ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Lynx rushed out to another big lead Friday night. And every time the Phoenix Mercury began to chip away, Maya Moore pushed them aside.Moore scored 26 points, all in the first three quarters, and the defending WNBA champion Lynx beat the Mercury 96-86 on Friday night to take a 2-0 lead in the semifinal series.Coming off a record-setting 113-point outburst in Game 1, Minnesota shot 61 percent in the first quarter and took a 35-24 lead. Moore scored 12 points in a three-minute flurry to close the quarter.Shes a very difficult person to guard because you cant necessarily script what shes going to do, said Minnesotas Cheryl Reeve, honored as the WNBA coach of the year Friday. Mayas got a good feel for the game in terms of moving without the basketball.Lindsay Whalen scored 12 of her 16 points in the fourth quarter for Minnesota, playing at the Xcel Energy Center -- home of the NHLs Minnesota Wild -- for the second straight game because of a scheduling conflict at the Target Center in Minneapolis.The Lynx missed their first five shots of the second quarter, but Moore stole an outlet pass and hit a 3-pointer to push Minnesotas lead to 12.Phoenix cut it to 63-57 midway through the third quarter. Moore answered with one of her four 3-pointers on the night and the Mercury didnt come within six again until the final 30 seconds.In the end, the Mercury paid for their poor first quarter.To let them score 35 points, that was the ballgame, Phoenix coach Sandy Brondello said. You cant play with the Lynx for 30 minutes. Theyre too good of a team.Still, with Moores scoreless fourth quarter fresh in her mind, Reeve said the Lynx need more out of their former league MVP.I know that the stat line says she was really, really good, but I think overall Maya Moore is a better player that what we saw tonight, Reeve said.Rebekkah Brunson added 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Sylvia Fowles had 14 points and nine rebounds for the top-seeded Lynx. Fowles was honored Friday as the leagues defensive player of the year.Diana Taurasi had 31 points for the eighth-seeded Mercury. Penny Taylor added 16, and Marta Xargay had 10.We did a much better job of matching their intensity and their toughness, Taurasi said. Unfortunately, we didnt bring it in the first quarter and that was probably the difference.FOUL TROUBLEThe teams combined for 54 fouls, including 17 in the first quarter. Phoenix center Britney Griner was especially hampered by the barrage of whistles. She picked up two fouls in the first 1:41 and was pulled from the game. Griner returned with 3:23 to go in the first quarter, but picked up her third foul with 50.8 seconds left in the quarter. She played just 4:13 in the first half.The offenses took advantage of the numerous trips to the line. The teams combined to make their first 25 free throws and made 63 of 68 from the line on the night.TIP-INSMercury: Center Kelsey Bone missed the game because of a strained left elbow. She was injured in the second half in Game 1 on Wednesday night. ... The Mercury have played four consecutive road playoff games. They won the first two, single-elimination games at Indiana and New York, before losing two straight in Minnesota.Lynx: Minnesota has won its first playoff game in each of the last six seasons. ... Jia Perkins had 12 points. ... Minnesota played without guard Anna Cruz and center Janel McCarville, both sidelined with back injuries.UP NEXTGame 3 is Sunday in Phoenix. Kurt Warner Jersey . 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Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. Cheap Football Cardinals Jerseys . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. BOULDER, Colo. -- All those yellow flags had Colorado coach Mike MacIntyre seeing a little red.Understandable.Isaiah Oliver returned a punt 68 yards for a score with 5:27 remaining and No. 21 Colorado overcame eight personal-foul penalties to beat UCLA 20-10 on Thursday night.Youre going to have a game like that every once in a while, MacIntyre said. But not with the selfish penalties we had. Well fix that.Oliver caught the punt on the right side of the field, cut back to the left and went untouched for the decisive score. It was the first punt return for a TD in 11 years for Colorado (7-2, 5-1 Pac-12, No. 15 CFP) and came on a night when the Buffaloes struggled to get much going.The game featured a combined 25 penalties for 224 yards, two blocked kicks and five turnovers -- four by Colorado. UCLA (3-6, 1-5) has dropped four straight.Couldnt get anything going on offense and had some trouble on special teams. Thats a good team and when that happens its tough to win, UCLA coach Jim Mora said.The Buffaloes struggled to control their temper and were called for taunting, roughing the passer, unsportsmanlike conduct and a targeting call that led to the ejection of outside linebacker Jimmie Gilbert early in the first quarter.MacIntyre vowed to make his team run laps for all those personal fouls.Really, though, the team gets the message.If you want to be Pac-12 championship team you cant be doing that stuff, senior QB Sefo Liufau said. As a group, as a team, we cant let other people get under our skin. Ultimately, well end up hurting ourselves and hurting our chances.UCLA quarterback Mike Fafaul stepped in with Josh Rosen sidelined by a shoulder injury. He finished 15 of 29 for 185 yards and one TD. He also threw an interception.Colorado has a great defense, Fafaul said.Liufau went a school-record 152 attempts without throwing an interception before tossing two in a span of six passes. Later, the senior fumbled on a big hit by Takkarist McKinley and was helped off the field. Freshman Steven Montez briefly took over.Colorado finished with 304 yards of offense but struggled to put points on the board for a second straight game.Weve got to go back and coorrect stuff, tailback Phillip Lindsay said.ddddddddddddTHE TAKEAWAYUCLA: The Bruins were held to 25 yards rushing, well below their season average (85.5). They need to win out to become bowl eligible.Colorado: They have a game lead in the Pac-12 South race over USC and Utah. Two of their final three games are at home.POLL IMPLICATIONSIts hard to see Colorado moving up very much given the way the team played. Better to win ugly than not at all.RISING UPThere was a section of the stands lined with flip cards that spelled out The Rise . Thats the Buffaloes mantra this season as they try to transform a once downtrodden program.They are a very exciting story not just in our conference but nationally, just to see the way the program has developed for them, Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott said.KICKING ISSUESThird-string Colorado kicker Chris Graham connected on a 37-yarder with 13:40 left to give the Buffaloes a 13-10 lead. He also hit a 21-yard field goal that was tipped at the line but still got through. He had another blocked.Colorado has kicker issues with Davis Price out because of mono and Diego Gonzalez done for the season after tearing his Achilles tendon.The Bruins fared no better on field goals, missing two kicks and having another blocked.This & ThatAmong those attending the game included: Broncos boss John Elway and approximately 32 NFL scouts representing 21 teams. ... Lindsay had 11 catches for 76 yards, along with 73 yards rushing. He scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter. His 11 catches were a team record for a running back. ...It was Colorados first win over UCLA since joining the Pac-12 in 2011. ... Fafaul said after the game that Rosen is bracing for surgery. Its tough for him, Fafaul said.UP NEXTUCLA: Host Oregon State, a team the Bruins beat 41-0 last season. UCLA holds a 42-16-4 advantage in the series.Colorado: At Arizona. 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