TOKYO -- Paige Lawrence of Kennedy, Sask. Duane Kuiper Jersey ., and Rudi Swiegers of Kipling, Sask., took sixth spot on Saturday in pairs at the NHK Trophy ISU Grand Prix figure skating competition. Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia won the gold medal with 236.49 points. Cheng Peng and Hao Zhang of China were second at 182.18 and Wenjing Sui and Cong Han, also of China, were third at 171.32. It was the second competition this season for Lawrence and Swiegers who are hoping to regain top form in time for the national championships in January after an injury earlier this year to Swiegers. "It wasnt perfect but we feel like it was a step forward and part of the process," said Lawrence. "We are going to take the positives and adjust our training accordingly." Swiegers said he was too tentative. "I left a lot on table," he said. "Ive been skating better than what I showed today. Still we went out there and fought everything. It is important for us to keep everything in perspective. Our big goals are nationals and qualifying for the Olympics." In ice dancing, Torontos Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Unionville, Ont., stand fifth after the short dance. It was the couples first event this season. Poirier was out three months after sustaining a serious injury to his leg this past spring. Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the U.S., lead the field with 73.70 points. The free dance is on Sunday. Andrew McCutchen Jersey . -- Jerome Williams glanced at Philadelphias schedule and realized he would be facing the Oakland Athletics yet again, with another new team. Will Clark Jersey . - The Mavericks built a 12-point lead with 2:50 to play, gave away all but two points of it, and still managed to hang on. http://www.sfgiantsrookiestore.com/Giants-Gregor-Blanco-Kids-Jersey/ .Mihajlovic was sent off minutes from the end of Thursdays 2-0 win over Brescia and has been punished for using a disrespectful expression toward the fourth official and throwing the contents of a bottle of water at him, thus assuming an intimidating attitude.SOCHI, Russia -- Ukrainian Olympic chief Sergei Bubka said he has "great sympathy" with the desire of his athletes to wear black armbands to remember those killed in the political unrest in Kyiv. But he says it was agreed "after consultation with the IOC" that wearing armbands would not be in line with the Olympic Charter. "Both parties agreed that another way of allowing Ukraine athletes to mark their respects should be found," he said, adding that athletes on the team had observed a minute of silence in the Olympic Village and issued statements or gave interviews about thhe crisis. Willie Mays Jersey. Bubka, a pole vault great, issued a statement Thursday following "erroneous reports" that he had prevented athletes from wearing armbands. The International Olympic Committee denied that it had received a request from the Ukrainians to wear armbands during the games. Ukrainian skier Bogdana Matsotska withdrew from the Sochi Olympics in response to the deaths of anti-government protesters in Ukraine. Bubka has urged Ukrainian athletes to remain in Sochi as a sign of unity. But he has also said he respects the rights of athletes to make their own decision. ' ' '