Dein erstes Forum » of tying the program record for first-half po

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- Demaryius Thomas used the Denver Broncos celebratory White House visit in June to deliver a handwritten note to President Barack Obama thanking him for commuting Thomas mothers drug sentence last year and then asked him to do the same for his grandmother.The Broncos wide receiver is ready to pen another thank you note after he was told the president fulfilled his wish. Minnie Pearl Thomas was among 214 federal inmates whose sentences were cut short Wednesday by Obama.Im kind of jacked up right now. I dont really know what to say, Thomas said after the Broncos morning workout. I kind of just want to talk to my granny. I havent talked to her in a couple of weeks. Im excited for her.Thomas grandmother, who was serving life for a drug offense, is to be released on Dec. 1.Last year, Obama commuted the sentence of Thomas mother, Katina Smith, as part of his push to reduce the prison population of non-violent drug offenders. She was in attendance when the Broncos defeated Carolina 24-10 in Super Bowl 50, and she was on Thomas mind when Obama hosted the champions in June.After briefly talking with the president, Thomas had a sense his grandmother had a chance to have her sentence shortened.I still remember when we were at the White House, I was talking about my mom and I was saying thank you, Thomas said. The fact that he mentioned my grandmother, I knew something was going to happen.Smith was convicted on drug trafficking charges for her role in a crack cocaine ring she and her mother operated out of their Georgia home.Minnie Pearl Thomas, 60, and Smith shared a cell in a federal prison in Florida before Smiths sentence was commuted last summer. Smith spent time in a halfway house before being released in November.She was sad when my moms left, Thomas said of his grandmother. She used to cry when she was in there by herself. Im excited for her and I want to thank Obama for what he did for her and everyone else.Patrick Smyth, the Broncos vice president of public relations, gave Thomas the news after he finished lifting weights.It was a shock. I had to go to my phone and make sure it was true, he said. He showed me the text messages, `Minnie Pearl Thomas, Demaryius Thomas grandmother, got commuted.Thomas said he believes his grandmother will spend time in a halfway house before going back to Georgia on Dec. 1.Game notes Coach Gary Kubiak said G Max Garcia didnt practice after rolling his ankle in Mondays walkthrough. Kubiak said Garcia may practice Thursday. ... WR Marlon Brown was having his back evaluated and didnt practice. Brown dealt with back issues while with Baltimore last year and Kubiak said the team wants to find out why his back continues to flare up on him.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL sWell Traveler Bottle Sale 17 .J. -- New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz will miss the rest of the season after having surgery on his left knee. Swell Water Bottle Clearance . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. http://www.swellwaterbottlesale.com/ . Numbers Game examines the deal that sees Michael Del Zotto and Kevin Klein switch places. The Predators Get: D Michael Del Zotto. sWell Traveler Bottle Sale .J. -- Pitcher Carl Pavano is retiring after 14 major league seasons. Swell Water Bottle Wood Collection . PETERSBURG, Fla. CINCINNATI -- Mick Cronin suspected his Cincinnati Bearcats could be devastating when theyre on target with their shots.They proved him correct Saturday.Senior Kevin Johnson scored a career-high 18 points and No. 25 Cincinnati shot a blistering 64.7 percent from the field while rolling to the highest-scoring game of Cronins 11-year career as the Bearcats coach, 119-68 over Fairleigh Dickinson.Johnson was surprised at the rout.Theyre a good team, he said of the Knights, an NCAA Tournament First Four team last season. They were picked to win their conference (in a coaches poll) and they have two all-league players. We try not to underestimate any opponent. Really, its not about them. Its more about us. We go into games trying to smother opponents. It was awesome. I felt like we just got into a good rhythm, offensively and defensively.Jacob Evans added 17 points and five other Bearcats reached double figures as Cincinnati (9-2) bettered it previous season-high margin of victory for the second straight game, a 38-point romp over Texas Southern on Tuesday.Ive felt like if Jacob and Kevin can get going from the perimeter, we had a chance to get better, Cronin said. We can be a devastating team when we shoot the ball.Stephan Jiggetts scored 24 points to lead the Knights (2-9), who have lost seven straight and eight of nine. They committed 22 turnovers while connecting on just 20 field goals.I talked to Mick and his staff after the game and just kiddingly they said they dont even shoot that well in practice, so hats off, FDU coach Greg Herenda said. Cincinnati has a really, really good team. Obviously today they were firing on all cylinders. They shot it, they shared it, they guarded. They were just too big and too good for us today.Johnson also had three steals, leading a Cincinnati defense that produced 13 takeaways. The Bearcats finished with more than 50 deflections, Cronin said, at least 10 more than the goal of 40 they take into every game.WWeve never lost when we get 40 deflections, Cronin said.dddddddddddd.Johnson matched his career high by halftime, scoring 15 points as the Bearcats built a 41-point lead before settling for a 65-26 halftime advantage. Evans also scored 15 points in the first half.That was the most points for Cincinnati in any half since scoring 68 in the first half against DePaul on Feb. 5, 1998.Cincinnati took the lead for good after Mike Holloway was whistled for a flagrant foul with 17:02 left in the first half. Evans made two free throws and Troy Caupain scored to complete a four-point possession that snapped a 6-6 tie.BIG PICTUREFairleigh Dickinson: The Knights committed 15 first-half turnovers, three shy of matching their season high, allowing Cincinnati to build a 22-5 advantage in points off turnovers.Cincinnati: The Bearcats shot 67.6 percent from the field (23 of 34), including 6 of 11 from 3-point range while scoring 65 points in the first half, just four shy of tying the program record for first-half points, set against North Texas State in the 1957-58 during the Oscar Robertson era.PILING UPCincinnatis 119 points set a record for a team in the American Athletic Conference, which is in its fourth season and is the fifth-highest total in program history.POLL IMPLICATIONSCincinnati will likely move up after winning two games by big scores this week, especially after No. 21 Notre Dame lost 86-81 to 15th-ranked Purdue on Saturday.UP NEXTAfter three straight road games, Fairleigh Dickinson returns home to play a Northeast Conference game on Dec. 29 against Saint Francis (Pa.).Cincinnati remains home to face Marshall on Thursday before traveling to Philadelphia on Dec. 28 for its American Athletic Conference opener against Temple.---More AP college basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25. 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