1. THAT'S 28 AND COUNTING....The SDSU men's basketball team won its ninth-straight on Tuesday night, overwhelming Point Loma Nazarene in the second half and pulling away for a 76-49 victory at Viejas Arena....The victory was the Aztecs' 28th in a row over schools from the state of California.....The No. 18-ranked Red & Black will get another California school on Saturday when it meets the University of San Francisco in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic in Hawaii....If all goes well on the Island, SDSU could set itself up for a showdown with fifth-ranked Arizona on Christmas Day.....
2. NO SANCHEZ.....For the Chargers to try and kick around this coming Sunday....The New York Jets have changed quarterbacks, benching the struggling Mark Sanchez in favor of former Alabama QB Greg McElroy.....Sanchez threw four picks in a Monday night loss to Tennessee that ended the Jets' playoff hopes....Of course, the Chargers' playoff hopes were also dashed over the weekend after an abysmal home loss, 31-7, to the Carolina Panthers....
3. TURNING IT AROUND??....Perhaps, the struggling Lakers are doing just that.....With Pao Gasol returning after missing the previous eight games with tendinitis in both knees, the L.A. slipped past the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night, 101-100, for their third consecutive win.....With the victory, the Lake Show improved to 12-14 and moved a day closer to the return of veteran point guard Steve Nash, who hasn't played since fracturing his leg on Halloween.....Nash could return by Saturday night's game against Golden State, but said it was more likely that he would be back for next Tuesday's Christmas Day game against the New York Knicks....
4. ONE TO FILE AWAY.....Alabama's Athletic Director Mal Moore said Tuesday he is confident that three-time, National Championship-winning Coach Nick Saban will stay at Alabama rather than bolt the Crimson Tide for the NFL.....Alabama will meet Notre Dame for this year's national title on Jan. 7th.....Saban, who has shown little integrity over the years in leaving LSU for the NFL and then leaving the Miami Dolphins to return to college ball, is rumored to be thinking about one more return to the NFL aftert this season....."He's told me many times that he's happy here," said Moore.....We'll see......
5. MORE BAD NEWS....For the Chargers, who don't need any more but keep getting it anyway.....Both RB Ryan Mathews and WR Malcolm Floyd have been placed on the "Reserved-Injured" list, meaning they will miss the rest of the season....Mathews finished up the season with a mere 707 yards rushing and one measley touchdown....Floyd was the Bolts' leading receiver with 56 catches for 814 yards and five scores......The Chargers also placed Reggie Wells on the "Reserved-Injured" list.....All three were hurt during last Sunday's 31-7 loss to the Carolina Panthers......
