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HEBRON, West Bank -- For over a week, Palestinian soccer fans have been enjoying a special Christmas-season present: the first visit by Chilean soccer club Deportivo Palestino to the West Bank.Two-time winners of Chiles Premier Division and quarter finalists in this years Copa Sudamerica, Palestino was founded in 1920 in the capital city Santiago by Palestinian immigrants. The team has a huge following among Palestinians and President Mahmoud Abbas once described the club as a second national team for the Palestinian people.The main purpose of this visit is to reconnect the team to our origins in Palestine, said team general manager Christian Elben Nazal, whose father immigrated to Chile from the town of Beit Jala.Chile is believed to be the home of the largest Palestinian community outside the Arab world, most from the historically Christian towns of Beit Jala, Bethlehem and Beit Sahur. The teams red, white, black and green jersey represents the colors of the Palestinian flag and the communitys attachment to their ancestral land.During the week-long visit, Palestino has visited historical sites and played two matches, one with the Palestinian national team, and another with an all-star team from the Hebron area. It also conducted training sessions with children and young players.Soccer fans braved the rain and chilly weather as they sat in the small stadium waiting for the beginning of the Hebron match last Thursday.The events announcer practiced introductions in Arabic and Spanish. Long banners on the side of the field read: From Santiago to Jerusalem you are in our heart.Palestinian national songs played over speakers, followed by the visiting teams Spanish Hymno de Club Deportivo Palestino as the competing squads entered the stadium to the crowds cheers.I dont care who wins, said Osama Montasir, 54, a local fan. We are witnessing an athletic carnival between Palestinians of the motherland and the diaspora.Palestinian sports officials are hoping the visit will push the game of soccer forward here.They will see how sports here suffer, said Hisham Abu Shekhidem, a team manager and a former player for Hebrons Al-Ahli soccer club. We will gain experience from them and this will help our national team.Like so many other aspects of Palestinian life, soccer is clouded by the rocky relationship with Israel. The Palestinian soccer federation has repeatedly attempted -- unsuccessfully -- to have Israel expelled from the FIFA world soccer federation on various grounds, accusing Israel of blocking the movement of athletes and saying that teams in West Bank settlements are illegal.Chilean players of Palestinian descent have come to play with local teams and the national squad in recent years. Now, Palestino is eyeing Palestinian players to come play in Chiles soccer leagues.Shadi Shaban, 24, a midfielder and former player in both the Palestinian and Israeli leagues, is now on loan to Palestino after being spotted during a training camp for Hebrons Al-Ahli in Santiago last year.Playing in Chile has been a great experience, its a higher level of soccer, said Shaban, who has been playing in Chile now for six months. As the first Palestinian to play in Chile, I opened the gate and I hope others will follow.While the Palestinian national soccer team currently ranks far behind at 133, according to this months FIFA rankings, Roberto Tito Bishara, a former player for Palestino and the Palestinian national team, is optimistic that the team will improve.I know how much they are trying to develop soccer here. Im sure Palestine will be in a World Cup soon, Bishara said.Palestino hasnt escaped controversy. In 2014, the Chilean Football Federation forced the club to alter its jersey that carried the number one in the shape of historical Palestine, including all of what is now Israel, after complaints from local Jewish organizations.On the current visit, the team had hoped to travel to Gaza but was unable to arrange the trip.While touring Jerusalems Old City last week, the players were also slightly startled by the sound of gunshots and the scene of soldiers running following the shooting of a Palestinian youth who stabbed and lightly wounded two Israeli police officers with a screwdriver.We were not surprised, its what we read about, but it was the first time to live the experience, said manager Nazal.The fast-paced match between Palestino and the Hebron all-stars team ended with a 1-1 draw.Carrying a cardboard sign that read Cheer for Palestine, Muhammad Netcha, 28, found the result to his liking.I support both teams, he said. Its a match between Palestine and Palestine. 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Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Texas A&M used a school SEC-record 19 blocks to defeat Tennessee 25-19, 25-20, 16-25, 27-25 tonight at Thompson-Boling Arena.It was the eighth consecutive victory and the 13th win in the last 14 matches for the Aggies, who improve to 19-7, including 13-2 in Southeastern Conference matches. Tennessee drops to 15-13 overall and 5-10 in SEC matches. It was the seventh consecutive loss for the Vols in the series against the Aggies, but they end a streak of six consecutive sweeps.Senior middle blocker Jazzmin Babers led the Aggies with 18 points as she recorded her second double-double of the season and the fifth of her career with 11 blocks-including a career-high-tying three solo blocks-and 11 kills while hitting .556. Sophomore middle blocker Kaitlyn Blake added 16 points with eight blocks and 12 kills while hitting at a .500 clip. Blake also climbed from ninth to seventh in the A&M season records for block assists in a season, as she raised her total to 129.A&M outside hitters Hollann Hans and Kiara McGee, who pitched in a career-high six blocks, also had double-figure kills with 13 and 10, respectively, but they were held to a combined .139 hitting efficiency.Aggie junior setter Stephanie Aiple dished out 44 assists and also added seven kills, one shy of her career high. She also had eight digs. Libero Amy Nettles led the team in digs with 12, and defensive specialists Amy Houser and Victoria Arenas added 10 digs apiece.As a team, A&M outhit Tennessee, .205 to .162, and led in kills (58-51) and blocks (19-13), while the Vols led in aces (4-0) and digs (67-60).The opening set was tied at 4-4 when Babers tooled the Tennessee block for a kill, marking the start of a 4-0 run by the Aggies. Texas A&M led the remainder of the set, outhitting the Vols, .341 to .305, although the Aggies never held more than a four-point cushion until the last run to close out the frame. The Vols were within 22-19 following a kill by Tessa Grubbs, but Aiple countered with a kill and then set up Blake for a kill to put the Aggies at set point. Aiple closed out the frame on the next play, posting her fourth kill of the set.The Aggies led the entire second set and jumped out to a 10-3 lead, including four points that were the result of a block. Tennessee, which was outhit, .229 to .054, later trailed 18-12 following a kill bby Hans, forcing the Vols to call a timeout.dddddddddddd Tennessee came out of the timeout and blocked A&M on three consecutive plays to get within 18-15 before Hans found the floor for a kill. Tennessee would get within 19-17 before Hans had a kill and McGee and Blake teamed for a block to put A&M up 21-17. The Vols were unable to get closer than three points for the remainder of the set as the teams began to exchange points. The Aggies were ahead, 23-20, when Babers had back-to-back kills to close out the win, giving A&M a 2-0 lead in the match.Tennessee used a 4-0 run to take a 4-1 lead in the third set, and never looked back. The Vols, who outhit A&M, .407 to .138 in the stanza, went on to build their largest lead of the match at 24-13 after reeling off three unanswered points. A&M fought off three set points before the Aggies hit into the net to end the set.There were 10 ties and six lead changes in the fourth set. A&M, which outhit Tennessee, .113 to .067, equaled its largest lead at 17-13 when the Vols began a comeback. Tennessee eventually tied the score at 20-20 on an A&M attack error and also managed to tie the score at 21- and 22-all before another A&M attack error gave the Vols a 23-22 lead. Babers and McGee teamed for a block to tie the score at 23-23 before Tennessee got to set point following a block error on A&M. The Vols next attack sailed long to tie the score once again, and A&M regained the lead on a block by Babers and Aiple. A Tennessee kill tied the score for the final time as Babers and Hans then closed out the match with back-to-back kills.Erica Treiber led Tennessee with 10 kills, and freshman setter Sedona Hansen had 43 assists and a match-high 20 digs.Texas A&M returns to the road for a crucial showdown at No. 23 Kentucky on Sunday. The match against the Wildcats starts at 12:30 p.m. (CT) at Memorial Coliseum, and the contest will be televised on SEC Network.A&M has only one home match remaining, as the Aggies play host to LSU on Wednesday, Nov. 23 (Thanksgiving Eve) at 6:30 p.m. at Reed Arena. It will be Senior Night, and A&M seniors Victoria Arenas, Jazzmin Babers, Emily Hardesty, Katelyn Labhart and Kaysie Shebeneck will be honored in a postmatch ceremony. ' ' '