first 21 field goal attempts to stay within 28-24 midway t

Hawthorn midfielder Isaac Smith insists his AFL side are still sitting pretty as they prepare for the business end of a tilt at history.The Hawks face Geelong in a qualifying final at the MCG next Friday as they seek to win a fourth consecutive premiership.It is a feat that has only been achieved once in the VFL/AFL, by Collingwood in 1927-30.Hawthorn have been far from convincing in their past four games - losses to Melbourne and West Coast, an easy win over North Melbourne and a one-point triumph over Collingwood.But the dramatic victory at the MCG on Sunday ensured the Hawks would finish in the top four and that achievement shouldnt be sneered at.Youre always in a good spot to have a crack at it when youre top four. You get the second chance, Smith said.Were in as good a spot as anyone in the top four.A finals series is completely different .. the seasons over, you regroup and just try to get things done.Weve just got to bring our A game. We probably didnt bring that against Collingwood.Hawthorn have won three of their past four finals against Geelong, including the 2008 grand final.The two rivals have produced some memorable matches in recent years and Smith predicted more of the same in week one of the finals.They were pretty good on Saturday. They won by 100 points. Were going to have a challenge on our hands but thats finals, the three-time premiership winner said.We go into every game confident we can win.Itll be good fun. It should be a massive crowd at the G.The Cats are coming off a seven-match winning streak, having crushed Melbourne by 111 points in the final round of the season.Hawks coach Alastair Clarkson acknowledged his side will need to lift if theyre to defeat Geelong.They were pretty impressive .. if the two sides play to the form that they did this weekend then its going to be pretty hard to knock off the Cats, Clarkson said.But its a different weekend, different game .. well have to play a bit better (to win).Collingwood fell one goal short of a victory that would have consigned Hawthorn to an elimination final against Western Bulldogs.The Magpies booted four consecutive goals on Sunday to hit the front with a tick under three minutes remaining.Im not too sure (what went wrong) .. it wasnt good to watch, Smith said.Theyve got a pretty good midfield group that just took the game on ... it was just good to win. Air Max 720 Canada .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Nike Air Max 93 Canada . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. http://www.clearanceairmaxcanada.com/air-max-90-canada-sale/max-90-womens.html . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. Nike Air Max 2020 Canada . Robinson finished with 17 points, all but two in the second half, and Lawson had 14 after halftime and finished with a game-high 11 assists as the Nuggets handed Dallas its first home loss in eight games this season. J.J. Hickson led Denver with 22, and Kenneth Faried added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Air Max2 Light Canada . No. 13-seeded John Isner and No. 21 Philipp Kohlschreiber were among six players who dropped out of the tournament on Tuesday, joining No. 12 seed Tommy Haas and two other players who withdrew on Monday. LAHAINA, Hawaii -- North Carolina had a hard time shaking pesky Chaminade early. Once the Tar Heels turned into a bully, they were able to run away from the Silverswords.Isaiah Hicks scored 22 points, Kennedy Meeks had 20 points and 10 rebounds, and No. 4 North Carolina overpowered host Chaminade 104-61 Monday night in the Maui Invitational.Were just too big for them, Tar Heels coach Roy Williams said.North Carolina (5-0) needed a little time to gain some separation from the Division II Silverswords, doing so midway through the first half by pounding the ball inside.The Tar Heels outscored Chaminade 46-8 in the paint and had 26 second-chance points on 17 offensive rebounds to earn a spot in the semifinals against Oklahoma State on Tuesday.Tony Bradley added 14 points and North Carolina shot 57 percent from the floor. Meeks and Hicks, both seniors, scored 20 points in the same game for the first time.We knew they were going to compete, said Meeks, who hit all seven of his shots from the floor. I know through watching them through the years and seen them knock off teams in this tournament. We definitely took advantage of the things we should have, getting the ball inside and hitting shots.Chaminade (2-1) shot well early to hang with the Tar Heels, but had little chance once they picked up the defensive pressure and got the ball inside on offense. The Silverswords went 10 of 28 from 3-point range but were outrebounded 52-23.Rohndell Goodwin led Chaminade with 18 points, and Kiran Shastri added 13.It was pretty obvious to everybody that size and strength was the difference in this game, Chaminade coach Eric Bovaird said. They had (17) offensive rebounds and we had 23 total. It doesnt take a rocket scienttist to figure that out.ddddddddddddChaminade has a team filled with upperclassmen and has had a penchant for pulling off upsets. The Silverswords helped start the Maui Invitational with their shocker over top-ranked Virginia in 1982 and have knocked off big-name programs at this tournament through the years, most recently Texas in 2012.North Carolina was not a favorable matchup for them.The Tar Heels are long, athletic and considered national-title contenders even with forwards Luke Maye and Theo Pinson out with injuries.The Silverswords only shot at another upset would be to shoot the lights out. They did early, making 12 of their first 21 field goal attempts to stay within 28-24 midway through the first half.But then North Carolinas size inside began to wear Chaminade down.Behind the 6-foot-10 Meeks and the 6-9 Hicks, the Tar Heels started to stretch the lead. Meeks had 14 points by halftime, Hicks 13 and they combined to hit 11 of 13 shots to help North Carolina build a 50-34 advantage.The Tar Heels opened the second half with an 11-4 run and never looked back.We felt like we could play them with our guards, but what can you do with three 6-11 guys? Goodwin said. Its only so much we can do.BIG PICTUREAfter a slow start, the Tar Heels did what they were supposed to against an overmatched opponent. Theyll need a better start against Oklahoma States pressure defense in the semifinals.Chaminade again showed it can hang with the big boys, at least for stretches.UP NEXTNorth Carolina faces Oklahoma State in the semifinals on Tuesday.Chaminade meets UConn in the second round. ' ' '