Times wires
Saturday, March 5, 2011

LAS VEGAS — When Richard Petty Motorsports courted Marcos Ambrose last season, the Australian saw an opportunity to further his NASCAR development and partner with manufacturer Ford.

It wasn't an easy decision, and Ambrose had second thoughts when financial issues nearly shut down RPM. He kept his word, though.

"I took a chance, and I really stuck my neck out to see if I had what it took," Ambrose said of his move to RPM and the No. 9 car.

Ambrose was 37th at Daytona, 16th at Phoenix. That put the pressure on him to step up and turn things around, which he did Friday by qualifying second for today's Kobalt Tools 500. He briefly held the pole until he was bumped by Matt Kenseth's track record.

In all, Fords swept the first four qualifying spots, as Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle qualified third and fourth.

All four cars are powered by Roush Yates Engines, which is off to an incredible start to the season. The top three at the Daytona 500 were powered by Roush Yates, and Edwards won the pole last week at Phoenix.

"We've had such a great start to the 2011 season," chief engine builder Doug Yates said. "We've worked really hard in the offseason to see gains on the race track, and I think there are even more great things to come."

Ford is anticipating a great year after a mediocre 2010 in which it had four wins, two of them coming from Edwards in the final two events.

Then Trevor Bayne, 20, drove a Wood Brothers Ford to victory to open this season at Daytona, and Edwards had the car to beat at Phoenix until he was wrecked by Kyle Busch. Now the Ford group is looking at Las Vegas as a measure of where its equipment stacks up.

"The real test is how we run here and at Bristol," Edwards said. "If our cars are that good, then this is going to be a great year."

That's what Ambrose hoped for when he left JTG Daugherty Racing after two seasons.

He figured he could have more success with RPM and its alliance with Roush, and it got him into a partnership with Ford, which has supported Ambrose in Australia and helped him come to NASCAR.

RPM, after serious financial issues last year, signed on new investors that have strengthened the organization.

Knowing how strong the Fords were had Ambrose nervous about the start of the Las Vegas weekend, especially since teammate AJ Allmendinger is tied for third in the standings.

"I am just happy for Richard Petty Motorsports, who went through a lot at the end of last year," Ambrose, 35, said. "To be strong this early with AJ running top three in points, it is just a good feeling over there looking forward to hopefully keeping this run going."

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 5, 2011

TAMPA — Lightning D Marc-Andre Bergeron said he is swearing off squats as part of his workout program.

Bergeron played Saturday against the Canadiens after missing two games with back spasms caused by doing squats. He appeared stiff after the morning skate, but indicated it wasn't anything some acetaminophen couldn't control. He played just 9:10 with one shot and two blocks.

After the second back injury of his career caused by doing squats, Bergeron said he needs to be more careful.

"I'm absolutely not going to do squats anymore," he said. "There are many ways to do the same thing. It's a matter of just being smarter."

Bergeron admitted there was extra incentive to face Montreal, which declined to re-sign him over the summer after he was injured in the playoffs and needed reconstructive knee surgery. But he also said he wished the game was later "so I am 100 percent when I play."

Bergeron, 30, has two goals and six points in 10 games since he signed as a free agent. He is minus-3 and entered Saturday averaging 15:13 of ice time. He said he expected more production from himself. He also wants to stay on the ice.

"I love this team. It's a great team with a lot of belief, and we know we can go on a nice roll," he said. "I want to be part of that."

VINNY'S BACK: The mid-body injury that kept C Vinny Lecavalier out Thursday against the Bruins is believed to be a sore lower back. Lecavalier, hurt Wednesday when he checked New Jersey's David Steckel, had a goal and six shots against the Canadiens in 21:31 of ice time. "It felt pretty good," he said.

MORE INJURIES: C Nate Thompson played only 9:19 and did not play the last 7:18 of the third, though the team did not report an injury. ... RW Steve Downie sat out with a minor injury sustained against the Bruins that coach Guy Boucher declined to identify. He also confirmed Downie hasn't healed from a high ankle sprain that kept him out of 13 December games. … D Mike Lundin, out 12 games with what is believed to be an abdominal injury, said his return is a matter of conditioning. "I still have a little bit to go," he said.

EVEN MORE INJURIES: Boucher said W Ryan Malone is "making progress" in his recovery from what he said is a partially torn stomach muscle. The team "got lucky" the injury did not require surgery, Boucher said. Still, don't expect to see Malone before April. … W Mattias Ritola took Downie's spot on a line with C Steven Stamkos and Marty St. Louis despite a stomach illness.

DOG DAY: Chance, the yellow lab owned by Sun Sports producer Rob Allaer, lost for the first time in eight games he has attended. "Chance is very disappointed," Allaer wrote in a text message. "He wants you to know streaks end all the time. It's the playoffs where you earn your bones."

ODDS AND ENDS: Monday's game with the Capitals at the St. Pete Times Forum is at 7 p.m. to accommodate Versus. … D Matt Smaby and C Blair Jones also were scratched.

Times wires
Saturday, March 5, 2011

LAS VEGAS — Mark Martin won Saturday's NASCAR Nationwide series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway when a flat tire sent leader Brad Keselowski into the wall on the final lap.

The race, however, will be remembered for Danica Patrick's history-making run.

Patrick placed fourth, the best finish for a woman in a national NASCAR race. The previous best was Sara Christian's fifth at Pittsburgh in 1949.

"I don't know. I don't think about trying to achieve the highest finish of a female," said Patrick, a regular in IndyCar driving a part-time NASCAR schedule. "I think about trying to win the race."

As for Martin, he knew he had to save gas to have any chance of winning the Sam's Town 300.

Even then, he was going to need some help. He got it when Keselowski's tire failed.

"I can't gloat. If Brad hadn't had a tire problem, he looked like he would win," Martin said. "All I could do is make sure we didn't run out of gas."

Patrick struggled all weekend and fell a lap down. But she got back on the lead lap, then steadily worked her way to the top 10.

Fuel strategy did the rest, as many cars in front of her had to make late stops for gas and Patrick slid all the way up to fourth.

"We just had a good car, that's all I can say. That's what makes a difference in these things," she said. "I know I haven't had the best results, especially in NASCAR, but we're getting them now."

Martin earned his record 49th victory in NASCAR's second-tier series. Justin Allgaier finished second to give Turner Motorsports, a Nationwide series team competing against Sprint Cup teams every week, a 1-2 finish.

NASCAR PUTS ROBBY GORDON ON PROBATION: NASCAR placed Robby Gordon on probation for an incident involving Kevin Conway in the garage at Las Vegas. NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said the period of Gordon's probation has yet to be determined.

Conway declined to discuss it but said he filed a police report Friday. Gordon was unavailable for comment. Las Vegas police said Conway filed a misdemeanor battery complaint after a quarrel occurred about 5 p.m. No arrest was made, and no summons was issued.

Conway briefly drove for Gordon's team in Sprint Cup last year, but the drivers are now suing each other over financial aspects of that deal.

GRAND-AM: Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas won the Grand Prix of Miami for the second straight year to extend their series winning streak to a record five races. Pruett and Rojas won by 4.307 seconds in a BMW/Riley at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Times wires
Saturday, March 5, 2011

PALM BEACH GARDENS — After making consecutive birdies, Honda Classic leader Rory Sabbatini stood in the rough along the sixth fairway, complaining to a PGA Tour official about a delay in play and wondering what had become of the group just ahead of him.

The interruption could have halted Sabbatini's momentum. Instead, after a long wait, he hit an iron 200 yards to 10 feet of the pin, one of his better shots in his round of 4-under 66 on Saturday that gave him a cushy lead.

Sabbatini entered today's final round at 9-under 201, five shots ahead of Jerry Kelly (68) and 2009 winner Y.E. Yang (67). Second-round leader Kyle Stanley had 74 to drop seven strokes back.

The wait occurred when Kelly, playing two groups ahead of Sabbatini, lodged a shot in a palm tree. A newspaper photographer was able to use his telephoto lens to take a picture and enlarge the image so Kelly could identify his ball.

"That was a first, no question," Kelly said.

If he hadn't been able to identify the ball, he would have had to declare it lost and go back and hit his fourth shot from the rough. Instead, Kelly was allowed to declare an unplayable lie and take a penalty shot. He chipped to 13 feet and made the putt for a bogey save.

The inspection took time, so the twosome behind Kelly played through. Meanwhile, Sabbatini and playing partner Stanley waited and wondered how they had caught up with Kelly.

"It was a little bit of dazed and confused," Sabbatini said. "We're like, 'Okay, where did he come from?' And we're trying to figure out what's going on."

A South African who lives in Fort Worth, Texas, Sabbatini is known for his feistiness and candor on any topic. But he tried to look at the delay as positive.

"Actually, I think maybe that might have helped me slow down a little out there," he said. "It allowed me to back off a little bit and kind of refocus again."

Strong winds have made pars precious, and weather will likely be a factor again today.

With thunderstorms in the forecast for the afternoon, tee times for the final round were moved up.

Times wires
Saturday, March 5, 2011

WASHINGTON — Those optimistic about the NFL's labor talks will point to the sides' decision to push back the bargaining deadline by a week and think, as commissioner Roger Goodell put it, "The fact that we're continuing this dialogue is a positive sign."

And those who are pessimistic will think, as league lead negotiator Jeff Pash put it, "We've got very serious issues. We've got significant differences."

Pash's observation has been obvious all along. From shortly before Thanksgiving until the day before the Super Bowl, the sides went more than two months without formal bargaining on a new collective bargaining agreement.

The sides are using this weekend to assess their positions before resuming talks in front of a federal mediator Monday. Then they will have until the end of Friday to reach a new CBA thanks to two extensions of the previous deal. It was to have expired Thursday.

What will happen is still anyone's guess. A deal could be reached at any time. Talks could break off. The sides could agree to another extension.

After having such a hard time arranging full-scale sessions, the league and players have spent time at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service on 11 of 15 days. According to mediator George Cohen, the tenor of the talks has changed.

The parties reached a "level of dialogue" and "constructive discussion" where they "fully, frankly and candidly talk to each other," Cohen said Friday.

Pash gave Cohen and his colleagues at the FMCS, a U.S. government agency, credit for that.

"What the mediators bring to the process is a structure and a discipline that wasn't always there," Pash said. "They inject a seriousness of purpose to it. And they encourage you. They keep you going."

So can a deal get done by Friday?

"The reality is what is going to move the needle is the fact we are into March, when season tickets and sponsorships have to be set and people need to make decisions to set the gross revenues," player agent Peter Schaffer said. "There's urgency there."

Times wires
Saturday, March 5, 2011

LONDON — Travis Outlaw and the Nets were up to the challenge of providing excitement for NBA fans in Europe.

The Raptors more than did their part, too.

Outlaw scored the final eight points in New Jersey's 137-136 triple-overtime win Saturday night that gave the Nets a sweep of their two games in London.

The game featured four missed buzzer-beaters and provided the kind of finish league officials sought when they brought regular-season games to Europe for the first time.

Outlaw made two free throws with 12.6 seconds remaining to put the Nets ahead for good and Andrea Bargnani missed a jumper at the buzzer as New Jersey swept the doubleheader at London's O2 Arena.

"Hats off to the NBA … because I think it's a huge success," Nets coach Avery Johnson said of the European experiment. "This is one of the best wins I've been a part of."

GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Kevin Martin scored 20 for the host Rockets, who started the third quarter with an 18-4 run in a 112-95 win over the Pacers.

MAGIC'S HOWARD OUT: The league did not rescind a technical called Friday against Orlando center Dwight Howard, meaning he'll serve a one-game suspension. He will sit out Monday's home game against the Trail Blazers.

AROUND THE LEAGUE: The Boston Herald reported that the Celtics signed guard Carlos Arroyo for the rest of the season. The Heat waived Arroyo last week. … The Grizzlies signed free agent forward Leon Powe. … Bobcats forward Stephen Jackson (left hamstring) sat out his team's game at Portland.

Heat seeks turnaround

MIAMI — The Heat has often masked its problems this season.

Losses have always been chalked up to injuries, chemistry issues or how the team's whole project remains a "process."

Those excuses are no longer an option, and the team is finally openly realizing serious concerns in the midst of a three-game losing streak including late Friday's 125-95 blowout loss at San Antonio.

The only question is if the players can get it righted during a grueling stretch, which continues today at home against the Bulls.

"Nobody's happy about this; certainly if you get the doors blown off in a big game, you're not happy about it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Friday's game. "We understand that the only people that really matter to us are the people in the locker room. We've got to stay connected, which we are."

The Heat faces the Bulls on the heels of three deflating defeats.

Miami blew sizable second-half leads against the Knicks and Magic before being embarrassed by the Spurs.

"We're still a confident bunch," forward LeBron James said.

Nets 137, Raptors 136, 3 OT

TORONTO (136): J.Johnson 2-7 0-0 4, A.Johnson 3-10 4-4 10, Bargnani 11-28 10-10 35, Calderon 3-10 0-0 9, DeRozan 11-26 7-7 30, Bayless 4-7 2-2 10, Weems 2-5 0-0 4, Davis 4-6 4-8 12, Ajinca 0-0 0-0 0, Barbosa 7-12 5-5 22. Totals 47-111 32-36 136.

NEW JERSEY (137): James 2-3 0-0 4, Humphries 8-17 4-8 20, Lopez 14-24 6-8 34, Williams 7-20 4-4 21, Vujacic 7-16 5-6 25, Farmar 4-9 1-1 12, Outlaw 4-8 6-8 14, Petro 1-3 0-1 2, Gaines 1-5 3-3 5, Graham 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 48-105 29-39 137.

Toronto 30 32 26 22 9 7 10— 136

New Jersey 23 42 23 22 9 7 11— 137

3-Point Goals—Toronto 10-20 (Barbosa 3-5, Calderon 3-6, Bargnani 3-7, DeRozan 1-2), New Jersey 12-29 (Vujacic 6-9, Farmar 3-5, Williams 3-9, Petro 0-1, Outlaw 0-2, Gaines 0-3). Fouled Out—Lopez. Rebounds—Toronto 61 (Davis 15), New Jersey 74 (Humphries 17). Assists—Toronto 27 (Calderon 9), New Jersey 34 (Williams 18). Total Fouls—Toronto 32, New Jersey 30. A—18,689 (14,467).

Wizards 103, Wolves 96

MINNESOTA (96): Beasley 8-20 1-2 18, Love 8-18 4-5 20, Pekovic 6-7 1-2 13, Ridnour 7-15 0-0 14, Ellington 6-11 1-2 15, Hayward 0-6 2-2 2, Randolph 2-6 2-4 6, Tolliver 1-3 1-1 3, Flynn 2-4 0-0 5. Totals 40-90 12-18 96.

WASHINGTON (103): Lewis 3-11 2-2 10, Blatche 9-18 2-4 20, McGee 5-9 4-6 14, Wall 8-17 2-6 18, Crawford 3-10 1-2 8, Seraphin 1-1 0-0 2, Martin 2-8 1-2 7, Booker 3-5 1-2 7, Evans 5-10 2-2 15, Shakur 0-1 2-2 2, Yi 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 39-91 17-28 103.

Minnesota 29 20 23 24— 96

Washington 25 26 17 35— 103

3-Point Goals—Minnesota 4-14 (Ellington 2-2, Flynn 1-3, Beasley 1-4, Tolliver 0-1, Ridnour 0-1, Hayward 0-1, Love 0-2), Washington 8-18 (Evans 3-5, Martin 2-4, Lewis 2-4, Crawford 1-5). Fouled Out—Ridnour. Rebounds—Minnesota 61 (Love 21), Washington 58 (Wall 11). Assists—Minnesota 21 (Ridnour 6), Washington 21 (Wall 8). Total Fouls—Minnesota 22, Washington 20. A—18,216 (20,173).

Rockets 112, Pacers 95

INDIANA (95): Granger 4-13 8-8 16, McRoberts 6-11 0-0 12, Hibbert 6-14 3-4 15, Collison 2-7 2-3 6, Rush 1-5 0-0 2, Hansbrough 8-18 1-2 17, George 3-4 2-2 8, Stephenson 2-7 1-1 5, Foster 1-4 0-0 2, D.Jones 2-4 0-0 4, Price 3-5 1-2 8. Totals 38-92 18-22 95.

HOUSTON (112): Budinger 7-15 3-4 18, Scola 7-15 2-4 16, Hayes 1-6 0-0 2, Lowry 5-9 5-6 18, Martin 8-17 3-3 20, Miller 0-4 0-0 0, Lee 5-11 2-2 13, Patterson 4-5 1-2 9, Dragic 5-11 1-1 12, Hill 2-2 0-0 4, Williams 0-2 0-0 0, Thabeet 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 44-98 17-22 112.

Indiana 18 31 19 27— 95

Houston 29 36 29 18— 112

3-Point Goals—Indiana 1-5 (Price 1-2, Granger 0-1, Collison 0-2), Houston 7-21 (Lowry 3-6, Lee 1-2, Dragic 1-3, Budinger 1-3, Martin 1-4, Williams 0-1, Miller 0-2). Rebounds—Indiana 57 (Foster, Hansbrough 10), Houston 60 (Hayes 10). Assists—Indiana 15 (Stephenson 5), Houston 23 (Lowry 6). Total Fouls—Indiana 18, Houston 17. Technicals—Hibbert, Hayes, Houston defensive three second. A—14,965 (18,043).

Times wires
Saturday, March 5, 2011

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Jessica Breland had 10 rebounds and a season-high 28 points to help lead No. 19 North Carolina's 83-57 rout of No. 10 Miami in Saturday's ACC tournament semifinals.

The Tar Heels had lost four in a row entering the tournament. But now they have three wins in three days, including over Florida State in the quarterfinals, to earn a berth in today's final against No. 8 Duke, which beat Georgia Tech 74-66.

It will be the seventh time since 2000 that the rivals have met in the tournament final. The sixth-seeded Tar Heels will try to become the lowest-seeded team to win the tournament and first to win four games in four days.

"It's Carolina and Duke," said a grinning Cetera DeGraffenreid, who scored 14 for North Carolina. "Yeah, we don't like them."

The teams split the regular-season series, each team winning on its homecourt.

Duke got a season-high 20 points from Karima Christmas. Georgia Tech cut a 13-point second-half deficit to two with 7:10 left before Christmas helped the Blue Devils pull away.

First, she rebounded an air ball and scored to barely beat the shot clock. Soon after, she drove for a layup and added a press-breaking pass to Krystal Thomas for a layup that made it 63-55.

SEC: In Nashville, No. 4 Tennessee and No. 16 Kentucky reached the final for the second straight season. The Wildcats opened the game with a 22-2 run to beat Vanderbilt 69-56. The Commodores got as close as eight with 1:40 left. The Vols scored the game's first nine and never trailed in beating Georgia 82-58. The Bulldogs missed their first 14 shots.

Big East: No. 17 Georgetown defeated Syracuse 61-60 in Hartford, Conn., to earn a quarterfinal matchup with No. 1 UConn. Tied at 57, Alexa Roche made 1 of 2 free throws twice. In between, the rebound went out of bounds off the Orange. … No. 20 Marquette overcame a seven-point second-half deficit to beat Pittsburgh 65-61. It next faces Rutgers. … St. John's scored the game's final eight to beat West Virginia 59-51. Next is No. 12 DePaul. … Shoni Schimmel scored 13 and Monique Reid 12 to lead Louisville over Villanova 69-47. Next is No. 7 Notre Dame.

No. 3 Baylor 81, Colorado 59: Brittney Griner had 26 points and 13 rebounds for the visiting Bears (28-2, 15-1 Big 12). Baylor led 30-10 with 7:22 left in the first half then only 34-28 at halftime before pulling away again.

No. 5 Texas A&M 84, Nebraska 49: Up by two, the host Aggies (25-4, 13-3 Big 12) went on a 14-0 run early in the second half.

No. 6 Xavier 71, St. Joseph's 55: Down two, the Musketeers opened the second half with an 11-3 run then pulled away in the Atlantic 10 quarterfinals in Lowell, Mass.

No. 9 UCLA 66, Wash. St. 48: The host Bruins (26-3, 16-2 Pac-10) scored the game's first 13.

Ohio St. 72, No. 11 Mich. St. 57: Jantel Lavender scored 37 for the Buckeyes in the Big Ten semifinals in Indianapolis. They face Penn State today.

No. 15 Green Bay 68, Detroit 48: Down three early in the second half, the visiting Phoenix (29-1, 18-0 Horizon) went on an 11-0 run.

Texas Tech 61, No. 18 Okla. 56: Down 35-31, the host Red Raiders opened the second half with a 10-2 run and led from there. The Sooners (20-10, 10-6 Big 12) made just 6 of 29 second-half shots.

No. 21 Marist 60, Siena 45: Erica Allenspach scored 34 and sparked a 14-4 second-half run as the Red Foxes pulled away in the Metro Atlantic semifinals in Bridgeport, Conn. They face Loyola on Monday.

Missouri 49, No. 23 Iowa St. 48: Kelesey Bolte, who leads the Cyclones (21-9, 9-7 Big 12) at 17.6 points per game, scored just five on 2-of-11 shooting in a road loss.

No. 25 Houston 90, Tulane 84, OT: Courtney Taylor had 24 points and 14 rebounds for the host Cougars (25-4, 16-0 C-USA), who went up for good on Brittney Scott's 3-pointer with 3:05 left.

Atlantic Sun: Stetson (20-12), which went 6-24 last season, made nine 3-pointers and used a 20-6 first-half run to beat Jacksonville 69-50 in the final in Macon, Ga.

Ivy: Lauren Edwards scored 11 of her 15 in the second half as host Princeton beat Harvard 68-59 to clinch the regular-season title and automatic NCAA berth.

Ohio Valley: Jasmine Newsome scored 24 as Tennessee-Martin defeated Tennessee Tech 82-76 in Nashville for its first NCAA berth.

Sunshine State conference: Tampa and Eckerd were ousted in the semifinals. Tampa fell behind by 18 in the first half in losing 75-62 to host Florida Tech. And Emma Cannon had 19 of her 24 points and 16 of her 21 rebounds in the second half as Florida Southern outscored Eckerd 50-28 to win 80-60.

Times wires
Saturday, March 5, 2011

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina finished off its fiercest rival and the ACC regular-season race with one strong performance.

Harrison Barnes had 18 points to help No. 13 North Carolina beat No. 4 Duke 81-67 on Saturday night, clinching the ACC championship and the top seed in the league tournament.

Former Sickles standout John Henson had 10 points and 12 rebounds and Kendall Marshall 15 points and 11 assists as the Tar Heels (24-6, 14-2) ended a three-game losing streak to their rival. North Carolina also avenged last month's loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium in which it blew a 16-point lead in the first half.

Once again, UNC built a big first-half lead, this time 14 points. But Barnes and the Tar Heels protected that margin Saturday and stayed in control the entire game.

Nolan Smith had 30 points for Duke (27-4, 13-3). Seth Curry had 20 points with six 3-pointers.

In many ways, it was a replay of the first meeting for the Blue Devils. Just as before, Smith and Curry carried the offense while Kyle Singler struggled to make much of anything while matching up much of the night against Barnes, the heralded recruit who picked North Carolina over Duke and other schools.

But Barnes was more aggressive than in the first meeting, leading an offense that shot 52 percent, highest against Duke in a league game this season. Barnes shot 3-of-8 and had nine points in the first game but went 7-of-17 in this one.

NO. 2 KANSAS 70, NO. 22 MISSOURI 66: Marcus Morris and Thomas Robinson had double doubles for the Jayhawks (29-2, 14-2), who wrapped up their seventh straight Big 12 championship by holding the Tigers (22-9, 8-8) to season-worst 29.3 percent shooting and handing them their first loss at home.

NO. 3 BYU 102, WYOMING 78: Jimmer Fredette had 38 points, and the host Cougars (28-3, 14-2 Mountain West) rebounded after being routed in their first game without Brandon Davies, who was kicked off the team for breaking the school's honor code.

NO. 4 PITT 60, NO. 19 VILLANOVA 50: Ashton Gibbs had 18 points for the host Panthers (27-4, 15-3), who clinched the outright Big East title. The Wildcats (21-10, 9-9) were without Corey Stokes (left hamstring).

IOWA 67, NO. 6 PURDUE 65: Jarryd Cole had 16 points and 10 rebounds in his final home game as the Hawkeyes stunned the Boilermakers (25-6, 14-4), clinching the Big Ten title for Ohio State.

NO. 8 NOTRE DAME 70, NO. 16 UCONN 67: Ben Hansbrough had 21 points despite fouling out with more than eight minutes left, and the visiting Fighting Irish (25-5, 14-4 Big East) handed the Huskies (22-9, 9-9) their fourth loss in five games.

W. VA. 72, NO. 11 LOUISVILLE 70: Truck Bryant hit two free throws with one second left for the host Mountaineers, who clinched a first-round bye in the Big East tournament and snapped a four-game winning streak by the Cardinals (23-8, 12-6).

NO. 12 SYRACUSE 107, DEPAUL 59: Rick Jackson had 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in his final game in the Carrier Dome as the Orange (25-6, 12-6 Big East) won its fifth straight game since losing four in a row.

Cincy 69, NO. 17 G'TOWN 47: Yancy Gates had 10 of his 13 points from the free-throw line for the host Bearcats, who completed a sweep of the Hoyas (21-9, 10-8 Big East) and handed them their third straight loss.

NO. 18 ARIZ. 90, OREGON 82: Derrick Williams had 14 points despite early foul trouble and got plenty of help in what might have been his final home game, helping the host Wildcats (25-6, 14-4) clinch the outright Pac-10 title.

NO. 23 XAVIER 66, SAINT LOUIS 55: Tu Holloway had 25 points for the visiting Musketeers (24-6, 15-1 Atlantic 10), who won their ninth straight game.

NO. 24 TEXAS A&M 66, TEXAS TECH 54: David Loubeau had 21 points for the host Aggies (23-7, 10-6 Big 12), who blew it open with a 9-0 run early in the second half.

NO. 25 UTAH ST. 72, LA. TECH 32: Tyler Newbold had 14 points and the visiting Aggies (28-3, 15-1 WAC) held the Bulldogs to 18 percent shooting (10-for-56).

Atlantic SUN: Mark Hedgepeth had 23 points and nine rebounds as top-seeded Belmont earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament with an 87-46 victory over North Florida in the championship game in Macon, Ga.

BIG SOUTH: Chris Stephenson had 14 points and third-seeded North Carolina-Asheville (19-13) beat top-seeded Coastal Carolina 60-47 in the title game on the Chanticleers' homecourt.

OHIO VALLEY: Demonte Harper had 27 points and 11 rebounds, and No. 2 seed Morehead State (24-9) won the tournament title by beating No. 4 seed Tennessee Tech 80-73 in Nashville.

State

Marshall 83, UCF 69: Damier Pitts had 25 points and eight assists to lead the host Thundering Herd over the Knights (19-10, 6-10 C-USA).

SSC tournament

ROLLINS 67, TAMPA 62: The Tars outscored the Spartans (22-7) 10-0 in the final 4:36 to reach today's tournament final in Melbourne.

ECKERD 70, FLA. SOUTHERN 69: John Harper had 11 points and nine rebounds for the No. 3 seed Tritons (22-7), who hung on late to reach their first tournament title game since 2007.

By Anthony Salveggi, Times Correspondent
Saturday, March 5, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — What started as a back-and-forth affair turned into a rout, as the Guest team overwhelmed the Home team 89-70 in the 16th annual Senior Girls Classic All-Star Game on Saturday at Keswick.

The pace was fast and the passing crisp at the outset. The Home team mainly fed the ball to Indian Rocks Christian's Rachel Burnett in the low post; she scored 12 in the first half.

But the Guests went on a 17-2 run to finish the half with a 39-25 advantage. The run was highlighted by 3-pointers from Shae Humphrey (Dixie Hollins) and Jami Ring (Indian Rocks Christian), the latter providing the first double-digit lead of the game.

Both sides accounted for 13 3-point shots in the second half, as the Guests maintained their advantage. Paige Lewis (St. Pete High) and Lakewood's Kayla Roberts each sank three 3-pointers for the Guests, as did Emma Loucks (Clearwater) for the Home all-stars. Loucks scored 19 of her 24 points in the second half.

Burnett, who finished with 22 points for the Home stars, was named game MVP. Nine of the 14 coaches who submitted ballots were in agreement on Burnett. Hannah Demarest of Osceola was given the Hustle Award.

The postgame ceremony also recognized Pinellas County coaches. Necole Tunsil, whose Lakewood Spartans won the 4A state title, was named coach of the year, while Phil Farber (Indian Rocks Christian) took the Sportsmanship Award. The Turnaround Program Award went to Kelley Jones (Dixie Hollins).

Humphrey, Roberts, Demarest, Burnett, Loucks, Lewis, Ring, Cassie Foster (Keswick), Taye'lor Trotter (Lakewood) and Sami Mauder (Calvary Christian) were named to the Pinellas all-star team that will take on Hillsborough County at Eckerd College later this month. Shaquora Lane (Clearwater) and Ta'nia McCullum (St. Pete High) were named as alternates.

Times wires
Saturday, March 5, 2011

GAINESVILLE — Jimmy Carnes, who coached the U.S. Olympic and Florida track teams, died Saturday of prostate cancer. He was 76.

Mr. Carnes, a member of the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame, was an assistant for the 1976 Olympic team and would have led it in 1980 had the United States not boycotted. For Florida from 1965-76, he went 93-3 in dual meets.

"Jimmy Carnes is an icon in the sport of track and field," Gators athletic director Jeremy Foley said. "His contributions to the University of Florida as well as his sport on a national and international level have been immeasurable. Jimmy has been a great advocate of the sport of track and field and an outstanding citizen in the Gainesville community."

Current Florida track coach Mike Holloway said the sport lost a great ambassador.

"Jimmy Carnes is an icon who did everything he could to improve the sport," he said. "He was innovative, creative and always working to find ways to do things better.

Baseball: Hudson Randall and Anthony DeSclafani combined to allow one hit to lead host Florida (9-1) past Miami 1-0. It's Florida's first shutout of Miami since Feb. 13, 2004, and its seventh in the series' 226 games. … Host USF (5-5) swept Florida A&M (4-9) 13-4 and 6-0. In Game 1, Nick Gonzalez, a graduate of Tampa's Leto High, allowed two hits, struck out eight and walked none over six innings. In Game 2, Kyle Eastham, from Riverview High, allowed four hits, struck out 11 and walked none over seven innings.

Gary Shelton, Times Sports Columnist
Saturday, March 5, 2011

TAMPA

For months, he was the finest player in the NHL. He was young, and he was explosive, and in the world of the Tampa Bay Lightning, he was the guy who turned on the lights.

These days, there is one thing his team would ask of Steven Stamkos.

More, please.

For four months, he scored as if he was shooting into a soccer goal. He was fast, he was accurate, and if you were handing out MVP awards, his name was the one to put on the trophy.

These days, there is only one thing his fans would ask of Steven Stamkos.

Resume, won't you?

Suddenly, his stick is invisible, and his touch has betrayed him, and the posts no longer seem to love him. In the most important games of his career, Stamkos has entered his deepest funk. And all that rests on Stamkos becoming Stamkos again is, well, everything.

Everything, such as a scoring title.

Everything, such as an MVP award.

Everything, such as leading his team through the stretch run and into the playoffs.

For 11 games, including Saturday night's 4-2 loss to Montreal, it has been as if Stamkos has been skating uphill. He has only one goal, an alarming slump for a scorer so gifted. He has suffered from overthinking, and from undershooting, and between the two his game seems to be out of balance.

Granted, he is only a month past his 21st birthday, and granted, the goals get more precious down the stretch, and granted, he is in his first playoff run and granted, slumps happen to all scorers.

On the other hand, one of the truisms of hockey is that in the biggest games, a team needs its best players to be its best players. In other words, as soon as Stamkos can be special again is fine by the Lightning. By Stamkos, too.

"You want to be that player to help your team," Stamkos said Saturday. "You expect it out of yourself, and your teammates expect it out of you. You want to be counted on when things are on the line. It's something I take on myself to come out and help this team win. It isn't easy, but you want to be one of those players who can make a difference."

A month ago, Stamkos was the biggest difference-maker on the team, and there didn't seem to be a player in the league who could take the Hart Trophy (league MVP) out of his hands. Even with the slump, Stamkos' 41 still leads all goal-scorers by eight, and he's third in game-winning goals, and he has been largely responsible for the impressive turnaround of a franchise that suddenly matters again.

The most important stat with Stamkos, however, might be this one: When he scores a goal, the Lightning is 23-6-2. When he does not, the team is 13-15-5. Is there another player whose performance has that kind of impact on his team?

For Stamkos, the final stretch is a chance to close all MVP arguments (and, to be honest, there are those who argue that Marty St. Louis, Stamkos' teammate, deserves a spot in the conversation). The closer he can get to 50 goals, the harder it is going to be to argue for anyone else. And let's face it: The more MVP-type things that Stamkos can accomplish, the better it is for the Lightning.

Consider this: Back in 2003-04, when St. Louis won the Hart, he had seven goals in his final 17 games. Of course, St. Louis had some help. Vinny Lecavalier, Dave Andreychuk and Fredrik Modin all had seven, too. No one is suggesting that other players don't have to play well, too.

Mention how much the Lightning needs Stamkos down the stretch to coach Guy Boucher, and he shrugs. When hasn't the Lightning needed Stamkos? Mention the MVP award, and Boucher makes a face and says he really doesn't care.

"I'm trying to take pressure off of Stamkos, not add to it," Boucher says. "People want to talk about MVP, about scoring titles. I want him to strip that away and just get back to what he does."

Fair enough. But the pressure is the price of being a great player, and measuring up is the proof. Who else should the Lightning look to in its most important stretch in years?

Given what you can remember of Stamkos, back when he was Stamkos, who else would you ask to lead the way?

By Chris Vaccaro, Special to the Times
Saturday, March 5, 2011

JAMAICA, N.Y. — It was a familiar outcome for USF.

The Bulls garnered a first-half lead and saw it go to waste in the final 20 minutes. It happened again Saturday night against 15th-ranked St. John's in a 72-56 loss before a sold-out crowd at Carnesecca Arena.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Paris Horne and Dwight Hardy put St. John's ahead 53-47 with 7:10 left, and the Red Storm didn't let up after those big shots.

"That's been the story this season," said USF center Jarrid Famous, who had 10 points. "We just can't put together a 40-minute game. When a team goes on a run it seems like we put our heads down and go, 'It's happened before, here we go again.' "

The Bulls (9-21, 3-14 Big East), who have lost eight of their past nine, opened the game with ample production from Augustus Gilchrist and Shaun Noriega, who combined for 22 of USF's 32 first-half points.

Similar to the Bulls' 27-24 lead against Pittsburgh in their last loss, a slim first-half lead against the Red Storm wasn't enough against one of the hottest teams in the nation.

Noriega's 3-pointer with 50 seconds remaining in the first half helped the Bulls to a 32-30 halftime lead over St. John's (20-10, 12-6). USF shot 52 percent from the field in the half.

Things changed dramatically in the second half as the Bulls sank only 30 percent of their shots. Noriega, who finished with 14 points, scored just four in the half.

St. John's took a five-point lead with 15 minutes left, but USF responded with an 11-4 run to take a 45-43 lead with 10:04 left. That grew to 47-44 before Justin Brownlee tied it on a three-point play, and after a USF turnover, Horne hit a 3-pointer to put the Red Storm ahead for good.

While St. John's had balanced scoring, USF's offensive threats looked nonexistent down the stretch.

"It wasn't anything they did," Famous said. "It's all about us."

"A good team like St. John's is going to make runs," coach Stan Heath said. "I thought we held off the initial part of their run well and stayed within two or three points. In the second half the pressure of them getting up on us, you saw more of our guys getting into trouble, and we took a lot more difficult shots than we took in the first half."

Gilchrist led the Bulls with 16 points. D.J. Kennedy led St. John's with 16, followed by Hardy, who had 14, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range.

USF will stay in New York to play in the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden, which starts Tuesday. The Bulls, seeded 15th, play 10th-seeded Villanova.

By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 5, 2011

TAMPA — Anybody seen a goal around here?

A goal? Anybody? The Lightning could sure use a few.

With a 4-2 loss to the Canadiens on Saturday night in front of an announced sellout of 20,274 at the St. Pete Times Forum, the team has lost three straight while scoring four goals total.

Ignore the 8-3 win over the Coyotes on Feb. 23 and the Lightning has been outscored 19-12 while going 2-4-1.

"We've battled through a lot of adversity throughout the year," wing Marty St. Louis said. "Right now, we're in the middle of it."

Vinny Lecavalier, despite a sore back, and Dominic Moore scored. But it was not nearly enough against a team the Lightning (37-21-7) would face in the first round of the playoffs if the season ended today.

Falling behind 2-0 in the first 8:41 of a lethargic first period wasn't the best strategy, either, especially against goaltender Carey Price, whose 43 saves negated Tampa Bay's 45-23 shot advantage, and especially considering the Lightning's now one-point lead for first in the Southeast Division over the Capitals.

If Washington beats the Panthers today, Tampa Bay will be out of first for the first time since Dec. 22, and an enormous game Monday at home against the Caps gets even bigger.

But back to Saturday and the Lightning's flat-footed opening.

Montreal was first on the puck. Tampa Bay turned the puck over, passed poorly and covered worse in front of goalie Dwayne Roloson, who generally wasn't great, either.

"It didn't surprise me," coach Guy Boucher said of the way his team came out. "It shocked me."

More shocking is how Tampa Bay's top players disappeared from the score sheet.

Steven Stamkos has one goal in 11 games. His eight shots were eight times more than his previous three games combined, but he took two penalties, one of which led to a goal. A turnover led to another. Simon Gagne has one goal in 14 games. St. Louis has zero in three, Teddy Purcell zero in five.

The power play, in a 3-for-20 slump, is dreadful. Moore scored with the man advantage 1:40 into the second to make it 2-1. But Tampa Bay had just six shots in six tries, including a 1:31 five-on-three in which it had one.

Add a 1:53 five-on-three from Thursday's 2-1 loss to the Bruins and the Lightning has bubkes and three shots in its past 3:24 with two extra men.

"It seemed like we weren't on the same page," said Lecavalier, whose 16th goal was his eighth in 11 games. "We have to get back to basics, get some shots, open the lanes and put the puck on net."

"The danger is to get out of the course," Boucher said. "The last thing we want to do is panic. When you start panicking, you sink lower."

First Period—1, Montreal, Gill 2 (Gionta, Plekanec), 5:27. 2, Montreal, Desharnais 8 (Kostitsyn), 8:41 (pp). Penalties—Bergenheim, TB (roughing), 8:08; Eller, Mon (tripping), 19:28.

Second Period—3, Tampa Bay, Moore 12 (Kubina, Purcell), 1:25 (pp). 4, Montreal, Pacioretty 13 (Plekanec, Subban), 14:05 (pp). Penalties—B.Pouliot, Mon (elbowing), 3:56; Stamkos, TB (tripping), 5:20; Stamkos, TB (hooking), 12:26; Eller, Mon (holding stick), 14:45.

Third Period—5, Montreal, Pacioretty 14 (Gomez), 1:18. 6, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 16 (Moore, Purcell), 14:07. Penalties—Cammalleri, Mon (interference), 3:13; Moen, Mon (hooking), 3:42; Halpern, Mon, double minor (high-sticking), 19:11; Lecavalier, TB (hooking), 19:35.

Shots on Goal—Montreal 9-9-5—23. Tampa Bay 13-14-18—45. Power-play opportunities—Montreal 2 of 3; Tampa Bay 1 of 6. Goalies—Montreal, Price 31-21-6 (45 shots-43 saves). Tampa Bay, Roloson 18-21-2 (23-19). A—20,274 (19,758).

Times staff
Sunday, March 6, 2011

Times staff
Sunday, March 6, 2011

By Rick Frazier, Times Correspondent
Sunday, March 6, 2011

Tricky quarry: Catching a limit of sheepshead (15 per day, per person) can be challenging. It can be difficult to recognize when the bait has been picked up.

Tackle and technique: Light tackle from 8 to 15 pounds is a must. Anything heavier hampers your ability to feel what is happening. Sheepshead are notorious bait stealers. One trick to catching them is sensing resistance or tension in the line. When a sheepshead takes the offering, it first gently picks up the bait and begins to swim with it, which initiates tightness in the line. This is the time to set the hook. If you wait for an obvious tug, you will come up empty.

Tips: Sheepshead have small mouths full of incisors and molars. Use small — No. 1 or 2 — hooks, and they should be sharp. Braided line has an advantage over monofilament because it does not stretch.

Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376.

By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 6, 2011

Conference tournament finals: Colonial Athletic Association and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference at 7 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN2. You don't even have to watch the whole game, but watch the final five minutes of either one for the storm-the-court celebrations.

Capitals at Lightning: 7 p.m. on Versus. Every game matters now, especially for the banged-up Lightning.

The Color of Money: 8 p.m. on Cinemax. Take a break from sports by watching a pseudo-sports movie. It's the classic sequel to The Hustler with Paul Newman and Tom Cruise, before Cruise started to get annoying.

Times wires
Sunday, March 6, 2011

CLEARWATER — The Phillies said rookie RF Domonic Brown is likely to have surgery on his broken right hand and will need three to six weeks to recover.

Brown, a former Pasco High standout, traveled to Philadelphia on Sunday and will be examined by specialist Dr. Randall Culp. He's expected to have surgery Tuesday.

Brown, 23, broke his nonthrowing hand Saturday on a swing. The Phillies' top prospect was trying to claim the starting job in right after Jayson Werth signed with the Nationals.

Brown had been struggling and was 1-for-16 this spring when he was hurt.

"He wasn't pressing; he just wasn't in a rhythm," Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I talked to the kid, and he still felt very confident about things. He was just upset that he has the injury. Anybody would."

Ben Francisco appears likely to start in rightfield on opening day.

UTLEY UPDATE: Amaro said the team hopes to know within a day or two whether a cortisone shot on All-Star 2B Chase Utley's right knee alleviated the patellar tendinitis that has plagued him for weeks.

Jays: No payback

BRADENTON — Jose Bautista enjoyed his 3-for-3 day in the Blue Jays' 5-0 win over the Pirates.

That it came against his old team made little difference.

"I just had a good day," the third baseman said. "It's nice to start getting that rhythm back and put some good swings on some balls."

Bautista was traded to Toronto in August 2008 for backup C Robinzon Diaz. Last month he signed a five-year, $64 million contract extension after hitting 54 home runs in 2010.

Before that, he'd never hit more than 16 homers in a year (2006). He has also played for the Rays, Orioles and Royals, all during the 2004 season.

Bautista, 30, said there are no hard feelings toward the Pirates.

"If anything I'm happy because I don't know what my career would have been like if I stayed in Pittsburgh," Bautista said. "If anything I'm happy that I got traded away because I did receive that second opportunity that I was looking for."

Yanks: Power show

KISSIMMEE — Alex Rodriguez is showing something extra this spring.

Rodriguez hit his first homer of the exhibition season in the Yankees' 10-8 win over the Astros.

With girlfriend Cameron Diaz cheering from a seat near the Yankees dugout, Rodriguez kept his extra-base hit streak going: He has at least one in all five games he has played. This time, he hit a two-run drive over the centerfield wall off Jeff Fulchino in the fifth inning.

"Throw stats out the window at spring training, but overall I feel pretty good," Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said he has resumed his old training regimen in camp. "I feel stronger and more flexible. I'm getting my work in," he said.

Times wires
Sunday, March 6, 2011

PALM BEACH GARDENS — Rory Sabbatini entered Sunday's final round of the Honda Classic with a big lead then turned back a challenge to win by a stroke.

The South African shot even 70 to finish at 9-under 271 and edge Y.E. Yang (66) for his first PGA Tour title since the 2009 Byron Nelson and sixth overall.

"Luckily, I had enough of a cushion that I didn't get too concerned," Sabbatini said. "I knew going in that if I shot even par, it was going to be tough to catch."

Sabbatini still led by five after a par at No. 8. Seven holes later, Yang sat one back thanks to birdies at Nos. 12 and 14 and bogeys by Sabbatini at Nos. 9 and 14.

But Sabbatini sealed his win during the treacherous Nos. 15-17, the water-laden stretch known as the Bear Trap.

A change in putters before the tournament lifted Sabbatini's game. And after a par at No. 15, the new club came through with a 16-foot birdie at No. 16 that put him back up by two.

Then he put his tee shot on the par-3 No. 17 in the middle of the green. Moments later, lightning halted play. But the threat had passed. After a 28-minute delay, Sabbatini made par on the hole.

"I tried to play those holes as smartly as I could and just try to eliminate any opportunity for some big numbers," Sabbatini said. "There's a pretty good reason they call it the Bear Trap because if it doesn't get you one way, it's going to get you another. It definitely caused some stress for me."

But Yang said he was more shaky than Sabbatini.

"Usually, if you're in front, if you're running away from somebody, you tend to be a bit nervous," the South Korean said through an interpreter. "But in Rory's case, apart from No. 14, he seemed really calm. I commend him for being … so emotionally stable. I wasn't."

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 6, 2011

CLEARWATER — Rays manager Joe Maddon was asked, as so many other baseball people have been this spring, to look back and identify a starting rotation as good as what the Phillies have.

While pondering past possible comparisons to the group of Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Roy Oswalt and Cole Hamels (plus Joe Blanton), Maddon also looked ahead to what he said could be a promising comparison with the Rays' own group of David Price, James Shields, Jeff Niemann, Wade Davis and Jeremy Hellickson.

"The difference is experience," Maddon said. "Stuff-wise, our stuff matches up with their stuff. Among our starters, absolutely — stuff-wise, pitch for pitch, guy for guy. Our stuff matches up. …

"We're maybe a younger version of them right now. Something we can look like in a couple years from now if we stayed together and are healthy, for example, the Braves of several years ago, that kind of thing."

FIVE-ALIVE: It was only the ninth game of the spring, but with the score 4-4 in the ninth and runners on second and third, Maddon went to one of his signature moves, the five-man infield.

Russ Canzler came in from leftfield to third and the others shifted, though it was foiled when Joel Naughton lined a single to right, resulting in a 5-4 loss. The Rays (1-7-1) have gone eight straight games without a win.

"You have to work on it some time," Maddon said. "If you're going to work on these things and they're going to be part of your game-day package, you've got to go with it."

Maddon tried a similar move in Game 3 of the 2008 World Series against the Phillies, though it was foiled then, too.

PITCHING IN: Davis was pleased with his two-inning outing, a homer to Ryan Howard aside. "I'm in a pretty good place," Davis said. … Maddon was enthused with the work of LHPs Cesar Ramos and Jake McGee and RHPs Juan Cruz and Brandon Gomes, suggesting all have emerged as legitimate candidates for bullpen jobs. "I just liked the way they threw, and you could easily imagine a pretty decent bullpen among those arms right there," he said. "They were throwing strikes, their demeanor was good, they were under control of their emotions. … They looked like what we're looking for."

GAME DETAILS: Down 3-0 after two homers and a botched popup by 3B Felipe Lopez, the Rays tied it in the fifth, the big hit a two-run double by Sean Rodriguez, then went ahead in the seventh when Chris Carter singled in Joe Inglett. … RF Matt Joyce, hoping to prove he can hit lefties, singled off Lee in the first. … Inglett misplayed a ball in left.

MISCELLANY: Hellickson (right hamstring strain) did well in a 10-minute, 34-pitch session of batting practice in Port Charlotte and will have another Tuesday and make his exhibition debut Friday. … INF/OF Ben Zobrist (right ankle) and INF Elliot Johnson (left quad) are expected back Tuesday, OF Sam Fuld (elbow) Tuesday or Wednesday, SS Reid Brignac (groin tightness) by the end of the week. … If the scheduled pitchers are an indication (with RHP Chris Bootcheck starting), it would appear the Rays are sending nonroster players to Wednesday's split-squad exhibition against the Netherlands in St. Petersburg.