A year ago, Tiffany Hui was a spectator at the ASICS Napa Valley Girls Classic in the Vintage High School gym.

Steve Ball isn’t using rust as an excuse.

The Napa Valley College women’s basketball team built a 20-point halftime lead and cruised past host Contra Costa-San Pablo 59-48 in its Bay Valley Conference opener on Wednesday night.

Today

KIRKLAND, Wash. — Shhh! It’s so blasphemous it should be whispered, especially around Green Bay. Mike Holmgren has one up on Vince Lombardi. Two up, even.

OAKLAND — Reliever Justin Duchscherer avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year deal Wednesday with the Oakland Athletics.

HONOLULU — The Golf Channel suspended anchor Kelly Tilghman for two weeks on Wednesday for saying last week that young players who wanted to challenge Tiger Woods should “lynch him in a back alley.”

PORTLAND, Ore. — When Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy crumpled to the court, the sellout crowd at the Rose Garden fell silent with concern. Then it happened to Steve Blake.