STORRS—DeAndre Daniels had a career-high 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds as Connecticut routed DePaul 99-78 on Tuesday.Ryan Boatright scored 22 points and Shabazz Napier added 16 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for UConn (11-3, 1-1 Big East), which led from start to finish.The Huskies opened up a 20-point halftime lead, and DePaul (10-6, 1-2) could get no closer than 12 in the second half.Brandon Young led all scorers with career-high 35 points for the Blue Demons and Cleveland Melvin chipped in 18.DePaul, which was coming off a win at Providence, played without starters Donnavan Kirk and Charles McKinney, who were suspended for an unspecified violation of team rules.The 99 points was the most against a Big East opponent since the Huskies scored 117 in a six-overtime loss to Syracuse in the 2009 Big East tournament.Boatright, who is from the Chicago area, scored five quick points as UConn scored the first nine, part of a 12-3 run.The sophomore guard also capped an 11-0 run with a 3-pointer that made it 31-11, and had 16 points by halftime.But he wasn’t the only Husky scoring.UConn shot 54 percent in the half, and Daniels hit five of his six shots, and was nine of 12 for the game. He had 15 points before the break, as the Huskies outrebounded DePaul 30-10. They led by as many as 22 points.Young had half the Blue Demons points as they went into the break trailing 54-34.DePaul cut the lead to 12, 59-47, on a Melvin jumper, but UConn used a 6-0 run to stretch it back out to 18.A steal that led to a spinning one-handed Boatright dunk that made it 71-51 and the Huskies were not challenged again.UConn outrebounded DePaul 49-29, including 19-10 on the offensive boards. It was just the third time the Huskies posted more rebounds than their opponent all season. The other two came in wins over New Hampshire and Washington.The Huskies improved to 26-8 in Big East home openers, and have won 20 of their last 23, including the last four. They are 10-0 in conference openers at Gampel Pavilion.The Huskies haven’t lost two straight games to open a Big East season since 1989-90.UConn improves to 9-1 against DePaul, and has won eight straight, with the lone loss coming in 2007.The Blue Demons were hurt by the loss of Kirk’s defensive presence. He had averaged six points and almost two blocked shots a game. McKinney had been chipping in just over five points.The Blue Demons, who beat Providence 83-73 on Saturday, were looking to win two consecutive road games in the Big East for the first time in six years.They came into the game 4-0 in road games this season, its best start away from home since the 1993-94 season.DePaul is off until next Tuesday, when it will host No. 21 Cincinnati. UConn travels to South Bend to take on No. 21 Notre Dame on Saturday.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.—Anthony Downing scored 24 points Tuesday night and Missouri State defeated Illinois State 62-55.Marcus Marshall had 14 points for the Bears (5-11, 3-1 Missouri Valley), who shot 54 percent from the field in the first half in building a 32-25 halftime lead. Missouri State finished the game at 47 percent.Jackie Carmichael led Illinois State (9-7, 0-4) with 21 points and 12 rebounds. Johnny Hill had 14 points. Jon Ekey scored eight points but no other player had more than four points for the Redbirds, who had won four straight before entering MVC play.Missouri State didn’t have a field goal in the last 4 minutes, but closed the game with seven free throws in the final 1:23, six of them by Downing.

                                                              Skiles left the Bucks on Monday. (Getty Images)

MILWAUKEE—One day before facing the Bulls at the United Center(Wednesday night),the Milwaukee Bucks and Scott Skiles have agreed to part ways immediately.The decision was mutual between Skiles and the team.Skiles decided to walk away because he “hated his team.” The Bucks are 16-16 this season, having fallen off after starting as the second-best team in the East for a stretch in November. The team has actually been more competitive than many anticipated, with big wins over several Eastern Conference powers.But apparently the situation was untenable for the impatient Skiles.Reportedly, Skiles told the team he was fine with not getting an extension and walking away after the season, the last of his contract. You wonder if that report led Skiles to accelerate his timeline. Meanwhile, just like when Skiles was fired by the Bulls in 2008, assistant Jim Boylan will take over as interim coach.It’s not February 2 for a few weeks, but it seems this is “Groundhog Day”. The Bucks have several unstable parts of their team, with Monta Ellis with an early termination option to become a free agent this summer, and GM John Hammond also in the final year of his contract. Boylan is well known in Milwaukee where he played for both Al McGuire and Hank Raymonds at Marquette in the late 1970’s. Will Skiles ever get another NBA Head Coaching position? If he does, his shelve life was proven with the Bulls,Bucks and Suns to be no more than three seasons before he wears out on his Players.

The Bulls have been perfect in the New Year, winning all three of their games.

“We had a tough last couple weeks of 2012,” Carlos Boozer said. “The new year, we’ve got a couple of resolutions — the biggest one is getting more wins.”

The Chicago Bulls are doing just that.Boozer had 24 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Bulls to a 118-92 rout of the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday night.It was the third straight game that Boozer has eclipsed 20 points. This time he did it against the team that drafted him in 2002.

“I’m just playing off my teammates,” he said. “We work hard together. We’re hanging out together — it’s like a college team.Games like this are fun because everybody played so great. We like moments like this. We wish all the games could be like this.”

Joakim Noah added 11 points and 11 rebounds while Luol Deng had 19 points and seven assists for the Bulls, who beat the Cavaliers for an 11th straight time. The Bulls (19-13), who posted a season-high in points, moved to 11-1 when Boozer and Noah have double-doubles.Dion Waiters led Cleveland (8-28) with 18 points. C.J. Miles and Kyrie Irving had 15 points apiece.

“They come out with a different aggression that our guys have to get used to,” Irving said. “They play like a playoff team every single night. That’s what you get out of a Bulls team.”

The Bulls turned a close game into a rout in the second half by dominating the offensive glass and forcing turnovers. Shooting 53.7 percent from the field and hitting 10 of 14 3-pointers didn’t hurt, either.

“We’re taking the right [3s],” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “They’re in rhythm now, that’s the big thing. It’s off ball movement, hitting the paint, coming out, the extra pass.they’re rhythm 3s.”

The Bulls’ bench, which has also been a glaring weak spot most of the season, helped stabilize the offense as Chicago overcame an early 10-point deficit. Taj Gibson had 18 points in reserve, and Marco Belinelli added 15 as Chicago broke the 100-point barrier for the first time since Christmas Day.Cleveland had won three of its last four on the road. The Cavaliers haven’t beaten the Bulls since March 19, 2010.

“They’ve just got our number,” Cavaliers coach Byron Scott said. “They feel very confident and comfortable playing against us. From a physical standpoint they’re just much more physical and aggressive than we are right now.”

Tristan Thompson continued to thrive in relief of Anderson Varejao, who missed his 10th straight game due to a right knee contusion. Thompson scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. It’s just the third time in 10 games he failed to record a double-double.Irving and Miles each scored nine first-quarter points as Cleveland jumped out to a 30-22 lead, leading by as many as 10.Belinelli had 13 points in the second quarter to jumpstart the struggling Bulls offense. Gibson added 11 first-half points as the Bulls took a three-point advantage into the break.The Bulls’ defense also seemed to kick in as Irving was held scoreless in the second quarter, and Miles was limited to three points.

• 
• MIAMI—This is either getting incredibly boring or it’s the ride of a lifetime. It depends on which side of the Tide you’re surfing.Alabama wrapped up its 10th national championship of the wire service era, winning its third national championship in four years with a 42-14 thrashing of No. 1 Notre Dame in the BCS title game. The Tide became the third program in history to win three in four years, the first team to do it in 15 years.

“I am satistifed with this team. They were never entitled. I’m proud of what they accomplished. Now we’ve got to go to work on next year,” said Bama coach Nick Saban after the game.

Hungry Notre Dame fans showed up among the largest Sun Life Stadium crowd in history (80,120). Its team, not so much. Four seconds into the second quarter, Alabama had as many points (21) as ND had given up in the last two months. Alabama’s 92 rushing yards at the end of the first quarter equaled ND’s season average per game.The margin of victory was the second-largest in a BCS title game.In the process, the SEC won its ongoing-record seventh consecutive championship. It was complete domination from the best team in the best conference. The plucky Irish defense that had come up big so many times was pushed around by an Alabama offense that was bigger, faster and stronger. The defense that was No. 1 in scoring defense gave up the most points in Notre Dame’s bowl history.On the other side, an Alabama defense that lost five NFL draft choices – three of them first-round picks – tore Notre Dame apart. The Tide offensive line, perhaps the greatest in the country, pushed around a Notre Dame line hat sported three 300-pounders – Louis Nix, Kapron Lewis-Moore and Stephon Tuitt. The game was effectively over at halftime with Alabama leading 28-0. Forgotten was Bama’s 21-10 deficit in the third quarter of last month’s SEC title game. Since that point the Tide has outscored their opponent 64-21.Sadly for college football, there are no challengers on the horizon. Perhaps only historically. Those Huskers’ teams are considered one of the greatest teams of all time. Alabama now has to be considered in the same conversation. The 49 wins by the Bama seniors match the record set by Nebraska in 1997. Bama’s 61 wins since 2008 also lead college football.

CLEVELAND—Freshman Bryn Forbes scored 14 points and was one of nine Cleveland State players with at least three rebounds in the Vikings’ 60-50 win over UIC on Monday in Horizon League play.Tim Kamczyc scored a game-high 13 points to go with four boards, and Sebastian Douglas added 10 points and four rebounds for Cleveland State (9-7, 1-1), which held a 32-30 rebounding edge and grabbed over 30 rebounds for just the second time in its last six games.After Josh Ivory broke open a 21-all tie with a 3-pointer, Aaron Scales made back-to-back baskets inside to give the Vikings a 28-21 lead at the break. Cleveland State opened the second half with a 10-2 run to pull away. Forbes had five points during the spurt.Josh Crittle and Gary Talton led UIC (10-5, 1-1) with 10 points apiece but the Flames shot 33.3 percent (14 of 42).

CINCINNATI—No. 17 Notre Dame got everyone involved in extending its notable winning streak.And they beat Football Coach Brian Kelly’s former school on a night the Fighting Irish got creamed by Alabama in the National Title Football game in Miami.Jerian Grant scored 19 points and the Irish patiently worked for open shots that set up a 66-60 victory Monday night over No. 21 Cincinnati, their 12th straight win.Notre Dame (14-1, 2-0 Big East) is on its best winning streak since it also won 12 in a row in 2006-07. The 14-1 mark is the best start during coach Mike Brey’s 13 seasons.This time, he’s got an experienced roster that loves to share. Notre Dame is among the national leaders with 19 assists per game.

“That’s been our program,” Brey said. “There’s a culture of passing the ball here. We recruit basketball IQ guys, and I think there’s a lot of trust that we’re going to keep moving that thing. That’s why we have great balance.We can move it until we get the right guy to take the shot. And we enjoy moving it. Tonight we had some amazing possessions where we got guys out of position.”

The Fighting Irish did it their way, spreading out a defense that has been Cincinnati’s strength. Notre Dame shot 50 percent from the field and went 9 of 16 behind the arc.Cincinnati (13-3, 1-2) wore new, all-black uniforms — Notre Dame wore white — for a home game that took on extra significance. The Bearcats opened the season 12-0, then lost two of their last three games, falling to New Mexico and St. John’s at home.They have lost three straight at home for the first time since 2006-07, coach Mick Cronin’s first season picking up the pieces from coach Bob Huggins’ ouster. The school celebrated its impressive start by having President Santa J. Ono get his head shaved on the court after the game on Monday. Ono agreed to lose his hair if the Bearcats won 10 in a row, turning the streak into a fundraising opportunity for a charity.Despite the pomp, the Bearcats lost again. Sean Kilpatrick led Cincinnati with 15 points.The Bearcats extended their man-to-man defense beyond the arc, trying to take away Notre Dame’s best feature. They couldn’t do it.The Fighting Irish lead the Big East and rank fifth nationally shooting 59.8 percent from the field. They went 12 of 18 from behind the arc during a 93-74 win over Seton Hall on Saturday, setting a school record for a Big East game. Scott Martin made six of his seven 3-point attempts in that one.When Cincinnati clamped down on the perimeter, 6-foot-9 forward Jack Cooley got openings inside. He finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.The Bearcats’ halfcourt offense has been their biggest problem the last few games. They had another setback when Kilpatrick landed awkwardly and limped off the court midway through the first half, favoring his right foot. JaQuon Parker replaced him and hit consecutive 3s that put Cincinnati ahead 20-11, its biggest lead of the game.Kipatrick returned and Notre Dame found its long-range touch. The Fighting Irish made their last six shots from behind the arc in the half – two by Martin – to pull ahead 32-28.

MINNEAPOLIS—By the time Austin Hollins swished his fifth 3-pointer in a span of 3 1/2 minutes, that sluggish start by Minnesota was long forgotten.The ninth-ranked Gophers smothered Northwestern with their usual relentless defense and ran away with the game once they found their shot.Hollins scored 17 of his 19 points during Minnesota’s big second-half surge and the Gophers won 69-51 on Sunday night, picking up more momentum in their long quest to join the Big Ten’s elite under coach Tubby Smith.

“This was a good test for us. There are going to be games like that when we’re going to struggle, and fighting through it shows what kind of a team we are,” said Hollins, who established his career high in 3-pointers.

Hollins powered a 26-7 run over an 8-minute stretch that gave the Gophers, who had only 17 points in the first half, a 45-25 lead. Minnesota (14-1, 2-0) has won 10 in a row, the program’s longest winning streak since it opened the 2008-09 season with 12 straight victories.

“That’s the beauty about this team. Any game, somebody can step up big,” said Trevor Mbakwe, who had four points, 11 rebounds and four blocks. “We needed that from Austin. Offensively it was a struggle. It was ugly.”

Dave Sobolewski had 10 points, five assists and four steals for the Wildcats (9-6, 0-2), who were outrebounded 47-20, the fewest rebounds by a Gophers opponent all season. Reggie Hearn returned for Northwestern after missing two games because of a sprained left ankle, finishing with 11 points.But the Wildcats, missing star Drew Crawford because of season-ending shoulder surgery, couldn’t keep up down the stretch.

“They are a good team. That’s why they are top 10 in the nation,” Sobolewski said. “They’ve got a lot of weapons. I think for the first … 25 minutes we did a great job on defense. Then kind of all hell broke loose.”

Hollins hit his first four 3-pointers from almost exactly the same spot on the left wing. Then he moved to the right corner and swished one from there, too, drawing a chant of his name from the impressed crowd.

“I was definitely starting to feel it, and it just kept on falling so if I was open I was going to let it fly,” he said. “I was a little shocked how open I was on the fifth one, so I couldn’t pass that up.”

Northwestern hasn’t won at Minnesota since Smith took over for the 2007-08 season.

PEORIA—Cleanthony Early scored 24 points to lead Wichita State over Bradley 69-63 Sunday.Early was 8 of 14 from the field.Demetric Williams added 10 points, and Ehimen Orukpe had nine rebounds for Wichita State (14-1, 3-0 Missouri Valley).Wichita State led 35-34 at halftime in a game with 12 lead changes. Wichita State closed the game on a 10-2 run. The Shockers shot 47 percent from the field for the game, while Bradley shot 46 percent.Walt Lemon Jr. and Dyricus Simms-Edwards had 15 points apiece to lead the scoring for Bradley (10-5, 2-1). Lemon also had a team-high eight rebounds. Jake Eastman had 11 points, and Tyshon Pickett had 10.Wichita State has won six consecutive games against Bradley and three straight in Peoria, both the longest ever in the series for the Shockers.

GREEN BAY—Aaron Rodgers, Charles Woodson and the Packers reminded everyone of how dangerous they can be when they’re at full strength Saturday night, overwhelming the Vikings 24-10 in an NFC wild-card game that was never really close.

“Our defense played great,” Rodgers said. “Our defense tonight played at a championship level and that’s what you need in the playoffs.”

John Kuhn scored two touchdowns, DuJuan Harris added another and Rodgers connected with an NFL playoff-record 10 receivers as he threw for 274 yards in his first playoff victory at home. Defensively, the Packers (12-5) finally managed to contain Adrian Peterson and were all over Vikings backup Joe Webb, pressed into service because of Christian Ponder’s triceps injury.

Peterson was held to 99 yards — an improvement after gaining 199 and 210 in the first two games against Green Bay. It was only the second time in the last 11 games that he was held below 100 yards. Webb, who hadn’t thrown a pass all season, was sacked three times and off target all night. His only highlight was a 50-yard scoring pass to Michael Jenkins late in the fourth quarter, but it was far too late for the Vikings (10-7).

“No disrespect to Ponder, but … it’s about one guy and that’s Adrian Peterson,” said Woodson, who played his first game since breaking his right collarbone Oct. 21. “Our main focus, whether it was Ponder or Webb, was to keep 28 (Peterson) from getting off. And if we were going to keep him from getting off, put the ball in the quarterback’s hands, whatever quarterback it was, we felt good about what was going to happen.”

With a little over a minute left, Packers fans began taunting the Vikings (10-7) with chants of “Nah-nah-nah-nah … goodbye.” The win snapped a two-game losing streak at Lambeau Field in the playoffs, and sent the Packers to San Francisco next Saturday for an NFC divisional game with the 49ers. The teams met in the season opener, with San Francisco winning 30-22.

“A lot has happened since we played San Francisco,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. “We’re a different team.”

This was the third game in six weeks between Green Bay and the Vikings, and second in six days. The Packers’ loss in Minnesota last weekend cost them the No. 2 seed in the NFC, along with a bye this weekend, and left them looking — dare we say it? — vulnerable going into the playoffs. But with Woodson back and Rodgers having all four of his top receivers for, essentially, the first time since Sept. 30, Green Bay looked like a team that could make the kind of deep run it did two years ago when it won the Super Bowl.Rodgers used so many different options other NFL quarterbacks must have been drooling. He went with Harris on Green Bay’s first scoring drive, mixed it up between James Jones, Tom Crabtree and Greg Jennings on the second, and had 22- and 23-yard completions to Jordy Nelson before Kuhn scored on a 3-yard run that put the Packers up 17-3 just before the half.

And pretty much everyone got in on the fun on the last score, a 12-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up more than 5 1/2 minutes. Rodgers connected with Jones on a 19-yard completion to put the Packers in Vikings territory, then connected with Harris for 14 yards two plays later to reach the red zone. Rodgers threw incompletes on second and third downs, but just when the Packers thought they’d have to settle for a field goal, the Vikings were whistled for 12 men on the field, giving Rodgers another crack at the end zone.