ronto Marlies.The St. Louis Cardinals keep rolling out ace

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Gonzaga coach Mark Few was looking for a hard-nosed opponent to schedule at home in December to toughen up his No. 8 Bulldogs.He found one in Akron.The Zips gave Gonzaga all it could handle before a late surge lifted the Bulldogs to a 61-43 victory Saturday night.Akron is a heck of a program, Few said. They push you to the limit physically. We had to grind that one out.Przemek Karnowski scored 14 points to lead all players in scoring in a defensive battle that lifted the Zags to the best start in program history.Nigel Williams-Goss added 11 points for Gonzaga (10-0), which has won 10 straight to open the season for the first time since joining Division I in 1958.Few was not overly impressed by the winning streak.I live for the next game, Few said. I dont spend a lot of time looking back.But he allowed that he felt good about Gonzagas record. Im looking forward to getting better, he said.Isaiah Johnson scored 11 points, and Jimond Ivey had 10 for Akron (7-3).The Zips were undone by 27 percent shooting (16 of 60)Gonzaga shot just 40 percent and finished 24 points below its season scoring average.Johnathan Williams scored consecutive baskets and Gonzaga took a 31-25 lead early in the second half.Akron cut the Gonzaga lead to three points, but four free throws by Williams-Goss pushed it out again.Three-pointers by Ivey and Josh Williams cut Gonzagas lead to 42-40 with just under 10 minutes left in the game.But Jordan Mathews hit a 3-pointer to spark a 16-1 run that gave the Zags a 61-43 lead with 2:46 left.The Zips were held without a field goal for the final 8 minutes of the game.We got tired, Akron coach Keith Dambrot said. I was disappointed in how we finished.Dambrot has also been upgrading his schedule to put his players in tough situations.We are big enough to compete with the big boys, he said.Baskets were hard to come by in the first half.A 3-pointer by Silas Melson helped Gonzaga build a 15-9 lead midway through the first half, as both teams went long periods without scoring.That lead held up as Gonzaga led 23-17 at halftime, despite shooting just 27.6 percent. Thats because Akron shot just 25.8 percent and missed all 11 of its 3-point attempts. Gonzaga had been averaging 45 points in the first half of its past four games.It was a season low in first half points for both teams.We didnt let our frustrations on offense bleed over to the defensive side, Few said.The teams only previous meeting was in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament, won by Gonzaga 77-64.POLL IMPLICATIONSA tough win over a quality foe will not hurt Gonzagas poll ranking.BIG PICTUREAkron: Three players are averaging double-digit scoring, led by Isaiah Johnson at 15.2. Antino Jackson and Noah Robotham are adding 12 and 10.1 ppg. Akron is one of just five programs, including Gonzaga, that has won at least 21 games in the past 11 seasons. Dambrot coached LeBron James at Akrons St. Vincent-St. Mary High School.Gonzaga: The only other time the Bulldogs started 9-0 was in 2012-13, and they lost the next game to Illinois. Gonzaga has seven players averaging between 7.9 and 13.7 points per game. Gonzaga is currently seventh in the RPI on NCAA.com.STATSAkron outrebounded the Zags 42-36, including 20 offensive rebounds that gave them an 18-2 advantage on second chance points. Gonzaga made 17 of 20 free throws, which helped them stay ahead when the game got tight. Akron was 6 of 14 from the line.UP NEXTAkron hosts Marshall next Saturday.Gonzaga plays Tennessee in Nashville at the Battle on Broadway on Dec. 18.---More AP college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org Tyler Johnson Jersey . According to a report from the Winnipeg Free Press, the Bombers will name Acting GM Kyle Walters to the post full time. Dion Waiters Heat Jersey . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. https://www.heatlockerroom.com/Dwyane-Wade-City-Edition-Jersey/ .ca! Hi Kerry, Heres an interesting one. I know its common knowledge that all players are responsible for their sticks. We witnessed that when Zack Kassian hit Edmontons Sam Gagner in the face after a missed check. Tim Hardaway Heat Jersey . -- There were so many positives from the Orlando Magics first victory of the season that it was hard for coach Jacque Vaughn to stop praising his players. Chris Bosh Jersey . The 27-year-old Scrivens will be joining his third NHL club since signing with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent in 2010. The move also reunites with him with head coach Dallas Eakins from their time together with the American Hockey Leagues Toronto Marlies.The St. Louis Cardinals keep rolling out ace pitchers and that keeps them on top of the TSN.ca MLB Power Rankings. Even as injuries pile up, the Cardinals most recently dipped into their farm system for Michael Wacha, a first-rounder last summer, who was cruising at Triple-A and he held Kansas City to two hits over seven innings in his debut. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, and Oakland As all climbed into the Top 10 and the Tampa Bay Rays jumped from 17 to 11. Heading he other way, the Detroit Tigers gave up their perch at second spot, falling fourr spots after losing five of six.dddddddddddd. The Yankees, losers of eight of their last nine, dropped from eight to 12, despite getting Mark Teixeira and Kevin Youkilis back from the disabled list. The Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Indians were others that were replaced in the Top 10. A season of pitching misery continues for the Toronto Blue Jays and they sit 26th. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. ' ' '