OMAHA, Neb. -- Michael Allen raised his arms and looked skyward. The long, hard-breaking eagle putt that defined his round of 7-under 63 Friday had just finished its uphill journey to the back of the cup on the 14th hole. "The miracle shot," he called it. Allen said he wanted to lag the ball to within 10 feet. That it went in was a bonus. "It wasnt about me," he said. "Obviously, something else happened. What do you say? The Lord did it or whatever. It was nice it went in, and it was kind of out of my control." Just about everything else went right for the 54-year-old Allen, too. His best round of the year put him at 10 under after the second round of the U.S. Senior Open and allowed him to break away from the pack for a five-stroke lead. The cushion was the largest after 36 holes in the tournaments 34-year history. "Man, oh, man. The biggest lead?" Allen said with a smile. "So I can blow the biggest lead. Is that what youre telling me?" Rocco Mediate was Allens closest pursuer after he shot a bogey-free, 3-under 67. Jeff Sluman also had a 67 and was another shot back. "Weve got to go out and get him," Mediate said. "He aint going to come back, more than likely." Allen started the day sharing the lead with six other players. He birdied five of the first eight holes and went out in 30 in hot, breezy conditions at the Omaha Country Club. He hit a rough patch after he made the turn, chunking a ball in the long grass on No. 12, but everything was right after he went birdie-eagle on Nos. 13 and 14. Allen was short with his birdie putt on the last hole, ending his bid to match the U.S. Senior Open record of 62 by Loren Roberts at Prairie Dunes in 2006. His two-round total of 130 was lowest in tournament history. "You kind of look at the way things have gone so far," Allen said. "Ive chipped in a couple times. Ive played some bad shots and kind of gotten away without killing myself. Theres too far to go, though. Hopefully, in the end, its predestined, but Ive got a long way to go. Only halfway there." Allen never won in 394 starts on the regular tour, but he has four victories since joining the Champions Tour four years ago, including the 2009 Senior PGA Championship. He had top-10 finishes in the U.S. Senior Open in 2010-11 and tied for 33rd last year. His game has been on the upswing lately. He won the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic in March and came to Omaha with three top-10 finishes in his last four events. It looked as if Allen and Mediate would match birdies early. Mediate had three in four holes to start the afternoon and took a brief lead. But Allen, playing in the group behind him, went on a tear. He hit every green in regulation and made the turn with a 3-shot lead. Allens strength is his irons, and he was hitting them pure on the front nine, seemingly oblivious to the southerly winds gusting to 25 mph and the courses elevation changes. The most impressive of his six birdies came on the 477-yard eighth hole, which has been playing as the toughest on the course. He hit a 210-yard 4-iron to 15 feet, then raised his right hand and gave a quick thumbs-up after his straight putt dropped into the cup. His eagle came after he hit driver-hybrid to the bottom shelf of the two-tiered 14th green. With his long putter anchored to his chest, there was no threat of Allen coming up short on the putt that measured 50-60 feet. The ball went up the ridge and broke about 20 feet to the left before it hit the back of the cup, popped up and dropped in. "I could hit that putt 100 times and not get it within 5 feet, I guarantee you," Allen said. "So I hit a good putt. I did what I was trying to do, but then it went in. Its one of those days, things were going right, and that was one of the things that really went right." Defending champion Roger Chapman was among the players who missed the cut. He followed his first-round 74 with a 76. "Just played rubbish, that was it," he said. Mike Brosseau Rays Jersey . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. Tommy Pham Rays Jersey . Olli Jokinen, Mark Scheifele, and Bryan Little each had a goal and an assist as Winnipeg won 5-2, handing Calgary its record-setting seventh consecutive loss on home ice. https://www.cheapraysonline.com/1756i-joe-maddon-jersey-rays.html . Nathan MacKinnon, Jamie McGinn and Jan Hejda also scored for the Avalanche, who won despite being outshot 38-23. MacKinnons goal, also on the power play, came with just over a minute remaining. Mike Zunino Rays Jersey . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Eric Sogard Jersey . -- Whether Jeremy Hill deserves a prominent role in LSUs offence this early in the season is a matter for debate. PITTSBURGH -- Michael Young scored 24 points and added 10 rebounds as Pittsburgh held off Yale, 75-70, Tuesday night.Young, the two-time reigning ACC Player of the Week, was a jack-of-all trades for the Panthers. In addition to leading the team in scoring and rebounds, Young had three assists, a block and went a perfect 6 for 6 from the free-throw line.Pitt (4-1) took advantage of an aggressive Yale defense by getting to the foul line frequently. The Bulldogs committed a total of 19 fouls, and Pitt made 18 of 23 from the free-throw line.We took the ball strong to the rim and got them in foul trouble, Pitt coach Kevin Stallings said. We were able to get ourselves to the line and it ended up being the difference in the game, probably.Pitts Jamel Artis had 20 points and six rebounds. The point guard was able to lead Pitts transition game, which outscored Yale, 14-7, on fast-break points.Yale (2-2) kept the game close throughout the first half by using some hot outside shooting. Guard Miye Oni hit three first-half 3-pointers as part of a 13-point night. The Bulldogs as a team shot 40.7 percent from beyond the arc.We go into every game trying to take what teams give us, said Yale coach James Jones. We figured out that driving it, having them collapse, and then kicking the ball out was good for us.Late in the game, Yale changed to a press and closed a 10-point Pitt lead.BIG PICTUREYale: The Bulldogs continue to get strong offensive production deespite the loss of leading returning scorer Makai Mason, who is out with an injury.dddddddddddd Yale had four players in double digits, with Sam Downeys 17 leading the way.Pitt: Kevin Stallings has been searching for a third scorer to complement Young and Jamel Artis, who had 20. Sophomore Cameron Johnson threw his hat into the ring, scoring 15 points, including a series of three straight 3-pointers in the second half to help the Panthers build a lead.It was a big boost, Young said. They went zone, kept it compact, took away the driving lanes and made us use the pass more. (Johnson) opened up things for us and helped us keep the lead and keep it at margin we could be comfortable.TURNING POINT: Yales press closed the margin to three points with under a minute to play when Yale guard Anthony Dallier inadvertently fouled Artis, who made both free throws to restore Pitts two-possession lead.?It was a bit of a homecoming game for Dallier, who had never played at the Petersen Events Center despite growing up in nearby Wexford, Pa. He started and played 25 minutes while scoring six points.?UP NEXTThe Bulldogs continue a four-game road swing when they visit Vermont Saturday. Yale plays five of its first six games on the road this season.Pitt hosts Morehead State Friday night. The Panthers beat Eagles last season, 72-62. ' ' '
