Times wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

VIERA — The Nationals optioned top prospect Bryce Harper to Class A Hagerstown on Saturday, saying the top overall pick in last year's draft needs to get more playing time to prepare for the season.

"He needs to go down to the minor leagues and get four or five at-bats per game to prepare himself for the season," general manager Mike Rizzo said. "And that was the reason we got him out."

Harper, 18, who hit .389 in 13 spring games, was disappointed but determined to make it back to the big leagues as soon as possible.

"Nobody likes to leave the big-league club," he said. "This is the life that you want to live every day, and it's just the process.

"I'm going to go down there and play hard like I always do and, you know, hopefully get back up here real soon."

MAUER IMPROVING: Twins catcher Joe Mauer, recovering from offseason surgery on his left knee, caught his first bullpen session of the spring and said he expects to be ready for opening day. "I don't think opening day was ever in doubt," Mauer told mlb.com.

A'S: Right-hander Rich Harden, who suffered a lat strain in his back early in camp, is unlikely to be ready by opening day, manager Bob Geren said.

BREWERS: Leftfielder Ryan Braun was pulled with a strained left intercostal muscle and is listed as day to day.

DODGERS: Third baseman Casey Blake left in the first inning with lower back spasms.

METS: Catcher Ronny Paulino arrived in camp after a three-week delay because of visa problems caused by his 50-game suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

RANGERS: Third baseman Adrian Beltre, sidelined with a strained calf, is feeling better and could make his spring debut Monday.

RED SOX: First baseman Adrian Gonzalez, who had been out to rehab his surgically repaired right shoulder, had a single and a sacrifice fly in his first spring game.

REDS: Left-hander Dontrelle Willis left a split-squad game against the Cubs in the first after appearing to trip on a bat and limping back toward the mound.

By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 12, 2011

TAMPA — Mark Carrier stood outside One Buc Place 24 years ago, holding a sign with other striking union members while replacement players stepped off buses and filed past, trying not to make eye contact.

As a rookie receiver in 1987, the last time there was a work stoppage in the NFL, Carrier would gather with his teammates at local parks two times a week for hastily arranged practices, during which they tossed the football around with quarterbacks Steve DeBerg and Vinny Testaverde.

"It wasn't as intense because we had no gear on. But we'd meet together and run routes with the quarterbacks," Carrier said. "The defensive backs would be out there. We had organized it to be that way.

"The strike lasted (24) days. But attendance for those workouts dwindled every day because there was a lot of uncertainty."

This time around, there will be no Counterfeit Bucs, no San Francisco Phony Niners.

In fact, there are very few simi­larities to the NFL's last labor impasse. On Friday, the players union decertified after 16 days of mediated talks, a move that was countered when the league's owners instituted a lockout.

In 1987, players were striking as a way to gain free agency.

This time, players simply would like to make a goal-line stand and prevent losing to owners another $650 million of the more than $9 billion in annual revenue the league generates.

Thanks to the inclusive style of union boss DeMaurice Smith — and the age of instant communication with text messages and Twitter — players appear to be more galvanized than ever before. In 1987, about 16 percent of the 1,585 players crossed the picket line, including stars Joe Montana, Tony Dorsett and Lawrence Taylor.

The last work stoppage occurred after two weeks of the regular season. There was one week of no games. Then the owners brought in replacement players for three games.

This time, it'll be six months before players have to face the prospect of missing a paycheck. But success of the union will depend on how it can maintain the resolve of its members.

Players won't receive any insurance benefits or bonuses, and more than 450 players who are scheduled to become free agents could, eventually, create pressure to get a deal done.

"You always thought it wouldn't last long. I think that's the mind-set of a lot of players," Carrier said. "It's not affecting them as much now because all they're missing is the offseason workouts. But when you start missing games, you feel like (the owners) can't survive without us and we can't survive without them. But as the weeks go by, you start to ask yourself, 'Is it really worth it?' And that's when you see guys fracturing.

"I'm concerned about the players from this standpoint: Back in '87, there was something we were fighting for, fighting to achieve. That, to me, is the scary thing. What is the one thing during this work stoppage that the players are fighting for where they can say we want this or that? All the players want now is to keep what they have. I think that's the hardest thing, to keep what we have already earned as players."

In many ways, Tampa Bay was at the center of the last labor storm. Then-owner Hugh Culverhouse was president of the NFL's management council. Bucs offensive lineman Marvin Powell, a former Jets standout nearing the end of his career, was chairman of the nine-player executive committee and a litigant against the league.

The USFL had folded a year earlier, so owners had enormous leverage over players, whom fans blamed for the strike by a 3-1 ratio. In Tampa Bay, only one player, center Dan Turk, crossed the picket line. Turk, who played 15 seasons with five teams before dying of cancer in 2000, said he didn't see enough urgency to get the dispute resolved.

"I didn't see two sets of people at the (negotiating) table sitting there with their sleeves rolled up and sweat on their eyebrows," Turk said at the time.

Another major difference was bargaining sessions were held in Tampa, New York, San Francisco, Washington and Philadelphia to limit media coverage. No public announcements were held ahead of the sessions.

The replacement Bucs went 2-1, equaling the number of wins Tampa Bay had that season with their regular players — the first under coach Ray Perkins.

"The younger players who are just getting to the NFL, they're the ones who are going to feel the crunch of uncertainty,'' said Tyrone Keys, a defensive end for the Super Bowl champion Bears in 1985 who was entering his second season with the Bucs when the strike hit.

"They really want to come in and impress during the offseason, and they're going to be dealing with a lot of internal things that happen. They've been in a routine playing football their whole lives, and that is going to be disrupted.''

Carrier said he is not optimistic about an agreement getting done soon.

"The players have to know the guys who went (on strike) in '82 allowed me to have some things. And there was no free agency when I came into the league," he said.

"But I don't see this thing working out until August. I don't think a lot is going to happen until then."

Lawsuit: The owners added two lawyers to the players' antitrust lawsuit. David Boies, who represented Al Gore during the recount fight in the disputed 2000 presidential election, and Paul Clement, a former U.S. Solicitor General, will join Gregg Levy, who has represented the league before the Supreme Court. The suit — Brady et al vs. National Football League et al — seeks to block the owners' lockout. Plaintiffs comprise nine current NFL players, including Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and one incoming player, Texas A&M linebacker Von Miller, who is expected to be a top-10 pick in April's draft. A hearing has not been scheduled. But it likely will be heard in Minneapolis by Judge David Doty, who has overseen NFL labor matters since the early 1990s.

Information from Times wires was used in this report.

Times staff, wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

Road to the Derby

Prep races leading up to the Kentucky Derby, May 7 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky.:

Date Race Track Length Winner

1-8 Spectacular Bid Gulfstream 6 F Determinato

1-15 California Derby Golden Gate Fields 1 1/16 M Positive Response

1-15 Sham Santa Anita 1 1/16 M Tapizar

1-17 Smarty Jones Oaklawn 1 M Caleb's Posse

1-22 LeComte Fair Grounds 1 M, 40 yds Wilkinson

1-30 Holy Bull Gulfstream 1 M Dialed In

2-5 Whirlaway Aqueduct 1 1/16 M Toby's Corner

2-10 UAE 2,000 Guineas Meydan 1 M Splash Point

2-12 El Camino Real Derby Golden Gate Fields 1⅛ M Silver Medallion

2-12 Sam F. Davis Tampa Bay 1 1/16 M Brethren

2-12 Robert B. Lewis Santa Anita 1 1/16 M Anthony's Cross

2-19 Risen Star Fair Grounds 1 1/16 M Mucho Macho Man

2-20 San Vicente Santa Anita 7 F The Factor

2-21 Southwest Oaklawn Park 1 M Archarcharch

2-24 Meydan Classic Meydan 1 M turf Introvert

2-26 Fountain of Youth Gulfstream 1⅛ M Soldat

2-26 Hutcheson Gulfstream 7 F Flashpoint

2-26 Borderland Derby Sunland Park 1 1/16 M Fusa Code

3-3 Al Bastakiya Meydan 1 3/16 M Reem

3-5 Gotham Aqueduct 1 1/16 M Stay Thirsty

3-5 Battaglia Memorial Turfway 1 1/16 M Positive Response

Sat. Palm Beach Gulfstream 1⅛ M turf Joes Blazing Aaron

Sat . Tampa Bay Derby Tampa Bay Downs 1 1/16 M Watch Me Go

Sat. San Felipe Santa Anita 1 1/16 M Premier Pegasus

3-19 Rebel Oaklawn 1 1/16 M

3-26 Rushaway Turfway 1 1/16 M

3-26 Louisiana Derby Fair Grounds 1⅛ M

3-26 Vinery Racing Spiral Turfway 1⅛ M

3-26 UAE Derby Nad El Sheba 1⅛ M

3-27 Sunland Derby Sunland 1⅛ M

4-3 Swale Gulfstream 7 F

4-3 Florida Derby Gulfstream 1⅛ M

4-9 Santa Anita Derby Santa Anita 1⅛ M

4-9 Wood Memorial Aqueduct 1⅛ M

4-9 Illinois Derby Hawthorne 1⅛ M

4-16 Arkansas Derby Oaklawn 1⅛ M

4-16 Blue Grass Keeneland 1⅛ M

4-23 Coolmore Lexington Keeneland 1 1/16 M

4-23 Jerome Aqueduct 1 M

4-30 Derby Trial Churchill Downs 1 M

M: Mile F: Furlong

Times wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

CLEARWATER — The Phillies and general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. agreed to a four-year contract extension Saturday.

Amaro, entering his third season on the job, helped the Phillies to back-to-back NL East titles and the pennant in 2009. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"For the last 2½ years, my opinion is he's done an outstanding job for the organization," team president David Montgomery said.

The Phillies have the most wins in the NL (190-134) in Amaro's first two seasons.

UTLEY UPDATE: All-Star 2B Chase Utley, out with tendinitis in his right knee, has been increasing his workouts in hopes of avoiding surgery and being ready for the season, Amaro said.

Yanks: Shrug it off

VIERA — If there was one hallmark of RHP A.J. Burnett's awful 2010, it was that when things went bad, they often stayed that way.

So when Michael Morse hit a two-run homer in the second inning of the Nationals' 6-5 victory over the Yankees, it was interesting to see how Burnett would react.

He reacted fine, retiring three straight to end the inning. He wound up allowing just the two runs and two hits in four innings.

"Got hit, gave up the bomb and didn't really care," Burnett said. "Get back on the mound and get the next three guys."

GOOD NEWS: Yankees LHP Kei Igawa has spoken with his family in northern Japan and is returning home after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake and tsunami devastated the country.

Jays: No control

DUNEDIN — A day after being named the Blue Jays' opening-day starter, LHP Ricky Romero was lit up in a 6-4 win over the Pirates, allowing four runs on four hits and five walks in 32/3 innings.

"It was just I had no idea where my fastball was going," Romero told the Toronto Star. "It felt good in the bullpen. … I don't think it's anything to worry about."

STILL HURTING: OF Scott Podsednik was scratched a day after his spring debut because of continued pain with the plantar fasciitis in his left foot.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 12, 2011

SUNRISE — Coach Guy Boucher mixed up his lines Saturday night against the Panthers, saying it was out of necessity.

"I've got to create some kind of second line, some kind of spark somewhere," he said.

That's why C Vinny Lecavalier started the game on a line with Nate Thompson and Adam Hall, and Marty St. Louis joined C Blair Jones and Teddy Purcell.

Boucher has been pleased with how Lecavalier, St. Louis and Steven Stamkos have created scoring chances recently; the trio is responsible for seven of the team's past 11 goals. But in a stretch in which the Lightning has played well defensively, lack of secondary scoring has hurt it as it has lost six of seven. LW Simon Gagne, a two-time 40 goal scorer, scored Saturday for just his second goal in 18 games.

"Our big guns aren't going to score every (game)," said Thompson. "We've got to take it upon ourselves to keep generating chances and finishing opportunities when we have them."

Part of it is a depth problem. The Lightning is playing without two of its top six forwards, injured Ryan Malone and Steve Downie. But secondary scoring earlier this season was a big reason the Lightning put itself at the top of the Southeast Division, with the likes of Sean Bergenheim, Thompson and Dominic Moore racking up goals.

"I don't have a second line," Boucher said. "Gagne is not putting it in, and Purcell is sometimes in, sometimes out. If we would have had secondary scoring the last two weeks, we might be first in the conference right now."

HEADS-UP: At the general managers meetings Monday through Wednesday in Boca Raton, one of the big topics will be how to combat hits to the head and concussions.

Lecavalier said Rule 48, which makes illegal a lateral or blind-side hit that targets the head, has been a good start. He said there are fewer hits from behind — "Between 10 years ago and now, it's like night and day." — and though players have some responsibility to be "doing the right things," more still needs to be done to get rid of head shots.

"I think the main thing is, if there are suspensions for that, it's got to be severe," Lecavalier said. "It's got to make guys, the next time they go on the ice after a suspension, think twice with what they do."

LESSON LEARNED: Boucher has said that in the past, Jones' game has deteriorated quickly after initial strong play. But Jones, in his third callup, said he worked on things in AHL Norfolk and has a "better grasp on what we're trying to do here."

"I've kind of gotten used to knowing I'm not going to be playing heavy minutes like I'm used to in the American league," Jones said. "And it's going to take a little bit of different ways to stay in the game, whether it's talking on the bench or getting a real good warmup before the game. I just have to do some different things to stay in it."

MISCELLANY: C Mattias Ritola returned to the lineup, with D Matt Smaby scratched.

Times staff writer Damian Cristodero contributed to this report. Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

Times wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

colleges

Herbstreit: osu fans made me leave state

ESPN football analyst and former Ohio State player Kirk Herbstreit says he, his wife and their four sons moved from their longtime Ohio home Thursday to Tennessee because they could no longer put up with the vitriol directed at Herbstreit whenever he criticized the Buckeyes.

"Nobody loves Ohio State more than me," Herb­streit, 41, told the Columbus Dispatch. "But I've got a job to do, and I'm going to continue to be fair and objective. To continue to have to defend myself and my family in regards to my love and devotion to Ohio State is unfair. … It's the vocal minority that make it rough. They probably represent only 5 to 10 percent of the fan base, but they are relentless."

Herbstreit said he will continue to do his Columbus radio show.

UF wins indoor Track title: Florida won the men's team title at the NCAA Indoor championships at College Station, Texas, for the second straight year. Jeff Demps captured his second consecutive 60-meter dash title, winning in a school-record 6.53 seconds. UF is the fourth men's program to repeat as champion. Arkansas has done it three times, the last in 2005 and '06. On the women's side, Oregon also repeated as champion.

winter sports

Austrian skier to be fined for ref threat

Switzerland's Didier Cuche will be fined $5,400 for threatening to "attack" a referee if what Cuche thought was a dangerous jump was not removed from a World Cup downhill skiing course in Kvitfjell, Norway, the International Ski Federation said.

The federation said Cuche telephoned race director Gunter Hujara late Thursday and said: "If you don't take the jump down and anything happens, I will not hesitate to attack you in public."

"We have no problem with him complaining about the jump," Hujara said. "It's the way he said it that's the problem." He said the offense was "not too serious."

Cuche was not available for comment. He finished seventh in Saturday's race and lost the World Cup downhill lead to race winner Michael Walchhofer of Austria. Ivica Kostelic of Croatia clinched the overall World Cup title by placing 21st.

more alpine skiing: Austria's Marlies Schild won her sixth World Cup slalom this season and clinched the discipline title at Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic, and American Lindsey Vonn continued to narrow the gap for the overall title after leader Maria Riesch did not finish. Three-time defending overall champion Vonn tied for 16th but her deficit from 38 points to 23.

iditarod: John Baker seized the lead of the 1,150-mile sled dog race on the Yukon River in Alaska and extended it with a blazing run on the 70-mile stretch from Eagle Island to Kaltag, the last Yukon checkpoint and 359 miles from the finish line in Nome.

snowboarding: American Kelly Clark and Japan's Kazuhiro Kokubo defended their the halfpipe titles at the U.S. Open Championships in Stratton, Vt.

ET CETERA

bowling: Hall of Famer Walter Ray Williams Jr. of Ocala was among 18 players who advanced to today's region championships in the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs in Indianapolis.

fishing: Gainesville's Shaw Grigsby landed 18 pounds, 12 ounces of bass to widen his lead in the Bassmaster's Sunshine Showdown on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Lake County. His 62-11 three-day total led Grant Goldbeck by nearly 12 pounds going into today's final round.

soccer: Arsenal went out of a third competition in two weeks when Manchester United reached England's FA Cup semifinals with a 2-0 win. Bolton beat Birmingham 3-2 to reach the semis for the first time in 11 years.

tennis: American qualifier Donald Young beat fifth-ranked Andy Murray 7-6 (7-4), 6-3 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, Calif.

Times wires

Times wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

DORAL — Dustin Johnson hit his stride Saturday on the back nine of the Blue Monster, shooting 31 to emerge from a crowd with 7-under 65 for a two-shot lead going into today's final round of the Cadillac Championship.

He hit what he called a "bunt drive" that went 310 yards on the 17th, leaving him a wedge into 2 feet. That was the last of his eight birdies and put him atop the leaderboard. A bit later, after Nick Watney missed two short birdies and put his tee shot into the water on No. 18, Johnson had the lead to himself.

"I played well (Saturday) — drove it well, putt it well, hit the ball well," Johnson said. "So I'm going to have to do that again (today)."

Johnson was at 13-under 203, with seven players within three shots of him, none lower than No. 31 in the world.

That group does not include Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who remained out of the mix. It doesn't include Martin Kaymer, either. The new No. 1 struggled to 74 and was seven shots back. Johnson will play in the final group with Luke Donald, who took bogey on the final hole for 66.

Johnson got off to a rough start in this event — his opening tee shot Thursday sailed right and struck a spectator in the head. Turns out it was his grandfather, Art Whisnant, a former basketball star at South Carolina. "Yeah, that was a hard drive," Johnson said, smiling. "He said it hit him on the fly, but it couldn't have."

Whisnant wasn't hurt.

Watney, who settled for 68 after double bogeying No. 18, and Matt Kuchar (68) were with Donald at 11-under 205.

PGA: Troy Matteson shot 6-under 66 to open a three-shot lead at the Puerto Rico Open in Rio Grande. He had seven birdies and a bogey to reach 16-under 200. Hunter Haas (68) was second.

CHAMPIONS: Nick Price followed his record first round with 3-under 68 to take a two-shot lead in the Toshiba Classic in Newport Beach, Calif. Price, who shot 60 on Friday to tie a tour record, was at 128 total. Mark Wiebe was second after his second straight 65.

Times wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Harrison Barnes ignored all the doubters, the questions about his game, even the bumpier-than-expected start to his career at North Carolina.

Those days felt long ago Saturday as the freshman put on a record-setting show that helped the sixth-ranked Tar Heels escape again at the ACC tournament.

Barnes set a freshman tournament record with 40 points to help North Carolina rally past Clemson 92-87 in overtime in the semifinals, sending the Tar Heels to the championship game for the first time in three years.

Barnes hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 4:13 left as part of a 9-0 spurt to open the extra period for top-seeded North Carolina (26-6), which continued its living-dangerously run in Greensboro. A day after rallying from 19 down in the final 10 minutes to beat Miami, the Tar Heels trailed the Tigers (21-11) by 14 in the first half and rallied from seven down in the final four minutes of regulation to force overtime.

"My goal was to be in the final," Barnes said. "This is not how I imagined us doing it, but we find a way."

The Tar Heels have won 19 of 21 games since losing to Texas on a last-second shot in December. They're now a win away from their 18th ACC tournament title, which would tie Duke for most all time. They'll face the Blue Devils in today's final, marking the first time the rivals have met for the title in 10 years.

Barnes finished 12-of-17 from the floor and 10-of-11 from the free-throw line, capping his day with two free throws with 8.3 seconds left and the Tar Heels ahead 90-87.

His 40 points also tied former UNC great Tyler Hansbrough for the league's freshman scoring record in any game, marked the first time a player had scored 40 in the tournament since Wake Forest's Randolph Childress in 1995 and was the most by a North Carolina player in the tournament since Charles Scott had 41 in the 1970 quarterfinals.

NO. 5 DUKE 77, VA. TECH 63: Nolan Smith refused to let a toe injury stop him. Virginia Tech couldn't do it, either.

Smith had 27 points a day after jamming his toe, and the Blue Devils claimed a spot in the championship game.

"At this stage," Smith said, "no injury is going to hold me back from playing."

Kyle Singler added 13 points and 11 rebounds and Seth Curry had 10 points for second-seeded Duke (29-4).

The reigning national champs shot 47 percent and kept the Hokies at arm's length throughout the second half to avenge a late-season loss.

Malcolm Delaney had 19 points on 4-of-14 shooting for the sixth-seeded Hokies (21-11), who made just 2 of 12 3-pointers and never got closer than 10 in the final 14 minutes.

"Going into the game, I felt we had earned confidence," Virginia Tech and former USF coach Seth Greenberg said. "We had beaten this team. But we needed to play well, not just play hard. I thought we played really hard. Unfortunately, we didn't play as well" Saturday.

Erick Green hit a layup over Curry that pulled Virginia Tech within 41-35 with just less than 18 minutes left. Singler followed with a jumper to start the 11-2 run that pushed Duke's lead into double figures to stay.

The focus was on Smith, the ACC player of the year. His status was in question until a few minutes before tipoff because he injured his second left toe late in Duke's victory the night before against Maryland. X-rays showed no broken bones, and coach Mike Krzyzewski said Smith was walking "fairly well" at a short team meeting about midnight.

"Once we knew that it was more of a jammed toe, we felt that he would be okay," Krzyzewski said.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 12, 2011

ATLANTA — When the first half against Vanderbilt ended Saturday, Florida's Kenny Boynton had eight points, fellow guard Erving Walker had zero, and the Gators trailed by eight.

So during the halftime break, the two decided they had to respond in the second half of the SEC tournament semifinals as if there was no tomorrow.

After all, lose and it's over.

So in the second half, Walker had a stretch of nine straight points and Boynton a stretch of 10 straight as the two helped lead Florida to a 77-66 victory in front of 21,728 at the Georgia Dome.

The Gators (26-6) play in today's final at 1 against Kentucky (24-8), which beat Alabama 72-58.

Boynton scored a game-high 24 and Walker 17 in Florida's third straight come-from-behind victory, the last two coming in the tournament.

"In the second half we have been down the last two games, so it was square in our face that we had to come out with a lot better intensity and defend," Walker said. "In the first half we have a bad habit of waiting to see how hard we have to play, and we've got to get out of that."

Florida trailed by 12 points 1:10 into the second half, then went on an 18-6 run to take a 51-50 lead. Tied at 57, the Gators outscored Vanderbilt 20-9 the remainder of the game.

"I thought we probably could have been down a lot more at the half," said coach Billy Donovan of Florida's 11 first-half turnovers. "But in the second half, we came out, and I thought for most of the half played pretty well.

"And I think the big key was that we got stops and we held them to a low percentage from the field."

Vanderbilt (23-10) shot 43 percent (14-of-32) from the field in the first half but just 29 percent (9-of-31) in the second. For the game, the Commodores made just 6 of 33 3-pointers compared with Florida's 11 of 21.

"We had a hard time making shots," Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "We just did not shoot the ball well. And they got hot in the second half and made some tough ones.

"But that's what they do. That's what they have done all season long, and that's why they're the league (regular-season) champion."

With the Gator starters sputtering, Donovan went to his bench, including little-used freshman forwards Casey Prather and Will Yeguete. Florida's bench outscored Vanderbilt 13-0, and freshman center Patric Young had a career-high eight rebounds off the bench.

Florida now has defeated two SEC teams three times in one season for the first time in school history. The Gators defeated Tennessee for the third time in Friday's quarterfinal.

"That's special," said senior forward Chandler Parsons, who had 16 points and nine rebounds.

"It shows how many different options we have. It definitely is a big boost for us. That's just us following scouting very well and playing hard."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

.fast facts

The division of dominance

Since the SEC expanded to 12 teams in 1992, a team from the East Division has won 15 tournaments. And No. 16 is guaranteed with two East teams advancing to today's final. The champions:

1992: Kentucky

1993: Kentucky

1994: Kentucky *

1995: Kentucky

1996: Miss. St. #

1997: Kentucky *

1998: Kentucky *

1999: Kentucky

2000: Arkansas #

2001: Kentucky

2002: Miss. St. #

2003: Kentucky

2004: Kentucky *

2005: Florida *

2006: Florida *

2007: Florida

2008: Georgia

2009: Miss. St. #

2010: Kentucky

* All-East final # West team

By Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Saturday, March 12, 2011

OLDSMAR — It was something Tampa Bay Downs trainers Kathleen O'Connell and Gerald Bennett had seen many times before: Their horses in deep stretch, engaged in a driving finish.

But this was no claiming race. It was the Doozy at the Derby.

O'Connell won the first Grade II race at the Downs in 85 years on Saturday when her Watch Me Go outlasted Bennett's Crimson Knight by a neck in a duel between hometown long shots in the $350,000 Tampa Bay Derby.

Watch Me Go was 43-1, and Crimson Knight 86-1.

Kentucky Derby early favorite Uncle Mo was scratched in favor of the Timely Writer race at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale Beach (he won), so Sam F. Davis Stakes winner Brethren was the horse to beat in the nine-horse field. The 1-2 favorite led into the stretch, but he couldn't keep pace with Watch Me Go and Crimson Knight in the final 110 yards.

O'Connell's colt got the nod, covering 11/16 miles in 1 minute, 44.25 seconds for jockey Luis Garcia's first graded stakes victory. Brethren finished 31/2 lengths behind.

The first-place prize of $210,000 puts O'Connell and Ocala owner Gilbert Campbell in position to run their West Acre 3-year-old colt in the May 7 Kentucky Derby.

"I'm sure (Campbell) is thinking roses," said O'Connell, the Downs' co-defending training champion.

Bennett, celebrating his 67th birthday, saddled Crimson Knight for the first time after claiming him for $16,000 from Tom Proctor.

Watch Me Go paid $89.40, $28.80 and $8.80. Crimson Knight returned $50 and $11.80.

It was the eighth loss in nine Tampa Bay Derby starts for Brethren trainer Todd Pletcher.

NOTES: Leading jockey Daniel Centeno sustained a pelvic bone injury Friday and is expected to miss the remainder of the meet. … Frederic Lenclud won the other stakes with Denomination ($26.20) in the Grade III $150,000 Hillsborough and Wyomia ($15.20) in the $75,000 Suncoast. … The Downs had a record handle of $10,949,807 for a 12-race card. Attendance was 10,755.

Times wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

. Fast facts

Gatornationals

When: Today

Where: Gainesville Raceway, 11211 N County Road 225

What: Four pro classes, several other classes

Schedule: Sportsman eliminations, 9 a.m.; Nitro/Pro Stock eliminations, 11 a.m.

For information: Call toll-free 1-800-884-6472; see gainesvilleraceway.com or NHRA.com.

GAINESVILLE — Former NASCAR champion Kurt Busch carried around the qualifying results from his first professional drag-racing event Saturday.

He didn't fold it or stuff it in a pocket. He was taking this one home — to be framed.

The 2004 Sprint Cup champ bounced back from two error-filled qualifying runs with two solid passes Saturday and advanced to today's elimination rounds at Gatornationals.

"It was an overall better day," said Busch, 32, who was last among 21 entries through Friday's two qualifying runs. "You've got to have those tough days to go through to make you appreciate what a good day can be."

Busch's best Pro Stock run covered a quarter-mile in 6.532 seconds at 211.46 mph to earn the No. 12 seed in the 16-car elimination bracket. He faces No. 5 seed Erica Enders in the first round.

"When you put the helmet on, everything's equal," Enders said. "It doesn't matter if it's Kurt Busch or George Bush, we're going to do the same thing."

The top qualifiers were Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel, 3.814 seconds at 325.45 mph), Matt Hagan (Funny Car, 4.030, 309.84), Rodger Brogdon (Pro Stock, 6.495, 213.57) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle, 6.777, 196.10).

TRUCKS: On a Sprint Cup week off, Kasey Kahne led the final 51 laps to win the Too Tough To Tame 200 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. Kahne drove the truck owned by Kyle Busch, who planned to spend the weekend in Cancun, Mexico. "I'll buy (Kyle) a vacation any time to drive this thing again," Kahne said.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 12, 2011

ATLANTA — The game didn't take much effort at all, but the outcome might have cost more than Kentucky wanted to pay.

The Wildcats jumped out to a double-digit lead on Alabama midway through the first half Saturday and didn't look back en route to a 72-58 victory in the SEC tournament semifinals.

But with the victory came injuries to two key players. Freshman guard Doron Lamb and junior guard Deandre Liggins went down with ankle injuries on successive plays late.

"(Lamb) could be doubtful," Kentucky coach John Calipari said. "I don't know. He was pretty bad in there, but we'll … see how bad he wants to play."

Lamb, who scored 15, was diagnosed with a sprained left ankle. He sat in the locker room with his foot propped up with ice and later was seen on crutches. He said he will try to play.

Liggins, who had 14 points and nine rebounds, said he expects to play. He initially could not get up but eventually limped off under his own power.

"I feel fine, just a minor tweak," Liggins said.

Kentucky (24-8) plays today in its 36th tournament final, seeking its 28th title, this time against regular-season champion Florida. Meanwhile, Alabama (21-11) must anxiously await its NCAA fate today.

The Tide was considered by analysts to be one of the final four teams in the NCAA Tournament after its quarterfinal win over Georgia on Friday. But the double-digit semifinal loss might change its status.

"I think we've had a very good year considering where we started and where we finished up," coach Anthony Grant said. "The SEC was our focus. Whatever happens will happen. Whatever happens won't diminish what these guys accomplished this year."

Tied at 4, Lamb scored all of Kentucky's points during a 10-4 run that gave it a 14-8 lead 5:52 into the game. Alabama never recovered and never led.

Said Calipari: "We'd have smacked anybody the way we played."

By Joey Knight, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 12, 2011

TAMPA — An intense daylong duel between Hillsborough and Pompano Beach Ely for the Charles Johnson Invitational boys team title had come down to the last lap of the last race on Saturday afternoon.

And neither team took that last hurrah.

That belonged to Newsome senior A.J. Dowse, who pulled away on the final turn of the 4x400-meter relay.

"I have no clue," Dowse said when asked how fast he covered his 400 meters. "I just know it was fast."

Behind Dowse's mesmerizing split, the Wolves (3 minutes, 24.68 seconds) set the last of 15 meet records at King High.

Among the runners Dowse passed: Hillsborough senior Akeem Anthony, whose relay still finished second to give the Terriers the overall team title with 115 points. Defending champ Ely, fourth in the final relay, finished with 112 but didn't exit quietly.

Tigers anchor Anthony Archie stumbled a few meters from the finish after drifting inside and appeared to make contact with Anthony. A jury of appeals, however, ruled the contact was incidental.

Far less disputable was Wharton's convincing victory in the girls competition. Behind sophomore Tyler Watson, the Wildcats finished with 102 points, well ahead of runnerup Wiregrass Ranch (62.5).

Watson ran on the Wildcats' winning 4x800 and 4x400 relays, set a personal best in the triple jump (34 feet, 3 inches) to place third, and finished second in the 400 (1:00.34).

That 4x800 team set a meet record (9:52.49), as did USF-bound senior Abby Ritter, whose 12:00.24 in the 3,200 meters broke the meet's 2-year-old mark.

Hillsborough's Narricka Williams was named the Calyx Schenecker Outstanding Female Athlete after winning both hurdles events and placing second in the triple jump.

On the boys side, the Terriers won two of three relays and got a solid day from sophomore Jeremiah Green, who ran on the winning 4x100 team and placed second in the triple jump.

Other boys meet record breakers included Chamberlain junior Max del Monte (3,200 meters, 9:43.25), Alonso senior Brandon Holloway (200, 21.63), and Ravens teammates Franklyn Mosely (400, 49.21) and Gigi Petion, who cleared 6-foot-8 in the high jump and came tantalizingly close to 6-9.

"The only thing I could've done (better) is get more aggressive on that curve," Petion said. "I missed it by a calf."

Times wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

MIAMI — In less than a minute, Dwyane Wade set the tone for the Heat.

Wade blocked four shots in a dazzling 55-second span shortly after tipoff, and the Heat rolled past Memphis 118-85 on Saturday for its biggest margin of victory since Dec. 27, 2009.

It was one of Miami's top defensive displays of the season, as the Grizzlies shot 39 percent and missed their final 10 shots of the first half. By then, the outcome was already decided.

Wade blocked Tony Allen's jumper with 7:56 left in the first quarter. Another Allen layup was blocked 17 seconds later, then Sam Young had three shots swatted away in 36 seconds, the first by LeBron James, then two by Wade.

"That moment right there, that's pretty much how I felt the game was going to go," Wade said.

Wade's final line: 28 points, nine assists, five rebounds and five blocks. The last NBA guard to have numbers like that in a game? Michael Jordan, in 1988.

James scored 27 then took the fourth off for Miami, which got 18 points and 10 rebounds from Chris Bosh and 17 points from Mike Bibby — who was 5-of-5 from 3-point range. Bibby has hit his past seven 3s overall and is 13-of-14 from long range against Memphis this season.

Miami set a season high with 11 blocks.

Heat center Zydrunas Ilgauskas sat out with an infected foot. He accidentally stepped on a nail at his home several days ago; the injury was mild at first, and he played Thursday against the Lakers without problems, but the infection worsened.

GAME HIGHLIGHTS: Jeff Teague matched a career high with 24 points to help the host Hawks end a four-game slide with a 91-82 victory over the Trail Blazers. Atlanta won without former Florida star Al Horford (sore left ankle). … Blake Griffin had all of his 26 points in the first half as the visiting Clippers rolled past the Wizards, 122-101.

AROUND THE LEAGUE: Hornets All-Star guard Chris Paul was back in the starting lineup against the Kings, his first action since being diagnosed with a mild concussion last week. … Injured forwards Carlos Boozer (Bulls) and Paul Millsap (Jazz) sat out when their teams met, leaving each team without its second-leading scorer.

JACKSON-CUBAN, AGAIN: Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban always seem to have a jab for each other. Before their teams met Saturday in Dallas, Jackson said that, while Cuban has toned down over the years, he believes the outspoken owner's criticism of referees might have cost the Mavericks the 2006 NBA Finals against Miami. Earlier this season, Cuban referred to Jackson as "Jeanie Buss' boy toy."

Late Friday: Magic blows big lead in loss

OAKLAND, Calif. — Eight days after coming back from 24 points down to top Miami, the Magic felt what it was like on the other side.

The Warriors came back from 21 down to stun Orlando 123-120 in overtime late Friday in a game that set a record for most combined 3-pointers made.

Golden State set a franchise record for 3-pointers made, finishing 21-of-35 beyond the arc. Monta Ellis had 39 points and 11 assists and Dorell Wright scored 32 for the Warriors.

Jason Richardson scored 30 and Jameer Nelson had 24 points for Orlando, which was 15-of-32 from long range. The 36 total 3s were the most in league history (Seattle at Phoenix combined for 32 on Jan. 22, 2006).

"I think we kind of looked at the scoreboard and figured we were going to be up by 20 and it was going to be a blowout game," Richardson said. "We just didn't finish the game hard in the first half, and in the second half, they got a little confidence and went on a run."

Orlando's Hedo Turkoglu hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc with 8.3 seconds left in regulation to tie it at 101.

Golden State, which trailed by 21 in the first half, came out in the second on a 27-12 run, going ahead 69-68 on Wright's 3 with 4:28 left in the third quarter.

Heat 118, Grizzlies 85

MEMPHIS (85): Young 1-7 4-6 6, Randolph 6-12 1-2 13, Gasol 6-12 3-4 15, Conley 1-11 0-0 2, Allen 2-7 2-2 6, Arthur 2-7 2-2 6, Mayo 8-13 3-3 19, Battier 1-4 0-0 2, Smith 0-2 0-0 0, Vasquez 4-5 1-2 10, Haddadi 1-3 0-0 2, Powe 1-1 2-4 4. Totals 33-84 18-25 85.

MIAMI (118): James 10-16 5-6 27, Bosh 7-11 4-5 18, Dampier 1-2 0-0 2, Chalmers 2-7 1-1 7, Wade 9-15 9-9 28, Howard 1-2 4-4 6, Anthony 0-0 1-2 1, Miller 1-3 0-0 3, Bibby 5-5 2-2 17, Magloire 2-2 0-0 4, House 1-4 0-1 2, Jones 1-2 0-0 3. Totals 40-69 26-30 118.

Memphis 22 15 23 25— 85

Miami 28 27 29 34— 118

3-Point Goals—Memphis 1-10 (Vasquez 1-1, Mayo 0-1, Randolph 0-1, Allen 0-1, Haddadi 0-1, Gasol 0-1, Battier 0-2, Conley 0-2), Miami 12-19 (Bibby 5-5, Chalmers 2-3, James 2-4, Jones 1-1, Wade 1-2, Miller 1-2, House 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Memphis 47 (Randolph 9), Miami 44 (Bosh 10). Assists—Memphis 17 (Conley 10), Miami 27 (Wade 9). Total Fouls—Memphis 23, Miami 25. Technicals—Mayo, Memphis Bench, Howard. A—19,600 (19,600).

Hawks 91, Trail Blazers 82

PORTLAND (82): Batum 2-8 1-1 5, Aldridge 7-16 8-8 22, Camby 1-4 0-0 2, Miller 0-8 1-1 1, Matthews 7-12 2-4 19, Wallace 1-5 2-4 5, Fernandez 3-8 3-3 10, Roy 5-11 4-4 16, Mills 0-3 0-0 0, Jar.Collins 1-2 0-0 2, A.Johnson 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 27-77 21-25 82.

ATLANTA (91): J.Johnson 5-12 1-2 11, Smith 5-12 3-4 14, Pachulia 3-5 0-0 6, Teague 11-17 1-4 24, Hinrich 0-4 0-0 0, M.Williams 2-4 0-0 4, Crawford 8-14 0-0 20, Wilkins 6-9 0-0 12, Armstrong 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 40-77 5-10 91.

Portland 18 20 16 28— 82

Atlanta 19 16 27 29— 91

3-Point Goals—Portland 7-22 (Matthews 3-6, Roy 2-3, Wallace 1-3, Fernandez 1-6, Aldridge 0-1, Mills 0-1, Batum 0-2), Atlanta 6-14 (Crawford 4-7, Smith 1-2, Teague 1-2, Hinrich 0-1, J.Johnson 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Portland 45 (Wallace 12), Atlanta 51 (Smith 12). Assists—Portland 20 (Aldridge 7), Atlanta 18 (Smith 6). Total Fouls—Portland 14, Atlanta 22. Technicals—Crawford, Smith. A—15,522 (18,729).

Clippers 122, Wizards 101

L.A. CLIPPERS (122): Gomes 1-5 0-0 3, Griffin 8-17 10-11 26, Jordan 3-5 4-10 10, Foye 2-5 1-1 5, Williams 7-14 5-5 22, Bledsoe 9-14 5-9 23, Aminu 3-5 4-4 10, Kaman 6-9 2-3 14, Moon 2-5 0-0 5, Smith 2-3 0-0 4, Diogu 0-1 0-0 0, Cook 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 43-83 31-43 122.

WASHINGTON (101): Howard 4-9 1-2 9, Booker 4-7 5-5 13, McGee 6-7 0-0 12, Wall 9-23 7-10 25, Young 7-17 0-0 15, Yi 0-1 0-0 0, Evans 2-6 2-2 8, Seraphin 0-1 0-0 0, Crawford 4-16 8-8 16, N'diaye 0-0 0-0 0, Shakur 1-2 1-2 3. Totals 37-89 24-29 101.

L.A. Clippers 38 26 27 31— 122

Washington 27 28 18 28— 101

3-Point Goals—L.A. Clippers 5-14 (Williams 3-5, Moon 1-2, Gomes 1-3, Bledsoe 0-1, Griffin 0-1, Foye 0-2), Washington 3-16 (Evans 2-3, Young 1-6, Wall 0-1, Howard 0-1, Crawford 0-5). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—L.A. Clippers 60 (Jordan 17), Washington 49 (McGee 8). Assists—L.A. Clippers 24 (Williams, Bledsoe 6), Washington 16 (Wall 8). Total Fouls—L.A. Clippers 24, Washington 27. Technicals—Washington defensive three second. A—20,278 (20,173).

Times wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

NEW YORK — Kemba Walker capped the best five days an individual and team may have ever had in college basketball, scoring 19 to lead No. 21 Connecticut to a 69-66 victory over No. 14 Louisville in the Big East championship on Saturday night.

Walker, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, took home the most obvious MVP award in any conference tournament after leading the ninth-seeded Huskies (26-9) to five wins in as many days — the last four over ranked teams — and the program's seventh conference title, tying Georgetown for the most in Big East history.

He finished the five games with 130 points, 46 more than the previous record. And he grabbed several big rebounds and had numerous key passes and clutch steals, all while exhibiting leadership good enough to take a team loaded with sophomores and freshmen to the championship.

Preston Knowles had 18 points for the third-seeded Cardinals (25-8). His 3-pointer at the buzzer bounced off the rim.

Huskies beat buzzer

LOS ANGELES — With the score tied and 19 seconds left, Washington coach Lorenzo Romar was thinking timeout. Isaiah Thomas was thinking basket.

Thomas' instinct won out. The speedy guard tore up the court and hit a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer, lifting Washington past No. 16 Arizona 77-75 for the Pac-10 tournament champion­ship in the first overtime title game in league history.

"I knew I had a smaller guy on me, so I could get a shot off, and I just made a little step back and God made the ball go in the hoop," said Thomas, whose first name follows the biblical spelling.

Thomas scored 19 of his 28 in the first half, and freshman Terrence Ross added 16 for the third-seeded Huskies (23-10), who defended their title and earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Pac-10 player of the year Derrick Williams had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the top-seeded Wildcats (27-7), who won the regular-season title.

Penn State in final

INDIANAPOLIS — Talor Battle scored 17 of his 25 in the second half to help sixth-seeded Penn State (19-13) defeat Michigan State 61-48 and advance to the Big Ten tournament final for the first time.

Battle made six 3-pointers, four during a 2:35 stretch in the second half that put the Nittany Lions in control for good.

"I thought Michigan State played pretty good defense," Battle said. "Not to sound cocky by any means, but I was just zoned in."

Penn State faces top-ranked Ohio State (31-2), which boosted its bid for the NCAA Tournament's top overall seed with a 68-61 win over Michigan.

NO. 2 KANSAS 85, NO. 10 TEXAS 73: Tyshawn Taylor and Marcus Morris sparked a quick start by the top-seeded Jayhawks (32-2), who routed the Longhorns (27-7) to win the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Mo., and avenge a January loss that snapped their team-record 69-game home winning streak.

NO. 7 SAN DIEGO ST. 72, NO. 8 BYU 54: Billy White had 21 points, 12 rebounds and five steals and bedeviled national scoring leader Jimmer Fredette in leading the Aztecs (32-2) past the Cougars (30-4) in Las Vegas for the Mountain West title. Second-seeded San Diego State's losses were both to top seed BYU.

RICHMOND 58, NO. 24 TEMPLE 54: Kevin Anderson had 22 points for the third-seeded Spiders (26-7), who beat the three-time defending champion Owls (25-7) in Atlantic City, N.J. Richmond faces ninth-seeded Dayton (22-12), which advanced to the championship game for the first time since 2004 with a 64-61 victory over Saint Joseph's.

AMERICA EAST: John Holland hit two free throws with 2.4 seconds left to cap a 27-point performance and lift second-seeded Boston University (21-13) into the NCAA Tournament with a 56-54 win over Stony Brook in Boston.

BIG WEST: Orlando Johnson had 23 points to lead fourth-seeded UC Santa Barbara (18-13) to a 64-56 win over top-seeded Long Beach State in Anaheim, Calif., for its second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

C-USA: Joe Jackson hit two free throws with seven seconds left and fourth-seeded Memphis (25-9) rallied past UTEP 67-66 to win the conference championship in El Paso, Texas.

IVY: Douglas Davis hit a leaning jumper at the buzzer to give Princeton (25-6) a trip to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004 with a wild 63-62 win over Harvard in New Haven, Conn. "It felt good. It went in," he said. "I fell on the ground and that was the worst decision I ever made, because everyone just jumped on me."

MID-AMERICAN: Steve McNees blocked Carlton Guyton's last-second 3-pointer, giving sixth-seeded Akron (23-12) a 66-65 win over top-seeded Kent State in overtime in the conference championship in Cleveland.

MEAC: Brandon Tunnell had 20 points, including four free throws in the final 35 seconds, and second-seeded Hampton (24-8) secured its first NCAA Tournament berth in five years with a 60-55 victory over Morgan State in Winston-Salem, N.C.

SOUTHLAND: Freshman forward Jeromie Hill had 25 points to lead seventh-seeded Texas-San Antonio (19-13) to a 75-72 win over top-seeded McNeese State in the final in Katy, Texas.

SWAC: Tremayne Moorer had 14 points, lifting fourth-seeded Alabama State (17-17) to a 65-48 victory over Grambling to win the tournament championship in Garland, Texas.

UTAH FIRES COACH: Coach Jim Boylen was fired two days after the Utes ended a second straight losing season.

Times wires
Saturday, March 12, 2011

EL PASO, Texas — The score was everywhere. In lockers. In the dressing room.

Tulane 63, Central Florida 62.

The loss in last season's Conference USA quarterfinals motivated the Knights all season. On Saturday, they got revenge.

Jelisa Caldwell scored 27 as UCF beat Tulane 85-73 in the final for its second NCAA Tournament berth in three years.

The Knights (22-10) had five other players in double figures: Chelsie Wiley (13), D'Nay Daniels (12), Ashia Patrick (11), Ashia Kelly (10) and Gevenia Carter (10).

The Green Wave reached the final by beating Houston, 16-0 in league play during the regular season, in the semifinals.

There were 14 lead changes Saturday before UCF took the lead for good with 11:28 left. Up 70-68 with 5:08 left, a 9-0 run sealed it.

No. 3 Baylor 61, No. 8 Texas A&M 58: Brittney Griner had 31 points, eight rebounds and seven blocks for the Bears in the Big 12 final in Kansas City, Mo. Baylor rallied after trailing 12-0. The Aggies' Danielle Adams, the conference leading scorer at 23 points per game, had 12 on 4-of-19 shooting and missed a 3-pointer with four seconds left.

No. 2 Stanford. 64, No. 7 UCLA 55: Freshman Toni Kokenis scored 10 of her career-high 17 over the final 5:17 to help the Cardinal rally in Los Angeles and win its sixth straight Pac-10 title. Kokenis scored 10 in a row during a 17-2 run that put Stanford up 57-48.

America East: Alex Hall's 15 points led four players in double figures as visiting Hartford beat Boston 65-53 in the final.

Big Sky: Down 52-46, visiting No. 4 seed Montana used a 12-0 run over 6:32 to beat top-seeded Portland State 62-58 in the final.

Big West: Paige Mintun scored 20 to lead No. 4 seed Cal-Davis past top-seeded Cal Poly 66-49 in Anaheim, Calif.

MAC: Lauren Prochaska scored 20 to lead Bowling Green past Eastern Michigan 51-46 in the final in Cleveland. A 7-0 second-half run put the Falcons up 42-35.

MEAC: Hampton beat Howard 61-42 in Winston-Salem, N.C., for its second straight title. A 9-0 run made it 35-21 with 12:33 left.

Mountain West: Freshman Michelle Plouffe scored eight of her 24 in overtime to spark Utah's 52-47 upset of No. 2 seed TCU in the final in Las Vegas. The Utes, the No. 5 seed, won four games in five days after finishing 7-9 in league play.

Patriot: Down 12, host Navy opened the second half with a 16-2 run to beat American 47-40 and earn its first tournament berth.

SWAC: Robin Jones made a go-ahead jumper with 33.3 seconds left as Prairie View outscored Southern 12-0 over the final 5:13 to win the final 48-44 in Garland, Texas.

WAC: Bree Farley, a freshman reserve averaging 4.6 points, made a last-second turnaround jumper to lift Fresno State past Louisiana Tech 78-76 in the final in Las Vegas.

Tampa out: Lynisha Nelson made two free throws with 0.7 seconds left as Florida Tech beat Tampa 56-54 in the Division II South Region quarterfinals in Russellville, Ark.

Virginia: Debbie Ryan, one of just nine coaches with 700 wins, resigned. She took over the program at age 24, went 736-323 over 34 seasons, played in 24 NCAA Tournaments and reached the Final Four from 1990 to 1992 (losing to Tennessee in the 1991 final). This season, the Cavs went 16-15. "We have not lived up to my own standards and expectations this past year," said Ryan, 58, whose assistants included current Connecticut coach Geno Auriemma.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, March 12, 2011

SUNRISE — Coach Guy Boucher pointed out a recurring theme in the Lightning's recent slide:

"The games that used to go our way just don't go our way now," he said.

Case in point was Saturday night's 4-3 overtime loss to the Panthers, in last place in the Southeast Division, at the BankAtlantic Center.

The Lightning showed a lot of fight in overcoming a two-goal third-period deficit. And with about 25 seconds left in overtime, Marty St. Louis raced on a two-on-one, looking to set up the league's top goal scorer, Steven Stamkos.

"Nine and a half times out of 10, Marty makes that play," Stamkos said.

But Florida defenseman Mike Weaver got his stick down to block the pass, sparking a Panthers two-on-one the other way, which ended with defenseman Jason Garrison scoring the winner with 16 seconds left.

Though the Lightning (38-22-9) picked up a point and moved three points behind the idle Capitals for first place in the Southeast, it has just one win in its past seven games and is just two points ahead of the Canadiens, who won in regulation Saturday, for the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference.

But unlike Friday's home loss to the Senators, in last place in the East — a defeat that had Boucher calling the team's early effort "unacceptable" and "disgraceful" — Tampa Bay battled Saturday all the way through, including outshooting Florida 38-27.

"We fought with everything we had," Boucher said. "We didn't quit."

The score was tied 1-1 heading into the third period, but the Panthers scored twice in the first six minutes to take the lead. On the first goal, center Ryan Carter carried the puck from his zone up the middle all the way before wristing a shot from between the circles past goalie Mike Smith.

"This time of year, you can't let those goals in," said Smith, who had 23 saves in his second start since returning from AHL Norfolk. "Obviously it's frustrating."

The Lightning took advantage of four power plays in the last 10 minutes of regulation to tie it, on goals by Vinny Lecavalier and Simon Gagne, who banked the puck off the post and Florida goalie Scott Clemmensen for his goal.

Tampa Bay thought it had a good shot of pulling it out when St. Louis and Stamkos were on their overtime odd-man rush. St. Louis said he liked his chances in getting Stamkos the puck.

"I've had that play many times this year," St. Louis said. "And I can't say I've missed many times."

Said Stamkos: "That's the way it's going for us right now."

Joe Smith can be reached at joesmith@sptimes.com.

First Period—None. Penalties—Thompson, TB (roughing), 9:38; Hedman, TB (hooking), 14:50; Reasoner, Fla (tripping), 16:08; Florida bench, served by Repik (too many men), 19:50.

Second Period—1, Florida, Booth 21 (Weaver, Ellerby), 4:33. 2, Tampa Bay, Stamkos 43 (St. Louis, Gagne), 14:10 (pp). Penalties—Booth, Fla (high-sticking), 12:02; Garrison, Fla (hooking), 13:29; Tyrell, TB (holding stick), 14:34; Clark, TB (interference), 18:04.

Third Period—3, Florida, Carter 2 (Kulikov), 2:22. 4, Florida, Bergfors 12 (Garrison, Weiss), 5:18. 5, Tampa Bay, Lecavalier 17 (St. Louis, Gagne), 12:35 (pp). 6, Tampa Bay, Gagne 11 (Lecavalier, Stamkos), 17:55 (pp). Penalties—Garrison, Fla, double minor (high-sticking), 9:27; Florida bench, served by Thomas (too many men), 12:27; Bergfors, Fla (high-sticking), 17:36.

Overtime—7, Florida, Garrison 4 (Santorelli, Reasoner), 4:44. Penalties—None. Shots on Goal—Tampa Bay 8-10-19-1—38. Florida 5-8-9-5—27. Power-play opportunities—Tampa Bay 3 of 8; Florida 0 of 4. Goalies—Tampa Bay, Smith 10-6-1 (27 shots-23 saves). Florida, Clemmensen 7-7-4 (38-35). A—16,607 (17,040).

Playoff chase

With nonshootout wins (first tiebreaker in determining final playoff spots) and games left. Division winners get top three seeds:

East Pts. Wins GR

1. Flyers9140 14

2. Capitals 88 36 13

3. Bruins 85 37 14

4. Penguins86 34 13

5. Lightning8532 13

6. Canadiens83 36 13

7. Sabres74 28 14

8. Rangers* 74 28 12

9. Hurricanes72 27 13

10. Maple Leafs702613

11. Thrashers702613

12. Devils682914

West Pts. Wins GR

1. Canucks* 97 40 13

2. Red Wings903713

3. Sharks* 85 34 14

4. Stars 82 32 14

5. Blackhawks 81 32 14

6. Kings 81 31 14

7. Coyotes 81 31 13

8. Flames* 81 28 12

9. Predators 80 29 13

10. Ducks 79 33 14

11. Wild 77 33 13

12. Blue Jackets732814

* Late result not included

By Chris Girandola, Times Correspondent
Saturday, March 12, 2011

CLEARWATER — The senior season for Clearwater Central Catholic's Lindsey Cooper and Torey Camporini didn't exactly end the way they had envisioned after the nationally ranked Marauders suffered an upset in the district playoffs.

But Cooper and Camporini, who was named her team's MVP, made up for some of that disappointment by scoring two of the three goals in the shootout period of the 18th annual Senior Soccer Challenge on Saturday at Countryside High. The Pinellas girls All-Stars beat the Hillsborough stars 2-1, Pinellas' third win in a row.

The game went to a shootout after regulation time ended in a 1-1 tie. Hillsborough High's Megan Nelson, who earned her team's MVP honors, gave Hillsborough a 1-0 lead in the first half, but Shorecrest's Jenn Casey scored in the second half to tie things up.

In the boys game, St. Petersburg's Warren Simmons scored on a penalty kick midway through the first half after the Green Devils midfielder was taken down in the box, and the Pinellas stars beat the Hillsborough team 1-0, its fourth consecutive win in the series.

Countryside defender Andrew Hitt was named Pinellas MVP, and Hillsborough High midfielder Daniel Barboto was the Hillsborough stars MVP.

By Chris Girandola, Times Correspondent
Saturday, March 12, 2011

CLEARWATER — The senior season for Clearwater Central Catholic's Lindsey Cooper and Torey Camporini didn't exactly end the way they had envisioned after the nationally ranked Marauders suffered an upset in the district playoffs.

But Cooper and Camporini, who was named her team's MVP, made up for some of that disappointment by scoring two of the three goals in the shootout period of the 18th annual Senior Soccer Challenge on Saturday at Countryside High. The Pinellas girls All-Stars beat the Hillsborough stars 2-1, Pinellas' third win in a row.

The game went to a shootout after regulation time ended in a 1-1 tie. Hillsborough High's Megan Nelson, who earned her team's MVP honors, gave Hillsborough a 1-0 lead in the first half, but Shorecrest's Jenn Casey scored in the second half to tie things up.

In the boys game, St. Petersburg's Warren Simmons scored on a penalty kick midway through the first half after the Green Devils midfielder was taken down in the box, and the Pinellas stars beat the Hillsborough team 1-0, its fourth consecutive win in the series.

Countryside defender Andrew Hitt was named Pinellas MVP, and Hillsborough High midfielder Daniel Barboto was the Hillsborough stars MVP.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 13, 2011

When the SEC tournament final ended and the Florida Gators sat in the postgame locker room following a 70-54 loss to Kentucky on Sunday afternoon, the inevitable question was whether the double-digit loss would hurt the Gators' NCAA Tournament seeding.

The Florida players said it shouldn't. So did Kentucky coach John Calipari.

Apparently, the NCAA Selection Committee felt the same.

Florida will begin play in the NCAA Tournament on Thursday as the No. 2 seed in the Southeast Region. The Gators (26-7) will play University of California-Santa Barbara (18-13) Thursday in the St. Pete Times Forum.

The Tampa region includes teams that have won 22 NCAA basketball championships: UCLA (11); Kentucky (seven); Florida (two); and Michigan State (two).

The Florida-UCSB winner will play either No. 7 seed UCLA or No. 10 Michigan State on Saturday for a trip to the Round of 16 in New Orleans.

"We are really excited about being in the NCAA Tournament," UF coach Billy Donovan said. "I'm very happy for our players and our staff for the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament."

UCSB was an automatic qualifier after stunning top-seeded Long Beach State in the Big West Conference tournament championship game. The Gauchos and Gators have never met.

Top-ranked Ohio State is the overall No. 1 and is in the East Region, joining Kansas (Southwest), Pittsburgh (Southeast) and Duke (West) as top seeds

The Tampa region will also include No. 4 seed Kentucky vs. No. 13 Princeton and No. 5 seed West Virginia, which will play the winner of the Alabama-Birmingham-Clemson first-round game.

Several television analysts questioned the Gators' selection as a No. 2 seed.

"Florida is the most over-seeded team in the tournament," ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb said. "They lost (Sunday). They didn't beat anybody in the non-conference, yet somehow they are a 2 seed, and Texas (a No. 4 seed) that played a far superior schedule and won more road games, that seed stinks."

Analyst Dick Vitale questioned the wisdom of a No. 2 seed when Kentucky is a No. 4. But NCAA Selection Committee chairman Gene Smith said the decision wasn't controversial at all.

"Florida is an outstanding basketball team, well-coached," Smith said during a national teleconference Sunday night. "They played a very good overall schedule and had some quality wins. So when you stack them up against the teams in the top quadrant as we call it, they rose to the top. And we felt like they deserved to be a No. 2 seed. They had a strong strength of schedule — overall No.  4. Their non-conference strength of schedule was No. 7. So we felt they deserved to be at the top of the seed list. And the No. 2 seed is a very strong seed."

Smith said critics are placing too much weight on the final weekend and conference tournaments. He called the regular season "the gauntlet" and said the selection committee looks at the full body of work for all teams, with no greater emphasis placed on the tournaments, including Florida's loss to Kentucky.

"It's just one game, just one game that's added to the entire resume," Smith said. "They lost to Kentucky, but they beat Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt (again) prior to that. And Alabama prior to that. So they had a nice run. We don't get into putting that level of emphasis (on the tournament games) that a lot of people think we do."

In a year when many have argued that college basketball overall is down, 13 teams in the field have at least 11 losses, the most since 1985.

The last time Florida played an NCAA Tournament game in Tampa, the Gators lost 68-46 in the second round to Michigan State. On Sunday, the players said they hope playing in Tampa will carry a homecourt advantage, but they realize they'll need to also play well to advance.

"Definitely (it's a positive), but playing good teams at this stage, it doesn't matter if you are home or not it's going to be tough regardless," junior guard Erving Walker said.

"Tampa will be nice," senior forward Chandler Parsons added. "The closer, the better."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com.

No. 10 Michigan State

2 titles (1979, 2000)

No. 4 Kentucky

7 titles (1948, 1949, 1951, 1958, 1978, 1996, 1998)

No. 7 UCLA

11 titles (1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1995)

2 No. 2 Florida Won back-to-back national titles in 2006 2007 under Billy Donovan.