Penguins skate past Sabres

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Bryan Rust and Kevin Hayes scored in the third period and the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres 4-2 on Wednesday night to snap a two-game losing streak.

Hayes tapped in Erik Karlsson’s pass from the top of the crease with 7:26 remaining to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead. Jack Quinn trimmed the deficit for Buffalo with 4:18 left, and Connor Dewar had an empty-net goal for Pittsburgh in the final minute.

Mathew Dumba also scored for Pittsburgh. The Penguins have won just three of last 10 games since an 8-2-2 start.

Karlsson had an assist to tie Brad Park for the 12th-most assists by a defenseman in NHL history with 683.

Tristan Jarry stopped 29 shots for Pittsburgh. Jarry returned after missing the last seven games with a lower-body injury.

Jason Zucker also scored for Buffalo.

Tage Thompson’s six-game goal scoring streak ended for Buffalo, which is 5-6-4 in its last 15 games. The Sabres are 1-6-2 on the road. In all of their road losses, the Sabres were tied or within a goal during the third period.

Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 15 saves.

Buckeyes beat Mountaineers

West Virginia’s women’s basketball team had every opportunity to record its first-ever win against Ohio State on Wednesday, yet the 21st-ranked Mountaineers left The Bahamas sunburned. Elsa Lemmila scored in the paint with 24.9 seconds remaining and then teammate Ava Watson connected on two free throws with 3.8 seconds left to give Ohio State an 83-81 victory in the championship game of the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship, inside the Baha Mar Convention Center.

LSU must pay Kelly

Former LSU coach Brian Kelly received a letter from LSU on Wednesday confirming that he was fired without cause and is owed “liquidated damages as required” under his contract of about $54 million.

The letter, obtained by The Associated Press, clears the way for Kelly to withdraw a Nov. 10 lawsuit against the university. Kelly said in the suit that LSU officials had suggested he could be fired for cause, which could have substantially reduced his buyout.

LSU spells out in Wednesday’s letter that Kelly has a legal obligation to make “good-faith, reasonable and sustained efforts” to get another job in football while he is still being paid by LSU.