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Baseball: Seminole gets timing right to rally past Osceola

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Bob Putnam, Times Staff Writer
Wednesday, March 16, 2011

SEMINOLE — For weeks, Seminole has been vexed by an offense that has been unable to produce the big hit at the right moment. The Warhawks' three losses have each been by a run.

On Wednesday, it appeared to be the case again.

Seminole trailed rival Osceola (9-2) by a run entering the seventh inning. At that point the Warhawks had managed just two hits off starter Taylor Layner.

Layner started off by getting the first two batters out. Then Casey Jennings drew a walk, Giovanni Sardo hit a slow roller down the third-base line for a single and Alex McGathey walked. That set things up for Jordan Meyer, who hit a single that drove in two runs to give Seminole a dramatic 2-1 victory.

"It looked like it was going to be another tough loss," Warhawks coach Greg Olsen said. "We were very fortunate to score two runs off of Layner."

Seminole starter Jordan Doyle had a no-hitter through six innings. Still, he trailed after the Warriors' Scott Schlapinski scored on a two-out, bases-loaded passed ball in the fifth inning.

The Warhawks' offense was without Joey Krehbiel, who injured his non-throwing hand this week. Krehbiel started at shortstop but was held out of the batting order.

His absence showed as Seminole (8-3) had just five batters reach base through six innings. The Warhawks' best chance appeared to be wiped out after Michael Mann's blast down the leftfield line was ruled foul in the sixth, eliminating what would have been a two-run homer.

Seminole, though, found life with its last-minute heroics. After taking the lead, Krehbiel relieved Doyle and struck out the side in the bottom of the seventh.


FC Tampa Bay has many new looks this season

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By Eduardo A. Encina, Times Staff Writer
Thursday, March 17, 2011

TAMPA

As FC Tampa Bay reaches the midway point of its preseason schedule, we take a look at the NASL Division 2 team's new faces, what to expect from new coach Ricky Hill and what's not carrying over from last season.

Skinny on Hill

Hill, a Rowdies player/coach in the early 1990s, is in his first American Division 2 head coaching job. He promises to offer a style of play that will be "very pleasing to the eye."

Instead of using the width of the field, which failed remarkably last season under then-coach Paul Dalglish, Hill emphasizes moving the ball forward through traffic, which seems to play to his personnel's strength.

Also, Hill's mild-mannered approach is endearing him to players. "Ricky is a great motivator," forward Mike Ambersley said. "He's really positive. You know if you make a mistake, he's not going to dog you. He's a calming influence."

Hill is still deciding his formation, but it will include at least two forwards.

Three newcomers to watch

D Frankie Sanfilippo: He was a captain for Carolina and Rochester in Division 2 and has a good shot at being one in Tampa Bay. The 29-year-old provides leadership along a restructured back from the right outside back position.

F Mike Ambersley: The 5-foot-9 forward, who scored 11 goals last year for hometown team St. Louis, will be fun to watch. He is quick, creative with the ball at his feet and moves well without it. His style is a good fit for Hill's system, so he should get plenty of opportunities to score.

M Tsuyoshi Yoshitake: The 29-year-old Japanese native, known as Yoshi to teammates, is an offensive-minded midfielder who will give the offense plenty of push from the right-outside mid position. He is quick with the ball and will be a pacesetter as the team drives into the offensive third.

Three players you won't see

M Long Tan: One of Tampa Bay's most talented young players is the first to move on to MLS. The 22-year-old was in the training and preseason camps of the Vancouver Whitecaps, who are moving from Division 2 to MLS. He was part of a trade that brought Jonny Steele and Ricardo Sanchez to Tampa Bay in July.

M Jonny Steele: The player with one year on a contract that was among the team's largest was sent to Carolina on loan. He didn't fit into Tampa Bay's long-term plans considering the money he might command after this season.

M Ricardo Sanchez: The club didn't pick up its option on his contract, which was negotiated when he was with Vancouver. Tampa Bay made an attempt to restructure the contract to keep him here, but he wasn't interested.

Preseason's biggest question

How quickly can this team mesh? Turnover is a part of life at the D2 level, and the team has many new faces.

Eight of the 16 signed players are returnees, but midfielder Jeremy Christie (hip surgery) is a huge question mark and defender Yendry Diaz (groin) is uncertain for the regular-season opener on April 9. So there are opportunities for players in on trials to make the team, which will likely field 21 to 23 players.

Last weekend the team drew 1-all with Swedish First Division club BK Hacken, which had beaten Fort Lauderdale in the preseason.

"Our chemistry is way better than last year," said midfielder Chad Burt. "It feels like we've been playing together for years."

Eduardo A. Encina can be reached at eencina@sptimes.com

NCAA Tournament: Pedigree, pride biggest part of their games

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By Greg Auman, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 18, 2011

TAMPA — They almost certainly won't play today, and if they do, it's a sign that things have gone either very well or very badly for UCLA against second-seeded Florida.

But at the end of the Bruins' bench are three walk-ons who have an impressive dose of basketball heritage and a keen awareness of the history and tradition of UCLA's program.

"I've always watched UCLA basketball, came to games with my great-grandpa, went to camps," said Tyler Trapani, a 6-foot junior guard whose mother, Cathleen, is a granddaughter of UCLA coaching legend John Wooden. "When I got accepted to UCLA, I decided this was where I wanted to be."

Trapani got a poetic piece of history this month when he scored the final basket in Pauley Pavilion — which is getting a $136 million makeover — at the end of a lopsided win against Arizona.

"I think it was a fairy-tale ending," Trapani said. "It started with my great-grandpa, John Wooden, asking for Pauley to be created. He got it done, and just being there was great. I wouldn't have gotten in (the last game) if my team didn't play well against Arizona. That allowed me to get in. It was great."

UCLA also has the sons of two former NBA players. Jack Haley Jr.'s father, Jack, played at UCLA and won an NBA title with the 1996 Chicago Bulls, and Alex Schrempf's father, Detlef, played 16 seasons in the NBA.

"Being a part of this team has been a great honor, just a privilege all around," said Haley, who has two rebounds in four minutes this season. "It's exciting now that we're here in the tournament and only good things can happen. It's fun to be a part of it."

Schrempf's father played at Washington, but as he looked at colleges, he was struck during a visit to UCLA of the history surrounding the program.

"This probably has the best legacy in college basketball," said Schrempf, a 6-foot-5 freshman. "I had offers from smaller D-I schools, but after I came to UCLA, talked to the coaches, met the guys and had my tour of the school, it was a no-brainer."

GLAD THEY'RE HERE: After beating Michigan State and coach Tom Izzo, who turned down a lucrative offer to coach the Cavaliers, UCLA coach Ben Howland now faces Florida's Billy Donovan, who briefly accepted a job coaching the Magic in 2007 then reconsidered and stayed in Gainesville.

"I'm glad (Donovan) stayed, and I think he did the right thing," Howland said. "… He's great for the college game ... I'm glad Izzo stayed. I told Tom last summer I was so happy he did that. Imagine right now if he was in Cleveland how much fun he'd be having. You know what, it's not all about the money."

UCLA GUARD LIKELY TO PLAY: UCLA guard Malcolm Lee is expected to play today after he suffered a head wound that required three staples following Thursday night's win over Michigan State.

"I was guarding Kalin Lucas and he drove on me and I went to contest," Lee said, while removing his baseball cap to show off his wound. "It was in a crowd of a lot of people and somebody elbowed me down on the top of my head. I was like 'What?' That really, really hurt. They (his teammates) said Josh (Smith, UCLA freshman center) did it, but I don't know. I got three staples. They took me next door to a health center. But I'll definitely play (today)."

Lee has played this season with a cartilage tear in his knee.

Times staff writer Antonya English contributed to this report.

Jockey Daniel Centeno recovering after freak riding accident at Tampa Bay Downs

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By Don Jensen, Times Correspondent
Friday, March 18, 2011

OLDSMAR — Daniel Centeno lies in bed, flanked by family and friends in the orthopedic ward at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa.

This was supposed to be the week the four-time riding champion at Tampa Bay Downs mulled over summertime options with agent Dan Mellul. But their course of action has changed.

Centeno faces three months of recovery from injuries sustained in a freakish riding mishap at the track on March 11 in which he separated his pelvis and dislocated the left shoulder.

"It's a big disappointment," he said, "but part of the business."

Centeno, 39, was injured on Alajwad Dancer, a 4-year-old gelding making his career debut. Alajwad Dancer missed the break and ran upon rival Reynolds Renegade near the rail. He then darted across the track, unseating Centeno. The horse was not hurt.

"(Alajwad Dancer) got spooked when he got behind the other horse," said Centeno, who had worked him several times for trainer Kathleen Guciardo.

Ashley George, Centeno's fiancee, watched the race on television from their Tampa residence. She arrived at the track within five minutes. "He was in a lot of pain, but it was his shoulder that was hurting him," George said. "Nobody knew (about the pelvis) until the X-rays."

Centeno, a Caracas, Venezuela, native, had a 2 1/2-hour surgery Sunday. George said a metal plate and screws were used to stabilize the pelvis. "It will be three months before he can have any weight bearing on that side," she said. "During that time, they're going to do rehab, too."

Centeno, who has 1,450 career wins and earnings of more than $24 million, is expected to be released from the hospital soon.

Bob Jeffries, president of the Tampa Bay Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, said Centeno's fall was unavoidable. "When the horse ducks like he did, you've got no chance because the momentum throws you off," Jeffries said. "He's the leading rider for a reason. He's good. He's a good guy, too."

Centeno and George have been touched by area support. The day after the accident, Festival Day, Downs announcer Richard Grunder repeatedly mentioned the jockey's status. Centeno was listed on eight mounts that day. He had 78 victories and a 25-win lead over Leandro Goncalves for the riding title at the time of the injury. Retaining his edge is unlikely with 24 racing dates left.

"Nobody's ever won five (straight titles), and that was a big thing for him," George said. "This is home, so we'll be back."

MORE HORSES: Bearpath is the 7-2 morning-line favorite in today's Grade III $125,000 Tampa Bay Stakes (Race 9, 4:20 p.m.) at the Downs. … Trainer Kathleen O'Connell nominated Tampa Bay Derby winner Watch Me Go to the Triple Crown on Sunday for the late fee of $6,000.

DOGS: Aerial Battle of Capabal kennel collected his 50th career win Tuesday at Derby Lane in St. Petersburg.

Transitions Championship: Shot of the day by Dade City's Garrett Willis, quote of the day from co-leader Chris Couch

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By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 18, 2011

Shot of the day

Dade City resident Garrett Willis holed out a 94-yard shot with a wedge on the par-5 fifth hole for eagle. Before the shot, he was 1 over for the day. After the shot? He added three birdies and finished at 4-under 67. "Shot came off perfect, landed 10 feet short and ran into the hole like a mouse," he said.

Quote of the day

"I didn't know if I was ever going to be able to play again. As an athlete, it's tough sitting around."

Co-leader Chris Couch, who missed most of 2008 and part of 2009 with a left shoulder injury before returning in 2010

Hole of the day

No. 8

Par 3, 234 yards

The Copperhead Course was giving up low scores again Friday, but the eighth hole didn't. The hole had 16 birdies and 34 bogies. Gaining a shot at No. 8 meant gaining on the field.

TRANSITIONS CHAMPIONSHIP

Today-Sunday. On TV: 1, Golf Channel; 3, Ch. 8

Game preview: No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 5 West Virginia

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By Rick Stroud, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 18, 2011

Roster

No. Player Pos. GP MIN PTS REB

12 Brandon Knight G 34 35.6 17.0 3.9

3 Terrence Jones F 34 31.4 16.3 8.7

20 Doron Lamb G 34 28.9 12.8 2.1

1 Darius Miller G 34 30.9 11.4 4.7

34 DeAndre Liggins G 34 31.1 8.6 4.0

55 Josh Harrellson F 34 27.9 7.0 8.8

30 Eloy Vargas F 34 8.2 1.6 2.1

4 Jon Hood G 30 5.1 0.9 0.7

5 Jarrod Polson G 17 1.8 0.4 0.1

2 Stacey Poole G 16 2.8 0.3 0.5

Coach: John CalipariRecord: 26-8

Tournament moments

The Wildcats have been on the losing end of two of the biggest games in NCAA Tournament history. Texas Western, the first team to start five African-Americans, upset Kentucky in the 1966 national title game. Of course, there also was the last-second shot by Duke's Christian Laettner in the region final in 1992. But in 1996, coach Rick Pitino helped Kentucky end its stretch of 18 seasons without a national championship.

Quotable

"I've seen the shot once." — Brandon Knight, on if he has watched replays of his last-second, winning shot against Princeton on Thursday

About the school

Location: Lexington, Ky.

Enrollment: 27,209

Famous alumni: Actor Ashley Judd, Outback Steakhouse founder Chris Sullivan, Phillies pitcher Joe Blanton

Roster

No. Player Pos. GP MIN PTS REB

3 Casey Mitchell G 29 23.8 13.7 2.9

5 Kevin Jones F 32 34.8 13.3 7.4

25 Darryl Bryant G 31 26.5 11.1 2.4

41 John Flowers F 32 30.2 9.4 6.4

21 Joe Mazzulla G 32 28.6 7.3 3.9

13 Deniz Kilicli F 32 16.4 6.7 4.0

32 Dalton Pepper G 31 12.1 4.0 1.6

4 Jonnie West G 22 8.4 3.0 0.7

2 Cam Thoroughman F 32 19.8 2.7 3.8

34 Kevin Noreen F 7 5.6 2.6 1.7

30 Danny Jennings F 14 8.6 2.1 2.5

12 Kenny Ross G 5 2.0 0.0 0.4

15 Craig Carey G 3 1.3 0.0 0.3

20 Jake Ferguson F 2 1.0 0.0 0.0

Coach: Bob HugginsRecord: 21-11

Tournament moment

In 1959, the Mountaineers lost to California in the NCAA title game despite its star, Jerry West, being named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.

Quotable

"I love to go up there and tee off on those guys like that." — Mountaineers forward Cam Thoroughman on his devastating backcourt screens

About the school

Location: Los Angeles

Enrollment: 38,000

Famous alumni: Baseball Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson; singer Jim Morrison of the Doors; Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; actor Mariska Hargitay of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit

Kentucky freshmen Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones and Doron Lamb had just finished practice for the McDonald's High School All-American Game last year when they tuned in for the Wildcats' loss to West Virginia in the region final. "We saw the whole game and how (Kentucky) struggled to shoot the ball and to get them out of the zone by shooting the ball," Jones said.

The Wildcats missed their first 20 3-pointers of the game and made 4 of 32 overall thanks, in part, to the Mountaineers' suffocating 1-3-1 zone defense.

"A lot of their shots were contested, under duress from the 1-3-1," said Mountaineers guard Joe Mazzulla, who scored 17 and beat Kentucky's press for three layups. "It got them off of the 3-point line and probably a few steps back.

"We can't let them get standstill shots, and we can't let them set their feet. If we can make them rush their 3-pointers and if we can get a hand in their face, then hopefully it'll be the same result."

Keep shooting: Speaking of missing shots, Knight missed his first seven Thursday against Princeton before his last-second winner.

HUGGY BEAR: Maybe it was the heart attack he suffered in 2002, but West Virginia coach Bob Huggins has actually … uh … mellowed through the years.

"Oh, you should've seen me back when," Huggins said Friday.

Even so, watching Huggins work officials and direct his players from the bench is worth the price of a ticket.

"What you see on TV really the majority of the time is just … because they have a camera on me all the time," Huggins said. "They don't have a camera on those other guys all the time.

"They have a camera on me all the time just waiting for me to do something stupid. And generally, I oblige."

CAL'S COOL OFFENSE: Kentucky coach John Calipari has had a lot of success attracting the nation's top players due, in part, to his offense. He allows players to break down defenders off the dribble to create scoring opportunities.

"The reason I went to the dribble-drive motion was points per possession," he said. "I think your efficiency is better because you're trying to get layups or open 3s. You're trying to get to the foul line.

"You're not going to have a whole lot of assists, but you're not going to have a whole lot of turnovers, either. So your efficiency is better. Kids like to see it. They look at it and say, 'He lets them play.' Well, there's organization to what we're doing. It's not just, 'Here, go do your thing.' "

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Vols done— Pearl too?

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Times wires
Friday, March 18, 2011

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An air of finality accompanied Bruce Pearl, the Volunteers coach who faces accusations that he violated NCAA recruiting rules and who has acknowledged that he lied to investigators, when he led his team onto the floor to face Michigan on Friday.

It may have been the last time Pearl wore his orange-striped tie and suspenders. The Vols surged early, faded and then buckled in the second half as No. 8 seed Michigan pulled away 75-45. Zack Novak had 14 points for Michigan (21-13), including three 3-pointers during a 19-2 run to open the second half.

This week Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said he was not certain that Pearl would be back next season. That statement made Pearl's job security the focus here and left the Vols straining to concentrate on basketball.

Asked if Hamilton's comments were a distraction, guard Melvin Goins said, "I don't think it had anything to do with us on the court, but of course, it was a distraction off the court."

"We just didn't play with no heart out there," said freshman forward Tobias Harris, who had 19 points in the first half, none in the second half when the No. 9-seeded Vols (19-15) were outscored 42-16. "We rushed too many shots and, you know, basically just quit."

It was hard for Pearl to dispute Tobias' assessment.

"Well, when you get beat (42-16) in a half of basketball, we didn't play with heart and obviously we were terribly discouraged by the margin, the quality of Michigan's play, the poorness of our own play and we did let down," Pearl said. "We unraveled."

Pearl is to face the NCAA committee on infractions in June to plead his case. He'll also have to plead with Hamilton and others at Tennessee not to fire him.

"We've got to go before the committee on infractions in June, and it's going to be difficult," Pearl said. "We made mistakes, we're going to try and be accountable for those mistakes. My goal and my desire is to be the basketball coach at Tennessee next year and for a long time."

duke 87, hampton 45: Kyrie Irving returned for the top-seeded Blue Devils (31-4) and helped give Mike Krzyzewski his 899th career victory in Charlotte, N.C. Krzyzewski can join Bob Knight (902) as Division I coaches with 900 wins on Sunday, when Duke plays Michigan.

Irving playing his first game in three months, scored 14 against the 16th-seeded Pirates (24-9). The freshman point guard injured his right big toe on Dec. 4

"I haven't played in three months, so this game was really nerve-racking," Irving said. "But once I got the butterflies out, I started to play really well."

Hampton's top three scorers — Darrion Pellum, Kwame Morgan and Charles Funches — were a combined 9-for-29.

"Every college team (watches) TV and says, 'I want to play Duke, I want to see what it's like to play Duke,' " Hampton coach Edward Joyner said. "We sure found out."

arizona 77, Memphis 75: Derrick Williams had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and blocked a potential tying shot in the final seconds as the fifth-seeded Wildcats (28-7) won in Tulsa, Okla.

Joe Jackson hit the first of two free throws with five seconds left, then missed the second to give the Tigers a shot at the tie. Wesley Witherspoon grabbed the offensive rebound at the right block, but Williams came over to swat his shot away.

"It's as if he's playing in his backyard," Wildcats coach Sean Miller said of Williams.

The 12th-seeded Tigers (25-10) had their lowest seed ever.

"We're not some Cinderella story," said Memphis coach Josh Pastner. "My vision when I took the job is we're trying to compete for national championships. We're not there yet, but we're going to get there."

Texas 85, Oakland 81: Tristan Thompson had 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks, and the fourth-seeded Longhorns (28-7) survived a late comeback attempt in Tulsa, Okla.

Thompson, a freshman, controlled his matchup with Summit League player of the year Keith Benson (15 points and 11 rebounds), a senior.

The 13th-seeded Golden Grizzlies (25-10), trailing by 15 with less than five minutes left, cut the lead to 80-75 with 1:23 left. Texas hit five free throws to hold on.

"We just won a game against an outstanding team," Texas coach Rick Barnes said.

Coach Greg Kampe said Oakland is progressing, but "right now doesn't feel like it. Right now it feels like I've got to say goodbye to Keith Benson. How am I going to say goodbye? It's like losing your wife or something."

Auto racing news and notes

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Times wires
Friday, March 18, 2011

Edwards continues Roush Fenway roll

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Roush Fenway Racing continued its strong qualifying runs Friday by sweeping the front row at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Carl Edwards turned a lap of 128.014 mph in a Ford to knock teammate Greg Biffle from the top starting spot for Sunday's Sprint Cup race. Biffle (127.622) was second.

Roush Fenway has earned the past three poles including Edwards Feb. 25 at Las Vegas.

Regan Smith qualified a career-best third in a Chevrolet, and his 6.25 qualifying average this season is best in the series. Paul Menard was fourth in a Chevy, and David Ragan put three Roush drivers in the top five.

"This is fun; the cars have just been great," Edwards said. "Greg motivated me. I didn't think anybody was going to be able to go that fast."

It was Edwards' ninth pole, and fifth in the past 19 races.

Sarrazin, Peugeot tops at Sebring

Stephane Sarrazin ran a lap of 1 minute, 46.571 seconds to earn the pole for today's 12 Hours of Sebring, the season opener for the American Le Mans Series.

Sarrazin, in a Peugeot 908, will share driving duties with Pedro Lamy and Franck Montagny. The car's time was more than a second better than the second-place Audi of Timo Bernhard, Romain Dumas and Mike Rockenfeller.

Belleair resident Patrick Long will start 27th of 56 entries alongside teammates Joerg Bergmeister and Marc Lieb in a Porsche 911 GT3. They qualified sixth-best in the GT class.

Franchitti's day has a ring to it

Defending Indianapolis 500 champion Dario Franchitti received his champion's ring Friday. Former NBA star Larry Bird presented the two-time Indy winner with his trophy at a news conference at Conseco Fieldhouse, home of the Indiana Pacers.

Elsewhere

Rafael Matos earned an IndyCar ride with the new AFS team for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. Matos, 29, was with Luczo Dragon Racing the past two seasons and was the IndyCar Rookie of the Year in 2009. … A recent study shows that Jeff Gordon has generated more television time for his sponsor than any other NASCAR driver through three races this season. The data collected by Joyce Julius & Associates shows Gordon's sponsors have been on TV for one hour, 50 minutes and 16 seconds over three races. That totals nearly $7.6 million of in-broadcast exposure value for new sponsor Drive To End Hunger. Carl Edwards is second in the rankings and Tony Stewart is third. … On Thursday, NASCAR driver Brian Keselowski had emergency surgery to remove his gall bladder and will miss at least two races. His team said the older brother of Sprint Cup star Brad Keselowski was expected to be released from the hospital Friday.

Times wires


Losing coach praises beleaguered referee

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Times wires
Friday, March 18, 2011

TULSA, Okla. — Memphis coach Josh Pastner didn't protest a noncall after Arizona's Derrick Williams blocked Wesley Witherspoon's potential tying shot in the final seconds to seal a 77-75 win Friday in the West Region.

Pastner complimented Jim Burr — one of the referees who withdrew from the Big East tournament after missed calls cost Rutgers in a loss to St. John's — and the rest of the crew on a good game.

"I thought actually Jim Burr reffed a good game. I have no problems with Jim Burr," Pastner said. "I thought the crew was good. ... I had no problems with Jim Burr reffing our game, and the bottom line is Arizona hit some shots late and they deserved to win."

Burr has worked 16 Final Fours and seven national championship games. In the closing 1.7 seconds of a 65-63 win by St. John's over Rutgers, he and his crew failed to notice when a player traveled and stepped out of bounds. The Big East admitted the errors and the crew pulled out of the tournament.

This time, the situation wasn't so clear-cut.

"Honestly, with a second or two left on the shot clock, most refs don't call that type of foul, especially when you're trying to make a hard play on the ball," Williams said.

"Earlier in the game they might have called it a foul just because he did fall on the ground. But late in the game, most refs don't call that. That's why I went up so hard to try to block it and save the game."

"Derrick's really good," Pastner said. "I voted for him for national player of the year. My vote doesn't change after (Friday's) performance."

NET PROFFITT: Under different circumstances, Ty Proffitt could have been celebrating Notre Dame's 69-56 tournament-opening win over Akron.

Instead, Proffitt transferred to Morehead State, and the junior guard helped guide the 13th-seeded Eagles to an upset of No. 4 Louisville on Thursday.

"Very happy with my decision," said Proffitt, who switched schools in 2008 to be closer to his hometown of London, Ky. "These guys would do anything in the world for me and I'd do anything in the world for them. I can't be happier."

Proffitt keeps in contact with his former Irish teammates, exchanging messages with them on a regular basis. Notre Dame's Tim Abromaitis called to congratulate him after the Eagles won the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.

'WINNING' WITHOUT SHEEN: Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin is living his own real-life sitcom of sorts. At least, that's the impression he gave when asked about the recruiting job done by assistant Darren Savino.

"He does a great job shopping for us," Cronin said. "He lives in my basement. Takes the pressure off me at the grocery store. We're Two and a Half Men. I have a 4-year-old daughter. It's just not quite as eventful (as the TV show). We're not 'winning' every day."

RARE AIR: Akron center Zeke Marshall’s 3-point attempt with 2:55 to play in a loss to Notre Dame was his first of the season and second of his career. The 7-footer missed. "I don't really recall their defense that caused me to miss. It was just me missing," Marshall said.

quotable: "If I didn't know where they were, I wouldn't be able to tell you." — Wisconsin coach Bo Ryan, when asked if there were any roads he doesn't know about or any towns he's hasn't been to in 10 years of recruiting in the state.

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Dale Earnhardt Jr. staying calm after encouraging start

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Times wires
Friday, March 18, 2011

BRISTOL, Tenn. — When Dale Earnhardt Jr. failed to qualify for last year's Chase for the Championship, he spent the final three months of the season out of the spotlight.

The focus was no longer on the struggles of NASCAR Sprint Cup's most popular driver, shifting instead to the title contenders. Earnhardt liked being under the radar.

He doesn't have that luxury now.

A decent start to the season has Earnhardt 10th in points. That has created a buzz around Earnhardt from a rabid fan base eager to see its driver snap his 96-race winless streak.

But Earnhardt isn't getting too far ahead of himself and urged everyone to be patient.

"I think we've just got to temper our excitement over what we've seen so far," he said Friday at Bristol Motor Speedway, where he qualified 22nd for Sunday's race. "You've got to temper your mood a little bit and just keep working hard, keep staying focused, realizing how much further in the season we got to go."

Earnhardt has been down this road before, most recently 2008, his first season with Hendrick Motorsports. He won only once but hovered inside the top five in points all the way up to the start of the Chase.

Then he faded fast and has been in a slump ever since. Earnhardt missed the Chase the past two seasons and had just five top-five finishes.

Those struggles played a role in team owner Rick Hendrick's offseason organizational changes, which led to Earnhardt being paired with Steve Letarte, Jeff Gordon's former crew chief.

"I think Stevie pulls things out of Dale that are valuable to making them go faster," Gordon said, "and I think Dale adds something to Stevie to keep them in check and calmed down to focus on his job. I think they are good together. I really like hearing them work together."

The past two races, Earnhardt was 10th at Phoenix and eighth at Las Vegas. But there are 33 races left, and Earnhardt knows that's a long way before he can call 2011 a comeback.

"The challenge (is) me and (Letarte) maintaining our positive attitude, maintaining the communication," Earnhardt said. "…That is going to be the part that is the hardest; that will determine whether we will succeed or not, is whether we can keep that going over an entire season."

Game preview: Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 18, 2011

Times wires

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Friday, March 18, 2011

MARCO ISLAND — NFL players and their leadership tried to make a few things clear Friday:

They consider the letter commissioner Roger Goodell sent them a day earlier an attempt to create "dissension."

They dispute the league's contention that the union walked away from negotiations.

They dispute the owners' depiction of their last-minute offer made March 11. They say it wasn't close to acceptable because it would have made salaries a fixed cost and eliminated the players' chance to share in higher-than-projected revenue growth. They say the proposal would cut players' take of more than $9 billion in annual revenues from 50 percent to 45 percent in the first year of a new contract.

Pete Kendall, the former union's permanent player representative, called the league's offer "kind of the old switcheroo." Steelers safety Ryan Clark, his team's main representative, called it "probably the worst deal in sports history," echoing words used by NFLPA chief executive DeMaurice Smith in a radio appearance.

"If the union had a problem, the best course of action would have been to make a counterproposal, continue to discuss the issue, or explain the problem," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said. "They were in such a hurry to get out of the room last Friday and file their lawsuit that they never mentioned this …issue."

Mediation cut off a week ago, and the union dissolved itself, allowing players to file a class-action antitrust suit in federal court. Hours later, when the old collective bargaining agreement expired, owners locked out the players.

In a speech Friday to players at the NFLPA's annual meeting, Smith said he won't be paid during the work stoppage — the league's first since 1987.

NCAA Tournament: Florida Gators guard play a key against UCLA Bruins

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 18, 2011

TAMPA — UCLA freshman center Josh Smith was the center of the media attention on Friday afternoon, and while his inside presence will clearly be a factor when Florida and UCLA meet in today's third-round NCAA Tournament game, the outcome may rest heavily with the backcourts.

Florida starting guards Kenny Boynton and Erving Walker and UCLA guard Malcolm Lee and forward Tyler Honeycutt could play pivotal roles. With the battle inside expected to be extremely physical between the Gators' big men and 305-pound Smith, Florida hopes to capitalize on its speed, ability to put pressure on UCLA's shooting guards and its outside shooting.

"I think we have some of the fastest guards in the country," UF senior center Vernon Macklin said. "So I think UCLA is going to have a job on their hands guarding our offense, our pick-and-roll offense because we have some great guards that play for us."

UCLA coach Ben Howland acknowledged that guard play is critical.

"Boynton and Walker are very, very good guards," Howland said. "They make so much happen with their ability to put the ball on the floor and create for others as well as themselves."

The Bruins are well known for their physical brand of basketball, and their ability to control the tempo and scoring. UCLA has held 93 opponents under 60 points in the Howland era. Expect Florida to try to speed up the tempo while putting extra pressure on UCLA's backcourt. UCLA averages 15 turnovers and 14.6 assists per game, eighth in the Pac-10 in assist to turnover ratio entering the tournament.

"We're definitely going to press more than we ever have this season," UF sophomore guard Kenny Boynton said. "They have showed in the past that they kind of turn the ball over. Their guards have a negative assist to turnover ratio, so we definitely want to try to get turnovers."

Honeycutt acknowledged that UCLA has had problems with small guards, and realizes it's imperative to play strong transition defense and take care of the ball.

"We've had games where we've gotten killed in transition defense, so that's one of our main focuses, getting back in transition defense," Honeycutt said. "That's a theme we keep repeating to our guards, stopping the ball early, don't let them get a head of steam. That's one of our main focuses defensively. It's on our guards to be able to stop the break. We can't let the guards get too deep in the paint or start kicking out."

Lee, who is playing with a cartilage tear in his knee, is the Bruins' second-leading scorer and has 20 double-figure games this season.

Boynton said he expects to guard Honeycutt, while Walker will guard Lee.

"Basically we've got to get back on defense because we know they are going to push it on us every time they get it — on made shots and misses," Lee said. "We know that we're going to have to find our man, and the bigs are going to have to get up and down the court, too, because their big (men) like to run as well.

"We're going to have to find them in transition early and stop them earlier."

Honeycutt has 22 double-figure games and is second on the team in assists. So the way the Gators figure it, there's one good way to go about it.

"Pressure," Walker said. "We want to get up under them and create. We don't want them to get into a flow offensively. We want to create the tempo."

Antonya English can be reached at english@sptimes.com. Follow her coverage at gators.tampabay.com.

Sports in brief

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Times wires
Friday, March 18, 2011

winter sports

vonn needs one last comeback to win cup title

LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland — The battle for Alpine skiing's World Cup women's overall title comes down to the wire today after American Lindsey Vonn, the three-time defending champion, relinquished her lead to Maria Riesch of Germany on Friday.

Vonn, who entered the season's final slalom with a 27-point advantage, trailed by three points after finishing 13th.

Riesch, her friend as well as rival, was fourth. Vonn scored 20 points, and Riesch regained the overall lead by earning 50 in a race won by Tina Maze of Slovenia.

The champion was to be determined in the season's last race, a giant slalom.

More Alpine skiing: Ted Ligety of the United States clinched the World Cup giant slalom title after the race was canceled because of poor weather in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, adding to the world championship he won last month. Ligety won his third World Cup trophy in four years, beating Phil Mahre's U.S. men's record of two giant slalom titles in 1982 and '83.

figure skating: The sport's ruling body will consider moving the world championships from Tokyo if organizers are unable by Monday to commit to hosting the event later. The event was to begin next week but was postponed because of the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

snowboard cross: American Lindsey Jacobellis won a World Cup race in Valmalenco, Italy.

Tennis

Federer, Djokovic in semi showdown

Roger Federer defeated Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the BNP Paribas Open semifinals in Indian Wells, Calif., setting up a match with Novak Djokovic for the world's No. 2 ranking.

Federer is second behind Rafael Nadal in the rankings. Djokovic is third. Djokovic beat Richard Gasquet 6-2, 6-4 to improve to 16-0 this year and put himself in position to surpass Federer in the rankings.

On the women's side, 15th seed Marion Bartoli became the first Frenchwoman to reach the singles final at Indian Wells, defeating No. 23 seed Yanina Wickmayer 6-1, 6-3. She plays either top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki or 16th seed Maria Sharapova.

et cetera

college football: Florida cornerback Janoris Jenkins accepted a plea deal on a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge. The Alachua County State Attorney's Office agreed to withhold adjudication and ordered him to pay $316 in court costs and fines. Jenkins, who will be a senior this season, was arrested in a Gainesville club in January. Officers said they saw him in a public bathroom rolling a joint. He was charged with possession of marijuana less than 20 grams. Coach Will Muschamp said the matter will be handled internally.

soccer: Chelsea plays English Premier League rival Manchester United and nine-time winner Real Madrid was paired with Tottenham in the draw for the quarterfinals of the European Champions League. Favorite Barcelona meets the Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk, and defending champ Inter Milan takes on Schalke. The first legs of the quarterfinals are April 5-6.

Jurisprudence: A veteran New Hampshire sports reporter pleaded guilty to running a prostitution business in Massachusetts. Kevin Provencher was sentenced to 1-2½ years in prison after pleading guilty in Salem, Mass., Superior Court. Prosecutors say the 52-year-old from Manchester, N.H., advertised prostitution services on Craigslist and other websites.

Times wires

NCAA Tournament preview: Florida vs. UCLA

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By Antonya English, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 18, 2011

Roster

No. Player Pos. GP MIN PTS REB

1 Kenny Boynton G 34 32.5 14.1 1.5

4 Patric Young F/C 34 17.9 3.4 3.8

5 Scottie Wilbekin G 34 17.1 2.6 1.6

11 Erving Walker G 34 32.5 14.5 14.5

15 Will Yeguete F 29 7.3 1.3 2.7

20 Kyle McClanahan G 8 2.6 0.9 0.4

23 Alex Tyus F 33 24.2 8.6 5.5

24 Casey Prather G/F 33 6.7 1.2 1.1

25 Chandler Parsons F 33 33.6 11.5 7.8

32 Vernon Macklin F/C 34 24.3 11.3 5.5

33 Erik Murphy F 30 11.2 4.4 2.4

*34 Cody Larson F

Coach: Billy DonovanRecord: 27-7

Best tournament moment

Led by Joakim Noah, Al Horford, Corey Brewer and Taurean Green, the Gators won national championships in 2006 and 2007.

Quotable

"It's one and done now. We can't look in the past. That was (Thursday), it's over and done with. For us to get to where we want to go, we've got to be ready (today).'' — Junior guard Erving Walker on not getting caught up in winning their first NCAA Tournament game since 2007 on Thursday.

About the school

Location: GainesvilleEnrollment: 52,112

Famous alumni: Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, actor Faye Dunaway, Jim McGee (Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter), Marshall Nirenberg (Nobel Prize winner in medicine and physiology).

Roster

No. Player Pos. GP MIN PTS REB

22 Reeves Nelson F 33 31.2 13.9 9.0

3 Malcolm Lee G 32 32.9 13.1 3.0

23 Tyler Honeycutt F 32 34.9 12.8 7.3

34 Joshua Smith C 32 21.6 10.7 6.3

11 Lazeric Jones G 33 28.7 9.2 2.2

5 Jerime Anderson G 33 20.0 5.3 1.7

21 Brendan Lane F 32 15.6 3.1 3.2

1 Tyler Lamb G 33 12.5 2.7 1.1

4 Tyler Trapani G 3 0.7 0.7 0.3

0 Anthony Stover C 31 7.9 0.6 1.5

15 Blake Arnet G 7 1.3 0.3 0.1

13 Matt DeMarcus G 3 0.7 0.0 0.0

10 Alex Schrempf F 3 0.7 0.0 0.0

14 Jack Haley G 2 2.0 0.0 1.0

Coach: Ben HowlandRecord: 23-10

Best tournament moment

The Bruins have 11 NCAA titles to choose from.

Quotable

"I know a bunch of guys that played in those UCLA games. I think everyone is here just to get the win, but maybe it will be a little consolation for the guys that were on those teams." — Sophomore forward Reeves Nelson on playing Florida, which knocked the Bruins out of the NCAA Tournament in 2006 and 2007.

About the school

Location: Los Angeles.Enrollment: 38,000

Famous alumni: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the late Arthur Ashe, former Mayor Tom Bradley, Carol Burnett, Jimmy Connors, Francis Ford Coppola, James Dean, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Reggie Miller

A

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Florida freshman center Patric Young was a middle school student in Jacksonville in 2006 when the Gators played UCLA in the first of back-to-back Final Four meetings. Freshman guard Scottie Wilbekin was in elementary school. And junior guard Erving Walker said Friday he barely remembers watching the Gators play the Bruins in the 2007 Final Four because it was "too far back to remember." So all this talk about the rematch between Florida and UCLA — dating to 2006 and 2007 when the Gators defeated UCLA in the Final Four — is just that as far as the Gators are concerned. Strictly talk.

"It doesn't matter," Young said. "We've got to go out there and play our game. What they've done in the past is the past. What they did (Thursday night) is important, and that relates to us. Their game against Michigan State that's important to us because that's what they did now. But all those other guys are in the league now and it's completely different."

As for UCLA, the players and coach Ben Howland agree it's not about the past, but it seems some fans would like a little payback.

"A lot of fans are texting me saying get revenge on the Gators for what they did to us," UCLA freshman center Josh Smith said.

IS IT REALLY HOME? Florida fans didn't exactly fill every seat in the St. Pete Times Forum for Thursday night's second-round game, but don't tell UCLA that playing the Gators two hours away from Gainesville isn't like a road game for the Bruins.

"They are probably going to have a lot more fans than we have here," UCLA forward Reeves Nelson said. "It will be like an away game. It will be us against the world, and we are going to have to band together as a team."

Florida coach Billy Donovan said there might be a little too much made out of the location factor.

"Sometimes you get in these tournament settings and there's people cheering for both sides there," he said. "Certainly travel-wise going two hours on a bus compared to UCLA having to come across the country is a little bit different. What kind of crowd, we'll have to wait and see. Hopefully it's all Gators."


Yankees' A.J. Burnett shakes off hits allowed and one hit taken

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Times wires
Friday, March 18, 2011

DUNEDIN — A.J. Burnett got hit by a line drive and lost his command at times. He found his curveball, though, and that was encouraging to him.

Hurt by his own wild pitches and C Russell Martin's sloppy play, the Yankees right-hander gave up four runs — two earned — and five hits in four innings of Friday's 6-5 loss to the Blue Jays.

Burnett was struck just below the right hip, on the meaty part of his buttock, by Juan Rivera's first-inning liner. The ball ricocheted toward the third base line, but he remained in the game.

"It hurt, man," he said. "It did, but it didn't bother me too much. The line drive woke me up. I was able to find the out pitch, my strikeout pitch. I found my hook today. … It was sharp, got some bad swings on it."

Burnett threw two wild pitches, and Martin committed two throwing errors and allowed a passed ball. He also threw poorly on three Toronto stolen bases.

"I need to work out of the stretch a little bit," Burnett said. "I'm a little slow there."

LF Brett Gardner (bruised shin sustained Thursday) left after being thrown out trying to score from second on a third-inning single.

GETTING LOOSE: LHPs Pedro Feliciano (upper arm) and Joba Chamberlain (strained oblique) are scheduled to throw bullpen sessions today.

Jays: Morrow's day

DUNEDIN — Toronto starter Brandon Morrow, given an early lead against the Yankees, worked five shutout innings, giving up three hits and striking out six.

"You want to put the pressure on them at that point and you're going out and throwing first-pitch strikes," he said. "That's definitely the way you want to do it when you get a couple of runs up."

I thought he threw the ball really well today," manager John Farrell told MLB.com. "Maybe he wasn't quite as powerful as last time out, but very good assortment of pitches."

SHORT HOPS: Manager John Farrell said he hopes to get 2B Aaron Hill, sidelined by a strained right thigh, into his first game Tuesday. … OF John Talisano and Ps Zach Stewart and Henderson Alvarez were optioned to minor-league camp.

Phillies: Lidge update

CLEARWATER — RHP Brad Lidge was fine after throwing a bullpen session, ESPN.com reported. The reliever has been out with biceps tendinitis.

He told the website that he hopes to pitch in a game "in three or four days."

"My pop will never be there until my first game closing in the regular season," Lidge told ESPN.com "It hasn't been for the last 10 years. … But that said, I should be able to get more out of it than I've had my last couple of outings."

SHORT HOPS: 2B Chase Utley (right knee) returned to camp after visiting a specialist. The All-Star has not played this spring. … MLB.com reported that the team thinned its pitching staff, optioning Vance Worley and reassigning Dan Meyer, Juan Perez and Michael Stutes to minor-league camp.

Tampa Bay Lightning's Vinny Lecavalier calls Montreal Canadiens' P.K. Subban a faker who 'doesn't respect anybody'

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By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Friday, March 18, 2011

OTTAWA — Lightning captain Vinny Lecavalier said he did not sleep well Thursday night.

His left wrist still was sore after being slashed twice by Canadiens rookie defenseman P.K. Subban. His sensibilities about how hockey should be played were raw as well.

It wasn't so much that he and Subban had had a fast-escalating stick battle in front of the net. It was that Subban embellished being injured by collapsing and staying on the ice, and then skated off holding his left arm when replays showed Lecavalier's wicked two-handed slash hit Subban's left thigh pad.

The deception worked. Lecavalier was ejected from the 3-2 shootout loss at the Bell Centre with 8.5 seconds left in the first period. But Lecavalier, vindicated when the league did not hand out supplemental discipline, said the display was disgraceful, especially because Subban did not miss a shift.

"He was obviously faking," Lecavalier said Friday. "Maybe in a game like soccer, where it happens a lot and it's part of the game, it's fine. But hockey, it's not a game like that. Guys just don't go down. It's the way it's always been. Of course, there's a few guys like that, and he's one of them."

Perhaps in Subban's mind the ends justify the means but that can't be known because the Canadiens did not make him available to reporters. But he did get one of Tampa Bay's best players off the ice, and with a five-minute slashing penalty to boot. Subban got a minor for the same offense.

As Lightning coach Guy Boucher said, "When you see P.K. almost dying on the floor there, it has a tendency to make you give a worse penalty to Vinny. He got away with what he wanted."

In a sense, it is similar to the Yankees' Derek Jeter faking he was hit by a pitch when the ball actually hit his bat in a game against the Rays last season. But baseball has a history of that kind of gamesmanship and doesn't have nearly the NHL's macho play-through-anything code.

"Jeter I can understand a little bit," Tampa Bay wing Ryan Malone said. "But to stay down on the ice like he was in shock or broke his arm … we're hockey players. I always tell my wife, if I'm down on the ice, I'm probably unconscious. Otherwise, you are supposed to get up.

"But the game is changing. You're seeing more of these young guys come in. I think a lot of people have already talked about Subban and how he plays and the lack of respect for the guys who played before."

Flyers captain Mike Richards once said Subban, 21, should watch his back: "Something might happen to him if he continues to be that cocky."

"He's the type of guy who doesn't respect anybody," Lecavalier said. "He's not a well-liked guy, not because of the way he plays, (but) because of the way he does things. He's a great player. He will be for a long time. But his attitude, just the way he is … ."

That is why Boucher, who coached Subban last season at AHL Hamilton, said Lecavalier should have been smarter even as, Lecavalier claimed, Subban slew-footed him twice.

"Vinny didn't do this out of the blue," Boucher said. "I won't blame him for getting mad, but what I want to say is there are other ways to get back at a player. When you're going to dump the puck and you're the one forechecking, there are ways to get him clean and hard."

Or, Lightning goalie Mike Smith said, "Vinny could have gone down. (Subban) gave it to him pretty good. But Vinny isn't going to fall down on a little slash. He stays on his feet. He goes down, it's a different story."

OUT: Wing Simon Gagne, with two goals, six points in his past three games, will miss tonight's game with Ottawa and perhaps Tuesday with the Islanders, Boucher said, after a followup procedure on the neck injury that kept him out of 18 games in October and November.

Softball: Strawberry Crest sails past Zephyrhills 10-0

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Andy Villamarzo, Times Correspondent
Friday, March 18, 2011

ZEPHYRHILLS — When Strawberry Crest coach Mindy Miltner entered her squad in the Zephyrhills softball tournament, she wanted to give her girls a different look from playing the same Hillsborough opponents week in and week out.

The results from new competition didn't differ too much for the Chargers, as they received solid pitching from Brianna Alonso and Savannah Bradley, who combined to pitch a two-hitter en route to a 10-0 victory over host Zephyrhills on Friday night.

"We've just been hitting the ball so well this season," Miltner said. "Brianna usually pitches the first three to four innings and Bradley comes in and closes it out for us.

"When we signed up for this tournament, we wanted to go into a different county and just get a different feel. It helps the girls because they're used to playing the same schools over and over."

Strawberry Crest (12-1) scattered 16 hits through seven innings and was able to score early in most innings with its great speed (four steals) and timely hitting. The Chargers also played well defensively, committing no errors. Alonso and Bradley struck out four batters in the shutout.

The Bulldogs (5-8) could not produce anything offensively, but senior Lauren Pasquale (two strikeouts) allowed only six earned runs in her outing.

"Errors has been the story of the year for our ball team," Zephyrhills coach Craig Milburn said. "But that's a good ball team over there. I wish my girls could watch (Strawberry Crest) and learn from them. They field on the run, they swing the bats well. I see the scores; they've been scoring 15-16 runs and I told the girls we played better ball tonight."

In earlier games, Mitchell defeated Hernando 2-0, Gulf edged Lecanto 4-3, Hernando cruised past Lecanto 13-2 and Zephyrhills shut out Fivay 4-0.

Capitals stymie Devils' run

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Times wires
Friday, March 18, 2011

NEWARK, N.J. — Rookie Michal Neuvirth stopped 33 shots for his fourth shutout and the Capitals put another dagger in the Devils' playoff hopes with a 3-0 victory Friday.

Neuvirth was the difference in the game as the Devils outshot the Capitals 33-12. He stopped Ilya Kovalchuk with three great glove saves, the last on a breakaway with 2:57 to go that had the Russian slamming his stick into the end boards.

"His confidence is everything," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau said. "I could tell early on that it was going to be tough to get anything by him."

The win tied the Capitals and Flyers for most points in the East with 94. The Flyers have three games in hand and two more nonshootout wins, the first tiebreaker for playoff spots. In the Southeast Division, first-place Washington moved six points ahead of the idle Lightning.

The loss was the second in as many nights for New Jersey and left it six points behind idle Buffalo in the race for the eighth and final playoff berth in the East.

"This is the adversity we are facing right now, and we need to get back on track," goalie Martin Brodeur said. "We have to do it quickly because we don't have much time left."

Game highlights: Joni Pitkanen scored at 3:58 of overtime to give the host Hurricanes a 3-2 win over the Islanders, helping them inch closer to a playoff spot in the East. … Ryan Callahan, Marian Gaborik and Brian Boyle scored 1:07 apart in the host Rangers' five-goal first, their highest-scoring first period in more than 11 years, and New York beat the Canadiens 6-3.

Canucks: Forward Rick Rypien, on personal leave since November after he grabbed a fan in the stands in Minnesota, was scheduled to return to play Friday with AHL Manitoba. "I'm very excited, and it should be fun," Rypien, a cousin of former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien, said before the game.

Predators: The league fined forward Patric Hornqvist $2,500 but did not suspend him for his elbow to the head of the Bruins' Tyler Seguin on Thursday. The fine is the maximum allowed in the collective bargaining agreement. Hornqvist got a five-minute major for elbowing and was kicked out of the game. Seguin stayed in the game.

Red Wings: Forward Pavel Datsyuk has a lower-body injury and is day-to-day. Datsyuk left in the third period Thursday against the Blue Jackets.

Capitals1113
at Devils0000

First Period1, Wash., Schultz 1 (Knuble, Wideman), 6:10. PenaltiesNone.

Second Period2, Wash., Knuble 18 (Carlson, Ovechkin), 15:58. PenaltiesAlzner, Was (tripping), 3:50; Wideman, Was (delay of game), 12:56; Hendricks, Was, double minor (high-sticking), 16:51.

Third Period3, Wash., Knuble 19 (Ovechkin, Carlson), 11:24. PenaltiesNone. Shots on GoalWash. 2-6-4—12. N.J. 12-8-13—33. Power-play opportunitiesWash. 0 of 0; N.J. 0 of 4. GoaliesWash., Neuvirth 23-11-4 (33 shots-33 saves). N.J., Brodeur 20-22-2 (12-9).

at Hurricanes10113
Islanders11002

First Period1, Carolina, Skinner 25 (Jokinen, Ruutu), 16:33. 2, NYI, Nielsen 10 (Grabner, Martinek), 17:52. PenaltiesNone.

Second Period3, NYI, Grabner 29 (Hamonic, Nielsen), 3:10. PenaltiesHaley, NYI (interference), 4:26; Harrison, Car (hooking), 6:58; Gleason, Car (cross-checking), 16:43.

Third Period4, Carolina, Cole 20 (Stillman), 15:23. PenaltiesGleason, Car (roughing), 1:00; LaRose, Car (hooking), 8:41; Tavares, NYI (interference), 12:17.

Overtime5, Carolina, Pitkanen 3 (Skinner, E.Staal), 3:58. PenaltiesNone. Shots on GoalNYI 13-17-6-1—37. Carolina 11-8-14-2—35. Power-play opportunitiesNYI 0 of 4; Carolina 0 of 2. GoaliesNYI, Montoya 7-3-4 (35 shots-32 saves). Carolina, Ward 30-24-9 (37-35).

at Rangers5016
Canadiens1113

First Period1, NYR, Anisimov 17, 5:28. 2, Montreal, Subban 8 (Pouliot, Desharnais), 7:11. 3, NYR, Girardi 4 (Christensen, Zuccarello), 10:25. 4, NYR, Callahan 22 (Anisimov, Dubinsky), 17:09. 5, NYR, Gaborik 21 (Christensen, Prospal), 17:41. 6, NYR, Boyle 21 (Staal, Prust), 18:16. PenaltiesMoen, Mon, major (fighting), :01; Prust, NYR, major (fighting), :01; Subban, Mon (roughing), 7:37; Prust, NYR (interference), 7:37; Hamrlik, Mon (cross-checking), 8:16; Staal, NYR (high-sticking), 19:50.

Second Period7, Montreal, Wisniewski 9 (Hamrlik, Gionta), 4:13. PenaltiesChristensen, NYR (holding), 10:03; Eller, Mon (tripping), 12:45; Subban, Mon, served by Palushaj (goaltender interference, roughing), 17:00; Sauer, NYR (roughing), 17:00; Callahan, NYR (roughing), 19:07.

Third Period8, Montreal, Gionta 26 (Wisniewski, Cammalleri), :54 (pp). 9, NYR, Prospal 5 (Girardi, Staal), 17:15 (pp). PenaltiesEller, Mon (roughing), 1:52; McCabe, NYR (holding), 2:43; Pouliot, Mon (goaltender interference), 16:21.

Shots on GoalMontreal 9-9-7—25. NYR 13-9-9—31. Power-play opportunitiesMontreal 1 of 4; NYR 1 of 5. GoaliesMontreal, Price 34-24-6 (12 shots-7 saves), Auld (18:16 first, 19-18). NYR, Lundqvist 30-24-4 (25-22).

Playoff chase

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

East Pts. Wins GR

1. Flyers94 41 12

2. Capitals94399

3. Bruins88 37 12

4. Penguins 90 36 11

5. Lightning88 33 11

6. Canadiens85 36 10

7. Rangers803010

8. Sabres 76 29 12

9. Hurricanes762910

10. Maple Leafs72 27 10

11. Thrashers72 26 11

12. Devils70 30 11

West Pts. Wins GR

1. Canucks-y* 103 43 10

2. Red Wings94 39 11

3. Sharks903610

4. Coyotes*87 34 10

5. Kings85 33 11

6. Stars84 33 11

7. Blackhawks84 33 11

8. Flames83 29 9

9. Predators82 30 11

10. Ducks 81 34 12

11. Wild77 33 11

12. Blue Jackets74 28 12

y -Clinched division title

* Late result not included

Stanford leads, but Lincicome lurking

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Times wires
Friday, March 18, 2011

PHOENIX — Angela Stanford got over a terrible hole in a hurry Friday in the first round of the LPGA Founders Cup.

After making a mess of the par-4 eighth for double bogey, she holed out from a fairway bunker for eagle on the par-4 ninth.

"After our first two events, I found that I was struggling mentally, and I just get down on myself really fast," Stanford said. "So after the double, I thought, 'Okay, I have a choice here. I can either stay down … or go to the next hole and try to make it better.' Usually, you don't get results that quick in golf."

Stanford shot 6-under 66 to take the lead in the tour's play-for-free U.S. opener.

Instead of paying the players, the tournament honoring the 13 tour founders is donating $1 million to charity — half to the LPGA Foundation and its LPGA-USGA Girls Golf program and half to the top-10 finishers' designated charities.

Meanwhile, Seminole's Brittany Lincicome matched Aree Song at 67 to tie for second.

Lincicome birdied four of the first six holes on the back nine.

"I don't even know what happened. It was just one after another, and it wasn't like I was making 50-footers," said Lincicome, playing for The First Tee of St. Petersburg. "I drove it well. You don't want to get in the rocks in the desert."

In partly cloudy conditions with the temperature in the low 80s, large crowds lined the fairways at the Wildfire Golf Club.

"We had a lot of fans out there, and that always gets me kind of juiced," Stanford said. "The fans here are amazing."

Juli Inkster, 50, shot 68 and is trying to become the oldest winner in tour history.

"It's not like I'm 80," Inkster said. "I know I'm completing against 20-, 25-year-olds, but I'm sure I could beat half of them on a treadmill."

Fox at Outback: Actor and Parkinson's advocate Michael J. Fox committed to play in the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am on April 15-17 at TPC Tampa Bay in Lutz. This will be the third time Fox has played in the Champions Tour event.

Times staff writer Rodney Page contributed to this report.

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