid with a power-play goal at 13:17 of the third period. The Spokane goaltender finished with 28 saves, including a Brandon Fushimi penalty shot in the second period that would have tied the game 1-1.ATLANTA -- Broderick Fobbs has emphasized Grambling States rich tradition while rebuilding the program in his three years as coach.Fobbs, a two-time team captain as a running back under Hall of Fame coach Eddie Robinson at Grambling, inherited a team that finished a combined 2-21 in 2012-13. The low point was a forfeit in 2013 when players, complaining about the universitys crumbling infrastructure and administrative decisions, refused to board a bus to play Jackson State.Proof of Grambling States return to prominence comes Saturday when the Tigers play North Carolina Central in the Celebration Bowl.Coach Fobbs tells us every day were standing on great shoulders, defensive lineman Blain Winston said Friday.At stake will be bragging rights as the nations No. 1 team from a historically black college and university.Grambling State (10-1) won seven games in Fobbs first year and nine games in 2015. This season, the Tigers have won 10 straight games since a 31-21 loss at Arizona. They led 21-3 at halftime.In my opinion, I believe we were the better team, Fobbs said Friday.Grambling State won the Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship by beating Alcorn State 27-20 on Dec. 3.The thing we had to do initially was build trust and get back on our feet, Fobbs said, adding he leans heavily upon lessons learned from Robinson.Everything we do is basically based on what I went through, Fobbs said, using traveling with ties as an example.Junior defensive lineman Donovan McCray said Fobbs came in and established in our mind we were going to win a national championship. It was a struggle, but we got here.North Carolina Central (9-2) won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference under third-year coach Jerry Mack.---Some other things to know about the Grambling State-North Carolina Central game:BRAGGING RIGHTS: Mack said the stakes are the samme as for those who will play for the FBS national championship.dddddddddddd We have the No. 1 team and No. 2 team in the country in HBCU and weve got a chance to play on the national stage with national championship exposure and exposure your players and your university to a national audience, Mack said. Those are the things that are most exciting. Our kids understand whats at hand and whats at stake.QB MATCHUP: Each team features star quarterbacks. Grambling States Devante Kincade, a Mississippi transfer, threw for 2,957 yards with 33 touchdowns and only six interceptions. He was named SWAC offensive player of the year. North Carolina Centrals Malcolm Bell threw 16 touchdown passes and leads the team with nine rushing touchdowns. To see Devante go against Malcolm, I think everybody is going to be in for a show, Mack said.UP-TEMPO: Expect Grambling State to challenge the Eagles with their fast-paced offense. Our motto is when we walk into the room we set the temperature, Fobbs said.FIRSTS: Mack said college football has provided opportunities many of his players would not have received otherwise, including the chance for trips from Durham, North Carolina. Some guys got a chance to fly on a plane for the first time, Mack said. Some of those guys have left the state of North Carolina for the first time. A lot of the things weve been able to accomplish as a program are a first for these young men.TV EXPOSURE: The game will be televised by ABC, providing rare national exposure for the programs and players. Im just glad the country can see our guys play for once and see the talent we have on the field, Bell said.---More AP college football: www.collegefootball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25 ' ' '
