HARTFORD, Conn. (AP)—Maya Moore posted 23 points and Tina Charles added 20 points and 12 rebounds as the #1 Connecticut Lady Huskies overpowered the #2 Stanford Lady Cardinal, 80-68 Wednesday in Top 25 women’s college basketball action. The Lady Huskies improved to 10-0 and won their 49th straight game with the impressive victory. Despite trailing 40-38 at halftime, Connecticut was able to seize control and used a 42-28 surge to close out the game. Nnemkadi Ogwumike had 20 points and six rebounds to lead Stanford in the loss. In other Top 25 action Wednesday, #13 Xavier decimated Austin Peay, 87-41.

MIAMI (AP)—Dwyane Wade had 29 points and seven boards and the Miami Heat held the Utah Jazz to their lowest output of the season in an 80-70 win Wednesday at American Airlines Center in NBA action. Udonis Haslem chipped in with 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who improved to 14-12 on the season. Although Miami led only 32-30 at halftime, they managed to put the game away with a 31-19 3rd Quarter surge while the cold-shooting Jazz (38 percent shooting for the evening) were unable to muster any offensive continuity in the loss. Deron Williams had 18 points and six assists in the loss for Utah, which dropped them to 16-13 on the season. In other NBA action Wednesday, Orlando pummeled Houston, 102-87, Toronto hammered Detroit, 94-64, Minnesota got past New Jersey, 103-99, New Orleans surged past Golden State, 108-102, Washington dismantled Milwaukee, 109-97, Portland stonewalled San Antonio, 98-94, Denver crushed Atlanta, 124-104, Oklahoma City bested Phoenix, 117-113 and Cleveland stymied Sacramento, 117-104 in overtime.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—An agreement to protect a Utah canyon decorated by ancient American Indian artifacts is expected to allow energy development to move forward. The pact is scheduled to be signed January 5 by federal and state agencies, conservation and archaeology groups, tribal leaders and Denver-based gas driller Bill Barrett Corp. Things call for road work to cut down on abrasive dust that can erode the rock art panels of Nine Mile Canyon. The canyon, which is about 78 miles long, has been called the world’s longest art gallery, with thousands of prehistoric drawings. Bill Barrett Corp. is awaiting federal environmental approval to add 800 gas wells on high plateaus accessible only from Nine Mile Canyon. The company says it’s happy for the agreement to end years of dispute.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—Utah’s lone Democrat in Congress traded sharp blows with one of the state’s more powerful companies Wednesday in an escalating battle over nuclear waste disposal. The highly unusual political brawl, matching Jim Matheson against EnergySolutions Inc. has been brewing for days and finally came to a head with dueling press conferences Wednesday. Matheson took the first shots, denouncing what he labeled a “vicious TV ad” put together and paid for by EnergySolutions. The ad connects Matheson to Nancy Pelosi and a liberal agenda saying that Matheson ignores the science behind bringing the waste to Utah from Italy and opposes the new jobs the waste would bring into Utah. An hour later, the company fired back by denouncing a mailing Matheson sent to his constituents. The issue is Matheson’s opposition to imported nuclear waste from Italy, which the company hopes to dispose of at their Tooele County landfill. The TV ad, in turn, labeled Matheson as being anti-business and anti-jobs while also accusing him of playing fast and loose with the facts. Val Christensen, the president and CEO of EnergySolutions, said the company welcomes public scrutiny and dialogue on these issues but cannot tolerate the falsehoods and misrepresentations printed in Matheson’s mailer. Matheson says the mailer is not a liberal bill because Republicans support it and the Senate sponsor is Tennessee Republican Lamar Alexander. Furthermore, Matheson says there doesn’t seem to be an ability for anyone to say importing foreign waste and that’s why he’s proposing the bill to clarify or fill a gap in federal policy. He says he won’t be deterred by the ad.

(SALT LAKE CITY)—A small stipend will no longer be available to disabled Utahns after the first of the year. Officials with the Utah Department of Workforce Services say an increased demand for services, coupled with a dwindling budget, forced them to do away with the General Assistance program, which in the past has helped the disabled pay rent or afford medications. The Salt Lake Tribune reports advocates for people say the move could force more people onto the streets.

(BOUNTIFUL)—Lawyers for a man accused of murder say he may not be getting medications needed to restore his mental competency. Phillip Joseph Simmons has spent almost two years in the state hospital being treated for mental illness while there is a court order in place for him to be medicated. His lawyers, however, say he is not getting the pills. Hospital officials say he is being offered the drugs but often refuses them. Simmons is accused of stabbing Suzanne Fry in her Bountiful apartment in January 2008.

(CHARLESTON, W. Va.)—The federal government is upping the amount of its financial support of state and tribal efforts to regulate surface coal mining. The Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement said Wednesday it’s providing $68 million this year, up from $60 million. Recipients can use the money to cover half the cost of issuing mine permits, inspecting mines and enforcement. The bulk of the money is going to be big coal-producing states. OSM says Kentucky, the nation’s #3 producer, tops the list at $13.3 million, followed by Pennsylvania at $12.6 million. West Virginia is the nation’s top 2 producer at $11.93 million, while Wyoming came in first place with $2.3 million. Other recipients include Alabama, Maryland, North Dakota, Ohio, Virginia and Utah.