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

ATLANTA — The once-beleaguered Kentucky team that many wrote off during a 3-4 stretch of the season capped off its impressive SEC tournament run Sunday with a 70-54 victory over Florida in front of 21,409 at the Georgia Dome.

It was the 28th SEC tournament championship for the storied Kentucky program, its sixth in Atlanta.

It was a bitterly disappointing outcome for the Gators (26-7), particularly for their seniors who have never cut down the nets.

"It hurts, but we have been here before," senior forward Chandler Parsons said. "We obviously wanted to be in that situation (as winners), but we've got to move on and we've got bigger things ahead of us. We want to make a run in the (NCAA) Tournament. It hurts right now and I'm sure it's going to hurt later, but we've got to move past that and look forward to the tournament."

For the Gators, who had to play from behind in their quarterfinal and semifinal wins, it was much of the same. Florida trailed by nine early, then came back to take a 24-21 lead with 10:26 remaining in the first half.

But Kentucky (25-8) countered with a 10-0 run to take a 31-24 lead, eventually outscoring Florida 13-5 in the final 9:20 of the half. The Gators went scoreless for a 7:10 stretch of the first half, and never led again.

The Wildcats played tough perimeter defense, holding starting guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker to a combined 18 points and 7-of-26 from the field.

"We really tried to focus in on keeping them away from shooting open threes, and then rebounding the ball," said UK guard Darius Miller, who had 15 points and six rebounds and was named tournament MVP. "We wanted every shot they had to be contested."

Florida was 12-of-32 from the field in the first half, and trailed by five at halftime. Kentucky opened the second half with a 7-0 run as the Gators continued to struggle with turnovers and missed scoring opportunities.

"The difference tonight from other games is we just missed shots," said Boynton (18.7 points in the tournament), who along with Parsons (12.3 points, 8.7 rebounds) was named to the All-Tournament team. "Easy layups around the rim, jumpers from outside weren't falling. So on nights like this, you have to play more defense."

Kentucky shot 41 percent from the field and scored 20 off 14 Florida turnovers. Four Wildcats scored in double figures, including DeAndre Liggins who suffered a sprained ankle on Saturday. Kentucky's Doron Lamb, who also suffered a sprained ankle Saturday, scored six in 23 minutes.

The Gators struggled with their inside game. Center Vernon Macklin had seven points and five turnovers.

And the outside shots didn't fall. Florida, which had four starters in double figures in the quarterfinals and three in the semifinals, had one — Boynton with 10 — on Sunday.

Kentucky took advantage of 22 Florida personal fouls, hitting 24-of-29 free throws, including 10 of 12 in the final 2:18 to secure the victory.

"The biggest thing was I didn't think we were strong enough and physical enough around the basket," Florida coach Billy Donovan said. "… There was such a huge discrepancy from the free-throw line (UF was 3-of-8) and Kentucky probably took the ball (to the hoop) a little bit more physically than we did. The difference was I thought was we weren't physical enough to get fouled."

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

By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 13, 2011

NCAA women's tournament selection show: 7 p.m. on ESPN. The bracket for the women's Division I basketball tournament is unveiled.

30 Clubs in 30 Days: 8 p.m. on MLB Network. The spring training tour previews the Oakland Athletics.

MLB's 20 Greatest Games: 9 p.m. on MLB Network. The network counts down the 20 greatest games of the past 50 years. Tonight, it's No. 10 on the list.

Times wires
Sunday, March 13, 2011

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler headed back to a celebrating Duke bench and found their Hall of Fame coach waiting for them. Smith jumped into Mike Krzyzewski's arms for a big hug, followed immediately by Singler.

The seniors who led the fifth-ranked Blue Devils to last year's national championship have another Atlantic Coast Conference title to savor.

Beating their fiercest rival made it sweeter.

Smith had 20 points and the Blue Devils ended No. 6 North Carolina's run of big rallies at the ACC tournament, beating the Tar Heels 75-58 in Sunday's final.

Singler added 11 points for the Blue Devils (30-4), who led the entire way for a record 19th tournament title. They won their third straight tournament and 10th in 13 years, the latest sign of just how seriously they have approached this event.

"I love the ACC. The ACC has made me a better coach," Krzyzewski said. "I just feel that when you are a part of something that's bigger than you and you're in a tournament representing that conference, you should try to be at your best. That's my attitude with it.

"We don't talk about the NCAA Tournament or anything like that. We just say we want to win this tournament. You could see how happy we are."

That much was evident when Smith and Singler checked out for the last time with 52.4 seconds left to a standing ovation from Duke fans. North Carolina coach Roy Williams joined the applause from his sideline.

"I said it after we played them over there: they're two marvelous players, and you don't see seniors hang around that much and play," Williams said. "What they did was fantastic."

A week earlier, North Carolina (26-7) handled Duke with relative ease in a winner-take-all game for the outright regular-season title. This time, in the first finals meeting between the rivals in a decade, second-seeded Duke led by 18 in the first half and never let the Tar Heels get close.

North Carolina had rallied from 19 down in the final 10 minutes to beat Miami on a last-play layup in the quarterfinals, then rallied from 14 down to force overtime and beat Clemson in the semifinals. This time, the Tar Heels got no closer than nine after halftime.

Smith was named tournament MVP after overcoming a jammed toe in the quarterfinals against Maryland and finishing with 10 assists, and Singler played better after struggling mightily in the two regular-season meetings. Seth Curry had 11 points, including a 3-pointer after the Tar Heels had pulled to within nine.

Ryan Kelly, Plumlee and Miles Plumlee combined for 24 points on 11-of-16 shooting against North Carolina's powerful front line; they had nine points on 4-of-15 shooting in last week's loss.

"It was the ultimate team effort," Smith said. "Everybody made big plays."

Times wires
Sunday, March 13, 2011

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Jessica Breland and the rest of the Tar Heels are ready for the NCAA Tournament.

Breland, Waltiea Rolle and Tierra Ruffin-Pratt scored 13 each, leading No. 14 North Carolina over Kennesaw State 98-52 on Sunday in the regular-season finale for both teams.

Italee Lucas and She'la White added 12 each for the Tar Heels (26-8). Ashley Holliday had 17 for the Owls (9-21).

"I think we were game-ready (Sunday)," Breland said. "I'm looking forward to us giving our all and trying to make it to the Final Four."

This was the third straight season in which the Tar Heels played and won a regular-season home game after the ACC tournament. The Owls played their first game in 11 days after losing in the Atlantic Sun tournament.

Big South: Monique Hudson scored 23 for Gardner-Webb (23-10) in a 67-66 victory over Liberty in High Point, N.C., as the Runnin' Bulldogs earned their first NCAA Tournament berth. The top-seeded Flames (22-10) had won 13 of the past 14 conference championships.

Colonial: Dawn Evans had 24 points to lead James Madison to a 67-61 win over Delaware in Upper Marlboro, Md. The Dukes (26-7) earned the league's automatic berth for the second straight year. Elena Della Donne led the Blue Hens (20-13) with 23 points.

Horizon: Adrian Ritchie scored 18 to lead five teammates in double figures and No. 13 Wisconsin-Green Bay (32-1) rolled to a 74-63 win over Butler (20-13) in Green Bay.

Missouri Valley: Katelin Oney scored 16 and Amber Kirschbaum added 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to lead Northern Iowa to a 69-41 win over Missouri State (23-10) in the final in St. Charles, Mo. The Panthers (27-5) have won a school-record 19 straight.

Northeast: Brittany Lilley had 19 points and 10 assists and host Saint Francis (Pa.) cruised to a 72-57 win over Monmouth (23-9). Samantha Leach, the conference's player of the year, scored 19 for the Red Flash (22-11), which won its 11th title since 1996.

Times wires
Sunday, March 13, 2011

GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Grady Sizemore walked off a back field at the Indians' training camp, sweating and wearing a big smile.

"I feel good," the three-time AL All-Star said Sunday after running the bases for the first time in 10 months.

It was the biggest step on the centerfielder's road to recovery from microfracture surgery on his left knee.

"I did everything, simulated game conditions," he said. "Home to first, first to third, second to home, leading off, tagging up. It all went well. I didn't feel slow. I haven't lost a step."

Manager Manny Acta is hopeful Sizemore, 28, will be in the lineup in April. Sizemore has not done much in training camp other than take batting practice, doing some agility drills and spending considerable time in the trainer's room.

SANTANA DENIES SETBACK: Mets left-hander Johan Santana denied that he was behind in his rehab from left shoulder surgery, accusing The Record of lying in a report that the team might alter or suspend his throwing program because of a lack of progress. "There's nothing new," he said. "We're keeping track of everything."

OBITUARY: Mitchell Page, a former outfielder and hitting coach, died Saturday at the age of 59. A cause of death was not released. Mr. Page played in the majors from 1977-84 and was the Cardinals' hitting coach from 2001-04. He was a roving minor-league hitting instructor for the Nationals at the time of his death.

ASTROS: Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez was scratched from his start Tuesday after being diagnosed with mild tendinitis in his right shoulder.

BREWERS: Leftfielder Ryan Braun is expected to miss a week or so with a strain in his rib cage but said he isn't concerned. "It's nothing at all," Braun told mlb.com.

D'BACKS: Left-hander Zach Duke suffered two broken bones in his pitching hand when he was struck by a line drive Saturday and won't be able to throw for at least a month.

DODGERS: Third baseman Casey Blake is expected to be sidelined for a few days because of an injury to a muscle near the back of his rib cage.

MARLINS: Right-hander Javier Vazquez will skip his scheduled start today because of mild right elbow soreness but is expected to make his next start.

NATIONALS: Right-hander Chien-Ming Wang showed progress in a recent bullpen session but has no chance of making the opening day roster, manager Jim Riggleman told the Washington Post. Wang had shoulder surgery in mid 2009.

ORIOLES: Right-hander Justin Duchscherer was unable to throw a simulated game because of discomfort in his left hip, putting his place in the starting rotation in doubt.

TWINS: Closer Joe Nathan had his first poor outing in his comeback from right elbow surgery, giving up six runs while getting one out against the Phillies. The right-hander said his elbow felt fine.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 13, 2011

SUNRISE — Defenseman Eric Brewer is starting to feel more at home with the Lightning in more ways than one.

Brewer, 31, the former Blues captain acquired via trade in mid February, recently rented an apartment in Tampa, with his family — including 3-year-old daughter, Reese, and baby girl, Hadley — joining him this past week.

"It's made it way easier," Brewer said.

And on the ice, Brewer is fitting well with his new team, anchoring the top defensive pairing. Though the Lightning is in a rough stretch, having won just one game in its last seven heading into tonight's game in Toronto, coach Guy Boucher said its defense has "been at its best," with Brewer a big reason why.

"He's our best defenseman, there's no doubt about it," Boucher said. "He's great one-on-one, he's got speed, he can bring the puck up, he's got a good shot, got good leadership. He's a solid individual off the ice. Honestly, I can't ask for better. That's what I asked for and I didn't think I'd get it, and we got it."

Brewer had to make some adjustments in joining the Lightning, getting used to Boucher's unique system, as well as acclimating himself with opponents in the Eastern Conference. But he said it has helped a lot being paired with veteran defenseman Mattias Ohlund, who has talked him through different situations. Brewer, acquired for a third-round pick and defense prospect Brock Beukeboom, is plus-1 with a goal in 11 games with Tampa Bay, logging at least 21 minutes in six.

"I think I understand for the most part what they want to do and how they go about doing it," Brewer said. "The positioning of the forwards, is a little bit different, so I'm getting used to that, and some of the plays that aren't routine aren't with another team. But it's been much better."

While Brewer, who spent more than five seasons with the Blues, is used to being in a leadership position, with veterans such as Marty St. Louis and Vinny Lecavalier on board, there's going to be a feeling-out process.

"I think everyone has their own personality, and I'm just kind of seeing how things operate here and see if I can help out with that," Brewer said. "I'm certainly not trying to force anything, but trying to compliment all the good things the guys do here."

Brewer is excited about experiencing a playoff run, having not played in the postseason since 2003 with the Oilers (he was out after back surgery when the Blues made it in 2008-09).

"It's good," he said. "It's been a long time since I've been on this side of the race."

STICK IT OUT: Center Steven Stamkos required some dental work after Saturday night's 4-3 loss, getting caps on two teeth after a high-stick by Florida defenseman Jason Garrison put a hole through his mouth guard. Though Stamkos will need more extensive work for his chipped teeth, he didn't plan on visiting any family dentist in the trip to Toronto, near his hometown, instead waiting until next week when the team returns to Tampa.

Stamkos smiled, "I'd rather be eating dinner at home than going to the dentist."

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

Times wires
Sunday, March 13, 2011

TAMPA — Yankees manager Joe Girardi needed just one word to describe closer Mariano Rivera's first spring training appearance: "Silly."

Rivera struck out all three batters he faced during his initial outing, New York's 9-2 loss to a Twins split-squad Sunday.

"It felt great," Rivera said. "I can't complain."

Jason Kubel and pinch-hitter Matt Brown struck out looking, and Luke Hughes went down swinging against Rivera, who threw nine of 12 pitches for strikes during the sixth inning.

"What did he throw? 10 pitches?" Yankees captain Derek Jeter said. "He throws strikes. It doesn't surprise me."

Rivera, 41, has taken a slower approach in recent years to prepare for the regular season. He had a 1.80 ERA and 33 saves in 38 chances last season. The 11-time All-Star has 559 regular-season saves, second to Trevor Hoffman's 601, and a record 42 in the postseason.

"Mo has a plan and regimen, and it works for him," Girardi said. "He does it as good as anybody I've seen."

Phils: Making a case

FORT MYERS — A pitcher who isn't supposed to make the team is turning some heads.

Phillies manager Charlie Manuel tested hard-throwing RHP Mike Stutes, 24, by starting him against a Twins lineup that included All-Stars Justin Morneau and Jim Thome, Stutes proved he was up to it with three hitless innings.

"(It's going) much better than I expected," Stutes said after Philadelphia's 6-3 victory. "I haven't gone three innings in more than a year."

Stutes wound up throwing 32 pitches, 19 for strikes. In six spring outings, he has allowed one run in 10 innings, walked one and struck out 12.

"It's tough for him right now to make our team, but that doesn't mean won't or can't," Manuel said.

"I think anytime you're wearing a big-league uniform and we keep running you out there to look at you, I think, yeah, I want him to go out there and pitch with the idea that he's going to do the best that he can. Make us make a decision on him."

Jays: Dodging bullet

DUNEDIN — Brandon Morrow took a liner off his right shoulder in the second inning.

Luckily for the Blue Jays, it looked a lot worse than it was.

The right-hander shook off the comebacker and pitched four innings in the 9-3 win over the Rays.

"I flinched and blocked it," Morrow said of SS Tim Beckham's hard-hit ball. "It hit more of my finger (sticking out of his glove), so that's sore, but I went out the next inning."

Morrow threw to first to retire Beckham and end the inning. Manager John Farrell thought about pulling him at that point but "I said I was all right," Morrow said, grinning.

Still, the Blue Jays cut short his outing by one inning. He allowed two runs, one earned, and three hits, struck out six and walked none.

"In a way we dodged a bullet," Farrell said, "and it factored into our decision."

ROSTER CUTS: SS Adeiny Hechavarria, one of the team's top prospects, was one of six cuts to bring the total number of players in camp to 48. Hechavarria, 21, who played at Double-A New Hampshire last season, was sent to minor-league camp with C Brian Jeroloman, OF Moises Sierra and RHPs Josh Roenicke and Robert Ray and LHP Luis Perez.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 13, 2011

DUNEDIN — Halfway through the exhibition season, the Rays still don't know what their bullpen is going to look like.

But, manager Joe Maddon said Sunday, they are pretty sure it's going to end up better than they expected.

"We're going to mix and match a little bit, but I feel as though we have the ingredients to do that," Maddon said. "It's looking pretty good right now. I feel a lot more confident about how it's going to look now than I did on the first day of camp."

For the most part, the competition for the bullpen spots, as well as the two open bench spots, has been stiffer than expected. And settling on a batting order, the other major question of the spring, a bit trickier than thought.

With 18 days until the season opener, here's a look at where they are:

Bullpen

The Rays opened camp figuring four spots were claimed, though right-hander Adam Russell needs to show a little more velocity and command to make sure he joins Kyle Farnsworth, Joel Peralta and Andy Sonnanstine.

And from a field of a dozen candidates for the remaining spots, three appear to have emerged as the leaders: right-hander Juan Cruz, and left-handers Jake McGee and Cesar Ramos.

McGee, a prospect who came up at the end of last season, has an overpowering fastball and good mound presence but needs to continue development of his slider as a much-needed second pitch. Ramos, who had been used as a starter and reliever by the Padres, has an effective three-pitch repertoire and seems to have settled into a bullpen role.

Cruz, a 32-year-old in camp on a minor-league deal whose eight-plus seasons of big-league experience would be a big benefit, has thus far shown in velocity and command that he has recovered from last year's shoulder surgery. But the Rays will have to see more, specifically if and how he can handle pitching back-to-back days, and that could be the biggest determination if he starts the season in the majors or is sent to Triple-A Durham for a while, as Joaquin Benoit was last year.

Even if there's a slight question, the Rays may want to wait so they, as is their wont, can conserve assets. If Cruz starts the season on the roster and is ineffective, they'd risk losing him on waivers if they wanted to send him down.

If Cruz isn't deemed ready, right-hander Mike Ekstrom appears next in line from an up-and-down field for an opening-day spot, with Cory Wade possibly next.

Bench

With 10 position players set and first baseman Dan Johnson expected to be the 11th, the Rays are looking to fill the final two spots from a field of five reserves: infielders Joe Inglett, Elliot Johnson and Felipe Lopez; outfielder Sam Fuld; and first baseman Casey Kotchman.

Only, of course, it's not that simple.

In theory, they'd carry one extra infielder and outfielder. But because of the versatility of so many of their players (including Ben Zobrist and Sean Rodriguez, who will be on the team), there are other ways to look at it.

For example, if they kept Elliot Johnson, who can fill in in center­field, they could skip the extra outfielder and keep Kotchman, assuming that addition to golden defense he can hit enough to be more than a late-inning replacement. Or if they kept Fuld, then Lopez, with experience and a bigger bat, could be a better fit than Elliot Johnson.

Plus, Fuld and both Johnsons are out of options, so they could be lost on waivers, while Inglett, Kotchman and Lopez could be sent to Durham, at least for a while (or until another team offered them a major-league job).

Batting order

Maddon said Johnny Damon, Evan Longoria and Manny Ramirez are now set in the Nos. 2-3-4 spots. And he made it sound like the most likely leadoff scenario is a platoon between Zobrist (vs. righties) and B.J. Upton.

The rest of the order will be pieced together, primarily based on the pitching matchups. It will be trickier against left-handed starters, as they decide which three of their left-handed hitting position players (Damon, Matt Joyce, Reid Brignac and Dan Johnson) will stay in the lineup each day. Catcher John Jaso, who emerged as the leadoff man against right-handers last season, may end up hitting ninth.

Marc Topkin can be reached at topkin@sptimes.com.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 13, 2011

. TONIGHT

Lightning at Maple Leafs

When/where: 7; Air Canada Centre, Toronto

Radio: 620-AM

Key stats: Toronto is coming off a come-from-behind win over the Sabres on Saturday in which it snapped a three-game slide and pulled to within four points of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Maple Leafs boast four 20-goal scorers, with RW Phil Kessel leading the team (28). The Lightning has won all three meetings with the Maple Leafs this season, including a 4-3 in overtime in Toronto on Nov. 30. … The Lightning has lost six of its last seven games.

Joe Smith, Times staff writer

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 13, 2011

DUNEDIN — At times, just getting CF B.J. Upton to run hard has been an accomplishment.

In Sunday's 9-3 loss, he showed a glimpse of what's possible when he puts his blazing speed to work, hustling to stretch a single into a double, then breaking from third and scoring when Blue Jays C J.P. Arencibia threw to first after a dropped third strike.

"Loved it," Rays manager Joe Maddon. "All those little things on the bases matter. … Those reads, those aggressive reads, make a huge difference in winning one-run games. We talk about it every day. So I'm pleased that he's doing it."

Upton said it's part an overall effort to be more aggressive on the bases.

"Definitely, you've got to take advantage of every situation," Upton said. "The main thing is score as many runs as possible."

Upton has talked with bench coach Dave Martinez about trying to steal third more often — he did it a team-record 12 times last season — and has his sights on his first 50-steal season.

"That's the plan," Upton said. "I'm going to try to get there."

LONGO OUT: 3B Evan Longoria was scratched from the lineup Sunday due to cramping and dehydration issues that first surfaced Saturday, leading to his early departure. With the team off today, Longoria said it made more sense to rest, though he participated in pregame drills.

"I came in with the intent to play today, but I felt dehydrated (Saturday) and the same thing today, so I'll just drink lots of fluids and take the off day and be back (Tuesday)," Longoria said. "I told Joe if it was Day 1 or Day 100 of the season, I'm playing. We'd probably just throw an IV in at that point and get hydrated quick. … It's just one of those ailment type things, and I just have to let it pass."

PITCHING OUT: RHP James Shields pitched — and pitched well — in a minor-league intrasquad game Sunday rather than face the division rival Blue Jays, and he will work in a minor-league game again Friday rather than face the Red Sox. David Price will do the same Thursday instead of facing the Yankees.

"We play these guys so often," Maddon said. "Just trying to hide our guys a little bit against the American League (East) teams."

SHIELDS UP: Shields went five innings, allowing three hits and an unearned run while striking out four with no walks, throwing 62 pitches then 10 more in the bullpen, concentrating on his offspeed pitches. "I felt really good — I seem to be getting stronger and stronger every outing," Shields said. "If you have no walks on a day you throw a lot of offspeed pitches, that's a good sign." … RHP Chris Archer, whom the Rays recently clocked at 97 mph, threw three scoreless innings in the same game, striking out three.

GAME DETAILS: The Rays (6-9-1) got down early when RHP Chris Bootcheck, falling behind repeatedly in counts, gave up four runs in the first two innings, and didn't make it much of a game. … LF Manny Ramirez was hit by RHP Brandon Morrow in his first at-bat but stayed in. … 1B Casey Kotchman made a tough catch of a popup. … RHP Cory Wade gave up a long home run to Jose Bautista.

MISCELLANY: RHP Jeff Niemann is scheduled to throw in a minor-league intrasquad game today in Port Charlotte while the rest of the team enjoys the only off day of the spring. … After losing LHP Cesar Cabral on waivers to Toronto, Maddon said the Rays liked his arm but couldn't have met the Rule 5 requirements of keeping him on the roster: "I see a 22-year-old kid that's probably not ready for the big leagues but has a nice future. … It wasn't going to happen with us." … RHP Jeremy Hellickson, impressive Friday in his one-inning spring debut, will make his first start on Tuesday. … The Hot Stove radio show airs at 6 tonight on 620-AM.

Staff writer Joe Smith contributed to this report.

Times staff
Sunday, March 13, 2011

He wrote it

Forget free speech, every March people should be paraded to the public square then pilloried for the remainder of the NCAA Tournament for saying any of the following: "The Big Dance," "Going dancing," having your "ticket punched" or "The clock has struck midnight on Cinderella." Phil Mushnick, New York Post

Letter of the day

Why does Carl Crawford need to apologize? The Rays were gifted with one of the classiest, talented athletes to come along in decades. He disciplined himself to achieve the heights he has reached. The Rays had the opportunity to offer a salary commensurate his talents but chose to remain the farm team of Major League Baseball. Yes, I will be in the stands, cheering for the Rays, but I will also be cheering for Carl Crawford. Dean Drapin, Tampa

The rating game

Tiger Woods isn't winning, but TV ratings for the PGA Tour are up 36 percent from 2010 and 19 percent from 2009. Research indicates viewers are watching 29 percent longer. PGA executive Ty Votaw told USA Today, "Every single day of every single tournament of every single week is up over the last year, and Tiger's not been a factor in any of those tournaments."

By Larry Blue, Times Correspondent
Sunday, March 13, 2011

Mackerel on move: Weather conditions are improving by the day, and over the next few weeks king and Spanish mackerel will continue to arrive in our area. With their lightening-fast strikes and blistering runs, kingfish test your ability and stamina, as well as your equipment. Start your search by looking for the little white terns often seen diving on schools of baitfish. Mackerel should be close by. Position yourself near the school, pitch in your baited hook and hang on.

Tip: When trolling, do not pass over the baitfish schools. Instead, circle them, picking off the fish that corral the bait school.

Spotted: A school of bait and jumping kingfish were recently seen in the shipping channel. I've seen several kings rise while offshore near the South County Reef.

Larry Blue charters the Niki Joe from Madeira Beach Marina. Call (727) 871-1058 or visit captainlarryblue.com.

By Marc Topkin, Times Staff Writer
Sunday, March 13, 2011

Tee off of the day

LHP David Price, RHP James Shields and OF B.J. Upton are all scheduled to be on the links at Innisbrook today for the Shelton Quarles celebrity pro-am at the Transitions championship. Price will be paired with John Daly, and Shields, whose group won last year, with Chris Riley. Upton, whose partner wasn't set yet, said he was looking forward to it: "I might have to take the crown from Shields."

Guests of the day

The club baseball team from Lafayette College, where manager Joe Maddon attended, was in the area for a tournament, and came out to shag balls during batting practice.

Charitable cause of the day

Dirk Hayhurst, the pitcher, author and creator of the Garfoose character, is offering an interesting twist for a $50 minimum contribution to the Japanese earthquake relief through Mercy Corps (or other funds): He'll call you via Skype to thank you. See dirkhayhurst.com for details.

Proud papa of the day

Bench coach Dave Martinez was smiling broadly over his son, Jagger, being named the Times' Pinellas County high school soccer player of the year. And also that Jagger, who played for Countryside High, is headed to Northwestern on a scholarship. "He got it all from his mom," Dave Martinez said.

Flashback of the day

Coming back to Dunedin always stirs memories for new Rays OF Johnny Damon, who was playing in a summer all-star game in 1990 when he was first spotted by agent Scott Boras, the start of a long, and prosperous, relationship. "It started then," Damon said, "and we've made each other rich … -er."

Quote of the day

"Oh my God, he's locked in."

Rays LF Manny Ramirez on Jose Bautista's massive homer.

Who is this Ray?

He considers himself a "professional gentleman of leisure sports," including darts, bowling, ping-pong, foosball and archery. He was a 13th-round pick in 2004 out of Kent State. He is a distant relative of Ken Keltner, the former Indians 3B who had a key role in stopping Joe DiMaggio's hitting streak.

Today: Off

On deck

Tuesday: Marlins, 1:05. Rays — Jeremy Hellickson; Marlins — Anibal Sanchez

Wednesday: at Marlins (Jupiter), 1:05. Rays — Wade Davis; Marlins — Chris Volstad

Thursday: at Yankees (Tampa), 7:05. Rays — Chris Bootcheck; Yankees — TBA

Friday: Red Sox, 7:05. Rays — Andy Sonnanstine; Red Sox — TBA

Saturday: at Twins (Fort Myers), 1:05. Rays — TBA; Twins — TBA

Upcoming schedule 20: Orioles

21: Yankees, 7:05

22: at Red Sox, 7:05

23: Phillies

24: at Astros

25: Pirates

26: Orioles

27: at Pirates

28: at Yankees, 7:05

29: at Red Sox

30: vs. Blue Jays at Tropicana Field, 4:10

Who is this Ray answer: RHP Andy Sonnanstine

Marc Topkin, Times staff writer

Times wires
Sunday, March 13, 2011

GAINESVILLE — On a weekend when a rookie who lost in the first round of Pro Stock garnered much of the attention, Del Worsham joined a select group Sunday at the NHRA Gatornationals.

Worsham defeated seven-time Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher in the final round at Gainesville Raceway to become the 15th driver to win Top Fuel and Funny Car events.

The other winners at the second of 22 NHRA races this season were Mike Neff (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle).

NASCAR star Kurt Busch lost in the first round of Pro Stock eliminations in his NHRA pro debut. As the No. 12 seed, Busch had his best run of the weekend — and better than any of his 50 or so runs in testing — at 6.541 seconds but lost to Erica Enders.

"This was a weekend that I'll never forget," said Busch, racing here on a Sprint Cup off week.

Enders edged Busch by half a car length on the quarter-mile strip, covering the distance in 6.538 seconds.

Worsham was four-thousandths slower (0.044 to 0.040) on the staging tree and eight-thousands quicker (3.858 to 3.866) on the track for a winning margin of 0.004.

It was Worsham's first win in Top Fuel after compiling 25 victories in Funny Car over the past 15 years.

Busch, after a brief celebration with his team for having such a good run, returned to the starting line and watched the rest of the competition. He cheered for Enders, the only woman in the 16-driver field, who lost in the second round. Busch spent time walking around the paddock area, shaking hands with fans and posing for pictures.

"It's a unique feeling," Busch said. "The atmosphere here is like a carnival atmosphere. I'm ready to grab a corndog and a cold beer and go watch … finish the day off."

Busch made his NHRA debut last year in Gainesville. He entered his 1970 Dodge Challenger in the Sportsman division, but got only two passes over four days because of heavy rain. Despite his lack of experience, Busch decided to turn pro. He got backing from Dodge and his NASCAR sponsors, then rented a car from Pro Stock veteran Allen Johnson.

Neff (4.092 seconds, 310.48 mph) won when Cruz Pedregon spun the tires on his run in the final. Line (6.554, 211.96) defeated Summit Racing teammate Greg Anderson to win his second straight to open the season. Krawiec took his victory when Karen Stoffer red-lighted.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

INDIANAPOLIS — Jared Sullinger had 15 points and 11 rebounds and No. 1 Ohio State defeated Penn State 71-60 in the Big Ten tournament final Sunday.

Sullinger, the tournament's most outstanding player, averaged 16.3 points and 14 rebounds in the tournament to help the top-seeded Buckeyes (32-2) repeat as champions.

William Buford scored 18 and Jon Diebler added 15 for the Buckeyes, who also won the regular-season title.

Talor Battle scored 24 and for Penn State (19-14), which reached the final for the first time.

The Nittany Lions had allowed 45.3 points per game in their three tournament wins, but Ohio State surpassed that with 13 minutes remaining. The Buckeyes shot 64 percent in the second half.

The Buckeyes won their seventh straight game and became the second team in conference history to play in the final three straight years. They became the first repeat tournament champion since Michigan State in 1999 and 2000.

"After the game if I told them we had to play another game, I think they'd do it tomorrow," Ohio State coach Thad Matta said. "There was no, like, 'Hoo, we did it!' It was just sort of, like, 'What's next?' That's what I love about this team."

Sullinger said he won't fill out a bracket: "I stopped filling out brackets after my eighth-grade year. I was terrible at it. I always went for the upsets. For some reason they never happened."

David Lighty said of finding out the Buckeyes would play close at home, in Cleveland: "Instantly I got about 30 text messages from people wanting tickets."

Atlantic 1O: Richmond wins first title 67-54

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Kevin Anderson capped a tournament MVP performance with 23 points and Richmond won its first Atlantic 10 title with a 67-54 victory over Dayton.

The third-seeded Spiders (27-7) won their seventh straight game and earned consecutive NCAA tournament berths for the second time in school history.

"To do what we did here is remarkable,'' said fifth-year Richmond senior Dan Geriot, who was part of an eight-win season as a freshman.

The defending NIT champion Flyers (22-13) fell behind by 15 and never could get back, failing to make the NCAA field.

USC: Coach Kevin O'Neill was reinstated by the school. On Thursday night O'Neill, his wife and an Arizona booster had a verbal altercation at the team hotel, leading a suspension.

Times wires
Sunday, March 13, 2011

High schools

South Texas hoops player dies at game

McALLEN, Texas — A South Texas high school basketball player died after collapsing during a timeout at a tournament in Austin, coaches said.

Roma High junior Robert Garza, 16, was playing in the AAU tournament Saturday with the Hoopsters, a South Texas club team, when he collapsed.

"It's unexplainable. He got a glass of water. He 'high-fived' Pablo Adame (a Hoopster teammate), and then it just happened. He collapsed," Hoopster coach Arnold Martinez told The Monitor (McAllen).

The cause of death was not yet known, Martinez said.

"During pregame warm-ups, he was dunking the ball and laughing with his teammates. Everything looked good," he said.

Paramedics administered CPR, but Garza was pronounced dead at Austin's Brackenridge Hospital just more than an hour later, said Abelardo Escobar, Garza's high school coach. An autopsy was planned.

Garza's death comes more than a week after a 16-year-old Michigan basketball player collapsed and died after making a winning shot in overtime. Wes Leonard, a junior at Fennville High, died of cardiac arrest from an enlarged heart March 3, moments after his shot gave the undefeated Blackhawks a victory to wrap up the regular season.

Winter sports

Figure skating worlds could be canceled

Germany said Sunday that it will not send a team to next week's world figure skating championships in Tokyo, and international skating officials were weighing whether to hold the event after the earthquake and tsunami that ravaged Japan on Friday. The worlds are scheduled to begin March 21 at Yoyogi stadium in Tokyo.

U.S. Figure Skating said it was monitoring developments in consultation with the International Skating Union and U.S. Olympic Committee.

Speed skating: Americans Shani Davis, Trevor Marsicano and Jonathan Kuck clocked 3 minutes, 41.72 seconds to take the gold in the team pursuit ahead of Canada (3:41.85) at the world championships in Inzell, Germany.

Et cetera

Colleges: Florida, ranked No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Softball poll, defeated USF 10-2 at the Under Armour Showcase in Clearwater. The Gators (25-1), who lost their first game Saturday (1-0 to Nebraska), hit three home runs against the Bulls (14-13).

Cycling: Germany's Tony Martin (34 hours, 3 minutes, 37 seconds) won the Paris-Nice race, finishing 36 seconds ahead of countryman Andreas Kloeden.

Fishing: Gainesville's Shaw Grigsby, 54, won the Sunshine Showdown on the Harris Chain of Lakes in Lake County. He pulled in five bass totaling 12 pounds, 9 ounces for a four-day total of 75-4. It was Grigsby's ninth Bassmaster victory but first in a decade and earned him $100,000 and qualification into the 2012 Bassmaster Classic.

Iditarod: John Baker retained his lead in the 1,150-mile Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race and was the first to reach Shaktoolik, Alaska, about 230 miles away from the finish line in Nome.

NFL: Police said Vikings cornerback Chris Cook was arrested and charged with brandishing a handgun during a fight with another man Saturday in Lynchburg, Va., WSET-TV reported.

Olympics: The international basketball federation cleared Britain's men's and women's teams to compete in the 2012 London Games without qualifying. FIBA gave the teams a special exemption after receiving guarantees the host will improve its long-term basketball program.

Soccer: Manchester City held on for a 1-0 victory over visiting Reading to set up an FA Cup semifinal against fierce rival Manchester United.

Tennis: Andy Roddick beat Tampa resident James Blake 6-3, 7-5 in the second round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif.

Times wires

Times wires
Sunday, March 13, 2011

DORAL — Nick Watney wound up in another duel at Doral, this one with a much sweeter ending.

Watney poured in two key putts for par along the back nine of the Blue Monster on Sunday, then he hit two fearless shots on the 18th and finished with birdie for 5-under 67 to win the Cadillac Championship by two shots over Dustin Johnson.

It was the third win of Watney's career — and the biggest.

The American, 29, captured a World Golf Championship event and earned a measure of redemption on the Blue Monster. It was two years ago when Watney battled Phil Mickelson on the weekend, only for his 30-foot birdie putt on the last hole to stop one turn short of a chance at a playoff.

This time, he left nothing to chance.

With a one-shot lead on the 18th — where he had put his tee shot into the water Saturday for double bogey — Watney hit his drive more than 300 yards down the middle of the fairway and hit his approach to 12 feet above the hole. He pumped his fist when it fell for birdie, knowing that Johnson would have to hole out from the fairway to tie him.

Johnson settled for a shot into 8 feet and missed the putt to finish with 71.

"I'm not sure it owed me one," Watney said. "I think I settled the score. If you keep working hard, you get back in that situation. And luckily (Sunday), I was able to do a little better."

Watney closed at 16-under 272 and earned $1.4 million.

Tiger Woods matched his best score of the year with 6-under 66, and when Rory McIlroy dunked his tee shot into the water on the 18th and made bogey, that enabled Woods to tie for 10th.

It was his first top 10 in an official PGA Tour event in nine months, dating to the U.S. Open.

"I want to win golf tournaments … and I didn't do that this week," Woods said. "But I showed positive signs for the next time I play, which is a good thing."

Brandon's Bradley wins in Puerto Rico

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico — Michael Bradley took advantage of Troy Matteson's short par miss on the first extra hole to win the Puerto Rico Open for the second time in three years.

Bradley, 44, who lives in Brandon, closed with his fourth straight 4-under 68 to match Matteson (72) at 16-under 272 at Trump International Golf Club, then he made par on the par-5 18th in the playoff for his fourth PGA Tour victory.

Matteson three-putted in the playoff, missing a 3-footer.

Bradley ended up in the playoff after missing a 3-footer on 18.

"I don't know if that was turnabout fair play after that little putt I missed on the 72nd hole," Bradley said. "But you hate to win a championship like that with somebody else missing a putt like that. But you know, I'm very happy to be a two-time champion of this event now, so I'll move on to next week."

Bradley birdied the first two holes, eagled the par-5 fifth and birdied the seventh to reach 17 under. He bogeyed the 14th, countered with birdie on 15, then missed the short par putt on 18 to drop back into a tie.

"It would have been disappointing if I would have ended up losing the tournament because I missed that putt and then lost in the playoff," said Bradley, who earned $630,000. "Would have been disappointing, but I don't have to worry about it anymore."

Bradley is expected to compete in this week's Transitions Championship in Palm Harbor.

Champions: Nick Price won the Toshiba Classic for his fourth career tour title, holding off Mark Wiebe by a stroke in Newport Beach, Calif. Price closed with 3-under 68 to finish at 17-under 196. Wiebe shot 67.

Times wires
Sunday, March 13, 2011

Times staff
Sunday, March 13, 2011

New format alters your bracket

Your NCAA tourney bracket is bigger this year, so be sure to check on your deadline.

The field was expanded to 68 teams. The four-game first round is Tuesday and Wednesday in Dayton, Ohio.

So does that mean you have to finish filling out your bracket by Tuesday? That depends on who's running your pool. The NCAA and Turner Sports, which are broadcasting many tourney games, are promoting today as National Bracket Day.

But websites that host some of the most popular bracket contests — including ESPN.com and Yahoo Sports — are bypassing the first round and keeping a deadline of Thursday before second-round games tip off with 64 teams remaining in the field.

"Typically, we see big spikes in entries right before opening tipoff, and by waiting until Thursday would give more fans the time to join and organize their groups," ESPN.com's Kristie Chong wrote in an e-mail to the St. Petersburg Times.

"The ESPN Fantasy team will be listening closely to fan feedback and, if there's enough support, will expand the game next season."

Times wires
Sunday, March 13, 2011

PHOENIX — Dwight Howard was 15 years old the last time the Magic won in Phoenix. It was the only NBA city where he had not walked away a winner.

Until Sunday, and it wasn't even close.

Howard had 26 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots, then watched the fourth quarter from the bench as the Magic completed a 111-88 rout of the Suns for its first victory in Phoenix in nine seasons.

"We hadn't won here since I have been in the NBA, so that was our whole focus," Howard said, "to get a good win."

With a hook shot over Robin Lopez in the third quarter, Howard topped 10,000 career points. Big deal, he said.

"I never look at the points," he said. "Rebounds and blocks are what win games for me."

Aaron Brooks, starting in place of injured point guard Steve Nash, had 19 points and 10 assists, but the Suns were blown out at home for the second game in a row.

Nash missed the game with "pelvic instability." Coach Alvin Gentry said Nash probably will miss tonight's game at Houston.

Orlando finished the third on an 11-1 run, the last five points by Howard, to lead 87-65 entering the fourth.

"My job is to dominate on both ends of the court, and I like to get some blocks early just so they know they can't come down the lane, and that sets the tone," Howard said.

Game highlights: Ray Allen scored 17 in just three quarters and the host Celtics set a franchise record for fewest points allowed in the shot clock era in an 87-56 victory over the Bucks. It was the lowest score against the Celtics since they beat the Milwaukee Hawks 62-57 at Providence, R.I., on Feb. 27, 1955. … Russell Westbrook scored 14 of his 20 in the third quarter to awaken his listless teammates, and the Thunder topped the host Cavaliers 95-75. … Tyler Hansbrough scored a career-high 29, and the Pacers ended a six-game losing streak with a 106-93 victory over the host Knicks. … D.J. Augustin scored 23 to help the Bobcats end a five-game road losing streak, 95-90 over the Raptors.

Around the league: A Chicago court awarded Heat guard Dwyane Wade sole custody of his two sons. Wade said "a huge weight is off my back." … Heat center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who stepped on a nail at home several days ago, was admitted to a hospital because of an infected foot. It's unclear when he will return to the court.

Magic 111, Suns 88

ORLANDO (111): Turkoglu 5-8 2-2 13, Bass 7-10 3-4 17, Howard 9-17 8-13 26, Nelson 5-9 1-2 14, J.Richardson 4-14 1-2 10, Arenas 5-10 4-5 16, Anderson 3-10 4-4 11, Duhon 0-1 1-2 1, Q.Richardson 0-4 1-2 1, Clark 1-3 0-0 2, Allen 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 39-86 25-36 111.

PHOENIX (88): Hill 2-4 0-0 4, Warrick 1-7 5-6 7, Lopez 1-3 0-0 2, Brooks 8-14 3-5 19, Carter 3-9 4-4 11, Gortat 6-9 0-0 12, Pietrus 4-12 3-6 14, Dudley 3-7 4-5 10, Childress 1-5 0-0 2, Dowdell 2-8 2-2 6, Siler 0-2 1-4 1. Totals 31-80 22-32 88.

Orlando 32 29 26 24— 111

Phoenix 26 26 13 23— 88

3-Point Goals—Orlando 8-24 (Nelson 3-5, Arenas 2-4, Turkoglu 1-3, Anderson 1-4, J.Richardson 1-5, Duhon 0-1, Q.Richardson 0-2), Phoenix 4-15 (Pietrus 3-8, Carter 1-4, Childress 0-1, Dowdell 0-1, Brooks 0-1). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Orlando 70 (Howard 15), Phoenix 47 (Warrick 8). Assists—Orlando 15 (Duhon 4), Phoenix 18 (Brooks 10). Total Fouls—Orlando 19, Phoenix 20. Technicals—Orlando three second, Phoenix Coach Gentry, Pietrus. A—18,091.

Bobcats 95, Raptors 90

CHARLOTTE (95): Jackson 5-14 4-6 15, Diaw 7-9 0-0 15, Brown 1-3 4-4 6, Augustin 8-14 4-4 23, Henderson 7-13 4-4 18, Thomas 1-4 2-4 4, White 1-3 0-0 2, Najera 0-0 0-0 0, Livingston 1-2 2-2 4, Cunningham 4-6 0-0 8. Totals 35-68 20-24 95.

TORONTO (90): J.Johnson 2-6 3-4 7, Davis 3-7 2-6 8, Bargnani 6-12 4-6 17, Calderon 5-8 3-3 13, DeRozan 4-13 3-4 11, Evans 2-3 2-3 6, Bayless 3-6 2-4 9, Weems 2-6 0-0 4, Barbosa 6-18 1-1 15, Dorsey 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 33-79 20-31 90.

Charlotte 24 26 26 19— 95

Toronto 22 25 24 19— 90

3-Point Goals—Cha. 5-12 (Augustin 3-5, Diaw 1-3, Jackson 1-4), Tor. 4-17 (Barbosa 2-7, Bayless 1-1, Bargnani 1-2, Evans 0-1, DeRozan 0-2, Weems 0-2, Calderon 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebs—Cha. 38 (Jackson, Brown 5), Tor. 56 (Evans 17). Asts—Cha. 18 (Diaw 6), Tor. 19 (Calderon 7). Ttl Fouls—Cha. 23, Tor. 23. Techs—Henderson, Cha. three second. A—16,557.

Thunder 95, Cavaliers 75

OKLAHOMA CITY (95): Durant 6-12 6-6 19, Ibaka 3-12 2-2 8, Mohammed 5-7 1-1 11, Westbrook 10-16 0-0 20, Sefolosha 3-5 0-0 6, Collison 1-5 0-0 2, Harden 5-10 3-4 16, Maynor 2-7 0-0 5, Aldrich 0-0 0-0 0, Cook 3-8 0-1 8, Ivey 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 38-84 12-14 95.

CLEVELAND (75): Gee 2-6 4-6 8, Samuels 3-11 4-5 10, Hickson 4-10 0-0 8, Sessions 1-7 2-4 4, Parker 4-6 0-1 9, Harangody 0-8 3-4 3, Gibson 5-11 1-2 13, Eyenga 2-6 0-0 4, Hollins 2-6 2-2 6, Harris 2-6 0-2 6, Graham 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 27-80 16-26 75.

Oklahoma City 29 21 25 20— 95

Cleveland 14 24 18 19— 75

3-Point Goals—Okl.City 7-23 (Harden 3-7, Cook 2-7, Maynor 1-3, Durant 1-4, Ivey 0-1, Sefolosha 0-1), Cleveland 5-14 (Harris 2-3, Gibson 2-3, Parker 1-2, Eyenga 0-1, Gee 0-1, Harangody 0-4). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Okl.City 51 (Ibaka 14), Cle. 60 (Hickson 15). Assists—Okl.City 25 (Maynor 8), Cle. 16 (Sessions 5). Total Fouls—Okl.City 20, Cle. 15. Technicals—Durant, Cleveland defensive three second. A—19,811.

Celtics 87, Bucks 56

MILWAUKEE (56): Delfino 1-6 0-0 3, Mbah a Moute 3-6 1-1 7, Bogut 4-6 0-0 8, Jennings 3-8 1-3 8, Salmons 0-5 0-0 0, Sanders 1-4 1-2 3, Dooling 3-9 0-2 7, Douglas-Roberts 1-7 0-0 2, Boykins 1-7 0-0 2, Maggette 0-3 3-4 3, Brockman 1-2 1-1 3, Barron 4-7 2-2 10. Totals 22-70 9-15 56.

BOSTON (87): Pierce 4-7 6-7 14, Garnett 4-7 0-0 8, Krstic 5-8 1-2 11, Rondo 1-6 0-0 2, Allen 6-10 3-3 17, Arroyo 1-5 0-0 2, Green 4-10 3-4 11, Davis 3-6 3-3 9, Pavlovic 0-3 1-2 1, Murphy 5-7 2-3 12, Bradley 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 33-72 19-24 87.

Milwaukee 9 13 16 18— 56

Boston 20 19 21 27— 87

3-Point Goals—Mil. 3-14 (Jennings 1-3, Delfino 1-3, Dooling 1-3, Boykins 0-1, Salmons 0-1, Douglas-Roberts 0-1, Maggette 0-2), Boston 2-5 (Allen 2-2, Green 0-1, Murphy 0-2). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Mil. 36 (Bogut 8), Boston 62 (Krstic 14). Assists—Mil. 13 (Jennings 3), Boston 19 (Arroyo 6). Total Fouls—Mil. 22, Boston 15. Technicals—Bos. three second 3. A—18,624.

Pacers 106, Knicks 93

INDIANA (106): Hansbrough 12-20 5-7 29, D.Jones 5-11 7-8 18, Hibbert 5-7 2-2 12, Collison 6-10 3-4 16, George 3-4 0-0 6, Rush 3-6 1-2 8, McRoberts 1-1 2-2 4, Foster 0-0 0-0 0, Price 3-6 1-2 7, Posey 2-5 0-0 6. Totals 40-70 21-27 106.

NEW YORK (93): Anthony 9-22 6-6 25, Stoudemire 8-15 12-14 28, Jeffries 0-3 0-2 0, Billups 4-14 1-2 9, Fields 1-3 3-4 5, Douglas 1-12 0-0 3, Turiaf 1-1 2-4 4, Sha.Williams 4-7 2-2 13, Mason 0-3 0-0 0, Walker 2-2 0-0 6. Totals 30-82 26-34 93.

Indiana 29 25 31 21— 106

New York 21 25 26 21— 93

3-Point Goals—Ind. 5-12 (Posey 2-5, Collison 1-1, Rush 1-1, D.Jones 1-3, Price 0-2), N.Y. 7-30 (Sha.Williams 3-6, Walker 2-2, Anthony 1-5, Douglas 1-8, Mason 0-2, Billups 0-7). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Ind. 39 (Hansbrough, Hibbert 8), N.Y. 57 (Billups, Stoudemire 6). Assists—Ind. 19 (Collison 8), N.Y. 11 (Billups 4). Total Fouls—Indiana 27, New York 25. A—19,763.