IN BRIEF
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Porsche Poole scored a career-high 32 points and Michigan State rallied to beat No. 18 Penn State 83-77 on Sunday.
Following a 28-point effort in a loss to Illinois, Poole was 10-for-15 from the field, including hitting three 3-pointers, for the Spartans (13-9, 5-4 Big Ten). She also had six rebounds, six assists and three steals.
The win ended a three-game skid for Michigan State and completed a sweep of the Nittany Lions (16-5, 6-3). The Spartans jumped out to a 22-point halftime lead and won 75-65 on Jan. 7.
MELBOURNE, Australia — Victoria Azeranka's win over Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final on Saturday elevated her to No. 1 and also forced a shift in the women's top 10 rankings.Azarenka moved from No. 3 to No. 1, passing Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova, who will remain at No. 2 after her loss in the semifinals. The 22-year-old Belarusian is the 21st player to hold the No. 1 spot since computer rankings were introduced in 1975.The WTA said Saturday that rankings which will take effect Monday show Sharapova moving up one spot to third and Caroline Wozniacki dropping to fourth.
MIAMI — San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was charged Saturday with driving under the influence in Miami Beach.Smith was drafted as the seventh overall draft pick in 2011. During his first season, he had 14 sacks, a franchise record for a rookie linebacker. He also ranked first in the NFL in sacks among rookies.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have a new look.For the first time since joining the league in 1995, the Panthers have changed their logo. According to a press release Sunday night, the logo has been designed to provide a “more aggressive, contemporary look to the logo while making it more three-dimensional for ever-increasing digital use.”