COLLEGE: Arkansas State holds off Kent State
Ryan Aplin threw for 213 yards and a touchdown, J.D. McKissic caught 11 passes for 113 yards and Arkansas State edged No. 25 Kent State 17-13 to win the GoDaddy.com Bowl in Mobile, Ala.
Georgia QB Aaron Murray, a fourth-year junior, said he is returning for his senior season. Another top Georgia junior, linebacker Jarvis Jones, said he is entering the NFL draft.
Jacoby Brissett, the sophomore backup quarterback at Florida, was granted a release from his scholarship so that he can transfer. ….LSU junior defensive linemen Barkevious Mingo, Sam Montgomery and Bennie Logan will declare for the draft.
TENNIS: Murray keeps Brisbane title
Andy Murray kicked off 2013 with a successful defense of his Brisbane (Australia) International title, holding off Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov 7-6 (0), 6-4. He heads into the Australian Open, starting Jan. 14, as the reigning major champion.
Murray tearfully dedicated his victory to close friend Ross Hutchins, who revealed yesterday he has been diagnosed with a form of cancer. Hutchins, 27 and ranked number 28 in the world in doubles, is Murray’s Davis Cup teammate and former doubles partner.
Second-seeded Janko Tipsarevic of Serbia won the Chennai (India) Open title by beating Roberto Bautista-Agut of Spain 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 in the final.
NBA: Rockets suspend Royce White
The Rockets suspended first-round pick Royce White for “refusing to provide services” required by his contract. White last week refused his assignment to Houston’s D-League affiliate. The 16th overall pick in the June draft has spent most of the season on Houston’s inactive list while he and the team figure out how to handle his anxiety disorder and overall mental health.
Ty Lawson had 21 points and 10 assists and Danilo Gallinari scored 20 points and hit a big 3-pointer with 13.8 seconds left, as the Nuggets beat the Lakers 112-105. … Kemba Walker had 20 points and seven assists as the Bobcats beat the Pistons 108-101 in overtime for just their second win in 21 games. … Russell Westbrook scored 23 points as the Thunder beat the Raptors 104-92. … LeBron James scored 24 points and the Heat scored the game’s final 21 points in a 99-71 victory over the Wizards. … Zach Randolph scored 21 points to lead the Grizzlies to a 92-81 victory over the Suns.