By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 26, 2011

. Today

Lightning at Rangers

When/where: 1 p.m.; Madison Square Garden, New York

TV/radio: Sun Sports; 970-AM

Key stats: Lightning C Vinny Lecavalier has six goals, 14 points in his past 12 games. … Tampa Bay is 3-0-0 against New York, 3-for-10 on the power play and 6-for-7 on the penalty kill. … The Rangers are 22-0-0 when leading after two periods and entered Saturday with a league-best seven wins when trailing entering the third. … New York has a league-best 17 players with winning goals. … G Henrik Lundqvist led the league with eight shutouts.

Times wires
Saturday, February 26, 2011

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Kyle Busch became the first driver in a national NASCAR race to win wire-to-wire in nearly eight years Saturday.

It wasn't as easy as it looked, not with his car getting loose and Carl Edwards bearing down over the final few laps.

Busch dominated from the pole early and held off Edwards late, leading all the way to win the Bashas' Supermarkets 200 and set up the chance for a perfect weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

"It came down to the end of the race, and Carl was alongside of me and we were racing really hard trying to beat each other, and I was like, 'Man, just beat him back to the start-finish line, man, just beat back to the start-finish line,' " Busch said. "I was just trying to hold on for as long as I could."

Busch, 25, is the first green-to-checkers winner in a major NASCAR race since Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a Nationwide race at Daytona in 2003.

The trucks winner Friday night, Busch can make it three straight in today's 500-mile Sprint Cup race, where he'll start fourth. The only driver to win all three major NASCAR races in one weekend? Busch, in August at Bristol.

"We made a run," Edwards said. "I did everything but move him out of the way, and I thought about that, but he did a great job."

DIXON SETS TOP FUEL MARK: Larry Dixon put together a pass of 3.770 seconds at 324.98 mph to break the Top Fuel national record at the NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, Calif. "That run (Saturday) was just spectacular from my standpoint," Dixon told NHRA.com. Cruz Pedregon (4.015 seconds at 313.22 mph) led Funny Car and Erica Enders (6.553, 211.69) was fastest in Pro Stock.

EAST BAY RACEWAY: Jack Nosbisch Jr. won the 40-lap Late Model feature late Friday at the Gibsonton track.

Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 26, 2011

TAMPA — Two gritty teams. Two overtime periods. Too many mistakes by Admiral Farragut.

Tampa Prep (25-3) forced 25 turnovers and Josh Heath scored 26 points as the fourth-ranked Terrapins outlasted AFA 52-44 Saturday night, earning their third consecutive trip to the Class 2A state tournament. Tampa Prep will play Orlando First Academy on Wednesday at the Lakeland Center.

"It was the survival of the fittest," Tampa Prep coach John Fenlon said. "It's unreal (going back to state). We graduated seven seniors last year; it's a whole different group with a whole different feel."

AFA (15-7) took a 10-point lead early in the third quarter, but Tampa Prep turned up its full-court pressure defense. The Blue Jackets missed two potential winning shots in the final seconds of regulation.

In the second overtime, Tampa Prep snapped a 43-all tie as Devontae Morgan's steal led to a three-point play by Heath. It started a 9-0 run by the Terrapins and three AFA starters fouled out, including top scorer Chris Myrick (13 points, all in the first half).

"When you get late (with the basketball) and turn it over, it's a tough one to overcome," AFA coach Sylvio Brutus said. "These are the types of games high school players enjoy, coaches enjoy and fans enjoy. When you get two teams that make it to the regional finals, this is what you expect."

Alvin Cunningham added 10 points for AFA.

"Their big kids, (Daniel) Salomon and (Max) Eaton, were really, really good," Fenlon said. "(AFA) had 15 offensive rebounds in the first half. We did a much better job in the second half."

Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 26, 2011

BROOKSVILLE — No team wants to keep saying "Wait till next year," but that is routinely becoming what the Nature Coast Sharks say in their locker room at the end of the postseason.

For the second consecutive season, the Sharks were ousted in the Class 4A boys basketball region finals, this time falling 60-47 to Leesburg in front of packed gymnasium on their own campus Saturday evening.

Last season, Nature Coast fell in this round on the road to Orlando Oak Ridge, an eventual state finalist.

"The disappointment level is still the same when your season ends," Nature Coast coach David Pisarcik said, "but we feel we really had a shot to win this game."

Every player on the Sharks (27-4) got off to a sluggish start with the exception of star Tyler Bergantino. The 6-foot-9 center scored or assisted on each of the team's first 15 points, including scoring all of Nature Coast's six first-quarter points.

Leesburg's pressure defense resulted in easy layups and a 15-6 lead for the Yellow Jackets (26-4), while Nature Coast's four other starters got open jumpers and missed the opportunities.

The pace slowed to Nature Coast's liking in the second quarter when guards Blake Lowman and Donovan Ingram were able to feed Bergantino (18 points, eight rebounds, eight blocks, three assists) steadily. The Sharks outscored Leesburg 17-6 in the quarter to lead 23-21 at the half.

But Leesburg coach Marcel Thomas made adjustments for the second half and things changed once again. While adding more pressure on the Sharks guards, he also switched his double team on Bergantino from possession to possession, confusing the Nature Coast offense at times.

"It just shows how important every possession is," Pisarcik said. "We didn't execute. We missed some easy ones."

Leesburg forced 14 turnovers, many leading to fastbreak points.

Once the Sharks were forced to foul, the Yellow Jackets made them pay. Teron Wallace (12 points) went to the line 10 times and made nine free throws to ice his team's trip to Lakeland for the state semifinals.

Times wires
Saturday, February 26, 2011

Tennis

Djokovic remains perfect in 2011

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Novak Djokovic beat Roger Federer for the second time in a month Saturday, 6-3, 6-3 in the Dubai Championships final. Djokovic, who beat Federer in the Australian Open semifinals, is 12-0 in 2011.

"I'm a different player than last year. I have a serve," Djokovic said. "Last year, the serve was not there, and I was struggling a lot. I was using a lot of energy. Now I get to have some free points, which is important."

Federer entered having not lost a set in four previous tournament matches and squandered a 3-1 lead in the second set.

"Started bad and then kind of got into the match," Federer said. "But things are over in a hurry sometimes in best-of-three set tennis."

Federer leads the career series 13-8. But Djokovic has handed Federer his only two losses among 16 matches in 2011.

"We've had it kind of come and go in spells a bit against each other," Federer said. "I thought he was … playing well at the end of last year. We had a couple real close ones. This one has been one of the rather disappointing matches for me against him."

Qatar Open: Vera Zvonareva defeated world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-4 in the final in Doha. After eight deuces, the world No. 3 broke for a 4-3 lead in the second. "Caroline is a great player," Zvonareva said. "So I was just fighting for every point."

Horses

Soldat takes next step toward Kentucky Derby

Soldat solidified himself as a Kentucky Derby contender by winning the $400,000 Fountain of Youth by 2 lengths over Gourmet Dinner at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach. Soldat, which has three wins and four runnersup among seven starts under trainer Kiaran McLaughlin, took the lead very early and ran 11/8 miles in 1:50.23. It is next expected to run in the Florida Derby on April 3 at Gulfstream.

More Gulfstream: Flashpoint pulled away down the stretch to win the $150,000 Hutcheson Stakes by 7¼ lengths over the favored Travelin Man. Trainer Richard Dutrow said he hopes to point the colt, which has won both of its career races, toward the Florida Derby then, perhaps, the Kentucky Derby. … R Heat Lightning, second in the Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies, rolled to a 7½-length victory over Dancinginherdreams in the $250,000 Davona Dale.

Tampa Bay Downs: Choragus wore down C C's Pal down the stretch to win the $50,000 Wayward Lass Stakes in Oldsmar. Ridden by Leandro Goncalves, Choragus ran 11/16 miles in 1:44.39.

Et cetera

BOWLING: Hall of Famer Norm Duke earned the top spot for today's U.S. Open final (3, ESPN) in North Brunswick, N.J. The Clermont native will be vying for his 34th title and seventh major.

Greyhounds: M's Free Hand and Kiowa Jsk Gustaf won third-round Sprint Classic qualifiers at Derby Lane. Qualifying concludes Wednesday.

Don Jensen, Times correspondent; Times wires

Travis Puterbaugh, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 26, 2011

DURANT — Durant gave Lake Wales all it could handle for two quarters Saturday night, but the visiting Highlanders proved why they are one of the top teams in Florida with a 64-38 victory in a Class 5A boys basketball region final.

Lake Wales advances to the state semifinals against Gibbs in Lakeland later this week.

While Oshey Washington led all scorers with 23 points, the real key to the game for Lake Wales was its swarming defense.

"We pride ourselves on defense and harassing the other team's point guards," Lake Wales coach Billy D. Washington said. "We force them into making a turnover and it turns into a transition bucket for us down at the other end."

Durant point guard Adrian Nelson will likely be seeing Lake Wales defenders in his sleep for a long time, as he was routinely harassed by two, and sometimes three, Highlanders just trying to get out of his own backcourt.

"We haven't seen any teams play press like that," Durant coach Trent Tice said. "In the first half we were dealing with it and scoring, but when Andre (Nation) went out, we had no one to go to."

Nation, who had nine first-half points, got into foul trouble in the first half and began the second half on the bench. He eventually fouled out with 3 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Cougars struggled in the second half, scoring only eight points, six of them coming in the third quarter.

"Andre makes us go," Tice said. "Without him in there, we sort of fell apart. If we don't get into foul trouble, I'd like to see that game again."

Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, February 26, 2011

TAMPA — The surgery spanned 16 excruciating minutes. For the entire first half of Saturday's Class 6A region final, Dr. Phillips dissected Wharton, compiling 26 interior points en route to a 20-point halftime lead.

But that metaphorical scalpel never once penetrated the Wildcats' collective heart. Buoyed by 6-foot-5 senior A.J. Astroth (24 points), a resurgent defensive effort and an energetic crowd of 908, the hosts (23-6) nearly turned the operating tables.

The rally ended when officials ruled Astroth's foot touched the sideline after taking an inbound pass with 3.1 seconds remaining, preserving Dr. Phillips' 57-54 win.

"As ugly as the first half was, the second half couldn't have been more rewarding as their coach to see them go out and play the way they played," Wildcats coach Tommy Tonelli said. "I couldn't be more proud of how they walked off that floor and left it, despite the loss."

Employing clever screens and crisp passes to the interior by DePaul-bound point guard Shane Larkin (17 points), the Panthers outscored Wharton 26-6 in the paint en route to a 38-18 halftime lead. Meantime, Astroth and fellow 6-5 senior Xavier Owens — Wharton's top scorers — had two combined field goals at halftime.

"Owens and Astroth are very, very good but they're more wing players," Dr. Phillips coach Anthony Long said. "So we thought we might be able to hurt them inside a little bit and we did, especially in the first half."

The Wildcats began chipping away at the Panthers' lead but trailed 49-34 entering the fourth quarter. Astroth's 3-pointer with 3:29 to play made it 53-43. Dr. Phillips still led by seven with less than a minute remaining, but Sir Patrick Reynolds' trey — after a Panthers turnover — made it 55-51 with 35.5 seconds to play.

Another Dr. Phillips turnover on the far sideline with 25 seconds to play was answered by an Astroth 3. Panthers guard Isaac Lane missed the front end of a one-and-one with 9.8 seconds to go, but converted a pair four seconds later after an Astroth foul.

That set up the final flawed inbound play. Before that, Astroth tallied 17 second-half points.

"I thought maybe (Astroth) got bumped, but it's tough; I didn't really see it all the way," Tonelli said. "I thought I could've given him more help, called a better sideline out-of-bounds play than I did. If I could change it I would."

Times staff
Saturday, February 26, 2011

Playoff chase

With nonshootout wins (the first tiebreaker) and games remaining. Division winners get the top three seeds:

EastPts. Wins GR

1. Flyers86 38 20

2. Lightning 79 31 21

3. Bruins* 75 33 22

4. Penguins8032 18

5. Capitals763119

6. Canadiens733119

7. Rangers 70 26 19

8. Hurricanes 67 25 20

9. Sabres6524 21

10. Maple Leafs6223 20

11. Thrashers 61 22 20

WestPts. Wins GR

1. Canucks* 87 37 20

2. Red Wings8234 20

3. Sharks 76 32 20

4. Coyotes 75 30 19

5. Kings74 28 20

6. Wild 72 31 20

7. Stars72 28 20

8. Flames 71 24 19

9. Blackhawks 70 28 21

10. Predators70 25 20

11. Ducks 69 28 20

12. Blue Jackets 68 27 22

* late result not included

Times wires
Saturday, February 26, 2011

LEXINGTON, Ky. — With less than two days to prepare to try to end a winning streak spanning almost two years, Florida focused on Kentucky's biggest players.

Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight rank among the top five scorers in SEC play.

But it wasn't the two freshmen who hurt the No. 13 Gators. Instead, Darius Miller, the Wildcats' fourth-leading scorer, had a career-high 24 points to lead No. 22 Kentucky to a 76-68 win at Rupp Arena on Saturday.

"I think he's one of the most complete players in the league," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "For whatever reason, he has not necessarily played that way on the road this year. He's played that way at home."

Miller helped Kentucky (20-8, 8-6 SEC) end Florida's six-game winning streak and extend its own home streak to 33 games. The win also gave UK coach John Calipari 500 for his career.

It came, mostly, with the improved play of Wildcats players who didn't hurt the Gators (22-6, 11-3) in Gainesville.

Knight and Jones combined for 42 points in the Gators' win this month, but no other player reached double figures. Saturday, Florida contained the two biggest threats but watched as Josh Harrellson had 12 rebounds, Doron Lamb scored 14 and DeAndre Liggins came off the bench to score eight.

"Last time we played them, Harrellson and Miller, and even Liggins and Lamb, those guys really didn't do too much," Donovan said.

Florida trailed 34-33 at halftime but came out flat in the second half and got down 39-33. But the Gators responded with an 8-2 run to tie the score at 41.

As Kentucky began to pull away midway through the second half, Florida failed to make easy shots that would have kept it closer. On three possessions, UF missed four shots and fouled as Kentucky pulled ahead 58-49.

"Our frontcourt just couldn't quite finish around the basket," Donovan said.

Florida trailed by as many as 12 in the final two minutes.

The difference was on-ball defense, senior forward Chandler Parsons said.

"It was just all about getting stops, and we didn't get enough," he said. "We weren't determined enough to guard the ball … Miller, Liggins, Jones, those guys were just driving right by our guys."

Kentucky shot 51.7 percent for the game and outscored the Gators 36-26 in the paint.

Kenny Boynton had 21 points, making 5 of 9 3-pointers, to lead Florida. Parsons had 15 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and one turnover. Erving Walker and Vernon Macklin each scored 10.

The Gators have already clinched the No. 1 seed from the East but will claim the division title with a win in either of their last two games. Florida hosts Alabama on Tuesday and visits No. 18 Vanderbilt on Saturday.

"If we play like we did (Saturday night), we're not going to win Tuesday night, either," Parsons said. "So we just gotta worry about ourselves and our team."

Times wires
Saturday, February 26, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS — Before taking a single question during his long-awaited appearance before the media at the NFL scouting combine, Cam Newton tried to put out yet another fire.

In a prepared statement, the former Auburn quarterback tried to clarify a recent comment in which he described himself as "not only as a football player but an entertainer and icon."

Newton noticed the wave of negative reaction and felt he was misunderstood. The Heisman Trophy winner spent his first minute at the podium Saturday explaining where his focus will be and later said he was at fault for being unclear.

"First and foremost, I understand that my obligation is to be the best possible football player I can be," he said. "I know and believe that."

His comment drew a reaction because some say his swagger teeters on the edge of pure arrogance. In roughly 12 minutes at the podium, he referred to himself in the third person three times. When asked if some mistake his confidence for cockiness, he said: "I'm not sure, but I'm a confident person, and it was instilled in myself at an early age to believe in myself."

Controversy, it seems, follows Newton.

The NCAA ruled in December that he was unaware of the pay-for-play scheme involving his father, Cecil, and the owner of a scouting service, former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers. Newton said the scrutiny helped the father and son's relationship:

"The relationship with my father was one that was already good before this whole adversity thing, came up with the NCAA, and this whole NCAA thing … just brought me and my father closer together."

Newton won the Heisman and a national championship before declaring himself eligible for the NFL draft.

Newton dealt with controversy even before his Auburn days. He was arrested while attending Florida in November 2008 for having a stolen laptop. The charges were dropped when he completed pretrial intervention, and he went on to play a year at Blinn (Texas) junior college.

LABOR: Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league's top labor negotiator used the combine to update owners on collective bargaining negotiations.

In an e-mail, league spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that Goodell and Jeff Pash met Friday with the owners' labor committee at the Colts' team complex. Colts owner Jim Irsay, Aiello said, did not participate because he was out of town.

The NFL Players Association and owners are trying for a new collective bargaining agreement before the old one expires Thursday. The sides will resume negotiating in front of federal mediator George Cohen on Tuesday.

DUERSON SERVICE: Friends and family jammed a Southside Chicago church for a memorial service for Dave Duerson. A four-time Pro Bowl pick and hard-hitting safety who played on Super Bowl winners with the Bears and Giants, Duerson committed suicide Feb. 17 at his home in Sunny Isles Beach, near Miami. He was 50. He asked that his brain be donated for study at the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University.

OBITUARY: Ricky Bell, an NFL defensive back who went on to play in the CFL, died Feb. 17 in Columbia, S.C. He was 36. No cause of death was given.

DOLPHINS: ESPN.com reported that defensive tackle Paul Soliai agreed to a franchise tender worth $12.381 million for a year.

Dan Deluca, Special to the Times
Saturday, February 26, 2011

FORT MYERS — Tampa Catholic senior guard Lashawn Harrison is accustomed to hitting big shots.

With the Crusaders facing their biggest game in 11 years in Saturday's Class 3A region final at Bishop Verot, their leading scorer didn't disappoint.

Harrison poured in a game-high 24 points, including five 3-pointers — two in the final four minutes — as Tampa Catholic held off Bishop Verot 57-54.

"He has really worked so hard on his shot," TC coach Don Dziagwa said of Harrison. "He's so quick going to the basket that teams can't just play up on him. He's playing like a true senior point guard is supposed to play."

Because of that, Tampa Catholic (21-8) is headed to Lakeland for the first time since 2000. The Crusaders face Orlando Jones (21-6) Wednesday.

After a slow start against the Vikings (22-8), TC exploded for 24 second-quarter points, turning an eight-point deficit into a 29-24 halftime lead. The Crusaders buried six 3-pointers during the surge, including three in succession by Harrison.

Tampa Catholic found itself in foul trouble, however, in the second half and fell behind 44-43 with 4:14 to play. Harrison immediately answered with another 3, and the Crusaders never trailed the rest of the way.

The victory wasn't secure until Bishop Verot senior guard Jason Hoop's 3-point attempt bounced away at the buzzer.

"We're a tough team," Harrison said. "We haven't given up all year and we didn't (Saturday)."

Dan Deluca, special to the Times

Times wires
Saturday, February 26, 2011

MARANA, Ariz. — Stoic as ever, Martin Kaymer rolled in an 8-foot par on the 18th hole Saturday and treated it like another day at the office, removing his cap to shake hands with his latest victim.

Kaymer isn't ready to celebrate becoming the new No. 1 player in golf.

Right now, he just wants to be No. 1 at the Match Play Championship.

The German outlasted Bubba Watson to end a long day at Dove Mountain and reach today's championship match, assured that he will be No. 1 in the next world ranking.

Kaymer, 26, becomes the 14th player to top the ranking and the second-youngest. Tiger Woods was 21 when he first reached the top in June 1997.

But the celebration will have to wait. Next up for Kaymer is Luke Donald, who set a record in the World Golf Championships event by needing only 73 holes in five matches to reach the final.

"When I hear those things, that I'm No. 1 in the world on Monday … I'm in the middle of a tournament," Kaymer said. "It would be fantastic (today) if I could win. Then it really feels like I deserve to be No. 1. I'm not saying that I don't deserve it, but it would make me feel better if I would win instead of finishing second.

"So yes," he said with a smile, "it's a little strange."

There should be no debate whether he deserves to be No. 1. He ends the 17-week reign of Lee Westwood, who only had three wins on his world ranking ledger when he became No. 1.

Kaymer has won seven times in the past two years, including his first major at the PGA Championship in August, when he made a clutch putt on the final hole to beat Watson in a three-hole playoff.

Yet at Dove Mountain, nobody has been more dominant than Donald, an Englishman who has yet to trail in any of his five matches. Donald only had to play 27 holes in his quarterfinal win over Ryan Moore and his demolition of Matt Kuchar in the semis.

This is the second straight year for an all-European final in the WGC event. A year ago, Ian Poulter defeated Paul Casey for the championship.

In the quarterfinals, Watson was five down with eight to play against J.B. Holmes when he staged an amazing comeback. Holmes hit it into the desert at the wrong time and lost in 19 holes.

Kaymer beat Miguel Angel Jimenez 1 up in the quarterfinals.

PGA: Johnson Wagner moved into contention for his second tour title, shooting 6-under 65 for a one-stroke lead over Chris Stroud after the third round of the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. Wagner, the 2008 Houston Open winner, was at 13-under 200 on the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon course on the Caribbean coast.

LPGA: Chie Arimura of Japan shot 1-under 71 for a one-stroke lead at 11-under 205 over Karrie Webb after the third round of the HSBC Women's Champions in Singapore. Top-ranked Yani Tseng trailed by six after shooting 69. Seminole's Brittany Lincicome was tied for 11th, 10 strokes back, after shooting 71. Tampa resident Kristy McPherson (75) was 9 over.

Times wires
Saturday, February 26, 2011

WASHINGTON — No. 1 Connecticut overcame a season-high 26 turnovers to beat No. 18 Georgetown 52-42 and clinch its 19th regular-season title in the Big East's 23-year history.

Eight turnovers came in a span of 10 second-half possessions against a Hoyas team that presses throughout games. And the 52 points were the fewest for the Huskies (28-1, 15-0) since a 73-50 loss to LSU in the 2006-07 region final.

"We've never been a team that's solely focused on the win," said Maya Moore, who scored a team-high 20. "It's always been how we win. So when we don't win the way we know we can, it's not as sweet."

Georgetown (21-8, 9-6) faltered because it turned the 26 turnovers into only 20 points.

"We gave that one away," said Monica McNutt, its only senior. "I'm a little bit sour about that."

No. 2 Stanford 99, Ore. 60: The host Cardinal (26-2, 17-0) led 31-10 midway through the first half and clinched its 11th consecu­tive Pac-10 regular-season title.

No. 24 Marquette 60, No. 7 De Paul 53: Tatiyiana McMorris scored 16 for the host Golden Eagles (22-6, 10-5, Big East), who pulled away after the Blue Demons (25-5, 12-3) rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit.

No. 8 N. Dame 66, Cincy 48: Up 28-20, the host Irish (24-5, 13-2 Big East) opened the second half with a 21-0 run.

No. 17 Wis.-Green Bay 93, Butler 57: Kayla Tetschlag scored 16 of her 20 during the first half for the host Phoenix (26-1, 16-0 Horizon).

Rutgers 67, No. 19 W. Va. 58: Chelsey Lee's go-ahead three-point play with 1:02 left lifted the host Knights. The Mountaineers (21-8, 7-8 Big East) were outscored 12-2 over the final 2:35.

No. 23 'zaga 80, San Diego 58: Courtney Vandersloot scored 20 for the host Bulldogs (26-4, 14-0), who went undefeated in the West Coast Conference for the second straight season.

No. 25 Iowa St. 58, Kan. St. 51: The visiting Cyclones (20-8, 8-6 Big 12) pulled away with a 14-4 run in which they didn't allow a field goal for seven minutes.

Late basket lifts USF

PHILADELPHIA — Andrea Smith's layup off a baseline drive with six seconds left lifted USF to a 59-58 win over Villanova.

The Bulls (11-18, 2-13 Big East), who broke a seven-game skid, took a 57-55 lead with 1:06 left on a steal and layup by Leondra Doomes-Stephens (game-high 19 points). The Wildcats retook the lead on Lindsay Kimmel's 3-pointer with 15 seconds left.

Tampa 73, Fla. Tech 62: Lindsey Watson scored four of her 21 during the host Spartans' late 8-0 run. The win earned Tampa (20-6, 12-4) the second seed in the Sunshine State Conference tournament. It hosts No. 7 Lynn in Wednesday's quarters while No. 4 Eckerd hosts No. 5 Rollins.

Barry 62, Saint Leo 49: Nadia Tijani had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the visiting Bucs. Because only eight of the nine teams qualify for the SSC tournament, it marked the last game for Saint Leo coach Chanita Olds. She resigned Friday and went 9-18 (1-15 SSC) this season and 61-104 over six.

Times wires
Saturday, February 26, 2011

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Rodney Stuckey had 28 points and a big steal in the final minute, helping the Pistons bounce back from an embarrassing start to the weekend with a 120-116 win over the Jazz on Saturday.

One night earlier, Detroit used only six players in a lopsided loss at Philadelphia after several Pistons missed at least part of a team shootaround. Stuckey and Austin Daye, who arrived late to the shootaround and didn't play Friday, were back on the court against the Jazz. Daye scored 18 points, 11 in the fourth quarter.

Paul Millsap led Utah with 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Will Bynum, who had played all 48 minutes against Philadelphia, put Detroit ahead for good with a driving three-point play with 1:52 remaining. That gave the Pistons a 111-108 lead.

Millsap then appeared to be hit in the head while losing the ball inside. When Detroit came up with it, Utah had to foul to prevent a five-on-four situation while their forward was slow getting up. Bynum made both free throws to push the lead back to five.

Utah cut the lead to 114-112 when Al Jefferson scored inside with 27.4 seconds remaining, but Stuckey made two free throws, then swiped a Utah pass to help the Pistons to hold on.

Ben Gordon scored 17 for the Pistons, and Charlie Villanueva added 16. Rookie Greg Monroe contributed 12 points and 16 rebounds, and Bynum scored 11 in 22:41 of action — an easy night's work compared to Friday.

Seven Pistons missed at least part of Friday's shootaround, and none of them played against the 76ers. The team said Richard Hamilton, Chris Wilcox, Stuckey and Daye missed the bus, with Stuckey and Daye able to arrive late.

Tayshaun Prince (back) and Tracy McGrady (illness) missed both games. Ben Wallace was unavailable after the death of his brother earlier Saturday.

PERKINS SETTLES IN: Kendrick Perkins started to hear it from his new teammates when he walked into the Thunder's practice facility wearing sneakers that were Celtics green. It didn't take long to remedy that.

By the end of his first practice with Oklahoma City, he had new shoes and talked of his desire to stay with the Thunder long term.

Perkins was tearful upon learning he was traded from Boston, but he says the Celtics are no longer at the top of his list when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season.

"I hope I can be here. I want to be here," Perkins said of the Thunder. "I couldn't find a better situation for myself."

Pistons 120, Jazz 116

UTAH (116): Kirilenko 9-11 3-5 21, Millsap 9-12 5-8 23, Jefferson 10-17 0-0 20, Harris 3-9 9-11 17, Bell 6-9 0-0 14, Price 0-2 0-0 0, Favors 3-5 4-7 10, Watson 0-2 0-0 0, Miles 3-6 2-3 9, Elson 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 44-74 23-34 116.

DETROIT (120): Daye 6-13 2-2 18, Wilcox 3-4 1-3 7, Monroe 6-12 0-1 12, Stuckey 9-18 10-11 28, Gordon 5-13 5-7 17, Summers 3-5 0-0 7, Bynum 4-9 3-3 11, Villanueva 6-10 0-0 16, Maxiell 1-2 2-4 4. Totals 43-86 23-31 120.

Utah 28 25 31 32— 116

Detroit 27 31 25 37— 120

3-Point Goals—Utah 5-13 (Bell 2-3, Harris 2-5, Miles 1-1, Kirilenko 0-1, Watson 0-1, Price 0-2), Detroit 11-17 (Villanueva 4-5, Daye 4-5, Gordon 2-2, Summers 1-3, Stuckey 0-1, Bynum 0-1). Fouled Out—Bynum. Rebounds—Utah 45 (Millsap 11), Detroit 47 (Monroe 16). Assists—Utah 37 (Harris 12), Detroit 22 (Stuckey, Bynum 8). Total Fouls—Utah 25, Detroit 30. Technicals—Bell, Utah defensive three second, Bynum, Detroit defensive three second. A—18,564 (22,076).

Grizzlies 120, Kings 92

SACRAMENTO (92): Casspi 2-6 2-2 6, Thompson 1-6 2-2 4, Dalembert 3-7 1-2 7, Udrih 10-13 3-4 24, Taylor 4-9 0-0 9, Jackson 3-7 0-0 6, Jeter 2-6 0-0 4, Thornton 7-18 1-2 15, Cousins 5-12 4-7 14, Greene 1-1 0-0 3. Totals 38-85 13-19 92.

MEMPHIS (120): Young 5-9 0-0 10, Randolph 10-15 3-4 23, Gasol 10-15 1-1 21, Conley 3-8 2-2 8, Allen 1-2 2-2 4, Williams 3-6 0-0 6, Battier 1-3 0-0 2, Mayo 4-12 2-2 13, Vasquez 2-4 0-0 4, Arthur 7-8 3-4 17, Haddadi 5-11 0-1 10, Carney 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 52-95 13-16 120.

Sacramento 28 21 17 26— 92

Memphis 23 33 33 31— 120

3-Point Goals—Sacramento 3-12 (Greene 1-1, Udrih 1-2, Taylor 1-2, Jeter 0-1, Casspi 0-2, Thornton 0-4), Memphis 3-11 (Mayo 3-7, Williams 0-2, Battier 0-2). Fouled Out—Cousins. Rebounds—Sacramento 48 (Casspi, Dalembert 8), Memphis 51 (Randolph 12). Assists—Sacramento 22 (Thompson, Udrih 5), Memphis 23 (Williams 5). Total Fouls—Sacramento 19, Memphis 18. Technicals—Randolph. A—16,028 (18,119)

Mavericks 105, Wizards 99

DALLAS (105): Stojakovic 2-6 0-0 5, Nowitzki 6-18 8-11 21, Chandler 10-14 3-4 23, Kidd 1-1 0-0 3, Beaubois 1-7 0-0 2, Marion 4-6 5-6 13, Terry 10-18 3-5 25, Mahinmi 0-1 0-0 0, Barea 4-8 0-0 9, Haywood 1-1 2-5 4, Stevenson 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 39-81 21-31 105.

WASHINGTON (99): Howard 3-9 3-5 9, Lewis 5-7 0-0 13, McGee 3-9 0-0 6, Wall 11-26 1-4 24, Young 7-16 0-0 14, Seraphin 4-5 0-0 8, Booker 3-5 2-7 8, Bibby 1-5 0-0 2, Evans 2-4 0-0 5, Crawford 5-9 0-0 10, Yi 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 44-95 6-16 99.

Dallas 23 36 19 27— 105

Washington 22 27 23 27— 99

3-Point Goals—Dallas 6-17 (Terry 2-5, Nowitzki 1-1, Kidd 1-1, Stojakovic 1-3, Barea 1-4, Stevenson 0-1, Beaubois 0-2), Washington 5-14 (Lewis 3-3, Wall 1-1, Evans 1-2, Crawford 0-2, Bibby 0-2, Young 0-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Dallas 59 (Chandler 13), Washington 54 (McGee 11). Assists—Dallas 28 (Kidd 14), Washington 17 (Wall 5). Total Fouls—Dallas 15, Washington 22. Technicals—Washington defensive three second. Flagrant Fouls—Evans. A—19,203 (20,173).

Ed Reed, Special to the Times
Saturday, February 26, 2011

Times wires
Saturday, February 26, 2011

BLACKSBURG, Va. — After three years of being on the NCAA Tournament bubble and winding up disappointed in the NIT, senior Malcolm Delaney hopes Virginia Tech made a pretty strong case for inclusion in the big tournament this year.

The Hokies used a late 15-4 run over 4½ minutes to turn a six-point deficit into a five-point lead Saturday night then held off top-ranked Duke 64-60, getting the badly needed signature victory that could boost their NCAA credentials significantly.

"A lot of teams, down six to Duke, would have just folded up and let Duke put the game away, but we didn't," Delaney said of turning a 53-47 deficit into a 62-57 lead. "We buckled up and got stops."

Terrell Bell had 12 points, including five straight to give Virginia Tech the lead for good with 4:19 left, and the Blue Devils' night-long shooting woes never relented.

"Our offense let us down (Saturday night)," Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski said.

Duke (26-3, 12-2 ACC) shot less than 40 percent and made 4 of 20 3-pointers.

The Hokies got big shots from several players, but none more important than Bell's. His 3-pointer from the right corner tied it with 4:40 left, and when he was fouled moments later, he said he needed the stoppage to collect himself.

"I definitely had to calm myself," he said. "It was a big moment for me. There was a lot going through my mind. I just had to take some deep breaths and knock down the free throws."

He made both, and when Jeff Allen was credited with a basket on goaltending with 2:39 left, the lead was four and it was time for Delaney to respond.

After Kyle Singler's basket, Delaney made his only 3-pointer of the night, swishing it from the top of the key, building the lead back to five.

"We were up two. I had to hit that shot," Delaney said.

NO. 3 KANSAS 82, OKLA. 70: Marcus Morris had 23 points and nine rebounds, twin brother Markieff added 19 points and 10 rebounds and the visiting Jayhawks (27-2, 12-2) moved into a tie for first place in the Big 12.

COLORADO 91, NO. 5 TEXAS 89: The host Buffaloes overcame a 22-point first-half deficit to shock the Longhorns (24-5, 13-2 Big 12) behind 33 points from Alec Burks and 21 from Levi Knutson.

NO. 7 BYU 80, NO. 6 SAN DIEGO ST. 67: Jimmer Fredette had 25 points and Charles Abouo 18 as the visiting Cougars (27-2, 13-1) took a one-game lead in the Mountain West and swept the season series with the Aztecs (27-2, 12-2).

NO. 9 NOTRE DAME 60, SETON HALL 48: Tim Abromaitis had 22 points and Ben Hansbrough 21 for the host Irish (23-5, 12-4 Big East), who overcame a slow start to stay in second place.

UCLA 71, NO. 10 ARIZONA 49: Reeves Nelson had a career-high 27 points and 16 rebounds, and the host Bruins tied the Wildcats (23-6, 12-4) for first in the Pac-10 in the last men's game at Pauley Pavilion before it closes for renovation. Junior walk-on Tyler Trapani, great-grandson of the late John Wooden, scored UCLA's final basket.

NO. 17 SYRACUSE 58, NO. 11 G'TOWN 51: With Chris Wright's 93-game starting streak snapped because of a broken left hand, the host Hoyas (21-8, 10-7 Big East) couldn't keep up with the Orange (24-6, 11-6), which won its fourth straight game.

NO. 23 ST. JOHNS 81, NO. 15 VILLANOVA 68: Dwight Hardy had a career-high 34 points for the Red Storm (19-9, 11-5 Big East), which won its sixth straight game and beat its first Top 25 team away from Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats (21-8, 9-7) have lost two straight and four of six.

NO. 18 VANDY 90, LSU 69: Jeffery Taylor had 20 points and John Jenkins overcame a slow start to finish with 17 for the visiting Commodores (21-7, 9-5 SEC), who bounced back from their first loss in six games Tuesday against state rival Tennessee.

KANSAS ST. 80, NO. 20 MISSOURI 70: Jacob Pullen had 24 points and became the second Wildcats player to top 2,000 for his career, and host Kansas State pulled away in the final minutes to catch the Tigers (22-7, 8-6) in the battle for the fourth and final bye in the Big 12 tournament.

BAYLOR 58, NO. 21 TEXAS A&M 51: LaceDarius Dunn and Perry Jones had 16 points each for the host Bears, who swept the season series from the Aggies (22-6, 9-5 Big 12).

NO. 24 TEMPLE 57, GW 41: Lavoy Allen had 19 points and a season-high 16 rebounds for the visiting Owls (22-6, 12-2 Atlantic 10), who scored eight in the first 10 minutes but held the Colonials to two over the final 11:22.

State

UCF 65, SO. MISS 64: Marcus Jordan had 20 points and reserve guard A.J. Rompza hit a deep 3-pointer with 3.8 seconds left for the host Knights (18-9, 5-9 C-USA), who trailed for almost the entire second half.

TAMPA 79, FLA. TECH 75: Anthony Griffis had 22 points and Rashad Callaway 20 for the host Spartans (21-6, 10-6 Sunshine State) in their regular-season finale. Tampa, the fourth seed in the SSC tournament, will host Florida Tech at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

PALM BEACH ATL. 82, ECKERD 74: David Wood had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the host Sailfish. The Tritons (20-7), the third seed in the SSC tournament, will host Lynn at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Steve Lee, Times Correspondent
Saturday, February 26, 2011

TAMPA — Jesuit could not have written a better script for the opening of its new $2 million baseball stadium.

Paul Straub Field at Hyer Family Park lived up to the hype and then some Saturday as a sold-out crowd watched the Tigers rally twice for a 4-3 eight-inning win over rival Tampa Catholic.

"You certainly don't want to lose your home opener, you don't want to lose your home opener in a new ballpark and you don't want to lose to your rival," Jesuit coach Richie Warren said, describing the game "as close to a must-win as it gets."

Fans arrived early and stayed late with many of the 600 in attendance witnessing the ceremonial first pitch by former Minnesota Twins pitcher Brad Radke (Jesuit, Class of 1991) and visiting the Capitano Family Trophy Hall highlighting the program's nine major leaguers afterward.

"It's everything we dreamed of," said Father Richard Hermes, the school's president. "This is something that will last and be here for generations."

Added Mike Leding, the voice of Tiger baseball since 1992, "This is heaven."

Jesuit (2-1) battled back from 2-0 and 3-2 deficits, and fans erupted with joy in the bottom of the eighth when Peter Alonso singled to rightfield on a hit-and-run play to score Adrian Chacon with the winning run.

"I'm glad that it turned out the way it did, but I was just trying to get (Chacon, who had singled) over to third base," Alonso said.

Another big blow for the Tigers came off the bat of Max Beerman, whose two-run opposite-field blast over the fence in left marked the first hit of the game. It also erased a two-run deficit.

"To hit the first one out, it's amazing," Beerman said.

Tampa Catholic (1-4) capitalized on starter Lance McCullers' wildness for a 2-0 lead in the first. McCullers walked four and hit a batter, with Billy Endris and Nick Perez scoring.

The Crusaders went ahead 3-2 when Perez scored on a wild pitch in the fifth, but the Tigers tied it in the sixth when McCullers led off with a double and scored on a Nolan Schultz single.

Jesuit might have had another run in that inning but Nick Sucarichi struck out Bryce Walker and catcher Jorge Romero tagged out pinch-runner Austin Jurado on an attempted steal of home.

By Bryan Burns, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, February 27, 2011

TAMPA — Joshua Prevatt competed in all four events at this weekend's Gasparilla Distance Classic.

The final race turned out to be his strongest effort of all.

Prevatt, a 2002 graduate of Riverview High and a resident of Brandon, claimed the championship in the first-ever 8K at the Gasparilla Distance Classic after crossing the finish line in 28 minutes, 6 seconds.

About three hours before the 8K, Prevatt, 26, placed seventh in the 13.1-mile half-marathon.

"I felt really good for the half," Prevatt said. "I was only 40 seconds off a personal record."

Prevatt carried over his pace from the half-marathon into the 4.97-mile event. He and second-place 8K finisher Anthony Calingo, who also competed in all four Gasparilla Distance Classic races, broke to the head of the pack from the start. About a quarter-mile into the race, Prevatt charged ahead of Calingo.

"I figured I might as well go for it," he said. "It was my last race."

Prevatt made it to the finish 34 seconds ahead of Calingo, a 27-year-old Tampa resident.

"I never looked back at the finish," Prevatt said. "I just thought, 'If he catches me, he catches me.' There was nothing I could do at that point."

Scott Lafferty of Valrico came in third in 29:15.

Women's 8K champion Brianne Gaal of Cary, N.C., was in a lead pack of five runners for the first mile of the race before catching up to leader Christina Noordstar by Mile 2.

In the third mile, Gaal made her charge, leaving the field in her wake.

"One of my friends, Christina, was leading, and I caught her about Mile 2," Gaal said. "So I ran with her for a mile, and then I told her I was going to pick it up. I was hoping she would come with me."

Gaal, 31, won in 32:34. Rae Ann Darling Reed of Bradenton took second place, 52 seconds behind Gaal in 33:26. Noordstar was third in 33:57.

Gaal, who is a native of St. Petersburg and attended St. Petersburg High as well as UCF, said she felt very comfortable running the unusual 8K distance.

"I like the 8K because the 5K is so short, you really have to have good sprint speed, good turnover to do a really fast 5K," Gaal said. "The 10K is really hard, you've got to have some good pace, endurance. The 8K is sort of a nice compromise between the two."

By Bryan Burns, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, February 27, 2011

TAMPA — Sunday, apparently, was the day to break records at the Gasparilla Distance Classic.

Tampa's Elias Gonzalez set a Gasparilla course mark to win the men's half-marathon in 1 hour, 11 minutes, 9 seconds.

Melbourne's Jessica Crate won the women's half-marathon, also in course record time, 1:20:06.

Even Jefferson the Dog (Peter Donato) got in on the action, establishing a Guinness world record by running the half-marathon in 1:59:14 to better the mark of two hours while wearing a 25-pound mascot costume.

Gonzalez, a 34-year-old graduate of the University of Tampa, placed seventh Saturday in the Gasparilla 15K. During Sunday's half-marathon, he ran unchallenged over the 13.1-mile course. A two-time Gasparilla 15K champion (2005, 2006), Gonzalez shaved 38 seconds off the previous half-marathon course record set last year by Orlando's Steve Curley.

"I didn't know I had a chance to break (the record)," Gonzalez said. "That was impressive."

Gonzalez was followed across the finish line more than a minute later by New Jersey's Hector Rivera, who was second in 1:12:13. Gonzalez grabbed the lead 2 miles into the race and pushed his advantage throughout.

"I just kept going. They never came back," Gonzalez said. "I was thinking they were going to eat me up from the back, because that happens sometimes. I'm glad I was able to keep it."

Gonzalez spent nearly all of 2010 in Kuwait, away from the local running circuit. He is a captain in the U.S. Army National Guard, which he has been a member of for 12 years.

"I was training over there, just thinking about this race," he said.

Though Rivera, 40, was second overall, he was the men's masters division champion. Tampa's Jon Noland, 36, placed third in 1:13:03.

Crate, a 2007 graduate of Florida State, was a member of a group of lead runners at last year's Gasparilla half-marathon that ran off course on Davis Islands. Crate said she was in first place in the women's race before the mishap but found herself trailing about 20 runners once she was back on the proper path.

On Sunday, Crate knew where she was going and got there in a hurry. She stayed ahead of the pack from the start and broke the tape 28 seconds ahead of the 2005 mark set by two-time Gasparilla half-marathon champion Shannon Hovey from Connecticut.

"I was just trying to follow and make sure I paid attention," the 25-year-old Crate said. "I remembered the course from last year. I looked at a map before the race. Just tried to run smart and make sure I stayed on course."

Crate, who also calls Canada home, just missed her goal of finishing in under 1:20. She is training to run the Boston Marathon in April.

"I was going for a top three," Crate said. "I just wanted to run a good race, get a good time under my belt."

Two-time defending champion Terri Rejimbal of Tampa was second, coming across the line 1:44 behind in 1:21:50. Rejimbal, 42, was the women's masters champion. Lakeland's Laura Woznicki, 24, took third in 1:21:55.

Susan Harmeling, executive director of the Gasparilla Distance Classic Association, said a record 6,000 runners participated in Sunday's half-marathon and were joined by 2,200 more in the first-ever 8-kilometer race.

All told, nearly 26,000 runners entered at least one of the four races this weekend, setting a participation record.

Times staff
Sunday, February 27, 2011

NASCAR Now: 5 p.m. on ESPN2. Looking back at Sunday's Sprint Cup race in Phoenix.

30 Clubs in 30 Days: 7 p.m. on MLB Network. The network's spring training tour looks at the Diamondbacks.

MLB's Greatest Games: 8 p.m. on MLB Network. The network continues to count down the top 20 games of the past 50 years. Tonight is No. 12.