ATLANTA -- Looking to bounce back from a season-opening loss, Michigan State turned to its top returning scorer from last season. Keith Appling came through. Big time. Hitting a pair of huge shots down the stretch -- one from beyond the 3-point arc, the other on an acrobatic drive -- Appling carried the No. 21 Spartans to a 67-64 upset of No. 7 Kansas on Tuesday night. "The offence was kind of stagnant, so I wanted to make a play the best way I possible could," said Appling, who led Michigan State with 19 points. "From there, it was all she wrote." The Spartans (1-1) opened with a surprising loss to Connecticut on the other side of the Atlantic. Their road show moved from Germany to a doubleheader at the Georgia Dome -- site of this seasons Final Four -- featuring four of the nations best teams. No. 3 Kentucky faced No. 9 Duke in the second game. The Jayhawks (1-1) led 59-54 with 5 minutes remaining, showing signs of taking control in a game that was tight all the way. But Michigan State rallied behind its brilliant guards. "We did some good things," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "Its just that games are decided in the last five minutes. And they were better in the last five." Freshman Gary Harris scored 18 points for the Spartans, including back-to-back baskets that sparked an 8-0 run. Appling, who averaged 11.4 points last season, took over from there. He 6-foot-1 junior picked up a screen, darted away when 7-footer Jeff Withey popped out to help, then wound up with an open look from beyond the arc when Withey turned back for the lane and got tangled up with his own man. Applings shot from the top of the circle was right on the mark, pushing the lead to 65-61 with 1:35 remaining. Ben McLemore gave Kansas a chance, converting a three-point play after a needless foul by Denzel Valentine. But Appling drove past Withey at the other hand with a left-handled dribble, cradled the ball and banked in a shot between two defenders with 13.5 seconds to go. That left Kansas with no choice but to try a 3. Travis Releford got a look as time expired, but his shot clanked off the side of the rim. Elijah Johnson led Kansas with 16 points. Withey, who played so well in last seasons NCAA tournament, wasnt much of a factor against the Spartans. He was held to eight points and seven rebounds, along with four turnovers. Michigan States bulky big man, Derrick Nix, held his own against Withey with eight points and rebounds. "Nix is a big guy, thats for sure," Withey said. "Hes really strong. Hes tough to guard." The 7-footer did knock down a hook at the 5-minute mark, giving the Jayhawks what amounted to a comfortable lead in this one -- five points. Not comfortable enough. Michigan State scored the next eight points. Harris swished a jumper, then darted into the lane to flip in a one-hander. Nix hit a pair of free throws on separate trips to the line, putting the Spartans ahead. Then, after Withey fumbled away an errant pass from Johnson, Branden Dawson hit a pair of free throws to extend the lead with just over 2 minutes remaining. Johnson finally snapped the run, drawing a foul on Harris and hitting both free throws. But the senior guard also missed a big jumper in the closing minutes and felt he let his team down. "I put that all on me," Johnson said. "Coach put the ball in my hands and I didnt do a great job." The globe-trotting Spartans opened the season against UConn at an Air Force hanger in Germany. They were still a long way from home but at least playing in a bit more of a conventional venue, albeit one that is normally used by the NFLs Atlanta Falcons. "We got a little bit of our pride and character back after not playing well over there," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "The trip wasnt easy. It shows we have a lot of character." Kansas is hoping to get back to Atlanta in April and go one win farther than last season, when the Jayhawks lost to Kentucky in the national championship game. The game was close throughout, with a dozen ties and 11 lead chances. Kansas had the biggest lead, a 45-38 edge on Naadir Tharpes 3-pointer with 12:02 remaining. Kansas led 35-32 lead at the half and went to the locker room on a bit of a high, spurred on by a thunderous dunk by Jamari Traylor in the final minute. Johnson darted into the lane and missed, but Traylor, coming up from behind, slammed it through with his right hand to spark the Kansas contingent. Harris led the Spartans in the first half with 11 points. Johnson and McLemore had seven apiece for the Jayhawks before the break. cheap china jerseys . 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The 67", 240 pound native of Toronto played for the NCAAs Northeastern University Huskies last season, scoring four goals and 13 points in 38 games as a freshman. cheap jerseys china . Instead, they dropped their second straight game against the worst team in baseball on Tuesday night to keep them from wrapping up a playoff spot. wholesale jerseys . Maltais, from Petite-Riviere-Saint Francois, Que., led from start to finish to extend her lead in the race for the Crystal Globe. "It was a close final so I tried to focus on my own line," Maltais said.CLEVELAND -- The Indians closed out their relationship with Chris Perez. The team released the colorful closer Thursday following a season in which he performed below his All-Star abilities, got arrested and surrendered his job in the final week as Cleveland tried to clinch a playoff spot. Also, the Indians re-signed veteran slugger Jason Giambi, who provided leadership last season along with some clutch hits. A two-time All-Star, Perez spent five seasons in Cleveland. And while he saved 124 games, Perez often was at the centre of turmoil that overshadowed his pitching. He angered Indians fans last season for saying they didnt support the team like they should, and he rankled Clevelands front office by criticizing trades and stating the Indians werent spending enough to win. "We just finished out team meetings and made the determination that Chris was not a fit on our roster," general manager Chris Antonetti said in announcing Perezs release. In June, Perez was arrested after drug agents followed a package containing marijuana to his home in Rocky River, Ohio. He and his wife pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour charge. Perez, who was never shy about voicing his opinion on any subject, didnt talk to the media for months before breaking his silence on the final day of the regular season in Minnesota when the Indians secured a wild-card berth. Antonetti denied the notion that Perez was a distraction. "I think we were able to handle any issues," Antonetti said. "In the end, we won 92 games with him serving as our closer for the majority of the season." Perez was eligible for salary arbitration this winter, and based on his statistics and was in line for a raise from his $7.3 million salary this year. But Perezs struggles, along with his tempestuous past, resulted in the Indians cutting ties with him a day after the World Series ended. In 54 games, Perez went 5-3 with a 4.33 ERA and 25 saves in 30 attempts. But he scuffled after Aug. 1 as his ERA ballooned to 7.52 ERA and he allowed six runs in his final two appearances. Antonetti said Perez, who had a stint on the disabled list this season with a sore shoulder, is healthy and feels hell bounce back -- just not in Cleveland. "On balance, Chris was a very meaningful contributor to our teams over the last few years," Antonetti said. "He had a tough stretch at the end of the season, but all players go through upss and downs.dddddddddddd I think Chris will respond well and pitch well for his next team." After he gave up four runs in the ninth inning of a win over Minnesota late in the season, Perez walked into manager Terry Franconas office and told him he didnt want to cost the team a possible playoff berth. Francona promptly pulled him from the closers role, and there was speculation Perez would be left off the post-season roster. However, Perez was on the active roster for the wild-card loss to Tampa Bay. With Perez gone, the Indians need a closer and will look to fill the spot internally with either Cody Allen or Bryan Shaw, two reliable relievers last year. Antonetti said the club could pursue a closer in free agency, but his preference is to use a pitcher on the roster. Giambi was a consummate team player from the moment he arrived at training camp last spring training, and the Indians were thrilled to have him back. "There is no better way to start our off-season than to re-sign Jason Giambi," said Antonetti. "He made a huge impact on our team last season." The 42-year-old, who was a finalist for Colorados managerial job last year, batted just .183 with nine homers and 31 RBIs in 71 games. But it was contributions inside Clevelands clubhouse as a mentor to the teams younger players and a conduit for Francona that helped the Indians get back to the playoffs for the first time since 2007. Giambi also had a flair for the dramatic. He twice became the oldest player in history to hit a walk-off home run. He broke the record set by Hank Aaron on July 29 against Chicago and then bettered his own mark on Sept. 24 with a two-run, pinch-hit homer with two outs in the ninth to beat the White Sox, a shot that helped propel the Indians to a 10-game winning streak to end the season. "When you get a guy like that, sometimes it can be once in a lifetime," Franconia said. "Hes changed people in the organization. Hes made me better. Hes made everybody he touches better. Thats a very special person." The Indians signed Giambi to a minor league contract, a deal with minimal risk in case he decides to retire. Cleveland also made a minor trade with San Diego, acquiring left-hander Colt Hynes from the Padres for cash considerations. The 28-year-old reliever spent the second half of last season with San Diego, posting a 9.00 ERA in 22 relief outings. cheap jerseys wholesale jerseys ' ' '