By Tom Jones, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 26, 2011

Sometime between your last bite of turkey and first bite of pumpkin pie on Thursday, you might have seen Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh try out for the Rockettes by kicking Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith. After his ejection, Suh gave some cockamamie explanation about it being an accident, but the video, as well as Suh's reputation, said otherwise. Already, Suh has earned the ugly reputation of being one of the sports' dirtiest athletes. Today, we offer up our list of the current dirtiest people in sports.

Ndamukong Suh, Detroit Lions

The Thanksgiving Day stomp wasn't Suh's first dirty dance in the NFL. He has been fined on three other occasions and had a sit-down with commissioner Roger Goodell to get a better grasp on why he keeps getting into trouble. Now maybe if Suh had been in the NFL for a eight or nine years, it wouldn't be a big deal. But Suh hasn't even played two full seasons.

Cortland Finnegan, Tennessee Titans

Don't worry, the Titans cornerback isn't offended to be on this list. He has been fined numerous times for all-around hooligan things such as throwing players to the ground by their helmets and hitting them after their helmets were off. Then there was last year's fight with Texans good guy Andre Johnson. Finnegan didn't like it when he was voted the sixth dirtiest player in the league last season. Why? Because he wasn't voted higher. "I'm (No. 6) right now,'' Finnegan said last season, "but I'm aspiring to one day hopefully be No. 1.''

Hines Ward, Pittsburgh Steelers

There's a fine line between being aggressive and being dirty. The Steelers wide receiver crosses that line. And that's not us saying this, but his peers. In a 2010 Sports Illustrated poll of 296 players, Ward was voted the NFL's dirtiest player. That's saying something considering he plays offense, not defense. Ward has sidelined a few opponents with blindside blocks — often helmet-to-helmet. He seems so charming with that smile and, heck, the guy won Dancing With the Stars. But apparently, one should never turn one's back on Ward.

James Harrison, Pittsburgh Steelers

The poster child for the NFL's crack down on dirty hits. Last season, the Steelers linebacker racked up $120,000 in fines for at least five incidents, including one game when he knocked out two Cleveland Browns receivers, including former college teammate Josh Cribbs, with hits to the head.

Reggie Evans, Toronto Raptors

Last year, 173 NBA players were asked: "Who is the dirtiest player in the NBA?'' Evans picked up a whopping 21 percent of the vote. Think about that. Nearly a quarter of the league thinks this little-known journeyman is the dirtiest player in the league. Much of his reputation was earned in a 2006 playoff game when he grabbed the private parts of Chris Kaman. Yeah, that'll get you a spot on this list.

Matt Cooke, Pittsburgh Penguins

The NHL has a long history of cheap-shot artists, thugs, goons and pests. But we think Cooke just might be the dirtiest player we've ever seen. The sad part is the guy has some skill and is, by all accounts, a heck of a nice guy off the ice. But his behavior on the ice threatens careers. He has been suspended five times, including three times for hits to opponents' heads. That doesn't even count several un-penalized hits, including a shot to the head of Boston's Marc Savard that has pretty much ended Savard's career and forced the league to create new rules about head shots. Cooke also sent Lightning star Vinny Lecavalier to an operating room to repair a separated shoulder after a cheap shot in 2008.

Jarkko Ruutu, pro hockey player

Ruutu is currently playing in Europe, but we had to include this former Canucks, Penguins, Senators and Ducks forward on this list just because of his checkered past, which included a 2008 incident when he bit Buffalo's Andrew Peters. Legendary tough guy Chris Simon was once suspended 30 games for stomping on Ruutu's foot with his skate and Simon probably was applauded in many NHL circles. Ruutu is such a scoundrel that Buffalo's Adam Mair once went after him in the hallway of an arena.

Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers

A great NHL defenseman and, sadly, a dirty, dishonest player. He has been suspended eight times in his career. Eight! And it has been for such ugly incidents as sticking an opponent in the throat, slashing, kicking, elbows to the head and even stepping on another player with a skate — one of the most dangerous things you can do to an opponent. He is so dirty that his otherwise brilliant career is overshadowed by his disgusting behavior.

Darnell Dockett, Arizona Cardinals

The former Florida State defensive end once put then-Gators running back Earnest Graham out of commission by twisting his leg after a tackle and then eight years later told Graham's mother to "get over it'' when told she was still upset. Then there was the time he elbowed quarterback Matt Hasselbeck in the throat and was fined $7,500.

Richie Incognito, Miami Dolphins

The offensive guard was once fined $35,000 for three separate incidents in one game, which included a face mask penalty, a chop block and what the NFL called, "repeated verbal abuse of a game official.'' Also on Incognito's rap sheet: In a three-year span, he had four games with at least two personal foul penalties and once picked up a $50,000 fine for head-butting not one, but two players in a game. But this takes the cake: He was released by the Rams in 2009 for being too dirty.

Nyjer Morgan, Milwaukee Brewers

Morgan is known for going out of his way to crash into catchers and is considered by other players to be a borderline dirty player. Not only do opponents have to worry about Morgan, so do the fans. He once whipped a ball into the stands and struck a fan. He also has an eight-game suspension on his resume for his role in a 2010 brawl.

The best (or worst) of the rest

We have a tie for 12th place on our list of dirty dogs. Also making our all-dirty dozen: Kevin Garnett (Boston Celtics), Alex Burrows (Vancouver Canucks), Ron Artest (Los Angeles Lakers), NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and free agent pitcher Vicente Padilla, who makes our list because he has hit 106 batters in his 13-year career and yet averaged just three walks per nine innings, showing wildness has never truly been a problem.

tom jones' two cents

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

5 questions C Dominic Moore

What's Thanksgiving like in the Moore home? My wife (Katie) is American (he's Canadian), so my family embraces Thanksgiving. I have a full-on appreciation for the way we do it up.

Does Katie cook the big meal? Oh, yeah.

Do you prefer light turkey meat or dark? Light meat, but there's definitely dark meat in there, for sure.

Raisins in the stuffing? No, I don't think so. I don't know the details. I just eat.

What's for dessert? I'm doing that gluten-free diet, so we're going to have to put in a special request for gluten-free apple pie, if that's even possible.

No. 2 fan

Standing in the crowd recently at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, waiting for an autograph from Lightning star Steven Stamkos as he came off the ice after practice, was Diane Boyle, mother of former Tampa Bay D Dan Boyle.

"For my grandson," Diane said of Sylvain, 13. "His second-favorite player is Stamkos."

His favorite, of course, is Dan Boyle, who was a huge part of the Lightning's 2004 Stanley Cup run but now plays for the Sharks.

Diane and husband, Roger, live in Ottawa but stay about four months a year in their Clearwater condo. Diane said they consider the Tampa Bay area "our home away from home." Sounds as if Dan does as well.

"He loves it there," Diane said of her son's San Jose home, "but he misses Tampa."

On your own

When the NHL did not subject Boston's Milan Lucic to supplemental discipline after he bowled over Sabres G Ryan Miller on Nov. 12, some suggested it sent a message goalies are on their own.

Lightning G Dwayne Roloson would not go that far but said, "It's always been the name of the game. You leave the net, you have to be ready and prepared to protect yourself."

League rules say contact with goalies is okay if the player applying the hit makes a reasonable attempt to avoid contact. That was debatable after Miller was concussed by Lucic's hit, which drew only a minor charging call.

"That's the way life is right now," Roloson said. "You know when you leave the net you have to protect yourself."

Quote to note

"The only thing you can do is take it one game at a time. You can't be good thinking 'I want to be good the next five games.' If it's a good game, you start it over the game after. It's an everyday thing. One day you're good; one day you're not, it's not good enough."

Lightning G Mathieu Garon, on how to solve the team's inconsistency in net

Number of the day

24 First-period goals the Lightning allowed entering Saturday, second most in the league.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 26, 2011

TAMPA — Dom Dwyer has the familiar accent of his London upbringing, the soccer talent to lead the Big East in scoring, and the passion to celebrate such goals with a trademark running backflip.

So the biggest question for the USF junior as the No. 7 seed Bulls host No. 10 seed New Mexico at 6 tonight in the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16 round is this: What makes a player leave the comforts of England to play soccer in America?

"It got to the point where it was, you go and play professional in England or you come out here, go to school, get an education, and play. You don't really have that choice in England," Dwyer said last week. "I just decided, 'Let's give it a try out here.' It's probably the best decision I've ever made."

Dwyer had been to the United States just once as a child, a visit to Disney World when he was 9. He started his college career in Texas at Tyler Junior College, helping the school to a 41-0-1 record with two national titles in his two seasons. He was named national juco player of the year, and chose the Bulls over a ton of offers.

He researched his options meticulously, but was won over by how well-organized his official visit to USF was. Everything was planned to the minute — if soccer could be this well-orchestrated, Dwyer liked the idea. When he committed to coach George Kiefer at dinner on his official visit, he got a lesson in geography and trust.

"We shook hands over the table, and he said, 'You shake a New Yorker's hand, you don't go back on your word,' " Dwyer said.

Dwyer certainly didn't, and he is still amused by the subtle things he finds in American culture — portion sizes are huge, he says, as was the preoccupation in Texas with his height. He's 5 feet 9, "quite short for a soccer player," but said height and weight are rarely what soccer players are remembered for.

So much of USF's success this season is due to the chemistry forged on a roster loaded with newcomers, including three players from Tyler, goalkeeper Chris Blais, who transferred from Michigan, and talented freshmen such as Tarpon Springs' Wes Charpie. Dwyer thinks the closeness of the players is one of USF's strengths.

"Last year, they had a great team from what I've heard, but it didn't quite click together and all work out," Dwyer said. "This year, everyone's really close off the field. We're not just teammates, then leave. I probably talk to most of the guys throughout the daytime. You're genuinely friends with them, and I think that helps, too. You want to win with your friends. You want to win for your friends."

Dwyer's 16 goals this season led the Big East and were the most by a Bull in 12 years, earning him Big East Offensive Player of the Year. One Bulls teammate is Kyle Nicholls, Dwyer's best friend since he was 8 back in London and a teammate at Tyler. Their first season at USF has been just what Dwyer envisioned. Last week's overtime win against Central Florida, with a crowd of 3,029 circling the field in berm seating, was a soccer memory London never gave him.

"I've played in stadiums which were bigger in stature, but I've never played in one that was full all the way around, with that many people in it," Dwyer said. "It was a great atmosphere. When you feel tired, you get a bit of a cramp coming, you hear the crowd roar and the adrenaline gets going and you forget about being tired and everything. You just run."

Times wires
Saturday, November 26, 2011

Tennis

Federer, tsonga in final of finale

LONDON — Roger Federer reached his 100th career final, beating David Ferrer 7-5, 6-3 in the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals on Saturday. Federer is in position to win his 70th title overall and a record sixth at the season-ending tournament for the world's top eight players.

"I'm shocked every time that I've reached so many finals or won against so many players or whatever record it is," said Federer, who plays Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in today's final. Tsonga beat Tomas Berdych 6-3, 7-5.

Federer's victory sent him past Andy Murray to No. 3 in the year-end rankings, trailing No. 1 Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

Doubles: Top-seeded Bob and Mike Bryan of Wesley Chapel were eliminated from the ATP World Tour Finals, losing 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 in the semifinals to Max Mirnyi and Daniel Nestor. In the other semi, Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski beat Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes 6-4, 4-6, 10-6.

Golf

McIlroy-McDowell in World Cup lead alone

Ireland's Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell head into today's final round of the World Cup with a two-stroke lead after finishing the third-round fourball phase with 8-under 64 and a total of 21-under 195 at Hainan, China.

The United States (Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar, 63), Germany (Martin Kaymer and Alex Cekja, 61) and South Africa (Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen, 61) were tied for second at 197. The final round returns to alternate shot.

Australian PGA: K.T. Kim shot 5-under 67 to take a one-stroke lead at 13-under 203 over Bubba Watson (69) into the final round at Coolum.

Et cetera

Autos: Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel set the record for most poles in a season, capturing his 15th at the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo to break Nigel Mansell's 19-year record. Vettel finished in 1 minute, 11.918 seconds at the 2.6-mile Interlagos track. Mark Webber was second with a lap of 1:12.099. Jenson Button was third in 1:12.283.

Boxing: Former heavyweight contender Ron Lyle, who fought Muhammad Ali for the title in 1975 and lost and later battled George Foreman and lost, died in Denver at 70 from complications from a sudden stomach ailment, said Ron McKinney, a city Salvation Army official. McKinney hired Mr. Lyle to start the charity's boxing program in 2002.

Figure skating: U.S. world champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White won the ice dance at the Rostelecom Cup Grand Prix meet in Moscow.

horses: Two horses died after races at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif. In the Vernon O. Underwood Stakes won by Pacific Ocean, runnerup Irrefutable, trained by Bob Baffert, collapsed and died after he was unsaddled. Track officials said the 5-year-old most likely had a heart attack. In the fourth race, 5-year-old favorite Waltzing With Blue was euthanized after injuring his left front leg. Jockey Daniel Vergara, thrown to the turf when the horse was hurt, had hip and leg bruises.

Weightlifting: Super heavyweight Vasily Alekseyev, who set 80 world records in the 1970s for the Soviet Union, died at 69 in Munich, Germany, of heart problems, Russian news agencies reported. He was unbeaten from 1970-78, winning two Olympic gold medals and eight straight world titles.

Times wires

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

The Lightning needs an upgrade on its blue line, of that there is little debate. And unless the goaltending stiffens a bit, an argument might be made it needs help there, too.

But after only a quarter of the season, the timing and economics of making a move might not compute.

Almost every team still is in the playoff hunt, so teams are not yet motivated to trade players they might not sign for next season.

Three-quarters of salaries still have to be paid. In other words, if the Lightning wants a serious upgrade, it will have to take on a serious contract. Considering the team is about $3 million or so under the $64.3 million salary cap, taking on such a contract means giving one up in return, and Tampa Bay doesn't have a lot of depth from which to deal.

General manager Steve Yzerman could trade draft choices or prospects, but with the organization trying to build depth, that is not an attractive option.

The model, then, might look like last season's, when Yzerman traded in January for goaltender Dwayne Roloson and in February for defenseman Eric Brewer.

"In general, teams aren't looking to take on contracts, take on money," Yzerman said. "It's hard to find a fit with teams because teams don't want to give up their draft picks. Teams don't want to give up their young guys. It's hard to make a deal."

Besides, Yzerman isn't a hair-trigger kind of manager, though a severe losing jag might change the time line.

In general, though, "I never believe you do something just to do something," Yzerman said. "You just have to assess your team."

His assessment?

"We're a better team than we have shown," he said.

"We've been inconsistent. We've had some very good games and done a lot of good things, but as a team, we have to improve our team defense. That's not a critique of our defense. It's just as a team, collectively, we have to be better.

"We have higher expectations, and some of our players are not playing at the level they were at last year. We are not as deep as we were last year, and we are hoping that our players will elevate their play."

By Eduardo A. Encina, Laura Keeley and Joey Knight, Times Staff Writers
Saturday, November 26, 2011

This week's playoff matchups

Plant (11-1) at East Lake (9-3)

Playoff primer: Panthers coach Robert Weiner is 4-1 in the region-final round, his only loss coming to Armwood in the 2007 Class 4A playoffs. East Lake is making its first region appearance.

Gaither (9-3) at Lakeland (12-0)

Playoff primer: Gaither is playing in the school's second-ever region final and first since 2000, when the Cowboys lost to eventual 6A state champion Palm Bay 28-7. Lakeland has made the state semifinal round every year since 2007.

Gainesville (10-2) at Armwood (12-0)

Playoff primer: The Hawks are assured of playing at home until the Class 6A state title game. This fact really is inconsequential, unless you consider that Armwood hasn't lost a playoff game at home since Nov. 22, 2002.

Jesuit (11-1) at Pasco (12-0)

Playoff primer: Pasco has lost its last three playoff games against Hillsborough County opposition by a combined total of 147-41. Its last playoff win against a Hillsborough team was 28-16 against Jesuit in the Class 3A state final in 1992.

Berkeley Prep (12-0) at Delray Beach American Heritage (10-1)

Playoff primer: American Heritage forced four first-half turnovers Friday to shock Fort Lauderdale University School 31-20. University was ranked 20th nationally by MaxPreps. Stallions junior Greg Bryant went all Nelson Agholor on University (171 rushing yards, two interceptions).

Game balls

RB Nelson Agholor, Berkeley Prep. The top-ranked athlete in the state showed why he has earned that designation, amassing 74 percent of the Buccaneers' total offense with 211 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries in a 21-0 win over Fort Meade.

OL Sean Gavitt, Armwood. We'd be terribly remiss in not awarding a game ball to this backup lineman, who opted to suit up for the Hawks' 23-0 win over Hillsborough hours after his father, Verne, died at age 48. "He'd want me to come out here and play in memory of him," Gavitt said.

RB Matt Jones, Armwood. For the first time this season, Jones ran like he wasn't bothered by his surgically mended right knee, collecting 133 yards on 22 carries against Hillsborough.

WR/KR Byron Pringle, Robinson. In a losing effort, Pringle was still the best player on the field, accounting for 198 of the Knights' 220 total yards in Robinson's 35-20 loss to Jesuit. He returned a kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown and caught a 95-yard touchdown pass.

LB Mike Tate, Plant. The senior linebacker forced two of Plant's five turnovers as the Panthers rolled 49-13 over Orlando Dr. Phillips, which came into the game ranked No. 6 in Class 8A.

By the numbers

6.17 Average points Berkeley Prep has allowed in 12 games this year, all wins

10 Fumbles in Gaither's win over Tampa Bay Tech

523 Total offensive yards by Jesuit in the Tigers' 35-20 win over Robinson

Audibles

"They played the right guy at quarterback. They need to leave him right there because he's the best football player we've seen in quite some time. If they stay healthy and No. 3 plays behind center for four quarters they have a real chance."

Earl Garcia, Hillsborough coach, on Armwood QB Alvin Bailey, who started in place of injured junior Darryl Richardson (shoulder). Bailey ran for 66 yards, passed for 48 and scored on a 72-yard punt return

"It's amazing. It's a dream come true right now, and I'm just living it."

Destin Nichols, Berkeley Prep QB, on the Buccaneers' perfect 12-0 season and the school's first berth in the state semifinal round

"He's one of the best players I've seen in high school in a long time. Robinson somehow, whether it's Javier Arenas or Kwane Doster, they always have one guy like him. We knew he would, as the kids say, get his. We were able to sustain that enough to be victorious."

James Harrell, Jesuit coach, on Robinson senior Byron Pringle, who scored twice but lost 35-20

"At a high school playoff football game. Plant vs. Dr. Phillips."

Denard Span, Minnesota Twins OF and Tampa Catholic alum, in a tweet. Plant won 49-13, so he would have seen a better game at Jesuit, which won 35-20.

Times wires
Saturday, November 26, 2011

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas — Bernard James thought Florida State was headed for a victory when Connecticut freshman Ryan Boatwright went to the line needing to make three free throws to tie it with seven seconds left.

"I was surprised he even got fouled," James said. "The refs don't usually make a call like that with the game on the line. I figured he'd miss at least one."

So much for that theory.

Boatwright made all three to force overtime and Shabazz Napier had 26 points, leading No. 4 Connecticut to a 78-76 victory over the No. 22 Seminoles in the consolation game of the Battle 4 Atlantis on Saturday.

Boatwright finished with 14 points and three assists in 33 minutes in his first college game.

"Fourteen points, three assists, 33 minutes of quickness and speed. Boatright makes the game easier for two great players, Napier and (Jeremy) Lamb," Seminoles coach Leonard Hamilton said.

"He had as much to do with the win as anyone else. He really stepped up and made those three big free throws."

Lamb added 19 points for Connecticut (6-1), which shot 48 percent from the field, including 11-of-25 from 3-point range. Freshman Andre Drummond had 12 points, 10 rebounds, seven blocks and three steals.

"I'm proud of our kids," Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said. "Boatwright doesn't get much play, but he has an awful lot of courage. He didn't know if he was going to play (Saturday) or two months from now."

Michael Snaer scored 20 for FSU (5-2), which lost 46-41 to Harvard on Friday. Deividas Dulkys had 14 and James had 11 points and 14 rebounds.

James' three-point play gave the Seminoles a 76-75 lead in overtime, but Napier made his sixth 3-pointer of the game to put the Huskies back in front with 1:08 left.

Napier also had five assists, four rebounds and two steals one day after he committed seven turnovers and went 1-of-7 from the field in a 68-63 loss to Central Florida.

But Napier thought Boatwright provided the biggest lift for the Huskies.

"He was the missing piece of the puzzle we needed," he said. "To have him beside me is the best I can hope for. We rode the boat today."

FSU's Luke Loucks, the former Clearwater High standout, missed a 3-point attempt and two free throws in the final minute of OT, and Snaer missed a 3 at the buzzer.

"It's a shot I feel I would normally have made," Snaer said. "I had a pretty good look but couldn't finish it."

Times wires
Saturday, November 26, 2011

MADISON, Wis. — Reeling after consecutive losses took them out of the national title picture a month ago, Montee Ball and No. 15 Wisconsin rallied for a spot in the Big Ten title game.

Ball rushed for four touchdowns in a 45-7 rout of No. 20 Penn State on Saturday. Wisconsin, the Leaders Division champ, plays Legends champ Michigan State on Dec. 3 in Indianapolis. The winner goes to the Rose Bowl.

"We had a group of men in our room that we knew would take one day at a time to get to where we wanted to be," Badgers coach Bret Bielema said. "They started on a process to get through the last four weeks."

Ball, a junior, has 34 touchdowns in 12 games this season. In Division I-A history, only Barry Sanders had more, 39 in 11 games for Oklahoma State in 1988.

Can Ball break the record?

"Whatever the offensive line wants," said Ball, who rushed for 156 yards and touchdowns of 1, 2, 9 and 18 yards. "If they want me to get there, then I'll get there. It's an entire offensive achievement. It's going to be a great feeling if I do break it."

The Nittany Lions entered Saturday still reeling from the child sex abuse charges against ex- assistant Jerry Sandusky that led to the firing of coach Joe Paterno.

They took a 7-0 lead on their first possession but quickly unraveled, a fumble and interception helping them fall behind 28-7 by halftime.

And the defense didn't do any better. One drive epitomized its day.

Up 14-7, Wisconsin quarterback Russell Wilson twice left defenders grasping at air. On third and 7, he slipped away from pressure and ran 20 yards. Three plays later, he broke a handful of tackles on a 19-yard scramble. Two plays after that, Ball's 2-yard run made it 21-7.

Penn State fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Nick Toon's 4-yard catch soon made it 28-7.

Interim coach Tom Bradley was frustrated by turnovers and poor tackling but insisted his players deserve to go to a bowl.

"They didn't have anything to do with (the scandal)," he said.

For now, he is giving his players the week off: "I think a week away from everybody won't hurt us."

Times wires
Saturday, November 26, 2011

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The chatter about Virginia being on the rise left out an important fact in the mind of Virginia Tech's players: They were still the best in the commonwealth until proven otherwise.

The No. 6 Hokies showed they were tops Saturday night, beating the No. 24 Cavaliers 38-0. It was Virginia's first shutout loss at home in 172 games, since a 55-0 defeat to Clemson on Sept. 8, 1984.

"The guys definitely took it as a slap in the face. It's kind of been our way, the rivalry, for the past couple years and nobody was talking about us," Hokies quarterback Logan Thomas said after throwing two touchdowns and running for another. "They were all talking about Virginia and how good Virginia was going to play against us and how they were going to do."

David Wilson had two second-half touchdown runs for the Hokies, who led 14-0 at the break and drove 79 yards with the opening series of the third quarter then let their defense do the rest.

Virginia, which went in averaging better than 177 rushing yards, finished with 30 on 26 carries. They had 241 yards overall, and quarterback Michael Rocco was sacked four times and intercepted twice.

"I felt like we didn't receive any respect in our home state after all we've done, and we went out there and made a statement," defensive end James Gayle said after registering two sacks.

"We weren't getting respect, so we went out there and took it."

The Hokies earned the Coastal Division title and a rematch with No. 18 Clemson in next weekend's ACC championship game in Charlotte, N.C. They lost to the Tigers 23-3 on Oct. 1 and were eager for a rematch.

"Everybody wants it," Thomas said. "We know that we didn't play our best ball that day."

They saved that for their state rivals.

NO. 13 GEORGIA 31, NO. 25 GA. TECH 17: Former Plant High standout Aaron Murray threw four touchdowns for the visiting Bulldogs, who head into the SEC championship game against LSU on a 10-game winning streak.

"This game is over with," Georgia's Branden Smith said. "I'm thinking about LSU right now. This is a good win, but we've got another mission."

Murray extended his school record for touchdown passes in a season to 32, hitting Michael Bennett and Chris Conley in the first half and Tavarres King and Aron White in the third quarter as Georgia beat the Yellow Jackets for the 10th time in 11 years.

N.C. STATE 56, MARYLAND 41: Mike Glennon threw a career-high five touchdowns, ran for another score and led the host Wolfpack's rally from 27 points down in the second half.

James Washington ran 1 yard for the go-ahead score with 7:08 left for North Carolina State, which trailed 41-14 with six minutes left in the third quarter before reeling off five straight touchdown drives during the second-biggest comeback ever in an ACC game.

VANDY 41, WAKE 7: Zac Stacy ran for 184 yards and three touchdowns, and the visiting Commodores became bowl eligible. Quarterback Jordan Rodgers, younger brother of Packers star Aaron Rodgers, had 229 total yards for Vanderbilt.

UNC 37, DUKE 21: Dwight Jones had three touchdown catches and redshirt freshman Giovani Bernard ran for a season-high 165 yards and a score to help the host Tar Heels beat the Blue Devils for the eighth straight year.

Times wires
Saturday, November 26, 2011

NEW YORK — Now that there's a handshake deal on a labor agreement, commissioner David Stern and union executives must persuade owners and players to approve it in time to start the season Christmas Day.

After a 149-day lockout, owners and players reached the tentative deal around 3 a.m. Saturday. It comes at a loss of hundreds of millions of dollars for both sides, on top of the fans and jobs that were lost during the stalemate. And it leaves the NBA with its second shortened season because of labor problems. The league hopes to play a 66-game schedule instead of 82.

A slew of issues still must be worked through, though — players must drop a lawsuit against the league and reform their disbanded union — and the owners and players must vote on the deal. But the deal is expected to be approved,

After a 15-hour negotiating session Friday into Saturday, Stern accepted congratulations, headed for another short night of sleep, then planned to brief his owners on a plan that could change the way they do business.

"We're very pleased we've come this far," Stern said. "There's still a lot of work to be done."

Players face a tougher healing process in approving an agreement that significantly limits their earnings. "We just thought that rather than try to pursue this in court, it was in both of our interests to try to reach a resolution," said players association executive director Billy Hunter.

Players association executives Derek Fisher and Maurice Evans hardly looked enthused at a news conference as they sat next to Hunter at a table with Stern, deputy commissioner Adam Silver and Spurs owner Peter Holt, chairman of the league's labor relations committee.

Many players took to social media to react, and most sounded happy just to have a chance to play again. Among the typical comments: "I feel like my kids on X-mas day! So juiced!!" LeBron James wrote on Twitter.

Some players took a circumspect view.

"Haven't crossed the finish line yet," Magic guard J.J. Redick wrote, "but there's definitely a reason to be optimistic."

"Glad lockout is almost over," Magic 10-year veteran Jason Richardson wrote, "but I hope each player read(s) the fine print and make(s) the right decision."

The owners hope to find the parity that exists in the NFL, where small-market Green Bay is the defending champion. The NBA has been dominated recently by the biggest spenders, with the Celtics, Lakers and Mavericks winning the past four titles.

"I think it will largely prevent the high-spending teams from competing in the free-agent market the way they've been able to in the past," Silver said. "It's not the system we sought out to get in terms of a harder (salary) cap, but the luxury tax is harsher than it was. We hope it's effective."

The sides fought mainly over division of revenues and other changes owners wanted. Owners said they lost hundreds of millions of dollars in each year of the former deal, and they wanted a system in which the big-market teams wouldn't have the ability to outspend small-market ones.

Players fought those changes, not wanting to see any team taken out of the market when they became free agents.

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer

By Joe Smith, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 26, 2011

TAMPA — RW Marty St. Louis jokes now that when he was acquired by the Lightning in 2000, he would have been happy with 300 shifts in a Tampa Bay uniform.

After all, St. Louis was an undersized and undrafted forward who had to battle for everything in an impressive career that's included a Stanley Cup and league MVP award. That's why it meant a lot for St. Louis Saturday night to pick up his 300th career goal with the Lightning. He trails just C Vinny Lecavalier (361).

"I'm proud to stay I've been on the same team for 11 years now, you don't see it too much in today's game," St. Louis said. "If you told me 11 years ago I'd score 300 goals for this team, I would have paid money for that. Trying to find your way throughout a career and fight for a spot, fight for a place in this league and you have to earn it everyday. I guess 300 goals for me is longevity and I guess about being persistent."

St. Louis is just one of a dozen active NHL players who boast 300 goals with one team, with 10 still with that organization. Coach Guy Boucher said he has the "utmost respect" for guys who are so loyal to the same team, even with all the money available in today's game.

"You've got a perfect example of a guy who is here for the right reasons who has done the job from day one and continues to do it,' Boucher said of St. Louis. "I think Tampa Bay is extremely, extremely lucky to have such an individual. Not just a hockey player, such a man here."

MEDICAL MATTERS: RW Steve Downie (upper body) missed his second consecutive game Saturday against the Panthers. Boucher said his injury isn't concussion-related and is more of a precaution. "He could play," Boucher said. "We just want to be smart with this."

Downie will travel with the team on its two-game road trip this week. Boucher said D Mattias Ohlund (knees) might travel as well, though more for morale and less because he's ready to play.

DNA LINE: Dana Tyrell, Nate Thompson and Adam Hall, so successful as a line last season, picked up where they left off Friday against the Panthers, clicking despite being together for just one morning skate.

Boucher said the group has a special chemistry developed when they were put together "out of luck" in last year's preseason. They used their speed and grit to be relentless, and were a threat offensively and reliable defensively. Boucher said their play together was part of the reason Tyrell and Hall made last year's team, and why Thompson flourished.

Tyrell was called up from AHL Norfolk last week.

"I'm not going to scream to the world that our team has changed," Boucher said. "But the reality is that every piece of the puzzle that you put in that fits, you're advancing. I feel like (Friday), we advanced."

MISCELLANY: Boucher said D Victor Hedman, who played 29 minutes Friday and D Eric Brewer (26:08 Saturday) "slept on the ice," something they'll have to do as D Matt Gilroy and D Marc Andre-Bergeron battle through physical issues. … D Bruno Gervais was a healthy scratch.

By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 26, 2011

TAMPA — Last season, USF lost 50-42 loss at Florida Atlantic, but after the Bulls pulled out an easy 68-55 win Saturday night, Owls coach Mike Jarvis said there wasn't much difference between this USF team and last season's.

"They still don't shoot the ball that well, not overall," Jarvis said. "There is a difference, and the difference is they now have a legitimate point guard. I think that's going to be the biggest difference going forward. He can make plays, especially if you don't play him properly."

That point guard is freshman Anthony Collins, who came off the bench in just his second college game and sparked the Bulls with 12 points, seven assists and four steals, including one to start a 20-4 run that had USF up 31-20 late in the first half at the University of Tampa's Martinez Center.

"I'm just playing basketball," said Collins, who missed the first five games with a hip flexor that still limits him in practice. "My teammates believe in me, my coaches believe in me, and I'm just trying to make plays for everybody else. If I make plays for them, then everything will open up for me."

With starting forward Augustus Gilchrist out with a shoulder injury, the Bulls (5-2) got a double double-double inside, with junior Toarlyn Fitzpatrick setting career highs with 17 points and 14 rebounds and senior Ron Anderson getting 14 and 12. The Bulls outrebounded the Owls 42-29, and Fitzpatrick and Anderson had three blocks each.

"I thought Toarlyn really stepped up in a big way, and Ron was huge with a double double," said coach Stan Heath, whose team is now 5-0 in three off-campus home venues.

FAU (3-4) cut a 22-point second-half lead to nine with five minutes left, but Collins hit a jumper just inside the 3-point line, and on the next possession hit a wild running layup as he fell and careened into the base of the backboard, adding a free throw.

"When Anthony comes in the game, he's Mr. Excitement. He makes a lot of things happen out there," Heath said. "He gives a tremendous lift. … The game really took a different turn when he came in there."

By Basil Spyridakos, Times Correspondent
Saturday, November 26, 2011

LARGO — Clearwater seemed to do everything right against Sarasota on Saturday. The Tornadoes played aggressive offense in the post and boxed out often. They grabbed offensive rebounds and got second-chance shots.

But the rim seemed unkind and the ball would not go through no matter how many opportunities the Tornadoes earned.

Sarasota eventually wore out Clearwater late in the fourth quarter to win the Indian Rocks Christian Thanksgiving Tournament final 48-38.

"We needed to finish a little bit better," Clearwater coach Tom Shaneyfelt said. "We were a little sloppy with it. We're still learning to play together, so hopefully we'll get better as the season goes on."

Clearwater had chances in the second quarter to take the lead, but it kept turning the ball over and committing mental mistakes. Down 20-18, Tyra Bolden stole the ball and gave it to point guard Alexandria Alford, who then threw the ball away. Another ill-advised pass and a traveling violation allowed Sarasota to reach halftime ahead 23-20.

Sarasota focused on slowing and frustrating Bolden, who fouled out in the fourth quarter with eight points, six rebounds and two steals.

The Tornadoes chipped away at a four-point fourth-quarter deficit, and Alford (16 points) sank a floater to give Clearwater a 36-35 lead with less than five minutes to play.

But the Sailors upped the tempo and went on a game-ending 13-2 run. Clearwater didn't have an answer for Julianna Cavallaro, who finished with a game-high 19 points, and Sarasota's Kelly Jurtas (13 points) earned tournament MVP honors.

IRC beat Tampa Catholic 67-27 in the third-place game as Tori Trador led the Golden Eagles with 15 points.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 26, 2011

GAINESVILLE — It has been a tough season for Florida in terms of injuries, and things got worse Saturday night.

Sophomore LB Darrin Kitchens was injured on the second-half kickoff. And after remaining on the field for nearly 10 minutes, he was transported off by a cart with an apparent head or neck injury.

As he was taken off the field, Kitchens' eyes were open, he appeared to be answering questions from medical personnel and he gave fans at Florida Field a thumbs-up.

The injury occurred after senior QB John Brantley was hurt with 1:33 remaining in the first half when he took a shot to the head. He left the field under his own power but did not return.

DT Dominique Easley sustained an undisclosed injury early in the second quarter. OL Kyle Koehne sustained a leg injury in the first half. And late in the third quarter, TE A.C. Leonard injured his lower right leg and was on the sideline with the leg packed with ice.

Sophomore TE Jordan Reed did not play because of an ankle injury.

SAVE THE DATE: With the SEC expanding to 14 teams next season, league schools are unclear about what their schedules will look like. But Florida coach Will Muschamp went on record last week saying he isn't a fan of changing the date for the annual game with Florida State.

"I like the game where it is," he said. "I think it's a great game, a great environment, and playing it at the end of the season to … springboard you into the championship game and a bowl game is a good place for it."

Debates about playing FSU in the regular-season finale have gone on for many years, particularly after the SEC added a championship game. But Muschamp said Florida's history has proved that's not an issue.

"I'm kind of a traditionalist," Muschamp said. "I think it's kind of neat to have these rivalries at the end of the season. People bring up the fact that you're playing in the SEC championship game the next week, but I don't think you lack any focus when we get ready to play Florida State. And I'm sure they'd say the same thing if they were playing in the ACC championship.

"From a focus standpoint, you should be fine. At Florida, we've had a pretty good track record as far as playing the Florida State game and playing in the SEC championship game and winning championships. That's not something that's been an issue here."

ALL ABOUT NOSTALGIA: For three years, Florida senior RB Jeff Demps wore No. 2 on his jersey. But at the end of the spring, with a new coaching staff on board, Demps asked to wear the No. 28 he had worn for many years as a youth and high school player.

But Saturday, his final game at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Demps wanted to go out the way he came in. So he donned the No. 2 jersey.

Times wires
Saturday, November 26, 2011

AUBURN, Ala. — Trent Richard­son and No. 2 Alabama have convinced Nick Saban that they're worthy of competing for college football's top prize.

They'll have to wait a while for the final decision.

Richardson rushed for 203 yards, a career high, and AJ McCarron had three first-half touchdown passes to lift the Crimson Tide to a 42-14 victory over rival Auburn on Saturday.

Let the lobbying begin. Saban said he thinks the Tide is one of the nation's best two teams, Richardson's the top player and that 'Bama deserves a second shot at LSU.

"This team lost one game in overtime to a very, very good team who's No. 1 right now," the Tide coach said. "And we lost in overtime. … I think (Crimson Tide players) deserve an opportunity, the best opportunity that's out there for them."

Alabama, No. 2 in the BCS rankings behind LSU, has a week before finding out if it has secured a shot at a second national title in three years.

"That's out of our hands, but I think we've proven we should be there without a doubt," said Alabama tight end Brad Smelley, who had six catches for 86 yards and a touchdown.

Richardson ran 27 times and caught a 5-yard touchdown in his final chance to impress Heisman voters. His runs of 35 and 57 yards set up second-half scores.

"To me, Trent's the best football player in the country," Saban said.

The Tide fell to LSU 9-6 on Nov. 5 in an overtime game that Tide fans at least feel didn't settle the matter of which one is better.

Alabama dominated statistically but didn't put Auburn away until cornerback Dee Milliner's 35-yard interception return early in the fourth. The Tigers scored touchdowns on a fumble recovery and a kick return.

"We got to the fourth quarter and felt like we were somewhere in that ballpark, and the fourth quarter got away from us," Auburn coach Gene Chizik said. "We kind of self-destructed."

Gamecocks roll

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Connor Shaw threw three touchdowns and ran for one to lead No. 14 South Carolina to a 10-win season for the first time in 27 years and its third straight victory over No. 18 Clemson, 34-13.

South Carolina's only other 10-victory season in 118 years of football came in 1984.

Shaw passed for 210 yards and rushed for 107 in his seventh start since taking over for dismissed senior and former Jefferson star Stephen Garcia.

"I think my confidence is boosting game by game," Shaw said.

KENTUCKY 10, TENNESSEE 7: Receiver Matt Roark filled in at quarterback and gained 124 yards on 24 carries as the host Wildcats snapped its losing streak in the series at 26, the longest active losing streak by any team against a league foe.

Tennessee failed to become bowl eligible with its first loss to Kentucky since 1984.

"What an amazing, amazing game," Wildcats coach Joker Phillips said. "How many, if we lined up the last 26 years, how many quarterbacks have we had? Probably 15? Who would pick out Matt Roark as the guy who broke the streak."

MISSISSIPPI ST. 31, Ole MISS 3: Vick Ballard rushed for 144 yards and a touchdown and had a receiving TD as the host Bulldogs became bowl eligible. The margin of victory was Mississippi State's highest in the Egg Bowl since 1919.

Times wires
Saturday, November 26, 2011

BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Senior Lanita Bartley scored a career-high 28 and Florida hit 8 of 8 free throws in the final minute to seal an 82-73 victory over Charlotte on Saturday afternoon during the final day of the Courtyard LaGuardia Turkey Classic at LIU.

The Gators (5-1), who won their fifth straight game, also got 12 points each from Deana Allen and Jaterra Bonds, helping them avenge last year's season-ending loss in the third round of the WNIT to the 49ers (5-2).

Jennifer George had nine points and nine rebounds to help Florida win the rebounding battle 45-39 and take a 40-36 edge in the paint.

"We had another night of great individual performances, and I think that makes it really, really hard for teams to prepare for us," coach Amanda Butler said. "Most importantly, we won the battle in the paint, scoring and rebounding-wise."

UF overcame a seven-point deficit to tie the score at 56 with 10:28 left. Bonds snapped the tie with a 15-foot jumper, then pushed the ball up the floor and fed George, who converted for a 60-56 lead.

The Gators never trailed again.

TAMPA 79, W. GEORGIA 69: Illyssa Vivo had 24 points to lead four players in double figures for the Spartans (3-3), who won their second straight at the North Alabama Classic in Florence, Ala.

ECKERD 66, QUEENS 46: Kati Rausberg had 11 points for the host Tritons (3-1), who held the Royals to 22 percent shooting from the field to go 2-0 at their Thanksgiving Classic.

SAINT LEO 52, P.R.-MAYAGUEZ 38: Chelsea Williams had 17 points for the host Lions (4-0), who scored 16 off 24 Janes turnovers.

Top 25

NO. 2 UCONN 90, BUFFALO 34: Tiffany Hayes had 30 points and 11 rebounds to lead the host Huskies (5-0) in the World Vision Classic.

NO. 4 NOTRE DAME 56, NO. 7 DUKE 54: Natalie Novosel banked in a shot from the free-throw line with less than a second left, and the Irish (5-1) rallied from a 16-point halftime deficit to beat the Blue Devils (4-1) in the Junkanoo Jam final in Freeport, Bahamas.

NO. 5 TEXAS A&M 74, IOWA 58: Sydney Carter had 21 points to lead the Aggies (6-0) to the Lucaya Division crown of the Junkanoo Jam tournament in Freeport, Bahamas.

NO. 8 MARYLAND 114, CS-BAKERSFIELD 83: Laurin Mincy had 23 points to lead the Terps (7-0) at the FIU Thanksgiving Classic in Miami.

NO. 21 G'TOWN 64, NO. 10 GEORGIA 56: Sugar Rodgers had 23 points to lead the Hoyas (4-2) over the Bulldogs (4-1) in the first round of the Lady Rebel Round-Up in Las Vegas.

NO. 11 L'VILLE 86, FAMU 66: Monique Reid had 22 points and Becky Burke added 21 to help the visiting Cardinals (6-1) sweep Florida's capital city schools. Louisville beat FSU 85-76 Friday night.

VANDY 78, NO. 12 OKLA. 66: Jasmine Lister had 24 points, Christina Foggie added 21 and Vanderbilt beat the Sooners (3-1) at the Commodores Thanksgiving Tournament.

NO. 13 RUTGERS 59, ARIz. ST. 52: April Sykes had 14 points, Monique Oliver added 13 rebounds and the Scarlet Knights (6-0) held on to win the San Juan Shootout title in Puerto Rico.

NO. 19 TEXAS TECH 76, CENT. ARK. 43: Shauntal Nobles had 11 points off the bench and Kierra Mallard had 13 rebounds to lead the host Raiders (4-0) to their 800th victory.

NO. 22 UVA 60, HAWAII 43: Ataira Franklin had 14 points for the Cavaliers (5-1) in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown in Honolulu.

NO. 24 TEXAS 61, CAL 60: Chassidy Fussell gave the Longhorns (4-1) their only lead when she scored with 1:11 left in the Rainbow Wahine Showdown.

NO. 25 UCLA 68, COLGATE 48: Rebekah Gardner had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the Bruins (3-2) in the consolation game of the Holiday Inn Thanksgiving Classic in Northridge, Calif. UCLA snapped a two-game skid.

MOURNING COWGIRLS WIN: Oklahoma State played its first game since the Nov. 17 plane crash that killed coach Kurt Budke, assistant Miranda Serna and two others, beating visiting Coppin State 59-35. The Cowgirls celebrated by standing arm in arm and singing the university's alma mater with the crowd. Interim coach Jim Littell and many players pointed toward the sky and went into the stands to hug Budke's wife and parents.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

Players of the day

Terrance Ganaway, RB, Baylor

The senior ran 42 times for 246 yards and two TDs in a 66-42 win over Texas Tech.

Chris Nwoke, RB, Colorado State

The sophomore rushed for 269 yards and two TDs in a 45-21 loss to Air Force.

Bobby Rainey, RB, Western Kentucky

The senior ran 43 times for 227 yards and three TDs in a 41-18 win over Troy.

Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

The senior ran for 203 yards and caught a TD in a 42-14 win over Auburn.

Denard Robinson, QB, Michigan

The junior ran for 170 yards and two TDs and threw three TDs in a 40-34 win over Ohio State.

Trevardo Williams, DE, Connecticut

The junior had four sacks and a forced fumble in a 40-22 win over Rutgers.

Bay area player of the day

D.J. Williams, QB, Grambling

The freshman, graduate of Tampa Catholic and son of Grambling coach (and ex-Bucs star quarterback) Doug Williams threw three TDs to lead the Tigers to a 36-12 victory over Southern in the 38th annual Bayou Classic in New Orleans.

Path to perfection

Remaining games for the nation's unbeatens:

Houston: vs. Southern Miss (C-USA title game) *

LSU: Georgia (SEC title game at Atlanta)

* Host as team with better conference record

One-loss teams

Team Opp. Score Date

Alabama LSU 9-6 * Nov. 5

Boise State TCU 36-35 Nov. 12

Oklahoma State at Iowa State 37-31 * Nov. 18

Stanford Oregon 53-30 Nov. 12

Virginia Tech Clemson 23-3 Oct. 1

* Overtime # Played late Saturday

Number of the day

2,926 Days between Michigan victories over Ohio State, from Nov. 22, 2003 (35-21), until Saturday (40-34). In between, the Buckeyes won seven in a row.

Team of the day

Tennessee

The Vols' 10-7 loss at Kentucky ended a 26-game win streak in the series dating to 1984, left it at 5-7 and ineligible for a bowl. Coupled with going 6-7 in 2010, the Vols have consecutive losing seasons for the first time since 1910-11.

Quote of the day

"It was emotional for some guys, myself included. It stinks when you feel you got robbed out of a year of your life, but he didn't skip a beat. It was like you blinked and thought, 'Was everything just a nightmare?' It seems like he's still here." 

Michael Brewster, Ohio State senior offensive lineman, who added he had to wipe away tears when Jim Tressel addressed the team before it left for Michigan on Friday; Tressel resigned before the season because of a scandal involving tattoos for merchandise and improper benefits for players

Under-the-radar game of the day

Stony Brook 31, Albany 28

Brock Jackolski rallied the host Seawolves to a win in the first round of the I-AA playoffs. The Great Danes led 28-10 1:35 into the third. But from there, the senior ran for TDs of 6 and 11 yards and caught a 55-yarder. Said Stony Brook coach — and Albany grad — Chuck Priore: "Wow!" I-AA glance, 11C

Information from Times wires contributed to this report.



Tiebreaker of the day | Missouri

T he Tigers faced Kansas for the 120th time Saturday, and a 24-10 victory gave them a 56-55-9 lead. (At least according to the Jayhawks and NCAA. Missouri claims a 57-54-9 lead because Kansas used an ineligible player in its 1960 victory.). The Border War began in 1891, trails only Minnesota-Wisconsin (121 meetings) as college football's longest-running series and traces its roots to the violent border clashes between free state Kansas and slave state Missouri during the 1850s and '60s. But Missouri is leaving the Big 12 for the SEC after this season. It says it wants to continue the series. But Kansas said it wants no part of it unless the schools are in the same conference, which they have been since 1907. "This thing can continue if the schools decide they want to," Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said. "It's not too complex, I don't think. You can make it work. I wish they were willing to do that. We'd like to keep this rivalry going. And hopefully, people will get together and do what's right."

By Derek J. LaRiviere, Times Correspondent
Saturday, November 26, 2011

NEW PORT RICHEY — Wesley Chapel's boys basketball team continues to roll behind the ever-developing game of junior Erik Thomas.

The Bulls power forward was named the Beef 'O' Brady's Thanksgiving Tournament most valuable player at River Ridge Saturday night as Wesley Chapel rolled over Tarpon Springs for the boys' title 54-31.

A night after scoring 21 in a semifinal victory over Land O'Lakes, Thomas contributed in every facet of the game with 11 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and four steals. Marcus Hayne, who scored 20 in the semifinal, added a team-high 13 points against the Spongers.

"I have better court vision this season because of all the work I've done in practice," Thomas said. "I can play inside, or I can play outside."

The Wildcats (3-0) used their defense-first philosophy to bottle up the Spongers (2-2) from the start. Wesley Chapel led just 10-5 after the first quarter.

Joining Thomas on the all-tournament team was teammate Stefan Bayne, Tarpon Springs' J.T. Aguilar, Land O'Lakes' Ernest McClendon and River Ridge's Malik Moore.

East Lake won the girls' final over host River Ridge 59-51.

The Royals Knights (2-1) were led by all-tournament team selection Leah Ford. The freshman had 16 points, nine rebounds and one block in the losing effort, but River Ridge showed considerable progress from the teams that have taken the court over the past few seasons.

"They definitely work hard because I push them hard," River Ridge coach Joeyn Dearsman said. "We are trying to get this program back on track."

The Eagles (4-1) just had a little too much in the way to defensive speed and backcourt pressure with another all-tournament team selection, Emily Dine, leading the way. Dine scored a game-high 22 with five steals.

East Lake guard Amber Jennings (13 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals) was named tournament MVP.

Times wires
Saturday, November 26, 2011

ST. PETERSBURG — In his third try, Tampa's Richard Schmidt became the fourth active Division II coach to reach 600 victories and the 12th overall as the Spartans defeated the University of Puerto Rico-Bayamon 53-44 Saturday night at the Eckerd Classic in the MacArthur Center.

Schmidt is in his 29th season with Tampa and also spent two years at Vanderbilt. He now stands at 600-284 in his 31 years of coaching and is 572-257 at Tampa.

Schmidt reached victory No. 599 on Nov. 16 with a 53-48 victory over Palm Beach Atlantic. The Spartans lost to Florida Memorial on Tuesday and Shaw on Friday before finally giving their coach his milestone win.

Tampa has reached the NCAA Division II tournament 15 times under Schmidt and has had 26 winning seasons.

Ashton Graham had 15 points and seven rebounds and Stefon Barfield and Osby Kelly had 10 points each for the Spartans (2-3), who led the entire game.

After UPRB got within 26-25 early in the second half, Tampa responded with a 16-2 run to take a 42-27 lead with 9:44 left. Kelly hit consecutive 3-pointers during the spurt.

HARVARD 59, UCF 49: Kyle Casey had 15 points and nine rebounds to lead the Crimson over the Knights (4-2) in the Battle 4 Atlantis championship in Paradise Island, Bahamas. Tournament MVP Keith Wright added 12 points and seven rebounds for Harvard (6-0), which upset No. 22 Florida State 46-41 Friday and is off to its best start since the 1984-85 season.

SHAW 78, ECKERD 73, OT: Junius Chaney had 10 of his 16 points in overtime to lead the Bears over the Tritons (3-1) in the final game of the Eckerd College Thanksgiving Classic.

SAINT LEO 118, TRINITY 50: Trent Thomas had 19 points to lead six players in double figures for the host Lions (4-2), who had their most points since 1991 and most in a win since 1984.

Top 25

NO. 2 KENTUCKY 87, PORTLAND 63: Terrence Jones and Darius Miller scored 19 each, Anthony Davis had 13 points and 12 rebounds and the Wildcats (6-0) won their final tuneup before playing St. John's and No. 1 North Carolina this week.

NO. 11 WISCONSIN 73, BYU 56: Ben Brust had 21 points and made 7 of 10 3-pointers to help the Badgers win the Chicago Invitational Challenge championship in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Wisconsin is 6-0 for the first time since the 1996-97 season.

NO. 19 GONZAGA 78, W. MICH. 58: Robert Sacre had 15 points and Sam Dower added 15 off the bench for the Bulldogs (4-0), who were playing their annual game in the off-campus Spokane Arena.

NO. 20 CAL 80, DENVER 59: Allen Crabbe had 15 points and matched his career high with 10 rebounds to help the host Golden Bears (5-1) overcome a slow start.

NO. 25 TEXAS A&M 56, TEXAS A&M-CC 43: Elston Turner had 14 points and the host Aggies (4-1) used their stifling defense to hold the Islanders to 27.8 percent shooting.

NO. 7 LOUISVILLE: Forward Stephan Van Treese is out indefinitely after reinjuring his left knee in practice. He participated in his first individual workout Nov. 14 after missing the start of the season with a left patellar tendon strain. The junior power forward was a reserve the past three games.

OBAMA ATTENDS GAME: President Barack Obama brought his family to Towson University near Baltimore for an afternoon game that pitted the Towson Tigers against the Oregon State Beavers. Obama's brother-in-law Craig Robinson is Oregon State's head coach. The Beavers won 66-46.

By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Saturday, November 26, 2011

GAINESVILLE — There would be no story­book ending to a nightmare season for the Florida seniors, who said all last week a victory over rival Florida State would help ease the pain of this bitterly disappointing season.

Instead, they walked off Florida Field one final time with a loss.

FSU turned three interceptions into 21 points, which was all it needed for a 21-7 victory in front of 90,798 on Saturday night.

It was only the third win for FSU (8-4) in Gainesville since 1993 and ended Florida's 25-game home win streak against non-SEC opponents.

Florida (6-6) finished with six regular-season losses for the first time since 1979, when it went 0-10-1. First-year coach Will Muschamp said his team isn't tough enough.

"We're a soft football team. That's the bottom line," Muschamp said. "I told our guys we're not a physically tough team, and we're not a mentally tough team. Self-evaluation is hard sometimes, but that's the facts. It's hard to say it. I've been called a lot of things in my life, but soft is not one of them."

Before the Gators lost the game, they lost their senior starting quarterback, John Brantley. With just less than two minutes remaining in the first half, Brantley was sandwiched while being tackled and left the field disoriented. He did not return, and freshman Jacoby Brissett took over.

Before his departure Brantley was 9-of-15 for 104 yards and three interceptions. The three picks matched his season high.

Even before Saturday, it had been a tough season for the Gators. But losing to the Seminoles added insult to injury.

"It's very frustrating losing to a rival," junior defensive tackle Omar Hunter said. "We felt like we made a lot of mistakes ourselves and beat ourselves in the end."

While the Florida defense held the Seminoles to 95 total yards, the offensive mistakes took a toll. Brantley was intercepted by cornerback Greg Reid 5:40 into the game. Seven plays and 20 yards later, Devonta Freeman's 1-yard touchdown run gave FSU a 7-0 lead. Cornerback Mike Harris returned Brantley's second interception 89 yards to set up another 1-yard run by Freeman that made it 14-0.

The Seminoles took a three-touchdown lead when safety Terrance Parks returned an interception by Brissett 29 yards with 12:20 remaining in the game.

"I am very excited, very happy," said FSU coach Jimbo Fisher, now 2-0 against Florida. "We came in here to win, and it hasn't happened very often. I understand we have a lot of issues. But we got the win, and that is a great accomplishment."

The Gators knew coming in they would have to have success running the ball to have a chance to win.

They had just 54 yards. Their top rushers, seniors Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey, had four carries for minus-8 yards and 15 for 42, respectively.

"At the end of the day, when you're not able to run the football, you're going to have a hard time winning games against good defenses," Muschamp said. "When you become a one-dimensional team, when you're a lateral running team and you can't run the ball inside and you can't run the ball vertically at people, you're going to struggle."

The Gators' only touchdown came off an FSU turnover. The 6-yard pass from Brissett to Quinton Dunbar with 4:16 remaining averted Florida's first shutout since 1988.

Antonya English can be reached at aenglish@tampabay.com.