Defending state basketball champions Apple Valley in Class 4A and DeLaSalle in 3A are among the five Minnesota boys' basketball teams scheduled to play in the 2014 Timberwolves Shootout on Jan. 4.
The event includes four games involving teams with top junior or senior players, including Tyus Jones of Apple Valley, J.P. Macura of Lakeville North, Alex Illikainen of Grand Rapids, Reid Travis, Jarvis Johnson and Sacar Anim of DeLaSalle, and Sam Neumann, Jashon Cornell, Joe Rosga and Donnell Gresham of Cretin-Derham Hall.
The Shootout schedule: Lakeville North vs. Grand Rapids at 9:15 a.m., Cretin-Derham Hall vs. Bettendorf (Iowa) at 11 a.m., DeLaSalle vs. St. Rita (Ill.) at 12:45 p.m., and Apple Valley vs. Blue Valley Northwest (Kan.) at 2:45 p.m.
U crushes in volleyball
The No. 4-rated Gophers volleyball team defeated Louisville 25-16, 25-18, 25-15 on Friday in the Bluegrass Battle in Lexington, Ky. Minnesota is now 8-0 and plays No. 19 Kentucky — its first ranked opponent of the season — on Saturday.
Tori Dixon had a season-high 19 kills and hit .577 for the Gophers against the Cardinals. She also had seven blocks and five digs. Teammate Ashley Wittman had 10 kills.
Minnesota hit a season-best .514, committing just eight errors in 74 attempts. The Gophers held Louisville to 33 kills and .141 hitting percentage. They outblocked the Cardinals 9½-3, held a 28-18 advantage in digs and led 46-33 in kills.
U soccer loses first
Forward Savannah Jordan scored two goals, only a few minutes apart in the middle of the second half, as No. 9-rated Florida beat the previously unbeaten Gophers 2-0 in women's soccer in Gainesville, Fla.
Both teams are 6-1. The Gators dominated the Gophers statistically, leading 15-4 in shots (seven by Jordan), 9-2 in shots on goal and 8-2 on corner kicks.
